I hate snow so much except when it gets me a free day off class
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Ochako was transfixed by the enormous plate of chili fries that was in front of her. "...I'm beginning to understand why someone was so opposed to having this on campus."
"The meals at Lunch Rush's cafeteria are so much better than this." Iida said. "...but why do I want to eat it?"
Izuku was clutching the side of his face with his hands. "Blame the chili." He extended his hand for a fry. "It smells wonderful..."
Todoroki sat impassively as he peeled away the paper off his burger. "You guys didn't get a burger?" He asked. (He assumed everyone was required to buy a burger from Burger Shack.)
I think now is a good time to describe the 'revitalization' Ben did to UA's campus. On top of adding in the apartments and a few extra areas for training, Ben added in some stuff you'd find on a college campus. In order to have students usually at UA, he and a team of builders set up a 'food court' near the dorms. There was a wide variety of places, like a ramen / sushi bar, a salad bar, a grilling place and even a small grocery store that students could use. Students could even get jobs on campus at these places.
And two of Ben's personal touches were…a Burger Shack and a Mr. Smoothies.
"I can see why Ben likes smoothies." Iida said while taking sips from his orange carrot smoothie. "Smoothies with fiber and protein keep you full longer, while those containing fruits and veggies boost your vegetable intake. You could get one every day if you wanted. Even if the mascot is a little...strange. How's your katsudon, Midoriya?"
Izuku swallowed the last of his pork and finished his meal. "It's really good! Better than I would have anticipated. Since none of us are very skilled in the kitchen, I think that UA is making a concerted effort to ensure that we're all happy with the food. Especially me. I'm awful at cooking."
"There's no way you're that awful." Iida let out a chuckle.
"Ask my home economics instructor," Izuku shivered. "I think I compelled her to leave teaching with my mushroom soup…"
"And the final verdict on these fries is..." Ochako glanced at her sloppy hands before looking away. "Addicting."
Iida extended a napkin to her for use. "Did you eat most of that all by yourself!?"
"I usually don't eat too much!" Ochako scowled as she cleaned her face with the napkin. "For me, this is the same as dining at a five-star establishment. I'd probably faint if someone served me lobster."
"Burger's okay." Todoroki said. "But, on the other hand. Burgers aren't something I eat very often."
Everyone looked at him. "That's it? No big review?" Izuku asked.
Todoroki shrugged. "Nope. It's alright."
"Final verdict- the Tennyson Food Court is pretty good." Ochako said.
"Now that we're done with our "food review," let's talk about what's really going on." Ochako stated. "Mina and Kaminari's fight today caused a lot of tension between them. I can tell that a lot of the class is going to side with either side."
"I'm not surprised that Kaminari was the one to defend Mineta," Todoroki added. "The two were almost inseparable from one another. But I also see where Mina is coming from. The girls never really liked Mineta that much. The incident that took place in the locker room is an obvious case."
"And I think we can all agree on that. Mineta was not a highly moral individual, but he was still a human. Everyone has a right to be treated with empathy." Iida added.
"So, what we need to do now is restore some peace between Class 1-A before things get worse. I really don't want us to be going at it again with each other..." Izuku frowned. "So, we need someone to keep the peace. For both of them."
"That's why...
I was able to think of something." Ochako took out a piece of paper and handed it to the boys "In order to plan things out, I took advantage of Grey Matter's specialized expertise of psychology. Let's all try to spend time with them over the next few days to see if we can get something out of them and also try to get them out of this "bad funk."
The document was a well-organized and well-thought-out itinerary that came so close to being flawless that it almost made Iida weep. "I'll say…" Iida began, adjusting his spectacles.
"Taking into consideration the estimates that Grey Matter provided, I think this approach has a good chance of succeeding. I can't promise that Mina and Kaminari will instantly become friends again as a result of this, but if it helps put an end to the turmoil, then it's worth a shot." Ochako nodded.
"We just need to make sure they're out and about, and away from each other." Izuku said. "And there's plenty of stuff to do on campus now."
"Izuku and I will start with Kaminari tomorrow- and you and Todoroki can start with Mina." Iida said. Todoroki blinked.
"Are…you sure you want me involved in this? I'm not exactly the most social person." Todoroki said.
"Well, you came and joined us." Izuku said. "That's something."
"Fair." Todoroki nodded.
Ochako looked down at her sheet of paper, and took a deep breath. "We'll start this plan tomorrow- nothing can go wrong, right?"
She was right about 'nothing can go wrong'. It's just that plans had to change immediately, thanks to a last minute meeting with Aizawa. When the group returned back to the dorms, Aizawa was there, with their new RAs and the students. The room was quiet, and the tension between students was palpable.
"There you four are." Aizawa said, looking at the door. "We were waiting for you."
Ochako's eyes widened as she saw that Aizawa had two people caught in his binding cloth- Mina and Kaminari. The two were swaddled up like babies, and squirming around.
"Oh, goodness- what happened?" Iida said, stepping forward.
"They started another argument while you were at dinner." Jirou frowned. "Thankfully Mr. Aizawa broke it up."
"This is getting ridiculous..." Uraraka mumbled under her breath as both Mina and Kaminari started to try and quickly get out from the bindings as they were still pissed at one another.
"I'm still not forgiving him!"
"Oh, you can say the same here sister!"
Aizawa quickly binded them up again. "They gave me the rundown. All I'll say is that Mineta had a lot of potential and I support his decision to leave the hero course. I'm not sure if any of you saw his injuries, but…they're bad."
"We don't know much, but Kaminari seems to have seen them." Izuku said as he looked down at the electric blondie, who was getting a little more irritated. Of course they wouldn't talk about this until NOW.
"Now that you're all here, I can start the REAL purpose of this meeting." Aizawa said, clearing his throat. "I'm glad to see the rest of you are all here."
"And we're glad to see you, Mr. Aizawa. I was sad cuz I thought you might come back after that press conference." Tsu said.
"I'm shocked too, but I suppose with everything being shaken up, that news fell through the cracks." Aizawa said. "I'm here with the other floor advisors to properly introduce them. I know some of you met them at your houses, but they'll be living in the dorms to supervise you." Aizawa side eyed the two students in his grasp. "Especially now."
The advisors would soon make themselves known, as each of them made their way to Aizawa's side. Each of them had a very different attitude from the others, and two of them were even giving each other smiles.
"These four people will be your floor advisors and will help you with any problems you might have."
Ochako looked at the group, and tilted her head. These are Mr. Tennyson's friends- I know Rook, but I don't know the other three. I feel like I've seen that blonde lady somewhere…maybe in a photo on Ben's desk.
"Maybe I'll let one of you go first. Rook, do you want to start?" Aizawa asked as he saw the Revonnahgander walk up to the group, give a polite bow, and look at the others.
"Hello. I am sure most of you have met me by now. My name is Rook Blonko, and I am a high-ranking member of the Plumbers who is now teaching at UA."
"Woah, a plumber?" Kirishima asked. "Those guys are like…the space CIA! That's awesome."
"How high is your rank, Mr. Blonko?" Momo asked. "If it isn't too rude."
"My rank is currently Minor Magistrate. For those of you not in the know, that is extremely high." Rook smiled. A few ooh's and aah's were heard from the crowd.
"I am sure that we will all get along well." Rook was getting more and more thrilled at the thought of working with these really bright students.
"Now then, who wants to go after Rook?" Aizawa inquired drowsily as he yawned. A strong blonde woman walked forward, shifting her arm slightly before smiling.
"I guess I'll take the helm this time! Name's Yang Xiao Long. A Ranked Hero, S Ranked Huntress, and your personal trainer if you want. My hero name is The Sunny Hero: Golden Dragon." Yang said- such confidence!
Ochako couldn't help but think of Ruby almost right away. However, considering the mention of Yang previously, it only made sense that she'd be like her sister and more.
Many of the other males and girls were already getting a nice feeling from Yang's enthusaism and confidence.
"Hey! "Didn't you and All Might stop that kaiju-sized enemy in a single punch?" Kirishima spoke up, probably because he seemed the most excited.
Someone had been doing their research.
"Oh, I was the one doing all the lifting on that one." Yang smirked. "God, that feels like a lifetime ago. I've been in a lot of fights with some heroes."
"Yes, but we're not here to show how important we are." Aizawa prodded Yang as he began to stare at Blake. She appeared more apprehensive but quickly went forward beside Yang.
People who knew a lot about Yang and Blake's life together already knew about it, but some students did have some burning questions about them. Mostly in relation to TWO OTHER pros...
"My name is Blake Belladonna- I'm also a hunter / hero. Most days I'll be working inside the library with UA's new staff." Blake's words were eloquent, simple and straight to the point.
"Aaaand the two of us can also undertake some additional personal training." Yang smiled as she quickly put her hand on Blake's shoulder and gave her a little squeeze.
…I know it's AWFUL to say this, but thank God Mineta dropped out of the hero course. Ochako thought.
"So, wait, you're gonna be sharing a dorm together, right? How's that gonna work?" Jirou asked. "One floor doesn't even have an RA."
"That's my original room, but to be fair I don't think the people up there will be causing trouble." Blake said. "I'm just using that room as a personal library."
Smart. The entire class thought.
Yang just kept holding on to Blake, and the faunus took a moment to roll her eyes in a playful way as she looked at her wife.
A lot of the students could see the relationship between those two, and it was clear that many of them had already seen Yang's prosthetic.
Yang noticed. "Oh! Sorry. I know that it's…kinda bad timing for you to meet me, especially with what just happened recently." Yang said. "I lost it in an accident when I was a rookie, but…it hasn't really held me back. Besides, I'm always ARMED and ready!"
Did she just make a joke out of her trauma? The class thought simultaneously.
"Yang, maybe save the jokes until after you've made your first impression?" Blake gave her a little push and then watched as the blonde's smile faded a little as she realized she probably looked like an idiot for making such a joke.
"Oh, my bad." Yang said with a sly grin as she scratched the back of her head.
She probably knows I have the Omnitrix. Maybe I should talk to them about training. Ochako said. I wanna have a cool body like that…
"Well, if you two are done, I guess it's time to talk about something we're all kind of thinking about right now." Aizawa stated as he finally let the two troublemakers free from his bandages and walked in front of the students.
"You guys all need some serious therapy. Because of this, we have one more person here who kind of specializes in that." Aizawa then made a motion, and someone behind him stepped up.
Lie Ren bowed to the class. "Good evening- I'm Lie Ren, licensed psychiatrist. My door will always be open, especially in these times." Ren looked up at the class, and he could see so many colors of petals surrounding their bodies- anger, confusion, doubt, remorse…and the two strongest were coming from the cocooned web of Aizawa's bandages.
Aizawa nodded. "Ren has helped even the toughest professionals work out their problems through talking. Even though you kids are young, you are never too old to ask for help in places where you might not even know you need it." Then he looked at Mina and Kaminari, almost as if he wanted them to get the message.
"Believe me- we have all been in a position similar to you kids." Rook said. "It harm not only your own self esteem, but also your partnership with your friends and mentors."
"You kids aren't alone, you know. I know every pro makes it look like they have no issues, but believe me. Everyone has a demon on their shoulder." Blake said.
"It can be hard to admit you need help. You think you need to keep everything inside and that you're old enough to handle it on your own, but sometimes you have to admit that you need help." Yang said as the students started to look at each other.
"But this is not the only thing we have in mind. If we were going to talk about mental health, we would have at least prepared you all." Aizawa went on. "No, we're going to talk about the key thing that all of us are going to do to assist you kids get back into shape right now."
Aizawa set Mina and Kaminari down. "And it's important that all of you do this." Aizawa said. "Our original plan, for the last day of camp, was going to be a hiking trip up a mountain, and have you kids reflect on everything. We were going to scrap it, but in light of recent events…we're bringing it back."
"Wait, you mean we're all going?" Mina asked.
"You'll all go on that hike, and you'll all have time to think about things. Whoever doesn't participate will be expelled." Aizawa threatened.
Aizawa then turned to someone in the back of the crowd. "And that means ALL of you."
All faces turned to Shinsou. "Understood, sir." Shinsou sighed.
"Wait, the sports fest guy? What's he doing here?" Sero muttered.
"Maybe he transferred over." Ojiro theorized. "He was the only one from the general course to make it so far…"
Aizawa cleared his throat. "Anyways, the hike will be held in the USJ. We've reformatted the place with the help of some tech from the Support Course- that was THEIR summer project, apparently."
"I guess that explains why they're taking longer to come back, too; they're probably resting..." Izuku mumbled.
"So, now. If anyone has questions, they should speak up now so that we can get this over with faster. I'm really sick of hearing you kids fight, and the less I have to deal with it, the better." Aizawa did care about everyone, but he showed it in a very strange way.
"Yeah, how is this going to be arranged?" Alan asked, raising his hand. "Is there gonna be groups, cuz I dunno if it's a good idea to have each other in a room." He pointed at Kaminari and Mina.
"Good question. Ren will be taking one group of 10, and Blake will be taking another group of 10. You'll start on opposite sides of the mountain and make your way up from there."
"Rook and I will be at the summit to make sure everyone is safe, and then it will be up to each of you to decide how to spend your time." Yang said as she stretched a little.
"If a bad guy attacks, we will all be there to help and make sure you are safe, even though that is not likely to happen." Rook explained. It was unlikely, but it was still a procedure.
"Are there any other questions?" Aizawa asked. Iida's hand went up.
"Do we need any supplies?" Iida asked.
"Unless it's to help out? Chances are all you're gonna need is just good hiking clothes." Yang spoke up.
"And some food. And water." Blake added. "Either than that? You'll be fine."
"Anything else?" Aizawa asked again when he saw that no one else really had anything else to say.
"Good. You can all go about your evenings now. I'm going to talk to you two about how to use quirks in the dorms." He gave Mina and Kaminari a mean look.
"And us RAs will be down here for a little longer, in case you want to introduce yourself or if you have any further questions." Rook added.
"Dismissed." Aizawa said. Everyone shared a look- some people stayed behind, but the rest went back to their rooms…save for someone else Aizawa singled out. "Shinsou- see me after I'm done with these two."
"Alright, fine." Shinsou said, a bit ticked off. Aizawa dragged the other two away, as Ochako and the gang approached the remaining adults.
Many of the students had at least a few questions for the four RA. Especially since these other pros were going to be much closer to them than, say, the big league pros like Endeavour.
Ochako naturally walked over to Yang, primarily because she was curious about that training. Also, she needed to know whether or not Yang was aware of the full succession plan.
"Mrs. Xiao Long?" Ochako asked. "Hi, I'm-"
"I know who you are, kid." Yang smirked. "Ben's told us all about you- is it really true you took on Animo with Upchuck? That's hilarious."
Ochako quickly put her finger to her lips to tell Yang to be quiet. While she had told her class about the watch, she didn't want to give them the full list of the Omnitrix's aliens because she was afraid it would be embarrassing.
"I-yeah, it's true." Ochako blushed.
"Don't worry. You got 11 cool forms." Yang grinned. "One weird one is fine."
"A-anyways, it's nice to meet you in person." Ochako said. "Is there a chance you can…maybe be up for some mentoring? I wanna increase my combat skills."
"That's gonna be a bit iffy these next few weeks, but I'll pen you in when I'm available." Yang explained. "I'm not just here for combat, but also some…physical therapy with another student."
"Bakugou..." Ochako seemed to already know the whole gist about the physical therapy he was going to be receiving, thanks to Izuku telling her.
"Yep. Gotta admit, it's been a while since I've had to work directly with someone like that but I'm gonna make sure he's back in proper form by the time the semester properly starts." Yang smiled, giving a small thumbs up for confidence.
"That's good, at least. How is he doing?" Ochako asked.
"Quiet." Yang said. "He's not much of a talker, but I don't blame him."
"That...I mean, that's not how he usually acts." Ochako said as Yang started to rub her own prosthetic hand.
"Everyone's journey begins in a different way, but most of them start out pretty quiet... After what had happened, his parents were pretty upset, so when I offered to help, they wanted him to be...normal again." Yang grimaced a little at this wording.
Ochako looked down at her new scar, and held it tight. The more and more I hear about this, the more lucky I feel…I wouldn't want to stress out mom, dad, Izuku or Mr. Tennyson like that…
"He'll figure it out... I don't know if he'll be the same kid on the other side, but I think there's always a mental and physical journey that comes with this." Yang smiled as she turned back to Blake. "It's good that he has people to help him through this, though."
"…yeah." Ochako looked at Kirishima and Izuku, who were having a conversation with Rook.
"Anyways, how much do you know about Ben's aliens?" Ochako asked.
"Well, most of them I've fought and won against, so what does that tell you?" Yang seemed a little prideful about this comment, but it was true: even the powerful Ben 10k couldn't beat her with some of his strongest powerhouses.
"That works good enough for me." Ochako said, holding up the watch. "I wanna be an expert with this set by the end of my first year here. I've been fighting so well with them, yet I feel like I'm scratching the surface. And this new technique I've developed…I wanna get that down."
"So, think of me as interested. I'll put you on my schedule after I'm done with Bakugo, but keep training! Even before we got into the pro-hero business, I was still learning new little tricks I could use in a fight." Yang smiled and flexed one of her biceps.
Ochako's eyes got bigger. "...please give me your workout rep."
"Oh, trust me, you'll learn all about it when I teach all of you some fighting tips." Yang smiled and quickly took out a notebook to write it down. "But just in case you want to get ahead of the game?"
Ochako nodded, bawling up her fists to show how hyped she was. "I'll start as soon as I can!"
Yang grinned as she finished writing up her basic list. I can see why you chose her, Ben. She does remind me of Ruby.
When Shinsou watched Mina and Kaminari go back inside (one at a time, obviously) after Aizawa had given them a prolonged and thorough "chew out," he realized it was time for him to have his out of nowhere. Aizawa could be seen sitting on the seat in the courtyard, drinking sips of water while he waited for him.
"How are you finding your new home?" Aizawa asked.
"There's a lot of commotion." Shinsou stated. "But I'm good. What is this about?"
"I wasn't exaggerating when I mentioned that I expect you to come on the hiking excursion. It's vital to make a relationship with these kids, even if I know you don't know any of them personally." Aizawa elaborated.
"I take it you want me to act as the therapist as well? I apologize if this comes out as callous, but I didn't come here to participate in the high school drama." Shinsou frowned. "I'm not here to make some buddies."
Aizawa smirked. "Maybe you and I were more alike than I thought."
"Huh?"
"When I first started the hero course, I thought the same thing." Aizawa smirked. "I thought for the longest time that my tunnel vision would carry me through to year 3. Then I met these two annoying kids, who dragged me into everything. And they had a stranglehold on me too. I couldn't get rid of them or say no. Because they didn't take no for an answer."
"So? How'd it affect your work?"
"Everything worked out. For the time being. I found myself surrounded with individuals who could make me feel pleasant even though I was outside of my comfort zone. I'm not the sort to show a lot of affection, but I am grateful for everything that others have done for me."
The sneer on Aizawa's face gradually disappeared. "Even if it hurt sometimes." Aizawa took a deep breath. "Like it or not, this class's drama is now YOUR drama too. People always say it's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy in a group, but…somehow, someone will make the group feel better."
"...and you expect me to help."
"Is that not what a hero does?"
Shinsou didn't have a response for that.
The next day quickly came along and, for the most part, the tension among the other students wasn't obvious. It might have still been there, but no one was loudly yelling at each other. There were no doubt sides here, people siding with Kaminari and people siding with Mina, but they kept those choices to themselves. Besides, they had packing to do. Ochako was getting a backpack ready for the hiking trip that Aizawa had mentioned, going over a mental checklist as she put away items.
"So, we're gonna split the group." Iida said. "Izuku and I will go with whatever group Kaminari goes with, and you and Todoroki will go with Mina's group."
"Fair enough," Ochako said. "Let's hope the people in our group are on board."
"It'll depend," Todoroki said, "We just need to ask when Mina and Kaminari aren't within earshot."
"What's everyone talking about?" Kirishima asked as he came up to the group.
"We're...trying to lighten the tensions up." Iida explained. "So-"
"I'm in." Kirishima said immediately.
"Oh thank god," Ochako sighed.
"I think I'm like the only one who's been able to talk to both of them without any sort of...door getting slammed in his face," Kirishima admitted.
"How?" Izuku asked.
"Well, Mina and I are close. We've known eachother way before we ever applied to U.A."
"Wait, are you kidding?" Iida asked. "I'm confused as to why you never addressed it."
"Okay, so we both attended the same middle school. And we weren't in the same class together. There were just a few occasions when we spoke to one another." Kirishima elaborated. "But if that counts as close, then yeah."
"Then you're going with us." Todoroki said.
"Awwwww, yeah." Kirishima grinned.
"Ok, so that means we'll have a little bit of a better chance," Ochako nodded.
"We'll try our best with Kaminari. Hopefully we get someone who hasn't taken a side on this, like Tokoyami," Iida hoped
"Good luck- no one's really gonna get involved." Sero said, as he and Momo approached. "Even though I want this to end, you should've seen the way they were fighting yesterday."
"Mina's quirk is more powerful now, thanks to the training she did with the Pussycats." Momo said. "So, she could seriously hurt Kaminari if things really go south."
"Wait what?!" Izuku and Ochako asked in surprise.
"She was practicing a new move for her Quirk," Momo explained.
"I dunno how to really describe it..." Sero said. "It was like the acid was sticking around her arm and forming a barrier, like a cell membrane."
"That's...interesting," Izuku muttered, wondering what exactly that could mean for Mina's power.
"I'm going to stay by your side." Momo stated, stepping over to Izuku. The group was taken aback by that.
"Wait a second, are you taking Kaminari's side?"
"No, I won't refer to it as siding either. I only wish to be of assistance to Kaminari. I am aware that he has a lot of trouble with some things." Momo told them.
"I guess I'll go with you guys too." Sero said. "Bros stick with bros, y'know?"
Mina sighed as she came down, already finished packing. She looked over to the group of Ochako and the others talking and, even if she couldn't hear them directly, she pretty much knew what they were talking about. She narrowed her eyes at them in annoyance, ignoring them as she walked over to another part of the main room.
"Just try and be nice, don't be direct about the conflict, and don't be patronizing." Iida said.
"Let's head to the USJ, then." Izuku said, as Shinsou walked down the stairs. Shinsou was wearing a lot of hiking gear, bviously an expert- his shoes were a comfy blend of trail running shoes feel with the stability and traction of a traditional hiking shoe, backpack with a triage kit, water bottle with a filter and trail mix to be passed around, swank sunglasses, and trekking poles.
The group stared at Shinsou.
"What?"
"Sorry, I just...didn't expect you to be so geared up." Kirishima said. "You an expert or something?"
"Just a very, very serious hobby." Shinsou said.
"Again, sorry you have to get mixed up in our drama." Momo said, as Shinsou walked towards them, not past them.
"Under obligation from Aizawa, I have to legally care." Shinsou said. "Which one is gonna have the least annoying person to comfort?"
The group shared a look.
He doesn't have the attitude, but I think he might have the spirit. Ochako thought.
The newly redesigned USJ had a significantly larger interior than anterior- a really fancy way of saying 'bigger on the inside'. It is quite likely that Hatsume Mei would be the one to subvert the rules of physics if anybody could. And all of this was accomplished during UA's summer break. Mount Rogers, a towering giant that almost reached the roof of the USJ, stood at the center of the expanded and more developed communities around it. The advancements were so much better that the pupils were astounded by them.
"It feels just like a huge resort now!" Ochako stated.
"It seems as though they have this building ready for everything and anything now." Iida said.
"I wonder what else they added here…" Sero thought, looking around.
"Focus now." Ren said, pulling out his list. "Alright- going with me is…Ojiro, Kirishima, Mina, Aoyama, Toru, Hitoshi, Ochako, Shoto and Tsu."
"And I have Shoji, Alan, Kouda, Kaminari, Jirou, Izuku, Momo, Iida, Sero and Tokoyami." Blake said, looking over her list. "We'll split off when we get to the woods. Sound good?"
"Of course." Rook nodded, motioning for his group to gather. Ochako and Shoto shared one last look with Izuku and Iida. They both flashed each other a thumbs up, as their groups reached the forest. Rook's group took the left path, and Blake's group took the right one.
There wasn't much talk throughout the first part of the hiking expedition, other than Ren and a few of the other kids exchanging a few passing remarks here and there. Ochako was relieved to have some space that offered some degree of comfort in spite of the uncomfortable atmosphere. It was when they started to get up the mountain that they had a little bit of trouble.
"So, Mr. Ren- what's with your weapons?" Ojiro asked, looking down at his odd guns- a pair of machine pistols with sickle-like blades attached vertically under the barrels.
"Oh, Stormflower?" Ren asked. "My weapons are both made for long and close range combat, without having to shift between both like most weapons."
Tooru oohed and aahed at them. "When can we learn how to use weapons like that~?"
"After you get your provisional license. It works differently in America, because America is…a bit more 'trigger happy'." Ren said. "Japan has a better set of laws to keep dangerous weapons like firearms under control, which is why they're in the hands of professionals like Snipe and Lady Nagant."
"Well, Lady Nagant's arm literally IS a firearm, so…" Tooru scoffed.
"Of course, when the guns don't cut it…I am a bit of a barefisted monk." Ren said. "I'm not as buff as some of my more physical friends, but I'm a black belt, I'm a master in Kyokushin and I have oddly dabbled in Greco Roman wrestling- a friend's suggestion."
"That's AWESOME." Kirishima said, eyes lighting up.
"The best thing to do in combat is to keep a level head. There's a concept in the world called Mushin- it's a mental state that Zen and Daoist meditators try to achieve." Ren explained. "Mushin is attained when one's mind is devoid of wrath, fear, and ego in combat or daily life. The individual may act and react to an opponent without hesitation or interruption since discursive cognition and judgment are absent. A person relies on their trained gut or intuition rather than what they think should be the next action at this stage."
Ojiro hummed. "I've heard of that- Many martial artists train to acquire this frame of mind during kata to perfect their skills and repeat them afterwards."
"It can make a lot of your lighter punches still be as effective as a full force one." Ren explained. "I'd be happy to hold some sort of meditation session early in the mornings. I'll even make pancakes."
"I'll gladly come, but only for the pancakes." Ochako said.
Ren laughed. "Fair enough. I do make a mean batch of pancakes, according to my wife."
"Oh, you're married?" Tsu asked. "Does your wife work here too?"
"Nah. Nora's taken after the 'Mirko' line of work- go wherever things need smashing." Ren chuckled. "Quite an effective model of work. She travels a lot, but she does take a week off every month to spend with me."
Tsu's eyes got really big. "Wait, is your wife the Valkyrie Thunderstruck?"
"Indeed. Why?"
In an instant, it all made sense to Ochako. During his internship week, Kaminari was given the opportunity to work with the Thunderstruck Valkyrie. Her eyes went over to Mina, who looked even grumpier. Ren caught on.
"Ah- I'm sorry." Ren said.
Mina took a deep breath. "It's fine." This was the first time she'd spoken in a while.
Ren was quick to change topics. "Let's focus on something else, then. I want to get to know you students a little better. Tell me, what personal goals do you have for the end of this school year?"
A few kids hummed, trying to think of a cool answer. Tooru's hand went up first.
"Well, I wanna really master some stealth skills." Tooru said. "Since Miasma Miss is working at the school now, I wanna see if she and I can work on some stuff."
"...more social interaction." Shoto said.
"I wanna rank up my combat skills," Tsu said. "That fight in the woods made me realize how dangerous some foes are becoming-"
Mina flinched.
"And, well, I also wanna try out some more gymnastics. I wanna be fluid in air and water."
Ochako looked down at her watch. "...Same as her, honestly. Times 12."
Shinsou raised an eyebrow at that comment.
"And what about you, Shinsou?" Ren asked, looking over his shoulder. Aizawa had instructed Ren to prod Shinsou for some more interaction. Shinsou grimaced at that. Damn you, Aizawa- always looking out for me.
"By the end of this year, I wanna get my provisional license." Shinsou said. "And that's it."
"I see. Interesting." Ren said.
"Hey, not to be a buzzkill, but I don't think they're gonna let you take the provisional license exam in September. You just transferred here-" Mina said.
"I know. There's a 'remedial' class for the kids who don't make it through the exam, so if any of you guys mess it up…you'll be joining me for those." Shinsou smirked.
Ochako's eyes widened. Oh, God, please don't-
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Mina scoffed.
"Not to be a buzzkill back, but didn't you fail your exams?" Shinsou asked.
"Hey, let's not start something right now." Ren said, getting in between the two.
"She's the one who started it." Shinsou said. "Just like yesterday."
More grit teeth and cringing. Ochako felt a pit in her stomach start to form. What the hell are you DOING!?
Mina clenched her teeth. "Look, just because you're Mr. Aizawa's teacher's pet or whatever doesn't mean you can just tease us and get away with it."
"I'm not teasing you. I'm just being real." Shinsou said, stepping forward. "You're an optimist, aren't you? I remember you smiling and skating around during the sports fest. Especially when you humiliated that guy on live TV." Shinsou pointed over to Yuga.
Yuga looked away. "Une vie honorable est une vie éternelle…" He quoted.
"So?" Mina scoffed.
"You strike me as the one who aims to STOP the conflict between students. So, what changed? Why ignore a huge problem between you and your fellow idiot?" Shinsou said. "What happened to make you just irrational and out of character?"
Ochako blinked. Shinsou's direct therapy is pretty rough, but he brings up some valid points. I once saw Mina break up a fight between Kirishima and Kaminari by breakdancing…
Mina got angrier. "I-I dunno! I'm just going through it, okay!? Maybe I'm just deflecting! L-like, with Ochako!" Mina pointed a finger. "How come I was one of the last girls in the class to find out about the Omnitrix?"
"Wait, what?" Shinsou asked.
Ochako put her hands up. "I-I mean, it wasn't the right time! And you were-"
"Open to talk about stuff. You told the other girls, but a few of us were just left in the dark. Why?" Mina asked.
She's trying to deflect. Ochako frowned. Shinsou's right- there's something else that's really making her irritable.
"You're deflecting, Mina." Todoroki said bluntly. "Shinsou may be a little rough with his words, but we're all trying to help-"
"And you…" Mina said. "I never expected YOU to want to do something stupid like go in guns blazing with Kirishima and save Bakugou!"
"We thought it was fool proof!" Kirishima countered.
"No! It wasn't! The adults barely had it handled, why the hell did you think we, as students, had a chance?!" Mina yelled.
"I am very dumb and very forward, and my optimism is very blinding." Kirishima said, folding his arms.
"Can we go back to the whole 'Omnitrix' thing?" Shinsou asked. "I have questions."
"We've been really worried about you, Mina. And this really isn't like you. Just tell us what's bothering you, and we'll-" Tsu said, but she stopped when she saw Mina's fist was clenched up. She was generating a giant glob around her hand, unintentionally. Mina gasped, and quickly shook off her hand.
"L-look. I'll be fine. Maybe if Kaminari didn't say anything, I'd be better. But believe me, I'm fine! And there's nothing to talk about with Mineta. Okay?!" Mina yelled.
Ren frowned. "Miss Ashido. Please just take a deep breath, and close your eyes-"
"Then what do I do if I see HIM again!?"
That response caught everyone off guard.
Mina collected herself, and stormed up the mountain. Ren blinked, dumbfounded. He turned to the kids and took a deep breath. "I know you're all concerned for your friend, but…I think this is a matter best left to the adults. I appreciate your efforts, but the delicacy of the matter is far more fragile than we thought."
Ochako frowned, as she watched Mina walk up the trail. Mina…what happened during the camp?
Things with Izuku's group were going slightly better. The group was mostly asking Alan some questions to get to know him.
"So, you just think about turning into flames, and then you just become your Pyronite form?" Sero asked.
"Pretty basic way to define it, yeah. My genes are just one weird mismash of powers." Alan explained.
"Interesting," Momo said. "I've heard of children from alien and human marriages before, but this is something else."
"Luck of the draw, as the doctors put it." Alan said.
"How hot can you get?" Jirou asked.
"Ehhh, hot enough to melt gold. Ochako and I cauterized a Nomu with my heat, y'know…and that's before she got the watch." Alan grinned.
The group ooh'd and aah'd at that.
"One last question- how does your Pyronite side affect your day to day?" Shoji asked.
"Well, I have to wear the summer uniform for UA- my body temp is higher than an average human, and too many layers makes me feel weird. I have to take cold showers, mainly because…you ever wash a frying pan after using it, and the steam crackles and fizzes off of it? It's like that." Alan listed off. "Oh, and sometimes when I touch metals, my heat transfers through it."
"Sounds complicated." Tokoyami commented.
"A little, but I manage." Alan replied. "Like I was telling Midoriya and Iida yesterday, I'm a 'Plumbers' Helper'- I'm just someone under the watch of a Plumber before I do the real deal. And my new boss said it'd be better if I spent my time here so then the 10 weeks of boot camp to become a Plumber wouldn't be so rough."
"Makes sense. I'd imagine three years of hero work would make you into a better plumber." Iida added.
"I mean, I already have a provisional license, so I don't even have to stress." Alan said.
That got Kaminari's attention. "Wait, seriously!?"
"How'd that even work out?" Izuku asked.
"I can explain." Blake stated. "Getting a Provisional License in the United States is quite simple, partly due to the fact that the process is very similar to obtaining a driver's permit. All Alan really needed to do was attend a class for 32 hours, take an exam and…yeah, he's done. We had to give him some support from Ben since Alan wasn't enrolled in a hero academy."
"Lucky!" Sero said. "We don't even know how ours is gonna go down."
"America's hero system is very…'fluid' compared to Japan's vetting process." Blake explained. "I heard that's why Star and Stripe went over to teach at Shiketsu recently."
"Aw, really? Kathleen's over at that place? That's where the new boss wanted to send me." Alan said. "Man- she would've been fun to work with."
"You KNOW Star and Stripe!?" Izuku said.
"Yeah! She was at Ruby's…y'know." Blake made a few gestures. Izuku and Iida caught on immediately.
"I see." Izuku nodded sagely.
"Man…I was gonna ask if you knew anything about the License exam." Kaminari frowned. "I wanted at least one spark of hope."
Izuku saw an opportunity to try and talk to the boy now. "How…are you doing today, Kaminari?"
"...I guess I'm better." Kaminari said. "Not as angry as I was yesterday."
"That's good to hear. We were worried about you." Jirou said.
"I'm shocked you're not on Mina's side." Kaminari snorted. "I'm sorry, but that was mean."
"Eh. Mineta was annoying, but he didn't bother me that much." Jirou said.
"Truth be told, I'm a little angry at the little guy too. He didn't give me a heads up about dropping the hero course until I visited him a few days ago." Kaminari said.
"So, is he still attending UA, or did he…drop out drop out?" Sero asked.
"Nah. He transferred to Business, surprisingly." Kaminari shrugged.
"I have to ask- why were you two so close? You two didn't seem to have much in common." Momo said. "A-apologies if that's a little straightforward."
"You don't have to walk on your tippy toes around me, you know. I KNOW you want answers, so I won't bother trying to hide them." Kaminari said. "Geesh."
"Thank goodness," said Izuku.
"Anyways, I always thought Mineta was like…me, y'know?" Kaminari explained. "I thought he was like. That gifted kid who went from a normal school to a big bucks school, then found out he wasn't all that 'gifted'."
"Wait, what? You? A gifted kid?" Jirou snickered.
"It's true!" Kaminari frowned. "I was like, the Bakugou of my middle school! People praised me cuz I had a cool quirk, even if it did short me out. And I got good grades, too! With UA, it feels like I skipped past basic high school math and dove right into calculus."
"He does have a point. That's pretty messed up." Blake said.
"S-so, wait. You're like…actually smart!?" Jirou said.
"Did you seriously think I was THAT dumb?" Kaminari said, trying not to get mad. "I passed the written portion, obviously! That was the last academic-related thing I did really well on. Now it's just like…I'm reading a different language."
Izuku blinked. "...wow, that's…kind of a shock."
"We all sort of figured your brain was fried from your quirk. Because of that whole 'wheyyyy!' thing." Sero said nervously.
"If my quirk makes me so stupid, then why hasn't anyone gotten me any medical attention for it? Did you assholes ever think about that?" Kaminari frowned.
"…wait, so, like, it's not like a weird headache?" Jirou was getting VERY nervous now. She was sweating bullets.
"No! It's like. A cluster migraine!" Kaminari said.
"If it's so serious, why didn't you go to Recovery Girl!?" Izuku countered.
"My body just sorta does its own thing! And by the time it's over I just take some ibuprofen and walk it off." Kaminari explained.
Everyone stopped and stared at Kaminari for a second.
"...great googly moogly, Kaminari." Iida said, taking off his glasses. "Get some help!"
"D-don't great googly moogly me!" Kaminari yelled back. Jirou had to stifle a laugh. 'Great googly moogly' was so delightfully Iida.
"Alright, let's calm down a bit." Blake held up her hands. "Besides, we got off topic."
"Right, sorry Mrs. Belladonna…" Kaminari apologized. "Anyways, I thought Mineta was in that same boat as me- someone out of their element. So, I reached out, and tried to help him…even if he was a little weird at times."
A little? Everyone but Alan thought.
"I can understand your reasoning for sticking up for him and befriending him." Tokoyami said. "That does provide a bit more context to the situation."
"You guys…seriously should've seen him fight," Kaminari sighed. "He was holding that Nomu back."
"I heard that Monoma was the one who defeated it, though." Sero said. "That's what Shishida from Class 1-B told us."
"Wait, are you serious?!" Kaminari growled. "Oh, that scumbag. Most likely wanted to make it all about himself. No, Mineta just threw his grapes all over and caught the Nomu with them. The Nomu then hit back, and...yeah."
Izuku felt bad for Mineta- he'd always been a bit of a coward, but hearing him do something so selfless and valiant was a shock.
"It was like he said, 'I'm not going to run this time,' and then everything went wrong for him. This is just...really, really sad. I couldn't stand it when Mina talked that way about him, especially since she had seen it happen."
Momo made a face. "I had no idea…"
"Bakugou getting kidnapped took priority over what happened with Mineta, so UA kinda kept hush about it." Kaminari said. "Covered it up as best as they could. Kinda scary."
"Very scary." Shoji frowned underneath his mask.
"It's sadly not uncommon for schools to do that." Blake added. "I've heard worse cases around the world, especially with some more mutant oriented students. Many crimes happen on school grounds, but schools don't tell parents or the media about them. I literally walked out of a potential teaching job back in Bellwood because of the Institutional Racism the school was practicing."
"That's right- you're also an activist." Momo said. "You run the White Fang movement."
"I try and use my platform to talk about the rights of the unequal…and I may have been the figurehead for a movement when I was your age, but that was a lifetime ago." Blake said. "Nowadays I'm just trying to restore the good name by providing aid to others in need."
"I've read about your work." Shoji said. "I've heard that you run a lot of fundraisers, and that some of them have given tens of millions of dollars to other quirk-related chapters, grassroots groups, and the families of people who were hurt by unnecessary brutality."
Blake nodded. "The fact they didn't bother to make a statement or inform you kids just doesn't sit right with me. None of this would've happened if someone had been more honest."
Izuku agreed. As perfect as UA was…that wasn't the best move.
By the time both groups reached the top of the mountain, it was almost sundown. Rook and Yang were at the top, having prepared a good campsite. "Hey! You made it!" Yang said, waving over to Ren's group.
Ochako looked around at the top, thinking that maybe Mina had reached the top before any of the others. Thankfully, that was the case. She was off on her own, sitting atop a rock and looking out at the sunset. She probably heard their arrival, but she didn't say anything, she didn't even turn around to see them.
Ochako let out a deep sigh, as she went over to Yang and Rook. "How long has she been here?"
"Not too long." Yang said. "I'm guessing the 'reaching out' part didn't work out."
"She's seriously deflecting." Todoroki said. "It's concerning, to say the least."
"Did she say anything that was not just deflecting?" Rook asked.
"There was...but I don't think any of us know what she meant by it," Ochako admitted.
"She said something to the effect of 'I don't want to think about him.'" Tsu said. "I think she might be talking about Min-"
The group was suddenly cut off by the sound of a rock crumbling. The group looked over to see Mina, walking away from a shattered rock, and going over to where the tents were.
"When did she...?" Todoroki began.
"Ok...this...might be more serious than we thought," Yang said, maybe stating the obvious.
"We will have to keep an eye on her. I have a sneaking suspicion her quirk is being influenced by her emotions." Rook theorized.
"You might be right, Mr. Blonko." Tsu said. "Her acid was more...viscous."
"There was also the glob of acid around her hand when we tried talking to her," Todoroki recalled.
"It's not looking good. Her quirk may go awry if she's purposely ignoring her emotions. I've witnessed it a couple times, and each time it's ugly." Yang frowned.
"Hopefully Blake's group made more progress." Rook said, as Blake's group approached from the other side.
Iida actually waved to Ochako and Todoroki once he saw them. Considering the look on his face, he and Izuku might've actually made a major breakthrough.
"Someone enjoyed their hike." Yang smirked.
"We've got Kaminari in a good mood right now." Iida announced. "And learned quite a lot about him."
"Great!" Ochako beamed, before that smile fell, "Wish we could say the same about Mina..."
"About that- we may know why she's deflecting." Momo said.
"Same here." Tsu said. "And it involves Mineta, we think. We were only able to get that info out thanks to Shinsou…even though he was a bit rough."
"You're welcome." Shinsou said as he walked past them.
"But nothing else? Makes the real issue a little more vague though..." Iida admitted.
"I believe Mina may be going through Survivor's Guilt." Rook said. "Are any of you familiar with it?"
"I've read about it. Survivor's guilt is a response to an event in which someone else experienced loss but you did not. While the name implies this to be a response to the loss of life, it could also be the loss of something else." Momo summarized.
"It would make sense." Izuku hummed, turning to the teachers. "What do you guys think?"
"I don't mean to interrupt," Todoroki interjected, "but if this is somehow survivor's guilt...then would that not imply this is more than Mineta? To my knowledge, he never actually succeeded in any of his...attempts."
"Kaminari mentioned that Mina saw the whole scene unfold- if we're going to assume that she has survivor guilt from not being able to do anything to help…" Iida said.
"Wait...the whole scene? You mean-" Ochako began.
"She...apparently saw Mineta get hit by the Nomu," Jirou answered.
Ochako felt like her spirit left her body when she heard that. That was a HEAVY thing to drop.
"…so, he went through what WE did. He was trying to save his classmates." Ochako said. "Just like us. And he ended up worse than us."
"Yeah..." Jirou sighed, "Actually hearing it from him, like an actual explanation for it...kinda feel like an ass for what I said yesterday."
"Yeah, that's…wow." Ochako said. "When we get done with this, we need to find where Mineta's dorm is and apologize."
"Yeah...definitely," Jirou admitted, "Speaking of...where is Mina?"
"She went to her tent." Rook said. "We will bring her dinner when we are done cooking it."
"Maybe...maybe let me, actually?" Jirou suggested.
"Jirou?" Ochako asked.
"Hey, she's my friend too. Least I could do, right?"
Rook nodded. "Of course! Now, why don't you all help us prepare the chili?"
It would be an understatement to say that Rook and Yang had the "best" chili. The class thought this was the best chili they'd ever had. The legendary "Revonnah-Patch Collab Chili" was made with 1 1/2 pounds of lean sirloin pieces, 2 tsp of cumin, 2 tablespoons each of paprika and cayenne pepper, a cup of minced onions, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1.5 tablespoons of salt, and crushed dry basil, 1 tablespoon each of chile powder from California and "Amber Ogia spice," 1 tablespoon each of Gebhardt It was then served with bowls of grated cheese, oyster crackers, and chopped onions that people could help themselves to. And yogurt.
The yogurt wasn't for the recipe. It was for the kids.
And they needed it.
Alan was streaming tears from his eyes after his first bite. "I've been to Pyros twice- how is THIS hotter than the surface of the planet!?"
"YOGURT ME!" Kirishima yelled, fanning his mouth. Kaminari picked up a cup of yogurt and used a spoon to shovel it in his mouth.
Iida took lots and lots of deep breaths as he forced himself to eat the bowl. "I...I don't know if I have enough fortitude to eat this!"
Ochako (as Big Chill) and Todoroki tried using their ice powers to cool down the bowl, but it was no use. "This dish denies the very laws of physics." Todoroki deadpanned, utterly flabbergasted for words.
"Hey, Uraraka- couldn't you just use Upchuck to eat this?" Izuku asked, returning with a giant bowl of oyster crackers (his poor tastebuds couldn't handle chili).
"I'd rather not let people find out about her." Ochako frowned, as she reverted. "Besides- a meal...is a meal." And then she had a small spoonful.
Ochako ate the chili.
And blinked.
"What's everyone complaining about? This isn't that bad." Ochako said. In the world, some people have fewer capsaicin receptors, which make hot foods spicy. These people have a higher heat tolerance because they cannot sense capsaicin-derived spiciness.
Ochako was one of those people.
"Right?" Shinsou said, walking up. "This isn't that bad. Could use more crackers."
(He wasn't like Ochako- he was just eating the chili as a power move.)
"So, it's true. You got a watch." Shinsou said. "Don't even try to deny it. There was just a giant moth here a second ago."
Ochako took a deep breath. "...yeah, it's true. Again, sorry- we would've tried to ease you into it but-"
"I don't care, honestly. All I see is just more reason to work hard." Shinsou frowned.
"Huh?" Izuku said.
"I'm not the type for displays of good sportsmanship or whatever. I'm already so far behind all of you, and I'm doing everything I can to catch up." Shinsou said. "So, to me, all of you here...are obstacles for me to catch up to."
Izuku frowned, thinking back on Shinsou's comments during the sports festival. At this point in the Hero Course, Shinsou was essentially an outsider. Shinsou moved away from the scene in an attempt to make a dramatic point, but in reality, he was just going to grab some yogurt because FUCK this chili was spicy.
"Yeesh." Sero said. "He reminds me of early-Roki."
"Hm?" Todoroki looked at Sero curiously.
"Y'know. How weird and distant you were before the sports fest." Sero clarified.
Todoroki nodded. "I get it."
"G-Guys!"
It was Jirou who yelled- she'd gone to serve Mina her dinner. When the students in the class glanced over to see Jirou, she had a look of extreme concern spread across her face. Ochako also noticed…she still had the set aside plate of chili on hand.
"Kyoka?" Momo asked. "What's wrong?"
"I-it's Mina! She's gone!" Jirou said.