Chapter 10

The Joys of Democracy

Strelitzia was surprised when, while she and Relm were walking to school, she saw a large crowd outside the entrance.

"What's going on?" Strelitzia asked as they drew closer.

"Dunno." Relm said, picking up her pace. "Let's find out."

"Relm, wait up!" Strelitzia followed after her eager friend.

As the two of them drew closer, it became apparent just why all these people were here. She could see cameras, microphones, boomtubes, even smartphones and notepads.

"Reporters?" Strelitzia asked.

"I guess the news about All Might teaching at U.A. spread?" Relm speculated.

"People really like him, huh?"

"Well, duh! He's like the Number One Hero! Everyone likes him? Well, unless you have another favorite?"

Unfortunately, the crowd of reporters were blocking the entrance, meaning the two of them would have to pass through to get inside. Strelitzia steeled herself.

As they approached, to her displeasure, the crowd quickly took notice. Cameras and microphones were directed towards them.

"Hey you, you're a student right?" A woman in a blue suit approached her, while the crowd gathered around.

"Uh… yes?" She answered.

"So, what can you tell us about All Might! You've had a class with him right? What's he like as a teacher!" She asked while shoving a microphone in Strelitzia's face.

"Uh… well… he's…" Strelitzia struggled to find and put her words together to explain how she felt, only to feel Relm's hand grasp her wrist and pull her along, through the gate.

"C'mon, don't bother with the paparazzi."

"Paparazzi?! We're the media! We deserve more respect than that! We're here for our viewers who need to know all the details!" One reporter shouted, though Strelitzia and Relm ignored her.

As the two girls headed towards the door, there was suddenly the ringing of a klaxon. Both flinched and turned to see large metal barriers rising up around the school.

"What the-?" Relm asked.

"The defense system." Strelitzia reasoned. It made sense. This place was for Heroes in training.

"The school has one of these? Guess one of them tried something stupid."

"You didn't know? It was in those orientation papers they gave us. Didn't you read them?"

"I kiiinda only skimmed them."

"Well, you can-."

"And then I got bored and tried out paper mache with them."

"Relm!"

"Strelitzia!" Relm shot back.

There was a pause, and then both girls giggled.

"C'mon, most of that stuff is obvious!"

"Not the defense system, apparently." Strelitzia said.

"I suppose not. Besides, the paper didn't even end up being that good for the project anyways."

It wasn't long before they were all seated in class, with Mr. Aizawa standing at the lectern. After he finished commenting on the Battle Trials, he then turned to new topics.

"Let's get down to business. Our first task will decide your future." The students of the class grew tense at their teachers words, only to relax as he mentioned. "You need to pick a class representative."

The relief didn't last long, as there was a sudden explosion of activity as everyone started advocating for themselves.

"Pick me!"

"I wanna be class rep!"

"I'll take it."

"If I become class rep, I promise to make all skirts much shorter! And the shirts will- OW!"

"No! Me!"

"Someone with style will be the best!"

"No, me! I'm totally the best."

"WHATS WRONG WITH YOU EXTRAS! I'M THE ONLY CHOICE!"

"No, I'd be best!"

"SILENCE! EVERYONE! PLEASE!" Tenya spoke up, his authoritative voice cutting off the capaphony. "The class representative isn't something to be taken lightly. You must have the trust of everyone in the classroom. Therefore the most logical way for us to decide this is democratically. We should hold an election."

"But we barely know each other. How do we know who we can trust?" Asked Tsuyu.

"Besides, everyone will just vote for themselves." Eijiro said.

"Most people will, but wouldn't that prove that whoever does receive multiple votes is the most suited for the job? Isn't that right, Mr. Aizawa?"

Their teacher was currently wrapping himself up in a sleeping bag.

"Do whatever, just decide before my naps done." Before promptly falling asleep.

And so, very quickly, Momo made a stack of ballots which were passed out to everyone, and the voting commenced.

Strelitzia stared at her ballot, wondering what exactly she should do. A part of her wanted to just vote for someone else. Tenya had natural leadership qualities. He was good at taking charge of situations. A model student. Then there was Momo. During the battle trials she had shown great insight, though Izuku had as well, along with his ingenuity.

But that ingenuity also applied to Relm as well. Her Battle Trial had been fairly short, fighting alongside Reiko. Relm had painted up some noise makers carried by some painted birds to to distract the Villain team consisting of Denki and Kyouka while they approached, floating through a window on a literal carpet, to quickly lay hands on the nuke. It was a very effective strategy.

There were just so many good people to choose from.

But at the same time, she was reminded of Lady Ava choosing her to be a union leader for the Dandelions. She still couldn't believe it, even after all this time. A Foreteller had placed her trust in Strelitzia to carry on her legacy.

And that reminded her of how she had never gotten that chance. She still wasn't sure if it was selfish, but she still wanted to have that opportunity to lead. To help guide and teach others. And so, with a bit of hesitation, she made her decision.

"May my Heart be my guiding key."

The results were shocking, with herself at 2 votes and Izuku at 3.

"ALL RIGHT. WHICH OF YOU IDIOTS VOTED FOR THEM!" Katsuki loudly demanded.

"Really? You thought anyone was going to vote for you?" Hanta said.

"He seems pretty dense about that." Relm commented.

"Alright." It seemed Aizawa had woken up. "It seems the class rep is Midoriya, with Strelitzia as the deputy."

The two of them were standing before the class, with Midoriya trembling. "Really, are you sure it's not a mistake?"

Strelitzia herself was surprised that she had actually won. Had Relm voted for her? But she saw that Relm had one vote herself...

While she wasn't exactly sure she would be good at this, she was ready to at least give it a try.

"Don't worry, I think we'll do fine." She said, putting as much confidence into her words as she could.

The school day passed with little more fanfare. Classes went as normal, and soon enough it was lunchtime.

"Huh! It's always so crowded here!" Ochako said.

"Well, the school has just one lunch period, the Hero Course shares it with the Support, General Studies, and Business courses."

While the others made small talk, Izuku was simply staring at his food, not eating it.

"Is something wrong?" Relm said in between bites of rice.

"I'm still worried about the class rep thing. I-I still don't know if I'm qualified."

"Sure you are." Ochako said.

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Strelitzia said.

"You'll do great." Tenya said. "You're courage and quick thinking under stress will make you a worthy leader. At least, those are the reasons I voted for you."

"You were one of the three?"

"Honestly, I'm still kind of surprised I got chosen." Strelitzia said.

"Well, I think you'll do good in the job." Relm said.

"Did you vote for me?" Strelitzia asked.

"Nah, I voted for myself."

"So then… who voted for me?" Strelitzia wondered.

"Wasn't me." Ochako said.

"So then who did you vote for?" Relm asked.

"Uh…" Ochako's perpetually blushing face got a little pinker. "That's a secret."

"Oh a secret, huh?" Relm asked, leaning in.

"Didn't you want to be rep really badly?" Ochako said hastily. "I mean, you do look the part, 'cause of the glasses."

"Wanting a job, and being suited for it are two different things. Serving the Iida family's agency has taught me that much."

"Agency? Hold on, what does your family do?"

"Oh… it's nothing." Iida said.

"Y'know, I've been wondering something about you." Ochako said, growing excited. "Admit it! You're filthy rich!"

"I…" Iida paused awkwardly. "I was worried people would treat me differently if they knew about my family."

"Iida... Iida... I thought that name sounded familiar!" Relm said. "The Iida family are a long line of Heroes! Your Ingenium's little brother, right?"

"Ingenium?" It was Izuku's turn to grow excited. "I know all about him. He's a super popular pro with 65 sidekicks working alongside him at his Tokyo agency!"

"Wow, you're family's famous!" Ochako said.

"Ingenium is an unmatched commander who honors the Hero code. As the second oldest Iida son, I strive to be just like him!" Iida said with pride.

"I get you. I know what that's like." Relm said.

"Relm? You're related to a Pro Hero to?" Ochako said.

"Yeah, my grandpa, Strago Magus, though you might know him as the Pro Hero Azulmagia!" Relm said.

"Azulmagia?!" Izuku's eyes were positively sparkling now. "The blue animal-themed Hero? That's so cool!"

"Yeah, he's mostly retired now, but he comes out for big crises and stuff." Relm said.

"Wow, that's so cool." Ochako said, before turning to Strelitzia. "Hey, so are you also related to a Hero?"

Strelitzia paused, as unfortunate memories came up. "Uh… Well, there's my brother-"

At that moment, a bell rung, followed by a voice over the intercom. "WARNING: LEVEL 3 SECURITY BREACH. ALL STUDENTS PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUILDING IN AN ORDERLY FASHION."

The intercom continued to repeat it's alert.

"What's a level 3 breach?" Tenya asked.

"It means someone managed to get past the school barriers!" A student answered. "This hasn't happened in my three years here! We have to get out of here!"

A Villain attack? Heartless? Strelitzia wondered. She formed Starlight in her hand.

Unfortunately, she didn't have the time to go investigate. A full blown panic had gripped the students, most of whom were rushing towards the exit, getting in each others way. Strelitzia got pulled along by the mob of frightened kids, Starlight being knocked out of her hands.

"Relm? Izuku?" She called out, but she didn't think she could be heard over the shouting and screaming. It just blended into the cacophony.

The pushing and shoving continued, and it was a risk of becoming a total stampede. She struggled to keep her balance against the constant press of students trying to get to safety. While with a Key-Bearers prodigious strength, she could have forced her way through, she feared that would make the situation worse.

It was then that she saw Tenya floating above the crowd. With his engines he (awkwardly) propelled himself towards the exit sign, balancing himself on top of it.

"Everyone calm down! It's just the media outside! There's nothing to worry about!" He said in a commanding voice. "We're U.A. students. We need to remain calm and prove we're the best of the best!"

At his words, the panic began to die down, and Strelitzia breathed a sigh of relief.

One week later…

Strelitzia sat at the breakfast table, opposite Artemicion, enjoying a breakfast of pancakes and rice omlettes. Artemicion wasn't too good at cooking, and Strelitzia was more than happy to do it as a return for taking her in.

"So, how is school going, kupo?" He asked.

"It's going pretty well, actually." Strelitzia said. She meant it too. While she had initially wanted to become a Hero to gain the freedom to go where she needed to go and investigate what she needed to investigate, she didn't mind making friends along the way.

"That's excellent, kupo. Though you aren't looking so well today." Artemicion observed.

"I just had some bad dreams." Strelitzia said. "I didn't get much sleep."

"Are you sure-"

"I'm alright." Strelitzia insisted.

Though she wasn't being entirely honest. Ever since the incident a week ago, Strelitzia had felt a persistent feeling of anxiety. A pit in her stomach, the anticipation something bad happening. From how it appeared, it seemed like it was just, as Relm put it: "Paparazzi being idiots as usual".

Yet Strelitzia couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it. The barrier had been destroyed somehow. Though considering the sheer variety of superpowers in Strelitzia had seen in this World, it wasn't too far fetched that one of those overzealous reporters had some sort of Quirk that could do that.

And perhaps it really was just that. Or at least, she hoped.

"Alrighty then." Artemicion said and then perked up. "Oh right, kupo. I almost forgot to tell you, kupo. My first bit of artificing in a such a long time is almost done."

"It is?"

"Yeah, It's been so long that I'm kinda rusty, though I think it's coming out fairly well."

"What is it?"

"Weeeeell… I kinda want it to be a surprise, kupo! You're going to have to just wait and find out!"

"Oh..." Strelitzia said, pouting slightly.

"Well, anyways, you should probably get going, kupo! Or you'll be late."

"Right!"

As she continued on the way to school, she came upon Relm, already on the way herself.

"Mornin' Strelitzia." She said.

"Good morning." Strelitzia answered, before yawning.

"You still tired?"

"I didn't sleep so well."

"How's about I paint you up some coffee then?" Relm asked.

"No, not falling for that again." Strelitzia chuckled. Relm had done that once, offering her a snack when Strelitzia had forgotten that all her creations were temporary and reverted back into paint if she didn't concentrate on them.

"Aww…" Relm sighed, before perking up. "So… have you thought up anything like a name?"

"A name?"

"Y'know, your hero name. Your title. Your moniker. Your nom de guerre. Something for the world to know you by!"

"Is that french? Are you french?" Strelitzia asked. Part of being a Key-Bearer was a gift for languages.

"Actually, spanish, kinda. My grandpa came here from Spain! There's a whole story but were getting away from the point."

"Which is..."

"Names!"

"Well, I haven't really thought of one." Strelitzia said. "Besides, isn't that a part of the Hero Course?"

"Well yeah, but where's the fun in that?"

"Then, what's yours?"

"The Art Hero: Pictomancer!" Relm announced, holding up one of the paintbrushes she always kept on her.

"Sounds great!" Strelitzia said.

"So what about yours?"

"I still don't know what to go with."

"Howabout the Key Hero, Keynote?" Relm said. "Since you have that big key n'all."

"Uhh… I don't think so..."

"Lockmaster?"

"No..."

"Locksmith?"

"Still not really my thing."

"Ohh… I know howabout..."

After the incident with the reporters, classes had continued as normal. After the battle trials, Hero Training wound up being something like a P.E. class, if a lot more intense. The main focus was on obstacle courses, and students using their Quirks to the best of their ability to complete them. There were added factors, like obstacles specifically designed around Quirk use, specified to various students abilities.

Without the pressure of something like Aizawa's Quirk Apprehension Test, the proceed at a more relaxed pace, with All Might (and other teachers when he wasn't in) giving advice, pointers, and allowing for repeated tries and the correction of mistakes.

The training wasn't that difficult for Strelitzia, Flowmotion and her general experience made things rather easy. Though a few other students did struggle, particularly those who's Quirks didn't help with movement.

The only significant change was Izuku relinquishing his class representative position to Tenya. While she was slightly upset as she felt he really deserved the position, she wasn't going to object to his decision, and Tenya was a good fit.

All it all, things were proceeding at a calm pace. That was until today.

Aizawa stood at the lectern, addressing his class.

"Today's training will be a little different. You'll have three instructors. Me, All Might, and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you."

"What kind of training is this?" Hanta asked.

"Rescue training." Aizawa said. "You'll be learning how to deal with natural disasters, shipwrecks, that sort of thing."

This sent ripples of excitement through the class, students eagerly talking among each other.

"Guys, I'm not finished yet. You'll be wearing your costumes today, if you want to, though keep in mind most of you aren't yet used to them and they may hinder your abilities until you're better trained." Aizawa pressed a button and the wall panel opened, reveal the briefcases containing the students costumes. "This training will take place at an off-campus facility. So we'll be taking a bus to get there. That's all."

For her part, Strelitzia felt some degree of interest. Rescue training could be a serious upgrade to her abilities. While she had experience in many of the things they taught in this school, rescuing people from accidents and disasters wasn't truly one of them. Keyblade Wielders had been mostly focused on hunting down Heartless so combat was her forte.

As she picked up the briefcase holding her dress, the though entered her mind of a comparison between Key-Bearers and Pro Heroes. Heroes were far more involved with the people there were sworn to protect, constantly interacting with them. It hadn't been focused on much yet, but interacting with the public was part of the curriculum of the Hero Course.

In contrast Key-Bearers were generally expected to keep their distance from the people in the various places they visited, to not disturb their order. Ideally, their presence was unnoticed. Their purpose was to hunt Heartless.

Looking back, Strelitzia wondered if that detachment had been part of the problem. Would the Keyblade War have happened if some things were different? Key-Bearers had become obsessed with gathering Lux to the exclusion of all else, even to the point of turning on each other. Destructive fights had raged through Daybreak Town. Even the Foretellers had been seen clashing.

Maybe if they interacted with the rest of the World more, the War would not have happened. Could that be true? She wasn't sure. And she had no way of being sure, unfortunately.

Discussion at the bus stop was cut short by the shrill sound of a whistle blowing as Tenya tried to get everyone to form orderly lines to load the bus by seat number.

While Strelitzia thought it was a little much, at least he was taking the position as class president seriously.

Of course it ended up not mattering as the open seating of the bus made it meaningless.

"The open layout ruined my good seating strategy."

"You need to chill." Mina said.

"Well, if we're pointing out the obvious, then there's something I need to say." Tsuyu turned to Izuku. "About you actually."

"A-about me? What is it Asui?" He said.

"I said to call me Tsu."

"OH, sorry!"

"Anyways, it's about your Quirk. Isn't it a lot like All Might's?"

"Huh, really? I-I mean, I n-never thought about that. I mean, I guess it's..." Izuku trailed off into muttering.

"But All Might doesn't hurt himself, does he? Still, it must be pretty nice to have a simple kind of augmenting Quirk. You can do a lot of flashy stuff with it. My Hardening can destroy bad guys, but it's really not that much to look at." Eijiro held out his arm and it transformed into a more rocky like appearance.

"Now way! I think it's definitely Pro Hero material!"

"Yeah, but I could do a lot better with something flashier, y'know?"

"Hey, don't knock a defensive Quirk like that. Being able to take hits is really useful." Relm said.

"But couldn't you paint up some armor?" Kyoka asked.

"Well, yeah, but then I'd have to concentrate on to make it stay around longer than a few minutes, and that prevents me from painting anything else. And still it'd fall apart if it took too much punishment. Better to just make a wall in that case."

"My Navel Laser is the perfect combination of panache and strength!" Yuga boasted.

"Yeah, but if it gives you a stomachache, that's way lame, sweetie." Mina shot back.

"Well, if any of our classmates are perfect Pro material, it has to be Strelitzia, Bakugo and Todoroki."

"Sure, but Bakugo's always angry, so he'll never be that popular."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?! I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!" Katsuki stood up, leaning over towards Tsuyu.

"Y'see?" She replied.

"Y'know we just met you, so it's kinda telling that we can all tell your personality is like flaming crap mixed with garbage." Denki said.

"WHAT?! I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET APPLYING TO THIS SCHOOL!" Katsuki shouted back.

Other students giggled while Tenya tried to break up the growing argument. Meawhile, poor Izuku seemed to be freaking out. Strelitzia leaned over, about to try and comfort him only to be interrupted when their teacher spoke.

"Hey, were here. Quiet down."

"Here" turned out to be a large dome-like structure. Despite how Aizawa explained it, it was still technically part of U.A.'s campus, and Strelitzia had to marvel at just how massive the school truly was. It was larger than some entire cities!

Outside the entrance was a figure dressed in what appeared to be an astronauts suit. While Strelitzia had never seen this person before, at this point, she knew enough to turn to her friend, who was already launched into a starstruck explanation.

"Wow, it's the Space Hero, Thirteen! She's super chivalrous and has saved countless people from disasters all over the world!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Thirteen?" That number. She had a strange feeling thinking about it. Not quite déjà vu. Not quite apprehension. But something else...

"Thirteen is one of my favorite Heroes!" Ochako said.

"I can't wait to show you all what's in side. Come with me!" Thirteen said.

As Strelitzia entered the facility after the rest of the students, she found herself gasping like everyone else. Her first impression was that it strongly resembled an amusement park. But instead of rides, attractions, and areas, there areas clearly simulating different disasters.

One area was a miniature lake containing a sinking ship, into which a raging river emptied. Another was what looked like a landslide, while a third was what looked to be a bunch of collapsed buildings and another a replica mountain.

There were also two smaller domes. One glowed and she guessed it simulated a fire, while she couldn't quite tell on her own what the other was, though Thirteen called it a storm simulation.

"I created this training facility to prepare you to deal with different types of disasters. I call it the Unforseen Simulation Joint. Though you can call it the U.S.J.!"

"Hey, shouldn't All Might be here?" Aizawa asked as he approached Thirteen.

Thirteen leaned in and said something to answer him, though Strelitzia couldn't make it out. Aizawa shrugged and turned back to the class.

"Clocks ticking, we should get started."

"Excellent." Thirteen turned towards the class, and after a bit of a false start, she began speaking. "Listen carefully. I'm sure your aware that I have a powerful Quirk. It's called Black Hole. It can suck up anything and turn it into dust."

Hmm… Black Hole. While obviously unrelated, she had heard of powerful Gravity magic called that.

"Yeah, you've used black hole to save people from all kinds of disasters before, haven't you?" Izuku asked.

"True, but my Quirk can also be very easily used to kill." There was a ripple of unease at these words. "In our superhuman society, Quirks are very strictly regulated, so we often overlook how dangerous they can often be. Please don't forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move your powers can be deadly, even if you are trying to so something virtuous like rescue someone."

Strelitzia understood this. Part of learning magic was keeping an eye out for potential collateral damage. Fire could spread easily, Quake could damage or weaken structures. Magic was dangerous, and Quirks were no different in the potential to cause destruction if used unwisely.

"Thanks to Aizawa's fitness test, hav a solid idea of your Quirks potential. And because of All Mights combat training, you experience how dangerous your powers can be when used against other people. Carry those lessons over to this class. Today, you're going to learn how to use your Quirks to save peoples lives. You won't be using your powers to attack enemies or each other, only to help. After all, that's what being a hero is all about. Ensuring the safety of others. That's all I have to say, thank you for listening." Thirteen bowed.

Class 1-A clearly agreed with her words. They were truly inspiring, and many of them cheered or clapped. Strelitzia was about to join in, only to pause.

She felt a chill. A strange and uneasy feeling, right in her Heart.

What is this feeling? Something was wrong. Very wrong. Strelitzia looked around the facility, only to see the lights flicker and then go out, casting the entire U.S.J. into shadow.

In the center of the facility, by the fountain, she could see something she recognized. A Dark Corridor. Darkness coalesced, forming into a vortex with telltale yellow eyes. Out of the darkness, she could see figures start to emerge.

"What's going on?"

"Stay together and don't move!" Aizawa spoke with an urgency she hadn't heard from him before. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

Out of the darkness emerged a single figure. A man clad in all black, save for pale hands attached to him. After him, many, many other sinister figures stalked out. Some brandished weapons, while others had obvious and dangerous Quirks.

"Wait, is it starting already? I thought we were rescuing people?" Eijiro asked.

"Are they part of the training?" Mina asked.

"Stay back!" Aizawa ordered. He was putting on a pair of yellow goggles that hid his eyes. "This is real. Those are villains!"

After the smaller villains, another figure emerged. This massive creature stalked forwards on all fours, its sharp claws tearing furrows in the ground. It was massive monster of oily black skin and muscles bulging to the point where the could be seen as they ripped apart the skin containing them.

It's head was dog-like, with large curved horns emerging from it's head, which also had an exposed brain. The creatures teeth were razor sharp and locked in a snarl. Saliva dripped from it's maw to sizzle on the pavement beneath it.

But the villains weren't all there was.

Unbidden, Starlight formed in Strelitzia's hand. The weapon was eager, shaking and jerking of it's own accord, rising to the challenge as its Wielder could hear the watery sound she was all to familiar with. Heartless began to emerge from their Dark Corridors all over the facility. Shadows and Soldiers, Symphonies and Darkballs, Armored Knights and Archers. Heartless of all types appeared.

Strelitzia took a fighting stance as the Dark Corridor the villains emerged from transformed, coalsescing into a more humanoid shape, but not before two final figures emerged from the vortex. A blue-haired man in a grey and violet robe and draped in cloak of black feathers. He wore a bone white mask loosely resembling a bird which hid his face. He leaned rather heavily on a cane.

The second was a feminine figure in a black coat. The hood obscured her face in shadow so her features could not be made out, but the design of her coat was all too familiar to Strelitzia.

The masked man looked up and spoke, his voice sounding across the U.S.J..

"Now that everyone's here, the show can begin…"

Honestly, I really sympathize with Izuku's mind being blown during the bus scene. His reaction is so relatable to me.

~Dragonexx