A/N: even though it's out of my control, I do feel the need to apologize for this story's review section being used to advertise criminal services. While I hope it's just a sick troll, it's disturbing to see purported child porn ads associated with my work.

--

Shigaraki, not for the first time, found himself envying meta-humans and their abilities to develop and use otherwise fantastical technologies. It was like the ultimate video game, and it just wasn't fair that they got it while he didn't.

Suppressing the urge to throw a tantrum over that unfortunate fact of life, he looked on the assembled reporters, all those insects in the media desperate to hear some news or other about 'All-Might,' the overhyped loser and his girly fish, and might have felt sick if they weren't convenient for his current plans. Oh so useful. That wasn't a sentence that one could say in relation to the media normally, but he grinned as he felt it apply now.

He had been somewhat concerned about approaching the school of his enemies, as he did have a rather distinct appearance, but no one was interested in a homeless-looking furry while the children that studied under All-Might himself were walking to class. Perfect.

Were he a decker, or had a brilliant one on standby, it would have been even more perfect, but he reminded himself that even a man poised to 'do whatever he wanted' couldn't change his category. Instead, he satisfied himself with his next move.

--

Izuku, after a lifetime of cycling between being ignored and being bullied, was unprepared for this amount of attention. What should have been a short and simple walk to school, just as he had done every day for the last week, turned into a nightmare as every boomstick, camera, and microphone was pushed in front of his face with demands for statements and responses to far more questions than he could have ever hoped to process, much less answer properly. Poor Ururaka was in an even worse state, judging by her cries of help as they swarmed her so much that she wasn't able to move independently.

Doing his best to ignore those surrounding him as he reached out to help his friend, both of them were indirectly saved by Iida actually stopping to attempt and answer the reporters.

Unfortunately for said reporters, rather than a pithy soundbite he went into a long spiel about how honorable and hard-working their class was, giving all the safe, respectable answers while also taking an eternity to deliver them.

In the hands of a craftier man, it might have been a brilliant ploy to get them to back off. For him, it was genuine. He honestly didn't get how boring he was being or how awkward those trying to interview him felt. Regardless, his companions in the Hero class were much more appreciative of his efforts; the distraction let them get inside without issue.

--

Once everyone was properly sat in their respective seats, Aizawa-sensei had Hypno hand them out notes on their performance in the battle exercises earlier. Izuku already understood what his said (another reminder that he had to get Gyarados under control if he wanted to succeed as a Hero), so couldn't really get any more determined about this then he already was.

So, he was attentive and ready to move on to the next topic when Aizawa-sensei informed them that they were about to hear of something important, something that would affect the future of their class and quite possibly their own careers as Heroes.

Once he had given them the opportunity to properly respond to his dramatics, he let slip that they had to vote for a Class Representative. Since that affected the student body more than the teacher, he was going to catch up on his sleep while they did so.

Of course, that left them with the major problem that no one knew who the Class Representative should have been. They barely knew one another, after all. Luckily, they were professionals in training, maturing adults ready to face the world, and preparing for a career that required expert decision-making abilities. Which is to say, the thing devolved into a shouting match as soon as everyone realized the personal benefits that they could get for themselves with the position.

Some tried to suggest policies and activities they would fight for, like Kirishima's proposal for a scheduled work-out time and Mineta's suggestion of co-ed mud wrestling to get their combat skills up. Others, or at least Bakugo, insisted that they should have it because they were the best.

Iida tried to calm them all down by suggesting they put it to a vote, but Asui reminded him of the problem that was making this so difficult in the first place. They didn't know each other, and thus couldn't hold an informed election. Momo further interjected that, with how much almost everyone clearly wanted the position, they would certainly just try to vote for themselves. Iida pointed out that that, in of itself, was why this was the perfect solution. With everything working against a choice, whomever managed to actually get the vote was clearly worthy of it.

Accepting his reasoning as much to make some sort of progress as out of genuine agreement, the ballots were handed out and tallied, resulting in the final, clear choice of…a tie between Izuku Midoriya and Momo Yaoyorozu.

This shocked Izuku more than anyone in the class as, judging by the number of students who received only 'one' vote, he was one of the few that didn't vote for themselves. Between All-Might's praise during the exercise, the way the boy commanded the attention of the classroom just now, and his own friendship, Izuku had voted for Iida. The only one to do so, apparently. Iida hadn't even voted for himself.

Coming very closely in second place for how much shock he felt at this result was Bakugo. "Who the hell voted for Useless!"

He glared at everyone in the classroom, hoping to intimidate an answer out of someone there, but it was quickly turning out that Pro-Hero candidates weren't as easy to terrify as the losers back in his Middle-School. So incensed by this was he that he didn't even put two-and-two together to realize that Todoroki and Ururaka both received zero votes, meaning that at least one of them had chosen the Magikarp.

Izuku and Momo both stood up, standing in front of the class, both intended to present their case as to why they should be chosen as Class President as opposed to the other. Or at least, that's what both the class in general and Momo expected; in reality, Izuku was shaking so much that he doubted his ability to convince a moth to head toward an electric light.

Staring out at the crowd, seeing the way they looked at him, judging him, it reminded him too much of his lifelong experiences…it was clear to him that he didn't deserve the job, didn't even really want it, and was just about to step down and grant Yaoyorozu the position uncontested when Shoji, of all people, raised his hand.

"We're allowed to ask questions of the candidates, right?"

"Of course," Iida interjected, "that's the whole point of this. To let the candidates make their pitch before the class holds its final vote. I guess we should decide right now whether they should make their speeches and then allow for Q & A, or just let the class ask questions right now."

"If he wants to question me, then I'll gladly accept it," Yaoyoruzu spoke up, whereas Izuku chattered out something through his teeth that even he couldn't positively identify as agreement or opposition.

It didn't matter, as Shoji's question was for Yaoyorozu. "I feel that I recognize your surname. Is your family the one that owns that company making technology and products catering to Elves and Dwarves?"

"Yes, we build products for everyone, with an emphasis on the Meta-Human population, not that we discriminate, it's just that it's an underserved market compared to what trainers can get anywhere."

Shoji's eyes narrowed. "I hear that your family also worked to support government work against terrorist groups, but only certain kinds of terrorists. Such as, the kind that help out Orks, Trolls, and Furries."

That got a lot of muttering from the class, even as it left Yaoyorozu gobsmacked. Trying to piece which of her family's controversies he was talking about…"we do not support the actions of Mordor or Iron Fang. Just as we don't support Humanis, or the Pocket Master Alliance, or…"

"Tir na nOg?" Shoji interrupted her to question.

Momo's pointed ears twitched. "Tir na nOg is a movement dedicated to ensuring a homeland and providing support for all Meta-Humans in the face of Trainer suppression…"

the class found itself in an uproar.

"Iron Fang claims the same thing for Atavists, yet you dismissed them as terrorists," Asui pointed out, "rightfully, but why the difference?"

"You support those violent psychos?" Sero shouted.

"They hardly fight for all Meta-Humans," Shoji noted, pointing out his Orkish features as he did so.

Many of them looked angry or disgusted. Aoyama, more than anyone else, looked to Yaoyorozu with disappointment, though she had no idea why.

Momo was disturbed by this, partially because she wasn't fully on board with Tir na nOg in the same way as her uncles and aunts were, so wasn't really determined to defend the organization, but on the other hand she felt that their characterizations were completely unfair. It was an organization with a good cause and different branches, and some of those branches were problematic, yes, but she hardly felt that that poisoned the whole tree.

Iida eventually silenced them all by chopping his arms and speaking in a loud, but controlled, voice. "Momo Yaoyoruzu's personal politics do not matter in terms of her ability to lead the class. Now, she is tied with Izuku for the last vote, so she is still an eligible candidate. If you think this matter disqualifies her, then vote for Midoriya. Now, let's move on."

Momo gave a wonderful but generic speech about understanding the privileges and responsibilities of the position. Izuku stumbled through the most awkward three minutes of the entire class's lives.

In any other election, it would have been a landslide in Momo's favor, but the controversy she started with her tepid defense of the Meta-Human homeland movement was apparently the last thing most of the class listened to. She only got three votes in the end, one of them being herself and the other being Bakugo, who made his disdain for Midoriya and apathy over silly political squabbles quite clear, with a third who never identified himself.

While Iida announced that Izuku Midoriya had been declared Class Representative and Momo Yaoyoruzu Deputy Representative, the latter quietly fumed about being in a class with mostly Trainers while the former panicked. Iida had to remind him to grab the paperwork Aizawa had prepared with all the announcements he had to make to the class, something which he refused to say clearly and concisely as his mouth betrayed him while many in the class questioned whether it was too late to change their minds.

--

Izuku was normally as grateful as any teenager in school when the bell released the class for lunch, but today he considered a gift from the gods that he could never repay them for. That was, until he tried to leave and Yaoyoruzu reminded him that he was supposed to make sure the class left in an orderly manner.

When he was finally seated at the cafeteria with Ururaka and Iida (and what a pleasant experience it was, to be with people who wanted to sit with him), he slammed his head against the table and sighed in relief.

"I'll never get anything done," he whined, "I'll be dead by the end of the semester."

"Midoriya, don't take that attitude," Iida scolded. "As my brother likes to say, "the fires of determination can only be put out by the dousing of your own doubts."

"Your brother has the same motto as Ingenium, though I think that's a pun on his friendship with his Rapidash…" it took a second for Izuku to put two-and-two together. "Wow, Iida, that's amazing! You're Ingenium's younger brother?"

"Yes, it's why I wanted to be a Hero. He's my inspiration. One day, I hope to be just like him." Both Izuku and Ururaka stared at him in wonder. Downplaying it, the boy in question said, "but I'm sure that both of you have reasons that are just as noble."

"I've always been inspired by All-Might," Izuku agreed. "Seeing how he saves people makes me want to put the same looks on people's faces. One day, I hope Gyarados can inspire just as much hope as Milotic." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "When he stops inspiring so much fear, though, I guess."

Nodding, Iida turned to Ururaka. "And what about you? Who inspired you?"

"No one in particular, I'm doing this for the money." Both boys took a second to compose themselves at her bluntness; deep down, they were a little surprised, even if logically they knew there was nothing really wrong with that.

She did, immediately after blurting that out, realize how it sounded in comparison to the others' motivations, which probably prompted her subsequent clarification. "You have to understand, my family's financial situation isn't the best right now, and I just want to help them out a bit…"

"That's okay. There's nothing wrong with wanting to take care of yourself," Iida reassured her with Izuku's support.

Before they could settle how they really felt about each other and their various emotional issues, an alarm started blaring. As tended to happen when alarms start blaring, various people stood up and made their way towards the exit. As also tended to happen, most of the individuals in the room were awe-struck by the suddenness of the situation, and rather than use that time to acclimate they panicked, following along with the nearest person who seemed to going in a particular direction. All of these panicking people following one another meant that a single exit from the cafeteria ended up swamped by an uncontrolled mob, with everyone pushing and pressing against one another with little for anyone's safety or the fact that their actions were only hindering their own egress.

Iida was not one of those who panicked, having mentally prepared himself to deal with such situations long before applying for UA, and looked upon the students who clearly hadn't with no small amount of disdain. Honestly, how were these people meant to deal with mob situations and natural disasters causing a panic if the only disaster right here and right now was, in fact, them? There was an exit on the other side of the cafeteria that was empty, for Pete's sake!

He might have simply left the poor students to their fate and walked out of said exit if it weren't for the fact that Midoriya was knocked to the side by a panicking boy's elbow and brought into the crowd against his will. That, and there seemed to be no reason to run if the media outside gave any hints as to what caused the alarms. It was over-eager journalists, not a villain attack. But how to save his friend and calm down the crowd?

Iida called out that it was just journalists, but no one listened, because how could he expect them to, so he tried summoning Ponyta and standing on her back to shout it out again, but it only got a few stragglers at the back to notice.

Fortunately, two of them were Ururaka and Jiro. "Ururaka, Jiro, can you help me? Get Whismur somewhere where everyone can hear him! We need to get this mob paying attention!"

Using its psychic powers to lift small objects was something barely within Baltoy's power. It certainly wasn't at the point to be useful in combat. Fortunately, slowly floating a tiny little puffball like Whismur to a nearby ledge was…almost in its power, at least once Iida gently tossed it to give it a boost. At Jiro's command, the pink creature unleashed an Uproar, sending out bursts of sound that shocked and awed the crowd until their panic became less frazzled and focused on the Monster.

"Everyone," Iida shouted once more. "Journalists have breached the school's doors. No one is in any danger! Even if you were, is this how the future generation of Pro-Heroes acts in a crisis?"

--

There were multiple bruises and one almost fractured bone when they looked over the students later. Getting mashed against walls and windows had consequences. However, thanks to Iida, any more serious injuries were avoided.

Everyone was glad as they gathered in the classroom that afternoon, except for Izuku, who had an agenda to set. "Everyone, can I have your attention," he asked, before gulping in terror when all of them complied with his request. Normally, his anxiety would have ruined it, but right now it only reinforced the fact that what he was about to do was correct. "For my first act as Class Representative, I would like to step down and offer the position to Tenya Iida."

Steeling himself in response to everyone's surprised muttering, he continued, "back there, when there was a crisis, Iida kept his head when most of us were panicking. More importantly, he stood up as a leader, resolving the crisis and assuring everyone of where they needed to be. He did what a Class Representative should have done, and so I think he should be Class Representative."

--

While Iida graciously and humbly accepted Izuku's decision, Momo looked on from her position as Deputy Representative with no small amount of envy. On one hand, she felt that if the Representative was stepping down, then it should have gone to her by default by virtue of her current position. On another, she realized that she was being stepped over by a trainer once again; she was still somewhat sore over the fact that it was an unrelated political issue (if not her race, but she didn't want to accuse her classmates yet), that kept her out of the position in the first place.

In spite of her irritation, she did have to acknowledge that Izuku was right about how he handled the panic in the cafeteria, something that she very could have handled if she had taken initiative. So why didn't she? She'd hardly been panicking back then, but she'd just saved herself.

With that in mind, she supposed that she could take the loss and grow. For now.

--

Aizawa, Kan, and Nedzu stared at the ruined doorway that protected UA from unauthorized access just this morning. Or rather, the rusted bits of ruined metal that composed all that was left of it.

"I vaguely feel like there was magic used here. The kind that Atavists like us use," Kan explained, "but I can't tell more with my talents. Dealing with magical energy directly is more your area of expertise."

Not answering the Boar Atavist with words, the Mouse Atavist instead invoked some sort of spell that the other two couldn't understand. "A spell was cast," Nedzu eventually confirmed. "And it was Atavist magic, not Meta-Human magic. I thought it might be Earth Elementalism, considering how it affected the metal, then tried Thaumaturgy, though I know of no spell within my field that could do this. From the sense I get from looking through this, I now feel that it must be Black Magic. Unfortunately, that's never been well-studied, so I can't tell us the specifics of the spell." Shrugging, he noted, "not that it's difficult to tell what it did."

"So unless one of those journalists was a Necromancer, they were just a distraction," Aizawa noted. "Not that it's surprising; they wouldn't destroy property like this. They're not vandals, just naked opportunists."

"And who needed to give them an opportunity?" Kan asked.

"That is an excellent question," Nedzu responded.