Here we go again! I guess this update thing is sort of weekly now, but that's because I still have a bit of time right now.

It's time for consequences.

-SpiritOfErebus

Japan's forums had exploded.

All around the internet, the videos were posted. From different angles and points of view, from both sides of the protest. From on top of a building, inside a cafe. From over the top with a recreational drone.

At that point, the tides were too quick to stop. No ban of videos or taking down the speech as slander could work, because that would just have proved the kid's point.

"Ma'am, this isn't looking good for our PR." an analyst said at a board meeting several floors underground.

Outside the door, guards stood, weapons in their arms to prevent information leaks. A trusted confidant with an electronic device detection quirk was brought in, scanned the room, then brought out into solitary confinement for three days in order to preserve absolute secrecy.

"I know, I know." the president said, her expression concentrated in a frown. "Even if we may not be as corrupt as they say, many heroes are not acting… as ideally as they can. And the way that we have structured the system does mean that many more children with supposedly more villainous quirks will maybe become villains, but what better system can he think of? What?"

"Still, he proposed that the whole system of heroes is wrong." another board member protested. "And many of our investors and sponsors want this system to continue so-"

"So they can keep selling overpriced merchandise." the president said. "I know. Is there truly no way to sidestep our sponsors?"

"Considering the fact that Mt. Lady alone caused another 700 million yen by wrecking an office building, I'd say that yes. We do need our sponsors."

"Why in the world are we even bothering to pay her?" she groaned, massaging her forehead. "I guess we'll have to turn to the old tactic of-"

"I thought we were past that era."

"But we cannot allow further changes to the status quo to spread further. Society is fragile as it is, with the one pillar holding us up."

"How old is All Might again?" a sleep deprived board member said, face flat on the desk.

"49 years old."

"Oh, god." he groaned, putting his hands on his head and massaging his temples. "We're probably only going to get a good 5 years out of him until we have to have Endeavor take over the reign, and he's practically retired as well. How old is he, 46?"

"46. And we'll be lacking in serious firepower in the upper ranks after this."

"Heh. Firepower."

"Shut up." the president whirled around, her immaculate suit ruffling almost immediately. "This is serious."

"...Sorry."

"So, what do we do about the kid?"

"I guess for the good of Japan, we have to get rid of him. Send in some of our undercover villains."

"We haven't mobilized one in years."

"Well, there are at least five that are still operating, right? With a modicum of reputation and skill?"

"Enough to finish off that joke of a hero student." the president said, sighing. "I mean, his quirk is barely offensive."

"But what if he becomes a martyr? A symbol, like Stain?"

"Then we'll have to make sure that he never shines in the spotlight again." the President said. "The UA sports festival is in a couple of weeks, right?"

"Almost a month, actually." the sleep deprived person with his face on the table sighed.

"And this… Hans Christian Andersen… Is notoriously bad at races, correct? And has a limit on the amount of power he can exert per day?"

"Dead last in the recommended exam. Only qualified because of Pro Hero Iceblade's insistence and his healing quirk. During the USJ, apparently, he ran out of power after about thirty minutes of intense fighting."

"That guy…" the president muttered, clenching her fist. "Fine. Lengthen UA's race track and the amount of people that get into the second round. Then, expand the time limit on the second round and the amount of teams. With how UA students are normally passionate about heroes, then we have to make him the largest target. Remove the million point headband, too."

"Then, for the third round?"

"...Let's get thirty two students in the final round. Since we expanded the second round, we'll need more people in the third. Hopefully, though, this Hans Christian Andersen gets eliminated before that."

…

Sitting beside a dumpster fire, a couple of people down on their luck sat glumly.

"I guess it's that time of the day again."

"Yeah." a man wearing a dusty suit and dirty leather shoes sighed, his skin slowly bubbling until it burst, as if it were like a pit of magma.

The flecks of gel-like skin were caught deftly by the villain's calloused hands and spread on his sword, where the sparks sizzled and slowly eroded away flecks of rust on the machete.

The silence continued. The single world response echoed throughout the hallway.

"How'd the job interview go, Shihiro-kun?" a guy in a beanie said.

"I was a fire hazard." the man in the suit said dully, another spark jumping off his gray, swirling, and unappealing skin. "Rejected."

"So, did anybody get anywhere today? Anybody make some bucks?"

"No." a woman with knives on her fingertips said, beginning to idly drumming her hand on a metal barrel.

"Nah." another woman said, her eyes tied up with a dark cloth.

Slowly, the bandanna began to freeze over, and she sighed as she closed her eyes, reached for another bandanna, and replaced the one on her eyes. Ice gathered on her closed eyelids as she made the transition, and when the bandanna was on once more, her hands went up to brush the forming ice from her eyes.

"When do we ever…" the man in the suit, Shihiro, droned, handing the machete to the guy in a beanie.

"I found a 100 yen coin on the ground." a guy with magnets as shins said, unraveling his pant leg and revealing the coin.

"So… to eat today, we have to score another mark, right?" the dark-haired, perfectly normal man in the beanie said.

"No." the man in the suit suddenly said, looking up at the setting sun that was framed in the dirty alleyways they sat in. "Do you know what I saw today?"

"What?"

"As I was walking out of that firm, my application turning into ash in my hands… I saw him." Shihiro said, looking up at the blue sky slowly getting overtaken by the burning red clouds of the night.

"It was playing everywhere on the store TV's. News sources across Japan were all talking about this hero student…"

"Hero student. What have heroes ever done for us?" the man in the beanie said. "I can get people not hiring my quirkless ass, but you all have talent! You went to college, Shihiro-kun! You were great at ice sculptures, Yuki-chan! And didn't you apply for art school, Hasanote-chan?"

"Heh. Art school." the woman with sharp fingertips said. "What a fucking scam. It turned out to literally be a scam, too."

"No place wanted to hire me." the blindfolded woman said. "It turns out that having an ice quirk that was on constantly was quite the liability risk."

"And me?" the beanie-wearing man said, pointing to himself depreciating, "I can't even be a villain! All I have is this machete, a wasted high school diploma, and two dead parents making me sell everything to cover up for their debts!"

"We don't have to score another deal, Tsukanai-kun." the blindfolded woman sighed. "We can go today without eating. I'm sure we'll have better luck at the homeless shelters tomorr-"

"It's been like this for. Three years. Three fucking years!" the beanie-wearing man shouted. "We've hugged Shihiro-kun for warmth during the winter, and had you unblindfolded during the summers, but what did we get for those three years of effort? An alleyway in the middle of nowhere, and having one hundred yen to our name!"

"Listen here." the blindfolded woman said, standing up unsteadily. "We came out of high school swearing that we wouldn't be like the others. We wouldn't kill, steal, sell drugs, or do anything illegal. We would prove to society that we wouldn't cause any trouble, despite our…"

"Fucking inconvenient quirks." Hasanote said, stabbing her fingertips into the bricks, before her muscles convulsed and she scooped the chunk of rock out of the wall, causing red dust to pour all over the floor.

"And where has that gotten us? I mean, you all were with me when we got that convenience store? We ate better than we have in months! Why don't we just-"

"Because that kid was like us." Shihiro said, standing up slowly. "He was short… and weak… and scrawny, but he stood up. He got into a hero program. He stood with people freeing the use of quirks. And… he even dissed the hero system."

"...What? Surely, you must be joking." Tsukanai muttered. "Why the fuck would he complain? He's benefiting from all of this… hero nonsense."

"And it's because of that, that I know that there are actually good people out there. Good people that know what we've been through, and good people that can actually see what this society is, instead of just living in it complacently." Shihiro said, his exterior bubbling excitedly.

"He isn't going to change anything." Tsukanai shouted. "No propaganda protecting the quirkless ever worked! Every time those inspectors left, those high schoolers just kept slamming me into their lockers."

"And if we do what they say, then it's just proving their point!" Shihiro erupted, a small plume of smoke erupting from his rocky head. Cracks showing lava became visible for a moment, before gravity acted once more.

"...Then how are we supposed to live? To eat?"

"...I don't know." Shihiro said. "But getting rid of those gangs to get their money isn't exactly illegal, is it?"

"With us?" Hasanote said, flexing her fingers. "You can't even do much other than shamble around. Snowwoman over there has to stare at things for at least three minutes for them to be frozen solid. Tsukanai is fucking quirkless."

"Yes, and? We can't possibly be doing worse."

"I like your style, Shihiro. I'll call up my pals from the construction site before the layoff, and let's do this thing."

"What should we call ourselves?"

"I don't know…" Shihiro said, shrugging. "It's probably a stupid idea, but let's just go with the Self Defense Cooperative."

…

Hans walked into school with a familiar noise ringing in his ear.

Social exclusion.

The targeted murmurs and "stealthy" looks (they weren't even trying to be discreet about it) were stabbing into him as if they were needles on his conscious awareness, but he knew why it was happening.

After all, he had badmouthed the glory of the hero industry while attending the greatest hero school in Japan. Figuratively poking the bear, one could say. Literally annoying the small bear that was the principal was a valid statement as well.

"Delusional, I said." Jiro said in the 1-A classroom. "He was spouting stuff about everything being a play and us as just actors to Ojiro, and now he says this? He's actually insane!"

"Honestly, I think that's something Bakugo would say, kero, with all his talk about extras." Asui said, her frog-like expression unreadable as always. Hans, however, squinted his eyes and detected a hint of amusement.

"That weak fucker just couldn't cut it in the hero course." Bakugo scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning on the back of his chair, with his feet propped up on the desk.

"Although I disagree with your statement, I do believe that what Andersen-san said was explicitly unheroic!" Iida said, arms chopping in the air.

"Yeah, that's about the reaction I expected." Hans said, sighing. "It's rather disappointing to see that nobody could think critically."

"Objectively speaking, your argument was… somewhat correct." a voice said from behind him. Hans quickly turned around and saw Yaoyorozu's suspicious smile. "Although you didn't mention the budget this time, which was definitely a plus."

"I knew that there was something I forgot." Hans said, grinning sarcastically. "Thanks for reminding me."

"...Why do I even bother." Yaoyorozu sighed. "But seriously, are you okay with just being… insulted like this?"

Hans looked at Bakugo parading his intellectual superiority and regaling the tale of how he beat down the lizard brother villains to a crowd of people that were only sort of listening.

"Don't worry about it." Hans said, shouldering his bag and entering the classroom. "As long as they don't criticize my literature, I probably won't lie down in one of your yards and cry myself to sleep."

"...That sounds oddly specific." Yaoyorozu said, raising an eyebrow, before muttering something about history.

"What was that?" Hans said, pausing his step towards the classroom.

"Nothing." Yaoyorozu said, showing a harmless grin. Hans didn't believe a single word she said.

"Is that really how the hero industry is?" another question resounded throughout the hallway. Hans looked up to see Ojiro, who hosted a rather intense look.

"Yeah. It is driven all around by money and quirk discrimination."

"Well, I believe you." Ojiro said simply.

"J…just like that?" Yaoyorozu said, almost shouting before restraining herself. "Did you even watch his speech?"

"I just saw a commentary article online." Ojiro said, shrugging. "It would probably be better for me to keep practicing my spins. I was… pretty outclassed at the USJ, and adding some power would really be helpful."

Hans's mind shot back to where Ojiro tried to fight the villains with his unnecessarily acrobatic maneuvers.

"...About that." Hans said. "I might have something in mind for that."

"S-sorry…" Ojiro stammered. "I was just-"

"Don't worry about it." Hans shrugged. "I have some training planned for you all. The sport fes-"

"What do I hear about training?" Kirishima said, running up from the opposite side of the hall, his bookbag flailing in the air. "Count me in! You were so manly at the USJ, so learning from you would be great!"

"...You don't uh… take offense at my political opinions?" Hans said.

"Saving people shouldn't be about fame or glory." Kirishima said righteously. "It shouldn't be about the money, even though that would be nice. It should be showing our manly spirit and standing in front of innocent civilians to protect them."

"And that's your problem." Hans said. "I think you stand a little too much. I had to use my nob-I mean, quirk just to remind you to dodge."

"Then I'll work on that instead!" Kirishima said, grinning, before flexing his quirk. "But for now, let's get to class! I'm sure whoever is subbing for Aizawa-sensei will have something planned for us!"

"Why are you all dawdling out in the hallways." a familiar, dry voice said, causing Yaoyorozu to flinch and Kirishima to slowly turn.

"Aizawa sensei!?" three of the four students shouted. Hans just looked at the mummy, and turned.

"Problem child."

Hans began to walk.

"You."

"Me?" Hans said, turning and tilting his head innocently. "What have I done wrong?"

"You do know that you'll probably be scorned by pro heroes and students alike if you continue to go on the path you are now, right? Should I just expel you right now?"

"But then…" Hans said, grinning, "You would be acknowledging my statements as controversial, and then giving a portion of society proof that the Hero Commission is actually trying to control them by propagating discrimination."

"If you don't want to get a hero… then get out yourself." Aizawa droned on. "But whatever. I don't care. There are always general studies students that would want to take your spot."

"Ah, yes." Hans nodded. "During the sports festival, right?"

"The what?" the three other students shouted, prompting looks from inside the classroom.

"What was that?" Iida shouted. "Sensei, please repeat yourself."

"The sports festival."

"Right after the USJ?"

Hans sighed. Had none of them turned on a television or used the internet yesterday? And if they didn't, how did they hear about his speech? Seriously. The ads were everywhere.

…Maybe that was why they didn't think that the hero industry ran on money.

…

"So this is class 1-A." a smug voice rang out just as Hans was about to leave for the cafeteria, carrying some leftover fried porkchop from the police station freebies. "Some of you are... so arrogant. But some of you don't exactly belong here, do you?"

"Why you-" Ojiro said, his tail flexing its muscles as if preparing for a fight.

"No, no, down." Hans said. "This isn't an argument to be fought with force."

"Isn't it now?" the blonde kid standing in front of a gathering crowd said. "If you can't defeat villains, how are you supposed to be a hero? What really happened during the USJ, huh?"

"Well, it depends on how you think about it." Hans said, stepping out and crossing his arms. "In arguments, you can't just solve problems with your fists."

"And you're avoiding the question about the USJ, huh? You just couldn't handle the responsibility, could you? Being a hero is about being a symbol. Being somebody that upholds safety and eliminates crime. You?" the blonde idiot that wasn't Bakugo said, smirking. "You're just a fraud. You're only denouncing fame because you can't get any of it."

Hans thought about the teleporter, how easily Thirteen got knocked out, and everything else that happened, before scratching his head. Did this guy even know what he was talking about?

"That is literally not what I said." Hans said, deciding to ignore the nonsensical statements about the USJ. "And besides, I'm an author that got canceled by the Hero Commission. I made the news like, three years ago? I think? So to be perfectly honest, I don't care about fame or glory, since getting on the news only really hurts me. However, you're only making this statement to prove a point to the school, in order to fuel your inferiority complex because your class's letter is one behind ours."

"You little-"

"Let's be real. The hero system is broken. It's a miracle that society even survives on mercenaries who are paid based on how many criminals they slap in the face. You all are here because of your pretty, shiny quirks that were praised for all of your lives. What about the others? The one that fell to the wayside? The ones that are judged villainous just because people like you exist and act like you're the savior of the world?"

There was silence. A boy with purple, frizzy hair in the crowd looked at Hans strangely, so Hans stopped looking at the crowd and returned to eviscerating the idiot in front of him.

"Every year, hundreds of new heroes are released on the market basically as idols, you know?" Hans said. "You'll just be one figurine amongst the rest of them, endlessly toiling away for society's approval, while the population that you keep oppressing eventually will rise up, gather up powers in the shadows, and destroy the status quo you've lived your whole illusion of a life in. What a worthless existence."

"I'll show how worthless you really are… during the sports festival!" the blonde-hair kid said, his grin looking increasingly fake. Hans grinned. He knew that he was getting under the teen's skin.

"Yeah!" a boy with gray hair and…something around his eyes said, clenching his fists and roaring towards the ceiling. "You unheroic bastards better watch out!"

"Who are you calling-" Bakugo said, roaring.

"I'm not talking about all of you, by the way. Just some of you." the gray-haired boy said. "I think we all have a common enemy here."

"Yeah." Bakugo snarled, "We can agree on that."

Collectively, the crowd left after the blonde idiot spat at Hans's feet. Bakugo roughly shoved past Hans as he passed, his red eyes filled with mirth as he looked back at Hans on his slightly scraped knees. Midoriya shot a commiserating look at Hans, before walking over to help him out.

"I'm sure that y-you think you're right, Andersen-san!" he stammered. "But society needs a symbol to guide them, and heroes are great for that!"

"Oh, you naive, summer child." Hans said, chuckling. "Keep on dreaming."

"Okay, uhm, uh, thanks?" Midoriya said, confused expression on his face. He rejoined Iida and Uraraka, shrugged, and then left for the cafeteria.

The three remaining students in the classroom walked up to Hans, looking at the receding crowd. Many passing students still jeered at the blue-haired child standing still in the ray of sunlight that shined through the window.

"Are you okay, Andersen-san?" Yaoyorozu said.

"Honestly? Yeah." Hans said, putting his hands in his pocket. "And I didn't really plan on doing well in the Sports Festival anyways. So, in the end, does it really matter?"

Slowly, the three students looked at each other, a…rather absurd thought forming in their minds.

Didn't expect that, did you? Normally, people giving speeches like this and suffer absolutely no consequence (like Shirou roasting pro heroes or something, but it's perfectly normal in class afterwards). But now? We have socially excluded Hans.

For the crying in somebody else's yard thing, Hans Christian Andersen did cry in Charles Dickens's yard after receiving a negative review on his stories in actual history.

That was fun to read about. He was also a horrible houseguest, but for your mental safety, I'd advise not looking up historical Hans.

Discord link: discord . gg / 9t9MK3jHmV

-SpiritOfErebus