A/N Hey everyone, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, the mental drain is real and the heat ain't helping. Which I hope anyone else dealing with the heat is able to stay cool! For the fans of VQHS, I've made a lot of progress towards the next chapter, so hopefully tit won't be too long of a wait. Thank you again Silenthorse, Zurgboy2, and Gamer_kid1609 for continueing to be my beta readers and making my stories great!
Powerloader ran through the damaged mock city littered with hundreds of destroyed robots. Officially, he was here to assist in salvaging them, determining which parts were good and which to scrap. But, he quickly b-lined to a very specific destination. He had to see it with his own eyes. The device Midoriya used to take out the zero-pointer. Since it was the only thing Midoriya made that was left behind, he just had to examine it. Maybe it left a clue to how the nanobots worked. If it was nanobots that is. He was still skeptical that's what it was, and believed it was a quirk.
At least he did until his conversation with Nezu.
Quirkless. The boy is quirkless. He struggled to believe it, but the records Nezu showed him proved it was the truth. Even then his bosses words were enough for him, he wasn't one to tell lies like this. And if he was being honest, the idea made his heart soar.
He was one of the few heroes who opposed quirkless discrimination. Having faced a bit of it himself due to people viewing his own quirk as weak, he at least understood the plight. Of course he knows his experiences are nothing compared to what people like Midoriya face on a daily basis, but it gave him a point of view very few lacked. Heck, he'd even met several extremely talented quirkless people who'd been forced into a life of suffering and obscurity because of discrimination. Even David Shields' daughter, a rising star in the support field, is quirkless. So he was determined to see Midoriya's creation, hoping to get some understanding from his work before he met the kid face to face.
More than that though, he hoped showing the device off would shut up some of his co-workers that he was very cross with at the moment. To think, this morning he would have proudly declared them as friends. Now, there was a divide among the staff, and neither side was willing to back down.
earlier in the staff viewing room*
"Dang, that was one gnarly attack. He took that zero-pointer out like it was nothing." Present Mic said over the intercom.
"We've seen quite a few applicants take out that behemoth in the past, but it's been a long time since someone defeated it with just one attack." Added Snipe.
"Indeed, he's definitely got his penetration game down." Said Midnight sensually, earning a couple groans and a smack to the top of the head. Turning to see the culprit, she wasn't surprised to find Aizawa with a rolled up magazine. "Where did you even get that?" She asked as she rubbed her head.
"Places." Replied Aizawa nonchalantly, giving her a glare that told her he wasn't in the mood. Thankfully his long time friend was smart enough to know when to not push it.
"That was an outstanding showing by this year's applicants. We have some amazing candidates this year. I can't wait to see what they achieve." Said Nezu jovially as he hopped off his chair before turning to face the staff. "With that said, there is still a lot to do. Everyone knows their assigned tasks, just keep your phones on you at all times in case something pops up. Powerloader, we still need to have that talk in my office."
"Y-yes sir!" Said Powerloader as he hopped off his own seat. But it wasn't the upcoming punishment that threw him off. He knew he fucked up, and would face the consequences like a man. No, it was Nezu's phone comment. Heroes always have their phones on them, they're essential in their line of work. So why bring it up. Knowing Nezu, it was a hidden message. To whom, he wasn't sure, but he wasn't about to go poking into it. If the boss wants him in on it, he'll bring him in on it.
"Wait, Nezu. We have something we need to discuss." Said All Might a little frantically, stopping him in his tracks.
"We can discuss it later. As I've said, we have a lot to do, and we don't have a lot of time to do it. Right now, I need to ensure everything goes smoothly." Said Nezu sternly.
"But sir, this is important! You can't admit that applicant!" All Might blurted out, trying to argue.
"Toshinori." Said Nezu darkly, making said hero freeze in place. "We are not here watching the exam to pick and choose our students. We are here to observe their behavior, which you have been informed of. So if you found an applicant's behavior to be unacceptable, file a report and it will be investigated, as we have always done. You may have gone over my head with Bakugo, but even the HPSC only holds so much authority and they know it. So if you or they try to interfere again I will fight back, and I can promise that you won't like the results." He said before walking out the door, Powerloader not far behind him.
"I've gotta stop this." Said All Might as he pulled out his cell phone.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Said Thirteen, gaining All Might's attention. She wasn't even looking at him, just watching the feed, looking for any applicants that might need immediate medical attention. "I don't know what your issue is, and frankly I have more important things to deal with. But you and I both know it's best to heed his warnings. Or in this case, his threats. And in a battle between you and the HPSC vs. him, I'd put my entire life savings on him."
"No kidding. The last teacher who tried to throw their weight around not only ended up getting fired, but their image became so tarnished, they had to quit as a hero." Added Ectoplasm as he assisted Thirteen while his clones made their way to the mock cities.
"I think I remember that. Didn't that happen shortly after I started? I think they were related to a higher up of the HPSC or something." Said Midnight, watching several feeds of applicants, keeping an eye out for anyoneâ..misbehaving.
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Asked All Might, thinking they would all be on his side. The only answer he got came from Aizawa who silently walked up to him, and handed him a piece of paper before walking off. Confusedly, he looked at it, seeing it was the form Nezu mentioned earlier. He wanted to retort, but Aizawa had already disappeared, and the others were busy doing their jobs.
meanwhile in Nezu's office*
It was a quiet trek to the office as Powerloader could tell his boss wasn't in the best of moods. He'd never seen his boss talk to All Might like that as the two had a pretty good relationship. It was obvious something shifted between them, but he found it wiser to not get in the middle of the two titans.
As soon as Nezu opened the door he went straight to his more expensive tea collection. He really needed the stress relief, and a good cup of tea always helped. "Would you like a cup, Powerloader?" He asked, trying to keep his bad mood out of his voice.
"Uh, s-sure." Replied Powerloader, a bit nervously. He knew Nezu was pulling from his special stash, and it felt weird to him to drink such high quality tea. But he also knew that Nezu actually preferred to share a pot with people, rather than drink alone.
The room was unnaturally quiet as Nezu went through the motions of getting the tea brewed. Even going so far as to stay silent until it was ready and then poured two cups. Taking the time to get a good whiff of the tea, bringing a smile to his face as the familiar scent started to uplift his mood. "I take it you already know what you did wrong?" Calmly asked Nezu before taking a long drink.
"Y-yes sir. I mishandle the form filing process by letting my own preconceived notions get in the way." Said Powerloader, his own nerves calming as Nezu's mood seemed to lift.
"Good. Make sure it doesn't happen again. We live in a world of impossibilities, so it's never a good idea to dismiss something outright." Said Nezu, his usual demeanor returning.
"What do you mean we live in a world of impossibilities sir?" Powerloader asked, confused.
"Why quirks of course! They were called superpowers long before the name quirks was coined. That's because before their appearance, they were believed to be impossible to exist. Only to be seen in movies and Tv shows or in the pages of a book. Even two hundred years after their appearance, we still have no clue how they work." Explained Nezu, as he swirled his tea in his cup, enjoying the smell the action provided.
"But we know all about the quirk factor and the plus alpha genes." Said Powerloader, still lost on where his boss was going with this.
"That's true, but the situation is similar to a hero and their support gear. They know what it does, but not how it does it. The emergence of quirks turned science on its head. Everything we thought we knew was thrown out the window. Because quirks broke the very laws they so firmly believed in. Yet we have made no effort to amend the situation." Said Nezu, sounding a bit sad towards the end.
"Why are you telling me all this sir?" Powerloader inquired.
"Because despite having no evidence to back the theory that quirks are the next step of evolution, everyone believes it wholeheartedly. And that belief has divided mankind. Making society backslide to the horrible practices that billions fought so hard to abolish. Do you know how many murderers, thieves, and rapists walk free just because the victim had a quirk that society looked down upon? How about when the victim was quirkless?" Exclaimed Nezu, unintentionally letting a bit of their frustration show.
"I do actually, and it honestly makes us seem more like monsters than humans." Said Powerloader sadly, starting to have an idea of where this was going.
"And that's exactly why I'm telling you all this. You're one of two staff members whose beliefs I know. In secret, I've fought against said discrimination, doing everything I can to improve their lives. Sadly, I couldn't be open about it otherwise what sway I do have could easily vanish, leaving it impossible for me to assist further. But very soon, I will no longer be able to keep my views secret, and that's going to put the spotlight on the staff as well. So I wanted to present you with an option. You can either stay out of all this and I will shield you from any backlash, or assist me in changing the views of society. While your assistance would be invaluable, I understand if you don't want to get involved." Explained Nezu, his expression serious, but compassionate.
Powerloader looked at Nezu with wide eyes. He had no idea his boss was such an advocate for those given a terrible lot in life. Though it really should have been obvious. He didn't know his respect for his boss could grow, but he was proven wrong. Being the smart person he is, after all he'd seen today, he had a good idea of exactly what brought this on. "This has to do with Midoriya doesn't it? The fact that he has such a powerful support item is weird in itself, but he didn't even show off a quirk. Sure he might have hidden it, or it could have been useless in the exam. But it wouldn't be the first time someone like that was admitted. No, this is bigger than that. Which means Midoriya is quirkless." Said Powerloader with his own serious expression.
"I do love how quick you are on the uptake. Yes, Midoriya is quirkless. And as you saw during the exam, he is quite skilled. Whether it's because of his support item or not, he had earned a very impressive score, even without the hero points. So he has more than proven he deserves a spot. But therein lies the problem." Said Nezu before draining his cup and pouring another.
"True. I heard a major stink was raised on many sides when you amended the no quirkless rule. I can only imagine what will happen when you actually admit a quirkless student." Replied Powerloader.
"Trust me, it won't be pretty. But I want to assist Midoriya on his path. I believe if he achieves his dream, people might start seeing them as capable. Even if it doesn't spark a change in society, he still deserves the same chance as everyone else, and I will not deny him." Said Nezu passionately.
"Where can I help?" Asked Powerloader, with a determined smile.
Nezu gave Powerloader a grateful smile while making a mental note to find a way to thank him. "As a hero that specializes in support gear, I believe you and Midoriya can assist each other. Obviously a lot of the devices he made during the exam are extraordinary, and we're not even sure of the limits. So I think you being able to pick his brain would be beneficial for all. While at the same time, you have experience he lacks. Not only as a hero but as an inventor. Talent is all well and good, but it's useless if not tempered properly. More than that though, I believe you're one of the few who might be able to connect with him on a personal level. He needs people in his corner, people who can understand him and empathize with his struggles."
"Understood. I was already eager to talk to him after the show he put on, but now I'll make it my personal mission." Said Powerloader resolutely before a thought occurred to him. "What's the situation with his parents? Are they going to be an obstacle?"
Nezu's expression turned sad at the question. Silently he downed his second cup of tea and poured another cup before putting the folder he had been carrying in front of Powerloader. As the hero read, Nezu walked over to his office window, cup of tea in hand, and watched as all the applicants left the school grounds. Instinctively he took note of those putting down others. It's surprising how many people bully others while trying to become a hero. The irony definitely wasn't lost on him.
The seconds passed on as Powerloader read through more and more of the file. Angry page flipping could be heard until he eventually slammed it on the desk. "You're seriously going to hire him!? As the first year heroics teacher no less!?" Asked Powerloader, stupefied as he tried not to sound furious at Nezu.
"As you know the world isn't just black and white. As you obtain more and more responsibilities, the choices you have to make become more and more muddled. Until you eventually can't even see the different shades of gray, and just have to choose what you think is best. As much as I wanted to fire him immediately after learning the truth, I had much I needed to consider. Things like how it would look if we, the top rated hero school, turned away the number one hero from teaching the next generation. Even if the truth was revealed, would society even care?" Replied Nezu, his eyes never leaving the window.
"Yeah, that's fair. The punishment rates for crimes committed against the quirkless is abysmally low. Add in people's love for All Might, and everyone would just consider it validation that they're doing the right thing." Said Powerloader thoughtfully, though his irritation was obvious.
"Precisely. So while the situation isn't ideal, at least it will allow us to keep a close eye on both of them. In the meantime there will be a ton of backlash and everyone will be watching us, so I won't be able to assist too much so this doesn't get spun as one of my schemes. In the upcoming battle over society's views, this is a fight Midoriya will need allies in, but ultimately, needs to be led by him." Explained Nezu.
"So you're saying we need to keep any assistance we give outside the public eye unless he directly asks for it. Otherwise everyone would just automatically claim all his success was due to those with a quirk. But if we allow him to make the first moves, society will have no choice but to acknowledge him." Powerloader said, already planning his next moves.
Seeing Powerloader's expression, Nezu felt proud knowing a member of his staff was willing to risk so much. "This is going to be an uphill battle, so if at any point you want to bail out of the situation, I will not hold it against you. In the meantime, there is a lot of work ahead of us and not a lot of time to do it, so we should get started." Said Nezu as he walked back to his desk. "And in the interest of logic, could you pass this folder off to Eraserhead?" He said slightly louder than normal.
Powerloader nodded his head as he grabbed the file before walking out the door. As soon as he left the threshold of the office, he simply raised the folder up, knowing it would be out of his hand soon. "We only have one shot to get this right, so I recommend you either join, or step aside. It's time for things to change." He said as he heard the file being opened before booking it to the mock city, already planning on inspecting as much of Midoriya's gear as he could.
"I know I'm adding a lot of extra work to your plate these next few years, but I'll do what I can to make it easier." Announced Nezu out his still open door. He waited until he saw Eraserheads retreating form to push the button that closed it.
several weeks later*
The first day of the new school year. Easily Nezu's second favorite day of the year. Seeing so many bright and excited faces eager to learn and take their first step into adulthood always brought a smile to his face. And this year was no different as he sipped his tea, watching as students showed up for their first classes. Except this time, he has an agenda. As he watched the entire crowd like he did every year, he kept a close eye out for two students in particular.
First was Bakugo Katsuki. He hadn't heard much about the boy, except from All Might. But considering his current opinion of said number one hero had considerably fallen, he wasn't inclined to believe a word of it. The fact that Bakugo proved he was right, as the boy shoved his way through people, actually disheartened him. If he wasn't careful with him, he feared they might have the next All for One on their hands. While he knew that belief was extreme, when a quirk like One for All is involved, you can't afford to be even slightly careless.
The second was Midoriya Izuku. It didn't surprise Nezu to hear that not only did he get the top score of this year's entrance exam, but even holds the record at a very impressive 156. It washed out the previous record of 124 by All Might. The boy's look still deeply concerned him though. He'd seen that same look far too many times over his career as a hero. It was the look of a victim who'd given up on life. Yet still, something drove Midoriya to do something a vast majority of people thought impossible. Nezu hoped to discover exactly what it is, as he believed it would be the key to saving Midoriya himself.
As soon as Midoriya entered the building, Nezu cut his viewing short and walked over to his desk. There was a lot of work to be done to prepare for the onslaught of complaints he knew would come his way. It was going to be a long brutal road, but it would all be worth it when they reached the other side.
meanwhile outside class 1A*
The moment was surreal to Izuku as he stood outside the classroom. It seemed to have finally struck him that he was accepted into the UA hero course when he laid eyes on the door. While he still looked indifferent, a part of him was weeping in joy that he accomplished his dream. But his pessimistic side told him that the odds of him getting expelled were very high, and that side has been in the driver's seat for months with no sign of changing anytime soon.
With a deep breath, Midoriya opened the door, feeling prepared for whatever was thrown at him. Only for that feeling to evaporate two seconds after walking into the classroom when he spotted the blue-haired guy and Bakugo arguing. Class hasn't even started yet, and he already felt a headache coming on.
Walking in as quiet as possible, he noticed the lack of a seating chart. Thankful for small blessings, he quickly chose a seat as far away from Bakugo as possible. And choosing the back corner had the added benefit of less people around to pester him during class. So far no one acknowledged his presence, which he was more than fine with.
At least until a guy with spiky red hair sat in front of him. "Hey bro! You ready for our first day at UA? Oh, I'm Kirishima Eijiro by the way." He said enthusiastically with a large sharp toothed grin.
While Midoriya knew it wasn't Kirishima's fault, he currently hated the guy because his outburst caught the attention of the blue-haired-guy. What's worse is that it also caught Bakugo's attention. "Deku you bastard! What the fuck are you doing here!?" Screamed Bakugo as he shot up out of his seat and started to walk up to Midoriya while threateningly sparking his quirk.
Midoriya's next move actually stunned Bakugo to silence as he stared him straight in the eyes, stood up, and walked towards him. Bakugo was so used to him acting meek he didn't expect it when Midoriya stood directly in front of him unflinching.
"I'm here to learn to become a hero, just like you're pretending to be. Now I recommend you stand down before you start something you can't finish." Said Midoriya monotonously, his dead voice stunning everyone into silence.
No one knew what was going on, only piecing together that the two knew each other and didn't like each other. Thankfully, the first person to break out of the stupor was Kirishima who ran up to the two and put himself between them, keeping a hand on each of their shoulders to hold them back if need be. "Whoa whoa whoa, there's no need to start anything. It wouldn't look good on either of you if you fight at school on the first day." He said, hoping it would de-escalate the situation. While he was relieved to feel Midoriya's muscles relax, Bakugo's only seemed to tighten more. Holding his breath, he kept a close eye on Bakugo, his gaze filled with more rage than he'd ever seen before.
"Tch, a worthless pebble like you isn't worth the effort. I'll find out how you tricked the school into admitting you and you will be kicked out by the end of the day." Said Bakugo, his voice dripping with smugness before walking back to his desk, and flopping into it.
The sound seemed to have pulled everyone else out of their stupor as the blue-haired teen immediately walked up to Midoriya after the altercation. "Greetings, my name is Iida Tenya. I must commend you, as you are clearly the superior student having figured out about the hero points." He said robotically with a small smile and his hand out to shake. Only for both to fall when Midoriya let out an exasperated sigh.
"Oh you have got to be shitting me." Said Midoriya with a shake of his head, before fixing Iida an annoyed glare. "You sound just as self absorbed as the exploding pomeranian over there. Did you ever once think that maybe not everyone taking the exam was just acting out of self interest? Or do you think heroes should only act as long as they benefit from it?" He ranted before turning away from the stunned Iida, slowly making his way back to his desk. "This might come as a shock to you, but I didn't know about the rescue points. I saw someone in trouble, and I went to help. Simple as that." He said over his shoulder.
As Midoriya was about to turn into his row of desks, the door opened up quickly, revealing Uraraka with a massive smile. "It is you!" She exclaimed happily before quickly bounding in front of Midoriya. "Thank you again so much for saving me during the entrance exam. I'm so happy to see not only that we both passed, but we're in the same class together!"
Midoriya was definitely not used to seeing someone so happy to see him as he stared at Uraraka with wide eyes, unsure of what to even say. Before he even had a chance to speak, a gruff tired voice sounded behind Uraraka. "If you're just here to make friends, then you can pack up your stuff and leave now."
Looking at the owner of the voice, anyone who could see them were shocked to find a gruff looking man lying down on the floor in a yellow sleeping bag. "Welcome to UA's hero course." Said the man before casually pulling out a jelly pouch and draining it in one go. As the students stood shocked, the man stood up as he unzipped his sleeping bag. "It took you all 8 seconds to shut up, that's not going to work. Time is precious, any rational student would understand that." He said as he let the sleeping bag fall, revealing his simplistic hero costume, of which only a single student recognized.
"Hello, I'm Aizawa Shota, your teacher." He said, grabbing his sleeping bag and walking into the classroom, secretly enjoying the shocked faces of his new students. "Ok, now put these on and meet me at the field outside." He said pulling out a random UA tracksuit to show them before tossing it to Kirishima then dumping the rest on his desk. "You have ten minutes. Don't be late."
With that Aizawa left without any fanfare. The door closing was enough to get everyone moving again. It didn't take long for Kirishima to look over the tracksuit, eventually finding a label with his name on it, announcing they were designated before anyone could walk off with a random one. With that information Midoriya stayed back while the more overeager students went on a mad hunt for theirs.
"Wow, class just started and we're already jumping right into it. UA doesn't mess around." Said Uraraka cheerily as she walked up to Midoriya with her tracksuit in hand. He stayed silent for a couple seconds as he watched Uraraka, instinctively waiting for an insult. Normally the act would have freaked her out. But the look in his eye gave her the courage to not falter. No one should have such a dead look, so she was determined to help however she could.
"Makes sense for the top hero University. If the entrance exam is anything to go by, this will likely be the easiest thing we do these next four years." Said Midoriya before walking over to grab his own uniform along with the others who decided to wait.
"No doubt! I can't wait to see what UA has to throw at us, it's going to be awesome!" Excitedly exclaimed Kirishima. "Now come on, we should get going! We don't want to keep sensei waiting!"
Everyone followed Kirishima out with varying levels of excitement. Midoriya was one of the few that left without any fanfare, only to be surprised that Uraraka waited and walked with him to the changing rooms. It was the first time in years that he walked with anyone, and he discovered she could be quite the chatterbox. But that was fine by him, and despite not saying much, he enjoyed the short conversation they had about what they might be doing. He believed he should enjoy the small luxuries while he had the chance.
Out in the field*
Aizawa looked at his phone, checking the time as the last student, Midoriya, walked to the field. He wasn't surprised to see him turn up last as he likely avoided his peers while changing. Still, he felt it was best to address it, rather than let it fester. "It took you all nine and a half minutes to change and get out here. While that's within the time allotted, it's best to get things done faster, villains won't wait for you to get into costume."
"Yes sensei!" Said everyone at varying volumes.
"Good. Now let's get to it. Today we will be doing a quirk assessment test. I will run you through eight standardized tests to assess where everyone's level is at." Aizawa started to explain, only to already start getting a headache when he saw Bakugo's smug smile.
"Hey sensei, you should knowâ." Bakugo started.
"Unless you're about to tell me you have medical reasons to not participate I don't want to hear it." Aizawa said coldly as he glared at Bakugo who was clearly not expecting that reaction. He stared wide eyed for a couple seconds before his expression turned to pure rage. Thankfully he was smart enough to not argue back.
"Good, now let's not waste any more time and get started. Midoriya, you got the highest score in the entrance exam so you're up first," Aizawa said, secretly keeping an eye on Bakugo who looked two seconds from exploding. And considering the boys quirk, that might not be figurative. "What was your longest softball throw in high school?" He asked, tossing the softball.
"School recorded or personally recorded?" Midoriya asked as he caught the ball and inspected it.
The question confused a vast majority of the class, but it piqued Aizawa's interest considering what he knew. He decided the info could help them learn a few things. "Let's go with both." He replied, keeping up his poker face.
"41 meters on school record, 92 personally." Midoriya said plainly.
'That's a pretty big difference.' Aizawa thought, wondering why that was. Taking a mental note to look into that later, he decided it was best to continue things along. "Ok, step into the circle. You can do whatever you want as long as you stay within the circle, so go all out." He said, choosing his words carefully.
"Is it ok to use materials I brought, or just what's on hand?" Midoriya asked as ideas ran through his head.
"Since this is just an assessment you can use what you brought. Just keep in mind that won't always be the case." Aizawa replied, ignoring the confused whispers of his students.
"Of course." Was all Midoriya said before he pulled out several vials that Aizawa recognized from the entrance exam. Since he no longer needed to ensure he had people's attention, he didn't crush the vials. Instead everyone watched as the vials and the contents inside looked like they were melting in his hand, only for it to start spreading over his arm. Soon he pulled out a few more vials from his other pocket and simply added them to the goop going up his arm until it reached his shoulder.
In an instant the goop took shape, covering his entire arm and shoulder, solidifying as if it was like that the whole time. Uraraka watched with fascination, having never seen Midoriya do such a thing before, and it was oddly hypnotic the way it moved and took shape. Bakugo on the other hand was slack jawed, and even felt his eye twitch.
With the arm now complete, Midoriya took the ball in hand. Everyone watched as Midoriya continued to move his arm as if he wasn't wearing anything at all. "I recommend everyone cover their ears." He said as he took a pitchers stance. Everyone was confused by the statement, with several quickly doing as told, not wanting to risk it. Then they got their answer.
For a second the throw looked like he was going to do a normal softball throw, no special technique or anything. But not one of them saw his arm move as he threw it so hard and fast that he caused a sonic boom, and even stirred up a dust cloud. When everyone could look to see where the ball went, none of them could find it.
"Is that enough proof for you, Eraserhead?" Midoriya asked as the dust around him started to clear, everyone seeing his mechanical arm melting like before and starting to gather in his hand and turn back into the vials. Everyone was confused at what Midoriya meant, or even who he was talking to until a few spotted their teacher whose eyes were glowing red and their hair standing up.
"Yes it is." Aizawa replied, deactivating his quirk as he looked at his phone, his eyes widening and when they landed on the screen. "Midoriya, you swear all you did was throw the ball?" He asked calmly.
"Yup. The arm was optimally designed for throwing and nothing else." Midoriya replied, curious about why he was even being asked.
When Aizawa turned the phone around, no one understood what was happening as it showed an error message. "You destroyed the ball. Those things were designed to handle practically everything short of a nuclear strike. This is the first time I've even seen this happen before." He admitted, though reluctantly. While he normally wouldn't have revealed such information, he needed his class to know.
"Do you need me to make you an arm to use to prove I threw it?" Midoriya asked, his expression unchanging as he looked his teacher in the eye.
Aizawa has met a lot of people that can lie through their teeth as naturally as breathing, but he didn't get that feeling from Midoriya. "That won't be necessary. I doubt you'd cheat on a test meant to determine your future training." He replied.
"Ok seriously, what is going on between you two. I get the feeling there's something you aren't telling us." The invisible girl asked, desperate for answers.
Aizawa simply looked at Midoriya. "It's your call." Was all he said. While he would prefer it to be out in the open, he knew it wasn't him that would face the brunt of what would follow.
Once again, Midoriya expressed an emotion that wasn't anger or annoyance. He was shocked. Again. This was the first time anyone gave him the choice. He was used to everyone practically carrying signs to announce his quirklessness to the world so everyone knew how to treat him before he got too close. "Really? You're leaving it up to me?" He asked.
"Did I stutter?" Aizawa rhetorically replied.
To be honest, Midoriya contemplated if he should. He'd never been able to hide being quirkless in the past, and he could easily pass off the nano-bots as a quirk. And maybe if he did that he could finally have some friends. But for his long term goals, the sooner everyone knew the better. Besides, he didn't want friends that would turn on him the moment the truth came out. Once was already too many.
"Let's get this shit show over with." Midoriya said, before turning to the class. "Hey, the name's Midoriya Izuku, and I'm quirkless."
The silence that followed was practically deafening. No one knew what to say or think as it was definitely something they never expected.
At least for two seconds before Bakugo broke out of his shock due to his overwhelming rage. "Deku you bastard! Tell me how you did that!" Bakugo screamed as he used his quirk to charge at Izuku and attack him. His fury was so immense he didn't even process that Midoriya looked ready for his assault, like he expected it.
What no one expected though was for Bakugo's quirk to stop working and for him to end up wrapped in Aizawa's scarf. Even Midoriya was surprised, not expecting Eraserhead to step in. "Stand down Bakugo! I will not tolerate you attacking anyone outside of hero training and you will be expelled if you ever try again!" Aizawa scolded before yanking his scarf back in a way that threw Bakugo to the ground.
As Bakugo's pride was injured, his anger rose. How dare anyone get in his way. Didn't that bum of a sensei know who he was? Who got him into UA? He would not take this afront and was about to scream at Aizawa.
Only for Aizawa to stop him with another quirk fueled glare. "This isn't a discussion. I don't give a damn about what connections you have, they have no authority here. You may think they do, but try it and find out just how fast your dreams of being a hero turns to ash." He said sternly, making sure to leave no room for argument.
Bakugo's anger was obvious to all who looked at him as his face was atomic red and he ground his teeth so hard, it was surprising they didn't turn to dust. But the look on Aizawa's face told him he wasn't bluffing, so he stomped back over to the group.
Stunned by what he just witnessed, Izuku was close to cracking a smile as he felt tears about to come. Someone protected him knowing he is quirkless. Something he'd come to believe would never happen. Only the tears wouldn't come as the world wasn't done fucking with him.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the pink skinned girl as she started laughing. It confused all but Bakugo who only got angry thinking she was laughing at him. But her words turned his anger into satisfaction. "Quirkless? Oh that's a good one. Seriously, what's your quirk? There's no way you could have done all that without one." She laughed, firmly believing it was a joke. This action was enough to bring everyone out of their shock, making many others laugh as well.
"Believe me or not, I don't care. The truth is what it is." Izuku replied, taking a slacked stance now that he didn't have to be prepared to fight.
"Really dude? You expect us to believe a quirkless person could get into any hero course, let alone UA's?" Chuckled a blonde guy with a black streak shaped like a lighting bolt in his hair.
"It's the truth. I just clarified the validity of that fact." Aizawa added dryly, keeping a covert eye on his students, expecting the worst.
"Wait, how? When?" A guy with massive elbows asked dumbfoundedly.
"Midoriya, you seem to know. Care to explain?" Aizawa asked, mostly to see how much Midoriya actually knew about him.
"He's the underground hero Eraserhead. His quirk can erase any non-heteromorphic quirks just by looking at them. You can tell when he uses it when his eyes glow red and hair starts to float. He was using it when I made the arm, but since it's not a quirk, it didn't work." Izuku explained with a shrug, getting tired of the long drawn out scene. Though it's not like he expected anything less.
"So he's quirkless? Like actually quirkless?" A blonde guy with a massive tail asked incredulously.
"I have the second pinky toe joint and everything. Want to see the x-rays? Or would you rather have me re-examined?" Midoriya asked, wanting to just get this over with. He knew what the results would be anyways. So he wasn't surprised in the least by the uproar that followed.
"What's a quirkless person doing here in UA?" A short guy with purple balls for hair asked, looking very annoyed.
"I must agree. It seems like a waste of resources that could be used on someone that can actually become a hero." Iida said so matter-of-factly it was like he was saying the sky is blue. What he didn't know was the chain reaction he was starting.
"Excuse me? In case you forgot, he saved my life. He already is a hero." Said Uraraka coldly, surprising many of her classmates.
"Whoa girl, I understand where you're coming from, but he's quirkless. He just admitted he didn't save you through his own power." The pink-skinned girl said placatingly.
"No he didn't. As far as we know he could have grabbed her and ran. We don't know what he's capable of." Kirishima argued, sounding both angry and hurt.
"Maybe, but you have to admit he wouldn't have been able to take down the zero pointer without whatever gear he's using." A really buff guy with really thick lips added.
"Yes, but I highly doubt many of us could take it down, even with our quirk. He had a tool capable of doing the job, so he used it. It's no different than what we do." A tall guy wearing a mask contributed, using his quirk to speak through a mouth he created.
"But our quirks are built in and cannot be lost. The same can't be said about his gear." The electric haired guy argued.
"Not necessarily. Many have quirks that could be rendered incapable of use. Usually through dismemberment of a body part, but I'm sure villains will have no qualms with that. That's not even adding that quirks also typically come with hindrances and weaknesses." A guy with a raven head stated.
"Still they are built in, making them much harder to disable. We're using our own power, not borrowing from elsewhere." The invisible girl said.
"You say that like it matters. Many heroes have died from being shot with an originary gun. And last I checked, people aren't born holding a gun and knowing how to fire it." A girl with purple hair and long earlobes that had jacks on the ends, sounding agitated.
"Those heroes were just weak and pathetic." Bakugo snarled, though everyone seems to have decided to ignore him.
Midoriya stood stock still, completely dumbfounded. This wasn't going how he expected at all. He never expected people to defend him. Defend his dream. Sure it was only a few of them, but it's still more than he'd ever seen in his life.
Seeing Midoriya's obvious befuddlement, Aizawa confirmed he's never had someone on his side before. There's no way he'd be that shocked if he did. So he decided it was time to see where everyone stood on the matter. "Everyone quiet!" He barked while activating his quirk, shutting everyone up. He was satisfied when they all stopped immediately. "Let's make one thing clear. Midoriya is here to stay, regardless of how you feel about the situation. Since none of you are ashamed to express your opinion, it'd be more logical to just have everyone reveal their stance. Everyone who thinks quirkless people can be heroes, please separate from the group." He ordered.
There was no way he was seeing what was actually happening. Even despite the arguments people made, Midoriya didn't expect any of them to separate. But no, people did. Not even just one or two, but six of them stood separate from the rest.
First was Uraraka who stomped her way out of the group and glared at those that didn't. Second was the red-head, who looked determined, but had a sad look in his eye. Quickly they were followed by the guy wearing the mask, the raven haired guy, and a guy whose head kinda looked like a rock. The girl with purple hair and earlobe jacks followed not long after, though she looked lost in her own head.
"Is that everyone?" Asked Aizawa, not betraying his current emotions. When no one else moved, he knew who to look out for. "Ok, those that don't think they can will have the opportunity to prove that belief." He announced, much to everyone's confusion. "In future training only you thirteen will be made to face Midoriya, while the other six will be the ones assigned as an ally when it calls for it. That will be a fair and neutral approach. You want to prove he can't be a hero, then beat him. Though keep in mind, his gear has already been approved by the school, and I doubt that Midoriya will go down easily." He said, silently feeling that they all looked too confident.
It will make proving them wrong all that much sweeter. Aizawa had rewatched Midoriya's performance during the entrance exam. Since he's a hero that doesn't have a combative quirk, he could easily see the level of skill he has and that he could likely handle himself without the gear.
"Why wait? I can prove it right here and now." The electric haired guy said as he showed electric sparks in his hand. His smile was more malicious than it had any right to be.
Aizawa let out a deep exasperated sigh. He's not sure how he didn't see that coming, but he doubted any of them would shut up if he didn't let it happen. But that wasn't just his decision to make. "Midoriya, up to you." Aizawa said with a shrug.
It didn't take long for a couple of them to protest, saying Midoriya would be too chicken and they shouldn't waste time asking for his input. But Midoriya surprised them all.
"Fine, let's get this over with. I'll even give you a handicap. I won't move or dodge 5 attacks, though I will react to block or deflect them. After that, I'll hit you one time and one time only. Whoever deals more damage wins, and if I lose, I'll drop out here and now." Midoriya offered, looking mentally tired, but with an eager glint in his eye.
Aizawa eyed Midoriya, not sure what he had planned. But he knew he wanted to see it. "Kaminari, just make sure you only hit Midoriya, anyone else will be considered an assault." He said dryly.
The six that took his side eyed the whole thing wearily, all except Uraraka who looked on in determination. She feared he would lose his self imposed wager, but she would trust that he knows what he's doing.
"Wow dude, you really have a death wish huh? Well I'll be happy to take your egotistical ass down!" Kaminari said before charging Midoriya. When he was within touching range he grabbed both his shoulders. "Take this! 600,000 volt taser!" He yelled before discharging the electricity. He fully expected that one attack to defeat Midoriya, but went wide eyed when he noticed he didn't even react.
"Is that it?" Midoriya asked monotonously.
That line only managed to piss Kaminari off, making him throw caution to the wind. "Oh you asked for it. I'll give you a taste of my strongest attack! 1.3 million volt taser!" He yelled once more before unleashing the attack. Once again, Midoriya didn't even flinch. Only this time Kaminari couldn't process that. "Whey." He said dumbly while giving the double thumbs up.
Everyone stared in surprise at the turn of events, both at Midoriya tanking the attack and Kaminari's current state. Even Midoriya was at a loss. "I swear I didn't do anything to him." He said on autopilot to no one in particular.
Aizawa let out a very frustrated groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "That would be the side effect of Kaminari's quirk. If he uses too much of his quirk, it short circuits his brain." He practically growled, already contemplating expelling Kaminari for doing something so stupid.
"Well since he obviously can't fight, does someone else wanna try? There are still three chances left, though you'll take the blow in his place." Midoriya said as he gently guided Kaminari to walk towards Aizawa.
"Oui monsieur, my dazzling laser will show you who truly shines." A flamboyant blonde wearing a unique belt said as he fired a laser from it without warning.
Midoriya showed his reaction speed when he held out his hand, intercepting the laser where it suddenly deflected down to the ground. When the laser died down, everyone saw the simple but shiny looking glove on his hand. "Huh, your laser is hotter than expected. Guess I'll need to give more thought to heat resistance." He said nonplussed as he inspected the palm of the glove.
"You injured Midoriya?" Aizawa asked.
The class got to witness the glove melt and creep under the sleeve of Izuku's tracksuit. "Nope." He said, showing his completely unscathed hand.
"Ok Aoyama, you can keep going." Aizawa said as he looked back towards said blonde. Only to once again groan in frustration when he saw him stand doubled over holding his stomach. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he had to resist the urge to go on an expulsion spree. The only thing stopping him was knowing it wouldn't do Midoriya any favors. "Two people. Two people have already fallen to this challenge before finishing it. If anyone else wants to try, you better at least see it through, otherwise you're taking the loss."
Before Bakugo had the chance to attack, the blonde with a tail stepped forward. "I'm not sure how you stopped those attacks, but I doubt you can stop a physical blow." He said smugly. He then ran at Izuku, leapt into the air with a spin, and delivered a strong swing of his tail aimed for Midoriya's side. Only for the color to drain from his face when Midoriya blocked it with a single arm.
"Unlike you, I don't rely on my tools. I have been training long before I got my gear." Midoriya said.
"Yeah, well you're not the only one to put in years of training." The tailed guy said before once again leaping in the air and spinning much faster than last time. Though this time it was coming down onto Midoriya's head. An attack Midoriya didn't even block and instead took on, full force.
The tailed guy smiled smugly at getting the hit in, fully expecting Midoriya to be on the floor knocked out. Only for it to vanish as he saw only Midoriya's head faced down, the rest of him not having moved an inch. He didn't have time to react as once he felt his feet touch the ground, he suddenly felt a strong blow hit him in the solar plex. He was launched back several feet, tumbled a few more, and laid there as he struggled to get a breath.
Everyone stared silently at the downed form of the tailed guy with wide eyes, not expecting that outcome. Even Aizawa was surprised due to one aspect. Midoriya didn't even use a gadget, that was purely his own strength. In fact, Aizawa saw a level of skill he rarely sees with that attack, even with pro heroes. It was an open palm strike with near perfect form backed up by a good deal of strength, if Midoriya's muscles were anything to go by, and a speed very few could match without a quirk.
"Well, Ojiro is laid flat. Midoriya, you hurt at all? that was a hard hit." Aizawa asked dryly but hiding a smile behind his scarf.
Midoriya hadn't raised his head since the hit, but now he raised a hand to his neck and started rolling it. "I'm all good. That blow finally got my neck to pop, it's been bothering me since I woke up. I think I slept wrong." He said nonchalantly like nothing happened.
None of the other students knew what to say after what just happened. Midoriya was three for three in a single challenge, and even downed one with a single strike. The six that sided with Midoriya felt a bit of satisfaction underneath their shock, though Uraraka had a large smile on her face.
"My turn! Time to die deku!!" Bakugo screamed as he tried to charge, only to find himself wrapped in Aizawa's scarf. Again.
"The challenge is over. Midoriya took all five hits, delivered his, and came out victorious. You'll have to wait for your chance in the future. Now we have wasted enough time on this as it is, so keep any disparaging remarks to yourself and let's get back to it. Anyone who fails to comply will be expelled immediately," Aizawa said firmly.
"What?! You can't do that! It's our first day, that isn't fair!" Argued the pink skinned girl sounding intimidated.
"Fair? Do you think natural disasters are fair? How about villain attacks? Random accident? Discrimination? Does any of that sound fair to you? You are here to become heroes, and a hero's job is to combat that unfairness. If any of you don't think you're up for the job, you can leave now. In fact, let's up the stakes. Since you're all so happy trying to get Midoriya kicked out, let's put your seats on the line. The person who comes in last will be expelled immediately." Said Aizawa, trying to leave no room for argument. Obviously he got some people trying to argue, only to be shut down when he activated his quirk once more. "Your opinions on the matter have been duly ignored, now do as I have instructed. Midoriya, please leave the field so someone else can take their turn."
Midoriya was still shell shocked by everything that just happened despite not showing it. Not for the impromptu fight, but the fact that he wasn't in trouble for winning. It wouldn't have been the first time. But despite that, it actually raised his defenses. People weren't kind to him. They didn't treat him like a person. Whenever they did, it always ended up with more pain. So even when he reached the group of classmates he kept walking, not even stopping when Uraraka tried to get his attention. Instead he walked up to the nearest wall, sat down, leaned back, and materialized a pen and notebook that he started writing in.
Despite wanting to just be left alone, there were still two people that refused to allow such a thing. "Hey man, that was really manly what you did back there. Even I would have felt that last hit, and my quirk is all about defense." Said Kirishima as he sat down next to Midoriya, giving him a large toothy smile.
"No kidding. That attack you took would have laid me out flat, yet you shrugged it off like it was nothing." Said Uraraka cheerily, sitting on Midoriya's other side.
"Try getting the shit beat out of you on a regular basis and a love tap like that won't bother you." Said Midoriya coldly while continuing to write.
Neither really knew how to respond to that. While they understood where it came from, it felt needlessly aggressive. "Hey man, I'm being honest here. What you did was really impressive, and I can't wait to see what else you're capable of." Said Kirishima placatingly.
"Exactly! They couldn't even phase you and even defeated one in a single blow. It was like POW and you sent him flying. Not many could accomplish such a feat." Added Uraraka cheerfully, mimicking his attack as best she could.
"Don't bother trying to butter me up. Whatever you want, I'm not giving it to you. Whatever ploy you have, it won't work. You can try and act nice all you want. I. Won't. Fall. For. It." He said, dragging out his final words.
"That's not what we're trying to do." Said Uraraka defensively.
"Yeah, we're just trying to be friendly after what happened." Contributed Kirishima as he put his hands up defensively.
"Do you really think I haven't heard those lines a million times already? I've heard it all and then some. I'm not going to fall for whatever trap you have planned, so give it up." Said Midoriya, his voice frigid and laced with anger that has festered for years.
"Kirishima! You're up! Uraraka! You're after him so get ready!" Called out Mr. Aizawa before either could reply. They weren't originally, but he could see that if the conversation continued, it would end badly, so he gave all three an out. It was easy to see it would take a lot of work to open up Midoriya, and only time will tell if someone succeeds.
Uraraka and Kirishima were saddened by the interaction, it wasn't hard to tell Midoriya was putting up a wall to protect himself. Even if it was subtle, there was fear in his eyes as he spoke. So while they wanted to try and show Midoriya they meant no harm, they obeyed their teacher.
As Kirishima went up to the ball throw, Uraraka made sure to stay separate from the group that put Midoriya down earlier, not wanting to associate with people with such oppressive views. Well a couple of them failed to see what had the two saddened, and made their own assumptions.
"Hey girl, don't worry about that jerk. He'll be out of here before too long." Said the pink skinned girl as she walked up to Uraraka.
"Yeah, I'm not sure why UA let him in, but I'm sure they'll realize their error before too long." Added the invisible girl.
"Ashido! Hagakure! What did I say!?" Yelled Aizawa, making said girls jump and look at their teacher scared but confused. "I said keep all disparaging remarks to yourself. One more comment like that from any of you and you can kiss your enrollment here goodbye. Last warning." He scolded, after seeing they didn't think they did anything wrong.
After seeing the two girls nod their heads vigorously, Aizawa decided they were properly cowed and decided to move on. "Uraraka, go ahead and take your turn." He said, motioning towards the circle as Kirishima was walking back. Except as the two passed him he stopped them before leaning down to whisper something to them. "If you truly want to befriend Midoriya don't rush things. Trying to force it will only make things worse. But if you're trying to mess with him, the same warning I gave those two applies." He said before standing up straight and gently pushed them along.
Kirishima thought over his sensei's advice as he really did want to befriend Midoriya. Having been bullied himself for having a weak boring quirk, he at least understands some of the pain Midoriya is feeling, even if he can't fathom the depths. Looking over at him showed he was no longer looking emotionless, just angry. Thinking over things, he realized he had no clue how to help Midoriya, so he decided to go with something simple.
As Kirishima started walking back to Midoriya, he was stopped by Ashido grabbing his arm. "Hey Kiri, where are you going?" She asked innocently.
Kirishima forced his arm out of Ashido's grip as he glared at her. "You know, I looked up to you Ashido. You were always so brave and kind. You would actively stop bullies claiming to hate them. It's a shame to discover that you're no better than them." He said knowing it was a low blow for her, but his anger and sadness overrode any care he had. So without even looking back at her hurt expression, he silently walked back to Midoriya and sat next to him.
"I told you" started Midoriya, only for Kirishima to interrupt him.
"I'm not here to trick you. While I don't know everything you went through, I at least know how hard it is to stand alone. You don't have to talk to me, but I will stand by your side regardless." Said Kirishima earnestly. While he wasn't completely sure, he decided to take the fact that Midoriya's grip on his pen was loosening as a good sign. While he didn't have the social skills of Ashido, he was determined to be the person he thought she was.