Chapter 7: Suit Up

Cheerful harmonica music

"Morning Alexander, playing your harmonica I see."

music stops

"Oh, good morning Tsu," I said cheerfully as my tail wagged.

"You must be really happy if you're playing this early in the morning, (ribbit)." Tsu said as we started walking.

"I am," I said with a smile. sniffsniff "The air is so clean and filled with good scents, the breeze feels great, and I can hear a lot of birds singing. They're all signs that we're gonna have a day full of good fortune. Honestly, how can I not be happy?"

"Wait, that's why you're happy?" Tsu asked. "That's kind of weird."

"Wow, you really don't have any filter do you?" I said with a laugh.

"Yea, sorry about that," Tsu said as she rubbed the back of her head. "I've always been a little blunt so take what I say with a grain of salt."

"Good to know," I said with a grin.

The two of us continued making our way to school when I saw Seteth by the gate with his arms folded. Curious, I decided to say hi while Tsu went in.

"Hey Seteth, what are you doing out here?" I asked.

"Hi," he answered.

"Still not much of a talker huh?" I said with a laugh. "I just wanted to know why you're standing out. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just that first period is gonna start soon."

Seteth just shrugged, something he pretty much always does when someone tries to talk to him. Whether it's with other students or with teachers, the black bat would go through a whole conversation without saying a word. He really is the kind of person who only talks when he feels it's necessary.

To be honest, I kind of liked that about him. I knew some people like that back home and I was also like that at one point. Call it a habit you pick up when living at high altitudes. The air around our village was pretty thin, so we learned not to talk too much, especially whenever we went further up the mountain to hunt. I guess being around someone with familiar behavior put me at ease.

"Alright, I'll stop bothering you," I said with a wave. "See you in class."

I was about to enter the main gate when I sensed something was wrong. Out of instinct, I jumped forward and quickly turned around while getting into a fighting stance. When I did though, all I saw was Seteth who had his arm out. I quickly realized that he was just reaching from my hand and immediately calmed down.

"Sorry about that, Seteth. My body just moves on its own whenever I sense that something's wrong. Reflexes and all that," I said as my ears folded back.

Seteth looked down at his hand before bringing it back to its usual folded position. I tried to ask him if something was wrong, but before I could, Seteth just said 'be careful' before flying off to class. I didn't understand what he meant, but it must be bad if he was the one saying it. I kept thinking about this as I made my way to first period.

After I sat down at my desk, I looked over to Seteth, who was still getting ready. Despite his usual demeanor, I could smell how anxious he was. It made me wonder if there was something about today's exercise that was making him like this. As I thought about this, Mr. Aizawa did his usual stick of popping from behind his desk and taking off his sleeping desk.

"Does he live here?" I thought to myself.

"Alright problem children, as you know, today we will be doing some hero work. Ordinarily, I would set something up for you, but it was decided that someone else will be overseeing your training today," Mr. Aizawa said in a deadpan voice.

"I wonder who it's gonna be," Izuku said as he brought a hand up to his chin.

"It will most likely depend on what kind of hero work we will be doing today," Iida said as he adjusted his glasses.

"I bet it's someone crazy strong!" Kirishima practically yelled.

"If it's someone that's here to train us, it's most likely someone with a lot of experience and with a very versatile quirk," Tokoyami said in a calm tone.

I already knew who it was. In fact, I knew the second I got in the building since that's when I caught his scent. Perks of being a wolf I guess. I mean, it sucks that it wouldn't be a surprise, but at least I wouldn't be caught off guard.

As I thought about this, the classroom door slammed open and with it, came a huge dust cloud that threw the whole class into chaos. I knew who it was, but even I wasn't expecting him to enter like that. Needless to say, even I was thrown for a loop.

Luckily, Seteth was able to use his wind abilities to clear the air, which helped Mr. Aizawa regain control. With the dust cloud gone, the special guest introduced himself like nothing happened.

"I am here! Walking through the door like a normal person!" he said with his signature smile.

Everyone, except for Seteth, Todoroki, Tokoyami, and myself, cheered and yelled at the top of their lungs while we covered our ears. Not that I blamed them of course. After all, it was Almight, the number one hero, who was teaching us today.

I would have cheered with the others, but I was too busy covering my ears from the shouting. Well that, and also because I was kind of laughing to myself. Almight had turned our class into a disaster area while introducing himself in the most awkward way possible. I don't know, it was just really funny to me.

"Now then, I hope you're ready, because today's training will put you through the ringer, you buncha newbies!" Almight laughed.

"What kind of training is it?" Izuku asked. "Mr. Aizawa said it was hero training, but what is it exactly?"

"I'm glad you asked," Almight said with a salute. "Though, what would be the fun in ruining the surprise? And speaking of surprises."

Almight pulled out a small remote and pressed the button on it. The back of the classroom opened up and revealed several large cases.

"If you're gonna be heroes, then you gotta look the part!" the giant man said happily. "So now, I present to you, your hero suits, made by our own support hero class!"

The whole class stood up at the sight of the cases. Most of them ran to grab them while others just stood there staring with anticipation.

I was also pretty excited to see my suit, but at the same time I didn't know what to expect. I remembered designing my hero suit, but it wasn't anything fancy. That's because I didn't know what I wanted.

At first, it was just a pair of reinforced Nordic style pants and gloves with no shirt or top so that would allow as much freedom of movement as possible. Then it was an actual outfit based on my hunting gear that allowed me to have more tools, but was heavier which restricted my movement. Ultimately, I submitted both designs, along with a note explaining what I was looking for.

With all this in mind, I took a deep breath and grabbed my suitcase. I then headed to the locker room to change along with the other guys. I didn't know what to expect, but I hope it wasn't too bad.

Ten minutes had passed since Almight gave us our suites which we finished putting on. We headed out to the field where we saw Almight waiting for us. We called out to him and turned his head, seeing everyone in our new costumes.

As we lined up, Almight started laughing with excitement and complimented us on their hero suits. I wagged my tail, Seteth shrugged, most of the girls blushed, and the guys either flexed or posed. That's when we started checking each other's costumes out and remarking on how good they all looked.

My outfit looked a lot like the Nordic winter clothing I wore on his first day, only without a top, much like the first design. Instead, it had a hooded cloak that was good for stealth and didn't restrict me in the least, so it allowed for my more acrobatic techniques.

The pants, gloves and cloak were resistant to the elements and could deflect even bullets. I was already immune to the cold, but thanks to my hero suit, I didn't need to worry about fire, lighting, or wind-based attacks as much either. The gloves, which covered my forearms, were also strong enough to stop blades and other weapons in their tracks, making them great for defense.

On the left side of my waist was a set of throwing knives that I made myself and three small pouches full of provisions. On my right was a new water bag that was able to hold much more water than my old one despite its smaller size.

Yet, despite all the equipment, my costume was very light weight. Even with the reinforced pants and cloak, it felt like I was wearing nothing at all, which is just how I wanted it. Overall I was happy with the design and relieved that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It just screamed hunter!

I was so wrapped up in how great my hero suit was that I didn't notice the others staring at me. If it weren't for my ears, I'd think I was the only one there.

"Oh man, Alexander's suit is so manly!" Kirishima said with joy.

"It does look quite efficient," Momo said as she examined me.

"Those knives are amazing!" Kaminari said as he stared at my holster. "Even though they're sheathed, I can tell how sharp they are."

Hearing this, I let out a smile and spoke.

"Of course you can, I made them after all," I said as I took one out.

"You made those?" Seteth asked in a calm voice.

"Mhm, I told you guys before that I was a blacksmith, right?" I said with a nod.

"You never told us that," Tokoyami said as he walked over to us. "You said that you enjoy working your hands, but nothing specific."

"Oh, sorry, I thought I did," I said with a slight laugh. "Well, in that case, let me clear things up a bit. When I was five, in addition to hunting, fishing and training, I also worked on a farm. Then when I turned eight, I became a blacksmith's apprentice. I worked there and at the farm right up until I moved here to Japan with my family."

"Obviously, I wasn't going to stop doing what I loved, so with the city's permission, my family had a forge built in our backyard. I use it to make not only weapons, but accessories too like rings, necklaces, and so on. I also make kitchen utensils that my mom uses. I also have a garden that I tend to every morning before school. I grow fruits, vegetables, and even some flowers."

Everyone went silent. I guess they weren't expecting to hear all that. I was the same age as them and yet I had all this experience under my belt. At that point, I was really hoping I didn't stick my paw in my mouth by saying all that.

"DOOD! YOU ARE LIKE THE MANLIEST MAN EVER!" Kirishima yelled, causing my ears to ring. "You have to make a weapon for me! Can you imagine me charging into the front lines with a battle axe? I'd be freaking awesome!"

"Well, given that you have what's basically an armor quirk, a weapon may help you find new ways to grow," Momo said as she put a hand to her chin.

"Hang on a sec Kirishima," I said as I waved my hand. "I'm happy you want one of my weapons, but aren't you a brawler? You shouldn't add a weapon just because you think it looks, otherwise it's gonna mess up your fighting style."

"You should focus on what works for you."

We turned our heads and we were in awe at the sight of Seteth in his hero suit. It was almost entirely black with crimson colored designs and pockets, making it perfect for stealth. It was designed almost like a hooded poncho so his wings were free. He also had a pair black pants that were most likely reinforced as well and a set of heavy duty gloves.

I could tell at a glance that his outfit was light weight and was made with his wings in mind. His only equipment was a crimson bag that was strapped to his right upper leg. He most likely had more stuff, but it was probably all hidden in his suit's pockets. It made sense since he was the kind of guy who keeps things close to his chest and his suit reflected that.

"They have a point," Tokoyami added. "Unless you've trained in weaponry, any weapon you get will just be a hindrance."

"Oh please, like you guys aren't thinking about it," Kirishima said defensively. "I bet all of you were thinking about asking Alexander to make you something, but just felt too awkward to say it."

"Well, it's not like I don't want one," Kamanari said awkwardly.

"If I wanted a weapon, I can just make one," Momo said as she blushed.

"That maybe true, but can you really compare a quickly made sword to one made by the hands of a professional?" Kirishima asked. "No offense Momo, but I doubt you can make a sword that's as good as one made by Alexander, who spent hours pouring his blood, sweat, and tears making it."

"I-I guess you have a point."

"Perhaps it would be good to have something on hand so that I'm not so reliant on dark shadow," Tokoyami said thoughtfully.

"I would love to have a weapon made by Alexander," Uraraka said, popping in out of nowhere.

"I wouldn't mind having something that works underwater," Tsu said as she walked over to us.

"Not just weapons, but armor too," Iida said, following close behind her. "Perhaps he can even look at our current gear and make some modifications."

"Don't just decide that on your own!" I thought "And I don't even like you! Don't assume I would make you something just because you asked!

As everyone started talking about what I could make them, I started to really look at their outfits and I was amazed how cool the rest of them looked. Ururaka looked like an astronaut, Iida resembled a knight, Tsu was a scuba diver and so on. That said though, there were some who probably could have put a little more thought in their outfits.

Tokoyami's costume was just a black cloak over his regular clothes. Meanwhile, Kirishima wore these strange gears that looked cool but didn't do anything. Finally Kaminari just had some street clothes with a device in his ears. I wouldn't criticize their choices if there was a purpose behind them, but as far as I could tell, there wasn't anything like that.

"Hey everyone!" A new voice said.

We turned our heads and saw Izuku waving at us as he ran towards us. At first, I didn't recognize him thanks to his costume. He was wearing what looked like a one piece light green tracksuit that covered his whole body. He also had a helmet that doubled as a mask and black combat boots.

I didn't know why, but I found myself staring at him. The others all complimented him on his outfit, but for me, it was like I was frozen. The more I looked at him, the more I felt a strong urge to go after him.

"Alexander," Seteth said, snapping me out of my stupor.

"Huh?" I asked.

"You're drooling," he said as he pointed to me.

I felt the drool dripping down my muzzle and quickly cleaned it off. That's when I saw what looked like long ears on top of Izuku's helmet and that's when it hit me.

"He looks like a rabbit!" I said suddenly, surprising Seteth.

Everyone looked at me in confusion. When they asked me what I was talking about, I explained that Izuku's costume made him look like a rabbit and that it was making wanna chase him. Izuku, obviously, went pale as soon as I said this and hid behind Iida.

That was a mistake however, since the scent of his fear was making me salivate even more. Realizing this, I quickly explained that he was triggering my hunting instincts and that he needed to calm down.

As I tried to talk him down, Almight walked over and started laughing.

"HAHAHA! Come now young Midoriya, you'll never be a hero if you're scared of your own classmate!" he said with a big grin.

"I'm not scared of Alexander, I'm scared of being his meal!" he said in a terrified voice.

"Thanks Izuku, you're a real pal," I said in a deadpan voice.

"Ha! That's about the only thing a loser like you would be good for!"

Unfortunately, I knew that voice. It was Bakugou's and as expected, he looked as pissed as ever. He had been relatively quiet since the quirk assessment, but I could always feel him glaring at me. However, since he glared at everyone, I didn't pay him much attention.

"Come on Bakugou, can't you just leave me alone?" Izuku asked.

Bakugou started to growl. Some of us were about to step in, but Almight beat us to it.

"Now, now you two, let's save that energy for the exercise because I promise you, you're gonna need it!" he said with a laugh.

Bakugou clicked his tongue before walking off to the field. As he did, I could sense so much malice coming off of him that it made my fur stand. I don't know what he's going through, but I can't help but think that he's the one Seteth was warning me about.