Author Notes:
So this turned out nearly double the length I thought it would be, but there was a lot I wanted to happen before the end of this chapter. This chapter was one of the most fun to write so far, so I hope you all enjoy! Please leave a review to let me know what you think!
Robotdocter: Thank you so much for your review! I'm sorry that last chapter took so long… Things are finally going to be ramping up so I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 11:
"The bus's open layout ruined my boarding strategy…" Tenya sulked as the class sat on the bus, the seats facing away from the windows and towards the center.
"Iida, you need to chill." Mina giggled as she smiled at the armored student, holding his head in his hands.
"Well, if we are just going to talk about things we noticed at the start of school, there is something that has been bugging me." Tsuyu said, leaning forward to looked around the other students and towards the ashy blond that sat away from the group "Bakugo, who is 'Deku'?"
"… What is with you extras and asking that?" Katsuki growled turning to glare at the frog girl as the class fell quiet, even the stoic Todoroki cracked an eye open to watch the scene unfold.
"Well, when school began, you and Uraraka said he was the reason you, apparently, saved her during the entrance exam," Asui replied casually, unbothered by the boys glare as she tilted her head and poked her lip "but, given what we've seen of how you act, I can't imagine you saving anyone, let alone saving someone because it was something someone else would have done."
"Y'know, we basically just met you." Kaminari taunted with a smirk and a shrug "So, it's kinda telling that we all know your personality is flaming crap mixed with garbage."
"The Hell you say!" Bakugo roared, leaping from his seat and glaring murder at the other blond "I'll make you eat those words, Sparkplug!"
"And that's what I'm talking about." The green-haired girl stated, pointing to the angry teen "So, who exactly is 'Deku', I overheard you tell Uraraka that he wasn't dead, but who is he?"
"…" the question was like a bucket of ice water to the Explosion user, who quickly thought of what his childhood friend would do before he answered in a docile tone as the class turned to him once more "… Deku.. we grew up together… He probably would have called me his friend, but… I lost the right to say that long ago… As long as I can remember, all he wanted was to be a hero… to save people with 'a smile' on his face… I wouldn't be surprised if that idiot would charge headfirst at a villain the second someone needed help…"
"What happened?" Kirishima asked leaning forward with a frown as the class watched the blond closely, surprised by his change in attitude "If he wanted to be a hero, why isn't he here?"
"… His apartment was caught in a villain attack a few years ago…" Katsuki answered, his gaze falling to the floor of the bus "All Might was one of the heroes looking for survivors and had him wait off to the side… by the time he came back, Deku… disappeared…"
"I think I heard about that." Sato interrupted, tapping his chin as he glanced at the roof of the bus "I don't think the news talked about how the collapse happened though..."
"Yeah, me too." Toru supplied, bouncing in her seat, only visible by the gloves she is wearing "Thank goodness All Might was there! I think only a few people got hurt!"
"Yeah, well one of the people that got hurt was Deku's mom!" Bakugo growled, glaring at the floating handwear "She was killed by the collapse!"
"O-oh… I-I'm sorry…" the invisible girl squeaked, shrinking back in her seat.
"But I don't remember hearing about a 'Deku' going missing…" Yaoyorozu spoke up, attempting to move pass that fact.
"Deku wasn't his name, that's just a nickname." The ashy blond scoffed rolling his eyes "His actual name is 'Izuku Midoriya'."
"What does 'Deku' mean, anyways?" Ochako asked, sending the normally angry boy a sympathetic look.
"… Deku means-" Katsuki hesitantly began, only to be quickly cut off.
"Hey, hey, we're here." Aizawa announced, glance at the explosive boy in particular before continuing "Everybody, get ready."
"Why do I have to wear this…" Izuku sighed, dressed in a suit as Kurogiri fixed his tie, carefully leaving the shock collar untouched above it.
"Now, now" All for One's voice rang out through the radio "First impression are important, so you must look the part."
"Okay, but why do I look like I'm showing up for a job interview, whilst he looks like a homicidal homeless man… No offense, love the look, has that whole 'kill you and take your hands' vibe going on." Midoriya replied, gesturing to Tomura, nursing a drink at the bar, in his villain outfit, which was covered in severed hands holding onto him, before the mist man tightened his tie to the point the knot pressed against his throat "Ack! Too tight!"
"I trust Tomura to create his own villain identity." The shadow master stated, as the green-haired boy let out a strangled gargle "You, on the other hand, require some… help."
"I could do without the fancy noose…" Izuku pouted as Kurogiri moved to fix the collar, having loosened the tie.
"Well, perhaps, if you were a bit more obedient, you could decide what you wear." The masked villain countered as the bartender grabbed a nearby black jacket.
"I don't see how the two are related…" Deku sighed as he slipped on the final piece of clothing.
"Enough, it's almost time for us to meet the others at the warehouse." Shigaraki declared, finishing his drink and turning in time to see Kurogiri fastening the buttons on the boys suit jacket "Everybody, get ready."
"Hello, everyone!" a distorted, yet friendly female voice greeted as the students exited the bus and saw a pro hero adorned in a space suit "I've been waiting for you!"
"Woo-hoo!" Ochaco cheered, shaking with a small dance of excitement "Thirteen is one of my favorite heroes!"
"I can't wait to show you what's inside!" Thirteen announced, gesturing the class inside the massive building.
"This is gonna be awesome!" the class cheered as they walked inside, only to quickly change into gasps of awe and amazement.
"Holy crap!" Kirishima gawked, his gaze flickering between all of the facilities that were housed inside the building "It looks like some kind of amusement park!"
"A shipwreck. A landslide. A fire. A windstorm. Et cetera. I created this training facility to prepare you to deal with different types of disasters." The Space Hero declared, walking to the front of the group "I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, but you can call it USJ!"
"Just like Universal Studios Japan…" the students thought to themselves as they stared blankly at the pro.
"Hey, shouldn't All Might be here already?" Aizawa asked as he walked up to the other teacher before rolling his eyes "Let me guess he booked an interview instead."
"Actually, It's something else." Thirteen whispered, stepping closer to the tired man.
"Hm?" the groggy male grunted as he raised an eyebrow.
"Apparently he did too much hero work on the way to school this morning and used up all his power…" the female teacher said in a hushed tone "He's resting in the teacher's lounge."
"That man is the height of irresponsibility…" Eraserhead sighed, shaking his head slightly as he stepped to the side "… Clocks ticking we should get started."
"Excellent! Before we begin, let me just say one thing." Thirteen announced, clapping her hands to get the student's attention "… Well, maybe two thing. Possibly three, four or five."
"We get it!" the class chorused as the teacher began to raddle on.
"Listen carefully! I'm sure you're aware that I have a powerful Quirk." The female hero stated, raising a single finger "It's called Black Hole; I can use it to suck up anything and turn it into dust!"
"Yuh huh! Yuh huh!" Uraraka chanted, nodding her head rapidly as she pumped her fists "You can clear away entire buildings of debris in an instant!"
"I wouldn't go that far, but more importantly…" Thirteen chuckled nervously before changing into a serious tone "… my quirk can very easily be used to kill."
"Huh?" the class echoed, falling silent as they listened to the teacher.
"Some of you also have powers that can be dangerous. In our superhuman society, all quirks are certified and strictly regulated, so we often overlook how unsafe they can actually be." The space suited woman explained with a slight shake of her head, leaning forwards "Please don't forget if you lose focus or make the wrong move, your powers can be deadly. Even if you are trying to do something virtues like rescue someone. Thanks to Aizawa's fitness tests you have a solid idea of your quirks potential, but since you haven't experienced All Might's combat training, you likely haven't experienced how dangerous your powers can be when used against other people. As a result, you'll have to be even more cautious than ever, because today you are going to learn how to use your quirks to save people's lives! You won't be using your powers to attack enemies or each other, only to help. After all, that's what being a hero is all about! Ensuring the safety of others."
"…" Bakugo stayed silent as he listened to the teacher, his mind drifting back to the day that caused his childhood friend to disappear, remembering how the news never announced what had caused the collapse, remembering his classmates words on the bus before another thought occurred, asked in a hushed whisper "… Why was he there…?"
"That's all I have to say." Thirteen let out a soft chuckle, trying to lighten the mood as she stood up straight "Thank you so much for listening."
"Right, now that that's over-" Aizawa began, only to be cut off as the lights flicked off with a bolt of electricity and a rain of sparks. The fountain in the center of the plaza sputtered and stopped before a pitch-black portal opened in front of it.
"Any questions?" Shigaraki asked as he finished explaining his plans to the mob of villains.
"Oh! Stripes, horizontal and vertical, should they be worn together?" Izuku questioned, raising his hand with a bounce, earning himself a shock from the collar.
"Quiet you." Tomura growled, barely sparing the child a glance "Anyone else have a question."
"You seem to be putting a lot of faith in that… thing and the brat." The electric villain snarled glaring with burning hatred at Midoriya "How do you know they can handle this?"
"… Do you think either would still be alive if they couldn't?" the Decay user replied through clenched teeth, disgusted at giving the green haired boy any form of compliment.
"Awe, you do care- Gak!" the forest haired boy all but giggled, leaning towards the older villain before collapsing to the ground, twitching as the hand covered villain held down the button on the remote.
"Shut. Up." Shigaraki seethed, pointing the remote at the spasming child.
"Tomura" Kurogiri cut in, causing the blue haired villain to release the button, earning a sigh of relief from Izuku "It's time."
"… Right… Everyone, it's time to crush the 'Symbol of Peace'!" Tomura declared, glaring at the villains that tensed anxiously "Kurogiri, open the gate."
"And remember, the expendable minions in the front!" Deku announced, dusting off his suit before clapping his hands, only to be shocked again.
"… You better prove your worth…" Shigaraki grumbled as he stepped through the portal "Or I will make your death as painful as possible."
"… Right…" Midoriya sighed with a strained smile, following Tomura through the portal.
"Whoa! What is that thing? Has the training started already?" Kirishima asked with a nervous grin as he took a step forwards, watching with a nervous grin as a small army entered the plaza "I thought we were rescuing people?"
"Stay back!" Aizawa roared, keeping his eyes on the emerging group as he slipped on a pair of goggles "This is real. Those are villains."
"Wha-!" the students gasped, looks of horror, panic and fear spreading across their faces.
"Finally, some action!" Bakugo thought to himself, feeling a feral grin split across his face.
"The only real heroes I see are Thirteen and Eraserhead." Kurogiri informed Tomura as the Nomu followed through the gate, stopped to the young villains left while Izuku stood on the right "It seems Midoriya's concerns were well founded."
"Seems you're not completely worthless." Shigaraki grumbled, not bothering to look at the green-haired boy.
"Glad to be of use…" Deku mumbled, looking around the building in awe "If you need help in the future, read my book."
"Shut it." The Decay user growled, shocking the emerald haired boy "Kurogiri, we're switching to plan B."
"Is that the plan where you stand around doing nothing?" Midoriya questioned as he rolled his neck and tapping his chin "No, wait, that's all of them -Ack!"
"As you wish." The mist man spoke over Izuku's yelp as he was shocked once again, more dark portals opening, as the villains that were scattered throughout the building were recalled to the main area.
"It's time to prove yourself, brat." Tomura said, finally glancing at Izuku as the boy rubbed his neck around the collar "Let's see if you're worth all the work sensei put into you."
"Thirteen get them out of here and alert the main campus… Actually, if they got the ability to block our sensors, then they might be jamming our regular communications, too." Aizawa ordered, grabbing the scarf around his neck and pulling it loose as he stepped closer to the stairs "Kaminari, try using your Quirk to contact the school."
"Yes sir!" Denki squeaked, raising a hand to the headphones on his head.
"Wha-what are you going to do, Sensei?" Yaoyorozu asked their teacher, her voice shaking with fear.
"… I'm going to do my job." Eraserhead answered, leaping towards the growing swarm of villains "I'll leave it to you Thirteen."
"Well, would you look at that." Deku all but chuckled as he watched the hero engage the villains "Who would have thought Eraserhead would be the one to step in."
"What do you mean?" Kurogiri asked, his portals finally disappearing as he recalled the last of the villains.
"Eraserhead is an ambush and capture specialist, so fighting large groups is a little outside his area of expertise." The young man answered, his eyes not leaving the hero as he threw one villain into a small group "Then again, their only other choice was Thirteen, and she's a rescue hero with even less experience fighting multiple opponents."
"So, your saying this should be easy?" Tomura spoke up, almost kicking himself for being slightly impressed.
"I never said that." Midoriya corrected, shifting from one foot to the other "He's still a Pro, the lower ranks are about to have a very bad time."
"…Hmm…" Shigaraki grunted, turning to continue watch the Pro battle his forces "… Get moving you two, it's time for the next step 2."
"Let's go!" Thirteen ordered as the students turned and began to run towards the exit.
"Huh?" Mineta gasped as before they even made it a third of the way, the group was cut off by the sudden appearance of a green-haired boy no older than them dressed in a black suit with an emerald tie. The mysterious boy seemed to appear out of thin area, a single foot hitting the ground first before the other followed suit as he came to a stop.
"Oh, wow, the Rescue Hero Thirteen, it's nice to meet you!" the boy announced, turning to face the group with a manufactured smile, the classes blood running cold as their teacher stepped in front of them "Would now be a bad time to ask for an autograph?"
"I'm afraid there is no time for that." A new voice rang out as a geyser of black mist erupted next to the boy, slowly shrinking to reveal the villain that had created the portals.
"The number you have dialed is not in service or has been temporarily disconnected." A robotic message sounded through the UA teacher lounge "Please check the number and then try again. Thank you."
"…Can't get through to Thirteen or Aizawa… Then again, they are teaching. Unlike me… I'm neglecting my duties because I spent the entire morning commute being heroic… An amateur move. What was I thinking? Maybe I should just show up and say something inspiring at the end… Yeah, get a good 20 minutes out of my hero form." Toshiro sighed as he dropped his phone to his side, only to grip it tightly as he morphed into his muscular form "Time to join my stud- Hngk!"
"Hold your horses!" a familiar and cheerful voice interrupted as the muscular man spat out blood.
"H-hello, Nezu, sir!" All Might stuttered as he bowed to the small mammal.
"That's me! The one who could be a mouse, or a dog , or a bear, though the only important thing is…" Nezu announced as he stepped into the room "… I'm the principal!"
"Your fur looks especially well-groomed and glossy today, sir." Toshinori praised as he followed his new boss back into the room.
"The secret is keratin. I'm not sure that humans can get this kind of lustrous shine. But we can talk about grooming later, look at the news." The principal requested, pulling out a tablet and all but shoving it into the heroes face "Shall I read it to you? It says you resolved five incidents in just over an hour!"
"Hn!" Yagi squeaked as he backed away from the news article, knowing what was coming next.
"… The fault mainly belongs to the ruffians who still cause trouble in this city despite you being here. But you also have to learn not to react every time you hear of an incident. You haven't changed in all these years. You've always been proactive. Only now your heroism must be limited due to your injury. Plus, you've also got the added work of finding a successor for One For All and training them." The mammal lectured as he paced throughout the room, sparing the hero a glance in time to see puffs of steam coming off his body "Oh, dear, you're smoking, that can't be good. It looks like you need to stay here in the lounge and relax a little while longer. The other teachers will understand. They're more than capable. But now that you are a teacher here, All Might, I really do wish you'd prioritize your students over your hero work. They deserve it. After all there are plenty of other hero agencies working throughout the city."
"Yeah you're right, principal." All Might sighed as he returned to his skeletal form "So, I was gonna head over to the USJ to make an appearance now, actually, if you don't mind."
"Even if you went now, you'd have to return almost right away." The principal reminded, lifting himself onto the couch across from the hero and began making a cup of tea "So, you might as well stick around and listen to some of my teaching philosophies. They could prove helpful if you find a someone to pass your quirk to."
"Great. This is turning into a lecture… He's always so long-winded whenever there's tea involved…" Toshiro thought to himself as his boss handed him his own glass of tea "And I'm still a little concerned that I couldn't get in touch with Thirteen or Aizawa…"
"Have you given any thought to scheduling a meeting with young Mirio?" Nezu asked, sipping his drink "Sir Nighteye is still pushing for you two to meet and for him to be your successor."
"I know, but…" the human began, only to trail off as he struggled to find the proper wording.
"You still haven't given up, have you?" the principal answered, having already known what the man was trying to say as he set his cup down "After all these years, we still don't have any trail to follow…"
"I know, but that's a burden I can't leave to anyone else…" Yagi mumbled, shattering the mug in his hand as his eyes filled with determination "He's still out there. I can feel it… And if he's in the hands of that monster, who knows what he has done to him…"
"Damn. I blinked, and the guy who seems like the most trouble got away." Shota berated himself in his thoughts, glancing at his students as he knocked another thug out, only to be cut off by more villains when he tried to go back and help "More importantly the kids gone too… it looked like he had some kind of collar, are they forcing him to participate or is it to control him somehow…?"
"Can't you teleport?" Izuku asked with a chuckle, glancing at the mist villain before returning his gaze to the class "How did I beat you here?"
"That doesn't matter." Kurogiri growled back, his yellow eyes never leaving the students "I am afraid none of you will be going anywhere."
"Aw, someone's embarrassed." the green-haired boy teased, his eyes staying locked on the teacher, barely acknowledging the class behind her.
"Enough! Focus now!" the mist man snapped back, the mist swirling with anger "It's a pleasure to meet you. We are the League of Villains."
"Wait, 'League of Villains'?" Midoriya interrupted, turning to look at the bartender "Is that seriously the name Captain Crusty went with?"
"Is there a problem?" the Warp Gate user questioned, a singular eye growing as if to raise a none existent eyebrow.
"Our acronym is 'L.O.V'!" the green-haired boy laughed, tapping his chin in mock confusion "Why not just call us the 'League of Villainous Evildoers'? Go the whole nine yards and make our acronym 'LOVE' out right?"
"Must you always say something?" Kurogiri sighed, glancing at the boy, missing the red haired student creeping towards an ashy blond student.
"Bakugo, one the count of three, let's rush them while they're distracted." Kirishima whispered to Katsuki, but was met by deafening silence "Bakugo?"
"…" The Explosion user didn't respond as his eyes were locked on the boy with all too familiar green hair, the blonde's mind going blank as he struggled to process what he was seeing.
"Everyone stay behind me!" Thirteen ordered as the finger of her glove popped open and she pointed at the two blocking their path.
"You know if you're planning on attacking" Deku advised as he retuned his attention to the class "It's not a good idea to announce it to your targets as well."
"Black Hole!" the Space Hero roared as her quirk began to suck in and destroy everything in front of her.
"Gah!" Kurogiri grunted as he struggled to keep himself from being dragged away, glancing at Izuku to see the boy glowing with an ethereal light as he used his quirk to keep himself stable. The bartender moved his gaze back to the hero, only to see a piece of familiar emerald fabric fly towards her and turn to dust in her quirk "Wha-?"
"… It slipped…" Midoriya answered the unasked question as he felt the mist man's angry glare, the tie around his neck missing "… Should have tied it tighter…"
"… Right…" Kurogiri growled before focusing on his task, opening a gate behind the teacher and in front of himself.
"AH!" Thirteen roared in pain as her own quirk tore her shoulder apart through the black gate, forcing her to take a knee as her students gasped in shock and horror.
"Thirteen!" the class shouted in worry some stepping forwards to help, only to be cut off by black mist erupting around the injured hero.
"I'll take care of her somewhere else." Kurogiri told Izuku as the light faded away from the boy "I'll leave the rest to you."
"Well, guess play time is over…" Deku sighed, his smile ever present on his face as he turned to face the class, stepping forwards with a clap "So, gang, what do we do now? Anyone up for pancakes?"