Good In Evil

By: SomeRandomPerson648

Chapter 15: Strength and Allies

A/N: Hey Guys, happy fourth of July! It's been too long since my last upload and quite a number of things kept me at bay from finals month to graduation to college set up. However, after too much time, I have chapter 15! This one is still about the events after USJ so no new developments but still things I need to establish. Anyways, enjoy!

Inside the classrooms of UA the freshman class 1-A settled back into its normal state of affairs. After three days of nonstop gossip over the recent villain attack the novelty only barely began to wear out, especially in the class itself. One morning Ochako entered the classroom early and with enough energy to continue living her daily routine... with minor adjustments

Upon entering the room she was startled by the sight of the small Mineta jumping in front of her face, leading her to step back as she witnessed the pervert beam with joy

"Holy crap! This is the best day of my life!!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, adding onto the abundance of noise that filled the room

In the boy's hands he delicately held a small pink plastic bag with cookies in the shape of circles and triangles inside. Despite the more basic looks of the cookies, the teen that held them gleamed as though he were blessed by a deity. The stars in his eyes and his enormous grin couldn't convey enough of the energy he was radiating, nearing the verge of bliss

"I wanted to say thanks for stepping up the other day. Without you we wouldn't have been able to take care of the monster." Asui stated, her blank and empty expression being not too far off from what she currently felt

"Thank you!" I'll treasure them!" The boy said as he kneeled over and bowed

"Wow, guess even Mineta can step up when he needs to." Ochako thought as she moved past the two

The spectacle itself was the only thing that stuck out as everyone else seemed to enjoy their own private conversations and discussions with few such as Todoroki, Koda and Tokoyami being too introverted to talk

But of the many changes made in recent days one of the most notable ones were Todoroki's injuries, all of which seemed to still require healing. The bandages that were tucked under his school outfit and patched up his face continued to show, dirtied white reminders of the attack not one week ago. And yet he remained as silent as the first day back from class, blank faced and staring at a wall with no intention of voicing his thoughts

Ochako's eyes stuck on his figure for a little longer than normal before shifting elsewhere, her curiosity of his health was second to her ability to properly communicate with him. Instead she walked up to the two others who were with him that day, both of which seemed to already be engaging in their own conversation

"Hey guys!"

"Hey Uraraka." Yaoyorozu and Shoji greeted, shifting in place to allow her a seat over one of the unused desks. "We were just talking about the villains we fought." Shoji introduced

"Oh! It was one of those weird creatures right? Nomu was it?"

"Correct." Momo affirmed. "We were wondering what its quirk might be. The police reports only said that they were bio engineered and used quirks but never mentioned what they were."

"I'd argue it was just strength enhancement. No person or monster should have that type of force normally, even for its size." Shoji interjected, continuing their debate

"I'd agree," Momo began, "but its body would've likely been designed to have unnatural strength with its tough body. But its resistance to ice was definitely unusual." Momo replied

"But the same logic goes for elemental resistance. If it was bioengineered then maybe elemental resistance would've been something that its maker added in its body."

Ochako had to admit the two points were sound. She herself wasn't there to see the monster in person and wouldn't know the subtleties between the two arguments. Likewise no rumors of the bigger and darker Nomu surfaced, both teachers and the student having been rather tight lipped. Although both teens seemed to be missing a very small detail, one worth pointing out

"What if it had both?"

"What?" They wondered, turning to her for an explanation

"W-well it's just a thought." She admitted. "If the monster was made then there's a chance it used more than one. After all having more than one quirk could explain why one was able to take on All Might."

"That's not a bad guess." Momo admitted, "But that leaves one final question. Who could've manipulated the quirks into them?"

The question stumped the three and was likely what the police and heroes were trying to find out. The existence of bioengineered monsters meant for the use of villains was already a dangerous idea but being able to change and add quirks? That alone could change the world as they knew it and would pose an incredible threat to the world itself

Could the wrong person obtain the right quirk? Would anyone's own body be safe from other people stealing quirks? What would happen to quirkless? All gateway questions into an array of possibilities were this confirmed true

Instead the girl shook her head. The quirks of the monsters seemed to be a closely guarded secret and for good reason. If word got out that these monsters that stood up to All Might had more than one quirk there would've been an outcry to answer these questions. And even then these seemed to be only guesses, the nature of the creatures being shrouded in mystery

"Regardless, we definitely got the short end of the stick having to fight that creature. I heard most of the class only dealt with handfuls of those thugs that attacked us too."

"Right." Ochako agreed. "Although Bakugo had to fight that villain that nearly killed him. If it weren't for Kirishima, Sero and Kaminari he might've died out there."

"Same goes for Todoroki." Shoji added, an eye of his turning to look at the boy sitting at the opposite end of the classroom, not quite conscious of his surroundings. "Its strange that our strongest classmates got beat so easily."

"You think that was intentional?" Ochako questioned and getting two nods in response

"They were definitely trying to send a message." Shoji answered. "An ice-proof monster along with a counter to All Might? That villain Bakugo fought might've had a quirk that countered him too." He chalked it up

"And even when Iida escaped they planned on All Might appearing first. This was definitely calculated." Momo added. "Luckily it doesn't seem like they knew us too well otherwise those gates would've sent us to areas that countered our quirks. For example Asui and Tokoyami weren't sent to the fire hazard zone and instead were in areas where their quirks were useful."

"Then I guess their plan only included All Might, Bakugo and Todoroki. They would've been at the top of their list not to mention Todoroki and All Might's quirks are so well known outside of school."

"Still," Momo continued, "if those two had bothered to team up with others then they wouldn't have been hurt as badly. Kirishima alone could've likely prevented Bakugo from losing consciousness and we could've assisted Todoroki."

"Definitely." Ochako agreed. Bakugo's case was rather odd given no one knew who he fought but if he'd just fought with Kirishima or even Sero then he would've been able to escape intact. However he was only ever seen fighting one person, a mysterious boy in a mint green jumpsuit who had disappeared when they found him so there was no way to know what he was up against

It was a wonder just who fought Bakugo with enough power to beat him. Of the class he's one of the most talented and even if he's learning like the rest of them his strength in his explosions was nearly unmatched amongst them, not even mentioning his battle instincts

"To think someone was able to do such a thing. How can people even consider hurting others."

However, another thought occurred to her, catching the girl off guard

"Would I have been able to help?"

It wasn't too deep of a question but one that brought about a rather depressing answer nonetheless. For someone as strong as Bakugo to get beat she knew that she would've just gotten in the way because of her own skill and his reluctance. He only recognized people who were as strong as him like Kirishima or Todoroki and ignored everyone else entirely. If only she were just as strong...

"If only I were stronger." She repeated, something new forming in her head yet not taking shape

Almost as soon as the thought was made the door of the classroom flew open to reveal the shining example of her sentiment, Bakugo. He too sported the damaged bandages but unlike the red and white haired teen his demeanor was that of a silent rage, one that remained since his return from the hospital. His injuries, however, were a complete mystery with no witnesses but an unwilling Bakugo to explain the dark bruises and stab wounds

The room went quiet as the young teen remained as uncharacteristicly silent as before, refusing to meet eye contact with others and instead dead staring Todoroki as he seated himself, who didn't pay the other boy any mind. Yet not too far behind him was the teacher, also bandaged with a white cast as proof of his struggle

"Alright class settle in, we have a lot to do today." He ordered, dispersing the clumps of students to their desks. "As you all may know the school is still facing backlash from the attack on our trip the other day. But the fact most of us were practically unharmed speaks volumes on each of your strengths and I have to say again that I'm proud of all of you for living to see another day."

At that there were a generous amount of cheers, all of which were quickly quieted down as the teacher continued. "And despite the scrutiny the school is facing the principal has decided that the up and coming Sports Festival will continue as before."

The reaction from the class was near unanimous as many rose to cheer at the news, their teacher taking a moment to wait for the excitement to run through them. Even Ochako couldn't help but jump up and cheer, the biggest step forward in her plans to become a hero was going to go through without a hitch!

"I can get stronger!" Returned the thought

From within the clamor the girl even noticed Bakugo's change in attitude as his recognizable smirk returned to him. Likewise Kirishima took a moment to turn and say something to the boy and, rather than being glowered away, he received a proper response and returned a chuckle

At that Ochako smiled to herself, seeing the anger evaporate from the blonde. The Sports Festival brought many opportunities for up and coming heroes, ones that would propel their class into further heights as heroes. It would be an all-out battle to see who can garner the most attention, and she was more than willing to earn her piece

"But Mr. Aizawa! What about the recent attack? Wouldn't that just draw in more attention?" The question rang through the room, quelling the cheers of joy

"Of course, but it's something that's been greatly considered by the principal and staff by now." The Teacher answered. "This is an opportunity that can't be passed because of a scare. Not only are your future carriers at stake but so are your positions within this class. This event is not only for the hero courses but anyone else who wants to take the limelight."

"As such," he continued despite the murmurings of the classroom, "there will be added security not to mention a few top ten heroes will be there even if it is their off-hours. It'd be stupid for anyone to try and terrorize a stadium full of hero even if they are trying to make a move."

With that the class finally settled down, the gossip winding down enough for Aizawa to have a proper hold again. Yet Ochako could sense the unspoken tension within the class, whether from worry of an attack or the Festival itself there was little distinction. But above all, the burning spirit of the competition ahead seemed to temper the worries, creating sparks in the eyes of the students around her

"Good. With that said it's time we practice and learn a few things before the festival. Head to gym Gamma for further instruction."

The whole day seemed to fly by for the students of UA, hours of grueling practice and schoolwork like every other day. And after hours of training, learning and practice the school bells rang once again to release the students. Among the crowds of teens and young adults two boys made their way through

"Have you even been watching the show lately?" Came Tamaki's question, one charged with suspicion

"Sorry but I've been pretty occupied lately." Mirio apologized. "I barely got any sleep in yesterday."

"Right. You were at the center of the villain attack so you're probably still a little..."

"Oh no! That's not it! I'm fine it's just..." Mirio quickly clarified with little explanation

"Ah, sorry for assuming."

"I mean, the attack was quite a scare but honestly I feel like I'm hitting some sort of limit." The blonde confessed, visible guilt creeping through as his smile faltered. "First training and then schoolwork, and if that wasn't enough being a teacher aid is a lot harder than I thought."

Despite the little being said Tamaki had the impression that Mirio was on the verge of listing another concern but bit back, instead softly sighing to play it off

"Hm... Have you started the class project due next week?"

"No."

"Were you called in again to help with 1-A?"

"No..."

"Are you slacking on your training?"

"I- Well no."

"Then you're doing something right." Amajiki concluded simply. "At least you haven't fainted from the pressure of it all. I know I would've done so at least twice."

"I guess so..."

Amajiki knew better than anyone that it was hard to see the positives when there was so much pressure. The expectations alone would've caused him to break into a nervous wreck but his ability to actually go through with everything would've easily pushed him past the breaking point, although he suspected the source of his friend's stress came from the unlisted concern from earlier

"Honestly just hearing you out stresses me." Tamaki stated. "But maybe you could do with some time off. I don't have work study today so maybe we can watch anime or something."

"Sorry but I have work study again today. Plus I've been slacking on a few assignments and... well." He said, again on the verge of listening another concern but stopping

"Well he's definitely busy with something." Tamaki confirmed but made no motion to ask. Some things were worth being private

"Hm, and if I had to guess even if you did have time off you'd still be stressing over everything you're not doing."

"I am a bit of a worrier." Mirio chuckled

But before anything else could be said the ringing of Mirio's phone cut through their conversation. Upon answering the boy began sweating as he took on his usual chipper attitude. But strangely enough he seemed to speak a little too broadly, not making any notion of who it was he spoke to. By the time the call ended Tamaki could already tell his friend was searching for some type of excuse in the way he hesitated to talk to him

"Hey, listen I-"

"You don't have to explain, I already know."

"Wait, you do?" Mirio asked, partially curious yet seemingly fearful

"If it's something you want to keep secret then I won't ask. And if you have to be somewhere then I'm not here to stop you either. Go do what you have to do." Tamaki lectured, his normally serious glare carrying the full weight of his words

"R-Right, I guess you know me too well." Mirio laughed with relief. "Thanks, I'll make sure to hang out some time."

With a quick wave of his hand he dashed through the cluster of students making their way out of the school and quickly disappearing behind them, his presence now a memory

With a short sigh the introvert continued to walk at the same pace, silently blending into the crowd and disappearing amongst the sea of bodies around him

With the final bell having rang the students all over the school made their way home, all of which were more motivated than ever to continue their training. But none were more pumped than Bakugo and Kirishima, both of which walked the halls with a smirk on their faces and an energy in their steps

"I didn't know you could make explosions that big!"

"And I didn't know you could live that." The two joked, events of the day replaying in their minds yet again

Although the hero training for the day was light sparring and team building exercises it only took half an hour for the pair to take it too far. Seemingly by mistake Aizawa allowed the class to wear their hero suits for practice, leading to the red haired teen taking the full brunt of a gauntlet's built up blast as per the training. Although he didn't die, he did come out with semi-severe injuries and a trip to Recovery Girl's office

"Of course!" The Kirishima exclaimed, the same fire burning in his eyes and refusing to be put out. "I'm gonna make sure I can protect everyone! Although I still got a long way to go before I can walk away from an attack like that."

"Damn right." Bakugo half lectured despite the event being his idea. "And I'm only gonna get stronger so don't expect the next one to be the same."

"I wouldn't count on it!"

Having reached the end of his welcome Kirishima almost instinctively knew when to leave, giving a quick wave goodbye and dashing ahead of the other before their conversation could change tracks. Of course it wasn't that Bakugo was out of patience but as the other boy had learned, neither were good at prolonged small talk

"Damn right." Bakugo thought, his smirk unfaded as he strode onward. "My sweats only gonna condense more and more with practice. And his armor'll just gonna get tougher, it's only natural with guys like us."

Left to his own devices the teen made his way through the increasingly vacant hallway when suddenly he heard stilted chatter from a distance, distracting him from his train of thought. His sharp ears picked up on the distant conversation, a somewhat loud exchange that was only protected by the lack of people in the area

"Didn't think anyone else left late." He thought, curiosity compelling him to turn around and walk the direction the noise came from

Not too long passed before the boy shrugged to himself and began walking towards the sound, his body making the conscious effort to step lightly. Eavesdropping wasn't necessarily something he preferred but was something he was good at, for no one expected the loudest of any bunch to hide his presence and keep his mouth shut. The act was simple enough, either the conversation interests him and he listens in or it doesn't and he leaves, there was little going against him

And to his luck he recognized the voices and eventually found himself just around the corner of another hallway, one that was out of the usual path that most took to leave the school yet close enough to one of the other exits, allowing him to stay with little fear of being found out

"What are you getting at?" The white and red haired teen pressed, sensing the hostility mixed with worry from his classmate

"I'm saying that as your class president you failed today's assignment." The ponytailed girl informed. "When asked to pair up you just practiced on your own. I get that you were the odd one out but I'm sure Mr. Aizawa would've accommodated you had you asked."

"I didn't see the need to get a partner when I could practice on my own."

"But that's the problem! Even Bakugo was able to pair up and he barely gets along with most people."

"That bitch." The teen in question thought, but had enough sense of mind not to expose himself

"Teamwork is an important element in hero work and it's something you need to focus on. Your own injuries are reason enough why you should be more of a team player instead of trying to tackle everything solo."

"My injuries were because I wasn't strong enough to deal with the Nomu on my own." He rebuked firmly. "If my ice side was stronger then I wouldn't have needed Shoji to carry me out of the battlefield."

"Or use your fire side." Bakugo countered, but even still he found himself nodding along to the boy's words

A long, frustrated sigh escaped the young girl, a sign that she was neither being heard nor taken seriously. Yet with a deep breath she remained calm and composed. "Is there another reason why you didn't ask for help?" She questioned, now with an added layer of care in her voice

"...I've... never been one for teamwork."

"But you worked well during the attack."

"Not of my own skill." He clarified. "Your skill as a coordinator allowed us to work together without much problem. I just followed your lead."

The conversation seemed to halt for a moment as the girl stuttered a word before silence momentarily befell the two. Even when peaking around the corner Katsuki couldn't see her face well enough to know what her reaction was. Still, the conversation resumed after an awkward pause, one that went unnoticed to only Todoroki it seemed

"I'm worried for you okay?" She sighed, a surprise only to the same boy once again. "I get it, you want to be self-reliant. You want to get stronger. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't rely on others especially in life or death matters."

Finally the ponytailed girl made her way to the exit, sparing another glance at the boy and forcing Bakugo to hide again. Luckily it didn't sound like he was found out when she made her final statement

"You need a friend, everyone does. And as class president, maybe I can help you with that."

Her final words seemed to pass right over the eavesdropper as he tried to analyze them himself. He tried again and again yet the meaning never made any sense to him. So much so that he got frustrated just by trying to make sense of it

What does friendship have to do with strength? Being strong had nothing to do with making friends nor making bonds. Strength came from the individual, their own power and what they made of it not some 'power of friendship' crap. Only the weak would rely on others because they weren't strong enough to handle things themselves, that was that

"Whatever." He whispered to himself, rounding the corner and revealing himself to the other teen

"Hey, half n' half."

"Bakugo? You were there the whole time?"

"Yeah, I was." He confirmed, the loners staring at each other with varying expressions

The awkwardness between them was only made more apparent the longer the two remained silent, gauging the other on their own. Bakugo was quick to realize that the two never held a conversation before, and the other boy's lack of social skills was starting to show the more the two stared at each other

"I'm here to clarify that my loss was only a fluke." Bakugo declared, oddly enough after nearly a week of the event having happened

"Mine as well." The boy agreed

"And I'm gonna be the strongest in our class you hear me? Even if you're shooting yourself in the foot I won't stop until I'm number one."

The dual colored teen furrowed his eyes at the statement, the challenge fully registering within him. "And I'll beat you with my own power, not that of left side."

"His own power?" Katsuki questioned, but not bothering to note the odd sentiment

The two bandaged teens continued to stare each other down. Despite their weakened states both stood tall, showing no weakness other than the ones most evident on their faces. Their prides were on the line and while they were damaged they were still intact nonetheless

After what seemed like too long the two went their separate ways, preparing for the fateful event to come

Tamaki continued to walk by himself, now having reached the semi-quiet streets of the residential area. For a while he stared at his phone, mindlessly tapping at a quaint mobile game before eventually putting it away. The small distraction did not help him with his boredom and very quickly he found himself curious over Mirio

"What could possibly have him so panicked? I get he has responsibilities but they're things he should be able to handle."

For years Mirio was always the one to bear the most responsibility between the two, it was simply in his nature to take on more burdens and push himself past his limits. In one summer he managed to change himself both physically and socially, now the best of the best. In fact it wasn't until today that he heard him speak so openly about his stresses and complaints again

"Maybe it is being a teacher aid that's getting him down." He guessed. "He's pretty out of his element in that regard but he's only done it once so far so there's no real reason to worry."

Just as he started to question more of his friend's wellbeing a familiar set of footsteps could be heard racing towards him. The moment he looked up in surprise he saw the familiar blue haired girl rear her head in front of him

"Hey Tamaki!"

"Hey Nejire." He greeted, his calmness returning to him as the girl began walking beside him

"You look pretty lonely you know, usually Mirio is with you to make conversation." She stated the obvious with no falter in her cheery attitude

"He's been busy lately so I guess I'm on my own more than usual." He confessed

"And where is he? Is he working with Sir Nighteye again?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"So you don't know?" She questioned, catching her friend's doubt

"He left in a hurry and didn't want to tell me why."

"Hmm." She wondered, placing her finger on her cheek as she tried to answer the question herself only to fail. "Then I'll ask him why later."

"Don't." The boy advised. "You have a habit of making other people's business your own."

"That's true. Sorry!" She apologized, but quickly noticing something else. "But you look kinda upset. Is it 'cause Mirio's gone?"

"No. If anything he worries me." He confessed, watching as the girl cocked her head sideways to question him. "You noticed too that he's been more preoccupied lately." He assumed

"Of course. Wouldn't it be because he's a teacher aid?"

"I assume so but it's not something he's done too often. In fact he's only done it once so far so it's hard to say that's what's causing it. I can only assume it's something else." He explained

"Didn't you say I shouldn't make it my business?" She smiled, watching as the boy blushed and looked away

"Right. I did say that."

"I see why you're worried, I haven't seen him enjoy time off in a while. Maybe Sir Nighteye just has him on a tight schedule?"

"That might be it actually." Tamaki realized

"But either way I'm sure Togata can take care of himself." She declared easily. "He's always come out on top no matter the challenge. Don't 'cha think?"

"Yeah... I guess I should have some confidence for him huh?" He answered, his worry subsiding

"Well no harm in worrying about others right?" She concluded before instantly switching the conversation. "Hey Yuyu and I are gonna go to a karaoke wanna join?"

"No thanks." Came the immediate answer. "I'm not a good singer and I also don't wanna third wheel the both of you... Again."

"He he, sorry I forgot you're an indoor person. You're usually so open when you're around Mirio."

"Hm... guess I am."

Almost as quickly as she appeared she disappeared, skipping away and turning a corner and leaving the boy alone once more

"I guess I forgot what it's like to be alone." He realized, the statement catching him off guard

It'd been a long while since he truly kept to himself. Of course he had the option to hang out with Nejire but she was too high octane for him, and being with her without a form of mediator drained his energy. And otherwise his only other friend had little time for himself let alone him

"Guess that leaves me with more time to myself. I should probably keep busy though." He told himself, and yet the thought wasn't something he expected he'd have to tell himself

...

...

"Maybe I'll watch One Piece."

A/N: Hey again guys! Not exactly a big chapter after such a long time but a necessary one. But next up is an Izuku only chapter featuring Toga as well which I believe has been a long time coming. Later!