Author's Note - How's it going everyone? Here's the next chapter for you!
SYMBOL
CHAPTER 014 – BEFORE THE STORM
Going up the elevator, the two inside it were outwardly silent and unmoving. But inside? There was a flurry of emotions and thoughts whirling around that they were both barely containing at the moment.
The elevator dinged once it reached its destination and the doors opened. Stepping out, the large and muscular blonde man strode forward while the white hybrid animal remained seated on his right shoulder. Within seconds, he crossed the long hallway and stopped in front of the secretary's desk. "I'm here to see the president," he stated to the secretary.
Said secretary was looking at the man with awe. She hadn't seen him in person before since he almost never visited them. Though she had seen many videos and pictures of him in media, it wasn't the same. It took her a moment until she snapped out of it and cleared her throat. "Yes, the president is expecting you. Please make your way through the double doors to your right," she said with her professional demeanor kicking in.
"Thank you Miss." Nodding his head at her, which the hybrid animal also did as well, he went towards the doors and opened both of them as they stepped inside. Waiting for them was the middle aged blonde women sitting behind her desk dressed in her usual black two piece business suit. "Hello Madam President," he greeted while walking towards her and the doors closed behind him.
"Good morning," greeted the white hybrid animal.
"Good morning All Might, Nezu," she replied while remaining seated. Though she was comfortable in her seat and relaxed, her turquoise eyes were locked onto the number one hero and the principal of UA with a serious expression. "So, what made you request an emergency meeting that brought you here to my office this morning?" she asked them with her usual stoic expression on her face.
Nezu chuckled. "Oh ho ho, are we playing that game?" he asked her with his eerie smile on his face.
Madam President's eyes narrowed. "I don't play games."
"Is that so? Huh, I was under the impression that there was some funny business going on here," remarked Nezu with his eerie smile still showing while making a show of looking around the office.
"You should know better. We at the 'Hero and Public Safety Commission' don't do any funny business," she shot back calmly, which drew attention back to her. "But for argument's sake, what are you implying at?"
All Might leaned forward and placed both his hands onto the desk as he locked his eyes onto hers with Nezu still seated on his shoulder. "The HPSC has never directly asked UA about any of its students until now. So we want to know why did you ask for information about Izuku Midoriya and Eri? What did a first year student and a young child that's not even attending the school do that captured your attention Madame President Sayaka Waruiaka?"
Sayaka kept her demeanor calm even with the number one hero glaring at her. "The HPSC doesn't go after children All Might and…"
"Oh really? Was Hawks just an exception then? And was that email sent just for fun?" cut in Nezu.
Sayaka shifted her gaze onto the hybrid animal before she replied back. "Hawks was a random stroke of luck for both him and the HPSC. ALSO…" She spoke that last word a little loudly to prevent Nezu from interrupting her again and to show she wasn't done speaking. "…we took care of him and his mother while we helped him become a great pro hero…"
"You mean you trained him into becoming the HPSC's personal servant who does your dirty work while hiding him in plain sight as a pro hero," countered Nezu angrily as he still interrupted her.
"Don't speak as if you're much better Nezu," snapped Sayaka, her usual stoical demeanor slipping. "You know of the things that must be done to safeguard the public. You've done your share of things too to safeguard the peace if I recall."
"That may be, but I've never used someone else to do my dirty work. And that has nothing to do with what you're doing right now," growled Nezu, his smile long gone.
"Well, to me…"
"Enough!" snapped All Might, silencing the two and putting attention back onto him. "Back to the point. Why the interest in Izuku Midoriya and Eri?!"
Sayaka took in a breath to calm herself before she spoke. "As I was trying to say, the HPSC normally doesn't go after children or students. We have far more important things to worry about. Unless there's major evidence to suggest that they may be a danger to themselves or to society and that's why we decided to ask about it. Such as the handful of students in this first year's classes that we contacted you about and you played ball with us regarding them. Why didn't you get so angry and involved with their cases as well?" she countered.
"That's a load of crap," growled All Might. "Those students that you're talking about have already been cleared and you didn't ask about them directly. It was roundabout and went through their families, which you so clearly know. And I know the HPSC has gone after many for even trivial matters like when someone publicly spoke out against your actions. Don't try to lie to me or shift the attention. I know it's because my former sidekick came to you and probably said certain things to have you investigate them. What did he tell you?"
Silence filled the room for a short while before she answered. "Hmm, I guess there's no point trying to hide that little tidbit then," remarked Sayaka without care. "Yes, Nighteye came to us and informed us of Izuku Midoriya and Eri."
"Why and what did he say?!"
"I'm sorry, but that's between us," answered Sayaka.
"Well, whatever he said, it doesn't matter because…" He leaned in even closer to the president who remained visibly calm but inside she was starting to feel nervous. She had never seen him look so angry. "…I don't care what he said. You and the HPSC will stay out of their lives. You will not bother them. You will not follow them. You will not hinder them. You will not do anything at all regarding them in any shape or form, whether directly or indirectly. Or you'll have to answer to me. Do you understand?"
Though she felt afraid from how the number one hero was speaking with her, Sayaka couldn't help but feel some anger fill her over his words. "Are you threatening me?! I'm Madame President of the HPSC! One of the highest authorities of this country! And you think you can scare me into obedience?! That's not how it works! You forget your place! I tell you what can and can't be done! Not the other way around! You should apologize right now before I end your career!"
All Might narrowed his eyes but Nezu took this opportunity to cut in and began speaking for him instead. "It seems that someone has forgotten some important details," remarked Nezu cheerily, making the president look at him again and he continued. "You're not dealing with your average pro hero Madame President. This is the number one hero in Japan and could be argued for the world, since he's world renowned who's arguably one of, if not the most, powerful heroes in the world. He's the Symbol of Peace who has allies and connections all over. And I am one of those allies. The principal of UA, which is the nation's top hero school if not the world who also has many allies and connections within Japan's top officials and that's not even counting the ones around the world."
Nezu stopped at that point and allowed his words to sink in. And sink in they did as they both saw the realization dawn on the president. Only then did he continue. "Just to make this clear, Madame President, we did not come here to burn bridges. Nor did we come here to start a fight. We merely came to remind you that you're overstepping certain boundaries that you shouldn't be and more than likely have no authority to do so with no actual evidence. And all on the words of a disgruntled ex sidekick who cannot seem to understand certain things. We don't want to make matters more complicated, though you could go that route and both myself and All Might are fully prepared for it." Oh please do, thought Nezu as he took a moment to let her understand what he means and the implications of what that could bring to her feet before he finished up. "So, as All Might so kindly told you just moments ago, stay away from Midoriya and the young child Eri."
Silence filled the room and no one said anything for a short while. Sayaka, as shaken as she was, thought quickly about what they told her and what she was let in on before she started talking again. "As powerful as the both of you are…you may even have many allies around the world and connections to high ranking people…I cannot just ignore what I was told…"
"Oh really?" questioned Nezu as he raised an eyebrow. "I seem to remember several times when I told you and the HPSC things in the past but was ignored. And now all of a sudden you can't do that anymore?"
Sayaka's eyes narrowed once more. "This isn't up for comparison. That was then and this is now. And what Sir Nighteye told me about these two children…"
"Whatever he told you about them, it doesn't matter!" shot All Might angrily, causing the woman to flinch in her seat. "And he probably told you half truths, if he even said anything that was true!"
"Then why don't you fill in the blanks for me!" shot back Sayaka with some anger.
They glared at each other for a moment before Toshinori glanced at Nezu who kept his eerie smile on. Seeing no objections, he turned towards the woman. "Fine." All Might straightened out and started explaining things. Midoriya's potential and how they crossed paths. His training. The day of the incident. Eri's attachment to him and behavior. Nighteye's inability or refusal to acknowledge that Midoriya didn't do anything wrong and Eri is not a danger to anyone. She's just a frightened child who needs help with her quirk, which they'll provide.
As he explained, All Might didn't reveal anything about One for All, since she didn't know and didn't need to know about it. If they did, the HPSC would've done anything and everything possible in order to get the ancient and powerful quirk in their grasps. He merely used the cover they came up with, which was that Izuku was a late bloomer and his quirk was a powerful one named Aura.
When All Might finished explaining, silence filled the room once more. After about a minute, Sayaka let out a sigh. "I see how this is very complicated. But now I know the situation better. It would seem that this is really just about Nighteye being…petty, about things. Alright, fine. The HPSC will do as you say regarding those two as long as they don't cause trouble."
All Might bent forward and once again leaned on her desk. "That's not good enough. I just told you what happened and there is nothing for them to even remain as a blip on your radar. You will not get involved for any reason."
"Now that's unrealistic! You're basically telling us not to do our job if something happens!" countered Sayaka angrily.
"Calm down All Might," advised Nezu since he could sense the pro's anger rising. "We cannot tell them to not do their job any more than them telling you not to save people." Nezu hopped down onto the desk and stood on it between the two while facing the woman. "Very well Madame President. We find that proposal acceptable with some changes to it; You, the HPSC and your affiliates will not get involved with Izuku Midoriya, Eri, their friends, family or loved ones, directly or indirectly as long as they don't cause serious trouble that must be at the danger level of rank A or above."
"What the hell?!" half shouted Sayaka, actually getting up from her seat and glaring down at the hybrid white animal. "That basically makes them untouchable! Even with what you explained, that's too much favoritism! That basically only allows us to get involved if they end up becoming terrorists, high ranking villains or bring about some disaster level of danger to society!"
"Well, that is the purpose of the HPSC anyways and when you should be getting invovled," stated Nezu with his eerie smile back on his face. "By all means, if they ever become something like that, then you may do as you please to try and stop them."
Sayaka shifted her gaze from Nezu to All Might, who remained silent. She glanced between the two several more times, as if trying to find one of them lying or something to use against them. Unable to find anything and also unable to come up with a good enough rebuttal, she relented. Letting out another sigh, one of many she's being doing since they came in, she sat back down onto her seat and nodded. "Very well."
"Good." All Might straightened out and smiled his signature smile. "I'm glad we came to an understanding."
"Good day Madame President. It was a pleasure speaking with you," said Nezu before he turned around and jumped onto All Might's shoulder.
"Wait!" called out Sayaka after All Might turned and took a few steps towards the exit. He stopped and turned around slightly so they could both look at her. "At least answer me this; why go to so much trouble to protect them? Why not for the others? What's so special about this Midoriya and this Eri? You didn't really say anything to explain why," she asked.
All Might and Nezu shared a look before they gave each other a curt nod. They faced Sayaka and the number one hero spoke. "The others already had their protection and connections speaking up for them. Besides, it's just the right thing to do, Madame President. And to give you a couple more reasons that answer your questions is that Izuku Midoriya has the heart of a true hero. And one day, he will succeed me when I retire since he's my successor. And Eri is a just a scared little child who needs help that my future successor has decided to take in and protect."
Sayaka was surprised to hear that. Nighteye's report didn't say anything about that and she was starting to understand why the former sidekick to the number one hero would do something so drastic. He must not approve of this Midoriya…but why? "I…I see."
"Madame President," started Nezu, waiting for her to look at him before he continued. "What I'm about to say, I say with the utmost respect; you're a far more capable president than the previous one. So don't make the same mistakes he did. I'm sure we don't want more issues like the last one that you had to take care of because of his corruption. How is Kaina doing by the way?"
Sayaka swallowed the saliva that had accumulated in her mouth before answering. "As well as one can be doing in Tartarus, I suppose."
Nezu shook his head. "A shame. And it wasn't even entirely her fault. After everything that happened, I would've given her a chance to atone and perhaps live a different life at least." Letting out a sigh, Nezu gestured to All Might and they turned towards the door. "Have a good day Madame President."
"Good day Madame President," said All Might.
Sayaka watched the two leave and when the door closed, she took in a slow breath through her nose and exhaled it out through her mouth. "Damn it." Turning her sight onto her computer screen, she opened up her email's inbox and viewed what was sent to her. "Nighteye…All Might…even Nezu…just what the hell is going on?!" Though she agreed with their requests, Sayaka vowed to find a way to learn the truth of it all…
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"Got everything ready?"
"Yup!"
"Good. Toshi should be here soon."
"I can't wait!"
"Izu, where are you going?"
Turning to the small girl next to him, Izuku then spoke. "Oh, I'm gonna go to UA. Remember Eri?"
"Oh…" Hanging her head, Eri started shivering as she started becoming afraid. She had started getting closer with his mom, Inko. But she still much preferred to stay with Izu, her Papa. "B-But, I don't want you to go…"
Kneeling in front of her, Izuku gently hugged her and she hugged him back with her little hands grasping his school uniform's blazer tightly. "Eri, don't be scared. I'm not going away forever. I'm just going to school so I can learn how to be a better hero so I can protect you better. And so I can help other people who need help too." He waited a few seconds for her to understand his words before continuing on. "Plus, I have a surprise for you."
Eri sniffed a few times to keep herself from crying but when Izuku said those last words, she raised her gaze to look at him while a few stray tears escaped from her eyes. "S-Surprise?"
Nodding at her, Izuku then lifted her up into his arms and had her sit on his left arm. "Yeah. You're coming with me to UA."
Eyes widening, Eri couldn't believe it. "R-Really?"
Izuku smiled at her before wiping away some stray tears that fell with his right hand. "Really, really. Remember Toshinori? He said to have you and Mom get ready since he's gonna take us all to UA. You're gonna see where I go to school and you're gonna come there too soon enough. So I'll always be nearby."
Hugging him, Eri felt her fear start to evaporate. "T-Thank you Papa!"
Chuckling, Izuku hugged her back tightly while his heart skipped a beat again when she called him that. "I'm not the one to say thank you too but you're welcome."
Watching the two, Inko smiled while becoming a little emotional. Sudden ringing on her phone caught her attention and she picked it up. "Hello? Oh, hey Toshi. No, no, I'm not crying, I'm good. Just saw something precious…well, I guess you could say that." She chuckled a little after hearing a joke from him regarding her son. "Anyways, we're ready to go as soon as you get here. Okay, see you soon." Hanging up, Inko spoke to the two. "Toshi will be here in a little bit. Make sure you got everything and that you're ready."
"Already did but thanks Mom," replied Izuku. Walking over to the door, Izuku knelt down again and began helping Eri put on her shoes while Inko just smiled.
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Sounds of utensils hitting plates along with numerous conversations going on filled the cafeteria of UA. After attending the first half of their lessons of the day that consisted of general education, the students of classes 1A and 1B were enjoying their food and becoming revitalized for the next part of their day. For they were all excited to partake in the joint rescue training exercises that they'd be doing together that were scheduled for the next half of their day. Having been informed by their homeroom teachers of that at the start of the school day, they couldn't stop thinking about it and wondered what kind of scenarios they'd practice or do this time.
Well, most of them were feeling that way. One such person who wasn't was a certain black haired girl who wasn't interacting or making any sound while eating her food. Momo was once again sitting beside her dual colored hair fiancée while barely eating. After everything that had happened to her in the last few days, Momo ended up resigning herself to her fate.
As a result, Momo began living as if on autopilot since yesterday morning. She got dressed, ate her breakfast, attended UA, took notes from her classes and everything else without a sound made unless she was called upon in class. All the while, she remained close to Shoto, who didn't notice or didn't care about her new behavior. Even when she happened to see how the girls in her class and the ones from 1B interacted with one another yesterday and how they got together and began eating together in the cafeteria, it didn't affect her anymore.
And that was because she just didn't care about that anymore. Or anything else for that matter. Because after everything that happened, she realized she had no more chances and the rebellious spirit she had before, had been snuffed out. She just remained silent and followed whatever orders were given to her by her teachers, her parents or her fiancée. When Shoto finished his meal and told her that they're leaving, she didn't argue. Standing up and following after him, Momo didn't notice the ones who were looking at her leave.
The group of girls from both 1A and 1B were interacting and conversing with one another as they ate until they stopped and watched Momo leave when they noticed her standing up. When she disappeared behind the cafeteria doors, they all looked at one another.
"So what's going on with her? Any changes?" asked Setsuna.
"No idea," answered Tsuyu bluntly. She was still a little angry at Momo for hitting her friend the day before, even if it was an accident.
"She's been even more quiet and reserved since Tuesday," commented Ochaco sadly, making Tsuyu glance at her while making the rest think about that.
"Pardon me, but perhaps she's doing this in a way to atone for her sins?" stated Ibara.
Setsuna was about to say something but Itsuka beat her to it. "Maybe. It's possible that she's starting to think that what she did was wrong." The redhead faced the purple haired girl before she continued on. "Jirou, we were told of what happened between her and you but can you tell us exactly what had happened?" she asked.
Kyoka swallowed the food in her mouth before facing her. "Well, you already know the gist of things. But to go into detail…"
When she finished explaining what had happened, the girls of 1B were surprised. "I'd never think that such a prosperous and well respected family like the Yaoyorozus would have any of its family members behave in such a way," remarked Reiko with a barely noticeable tone of disgust.
"I don't know much about them," commented Kinoko.
"Me neither," chimed in Toru, with several girls nodding in agreement. "Do you?" asked the invisible girl for them all.
Reiko nodded. "Yes. They are a very powerful and well connected family that established themselves over a hundred years ago. Their corporation is tied with many different business ventures. From support items for heroes, new clothing attire for all the new fashion trends, to new medical machines that hospitals and doctors use and more. I know this because my parents work for them in one of their support companies."
"Wow, they must be filthy rich," commented Ochaco as she looked down at her plate, thinking about how lucky they are that they don't have any money problems.
"Yeah, but their behavior stinks," remarked Tsuyu.
"True that," added Kyoka.
"Yes, that bad!" chimed in Pony.
"Agreed," said Yui.
"Mushn't we do something about this?" asked Kinoko.
"Nothing we can do at the moment. And is it our business to get involved?" asked Itsuka and several of the girls shrugged or glanced at one another.
"Hmm…what if we…" Noticing something weird, Setsuna stopped and stared at her kindred spirit. "Hey, you good Mina?" she asked.
Setsuna's question made all the girls look at the pink haired and skinned girl who looked at them with a startled expression. "W-What? Oh, n-no I'm good."
"Really? Cause you've been pretty quiet today," remarked Toru.
"Hey, she's right. That's pretty unusual for you," added Ochaco.
"No, really, I'm fine," repeated Mina with a slight smile while waving her hands in front of her.
"Are you sure?" asked Kinoko.
"No hide! We friends!" exclaimed Pony.
"Cause we're here for you, you know that right?" said Itsuka with a kind smile.
The girls around her table gave her kind smiles while saying similar things. Seeing that made Mina smile a little more and she felt a little better that her friends wanted to be there for her. "Thanks girls. Alright, well, it's not a big deal…I just…well…"
"Spit it out girl!"
"Be patient," chastised Yui while Itsuka smacked Setsuna upside the head, making her yelp that caused their friends to chuckle.
"Okay, okay!" Letting out a sigh as she shook her head, Mina continued afterwards. "Well, I got into a fight on the phone with…Kirishima."
Eyes widening, the girls from her class were surprised to hear that while a couple of the girls from 1B knew who she was talking about. "Must be bad if you're using his full last name," remarked Toru.
"I'm sorry, but which person is this?" asked Ibara.
"He has red hair and he has a hardening quirk. He was partnered up with Ochaco," answered Mina and they understood.
"Why'd you fight?" asked Ochaco. "He said good things about you during our battle trial."
Mina didn't immediately answer as she went silent for a bit before finally speaking up. "Well, to be honest, we had a decent talk…at first. And then, when he mentioned a training schedule with friends, it then led to other things regarding a certain…asshole. And then…" Mina explained what they argued about that involved Bakugo and Midoriya too. When she finished explaining everything, the girls were shocked. Her eyes watered and she looked down at her plate. "I…just can't believe how he acted with me. And even when he apologized, I just couldn't accept it. I was so mad and so sad that I blocked him."
"Damn. That sucks," commented Setsuna.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," said Toru as she hugged her friend from the side. Mina grasped her arm tightly in a mini hug within her arms and thanked her for it.
"That's very disheartening to hear, especially between two close friends," remarked Ibara, feeling saddened that such a thing happened.
"It's also very concerning. Spreading such information about someone like that," stated Reiko.
"Gossip like that is bad!" said Pony with a frown.
"Agreed."
"You said it Pony, Yui. Tetsu even said the same things about Midoriya to me, Set and Yui yesterday too. More than likely that blonde told them and convinced them enough to spread it themselves too," said Itsuka. The group of girls glanced at one another with worried looks. "We wanted to talk to everyone about it yesterday but couldn't because of the break in and how we all had to go home and get ready for the dorm movers."
"Could there be any truth to any of the things that were said about him?" asked Ibara with concern.
"It's possible," answered Yui and the girls who had crossed paths with Midoriya gave her slightly peeved looks at her.
"No need to become angered," said Reiko, noticing their glares as did the rest. "None of us truly know this young man. Though it is highly unlikely based on what we know so far," stated Reiko. They calmed down while nodding and even apologized to Yui who accepted by nodding.
"Yeah, it doesn't make mush sense," added Kinoko.
"Well, I don't believe it at all. And why?" asked Ochaco, barely holding her anger at bay. "Why the hell would he say such nasty lies?"
"Because he's probably jealous of him, kero. Good news is that we'll find out the truth soon enough instead of speculating. Even though we'll probably end up being right thanks to same new details," said Tsuyu with a shrug.
"Wait, what you mean?" asked Pony.
"Oh, we forgot to tell ya. We found out some things thanks to Jirou recently," revealed Toru excitedly.
"Really? Well, what is it feisty girl?" asked Setsuna as she and her fellow 1B classmates leaned in closer towards the purple haired girl.
Catching the grins on her friends' faces, Kyoka smiled a little before she started explaining. "Remember how All Might got that call after our battle trials?" asked Kyoka and they nodded. "That was proof of what was talked about because it was a voicemail left by Midoriya's Mom. She was telling him that he had woken up and was recovering very quickly. And that he had saved a little girl from that villain and she had become attached to him and wouldn't leave his side. Apparently he's gonna come to UA as soon as he's finished healing."
Silence for a moment as the girls of 1B processed what they were just told. Until Pony just blurted out something. "He so cool!
Smiles and chuckles were shared between them all over her outburst but they couldn't disagree. "Yeah, he sure sounds like it huh?"
"Kero. Can't argue with that Ochaco-chan."
"Well, looks like we'll get some answers sooner than we thought," stated Itsuka as she started cleaning up her trash. "But why would his Mom call All Might? Is there something going on between them?"
"Yeah, that's true. But who knows? And does it really matter? The less stuff to worry about, the better," said Mina as she glanced towards the corner of the cafeteria before looking away quickly.
Though her friends caught her doing that, they didn't say anything since they knew the reason why. One of them decided to move things along. "Perhaps. But if All Might is in touch with his family, than this Midoriya can't be as bad as what was said about him. And we'll find out the truth soon enough even though all evidence points to what we think it is. Until then, we should finish up and get back to homeroom so we can get ready for the rescue trials we have next that we should be focusing on," suggested Ibara and they agreed with her.
Their group finished up their meals and cleaned up their trash before heading out of the cafeteria. As they made their way towards their homeroom, each of them was thinking about all the things they just learned. They wondered why someone would spread such nasty rumors about someone else, even if it was out of jealousy. They also wondered why All Might seemed to have a connection to him. And the last thing they wondered was when Izuku Midoriya would finally come join them at UA so they could find out who he really was and hopefully prove their assumptions of him being a good person correct…
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"What's got you down in the dumps, Shitty Hair?"
Looking up from his lap, Eijiro let out a sigh as he shook his head. "Nothing. I'm fine." Looking towards the side, Eijiro watched Mina interact with her friends for a second before looking away.
Noticing where and who he was looking at, Katsuki faced Eijiro. "Don't tell me you're looking so pathetic because of a girl." When he didn't receive a response, Katsuki shook his head. "And here I thought that you weren't gonna be one of those losers like Tape Arms and that perverted midget who let girls control their lives."
"Hey, screw you man!" shot Hanta. "I'm not depressed like him!"
"Not very manly," remarked Tetsutetsu while Jurota remained silent.
"Thanks. Thanks a lot man," said Eijiro in a sullen tone.
"I didn't mean it like that dude!" said Hanta hurriedly.
"Tape Dispenser, Metal Head; shut up! I was talking here!"
"Well, so-rry, your royal assholishness!" snapped Hanta while the other one glared at Katsuki.
"Fuck off! And you, Shitty Hair!" Katsuki jammed his fork into the beef cutlet that was on his plate harder than usual that made a loud sound, which made Eijiro look up at him. "You moping around because of some dumb bitch isn't gonna help you become a pro!"
"Mina's not a dumb bitch!"
Katsuki took a bite from his cutlet before he replied back to him. "Whatever. Not that I care or anything, but why the fuck you depressed? You gonna let whatever crap she said make you like this? You some kind of weak piece of shit? Cause I don't train with losers so if you're gonna act like this, then get the fuck away from me."
"I'm not weak or depressed! We just had an argument alright? It was about that Midoriya guy and I told her what you told me to warn her but she didn't listen. But it'll cool over and when she calms down, she'll understand and we'll be friends again soon," said Eijiro before looking away. "Hopefully."
Even though he said that last word in a whisper, Katsuki heard him. *Tch* "For fuck's sake…listen here Shitty Hair. And this goes for all of you. If people don't appreciate what you say to them, especially when you're trying to help them, then you need to grow some balls, man up and just leave them behind!"
"But that's not…"
"Shut up! If you're trying to help that annoying and stuck up walking highlighter and she's arguing with you over a piece of shit that she doesn't even know, then you need to cut ties with that bimbo. If you don't want to live the rest of your life as a fuckin loser, then stop being such a pussy and forget about everything else but your goals!"
"And what, be a badass like you?" asked Hanta sarcastically with narrowed eyes.
Katsuki smirked in response. "Exactly. I'll become the number one hero one day and everyone will know who the top dog is! And they'll all know that it's my way or the highway! That's how you get people to follow you! That's how you get popular, rich and famous! How you get girls! So quit whinnying like little bitches and letting every stupid thing affect you! Make yourselves useful, especially to me while I use you as stepping stones to get to the top!"
"Screw you man! You think I'm gonna let you use me?!" asked Hanta in disbelief but he was ignored.
"You're not the only one who's gunning for the top!" spoke up Tetsutetsu.
"Though I don't condone the use of your language, you do make somewhat valid points. However, I am not merely a tool for you to use in your quest," commented Jurota seriously before he continued eating.
Eijiro's expression hardened as he thought about what Katsuki said. He's right. I can't let anyone keep me from becoming the hero I can be. It'll be hard but I can't let even Mina keep me down. She'll come around when she sees the truth. And if I need to show her the truth, I will! Hands clenching into fists, Eijiro felt a little better as some of his conviction came back. "Thanks for the pep talk Bakubro. Even though you said it like an asshole. But I'm not gonna let you use me either! I'm gonna aim for the top too!"
Katsuki's smirk turned into a full on mad grin. "That's more like it Shitty Hair! Now you'll actually be of some use to me like the rest of them! And you're gonna pay for calling me an asshole you shit! I hope you're ready to catch more explosions to the face!" Turning away from Eijiro, Katsuki continued eating his food. Good, I got him back on track so I can continue my training. It's better to have two shields to use for target practice rather than just one.
As Katsuki continued eating his meal, something caught his attention from the corner of his eyes and he glanced in that direction through his peripheral vision. The girls from both classes had gotten up and were making their way out of the cafeteria. His sight landed onto the brunette from his class. She was talking and smiling with her friends as they left.
Returning his gaze back to his meal, Katsuki remained silent as he finished up but his mind started racing. Why the fuck is Round Face catching my attention? And why the fuck did she speak up for Deku of all people? Anger, frustration and another feeling started filling him at that moment that shocked him once he realized what it was. The fuck?! Am I…Am I jealous?! Of fuckin Deku?! Why?! It was at that moment that his mind pictured the brunette from his class again who's been catching his attention lately. Realization hit him and instead of feeling better about knowing why, he became even more annoyed and agitated over it…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Why the hell are they hanging out with them?!"
To say Neito was furious was an understatement. The grip on his fork was so tight that it was starting to leave an indentation of the utensil in his palm. He couldn't believe how many of his classmates were spending time with their rivals from class 1A. He looked around once more and observed what they were doing.
All of the girls from 1B were sitting with most of the girls from 1A and they seemed to be friendly with one another. Jurota and Tetsutetsu were with that asshole and a couple others. Yosetsu, Sen and Kosei were hanging out with two of them nearby and were talking about the girls from what he heard. Shihai was with the bird headed one from their class and they were in the darker area of the cafeteria and seemed to be discussing something rather heatedly. Even the quieter members from their class, Manga and Kojiro, were eating with the multi armed student and the one who could speak with animals.
Neito was having a hard time believing it. He thought that they would slowly come around to his line of thinking. But he was wrong. And even though he noticed how they were having a good time with each other, he kept having thoughts that it was all a trick. Because both classes always had a rivalry from what he knew, heard and learned of due to his research of UA before attending and speaking with their upperclassmen.
He had learned that 1A almost always had more powerful students than 1B and because of that, they were usually seen as the better class. Unfortunately, Neito had to agree with the first part of that since he wasn't blind to what he saw. None of his classmates could hold a candle to some from 1A when talking about raw power. But even then, he wouldn't let anyone talk down about his class. And he would do whatever it took to make sure that his class came out on top so they could prove that just because they weren't as strong as them in terms of raw power, they were still formidable themselves and that they were actually better than their sister class.
Turning to his side, Neito began speaking with his partner in all of this. "Did they mention anything about hanging out with them to you?"
"No, nothing," answered Togaru before using his quirk to stab a cutlet and raise it to his mouth instead of using a fork.
"Damn it. We need to make sure that they don't try to pull a fast one on us." Neito turned his gaze towards a certain area in the cafeteria. "Especially that egotistical asshole."
Togaru had an angry look form on his face. "He's gonna learn the hard way that he ain't top dog at this school."
"Soon. We'll show him. And the rest of those 1A jerks. I know things look alright between most of them but it has to be an act. It looks like we'll have to play the long game. We'll have to catch them in the act and expose them. Then everyone will know that our class is better!" No more was said between the two as they finished up their meals and left the cafeteria with their minds filled with many thoughts about what they were going to do.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"You seem pretty happy today."
The smile that was plastered on Nemuri's face grew. "Why wouldn't I be Anan? My precious little cinnamon roll is finally coming to UA today!"
Anan couldn't help but chuckle and smile back at her fellow teacher. "I see. He must've really made an impression on you."
"Oh, you don't know the half of it."
Sitting down on a chair across from Nemuri, Anan raised her cup of tea to her lips. She blew on it a bit to cool it faster before speaking. "Oh really? So, why don't you enlighten me then? What's so special about this young man that's making you go all crazy?" she asked before taking a sip. She was curious because she had never seen her act this way about anyone before.
"Hmm, should I?" Placing a finger against her lips, Nemuri tapped it while thinking for a second. "Okay, fine, I will." Reaching over towards the plate of pastries, she grabbed one and took a bite before she started explaining. "Izuku…he's many things. But the biggest is that he's just such a hard working, innocent, caring and absolutely adorable sweetheart."
Raising her eyebrows, Anan was surprised over that. "Huh. Okay. But honestly, I was expecting a little more than that after you blew up on Shota yesterday."
"Oh honey, I'm just getting started."
Right when Nemuri was about to continue, the door to the staff lounge opened and they both turned their gazes onto the two who walked in. "Hey, what's wrong?" asked Anan after noticing their looks.
"Grumpy here is more annoyed than usual," replied Vlad. "All because of a certain blond hero."
They chuckled. "Ah, I see. So what did loudmouth do this time?" asked Nemuri.
"It wasn't Hizashi this time," grumbled Shota as he shuffled over to the coffee pot so he can pour himself some. "It's that big oaf. Apparently he's gonna be late for the rescue trials because he's barely bringing in the Midoriyas. They were supposed to be here earlier!"
Glancing at one another, the three shook their heads before Anan spoke up. "Well, it's alright Shota. The four of us can handle things until he gets there. It's not like we can't handle the kids between us all."
"They're not kids but hormonal, irrational and emotional young adults at eighteen years old," countered Shota before drinking some coffee. "And this doesn't show a good example to them with him coming in late to something so important."
"But he has an important reason why Shota," spoke up Nemuri. "Like you said, he's bringing them in as Nezu requested. So stop whining."
Narrowing his eyes at her, Shota glared at the blue haired woman for a good two seconds before looking away. "Whatever. It's the height of irresponsibility and illogical. One cannot leave one important thing to do another all by themselves. He should've gotten help to do so or allowed them to come in on their own. There was no need for him to personally bring them." With his parting words, Shota left the staff lounge with his large cup of coffee.
Letting out a sigh after he left, Nemuri shook her head. "He really needs to stop hating on All Might."
Vlad snorted. "Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen."
"Why does he dislike him so much?" asked Anan in curiosity.
"It's not my place to say but he has his reasons," replied Nemuri. "He'll work with him and he respects his 'save people first' attitude, but he doesn't like his other traits, such as his showboating and how he eats up the attention. Plus some other things. Different perspectives and all that."
"I see."
"Well, I'm gonna go eat some lunch before we gotta go," said Vlad as he took out his meal from the fridge. "Are you gonna go with us Anan?"
"No, I'll meet you all there."
Vlad nodded. "Alright then."
After the homeroom teacher of class 1B left, both Nemuri and Anan were left by themselves once more. "We should finish up too and get ready. It's almost time," advised Anan as she started cleaning up.
Nemuri pouted. "But I didn't finish talking about my cinnamon roll!"
Laughing, Anan cleaned up her area and stood up. "You can always tell me later. Plus, you said it yourself yesterday. He'll be joining his fellow first years during the rescue trials we got planned. At least this way I'll get an unbiased opinion about him."
"Hmph." Crossing her arms under her chest, Nemuri gave a slight pout. "You're no fun." Her words only made Anan only shake her head in amusement as she continued out of the staff lounge.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Is this UA?"
"Yup, that's right Eri."
"Wow…"
Smiling at her reaction, Izuku picked up Eri into his arms and had her sit on his left arm again. Glancing at his mother and mentor, they smiled at him and nodded. Understanding them, Izuku faced forward and started walking as he spoke. "It's pretty cool huh Eri? This is UA, where the best heroes in Japan first started out. This is where they came to learn how to be the best heroes they could possibly be. And I can finally come to UA after working hard and training so long to get in here. Today is my first official day."
Looking around with wide eyes as she took in her surroundings, Eri turned to face Izuku after he finished talking. "You have to…work and train…to come here?"
"Yup! UA only takes in the best of the best Eri. And I had to prove myself that I was one of them so they would let me enter and teach me how to become a hero."
Eri was shocked at learning that her Papa had to prove himself and that they didn't see him as a hero yet. But he was a hero. He saved her, didn't he? In her eyes, Eri saw and believed that Izuku, her Papa, is already a hero. She hugged him tightly all of a sudden with her cheek against his.
Her action made him stop. "Eri?" asked Izuku in worry, with both adults giving looks of concern as well.
"Izu…you're my hero."
Heart clenching and his eyes filling up with water, Izuku did his absolute best to not start crying right then and there. Hugging her back tightly, Izuku couldn't help but smile widely. "Thank you Eri."
Watching the two from their position, Inko and Toshinori heard them clearly. Large smiles formed on their faces and just like her son, Inko had a hard time not letting out some waterworks. After about a minute, they calmed down enough to continue on.
As they made their way into the main UA building and then walked through it towards their destination, Eri looked around some more while being held by Izuku. Toshinori acted as a tour guide for them all as he explained everything and pointed out the classrooms, library, cafeteria, staff lounge, nurse's office and everything else. Though Izuku came here a few times to get treated by Recovery Girl and to speak with Nezu about One for All with his mentor, he wasn't able to explore the campus fully since he wasn't a student at the time. They couldn't show too much favoritism for him and he understood so that didn't bother him. Getting a personal tour from his all time favorite hero and mentor now for him, Eri and his mother was a good alternative and Izuku was appreciative of it.
After walking for a while, they came to a stop in front of a door. Toshinori knocked on it a few times and they heard an answer of telling them to come in from inside. Opening the door, he held it open for them as they walked in and closed it after following in after them.
"Good morning. Or should I say good afternoon since it's already past lunch time?" asked the white hybrid animal that earned him some chuckles.
"Hello Nezu."
"Hi Principal Nezu."
"Good afternoon."
Smiling at them, Nezu gestured for them to sit down. Keeping a gentle smile on his face, his eyes locked onto Izuku and Eri. He noticed the protective hug around the child while said child was snuggled against the young man's side. "Welcome and thank you for coming in at my request."
"Of course. It was no problem Principal Nezu and thank you for the invite," replied Inko with a smile. "But I wonder why you invited myself and Eri as well."
"I have my reasons and I'll let you know of them. But first, I do want to say that I'm happy that you're finally here with us Midoriya."
"Thank you, sir. I'm happy too since it's been my dream to attend UA since it's the best school. And because it was All Might's school too."
Nezu chuckled a little. "Ever the fan boy." Izuku blushed a little with Inko and Toshinori both grinning in amusement. "Alright, so let's get things started with the reasons why I wanted you all here. First off, I'm glad that you're here too, Eri," stated Nezu as he looked at her.
"M-Me?" whispered Eri.
"Yes, you. Because I wanted to ask you a few questions."
Glancing up at Izuku, who nodded at her with a smile, Eri looked back at the white animal. "O-Okay."
"Midoriya is gonna attend UA starting today and even though we asked you this before, I wanted to ask you again. Do you want to come here with him and stay with him while he's here?"
Eri didn't even need to think about her answer. "Yes! Please!"
Nezu smiled a little wider as he nodded. "Alright, just verifying. As soon as he moves into the dorms and gets situated, you may come stay with him."
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome. Now, I have another question for you and it's alright if you don't have an answer. Okay?" Eri nodded and Nezu asked his question. "Do you know what your quirk is and what it does?"
Eri's eyes widened and her grip on Izuku tightened a little more. She started shivering a little that was noticed by all. Before her fear could take over, she felt a gentle but warm hand caress her head through her hair along with another hand rubbing her back soothingly.
Izuku had immediately started calming Eri down as soon as he felt her start shivering. When she looked up at him, he gave her a comforting smile. "It's okay Eri. You can trust him. And I'm right here. I won't let anything happen to you. We just want to help you. Okay?"
Calming down and feeling better over what her Papa said and did, Eri nodded. Looking down at her lap for a moment, she raised her gaze back to the principal. Gathering her courage, she answered the question the best she could. "I…I just k-know…what the…bad man said a-about it. He said…he said it makes…people…quirks…go away…and-and was called…re-re-w-win?"
"Rewind?" asked Nezu, thinking that could be it. Eri's eyes widened again before she nodded. "Okay. Thank you very much Eri. You're very brave for telling me. Now I have a little bit better understanding. And that way, both I and everyone else here, can help you."
"Help?"
Nezu nodded. "Yes, Eri. Help. We all want to help you get better. And to one day control your quirk."
"B-But…my quirk…it's…"
"Eri, remember what I told you," interrupted Izuku, making her look at him again. A gentle smile formed on his face as he started rubbing her back again. "Your quirk is a blessing and it helped me out. So don't think badly about it. We'll help you learn how to use it and control it. But we won't force you to do anything until you're ready. We all want to help you. Even Principal Nezu. Okay?"
Eri felt better after hearing and remembering what he told her. "Okay." She looked back at Nezu. "T-Thank you."
Nezu gave a happy smile. "You're welcome. And don't worry; we'll only start once you get a little more comfortable here and when you're ready." Shifting his gaze to his student, Nezu started speaking to him now. "Midoriya, since Eri once again confirmed her choice of staying with you, I have a couple options for you as far as dorm rooms go."
"Oh, okay. What are they?" asked Izuku.
"Well, dorm rooms are usually pre-selected. And the dorms are normally separated by gender with four rooms per floor that starts on the second floor. So all the males are on one side and all the females are on the other. You can stay in your original dorm room that's on the male's side at the top floor, which is the sixth floor. It's big enough for you and your belongings. But having another person live with you…"
At this point, Nezu gestured to Eri who titled her head. Seeing her adorable reaction, they all smiled before Nezu continued. "…even a child, might make things a little tight as far as space goes. We could have you take two rooms and join them together since there are some empty rooms and we could move around dorms to make that possible. Even move your dorm to the lowest level to make it easier for you and Eri. But even doing that, there's another problem. If you decide to stay on that side, Eri will be around males more often, which may expose her to things you may not want her to be exposed to."
Izuku had understanding dawn on him. "Oh, shoot. I didn't think of that," he said out loud, making Eri look up at him in confusion and worry. He did miss his mother and mentor share knowing looks of where this was probably going.
"Well, there's also another option that I could offer you."
"Okay, what is it?"
"Since there's only six females in your class, the female's side of the dorms has more empty rooms. What we could do, is give you the first two rooms on one side on the second floor. We can combine them so you have one larger room that'll be enough to accommodate both you and Eri as we would on the male's side. However, the females will have their rooms start on the third floor, so that way there's space between you all. Plus, Eri will have females around her more often who would probably be a better influence for her at this young age instead of the males."
"Wow, really? You'll do that for us?" asked Izuku and Nezu nodded. "And that does make more sense since it'll probably be for the best for Eri. But, would the girls be alright with that? Having a guy on their side of the dorms? I don't want to cause issues with them. Even if it's the better choice for Eri."
The adults in the office all smiled at him. Even when Izuku had something great offered to him, he always thought if it would cause issues for others. Inko was proud of her son for his caring ways. Though a part of her wanted her son to take the offer so he could have more chances to interact with girls his age more often and hopefully that'll help him find someone to get into a relationship with.
It was partly due to that desire for her son and what's best for Eri that made Inko speak up. "I'm sure they'll understand." Izuku turned towards her and she continued. "Once they see Eri and learn about what's going on, I'm sure they'll be alright with it. Plus, they'll have a whole floor between you and them at the very least so there shouldn't be an issue with it."
"Your mother's right, young Midoriya," chimed in Toshinori, drawing attention to him now. "Plus, once they get to know you too, I'm pretty sure they'll be glad to have you closer to them."
Izuku turned back towards Nezu as he thought about what they said. He missed the second shared glance between the two adults. Looking at Eri, Izuku decided to ask for her opinion when she caught his eye. "Eri, what do you want? Do you want us to live on the boys' side or on the girls' side?"
Eri thought about that for a moment. She remembered what they said and she also thought about what she didn't want. She didn't want to be around a lot of people right now. And she did feel a little more apprehensive around men because all the bad people in her past were men. Besides her Papa of course. Because of all that, she found her answer. "The girls' side p-please."
"Alright Eri. Girls' side it is." Izuku looked towards the principal. "I'll have to come up with something to thank the girls for hopefully understanding and working with us on this."
"I'm sure things will go just fine," remarked Nezu, a small glint appearing in his eyes that Izuku missed but both Inko and Toshinori caught that made them think he might be planning something himself. "Now, Midoriya, though today is your first official day, you'd have to start things off with a bang. You already missed the first part of the day…" At this point, Nezu gave a pointed look at the number one hero.
Toshinori gave a sheepish look while rubbing the back of his head. "I ah, got caught up helping some people out. But don't worry; I didn't use it all up for today. I still have about half an hour or so left."
Inko and Izuku both smiled with the former shaking her head. Eri was completely clueless about what was going on at the moment but she had a feeling that the skinny blonde man…Toshi, she thinks was his name from what Izu's mom called him…was in trouble. But she didn't know why…
Nezu let out a sigh. "Anyways, as I was saying. He should've brought you here earlier so you could meet your classmates and get somewhat situated. But since you came in after lunch time, you would have to join them during their rescue training. Or you could wait to start officially tomorrow. Though I believe it'll be better to start today since it'll be an important training exercise. It might be a little difficult and seem overwhelming to you since you'll have to both learn to work with complete strangers at the moment but I think…"
"I'll do it," interrupted Izuku with a serious tone that made them all listen to him. "I'm here to learn and there's no way I want to miss out on rescue training. It's one of the most important aspects of being a hero, if not the most important. Being a hero is all about helping people and that's what I want to do."
Inko, Toshinori and Nezu weren't surprised by his answer but they still felt impressed over it. That he wasn't shying away from a challenge and hearing his core belief. "Very well Midoriya. You will join your peers at the rescue training facility in just a little bit. They're already there but good news is that they're just about to start and you'll still be able to get some good time with them."
"Thank you sir."
"You're welcome." Nezu turned his gaze towards Inko. "Now, with Eri and Midoriya taken care of, I have something to ask you Madam Midoriya."
"Me?" asked Inko while pointing at herself.
"Yes. Since today will be Midoriya's first day, he'll have to go join his peers at the USJ training facility. It'll probably be a better idea for Eri to stay with you for now while he goes." Eri, though she understood, couldn't help but shake slightly over her Papa leaving. She did feel better when Izuku rubbed her back soothingly and stopped shaking. "And you're welcome to stay here at UA until he finishes up."
"That'll probably be a good idea. What do you think Eri?" asked Inko, making the little girl look at her. "How about you and I spend some time together while Izuku goes to practice with his classmates?"
"We can stay here…until Izu comes back?" asked Eri and Inko nodded. "O-Okay. I…I can wait for Izu to come back."
They all smiled and Izuku patted her head gently. "That's my brave Eri. Good job." Eri couldn't help but snuggle into his side and she felt better over the head pats and praise.
"Thank you Nezu," said Inko and Izuku chimed in saying the same.
Nodding at them, Nezu replied back jovially. "Of course! It's my pleasure to help out such wonderful people. And I'm not even done yet." That earned him some confused looks that made him chuckle a bit. "Ms. Midoriya, you'll also be added to the school's list of approved visitors so you may come visit whenever you'd like, which will probably help with taking care of Eri."
"I'm grateful for that and thank you very much," said Inko happily before turning to Izuku and catching his attention. "Just let me know whenever you need help Izuku. I'll be here. And I'll give you a heads up whenever I visit so you can be prepared for it."
Izuku smiled at his mom. "You don't have to do that Mom. Just visit whenever you want and thanks." Seeing his mom smile at him, Izuku turned towards Nezu. "And thank you sir, for everything. I truly appreciate it."
"You're welcome. Just do me a favor and do your best while you're here," replied Nezu.
"Yes, sir!"
The sound of someone clearing their throat made them all look at the skeletal looking blonde man. "We should probably get going, Young Midoriya," advised Toshinori as he stood up.
"Oh, right, we should." Izuku stood up with Eri still in his arms. He took a few steps towards his mother and lowered Eri into Inko's arms. When Eri sat on Inko's lap, Izuku kneeled down in front of them. "Eri-chan, I'll be back soon enough okay? And don't worry. You're with Mom and Principal Nezu. They'll make sure that you're safe no matter what. Just try to relax and have some fun. I'm sure they'll have something for you to do and enjoy while I'm training. Okay?"
Eri nodded slowly. "O-Okay."
Izuku smiled at her and nodded. He stood up and walked towards Toshinori who was waiting by the opened door. He was about to step out before he glanced back at Eri. Izuku gave another smile at her before stepping out and Toshinori followed after him and closed the door behind him.
Though she said she'll try to do as he said, watching him leave made Eri feel a little scared and sad. She knew that his mom, Inko, would take care of her and she did like her. But she still felt much better and safer with her hero close to her. Please come back soon…Papa…
Author's Notes - Izuku's finally at UA right when both classes go to the USJ. Things are about to heat up! Let me know what you guys think as I do want to hear your thoughts and comments so remember to review, fav and follow!
Also, the next chapter, chapter 15, is already up for pa tre on members! I'd really appreciate it if you can become a member and if not, that's fine. You'll just have to wait longer to read. To become a member, just add /silentplayermc03 to the end of pa tre on's website.!
Hope all is well, that I hear from you all and take care!
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