Friendly Foreign Dimensional Exchange Student Spider-Man!: Academia
Yagi's Early Teaching Experience
Early morning, found principal Nezu preparing tea, patiently waiting for the water to come to a boil.
The mouse man sits on one of the two office seats, a tea set sits ready at a table. When he hears the tell-tale whistle beginning to build, he pulls the kettle away and pours the water into two prepared ceramic cups.
There's a knock at the door.
"Come in."
The principal is greeted with the presence of Yagi Toshinori in his All Might form, after closing the door, a burst of steam surrounds his body, dissipating to reveal the small skeleton-like appearance.
"Good morning, All Might, take a seat. Your just in time for some freshly made tea and a little snack."
"Thank you, sir."
Yagi's voice is subdued almost downtrodden. Nezu couldn't fault him for it. They were all feeling a little down right now.
"It will be ready in a moment take a seat, please."
Yagi nods, marching to the available chair and placing himself on it.
"I presume you know why I called you into my office?" Nezu asks.
"It's about the U.S.J. attack, isn't it?"
The principal nods quietly. "Would you mind elaborating on the current situation?"
While asking, he picks a rice cracker and begins to eat it. Yagi looks down, contemplating what he should say.
"Two teachers and two students being in the hospital, one of them still unconscious, the other kids most likely traumatized. This was supposed to be a normal school day…" he begins somberly.
Nezu starts to pour the sencha tea into both cups.
"They went through something that no hero-in-training should ever experience. Hell, even I didn't deal with villains like that when I was their age. It could have been a massacre in there, but somehow they fought back and survived."
The bear-mouse reacts with a reflecting hum, then looks to the large window of his office.
"I may not have the right answer, but I believe even some children learning to be heroes will also grow to have a mental preparedness for any danger that will hit them no matter if they expect it or not."
Nezu turns to the table and carefully holds his filled teacup and sips its contents. The great Pro Hero places his hand on the forehead, showing small signs of shaking.
"But it should have been me there to deal with them since I was their target. Instead, I put everyone in danger by being here and made it all the worse because I was absent when they attacked searching for me..."
Yagi stares at the cup of tea, there is more he really had to take off his chest. Sighing, he looks up to the ceiling.
"My role as the Number One Hero is slowly slipping away, and now this new enemy is targeting the school. At this rate, One for All will have risen again way before young Midoriya can officially take my place."
The mouse creature puts down his cup now being half empty.
"Yagi Toshinori… when I asked you to join us, it wasn't just to limit your heroic activities and teach your chosen successor. I had an even more personal desire for you to be here…"
All Might now stares at the principal with a raised eyebrow.
"Even if you no longer had your quirk, I still would have wanted you to be a teacher. Because I believe your "Symbol of Peace" is something that must be shown and learned by the Hero Course students. You could inspire them to work hard in becoming "symbols" just like you. Your legacy may not only be with Izuku Midoriya but also make an impact on those teenagers who might possibly go beyond just being ordinary Pro Heroes."
While he listens, Yagi takes a long drink from his now tepid tea, almost finishing it.
"If you still wish to bear a lot to blame for what has happened, then I can admit that I also feel deeply responsible…"
"Sir?" Yagi asks, surprised.
"I should have been more careful after hiring you, I didn't imagine the possibility of villains infiltrating this school as a chance to attack you. But after what happened, now I fear even worse possibilities in the future. What if villains get information on students to be kidnapped, held hostage, or there are more attacks on school grounds. That is why from now on, all of our planning will be done in confidentiality, all-important school files will be properly secured, and we'll have more security in this facility. We'll make sure something like this won't happen again."
Yagi responds, nodding in agreement. Nezu holds his cup again and finishes the rest of his drink.
Then the office phone rings.
"My apologies, but I will need to answer that, it won't be too long." The mouse man leaves his chair and heads to his office table.
"Sure…" Yagi responds.
(x)
Nezu is still standing minutes later, pressing the phone to his ear. Yagi tries not to eavesdrop, focusing instead on drinking his tea.
The rice cracker is gone, he's already eaten it, something light enough even his torn insides could hold it down. No doubt something Nezu took into account when he offered them.
"Excellent, then I will see you later. Goodbye."
Nezu's voice indicates the call is done, he places the phone back on the receiver, breathing out a small, barely a sigh before returning to his chair across from Yagi.
"Vlad King has just confirmed that the press conference will be in two days."
"You would like me to speak to journalists?" There's no surprise in his tone, it's a role he's familiar with.
But he is, in fact, surprised himself when Nezu shakes his head.
"No, no. We will handle the media, right now, you have a much more important job."
"Which is?"
"Speaking to your students."
Yagi starts, then looks crestfallen, offering a single, stiff nod in response.
Nezu tilts his head black, orb-like eyes blinking slowly at the reaction. "It seems you have something else in your mind, All Might…"
"It's difficult to think of facing them, Principal Nezu." Yagi admits. "I failed those students today. My absence caused all of this."
The noise Nezu makes is almost a hum, but Yagi can't detect agreement or disagreement there.
The Symbol of Peace takes a breath. "It saddens me, you know. Those kids are so diverse, so many fresh new ideas and perspectives principal Nezu. Having different viewpoints on being a hero and learning to become one. But now, after this, who knows how those ideals could be shaped."
Again, Nezu doesn't respond, taking a sip of his tea instead, for a moment, both men sit in quiet contemplation and regret.
Finally, the mouse breaks the silence.
"Could you tell me something?"
Yagi turns his gaze to him, waiting for the question.
"You're right, of course, that class 1-A, has many diverse students with different ideas and perspectives. But I get the feeling you're thinking of particular students when you say that."
Toshinori smiles softly. "You always were sharp..." The smile fell, eyes drifting down again to the tea. "But yes. Honestly, there are three students I think of most when I say that."
"Which are?"
"The first is Katsuki Bakugo, there's... something inside that boy principal, some spark you only see in a few heroes every generation. Something that tells me that he will become a great hero one day even with all his brashness and anger. His ideals don't mesh well with others, and his manners are more than taciturn, but..."
"You believe in him." The principal finished smiling.
Yagi nodded. "I do. But beside him, there's, of course, Izuku Midoriya. He has that same spark as Bakugo. That same drive but even more than him, Izuku is purely selfless, even when he's not powerful enough, even when Izuku knows he's in danger the boy will fight and try as hard to save someone, even someone he has no reason to save."
Nezu nods. "Which is why you chose him as the next bearer of One for All. I don't know him well, but I feel he'll do you proud one day."
Yagi's fingers traced the rim of his teacup, the still-warm liquid wafting tendrils of smoke into the air. "And finally, Peter Parker. He's like the perfect blend between the two. A student who fights his opponents no matter the situation with the strength and agility to do it, with no hesitance in saving those and helping other heroes."
"Aizawa might not agree so readily with your assessment." Nezu pointed out. "He seems to believe Peter's attitude won't allow him to take battles seriously in the real world."
"Ask Aizawa then, where Peter is now." Yagi shot back, blue eyes staring into black orbs. "In a hospital bed, critically injured, trying to save and protect his classmates, along with Aizawa himself, I might add."
Nezu seemed to have nothing to say to that, and once again, the two teachers lapsed into silence.
"You know," Nezu ventured. "His introduction to U.A. has caused quite a commotion with everyone here. Excluding the faculty, there's a word of mouth that a few students are disappointed or despise that a foreigner is a top pupil in a renowned Japanese Hero School." The mouse creature responds as he holds his chin. "Some alumni aren't too pleased to having an American at U.A. either, thinking he's taking the spot for a Japanese student."
Yagi frowned. He'd faced similar things in America when he'd transferred. But he got through it, he was sure Parker could do the same.
Yagi then looks upward, his black-blue eyes meeting Nezu's beady ones. He remembered when he had Nezu as a teacher years ago, always being engaged with his students and asking questions to get into a student's mindset. It may be why the mouse bear has become the principal of the best Hero School in East Asia.
"Although speaking of those Hero Course students. I, on the other hand, hope more foreigners like Peter Parker and Pony Tsunotori will apply in the future." Nezu declares which surprises the skeleton looking teacher.
"Really, sir?"
"Of course, it fascinates me how other people use their quirks in different parts of the world. How it is utilized and viewed by other religions, cultures, and countries. Especially in the context of heroism."
As Nezu speaks, he gets up from his chair and walks away with the arms behind his back.
"My personal favorites are other hero schools or hero universities which include many foreign students. In the few times I visited outside of Japan, it was so engaging to learn how diverse teachers and youths view their quirks and how they should use them in the country they are studying. From being symbols of tradition to tools for entertainment, many have different perspectives on what it means to have a supernatural ability." He continues while stopping close to the large window in the room. "We can't simply continue to remain homogenous as is, but become a mixing pot if U.A. is to catch up with the best of the best in the world."
Yagi blinks. "I... didn't know this enthused you so much principal.
"Of course," Nezu nods. "Just imagine, a Japanese type international school having many foreign students being taught and telling us about their views on using quirks as a Pro Hero. That would be amazing!" Declares the principal in delight and now spreading his arms.
His exuberance is shortlived, however, sighing quietly as his hands fall back to his sides, seemingly slumping. "Sadly, that dream may have become a bit more distant today. After an attack like this, I couldn't blame parents for not wishing their children to come here, especially since they would need to travel so far."
Yagi could see how this aggrieved the principal, but... there was little he could do to help the situation.
"It'll pass sir." He offered. It was a meek, pathetic reassurance, but it was all he had.
Nezu shrugged.
"Your right, of course." He seemed to puff himself up, sucking down a deep breath as he regathered himself. "One day."
Both head towards the sliding door, with the now All-Might form Yagi opening it and letting himself go out.
"By the way, you can now hold this body for a few hours, correct?" asks the white bear-mouse while looking at Yagi's changed physic from top to bottom.
"Yes, around three hours, at least. I wish I had extra time so I could teach more often this way."
"I agree, good luck with your meetings."
"Thank you, goodbye principal Nezu!"
He turns and marches from the office, talks of future hopes behind him as he prepares himself to face his students once again.
Finally, an update on Academia!
This is the new Chapter 9 taking place after the U.S.J. Arc. The last scene from Chapter 8 was moved here to be reused as a completely new event within the side story. So First Taste of Popularity is the new Chapter 10.
Ld1449 as the editor, and addons by Zaru