Chapter Eighteen
Principal Nezu, Hyper-intelligent Chimera, ex-test subject, and friend to most of humanity, sat at his desk, drinking tea, and was. . . troubled.
An attack like that which had been perpetrated upon them had never happened before. How could it, when they had over a dozen Pro Heroes on staff, all of whom more than capable enough to place in the top one-hundred of Japan if they so desired, and if the ratings prioritized combat capability instead of mere popularity.
Even at their satellite campus, the USJ's defense and detection network should not have been breached so easily. Even with a Warp Quirk, of which only about one in fifty-thousand possessed, that should not be enough. Furthermore, Nezu was also under no illusions that it was his inclusion of All Might into his staff that had prompted this attack upon his students.
Another mammal might have balked at having the man on staff after this, of prioritizing their own well-being and career over helping others, hiding behind the well being of their students when they were really concerned about themselves, but he was made of sterner stuff. No, not only did he owe the man for a lifetime spent helping others, but his mere presence seemed to be spurring forward a new generation of heroes.
Out of twenty fresh, green, untested students, with not even a month of schooling under their belts, only three had been injured and only one seriously. Mr. Ojiro had lost a foot, bitten off by a shark-like villain who had been severely subdued. His parents had vowed to revoke him from the program, and the principal couldn't really blame them.
Nezu had assured them that he'd personally see to the transfer, in such a way that no fault would fall upon the brave young man that, while grievously injured, had still fought off his attackers and made it to safety, hiding away and bandaging the wound, though he had been near catatonic with blood loss by the time Power Loader had found him.
Mr. Sero and Mr. Satou had both been healed, his school taking care of their medical bills to ensure they received the top of Quirked care, both boys set to return to class next week.
Additionally, Thirteen and Aizawa were both going to pull through, neither with permanent injury, though for the latter that was a close thing, his orbital floor severely fractured.
Thankfully, the other students had only suffered minor injuries, easily patched, and, while emotionally battered, would learn from the experience. Brushes with true danger, where the threat of injury, or even death, was possible changed a person, and, while he wished they hadn't gone through that, they all seemed to be the type to take the experience and use it to push themselves even further.
Two of the students of class 1-A, however, had come to his personal attention, and not for the first time either. The first was Mr. Izuku Midoriya, All Might's chosen successor and the new wielder of that man's prodigious power.
That such a, by human standards, small boy wielded such power pleased Nezu. It would even be better if it were someone Mr. Mineta's height, but one could not have everything.
The green-haired child had been making impressive strides from his explosive performance during the entrance exam, but to fight against the creature that the police had found, one that All Might himself was pressed to defeat, even with the aid of another, was truly impressive. If he kept up that progress, his performance in the Sports Festival was going to be a sight to behold.
Then there was the other. Mr. Denki Kaminari. A boy who was. . . off, in ways that Nezu couldn't quite put his paw on, and he both loved and hated when that happened. Loved, because it proved that, once again, there was more for him to learn. Hated, because it proved that, once again, there was more that he didn't know. Managing known factors was one thing, managing unknown factors was something else entirely.
He'd thought he understood the child's Quirk, Plasticity, but he was wrong, neither of his parent's having any kind of healing capability. He supposed it could be another aspect of the power, but, once again, for reasons he couldn't describe, he didn't believe that to be the case.
If the boy didn't trust him as much as he did, Nezu would be worried.
He was an anomaly, learning far too quickly, leagues ahead in almost every class he had, as noted by his teachers, but lacking in odd ways. Math and English, he knew as much as the teachers, more, if Present Mic was to be believed, but in modern literature and history, his knowledge reflected his grades, though he was quickly improving. That said, 'quickly improving' was very different than walking in with enough knowledge to teach the class.
Then was the fact the boy was apparently moonlighting as a Support Course student, having found Power Loader's favorite student of this year's class and quickly making an acquaintance of her, able to hold his own in a way that some of her classmates apparently could not. Again, suspicious, though hallway footage had confirmed that their energetic meeting was not of his own design.
Nezu wondered if the boy would take up the challenge he leveled, and looked forward to his reaction. Would he decline, suddenly choosing to try to avoid the spotlight, accept, and outshine Ms. Hatsume, revealing his capability, or would he walk the line, navigating a minefield that, were he what he claimed to be, would never notice existed?
Then there was his friendship with Ms. Yaoyorozu, daughter of wealthy industrialists, and a very useful connection to have. Nezu was surprised, and pleased, that, from the teacher's reports, no one was treating her any differently than the other students. It spoke well of their character. However, it was very easy to see the benefits one could leverage from a connection to Ms. Yaoyorozu, and Mr. Kaminari, seeming to do so, however subtly, had set off alarm bells, but they were faint, muted by his other friendship, which might be more than a friendship.
It was Mr. Kaminari's relationship with Ms. Ashido that cast doubt on the principal's more malevolent suspicions. She was strong, but others were stronger. Her family was painfully average. Her intelligence, while enough to pass UA's requirements, was on the lower end of the class as a whole. In terms of human attractiveness, she was above average, but, when he'd asked a very confused Midnight for her assessment, he'd been informed that all of the females in that class apparently were, 'depending on your kink'. Even Ms. Ashido's Quirk, from her records, and from her entrance exam, was not particularly powerful. Yet Mr. Kaminari supported her, helping her improve, the girl having admitted to Aizawa that the two had been practicing.
And then there was today.
The attack was unprecedented but, reviewing the footage before power had been cut, apparently not unexpected. Mr. Kaminari was a nervous wreck, the boy's actions practically screaming 'I know something'. Back-tracking class 1-A's journey, the boy had offered an excuse, which had been enough to fool his classmates, but Nezu wasn't born yesterday, despite what his size might suggest.
No, Denki Kaminari had, somehow, known what was coming.
And then the boy had fought a foe that would have killed him, and tried repeatedly to do so, in defense of one of his teachers.
Ms. Yaoyorozu and Ms. Hagakure had been happy to talk to their chimeric principal, Ms. Ashido having already left with the boy in question. Similarly, Mr. Midoriya had been happy to praise the other boy, corroborating his story. Apparently seeing his classmates head seeming to explode when punched, only to reform into electricity had left an impression, and one the boy was relieved to share, which he, as an educator, had been quick to reassure the smaller boy was a completely normal reaction.
Nezu would say it was shocking that the young man had been disturbed by the sight, but it really wasn't.
Further undercutting his suspicious was the report of the very likely lethal blow Mr. Kaminari had dealt to the ringleader, or at least the local commander, of the forces that had attacked his students. The boy hadn't hesitated to try to kill the one person he might have been assisting.
That was not the action of a collaborator.
No, it was the boy's seeming honesty, and his willingness to sit and work while the chimera had removed the sharp shards of metal from his body, easily able to slice his throat in a second, completely at ease other than his worry for the well-being of those he admitted he considered 'his', that had convinced the superintelligent administrator of his innocence.
The principal had even sliced a nerve, a small thoracic one, as he 'removed' the shrapnel buried from Nomu's strike to the boy's back, and Denki had twitched, bit out a grunt of pain, and let him continue.
More than anyone else, Nezu understood the level of trust it took to hold still while someone cut into you, and he was honored that, somehow, he had apparently earned it.
He'd motioned for Midnight to put the boy to sleep, before he hurt himself again, ready to blame it on the blood loss, and there was quite a bit of it, but the boy hadn't even noticed, steadfastly staring forward, waiting.
And, once again, Nezu had been presented with a mystery.
The boy's sudden movement had surprised him, and Snipe had been ready to put a bullet in the boy's leg, but he'd been moving to join his friends, the principal forgotten, and the chimera had had to laugh, shaking his head at the questioning looks from his staff.
Either the boy was an actor to the greatest degree, or he truly did want to be a hero. Mr. Kaminari had his secrets, but then so did everyone else. No, unless something else happened, Nezu would sit back, sip his tea, and see how the talented teen developed.
The door to his office opened, and All Might, looking even more skeletal than normal walked in. "Sorry," the Symbol of Peace apologized, "Dealing with the police took longer than I thought it would. You said you wanted to speak to me?"
"Yes," the principal confirmed, motioning for his newest hire to sit. "What do you think of Denki Kaminari?" All Might grimaced. "That poorly?"
"No," the hero disagreed, shaking his head and waving away the suggestion. "Seems like a good kid. Bit quick to use lethal force, but given the kid seemed like he was running on fumes, I can't blame him. Did you know he fought the same guy I did?"
"Him and your chosen successor, yes," Nezu agreed. "Anything else?"
All Might shrugged, "He's strong? Same as young Bakugo, though Todoroki's probably stronger. Maybe," he corrected. "I would've said definitely before today."
The principal nodded, "Today has been a day full of surprises. And if I were to suggest there seems to be evidence that Mr. Kaminari knew that the attack was coming?"
The hero frowned, "I'd say it better be some damn good evidence, Nezu. That kid put his neck on the line to save Aizawa, and Izuku. And me. Though. . ." he trailed off.
"Though what?" Nezu asked, sadness sitting heavy in his stomach. He wanted to believe in the boy, but, "Is there something that I should know about the student in question? Something that supports the suggestion that he knew his fellow students were going to be harmed?"
"What? No!" All Might quickly disagreed, shaking his head. "No, the kid's on the up and up, as far as I can tell. No, after the kid blew off the disintegrator's, Shigaraki's, hand, I lost hold of my muscle form. Transformed and everything, even if just half-way. Izuku made sure Endeavor's kid didn't see me, but Kaminari saw me. Saved my bacon, actually," he laughed uncomfortably. "I was bluffing and hoping the villains would leave, when he went on the attack, but now he knows my secret, or at least has an idea. It's actually something I wanted to talk to you about," the hero added sheepishly.
The Chimera blinked, and calmly took a sip of his tea. "I'm sorry, what."
An eyeless face regarded the screen in front of him, seeing it clearly. Despite his mangled flesh, he had more than enough power to achieve his ends, but he'd been stymied, and almost lost one of his most valuable pieces today. "He'll survive?"
"Yes, Master," the doctor to his side agreed. "He was brought to me in time, though it was close. If you'd allowed me to enhance him. . ." the genius trailed off, returning to the suggestion that had been made many times.
He'd said no before, the risks too great, but now. . . "Before, it was too soon, your techniques too unrefined. Now though. . . something small," the man who held more power than anyone else declared. "After he recovers. I don't want another High End, I want something more and that requires a more delicate touch. The chances of him surviving if we gave him. . ." he trailed off.
The other centuries old man in the room shook his head. "Below fifty percent, Master, if my calculations are correct. His body has strengthened, but he still can't handle it. Maybe a neck brace, to stop him from injuring himself because he's upset?" was suggested, with a dry smirk.
" My possible successor will not be collared," the eyeless man declared, able to carry his displeasure clearly even without facial expressions. "No, he is but a child. He will learn, but he must survive to do so. Do your work, Professor, but be warned, if his mind is damaged, I will be. . . upset."
"Of course, Master," the bald, goggled man agreed, "I will do my utmost to carry out your will."
Ignoring his personal aid, the eyeless man turned back to his own screen, dismissing the video feed to bring up two images.
Both boys were wreathed in electricity, the image captured by his minion during his possible successor's unsuccessful attack.
Both had destroyed that which was not meant to be destroyed to gain entry.
Both had been placed in his class.
Both had fought the latest Nomu.
Both had lost, yet survived.
Both of which had been protected by the man who called himself All Might, the latest in a long line of foolish heroes.
However, only one of these two were his opponent's chosen heir.
She awoke, sore in the most amazing way. A bar of solid, comforting heat held her down, making her feel safe. Smiling, she looked to the side, seeing the most wonderful, frustrating, amazing, idiotic guy she'd ever known next to her. She knew he wasn't going to make the first move, all wrapped up in his thoughts about 'not rushing' and 'taking their time', trying not to hurt her, she'd realized, but she'd known what she wanted, and gone for it, and she had no regrets.
Carefully prying his arm off her, sliding a pillow under it, he held onto it with a moan of disappointment that was just the cutest thing ever! She wanted to take a picture of him, but would that be creepy? He was naked, and she'd be totes annoyed if he did that to her.
Oh, she'd cover him up with a sheet, and take a picture then! That'd work!
Scooting over to the edge of the bed she went to stand up, only for her legs to give out, sending her sprawling on the floor.
"Owie," she muttered practically eating the carpet, rolling onto her back. She'd heard that might happen, but this was ridiculous. Concentrating, she got back up, her hips sore, and her legs a little unsteady but that was fading quickly. "He really does make me weak in the knees," she laughed to herself, grabbing her camera, bringing up the sheets, and snapping a pic.
Stretching, she felt a bit gross, but way less than she'd worried she would. Time to use the awesome shower! She cheered internally, having glanced it on her way in, but having been busy. It was huge, and she blushed, thinking about how both of them could 'clean up' in the morning.
"Oh, Mina, you've got it bad," she groaned to herself, the sound lost in the falling water. "What had happened to taking it slow?" They were teenagers, they had time. Shouldn't they be worried about their training, and focusing on their studies, and all of that jazz?
An image of Denki, terrified, but going to fight anyways flashed through her mind. And of him, armor shattered, covered in blood, undersuit sliced up in dozens of places as he looked to her in relief. But they were washed away under the shower, an image of him under her, then over her, smiling, with her in every way replaced them. Of their time together, of him doing what he could to help her be a better hero, of him just. . . being Denki.
She wanted to tell herself it wouldn't happen again, that he wouldn't be hurt again, but he was right, they were both heroes. She wanted to tell herself it wouldn't happen again soon, but that wasn't supposed to happen today! God, why couldn't the world just make sense!
Leaning against the wall of the shower, enjoying the cold versus the heat of the water, she had to laugh. Nothing made sense since she'd gotten into UA. Or when she'd started dating Denki. They kinda happened at the same time. Two awesome, scary things, one she'd always wanted, the other she'd never realized she did.
Holding a hand out, she filled it with her acid, passing it to her other hand, and back, in streams. He'd suggested she do it to relax, like meditation but a lot more fun, and it helped a bit. Focusing on it, keeping the shapes stable, even with the water hitting the acid, diluting it, worked to distract her. Eventually, though, she couldn't keep a hold of it, and let it drop, washing away.
Sighing, she washed up, drying off with some amazingly fluffy towels, and coming back to bed, and to the source of her conflicting feelings. He still laid there, stretched out, not injured in the slightest. Even where she'd accidentally bitten down on his shoulder had healed, and she was glad she hadn't broken the skin like she'd thought she had.
Sitting down next to him, she ran her hand down his back, feeling the muscles twitch at her touch. What is this? she thought, not for the first time. What are we? Friends, yeah, lovers now, and that was nice, but. . . if she asked him to be her boyfriend, would he say yes?
She shook her head at the stupid fear. She'd always been good in the moment, rushing in when she was needed, but the quiet times? When she didn't have something to focus on? When she didn't have anyone to talk to? That's when she worried, and started getting dumb.
Of course he'd say yes! He'd been saying yes to her at every step of the way, and all night, so why should he stop now? "Damnit Mina, stop being an idiot!" she muttered to herself, running her hands through her hair.
The boy was stupid, and said things that no one ever actually said while meaning it, and was like the definition of earnest adorableness, like a strong, sexy, puppy that said you were beautiful, not because he wanted in your pants, but because that's what he actually thought! No way was she going to let that get away!
Nodding to herself, she plowed ahead, just like she always did. He wasn't awake, so he wouldn't really hear her, but maybe he'd still hear her subconsciously. Either way, she'd know she said it, and that'd make it easier to say for real later. And, she had to say it, to see if it felt as right as she hoped it would.
Leaning down, Mina hugged him tightly, and whispered into his ear, "I love you."
It felt right.
Repressing a giggle she felt a feeling of warmth spread throughout her, glancing over to his discarded pants as his phone dinged, but ignoring it, as it wasn't important. She felt so good, so wonderful, so. . . complete just from saying it, that she knew she'd made the right decision.
She'd tell him later, for realzies, after they were more officially together-together then they were now, and she was sure he'd say it to her too. Pulling his arm back, smiling at his frown, she moved the pillow and slid under the covers with him, grinning as he held onto her and his troubled expression smoothed back to relaxed peacefulness, holding her to him, like he never wanted to let go.
She drifted off to sleep in the arms of the man she loved, with one thought in her mind.
Nothing could ruin this.