Author's Note 1: My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.
My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.
Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.
Please support the official release.
Chapter 9: Who Will Lead?
"Have a good day, boys!"
"See ya later, Inko."
"Bye, mom!"
Like any other day, Izuku and Hisashi headed out for school and work, respectively, saying goodbye to Inko as they left. As usual, Hisashi went one way to catch the bus to his office, while Izuku went the other way to meet Katsuki at his house before meeting their friends at the train station.
But today wasn't an ordinary day. Unbeknownst to the Midoriya family, they were being spied on. Someone hid in a bush near the Midoriya's apartment building, and with their camouflage Quirk they were practically undetectable.
Once father and son were far enough away, the hidden figure released their Quirk, revealing themselves to be the photographer who accompanied Fumiko Fujita yesterday. The photographer pulled out his phone and texted Fujita.
Takenaka: Got the pics
Fujita: Great! Now follow the dad and keep snapping photos on your end.
Fujita: I've got some snooping to do
The photographer pressed his lips into a thin line.
Takenaka: Hey, are you sure about doing this story?
Fujita: I'll admit, the lead is kind of sketchy, but that's why we're investigating!
Takenaka: No, I mean, if this kid is Quirkless, is it really our place to expose him?
Fujita: The people have a right to know, Taketake. Isn't that why you became a photographer, to expose the truth?
He rolled his eyes at the use of the nickname 'Taketake.' No matter how much he begged, pleaded, or complained, he could never get her to stop using it. Sometimes he thought Fujita didn't even remember his real name, Takehiko Takenaka.
Fujita: Besides, if we can expose UA's rumored 'Quirkless hero student,' it'll make our careers. Now get going before you lose track of the dad!
Takenaka sighed. He really hoped Fujita knew what she was doing.
Takenaka: On it.
Meanwhile…
Within the U.A. Teacher's Lounge, two Pro Heroes stood facing one another. First was the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, Eraserhead, and across from him was his counterpart from 1-B, Vlad King. Vlad King took an intimidating stance, staring down his opponent with the same intensity he showed criminal scum.
By contrast, Eraserhead was…slouching, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world as he took a sip of coffee. "Do we really have to do this?"
"Yes," Vlad said with narrowed eyes. "It's the only way to settle this."
"I can think of like six other ways to settle this, but whatever." Eraserhead took one last sip before placing the coffee cup on his desk. The Hero Course teachers each held up their right fists.
"Once…"
"Twice…"
"Shoot!"
The two men threw their hands down, with Eraserhead's becoming scissors and Vlad's becoming rock.
"Ha, ha! Yes!" Vlad cheered. "Class B does the first rescue exercise of the year!"
"Good for you," Eraserhead said, pointedly ignoring Vlad King's victory dance while he sat down to do some paperwork.
"Boo!" Midnight said from her desk. "You two should've settled this like real men! With wrestling! Preferably of the shirtless and oiled up variety."
"You're not gonna trick me into doing that again, Nemuri," Sekijiro stated.
'The fact that she managed to trick you at all should say something,' Eraserhead thought while Nezu chuckled.
"Excellent, I'll go and inform Thirteen," the Principal said.
At the same time, the reporters and paparazzi were once more crowded outside of UA, still desperate to get any gossip or info on All Might's new teaching position. Some of them had even camped out overnight, hoping to see the Symbol of Peace as he tried to enter the school.
But unbeknownst to the reporters and UA staff alike, someone else was there. Standing in the tree line, just out of sight, stood a lanky man in a black hoodie, jeans, red boots, and an odd pair of black gloves that only covered his pinky and ring fingers.
'Sheep,' the concealed man thought to himself. Honestly, he thought about killing one or two of them to relieve his boredom. He'd probably be doing society a favor by offing these hero-obsessed NPCs. But that would probably cause too much of a ruckus. No, he needed to wait till the time was right. 'These people are idiots, but in the right circumstances, they can be useful idiots.'
Later on, the students of 1-B couldn't help but notice Sekijiro's jovial mood as he walked into class.
"Looks like sensei's got some pep in his step today," Kaminari whispered to Mineta…which meant they had to talk around an increasingly-irritated Kamakiri.
"600 yen says he got laid."
"Mineta! Kaminari! That is extremely inappropriate!" Tenya exclaimed, turning behind him to address the two while Kamakiri growled.
"Morning, students. I got some good news: this Thursday, we're gonna be conducting our first rescue exercise of the year," Vlad stated. "So make sure your costumes and support gear are ready by then."
After a few nods of acknowledgment and a couple of cheers from his more enthusiastic students, Vlad's expression turned serious. "But as for today, you will decide something that will affect the rest of your tenure at U.A."
A few of the students were nervous, waiting for what their teacher had to say and what important choice they had to make.
"Today…you will decide your class representative!"
It was good that everyone was seated because the whiplash of such a mundane answer from Vlad's deathly serious expression was enough to knock his students on their collective asses. But after getting over that shock, a dozen hands shot up as almost every student spoke up at once.
"Oh, oh, pick me! Pick me!" Hagakure shouted.
"Yo, I'll take a crack at being class prez," Kaminari said.
"I'd do it," Jirou said, if only because she knew that Hagakure or Kaminari being their representative would be a disaster.
"Vote for me, and all the skirts will be mini-skirts!" Mineta said as he stood on his desk.
"Screw that!" Tokage countered. "If I win, we're gonna get mandatory 'shirtless boys' day and weekly kaiju movie screenings!"
"Your vote of confidence will ensure decorum of the macabre for our daily education," Yanagi stated, confusing Tsunotori.
"I'll make every day as manly and chivalrous as possible!" Kirishima shouted.
"The hell does that even mean?!" Awase chimed in.
The classroom exploded into a cacophony of students arguing why they should be the class representative. Izuku, still quietly seated, couldn't help but chuckle at his classmates' antics.
"Everyone, control yourselves!" Tenya shouted, stopping the commotion. "The role of the class representative is one of heavy responsibility! Whoever takes up this office will need the ability to lead and the trust of their fellow students. Therefore, the only reasonable and civilized way to decide who should lead our classroom should be decided by election!"
"Boring!" Kamakiri said. "Let's just fight for the title: last man standing style!"
"This ain't wrestling!" Ochako shouted in shock while everyone else ignored Kamakiri's suggestion.
"Um, are you sure that's a good idea, Iida?" Koda quietly asked. "We haven't known each other long enough."
"Koda's right," Jirou chimed in. "Three weeks ain't enough time to build trust between strangers."
"And everyone's just gonna vote for themselves anyway," Kaibara commented, which made Honenuki crack up.
"Don't act like you and your blonde sweetheart ain't just gonna vote for each other."
Neither one of them denied the claim.
"Actually, I can kind of see where Iida's coming from," Kendo said. "If someone does get multiple votes, it'll show they've managed to earn the trust of a couple of students in a short amount of time."
"Precisely! Thank you, Kendo!" Tenya exclaimed. He then looked towards Sekijiro. "Sensei, will you allow us to engage in a vote?"
"Wait, we're doing it right now?" Sero blurted out. "Feels pretty sudden."
Vlad rubbed his chin at Sero's words. "I suppose you're right," he said. "Alright, we'll hold the vote at the end of the day. That way, you kids will have a chance to 'campaign' and try to convince the class why you should be our rep." Vlad grinned. "In fact, think of this as an impromptu lesson on self-marketing."
"Huh?" Sero said, voicing his and several other students' confusion.
"A Pro-Hero needs to know how to market themselves, be it to potential sponsors and agencies you want to work at," Vlad explained.
Tenya raised his hand. "But, sir, shouldn't the class representative be chosen based on whoever is most capable of fulfilling the duties of the position?"
"Actually, I think I get it," Kendo said. "While technical skill is important, none of it will matter if people think you're incompetent. Everyone, not just heroes, needs to know how to make themselves look good and demonstrate why they're a good fit for the position. If you can't convince people of your own worth, you'll never get anywhere." The members of Class 1-B nodded in understand
"Excellent explanation, Kendo," Vlad said, giving her a thumbs up. "I couldn't have said it better myself. Now, good luck and happy campaigning."
For the remainder of class, the students of 1-B did their best trying to convince everyone else why they should be elected class rep. Others, however…
"Vote for Senny!" Pony exclaimed, a fist raised in the air. "He's strong and smart and handsome. He'd made a great representative."
"No! Vote for Pony!" Sen practically shouted. "She's the most amazing girl in the world; no one deserves to be class rep more than her!"
Each member of 1-B's resident couple had decided to try and support the other. It had quickly devolved into Sen and Pony essentially yelling about how much they loved the other. It was met with…mixed reactions.
"Ugh, can you guys stop the lovey-dovvy routine?" Kuroiro said.
"Yeah, you're gonna make Mineta feel jealous and insecure," Tokage added before her mouth curled into a mischievous grin. "On second thought, keep doing it."
"Screw you, Tokage!" Mineta snapped.
Her smile only grew wider. "Ha, you wish!"
"Nuh-nuh! I'm not the one with the lizard fetish," Mineta said, crossing his arms childishly.
Tokage gasped. "How dare you?!"
'They're at it again,' Izuku thought with a sigh. It looked like Mineta and Tokage had all but abandoned their ambitions of being class rep in favor of their typical bickering. They reminded Izuku of how he and Ochako and Katsuki would rib each, only with a more perverted edge to it.
Izuku looked around the room at what his other classmates were doing. In one corner of the room, Kamakiri and Yanagi were having what they called a "debate." In actuality, it was more along the line of Kamakiri hyping himself and insulting the other class rep hopefuls while Yanagi spouted cryptic and unsettling comments. Honenuki and Fukidashi had somehow gotten dragged into Kamakiri and Yanagi's absurd debate. They had stayed simply for the entertainment value.
Several students had gathered around Kendo's desk. From what Izuku could gather, Kendo had managed to sway quite a few of their classmates to her side without much effort. He could understand why. Kendo was well-spoken, intelligent, had demonstrated great skill during combat training, and had a big sisterly charm. Even Kirishima and Jiro, who both said they wanted to be class rep, seemed ready to vote for Kendo.
Tenya, on the other hand…
"—and that is why I believe you should vote for me, Tenya Iida, in Class 1-B's representative election!" Tenya exclaimed, finishing an impassioned speech about his desire to be class rep. "I promise to make not just Class 1-B but all of UA proud. Can I count on your vote?"
Sero, Kaminari, Hagakure, and Ochako stared blankly at Tenya. Ochako quickly shook her head, coming out of a daze.
"I understood, like, half of that," Hagakure said flatly. "What about you guys?"
"Honestly, I wasn't even sure he was speaking Japanese," Kaminari said.
Sero raised his hand. "Same." He turned back to Tenya and gave a nervous smile. "Well, uh, good luck on being class rep. I'm gonna check out whatever the hell those two are doing." He pointed his thumb at Kamakiri and Yanagi and walked off, Hagakure and Kaminari following after him.
"Wait! Please come back!" Tenya pleaded. "I have more talking points to…discuss…" At that point, Tenya was speaking to empty air.
"Are you okay, Tenya?" Izuku asked.
Tenya looked at his friend with a crestfallen expression and sighed. "This will be more difficult than I anticipated." Izuku and Ochako each placed a comforting hand on his shoulders.
When lunchtime rolled around, Izuku, Tenya, Ochako, Katsuki, Mei, Awase, and Tsuyu decided to sit together in the cafeteria. As it turned out, the other freshman classes also had to decide on their class reps today. Mei's class apparently had an initial round of voting and was having a runoff election later that day. Katsuki's class had already elected their rep and vice rep in first period because their teacher wanted to "get it over with." Mei got zero votes but didn't really care since that would get in the way of her tinkering, while Katsuki received a single vote from himself and grumbled while eating his spicy ramen.
"Sorry to hear that, Kacchan," Izuku said.
"It's bullshit. I could understand why Ponytail got elected class rep, but how did I lose being vice rep to fucking Bigfoot?"
The 1-B students stared at Katsuki in confusion until Tsuyu elaborated, "Our classmate, Shishida, is really tall and covered in fur."
"Ah!"
"And it's not a surprise no one else voted for you, Bakugou," Tsuyu continued. "You're a skilled fighter with good Quirk control, but your personality puts a lot of people off."
"Goddamn!" Awase exclaimed, in awe of Tsuyu's bluntness, while Katsuki's scowl hardened.
"She's got a point, Kacchan," Mei said.
"I know, damn it!" Katsuki growled. "Doesn't mean I have to like it!"
Tenya looked at his meal, contemplating their conversation. "I suppose that's what Vlad King meant by self-marketing," he said. "It's illogical and unfair, but how others perceive you plays an important role in how you advance in the world. While I believe I have all the qualifications necessary to fulfill the role of class representative, convincing our classmates of that is a different matter entirely."
"Yeah, and I'm not sure a big speech was the best way to go," Ochako said, nervously rubbing the back of her head. "I, uh, kind of spaced out when you started talking about the constitution."
Tenya stared at her, aghast. "That was the beginning of my speech!"
Katsuki cackled at Ochako's guilty expression. "Really, Roundface?" he said with a grin. Ochako responded by blowing a raspberry at him.
"On top of everything else, you've got to compete with Kendo," Izuku mused. "Seems like half the class is leaning towards her. She just kind of naturally draws people to her."
Awase nodded in agreement. "I'm even thinking of voting for her."
Ochako gasped. "Traitor!"
"Ochako, please stop," Tenya said, coming to Awase's defense. "Even though I covet the position, I can admit Kendo would likely be an exemplary representative. I would never fault anyone for voting for her." He looked towards Izuku and Ochako. "By that same token, I ask that you vote for whomever you believe will best fulfill the position and not give me your vote simply because we're friends. Win or lose, we owe to our classmates to ensure this election is as fair as possible."
Everyone stared at Tenya for a moment. "You know, Tenya, I've been meaning to ask ya something," Ochako said. "With the way you talk and stuff…you're totally a loaded rich kid, aren't ya?"
Tenya went stiff at that.
"It's kind of obvious," Katsuki chimed in. "You told us you went to Soimei Private Academy. Only super rich trust fund kids and total brainiacs get into that school."
"Tell me about it," Awase grumbled.
Tenya sighed. "I was trying not to draw attention to it to avoid any preferential treatment," he admitted. "But it's true: I am a scion of a long-standing heroic lineage."
Hearing that made something click in Izuku's head. The combination of Tenya's height, Quirk, and appearance had been nagging at the back of Izuku's head since the school years started. But with the confirmation that Tenya came from a family of heroes, it finally clicked. Izuku felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. "Tenya, are you related to the turbo hero, Ingenium?"
With a proud smile, Tenya nodded. "He's my older brother, Tensei."
"That's so cool!" Izuku exclaimed. "Ingenium's got 65 sidekicks out of his Tokyo office, and they're said to have some of the best teamwork in the business!"
"Indeed," Tenya said. "Idaten prides themselves on deploying the right heroes for the right situations, and Tensei leads them with unwavering courage and adherence to rules and regulations." A smile appeared on his face. "He's a true inspiration. I can only hope that I can be even half the hero he is one day."
"Aw," Mei said. "That's sweet."
The group was a bit surprised at this sentimental side of their tall friend. Even Katsuki was surprised and gave his own smile.
"Well, I'll be damned, Iida," Katsuki said with a tap on the taller boy's shoulders. "And here I thought you were a total stick in the mud."
"Not the first time I have been called that."
Ochako continued to eat her beef bowl, but she caught sight of a paper airplane flying over their table. It circled overhead a few times before landing perfectly in Izuku's hair. Ochako erupted into a fit of laughter, sending her mouthful of food flying.
"Ochako, show some table manners!" Tenya stated.
"S-sorry," Ochako said.
Confused, Izuku took the paper airplane out of his green tuff and unfolded it. As it turned out, it was actually a letter. And as Izuku read it, his face turned red, and his hands began to shake. Out of curiosity, Awase and Tsuyu looked over Izuku's shoulders to read.
Dear Midoriya,
You don't know who I am, but you've recently caught my eye. I was blown away by you. And even just thinking about you makes my blood race and my heart beat like crazy!
I'm too embarrassed to reveal my name in this letter. But I need to talk to you and tell you how I really feel! So I'm asking you: please come to the rooftop of building 3 after classes end today.
Until then. -XOXO
"Huh, how about that?" Tsuyu said while Awase whistled and patted his friend on the back.
"Damn, Midoriya! Not even a month here, and you already have a secret admirer!"
"Wait, for real?" Katsuki asked before taking the letter out of the stunned Izuku's hands and reading it. "Huh. Well, that's certainly new."
"Aw, good for you, Izuku!" Ochako said. Though she was a bit confused why her stomach felt weird after she said that. But she was fairing better than Izuku, who was completely Christmas-colored.
"I…but…what…why…eh?!" Izuku shouted, looking around to see if he could spot the girl that threw the paper airplane. "This never happened before! What should I do?!"
"Eh, you can just blow them off," Mei said. "That's what I would do."
"Harsh," Awase commented.
"Not to mention rude. Someone went out of their way to confess their feelings to you. Ignoring them would be highly insensitive," Tenya stated.
"But what do I say if I meet them? What if it's someone from my class?!" Izuku said. It couldn't be Tsunotori hopefully. And while he was well aware of his female classmates having their own unique charm, he wasn't sure how he'd feel about any of them having romantic feelings for him. "Did you guys ever deal with love letters?"
"Nope," Ochako said, scowling a bit as she recalled some boys in her middle school calling her a chipmunk girl.
"I'm afraid not," Tenya responded. "Fraternization amongst students was against Soimei's rules."
"You don't want advice from me," Awase said, suddenly gaining a hundred-yard stare that confused everyone.
"No clue," Mei said.
"The only girl that 'confessed' to me wanted to use me to get back at her ex," Katsuki bluntly said. "I told her to go fuck herself."
"Just meet with her and talk," Tsuyu stated. "And if you don't feel anything, just be polite, say you appreciate their feelings but that you're not looking for a relationship right now."
"And that works?" Izuku asked, getting a nod from his fellow greenette.
"It's worked for me."
"Just how many people have confessed to you, Tsu?" Ochako asked. Tsuyu held her chin for a moment, trying to think of a specific number, but she just shrugged.
"Well, well, well…"
"Goddammit," Katsuki groaned while Tsuyu's expression turned sour.
"…aren't you quite the rabble?" Another student approached their table. He was about average height and build, with slick short blond hair and periwinkle blue eyes. He also had an incredibly smug look on his face. "Honestly, Bakugou, when you said you had friends in the other classes, I figured you were lying. Apologies."
"Another classmate of yours?" Izuku asked.
Tsuyu nodded. "What do you want, Monoma?"
"Oh, I just wanted to satiate my curiosity," Monoma stated before pointing at Katsuki. "After all, it takes a special kind of person to tolerate being around this rabid dog."
"…do you just insult us?" Awase asked.
"Buzz off, Bootleg!" Katsuki shouted.
"Though I suppose that's something that should be expected of Class 1-B," Monoma continued, completely ignoring the two.
"And just what are you implying with that?" Tenya asked.
"It's quite simple. Class 1-A is the best of the brightest. The aces of the next generation of heroes. The ones who shine in the spotlight." The smug blond continued with a flick of his hair. "By contrast, you of Class 1-B lot are the background extras. The understudies. The supporting cast that no one pays attention to. The…"
As Monoma kept going on, Izuku, Ochako, Tenya, and Awase mentally came to the same conclusion; this guy was a colossal jerk. Even Mei thought that, and she wasn't even part of 1-B. But while Monoma kept ranting, Katsuki stood up, ramen bowl in hand.
"And I'm afraid it's your destiny to be outshined by u—"
Monoma's rant was cut short as Katsuki dumped his ramen on the other blond's head, the noodles and broth soaking his hair and the top of his uniform. Everyone was in shocked silence while Katsuki had a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Oops."
"Y-you…I…" Monoma grabbed Katsuki by his shirt collar and screamed. "What the hell is your deal, you porcupine-headed troglodyte?!"
"My 'deal,'" Katsuki began, voice low and dangerous, "is that I don't tolerate jackasses that want to start shit with my friends." Katsuki pushed Monoma back. Monoma glared at the other blond. Then, to everyone's surprise, sparks began erupting out of Monoma's palms. It was similar, no, identical to Katsuki's Quirk.
"Maybe you'll change your tone once you've had a taste of your own explosions."
"Then you're more delusional than I thought. You really think a knock-off like you can take down the real deal?!" Katsuki barked with a burst of laughter, his own hands sparking. But Izuku and Tenya held him back by the arms.
"Bakugou, enough! This is not behavior befitting a future hero!" Tenya shouted.
"It's not worth it, Kacchan!" Izuku exclaimed.
Monoma chuckled. "Well, I suppose a rabid dog like you would need some train—"
Before the blond could continue his rant, a series of green vines suddenly grabbed and restrained him. And before Monoma could complain, a piece of duct tape was slapped over his mouth.
"Monoma, this is not the sort of behavior you should be engaged in when speaking with other students." The vines were actually part of some long thorny green hair belonging to a girl with blue eyes. The vine-haired girl was accompanied by another female student. She had black hair in a ponytail and black eyes. She was taller than Izuku and Ochako but still shorter than Tenya. The taller girl then turned to the vine-haired girl. "Thank you for the assistance, Shiozaki."
"Think nothing of it," Shiozaki said. Monoma thrashed a bit, but that stopped when he saw the dagger-like look his captor was giving. "Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, Monoma. You should know better than to personify it."
The taller girl then approached the gang. "Hello, Bakugou. Asui." She then looked at the others and offered a pilot bow. "As the newly elected representative of Class 1-A, I apologize on my classmate's behalf."
"Oh, it's no problem," Izuku said. But then he noticed her ponytail. "Bakugou, is she the one you were talking about? The girl who can pull stuff out of her body."
The tall girl blinked a bit before giggling. "I suppose that's one way to describe my Quirk. Please, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Momo Yaoyorozu. Or Ponytail, as Bakugou seems to like calling me."
"Hey, it fits," Katsuki said.
"I am Ibara Shiozaki, also of Class 1-A," she said calmly and serenely. "And you already know Neito Monoma."
The blond boy grumbled into the tape over his mouth.
"A pleasure to meet you," Tenya said, giving a textbook perfect bow. "My name is Tenya Iida, a student of Class 1-B."
Izuku gave them a friendly wave. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. I'm from 1-B too."
"The name's Ochako Uraraka! I'm in 1-B!" she exclaimed with a bright smile.
"Yosetsu Awase. Same class," Awase said, a light blush on his face as he gazed at Yaoyorozu. 'This girl's in high school?! She looks like a freakin' supermodel!'
"I'm Mei Hatsume of the Support Course!" Mei said with excitement before getting up in Yaoyorozu and Shiozaki's faces. "Say, you wouldn't be in need of any top-tier support gear, would ya?"
"Um…I'm good at the moment," Yaoyorozu said, taken aback by Mei's bluntness.
"The lord provides all the support I need," Shiozaki said.
"Can the lord provide you a combination grapple/gas/pellet gun? I think not." Mei said before Katsuki grabbed her by the collar and dragged her away from Shiozaki.
"Um, Yaoyorozu?" Izuku asked.
"Yes?"
"If you don't mind me asking, how does your Quirk work?" Izuku said nervously. "Not to be weird, but Kacchan wasn't that specific about how it works, but he told me it's incredibly powerful. And…I kind of like learning about interesting quirks."
Yaoyorozu simply nodded. "I don't mind at all, Midoriya. Bakugou's description was rather blunt, so let me show you." She held her hand up, and Izuku watched in wonder as a small Russian nesting doll emerged from her palm. "My Quirk is called Creation. And as long as I know the molecular makeup of an object, I can use the lipids in my body to create it."
"That's amazing!" Izuku said, pulling out his notebook and quickly taking notes. "Is there a limit?"
"Well, how big an object is determines how much skin area I need to use while manifesting it."
"Oh, so that's why your costume was like a swimsuit," Tsuyu bluntly said, making Awase do a double-take.
"Well, hopefully, that won't be quite the case for long." Yaoyorozu then looked at Katsuki. "Did your parents tell you how long until the prototype is ready?"
"About two days," Katsuki said.
"Really? That's quite fast," Yaoyorozu said, getting a nod.
"I hate to admit it, but the old hag is damn good when it comes to making quality clothing quickly."
While the two talked about her costume, Izuku was about to ask Shiozaki about her quirk…and maybe try and ask Monoma what his was if he had calmed down. But then…
BER-WAAAA!
Suddenly, alarms began blaring throughout the cafeteria, startling and confusing all the students. And it was exacerbated when an automated announcement came over the PA System.
Security Level 3 has broken. All students, please evacuate in an orderly fashion.
"Level 3?" Ochako asked as the students began to leave in a hurry.
"Oui! Does anyone know what Level 3 is?!" Katsuki loudly asked the crowd.
"It means someone's infiltrated the building!" An upperclassman shouted. "And we need to hurry up and get out of here!"
Despite the call for an orderly fashion, the U.A. student body crammed into the exiting corridors like a pack of sardines. And within that closed space came a ton of shoving and pushing.
"Hey, watch it!" Mineta shouted as the short boy was pushed around. For a moment, he tried to look up some skirts, but that failed when someone accidentally stepped on him.
"Ha!" Tokage laughed at Mineta's misfortune…until a bigger student knocked her down. "OW! What the hell!?"
"MMMMNN!" Momona shouted, still muffled by the tape as he fell out of Shiozaki's hair, while said greenette was trying to politely get people to stop shoving her.
"Ow!" Ochako cried out as someone elbowed her in the face.
"Someone touched my butt!" Awase shouted.
"If I get shoved one more time, I swear to god!" Katsuki shouted, becoming even more short-fused than usual.
"Such a rapid response time!" Tenya commented. "I expect no less from a great institution!"
"Maybe it's too great! Everyone's panickin—" Izuku began to say before he found himself shoved and pressed up against a window. But as he tried to push himself back, the robot pilot saw a crowd of reporters and a few of their teachers (including Vlad King and Eraserhead) arguing with them. "Those reporters again?!"
Meanwhile…
"Geez. Glad I didn't go to UA today," Fujita said as she sat in a cafe, sipping on a cup of coffee. She was on her laptop watching one of her reporter colleagues as they were live streaming right from UA. It was an absolute mess as paparazzi, reporters, and journalists came spewing through the newly made opening in UA's perimeter wall. Her friend smack dap in the middle of the crowd packed in tighter than Mt. Lady's ass in her costume. With how things were going, Fujita wouldn't be surprised if some of them got arrested or trampled.
'Well, back to work,' Fujita thought as she clicked away to another website. She had at least a dozen tabs open on her browser, primarily social media accounts of students, both current and former, of Aldera Middle School. But one tab was said middle school's "About" page.
Fujita smiled as she found the school's phone number. The woman excitedly tapped her pen on her open notebook as she called Aldera.
"Hello," came a stale voice. "You've reached Aldera Middle School. How can I help you?"
"Why, hello there," Fujita said cheerfully. "My name is Fumiko Fujita, a journalist for The National Jinkai. I got wind that not one but two of your former students got into UA's hero course. I'd just love to do a piece on the sort of exceptional school and teachers that produced such fine young men."
"Oh! Oh, my," the receptionist said, sounding much more energetic. "Of course, just let me connect you to the principal." A wicked smile spread across Fujita's face.
Back at UA…
"Guys, it's the press!" Izuku shouted. "They're the ones that broke in!"
"Seriously?!" Mei shouted as her goggles were knocked off her head.
"Would you assholes calm the fuck down?!" Katsuki tried shouting, but his shouts were drowned out by the sheer pandemonium.
'This is madness!' Tenya thought to himself. 'Everyone's just panicking! Think Tenya! What would Tensei do in a situation like this?' Suddenly, Tenya saw it, a spot above the emergency exit. A plan quickly formed in his head.
"Ochako!" Tenya exclaimed, reaching towards her through the crowd. "Use your Quirk on me!"
She stared at Tenya in confusion. But seeing the determined expression on his face, Ochako nodded and slapped his outstretched hand. "Go for it, Tenya!"
Weightlessness was an almost surreal feeling, but Tenya didn't have time to take it in. Working quickly, Tenya jumped off the ground and rose above the crowd. Most students were in too much of a panic to even notice him. Eyes on the target, Tenya rolled up his pant legs and ignited his Quirk. "Engine Boost!" Tenya had to suppress a yelp of surprise as he flew through the air uncontrollably, his glasses falling off in the process. And then—
SMACK!
—he hit the wall of the emergency exit.
Ignoring the pain of hitting a concrete wall, Tenya grabbed a pipe above his head and placed his feet firmly on the exit sign. 'This is it,' Tenya thought, looking over the sea of panicking students. 'Be concise, clear, and confident. Make an impact!'
Tenya took a deep breath. "LISTEN UP! EVERYTHING IS OKAY!" His voice reverberated through the hall. The crowd looked up, and more than a few students went bug-eyed at the sight of Tenya doing his best impression of a crosswalk sign. "UA ISN'T UNDER ATTACK! IT'S SIMPLY THE PRESS!" A few students looked out the window to confirm, but most of the crowd was still tense and panicked. "There's nothing to worry about; everything is fine," Tenya continued. "We are the students of UA. We need to remain calm and prove that we are the best of the best." Tenya looked over the mass of students with squinted eyes. "Please, disperse yourselves from the emergency exit; no one can move in this state. I also believe some students may have been injured in the stampede. Look around and see if there is anyone in need of assistance."
It took a few minutes, but Tenya's reassurances managed to calm the students down. Within the next few hours, the police arrived. More than a few people were arrested for breaking into private property and inciting a riot at UA. Fortunately, none of the students were seriously injured in the chaos, but a few still needed to go to the nurse's office.
At the end of the day, Class 1-B reconvened and held their election for class representative. Everyone voted anonymously, and Vlad King counted the votes himself.
"I'll admit, you kids surprised me with how you voted," Vlad said, standing in front of the class. "But I suppose I should just let you see for yourself. Without further ado, here are the results." With a press of a button, the screen lit up, displaying exactly how many votes everyone received. Most students received zero, while five each got a single vote (most likely from themselves,) Izuku was surprised to see he received two votes, and at the top of the list with 6 votes was—
"ME!" Tenya exclaimed, eyes wide as dinner plates.
"Woohoo! Go, Tenya," Ochako cheered.
"Congrats," Izuku said with a smile.
"Right, thank you," Tenya said stiffly, well, more stiffly than usual, and went back to staring at the screen. He could hardly believe it; he'd practically given up hope on becoming class rep. And it was a close race; Kendo was right behind him with 5 votes.
"Alright, Iida, Kendo, come on up," Vlad said. "Let's hear it for 1-B's rep and vice rep!" The students clapped and gave congratulatory words as Tenya and Kendo stood at the front of the room and waved.
"Thank you all. I humbly accept this position and solemnly swear to do my best," Tenya said, accompanied with a round chopping the air.
Kendo chuckled next to him. "You know, you're a little stiff, more so than Midoriya's robot, but you've certainly got enthusiasm." She smiled. "I'll admit, I was on the fence about you, but after what you did in the cafeteria, I think I made the right call."
Tenya froze, then slowly turned to her. "You…voted for me?"
She nodded.
Suddenly, the bell rang.
"Ah, wish I could stay and chat, but I've got plans," Kendo said and grabbed her things. "I look forward to working with you, Representative Iida."
"Y-you as well, Vice Representative Kendo," Tenya said as the orange-haired girl walked out the door. His face felt warm, and a light blush colored his cheeks.
Now that school was let out for the day, Izuku still had one thing to do; meet his secret admirer. Everyone wished him luck, including Ochako. He felt a weird feeling of disappointment that she had no objection to this, but wasn't exactly sure why.
And so, like the letter asked, Izuku found himself on the roof of Building 3, the sun had already begun to set in the distance. He looked around but saw no one else on the roof. "Um…hello?"
"Nice! You actually showed up!" Izuku flinched and turned around. Standing on the roof's fence was an older boy with cat-like features. The same one that had watched 1-B combat exercise the other day. He jumped off the fence and landed gracefully on his feet. "Gotta say, part of me was worried you wouldn't show up."
It took Izuku a moment to process this. He and everyone in his group assumed a girl had written then love letter. But he didn't think of the just-as-likely possibility that a boy might've also sent that letter.
"Now you're probably wonderin—"
"I'm sorry!" Izuku suddenly shouted, surprising the cat boy, while the green-haired boy bowed his head. "I'm very flattered, and I appreciate the courage it took to write that letter…but I'm not interested in boys!"
But out of all the reactions Izuku thought he would have to deal with, jovial laughter was not one of them.
"Hey, neither am I. But I had to get your attention somehow…" His cat-like eyes took on a mischievous glint. "…Izuku Midoriya."
"So…that was a fake love letter." Izuku realized, suddenly feeling a lot more nervous.
"Correct," the cat boy said as he approached Izuku. "Gotta say, when I saw that robot of yours, I was impressed. I thought the thing might've been for show…right up until you tore down an entire freakin' wall!"
Izuku thought about what he was saying before coming to a sudden realization. "Were you…spying on my class during the combat exercise?"
"Oh, spying's an ugly word. I prefer the term 'scouting,'" the taller boy said. "And since you and your robot got my attention, I did some digging." He pulled out his phone and played the old video of Skeletron's freak-out at the science fair. "That led me to Aldera Middle School…and learning something really interesting. The answer to that rumor that's been going around for the last few days." His yellow eyes looked directly into Izuku's green eyes. "The identity of U.A.'s first Quirkless hero student."
Izuku felt his breath hitch. Experience made him clench his fists, mentally preparing him for a barrage of degrading insults. "So what if I am?"
The cat boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. He handed it to Izuku, who cautiously took the card. It was black with gold lettering and a chibi cat in the corner.
Shigeru Kaneko. Future Star Manager.
"It means that you, my dear Midoriya, are a walking goldmine!" His eyes took on an excited shine. "And with my help, you and I are gonna be filthy rich!"
An awkward silence followed after that declaration, a crow's caw echoing in the distance.
"…huh?"
"Let me back things up," He then pointed his thumb at himself. "The name's Shigeru Kaneko, a 2nd-year student of the U.A. Business Course. I've been looking for someone to be my debut client, but no one had that 'zing.'"
"Zing?"
"You know; that special thing that the best heroes have that automatically makes you go; 'oh wow, this guy's awesome!' All Might's got his bigass smile, Gang Orca's a friend to all children, and the Wild Wild Pussycats got that mature idol appeal. That's their special zing! And you, Midoriya, everything about you screams 'ZING!'"
"I'm not sure I follow."
"Do I need to spell it out? Dude, you're not like hundreds of schlubs running around in spandex! You have an honest-to-Buddha super robot! Do you know how much merchandise can be made on that alone?!"
Actually, Izuku did know firsthand. Not just from his own modest collection of mecha merchandise but his father's massive collection as well.
"Think about it! Action figures, model kits, funko pops! DX! Brave Gokin! Soul of Chogokin!" Kaneko said, putting an arm around Izuku's shoulder. "Mecha fans, new and old, buying merchandise of your robot!"
Izuku's eyes widened as he thought about it. "That…that would be so cool!"
"And I assume your robot isn't just the only thing rolling around in that big, fluffy head of yours."
"Well, I have a ton of ideas for upgrades and attachments."
"Even better! Each new upgrade is a new accessory! And you better believe that mech heads are gonna pay out the ass for that shit."
"Ya, that's true," Izuku said, recalling his father crying about how expensive it was to buy the complete Brave Chokin set of Kotetsu Jeeg.
"Look, my point is, you're gonna need someone to help out for the financial and image side. And I want to be the guy to do that." Kaneko stated. "Every top-tier hero has an agent to help make them big, and I want to be the one to help you become the next big thing in professional heroism."
Now Izuku was getting really excited. The idea that Striker could be a model kit along the same lines that Mazinger Z, GaoGaiGar, and Gundam made him unbelievably hyped. But then, he remembered something. "But…you know I'm Quirkless, right?"
"Midoriya, my precious little broccoli boy," Kaneko said before petting Izuku's messy green hair. "That's even better!"
"Huh?"
"Think about it! Everyone loves to root for the underdog! And a kid with no superpowers entering into a field dominated by people with crazy powers? You're the biggest underdog since Shoyo Hinata! You probably got some gut-wrenching tales that tug at the heart."
"I…more than a few," Izuku said. Kaneko stopped smiling as he saw the sadness welling in Izuku and awkwardly removed his hand from Izuku. He then lightly coughed into his hand.
"Look, my number's on the back of the card," Kaneko then began to walk to the stair entrance. "You're gonna make your public debut soon when the Sports Festival rolls around, right?"
Izuku nodded in response. "Well, if you want someone to help get people hyped for the debut of a new breed of hero, I'm your guy. I'll be waiting."
As Kaneko left, Izuku found himself alone on the roof, card in hand. He was more than a bit baffled by what had just happened. And he especially knew his friends would be just as confused as well.
At the same time, Nezu was looking over the main gates of U.A. The prevailing question of the staff's mind was this; how did a bunch of reporters manage to get past their automated security system? Well, the rat bear found the answer.
One of the reinforced gates had been destroyed. Not by any kind of superstrength quirk, but almost like the missing part disintegrated into thin air. Nezu began to wonder if there was more to this? Did some unknown party destroy the gate and use the resulting chaos from the reporters and paparazzi storming in to sneak into the school. A throughout search of the school found no intruders left over, so there was a high possibility that the intruder snuck in quickly and left before anyone could notice.
'I don't know who you are, Intruder.' Nezu said. 'But if you intend on bringing harm to my staff and students, you'll be wishing you were arrested today.'
Meanwhile…
"It seems this data you managed to steal is the real deal. Well done."
"Thank you, Sensei." Sitting at a bar was a tall and lanky young man. His bluish-silver hair was unkempt, his clothing was all black, his shoes were bright red, and the skin around his neck and eyes was crusty. He took a sip from a shot glass, enjoying the taste of the fine liquor on his tongue. "So, is the doc's special project gonna be ready by then?"
"Dr. Garaki has never failed me before. Trust me, my boy; it'll be ready just in time to crush anything that stands in your way."
A sinister grin appeared on the young man's face. "Kickass. Guess we better start getting the party together before the big raid." He got up, his red eyes shining with both excitement and malice. "I swear this to you, sensei; in a few days, hero society is gonna crash and burn."
Later…
It was a foggy night in Tallahassee, Florida. A tv technician in his mid-thirties let out a yawn as he waited in line at a drive-thru. He'd rolled down his window in preparation to place his order, unbothered by the bits of fog that were slowly entering his car. Unfortunately, the man in front of him was taking his sweet time placing his order. The technician checked his watch; he'd been waiting behind this guy for over 10 minutes!
The man closed his eyes and groaned in frustration. "Come on! How long does it take to place a fuckin order."
"Downright rude, making others wait."
The man's eyes shot open. That voice… came from his backseat. But he was the only one in the car. "What the—"
Then came a clicking sound. "Ugh, ugh. I wouldn't make any sudden moves or sounds, mister."
Sweat began to leak down the man's forehead. Slowly, his eyes looked at his rearview mirror…and he saw the intruder.
It was a woman of Hispanic descent. Which one, he couldn't really tell. She had long, strawberry-blonde hair tied in a side ponytail, a bemused look on her face, and brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of a sleeveless black top with matching gloves, green camo pants, and dark blue slip-on shoes. Her physique was a combination of plentiful curves and large muscles that looked like they had enough power to break a man in two. In any other situation, this woman would be considered a real beauty, even with battle scars on her arms and face. Though it was hard for the man to appreciate said beauty while this mysterious woman was aiming a loaded gun at his back.
"How the—"
"Oh, looks like you're up next," the woman said with a nonchalant smile, referring to the car in front of them finally driving forward. "Say, I skipped dinner earlier. Think ya can get me the #4 combo?"
"Are you fucking serious?!" He asked, only to have the gun pushed into the seat. "Okay, okay!"
He did just that, driving forward and placing the order. He silently hoped that the window cashier would see the dangerous woman in his backseat and help him. But when he pulled up to the window to pay, the cashier seemed to not notice anything. He looked in the rear window again…and the woman was gone.
After receiving his food, the man drove and stopped near the parking lot exit. For a brief moment, he wondered if he had just imagined the armed woman. He leaned down and rested his head against the steering wheel.
"Well, are ya gonna just sit here? Drive."
But that hope vanished, looking back and seeing her again. 'The fuck?! Does she have some kind of vanishing Quirk or something?!'
"I said drive." She said with a sadistic smile. Seeing no other choice, the man did just that. He followed the woman's instructions and drove for about twenty minutes until they reached a dead end on a dirt road with nothing but trees around them. All while the woman happily ate the double cheeseburger.
"Ah, that always hits the spot," she said, tossing the wrapper on the floor.
"Lady, what the hell do you want from me?" The man asked, finally sick of this.
"Right. The suspense has got to be killin' ya…Robert Declan." She then pulled her phone out of her pocket and began scrolling through some pictures. "Age: 43. Full-Time television installer. Owner of a three-year gym membership. By all accounts, you're a no-name. An average joe. Except for one thing."
She then held her phone out, sliding and showing pictures of Robert on a date with a slightly older man in a suit. "You seem to have a thing for married men."
"S-So what?"
"Well, Senator Lois is running for reelection. And he's doing the whole 'you can trust me; I'm a family man' schtick." The woman said. "Now, if word got out that he was having an extramarital affair with their tv installer, well, that whole image would go right out the window. So, sorry, Robbie boy, but you gotta die."
"W-Wait! How much is he paying you?!" Robert pleaded, sweat coating his body, his limbs shaking. "I-I…I'll…"
"Pay double? Not the first time I've heard that." The woman said as she wiped the cheese from her mouth. "I'm being paid more for this job than what you make in a year."
Robert then started to cry, and the woman sighed. She always hated having to deal with criers. At least if he tried to run, she would've had a bit of a challenge. But she had a job to do and pressed the gun up against his chin. "Sorry, Robert. You seem like a nice guy. But you were just unlucky."
BANG!
In a split-second, Robert Declan was dead, his blood and brain matter coating the ceiling of his car. The woman began to whistle, undisturbed by the viscera and carnage. She pulled a rag out of her pocket and wiped the barrel of the gun, then placed it in Robert's cold, lifeless hand. The woman then stepped out of the car, took pictures of the corpse, and then called someone.
"Hey, girl!"
"Hey, sug!" The woman said with cheer. "I just took care of that Declan guy. I'll send the pics, so you forward them to the client."
"You got it, Kelly!" Her contact said with glee. "So, how was the job?"
"Too easy and way too boring. Got a decent meal out of it, though," Kelly said with a sigh. "Maybe we should vet our clientele. The last six jobs have been real snorers."
"Hey, money is money. But if ya want action, I think I might have just the job you're looking for."
"Really? Do tell."
"How's your Japanese?"
"Pretty good. Why?"
"Well, that cutie, Giren, says an old pal of his is hiring some help for a big job. Apparently, they're going after some professional heroes."
"Really?" Kelly's face contorted into a feral grin akin to a lioness spotting her next prey. "Been a while since I've fought one of them 'capes and tights' types. When's the job?"
"Three days from now."
A sinister giggle escaped Kelly's lips. "Guess you better book me a flight to Japan, Jessie."
"You got it! Night, Kelly!"
"Night," Kelly said as she hung up. The amazonian woman looked up at the full moon and giggled in excitement. 'Looks like my little boredom spell's gonna be broken real soon.'
Author's Note 2: Any fan of MHA probably knows what arc is gonna happen next chapter! But aside from the supervillains, we got another plot thread that's been building up. Let's just say the phrase 'from bad to worse' gonna be an appropriate description of the next few chapters.
These last two chapters were mostly setting some more character dynamics and introduce some new characters. I think you guys will like what me and xpegasus got in store for Kaneko and Kelly.
Next Time: Invasion! Terror at the USJ!
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PLUS ULTRA!