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.
Before we start this installment story, a side-story/compendium called MSRA Compendium will be going up a bit after this chapter is uploaded. This'll basically be a collection of information and documents that aren't critical to understanding My Super Robot Academia, but it delivers some fun details like important dates, data sheets, and other stuff that flesh out the world a bit more.
Chapter 16: Start Your Prep Time!
Class 1-B stared at their teacher as if he'd suddenly grown a second and started break dancing.
"Sensei, is it truly wise to hold the Sports Festival after what happened?" Tenya asked.
"Believe me, some of the teachers thought the same," Sekijiro said. "But we all decided that we can't afford to cancel the festival for two reasons." He held up two fingers on his good hand to emphasize his point. "1. Canceling the Sports Festival would show that the villains got to us, so hosting the events shows that we're not going to let criminal scum affect us. The second, more important reason is because this is an important step in your journey as heroes. The Sports Festival is often where many aspiring rookies get noticed by the pros."
"Oh, yeah! We gotta show off so we can start off as sidekicks." Kaibara explained.
"That's right," Izuku chimed in. "Tons of Pro Heroes use the Sports Festival to scout out students with lots of potential. Some look for Quirks similar to their own, while others focus more on personality and presentation. Heck, All Might placed first in every Sports Festival he participated in as a student."
No one noticed Ochako swallowing nervously at that fact.
"From what I hear, a lot of those recruits that never manage to go solo stay forever sidekicks," Kaminari stated. "Sucks to be them."
"That's probably gonna be you, Kaminari," Jiro joked, earning a few 'oohs' from Tokage, Hagakure, Fukadashi, and Yosetsu. The blond boy looked aghast.
"Do not fret! While the term has certain negative connotations, being a 'forever sidekick' means you can form a better working relationship with your fellow teammates at the same agency." Tenya commented. "That's one of the reasons Idaten is so efficient as a unit."
"I guess that's not too bad," Kaminari responded.
"The Sports Festival is held once a year, so you only get three shots at showing the pros what you can do before you graduate. I'll do my best to make sure you guys are ready to make an impact when that day comes, but I expect you to give it your all regardless." Vlad's eyes lit up with fiery passion. "Show the world that 'Plus Ultra' attitude!"
"YES, SIR!"
With everyone abuzz from the announcement of the Sports Festival, the rest of the day seemed to fly by. Before anyone realized it, Cementoss's Modern Lit class had wrapped up, and it was time for lunch. Class 1-B chatted excitedly about the upcoming event, some with more enthusiasm than others.
"I'm so freakin' pumped, guys!" Kirishima belted out. "This is our chance to make it big! Starting today, I'm gonna put 200% more effort into my training." He then turned to Yanagi, making her flinch in surprise. "Yanagi, you're training too, right?"
"I...um..." Yanagi ever so slightly turned her face away from Kirishima, lest he see the light blush on her face. "...I shall also endeavor to hone my spiritual prowess to the nth degree."
"I don't get it, but go for it!"
Kaibara and Tsunotori watched their interaction before sharing a look and chuckling.
"Izuku...Tenya...Yosetsu..." The three boys turned their attention to Ochako...and to say her face was intense was an understatement. "When the Sports Festival comes around...let's do our best!"
"The hell?" Yosetsu stared in confusion at the normally bubbly girl's serious expression.
"Ochako, I don't think I've seen you with that expression before," Tenya said. Mineta saw this and then motioned to Tokage to bring her head down. She did, and the grape boy whispered something into her ear. Tokage pondered for a bit before answering out loud.
"Hmm. Probably. Depends on if it's a heavy flow or not."
Hagakure heard this and quickly put two and two together. "Then she needs chocolate and cranberry juice, stat!"
Jiro cringed as she heard that. "You guys are gross."
"Oh, you guys haven't seen Ochako's competitive face." Izuku explained to Tenya and Yosetsu that as Ochako shouted, she was 'gonna do her best' to Sero, Kuroiro, and Kendo. "When she gets into a competitive mood, she gets really into it. You should see her on game night."
But while Izuku explained this, he failed to see Honenuki glaring at the back of his head.
Meanwhile, in the teacher's lounge, Toshinori sat on a couch, staring at something in his hands.
"Something on your mind?" Toshinori nearly leaped out of his skin. He looked up to see Principal Nezu sitting across from him.
"Oh, sorry, sir, I didn't notice you come in," Toshinori said apologetically.
Nezu glanced at what he was holding: a newspaper. And if he looked close enough, he could see a picture of someone with frizzy green hair peeking over the edge. "Ah, Midoriya," Nezu said.
Toshinori's fingers tore into the newspaper as wisps of steam rose from his body. "Every bone in my body is screaming at me to do something. To go outside and berate those protesters, to hunt down the horrid woman who wrote this hit piece, to do anything to help Young Midoriya." He let out a long, tired sigh and slumped in his seat. "But that won't do any good. Anything I say or do at this point will just make those bastards outside, and everyone like them dig their heels in further."
Nezu nodded along with his words. "Indeed. It's fascinating," Nezu began as he put on a pot of tea. "When people disagree with each other's beliefs, it activates the same part of the brain used to process physical pain. One could be as calm, kind, and logical as possible, but the moment you challenge their worldview, it's as if you've punched them in the face."
"Huh, no kidding," Toshinori said. "That explains a lot. You know, I never thought public relations, of all things, would be a hero's greatest enemy." He threw the batter newspaper on the table. "Crackpots online are already saying UA is 'silencing' me on the matter, and I don't want to think of what they'll come up with if I actually say something." He watched as Nezu placed the teapot and a pair of teacups on the table.
"Number 1 Hero and Symbol of Peace," Toshinori grumbled, resting his head on his fist. "What the hell are those titles supposed to mean if I can't help one kid?"
"In this context, not much," Nezu said, pouring the tea. "But we just need to be patient and give the public some time and distance from the article. Once their emotions have settled from the initial shock, we'll work on making public statements." The animal of indeterminate species handed the Symbol of Peace a cup of tea. "For the time being, let's move on to less dour matters."
"I suppose so," Toshinori said, gingerly holding the cup. The heat felt soothing on his joints.
"How have you been adjusting to life as a teacher?" Nezu asked. "It must be quite the jarring transition."
"Well, I can tell you one thing, I've got a new enemy to rival paperwork: lesson plans," Toshinori said. "It was easy when it was just Young Uraraka. I was able to come up with a whole training regiment just for her and give her my undivided attention. Now I've got 40 kids to worry about with different strengths, weaknesses, and Quirks. Coming up with lessons to accommodate all of them, especially the kids with the less combat-oriented Quirks, has been a nightmare."
"Hm, perhaps you could ask your old homeroom teacher for advice." Nezu smiled as Toshinori spat out a mouthful of blood. "I've heard a lot about him from my predecessors."
"That's...one option." Toshinori shivered as memories came flooding back, taking a sip of tea to calm his nerves. "I still can't get over just how much this place has changed. Feels like yesterday the building was half the size it is now. Heck, we didn't even have a business course when I was a student." As he reminisced, a sudden realization came to mind.
"You know, I can't believe it took me this long to notice," the near-skeletal man said. "But U.A. doesn't have a Martial Arts course anymore."
Nezu nodded. "Back when Sumizaka was principal, U.A. went through a bit of a financial crisis, so some programs needed to be cut for budgetary reasons. And since, at the time, there was a growing concern about the Martial Arts course being 'too violent,' that was one of the first courses to get the axe."
Nezu's explanation just made the Hero of Heroes scratch his head. Sending their kids to a school where they would learn to handle the most dangerous job on the planet? A-Okay! Teaching them how to properly grapple someone? Well, that's too far! He really didn't understand some parents.
"But we did get approval to reinstate it as an after-school club of sorts." Nezu took a sip of tea, savoring the taste before continuing. "The most difficult challenge has been finding a hero with both expert prowess in martial arts and one willing to take up a teaching position."
"Is it really that hard?"
"Like you wouldn't believe. Ms. Usagiyama was our first pick. But I believe her response was something like, 'Why the hell would I want to hang around a bunch of hormonal brats all day?' And we've gotten similar responses from other top heroes."
Toshinori pondered this for a moment, thinking of a solution to this conundrum. But then, an idea popped into his head. "You know, I did come across a young hero that I think would fit the bill perfectly."
Meanwhile, Izuku and the gang were having lunch and chatting about, of course, the Sports Festival.
"This is so exciting!" Mei said with sparkles in her eyes. "I get to show off my babies to all the big support companies!"
"I thought you wanted to make your own company," Yosetsu commented as he took a bite of some onigiri.
"I do. But Mama always said you gotta work your way up. Build connections and all that."
"I can help you fine-tune them so they don't explode," Izuku offered. I don't want to repeat the Portable Oven incident on national TV."
"...I would ask for details, but I think my mind can fill in the gaps," Tenya commented.
Izuku was about to go into detail about his own plans...but...
"Izuku, baby!" All of a sudden, a pair of hands rested on his shoulders. Izuku turned and saw a concerned-looking Kaneko. "Those villains didn't hurt you too badly, did they?! How's your autographing hand?" The cat boy picked Izuku's right hand up and looked at it. "Ah, good. Crisis averted."
"Excuse me, but who the fuck are you?" Katsuki asked as he, Ochako, Tenya, Mei, Yosetsu, and Tsuyu looked at the stranger.
"Izuku, you never mentioned me? I'm hurt."
"Sorry, Kaneko. It's just..." The green-haired boy took a long breath. "...a lot's happened."
"Gotcha. No big whoop." Kaneko then looked at the rest of the group. "Allow me to introduce myself, Shigeru Kaneko. Currently, a 2nd-year Business Course student and future ace manager to the next golden generation of Pro Heroes, starting with Izu here." He then pulled out six business cards from his pocket and flicked them at the group. "My card. But just so you know, my primary concern is making sure my green goldmine here BLOWS UP at the Sports Festival."
"He's the guy who sent me that fake love letter a bit back."
"That's hella underhanded," Yosetsu commented.
"Well, you're full of yourself," Katsuki said, scowling at the cat boy. But Kaneko just took that in stride.
"A tad. But I can back up that claim." He then held up his phone. "Case in point, I have been on a one-man media crusade to lambaste those disgusting creeps slandering my client's good name. I can proudly say I have been blocked by at least 200 different accounts with loli profile pics and banned from thirty-eight different conspiracy blogs. You would be shocked how many of those guys don't know how to spell properly."
"Kaneko, you didn't have to..."
"But I wanted to!" Kaneko then ruffled Izuku's hair. "Don't you worry your fluffy little head about those jerks. You just focus on making that big beautiful metal boy of yours 150% more zingful."
"Zingful isn't a word," Tenya corrected. Kaneko looked over the bespectacled teen, rubbing his finger against his chin. His cat ears laid flat against his head while his bobbed tail wagged.
"Hit with the 40-60 demo," Kaneko exclaimed, his ears perking up. "They love the respectful and verbose types."
"Wha-"
Kaneko then pointed to Ochako. "You're gonna be an inspiration to young girls across the country and the fitness nuts."
"What does tha-"
He then pointed to Yosetsu. "Underground cult favorite! You won't have an army of fans, but the ones you will get are gonna be megafans."
Before the bandanna boy could even ask, Kaneko continued to Tsuyu. "You'll be a hit with kids in the 5-10 age range. You got a hero name picked out yet?"
"Froppy," Tsuyu replied nonchalantly.
"Excellent! I can totally see that on a backpack." He then turned to Katsuki, who was still glaring at him. Kaneko gave a bemused smirk. "Oh, you are gonna be an absolute snack for the tween girl demographic. They love them a feral bad boy."
"The fuck makes you think I'm feral, pussycat?!"
"Yes! Stick with that attitude! Throw in some teeth-grinding for added effect."
"Oh, I like you already," Mei said with a big smile, standing up and extending her hand. "Mei Hatsume, Future CEO of Hatsume Industries."
"A pleasure, Ms. Hatsume." Kaneko accepted her hand and placed a friendly kiss on it, which only made Katsuki even more pissed off. The cat boy then took a seat in between the nervous-looking Izuku and the scowling Katsuki. "So, any of you got any socials you need managing?"
Izuku figured now probably wouldn't be the best time to tell Kaneko that his family wasn't planning on unprivating their social media accounts anytime soon. But at least his heart was in the right place...kind of.
Meanwhile...
Fumiko Fujita felt on top of the world. The office was still abuzz about her article on that Quirkless kid at UA, and she was eating up the attention. She'd never forget the look on the editor-in-chief's face when she brought him the story. His eyes went so wide they looked ready to pop.
He'd immediately pulled whatever story was originally going to be on the front page and put her article front and center.
God, it was everything Fujita could have ever wanted.
"Hey, Fujita," came a smarmy voice. "You still there, or did you crawl so far up your own ass you suffocated and died?"
Fujita repressed a groan. 'The fuck is he going here.' She put on her best fake smile (she was very proud of it) and swiveled around in her chair to face the person she called the 'walking migraine.'
"Nodono," Fujita said in a voice all to cheery. "What a pleasant surprise. Now, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
Leaning over the plexiglass wall of Fujita's desk was a man with slicked-back blond hair and a shit-eating grin. "Oh, just wanted to check in, see how you're doing," Nodono said as he ran his finger along the wall. "Considering how strangely you've been acting lately."
"Oh, how so?"
Nodono's smile fell, his eyes narrowing into a harsh glare. "Let's cut the crap, Fujita," he said in a low voice, venom dripping from every word. "For the past two years, you've been relegated to padding the paper's pages with fluff pieces and gossip columns that most people wouldn't take a second glance at. And now you're writing hard-hitting articles that send shock waves through all of Japan. How the fuck did you manage to pull that off?"
"Just good ol' fashioned investigative journalism," Fujita replied, leaning back in her chair. "Keeping my eyes open, ear to the ground, and finger on the pulse of society."
"Bullshit," Nodono spat. "You and I both know there's no way you did this on your own."
Fujita grinned. "You're right; I didn't do this on my own. I had Take-Take with me!"
Nodono rolled his eyes. "God, you and your little boy toy."
"Get your mind out of the gutter," Fujita shot back. "We're not fucking. Even if Take-Take did like girls, he's not my type anyway."
"Honestly, I couldn't care less about your love life, Fujita," Nodono said with disdain. "You may have everyone else in this office eating out of your grubby little hands, but I'm not fooled."
"I dunno, it seems to me that you're just jealous I got to the front page first." Fujita took great pleasure in watching Nodono's expression twist like he'd swallowed a lemon.
"I'm watching you, Fujita," Nodono spat before slinking off back to his desk.
As soon as he was out of sight, Fujita's smile dropped. Nodono was an insufferable smart-ass and a cocky bastard, but he had good instincts. 'He probably is jealous, but that doesn't change the fact that he's right,' Fujita thought as she absentmindedly started chewing on her pencil. It was a nasty habit she'd developed in middle school and had never been able to kick. 'If the truth about that anonymous whistleblower sending me Midoriya's student file gets out, I'm ruined. But how worried should I really be? I mean, I uploaded the file to an external hard drive and erased any evidence of that anonymous email from my computer. But that still leaves the source unaccounted for.'
Fujita let out a long sigh before turning back to her computer. 'Well, there's nothing I can really do at this point. Might as well ride this wave of success for as long as I can.'
The ringing of her desk phone brought Fujita's train of thought to a screeching halt. Fujita eyed the caller ID, Usui, The National Jinkai's editor-in-chief. She didn't even have time to say "hello" before the gruff voice of Chief Usui came over the phone, "Fujita, my office. Now."
Fujita raised an eyebrow at the sudden request. "Any reason in particular?"
"Just get your ass over here." Knowing better than to question him and get on his bad side, Fujita shrugged.
"Aye, aye, chief," she said and made her way to his office. As Fujita turned the corner towards Usui's office, she was surprised to see Takenaka going the same way. "Yo, Take-Take," Fujita called, catching her junior's attention. "Chief call you into his office too?"
Takenaka nodded stiffly. "Yeah, he sounded kind of angry on the phone."
"Nah, that's his normal voice," Fujita said, slinging her arm around Takenaka's shoulders. "What you've really gotta worry about is when he sounds all calm and collected. That's when you need to hide and pray he doesn't find you."
"Y-y-yeah," Takenaka squeaked. "Hey, did you hear about those protesters that showed up at UA?"
"I know, it's great!" Fujita exclaimed with a massive grin. "I mean, I knew this story was going to be huge, but I had no idea it'd get this kind of reaction! That kid has been the talk of Japan for days, and it's not showing any signs of slowing down. Thanks to us!"
"Th-th-that's not what I-"
"This is it, Take-Take, that expose on Midoriya is just the beginning for us. Chief's already got me working on a new story with some real meat on its bones," Fujita excitedly explained. "Think about it, no more pointless fluff pieces no one gives a shit about, no more being sent to rallies of no-name politicians with a snowball's chance in hell of winning anything, and no more being sent on coffee runs for the 'real' journalists. That article is our ticket to success, and we're taking this train to the last stop!"
"...right," Takenaka said.
The pair said hello to Usui's secretary before heading into the editor-in-chief's office. "Afternoon, chief," Fujita greeted. "What can we do for-" She froze.
Standing in front of Usui's desk was a breathtaking woman with long, lilac hair, periwinkle blue skin, and piercing green eyes with black sclera. She wore an elegant, black, off-the-shoulder dress that complimented her slender figure, and while her face was marked by a few wrinkles, they did little to subtract from her beauty.
"Why, hello," the blue-skinned woman said with a small smile. "You must be this 'Fumiko Fujita' I've heard so much about." Fujita stood there, mouth agape, her brain still trying to process what was happening.
"Uh, yeah, that's her," Takenaka said, thoroughly confused by his friend's reaction. "And I'm Takehiro Takenaka. I've never seen you around the office before, it's nice yoOOOWWWWWW!" Takenaka shrieked in pain as Fujita suddenly and roughly grabbed him by the ear. "Fuji! What the fuck!?"
"I'm the one who should be asking that!" Fujita growled. "Where the hell do you get off talking to a woman like Chitose Kizuki so casually!"
"Who?"
"Chitose Kizuki!" Fujita growled, yanking his ear again. "President and CEO of Jinkai Holdings LLC, you know, our fucking parent company!"
Takenaka froze.
"Oh, god!" Takenaka exclaimed, the pain radiating from his ear completely forgotten. "Miss- I mean ma'am- I mean madame- I mean," Takenaka sputtered. "Miss Madame President CEO Kizuki Ma'am, I am so, so sorry!"
Chitose Kizuki stared at the display in bewilderment. "It's...quite alright."
"Hey." Fujita and Takenaka looked to see Usui glaring at them. He was an older, husky man with salt-and-pepper in a comb-over. "If you two are done making fools of yourselves and this office, why don't you have a seat."
"Y-y-yes, sir."
"Right, chief."
There was a coffee table in Usui's office with a couch and two chairs for seating. Kizuki and Usui took the couch while Fujita and Takenaka each took a chair.
"Madam President, I am so, so, so very sorry about earlier," Takenaka said. "I meant no disrespect-"
"Like I said, it's fine," Chitose said as she calmly poured herself a cup of coffee, courtesy of Usui's personal coffee machine. "Honestly, I had no clue who the president was back when I was working here."
"Here? Were you a Jinkai reporter?"
"Are you kidding me? She's one of best reporters The National Jinkai has ever known," Fujita exclaimed. "She got her start as an intern before becoming the youngest editor-in-chief in the paper's history. Then she moved up the ranks to become head of the whole operation." Fujita turned to Chitose with eyes full of wonder. "Mrs. Kizuki, it is an honor and privilege to meet you. I've admired your work for years, I've read pretty much everything you put to page. Although, I have to ask, what brings you back to your old stomping grounds?"
"Believe it or not, you do," Usui said flatly, pointing a finger at Fujita.
"Huh?"
"That's right," Chitose said with a smile. "I read your article the other day, and I just had to meet you. Although, I'm not sure why he's here." Chitose pointed to Takenaka.
"The kid's basically Fujita's emotional support animal; wherever she goes, he goes," Usui explained. "So I figured I'd just call them both in." Chitose nodded in understanding, completely ignoring Takenaka's attempts to protest the accusations.
"Ms. Fujita, you've done this paper and all of Japan a great service," Chitose said. "I never would have imagined UA would allow some Quirkless brat into their hero course. Quite honestly, it's a mockery of heroics and an insult to Quirked people." Takenaka shuddered at the pure venom in the woman's voice. It was almost as if she was personally insulted by Midoriya's acceptance to the hero course. He glanced over at Fujita, who was still starstruck.
"It's been a while since I read anything that made me feel so inspired," Chitose continued. "And the shareholders are happy as well. The National Jinkai's website nearly crashed due to the record traffic, and we saw a significant number of new subscriptions over the weekend."
"Oh, wow," Fujita said breathlessly. "If you keep this up, I'm going to start blushing."
"You already are," Usui said, staring at her tomato-red face.
Chitose smiled as she put her cup down. "Well, I didn't just come here to compliment you. Ms. Fujita, how would you feel about appearing as a guest on The Watchtower?"
Fujita's jaw dropped. "The Watchtower? As in JTVN's number one prime-time news show!?" Chitose nodded. "Of course! I would be honored."
"Excellent, I'll my people get in touch with you once we've set up a date for the interview," Chitose said. She glanced at the clock. "Well, I don't know about you all, but I'm famished. How about I take us all out for lunch? I know a lovely place not to far from here?"
"Hey, I'm not dumb enough to turn down free food or an offer from the big boss," Usui said.
"We would love to join you for lunch," Fujita exclaimed.
Takenaka laughed nervously. "I mean, I appreciate it, I really do. But my boyfriend packed me a bento, and I'd hate to waste-"
"Come on, Take-Take," Fujita said as she slung an arm over his shoulders. "I'm sure Akira will understand when you tell him you were rubbing shoulders with the Chitose Kizuki."
"I...I suppose you're not wrong."
At that, the group made their way to the elevator. As it made its way down to the parking garage, Chitose turned to Fujita. "I'll admit, I'm being a little selfish by inviting you out. I'm curious, insatiably so, and I just have to pick your brain about your next article."
Fujita froze. "Ne-next article?"
"But of course," Chitose said. "After your riveting expose on Izuku Midoriya, I can't wait for what you have in store next and what secrets you'll uncover. You've set the bar pretty high, Fujita, but I'm confident your next article will be just as good, no, better than this one."
Something flashed across Fujita's face before she smiled. "Yes, ma'am," she exclaimed as the elevator dinged and the doors opened to the parking garage. The instant Chitose turned around, Fujita's well-practiced fake smile dropped for the briefest of moments, letting her panic and fear shine through before being buried again just quickly.
'I AM SO FUCKING SCREWED!'
Back at UA...
After lunch, Izuku still felt a bit thirsty, so he made a detour to the vending machines for a drink, but he was having a hard time deciding what to get.
'Seriously, why do they have so many flavors of canned coffee?' Izuku thought to himself. He was so lost in thought and looking at the machine that he didn't notice someone else approaching the machine.
"I'd skip out on the mocha coffee." Izuku flinched and saw Honenuki with his hands in his pockets. "They put way too much sugar in that one."
"R-right." Izuku awkwardly said, trying to ignore the lip-less teen. Ever since the article in The National Jinkai, Honenuki had done little to hide his clear disdain for Izuku. The recommendation student narrowed his eyes at the green-haired boy before speaking up again.
"I'm honestly surprised you're still in the Hero Course, Midoriya," Honenuki said as he rested his back against the wall near the vending machine. "Figured you would've hightailed to Gen Ed or the support course after seeing what hero work is ACTUALLY like."
Izuku just sighed, already on autopilot and still trying not to let Honenuki get to him. "I guess I'm just stubborn like that."
"That or you're just plain stupid. Or suicidal. Whatever explains why you're still here." Honenuki said. "Though if the latter, there are easier and less idiotic ways to die than this whole charade."
"...I didn't think UA would let someone with a Destroist mindset into their hero course."
That made Honenuki scowl. "I ain't a Destroist. This ain't about some 'Quirk supremacy' bullshit."
"Sounds like it to me."
"I'm simply stating that if you keep ignoring the facts, you're gonna end up in an early grave."
Izuku glared at Honenuki. "Everyone in our class could end up in an early grave; that's the nature of being a hero."
"That's a lie, and you know it. Everyone else has their Quirks to give them an edge. Even Mineta and Hagakure have a better chance of making it than you."
Now, Izuku moved so he could look Honenuki in the face. "I stopped a building-sized robot from crushing someone! I went toe-to-toe with both Kirishima and Kendo! I beat a bunch of villains and a mutant chimera that was made to fight All Might!"
"YOU didn't do jack shit! Your ROBOT did all that while you sat on your ass inside it!" Honenuki got up in Izuku's face. "Without that tin can, you're just some kid with zero combat skills and no powers to save your ass!"
"Striker's a part of me!"
"It's glorified support gear!"
This was getting him nowhere, and it was really starting to get to Izuku. "Just what is your deal, Honenuki?! Are you really that kind of jerk that gets bothered by a Quirkless boy trying to be a hero?"
"Oh, don't play the victim here!" Honenuki jabbed a finger into Izuku's chest. "You have one of the teachers and UA's bottomless pockets to back you up! You're a spoiled little shit just trying to play superhero!" His mind flashed back to the bleeding hero in the alley and that monster standing above her corpse. "Brave men and women more powerful than any of us die doing this! You really think Striker is gonna save your ass all the time?!"
"You really think that's gonna stop me?!" Izuku shouted. "If you're trying to break my spirit, I've heard harsher tha-"
Before Izuku could react, Honenuki spun him around and used his forearm to pin Izuku against the wall.
"I could soften this wall and trap you before you could even think of getting your toy." His black eyes glared into Izuku's green ones. Izuku grit his teeth and gripped at Honenuki's wrist.
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a fact." Honenuki leaned in, eyes boring into Izuku's soul. "Every single one of our classmates could use the Quirks to get out of this; heck, even one of those Gen Ed students could try something. But you? You've got nothing." Izuku grit his teeth.
"Honenuki!" The boys turned, and Kendo stared at them from across the hall with crossed arms and a furious expression on her face. "What are you doing to Midoriya?"
Honenuki met her gaze, then glanced back at Izuku. "Looks like someone's come to your rescue again." He let go of Izuku and began to walk away. Before he turned a corner, Honenuki stopped and looked back at Izuku. "When you bite it, just make sure you don't get anyone else killed with your stupidity."
Izuku looked at Honenuki's retreating form, an uncharacteristic scowl on his face.
"Midoriya, are you okay?" Kendo asked in concern.
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure? Because he pushed you against the wall pretty hard."
"Really, I-"
"We should probably get you to the Nurse's office." She moved to place her hand on Izuku's head. "You could have a—"
All those condescending messages suddenly played in Izuku's said. The infantilization. The pity. The fake concern.
"I said I'm fine!" Izuku screamed, smacking her hand away.
Kendo reeled back, eyes wide in shock. "I'm just tryi—"
"I'm not some glass doll." And that was all Izuku said before walking away, leaving a confused Kendo behind.
"I just...I just wanted to be sure," Kendo said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sufficed to say, Izuku didn't get his drink.
Later...
"Woah..." Ochako said with a slightly worried expression.
"What's going on?" Izuku asked. Outside of 1-B's homeroom was a big crowd of other first year students, but none that any of them recognized.
"It's like an angry mob," Mineta said while Kamikiri scowled, looking like he was ready to sharpen his blades.
"Excuse me, but you guys are kind of blocking our exit." Kendo spoke to the crowd in a calm manner. "What do you guys want?"
"Isn't it obvious?" A voice spoke up from the crowd, approaching the front. "We're checking out the competition."
The source of the voice made his way to the front. He was a young man with a wild head of purple hair, equally purple eyes, and bags under his eyes that gave off the impression of a sleep schedule determined by a roulette wheel. "After all, you're the guys who survived a villain attack."
"The hell does that have to do with anything?" Kuroiro asked.
"Everyone's been talking about the 'brave youngsters' that fought back against an army of supervillains. I've heard some calling you, 'U.A.'s Golden Class.'" He scanned the members of Class 1-B with a bored expression. "But I can't say I'm impressed just by looking at you. You know, us General Course students are only where we are because we missed a few points during the Entrance Exam. Any one of us could've been in your shoes right now. And depending on how we do at the Sports Festival, the teachers might consider transferring us to the Hero Course." His gaze then turned to Izuku specifically. "And the opposite is true: they might reconsider who they let in. Maybe make them realize what a mistake-"
"Shut up."
Everyone looked at Izuku. They saw his lips trembling, his hands shaking, and his brow lowered. Izuku's mind replayed everything that had happened since last Thursday. The article in the National Jinkai, the protesters, all those awful comments online, up to his confrontation with Honenuki and Kendo's condescending attitude.
The Gen-Ed boy's eyes narrowed, honing in on Izuku. "What was that?"
As he looked back into the boy's purple eyes, Izuku recalled his conversation with Katsuki and Mei from yesterday. Now was the time to put what he said into practice.
"Shut the fuck up!" Izuku screamed. "All I've been hearing for the last week is how I don't belong here! And it's bullshit!"
Most of Class 1-B were also taken aback. Up until now, they were used to Izuku's more dorky and friendly demeanor. Seeing him like this was something completely new to them, save for Ochako.
"For the last three years, I put my heart and soul into making a machine that could stand with up to all kinds of amazing Quirks! I spent god knows how many hours programming Striker, building and learning the controls inside and out! I earned my spot in the Hero Course, no matter what anyone says!" He then motioned to the rest of his class. "And it's not just me; everyone is in this class because they worked like crazy to get in! To show everyone that we have what it takes to be heroes!"
At this point, Izuku was no longer shaking. His emerald eyes bore into the gazes of the Gen Ed students. Was this outburst uncalled for? Maybe. But after a week of the news, horrible jerks online, and now even his fellow students telling Izuku that he didn't belong, he'd had enough.
"When the Sports Festival comes around, you're more than free to try and take our spots." He then pointed his thumb at himself. "But don't be shocked when we show you just how Plus Ultra we really are!"
Some of Class 1-B looked at Izuku in shock. Others like Kaibara, Tsunotori, and Hagakure were amazed. Honenuki glared. Kendo looked worried. Tenya and Yosetsu looked on proudly at their friend. And Ochako...
'
Woah,' Ochako felt her breath hitch as she looked at Izuku, a light blush on her face.
"Dude..." Eijiro began to say, tears of manliness beginning to form in his eyes. "...that was so-"
"Freakin' manly!" Everyone turned and saw another student approaching the crowd from the left. He had wavy silver hair, incredibly pronounced eyebrows, and sharp teeth on full display with his huge smile. "I wanted to see how our sister class was squaring up, and I'm hella impressed! You got some brass on ya, Brocolli Top!"
"Um...thanks?" Izuku replied. 'He must be from 1-A.' But then he noticed a familiar face walking out from behind the silver-haired boy.
"Well, you all heard Izuku," Katsuki gave a wild smirk at the crowd. "If you Gen-Ed extras even want a snowball's chance in hell at knocking us down, you better start training right the fuck now."
The purple-haired boy looked at Katsuki before scowling. "Whatever." With that, the Gen Ed students began to disperse.
"That was amazing, Midoriya!" Hagakure shouted, making the greenette flinch.
"Ya, you showed those Gen Ed jerks what for!" Mineta chimed in.
"I...I just said what came naturally." Izuku said, suddenly feeling rather bashful.
"Maybe you could give me some speech lessons," Kaminari joked. "I definitely couldn't pull something like that off the top of my head."
"You got that manly spirit in ya, Midoriya!" Kirishima shouted.
"Totally! That was manly as fuck!" The silver-haired boy chimed in.
"Anyone else getting deja vu?" Sero whispered to Tokage and Koda.
"As...impressive as that was," Kendo said with a bit of uncertainty at Izuku. "...you might've just put a big target on all of our backs from the other first years."
"That's just how it is when you're at the top, Fisticuffs," Katsuki commented, confusing the class rep with his nickname for her.
"Sorry, but who are you again?" Kamikiri asked.
"Oh, this is Katsuki Bakugou." Izuku explained. "He's in Class 1-A and one of my oldest pals."
The 1-B students (save for Ochako, Tenya, and Yosetsu) looked between the soft-looking Izuku and the feral-looking Katsuki, wondering how those two were friends.
"Don't leave me out of the intros!" The silver-haired guy shouted again. "The name's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!"
'Seriously?!' Most of the class wondered at that...unique name.
"Now, now, now, fellas. Don't get all chummy." Katsuki flinched as Monoma walked out from behind him.
'The fuck?!'
"True, we're all in the hero course, but we're still in competition with each other. After all, the pros are only going to want to scout the best of the best." His blue eyes became slightly manic as he looked at Class 1-B. "So you understudies better enjoy your time in the spotlight because it'll only be a matter of time when the true sta-"
But Monoma's speech was cut short as he was suddenly ensnared in vines, and a piece of duct tape was slapped over his mouth before he could react.
"I apologize on our classmate's behalf," Yaoyorozu said with a bow.
"Monoma, what did I say about pride?" Shiozaki said with a dangerous look in her eyes. "Another instance, and you'll need to repent."
With that, the vine-haired girl dragged the struggling blond boy away.
"...did anyone else think that was hot?" Mineta asked. An awkward silence followed. "Really? I'm the only one?"
"Yes," Jiro replied, even though internally...she kind of agreed with the grape-haired boy.
And so, the countdown to the U.A. Sports Festival truly began. For the next two months, the first years would need to train on top of their usual curriculum. The excitement and anxiousness was palpable leading into next week.
In these two months, some would train outside of school. Some would use the gyms. And for some...
"Hello?" Izuku opened the door to Gym Delta with a few students from the Hero Course behind him. Sitting in the center of the large gym mats was a lone man with his back towards the door.
"So...you're here." The man stood up, revealing to the students that he matched Vlad King in stature and musculature. He turned around to face the students. They saw that he was a wide-set man with spiky mint green hair. His costume consisted of an open padded vest that showed off his physique, brown pants, black combat boots, and more impressively, a pair of revolver chamber-shaped gauntlets on his wrists and a white mask with four holes in it.
The students were intimidated by the looks of this man...until he started talking. "Awesome! You guys are my first students here at U.A.! Oh my, where's my manners? I'm Gunhead, and I'll be your martial arts instructor." He then held up two fingers in a peace symbol. "Let's do our best, okay?"
'...huh?!'
Author's Note 2: So yeah, instead of rushing right to the Sports Festival Arc, we're gonna get a few chapters in-between. Both for more buildup and for some more character interactions before the big day. I think you guys are gonna like what we got in store for you.
Also, Chitose Kizuki is no longer an executive at Shoowaysha Publishing (which doesn't exist in the world of MSRA) but instead President and CEO of an entirely original company, Jinkai Holdings LLC. The National Jinkai is but one of the many subsidiaries part of the Jinkai Multimedia Empire.
Next Time: These Are Our Senpais?!
Get ready to go beyond! Plus Ultra!