In a room that was musty and not very clean, a man looked out the window while taking a smoke. He didn't have a great view, but it was something at least... Having a good sense of who you are is one of the most important things in life. He could see a smiling man dressed for work holding a briefcase. Look at all those happy people on their way to work. Makes me sick.
"Nah. They're freakin' great," A familiar voice spoke to him.
They think they're such good, decent citizens. He moved away his cigarette to let out a puff of smoke. And what about me? I'm doing the same thing I do every day.
"You're doing something special!" The same voice called out.
I'm staring out my window and people watching while having my morning cigarette.
"Then the fun begins," The voice let out a small chuckle.
Two weeks since All Might fought All for One with that short girl in Kamino Ward, and then retired. The man continued to look out the window of his motel room. It's the only thing anyone's talking about. Media's trying to scare people by stirring up unease.
The TV broadcast was currently talking about it. "However, despite All Might's retirement and his controversial choice with Izuka Midoriya, we haven't seen many big changes in everyday life. We should be looking ahead of all this. This is a time to investigate. How will villains act and what are our countermeasures?"
The man took another taste of his cigarette. You're different, though, Mr. Miyagi. I approve of you. He let out some more smoke.
"Gross. I don't."
"The fact of the matter is that All Might simply got too big," Mr. Miyagi stated from the television. "He was such an all-encompassing symbol that his existence was an impossibility."
The biggest chance for regular folks is the new number one. Endeavor. Not quite the same as All Might. So the public is focusing their fear on him. Waiting to see how he'll act. Not surprising. He's not the type that everyone loves.
"It's not that I don't like Endeavor," Someone from TV got his attention. "I just can't help but compare him to All Might." He glanced over his shoulder to see someone answering how they felt about Endeavor being number one now. "And, you know, that's kind of a lot for any hero to live up to, right?"
Yeah, he's not really a cuddly person. More like an average guy pretending to play the hero.
Endeavor was taking down villains, and used an ultimate move to finish them off. "He is a superhero!"
Through circumstances, beyond his control, he's inherited a role that he's totally unsuited for. Literally any of the top searches from Moogle about him were that he was scary, how he was getting hate, but also that he was still a hero and how he was cool...but he wasn't All Might. Poor bastard. Now he's a symbol of the weakening heroes.
"Although Endeavor has resolved a number of large cases...he's got a temper and has gone overboard many times," Mr. Miyagi said, his hands folded. "Also, we polled males between the ages of 20 and 40. They do not like him. He's just no replacement. This is a prime example of why those of us in the media should stop reporting negatively about pro heroes and actively raise excitement for them." The man then put out his cigarette. "Instead of focusing on the problems we're facing, we should see how we can highlight the positives." The man then turned off the TV as he didn't want to listen anymore. He then put on his jacket.
The man knows what he's talking about. Physical power isn't the only thing that weakens. The heart does as well.
"Nah, it's all about power!" The voice in his head disagreed with him. He came to a stop, shaking as he held his head.
"Shut up! Leave me alone," He growled out to make it stop.
I am here. That's what he said when he saved people's lives. He walked down the street. For any regular Joe, that was reassuring. But for people like me, it was nothing short of a curse.
Someone then broke out of a window, wearing a mask and laughing. He was holding something as he had just robbed a store. "Holy crap. That was too easy! And ain't nobody gonna stop me now!" He then ran down the street in gleeful laughter. The man just stared at him while some citizens watched.
Villains. Only faithful to themselves. This is the future now that he's gone.
The store manager stepped out in frustration. "Oh, come on. Give me a break for once! Hey, help me! Somebody stop him!" He cried out, and while All Might could've stopped him in seconds...he wasn't around anymore.
I get it. Crime is tempting for those who don't know what else to do with their Quirks. That part will play out as usual.
Someone then stepped in front of the robber. "Ya'r through, villain! Your life of crime ends here!"
The man just watched with a cigarette in his mouth. But this part is gonna be slightly different.
Someone then attacked the hero from behind, knocking him down with a laugh. He then ran off after his partner. "Yellow, hurry up!"
One of the villains waiting in a getaway car laughed. "Look at this idiot! He brought the whole counter!" Yellow placed their stolen object into the truck.
"Too bad for you, hero."
"He's not some two-bit robber! We're a team!"
"Yeah!"
"You're facing the Reservoir Dogs!" The four yelled in unison.
"Don't you forget the name," One of them threatened the unconscious hero. The team then drove off.
Not as scary to cross on a red light if everyone else is doin' it too. Those who're teamin' up and getting coordinated are starting to get some traction. The man walked into an alleyway. The thing is, we're looking for people who are a little more... His phone then rang, interrupting his thoughts. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered the call.
"What's up, Giran? How you been doin' lately?"
"Long time no talk," Giran gave a small smirk. "I trust that you've been alright."
"Hard to say. I don't know how to tell if I'm doin' good or not," The man reported back to him.
"I see! That is a tough break," Giran replied knowingly to him.
"You didn't answer my question," The man pointed out. "Are you okay? Tell me."
"Yeah, sure I am," Giran turned towards his laptops and phones at his desk. "I've been so busy I'm crying with delight. These past few weeks, there's been a monumental surge in the black market. Everyone's looking for suits or support items. Demand couldn't be any better, my friend. And, of course, the League of Villains are the darlings of the hour."
"Well, that's nice to hear," The man murmured and then his tone entirely changed for his next sentence. "No, it's not." He flinched in alarm after saying this, holding his head as he felt like it was pounding. First he couldn't control the voice when he was alone, now he couldn't even control his whole mouth. "Shut up! Dammit. So, why are you calling me?" He played it off like it was nothing to Giran. "I'm a busy man, you know. I've got nothing to do."
"I couldn't get a hold of Dabi," Giran got to the point, though made no comment over what he heard. "Any idea where he is? Shigaraki wants everyone to have a quick meetup. I'm sure he'll be contacting you soon."
"I know where he is. No I don't!" The man placed a hand over his sweating face. "You can't keep pullin' this crap!"
"Right...Okay, then. Caught you at a bad time," Giran smiled a little as he was familiar with this behavior. "Take care of yourself, huh?"
The man panted as he hung up, leaning against the wall and frustrated at not being able to keep his thoughts straight. "Damn it. I'm me. I'm in control..." Although, by the tone of his voice, he clearly wasn't...
The League of Villains is currently scattered across different locations. To get the police off our backs. Not only was their hideout trashed anyway, but if they went back, they'd be easy to find. So splitting up was the best course of action until it was necessary to discuss their next plan. Spinner himself was walking in the city with his mask off. Hide our trails. And recruit new comrades. Someone was in disguise as a girl, looking towards Magne walking up to him. The goal is to make the organization even bigger.
A group of thugs were staring at someone in the alleyway. "What the hell are you? Your face makes me wanna puke."
"Keep lookin' at me like that and I'll kill ya!" Another one threatened, and the man turned out to be Dabi. He held out his hand towards the group without any expression.
"Pity. You're not what we need," He mocked before setting out a huge flame towards them and engulfing the villains in it. They all screamed in pain from what he was doing to them. And once Dabi stopped, he stared at the flames and all of the men being burned alive... "Stay down. You make good fuel. Allow my flames to consume you." And then all of the men stopped screaming...
"This is no good," The man muttered to himself. "I need to bind myself together. I'm gonna tear apart," He let out a painful groan, panting heavily. "Split in two..." He put on a familiar-looking mask...and then became Twice. He sighed in relief once he was the villain again. "Once I'm wrapped up, I'm whole..."
An explosion then went off, getting his attention. He then started to slowly walk out of the alleyway.
Here's a story. I used to be one of those guys who liked to cause trouble. As he stepped out into the open, he could see that smoke was coming from behind a building. My Quirk is called Twice. It's a simple power that turns one thing into two. I can make a clone of myself. And then make clones from that clone. An entire gang of just me. I made my clones do everything. I was a king ruling over them. But the other mes weren't satisfied with that. And they put together a little coup.
One clone started to attack another with a knife.
I was almost killed by myself. The things I make don't disappear until they've taken some serious damage.
Blood was on the ground, and one of them was tied to a chair.
Before long, all of us were arguing with each other. Each one of us thinking we were actually the real me. This absurd self-mutilation continued for 9 days. Can you imagine that?
All the clones were ruthlessly attacking each other, having enough of the identity crisis.
In the end, they killed each other. And disappeared. All gone.
He stared out to all of the blood and grey gunk everywhere...
Ever since then, I haven't been sure that I'm the real me. How could I be after all the madness? Twice continued to walk down the street. And there's no place in the world where crazy people can belong. Heroes only care about saving good citizens. He started heading towards the source of the explosion. But the League accepted me as I am, problems and all. And I'd like to think I'm okay with who I am too.
People were running away in a panic. Now, I'm scouting people. Trying to find the ones with the same kind of crazy. He looked around the corner and gasped, seeing that the truck with the Reservoir Dogs had gotten blown to the point where none of them survived. We're all wackos looking for a place we belong.
Three people stared up ahead at the chaos in front of them. "A bunch of capable adults got together and all they stole was a convenience store register?" A chilling voice asked at the burning truck from the former villain group. "Heh...this big a gang, they should have shot for a loftier goal." The man kept staring up ahead, wearing a big mask over his mouth. "You guys aren't well." He lightly tapped the side of his mask. "What you need is a cure."
"We got the money," One of his comrades reported, looking towards the fire. "We should skedaddle before any heroes get here, yeah? Overhaul."
"They're all sick," Overhaul ignored him while sounding pissed. "Every last one of them..."
But the biggest wackos have stopped searching for a place to belong and created their own. Both the hero side and our side have started changing in unexpected ways. Endeavor came to mind as well as All Might, since the latter was no longer active. Still. What's important is knowing who you truly are. What you wanna become. What you wanna do. Yes. That's very important. So...what should I do?
He eyed Overhaul with interest as he thought this man...was someone the League of Villains could use.
Back at Heights Alliance, the twins and Katsuki had their rooms marked 'under house arrest.' Izuku was lifting a weight in his own room to test out the strength of his arm. There's hardly any pain or weird sensations.
"In other words, if you sustain this type of injury, even just two or three more times...I don't think you're going to be able to move your arms anymore."
Izuku gave a gasp of horror, his eyes shaking.
I was really careful to hold back when I threw a punch against Kacchan yesterday. But when I'm not fully under control of my emotions...I should be extra careful to not use my arms. Instead, I'll concentrate on my Shoot Style. He lifted a weight above his head.
Izuka was vacuuming since she didn't do any this morning. Her hair was in a high ponytail this time around. She had on a black tank top and grey sweatpants, wearing some slippers. Being on house arrest meant that they couldn't even go to classes either, therefore the three would be missing out on some of their lessons. Last night, I didn't even realize that I wasn't at my best like Katsuki said. I was too focused on splitting them up. But he did have a point. I already know that I'll unlock something else, but my other abilities need improvement too. Hopefully with all of the cleaning if I work at it hard enough, it'll strengthen me up a little.
Once she cleaned her spot, she turned off the vacuum and walked over to the couch for a breather.
"Yo, Izuka," She looked up, only to flinch as Katsuki tossed her a can out of nowhere. She caught it in her hands, and saw that it was mango juice, one of her favorites. "Drink up."
"Thanks, Katsuki," She said gratefully and snapped it open, taking a small sip. He flopped onto the spot next to her, one hand in his pocket as he had a sip himself of his own juice. The girl hummed to herself as she looked at the common room floor practically spotless. They would still have to clean up later at night. Katsuki looked at his can and then glanced towards her in silence.
"...Why'd you tell teach that you got involved?" She blinked in confusion, turning to him curiously. "You could've gotten off scot-free."
She sighed as she knew that he was going to ask her this again. Her answer wasn't satisfying since it ended up pissing him off. "Well...yeah, but...I just felt like I needed to face the consequences now than later. Even though Mr. Aizawa did promise to punish me again...confessing to him, I hope that it at least improves something, you know?" She closed her eyes in thought. "Besides...I wouldn't have been able to stomach you guys taking a punishment when I got involved too. You didn't have to lie for me."
"I didn't do it for you," He denied, turning away with a small blush and scoff. "You just happened to be stupid."
"Maybe, but hey, what's done is done now. We're even, you don't need to be in my debt," She remarked while taking another sip.
He looked back at her in shock and then closed his mouth. Never did he once think that she did it just because she owed him, which she didn't. If anything, it would've taken a lot more for that to call it even. "Oh yeah? What the hell did I do to make you take the punishment?" He murmured while eyeing his can.
"...Lots of things. Even when you don't like doing them," She hummed a little with a smile. "Part of the reason I've gotten more confident is...well, I watch you. Plus, you did protect me in Kamino, can't forget that."
"...Tch," He closed his eyes, taking another sip. Why the hell is she grateful to me for that? Anyone would've done it. Even he knew that was bullshit—the level he went to for her couldn't be matched by anyone. Plus, he'd easily argue that he wasn't the only reason she changed. It was because she was a fighter through and through, even if it would annoy the shit out of him. "I don't need your gratitude or praise. If something happened to you...those villains would be in shallow graves."
"What?" She blinked in shock looking at him and he flinched.
"N-nothing. I didn't say anything," He grunted and she decided to drop it.
"...I'm sorry," The girl let out a small sigh.
"What?" Katsuki whipped to her, baffled from her apology. "You're sorry? What the hell for?"
"If it wasn't for me...you wouldn't even have gotten into trouble. All because I made a call that I know was the right one, but it's not something everyone agrees with me on. People suffered so much..." She hugged her neck in frustration. Sometimes I wish that I ran when I had the chance...but if I did, I wouldn't be able to stomach it. On the fact that I gave up...when I'm not even like that anymore—mostly. Big crowds are still a no for me.
"...I've done worse. And you did what you had to," Katsuki admitted, getting her attention. "Sides, I've already forgotten it, so stop apologizing about it."
"Huh?" She blinked at him in confusion. "What do you mean you've done worse?"
"Our whole lives," He continued to look at his can. "Don't get me wrong, you're still annoying as hell sometimes, but...you're becoming great. And don't tell anyone I said that or I'll kill you!"
"Eh?" She blushed and looked away, rubbing the back of her neck. "I don't know about that...you weren't wrong when you said I'm far from surpassing you."
"Yeah, for obvious reasons," He closed his eyes with an amused smirk on his face. He then opened them, gently sliding his hand towards her fingers. Izuka flinched and turned towards him in alarm. He was scowling but was also blushing. "What you said about offering to talk…you were right."
"Uh?" She blinked in astonishment to hear this.
"I did need it. And you weren't wrong about me recognizing my weaknesses and looking down on others. So I'll take you up on that offer to yell out what I'm feeling next time."
"That's great, Katsuki!" She smiled brightly towards him, happy that they could openly talk to each other. "I'm glad to hear it. And like I did with you, you can do whatever you need!"
"Hah?" He raised a brow at her, wondering why she even offered to. "You'd be dead if I did."
"I know you won't kill me!" She beamed while shaking her fists hopefully. "Because you need me!"
"Shut up!" He screamed while his face was red. "I don't need you, I'm just using you. Don't get it twisted! You need me, you even said so last night!" His heart was beating as she didn't change her expression. She was either too happy or wasn't taking it too seriously.
"You technically made me say it, but still, I'm so glad that you're willing to talk to me!" She giggled up at him and he blinked at her in bewilderment.
She's so damn cute right now...I wanna see what her lips taste like. Just once.
"But...I always..." He leaned forward and she blinked in alarm as they were inches away from each other. Izuka inched her hand forward so that her hand was underneath his. "Izuka...just tell me if you wanna stop at any time..." He murmured in a low whisper that made her entire face red. She didn't respond as she squeezed her eyes shut. The thing was...she didn't want to. She wanted to welcome this affection he was showing only to her. She then felt his hair poke hers a little.
He's so close...what is he about to do?
He cupped her cheek as he took in her face, as she didn't dare look at him. She flinched from his contact, but wasn't opposed to it either. If she was, she would've pushed him off a while ago. How can someone who used to piss me off be so freaking adorable? He leaned in, their lips about to touch as they could hear their erratic hearts. This was it...their first-
"Hey, you two! I finished..." Izuku faltered as he saw his sister curling up into a ball on the couch. They had moved away as soon as they heard his voice. Katsuki was clutching at his shirt with his face red, his heart feeling like it was about to escape his chest. Izuka herself had her face covered, blushing hard. "Uh...are you guys okay?"
"GOD DAMN IT, DEKU!" Katsuki yelled towards him as he was now pissed off.
"Aaaah, what did I do?!" He yelped in alarm while Izuka was left letting out an agonized whine.
I can't believe that just happened...
"Listen up, everyone!" Tenya ordered the rest of his class. "Stay in line and move promptly into position. I want to see order!"
"Uh, you're the only one who's not in line," Hanta pointed out as they were all moving one by one, but Tenya was to the side to guide them. The class rep then shook a little as he realized his classmate had a point.
"The dilemma of a class rep...!"
Neito was leaning against a pillar nearby while looking as smug as usual. "I heard a little rumor about Class 1-A," He spoke up, getting Denki's attention. "Three people! You had three people fail the licensing exam, you losers!"
Denki's eyes twitched while Hanta was a bit unnerved to see him. They should've known that Neito would've been on top of this... "Monoma from Class B..." The latter murmured with a frown.
"He's just as unhinged as usual..." Denki commented a little anxiously.
Eijiro then smirked towards the blond, rubbing his chin. "Bet you were the only one in your class to fail." He figured since Neito failed the practical, that he failed the provisional licensing exam as well. "Just like in the final, huh?"
Neito hugged his stomach, laughing and then turning his back to them. He didn't even answer the question.
"That wasn't an answer!" Eijiro yelled at him in disbelief.
"Ha! Actually..." He then turned around, looking boastful as the rest of his class showed up. Tetsutetsu waved towards their rival class. "Every one of us passed! We've pulled ahead of you big shots!"
"I'm sorry," Shoto overheard, looking ashamed of himself. If he had passed, Neito wouldn't be making fun of them, as usual. "It's my fault..."
"They're the ones who're turning it into a competition," Eijiro tried to reassure his classmate. "It's no big deal!"
"Accordin' ta teacher Vlad, we'll have classes together this semester," A girl with horns on her head spoke up with a small smile. "Doesn't that sound like it'll be fun? I'm lookin' forward to it!" She beamed towards them optimistically.
"I can't wait to test out my skills!" Eijiro punched his fists together eagerly. Neito started whispering something to the girl.
"Oh hey," Denki turned to him, blushing over the blonde. "Isn't she the exchange student?"
"Touch me and I'll pummel you till yo mama doesn't know you!" She remarked with an innocent expression as Neito told her to say this...both of them were put off by what she said, unable to speak. Neito busted out laughing at them.
Itsuka then went over to him, hand outstretched. "Stop filling her mind with crazy!" She warned as she smacked his neck. He went quiet immediately after this.
"Hey," A familiar voice called out, Momo and Minoru turning around. "We're tryin' to get through back here."
"Our apologies!" Tenya gave an embarrassed look as Class C were walking up. The one who had spoken was Hitoshi, the boy with the brainwashing Quirk. "Come on, everyone. Save your chit chat for later! We're clogging up the hallways!"
"I honestly can't believe how uncool you are," Hitoshi remarked in a bit of disdain for them.
"Shinso," Fumikage murmured while glancing over his shoulder.
"Oh right, the guy who fought Midoriya at the Sports Festival. And tried to single out Mido," Kyoka looked at him in realization.
"You sure that's the same guy?" Hanta rubbed his chin in thought. "Looks like he's bulked up a bit since then." Taking a quick look at him revealed that he was a bit more buff now. Ever since that fight with Izuku, he had been training harder for a rematch.
After they were outside, all of the classes were murmuring amongst themselves. All the teachers were outside as well, with the principal on a podium. "Hi there!" He smiled with a wave. "It's the adorable small mammal you all know and love, the principal." His voice was enough to get them quiet. "You may notice the fur I'm so proud of has deteriorated in quality. I haven't been taking care of it. This is something that can happen to humans too. Even if you eat a balanced diet full of vitamins and minerals, you won't have a mane of luscious locks unless you're getting lots of sleep. That's the secret! Disturbances in your normal resting patterns are terrible for your hair. So if you want to improve your fur's...'
Mashirao gave a sheepish look as other students looked bored. Is this really important right now? Denki was touching his tail to pass the time.
Please tell me he's almost done Denki silently pleaded in thought.
"My own sleep cycle has been upset by the incidents that took place over summer vacation," Principal Nezu got back on topic. "Which I'm sure everyone here knows about already. Especially since it involved one of our own students, in a brutal fight with a dastardly villain. We lost a pillar of hope." Toshinori himself was nearby as he could feel some eyes on him in particular. "The ramifications of which have appeared faster than I could have ever imagined. And there will likely be even more chaos throughout our world in the near future. In particular, this will be most apparent to those of you studying in the hero course. You must approach extracurricular activities, like the hero work studies available to second and third years." Shoto gasped a little hearing that last part. Their teacher had yet to mention it to them, so he was a bit confused on what that meant. "With a greater sense of caution..."
"Hero work studies?" Mina turned to Tsuyu curiously.
"Maybe they're the next level after the internships we did?" Tsuyu wondered quietly to her.
"The air always feels heavy when we talk about gloomy subjects. But rest assured, your teachers are working hard to remove this weight from your shoulders. I'd like all of you to learn from their diligence, and remember that hard work will help you develop into capable heroes. Whether hero core, support, business, or general studies. I don't want any of you to forget that you're the ones who will inherit our society," Principal Nezu smiled towards every single one of his students.
"Well spoken. Thank you, Principal Nezu," Vlad King spoke up to the animal. Toshinori clamped his mouth shut, knowing that to the students, he wasn't All Might anymore...he was a regular man. And now that everyone had seen him in the school like this, it was going to be hard to adjust to...in particular, what All for One said came to mind, and he wished it didn't. He did recall something else, though.
"If you're looking for a successor, there's no place overflowing with more raw talent than UA High School," Principal Nezu smiled towards Toshinori while speaking to him about his concerns for the person who'd take One for All. "Think about coming to teach for us. Given your current state, I'd recommend cutting back on the heroing, anyway. And trust me, I'm not saying this without a few students in mind."
Toshinori scoped the crowd, looking at three particular people. "I have no doubt that someone worthy of your power walks the halls of our fine school." He stared at a blond, tall student specifically, as he had a feeling that this student, if not for Izuku...would've gotten the Quirk.
"Now, we'll hear from the extracurricular guidance teacher," Vlad King stated into the mic, as Principal Nezu had stepped off the platform. "Please give Mr. Hound Dog your attention." He stepped back as the teacher walked up.
He then growled into the microphone. "Yesterday..." He growled again as he was really angry for some reason. "Three students-" He then started snarling so much that they couldn't understand what he was saying at all. He let out an angry howl while the students stood there, frozen. They were both pretty confused and terrified right about now... He then stepped away as if nothing happened.
"Alright," Vlad King stepped up to translate for him. "As you just heard, there were students fighting last night. I know you're not used to life in the dorms, but let's all be a little more respectful moving forward."
What was Mr. Hound Dog even here for? Eijiro and Denki wondered to themselves in disbelief; if Vlad King was going to translate, why bother having the teacher growl at them? He could've just easily said it himself.
Momo and Ochaco gave sheepish smiles, as technically, Izuka wasn't fighting since they knew the whole story—outside of Toshinori telling Katsuki his secret. Mido is one of the most respectful people ever... They thought in unison.
"Does he forget human speech when he gets angry?" Minoru had a fearful expression on his face—he now knew to not make Hound Dog angry in the future. He had almost wet himself just witnessing the teacher. "There's still so much weird stuff at UA I don't know about."
"Midoriya, Mido, and Bakugo were doing well," Momo lamented with a hand on her cheek. "But now they're all being treated as problem children. Well...Mido was that to Mr. Aizawa from the start, but still..." She felt really bad for them getting called out. At least they weren't mentioned by name from any of the teachers...
"That's it. Back to the classrooms starting with the third years," Vlad King informed everyone and the third year students all walked off together.
"Hey, hey, listen to what I heard!" A girl with periwinkle long hair lightly hit the back of her classmate from behind. "It was a couple of first-years who were fighting. Two boys and one girl from Class 1-A, and they all know each other! Isn't that a scoop? Hey, do you know them? They must get excited easily."
He gave a small smile to himself. "Really?" He questioned with interest in his voice.
"Okay," Mr. Aizawa announced once class had started. "Starting today, we'll resume our regular classes and training schedule. I know a lot has happened recently, however...you need to switch gears and focus on your school duties. We're lecturing today, but this semester you'll have even harsher training than before."
Mina leaned in towards Tsuyu, covering her mouth. "He can't mean that, right?"
Mr. Aizawa's eyes then flashed red as his scarf flew around his body. After what happened with the problem children, none of them wanted to piss him off. "Like to share, Ashido?" He threatened and she gave a terrified squeal.
"His icy stare is back...!" She cried out, shaking a little.
"Excuse me, sir," Tsuyu raised her hand, and Mr. Aizawa went back to normal fairly quickly. "May I ask a question? What were those things the principal was talking about during the opening ceremonies? I've never heard the term hero work studies before."
"I know, right?" Hanta looked at her curiously. "That had me pretty confused, too."
"I also have concerns," Fumikage spoke up from behind his seat.
Momo raised a hand as well. "He said they're something the upperclassmen participate in, correct?"
Mr. Aizawa gave a small groan, rubbing the side of his head. "I was planning to talk more about those at a later date, but...I guess telling you now is more logical." He was going to wait until the twins and Katsuki were back in class. But if the students waited that long, they'd get more and more curious about it. Which he didn't want to deal with. "To put it simply, it's work outside of class. Like the internships you did at pro hero agencies before. Only closer to the real thing."
Ochaco stared up ahead at the teacher. Huh. I never heard about these. She then froze and something clicked for her a few seconds later. She stood up in alarm, raising a hand. "Wait, then why did we work so hard at the Sports Fest?!" She yelped, taking Tenya off guard a little.
"She has a point," Tenya looked up wide-eyed. "If we have work studies, those who weren't scouted at the Sports Festival still have career paths."
Ochaco was shaking at this point, her eyes wide. "You gotta calm down," Rikido spoke up nearby a bit nervously. "You're acting kinda nutso..."
"This doesn't make sense...!" Ochaco cried out as she looked on in confusion.
"You'll be using your connections from the festival to secure a work study," Mr. Aizawa informed his students. "It's basic networking. This isn't part of your normal classwork. It's discretionary for each student. That means those who weren't scouted at the Sports Festival will have a hard time lining one up I'm afraid. Originally, individual agencies recruited on their own. But there was lots of competition as people tried to recruit UA students. So this is how things ended up." Ochaco gave a worried frown since she was one of the students who was not scouted. "Good enough, Ochaco?"
"I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions, sir," She bowed her head respectfully, looking a little embarrassed now. She then took her seat.
"Now that you have your provisional licenses, you can assist in real ways, for longer periods of time. Until now, there haven't been many first years who've received their licenses. With the increased activity in villains, we're currently exploring the idea that you can participate in work studies as well. We'll explain more about the work study positions and what that program entails at a later date, but for now...we've got other things to worry about. That's all," He looked to the doorway. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Mic."
Present Mic then threw the door open. "First period is English! In other words, it's jam time! Been an age since I stood on this stage!" He announced loudly to everyone. "Ya miss me? We've got a lot to cover today! Let's get rollin' with it. Ya dig?"
Mr. Aizawa walked down the hall, knowing that all of his students had a lot to live up to. Including the ones who failed the provisional licensing exam.
Once they got back to the dorms, the sun was already setting. Minoru ran his finger along a dusty window pane. He smirked as Hanta pointed towards it, holding up his finger. "Excuse me, but what is with this dust, Bakugo?" He asked teasingly, while Katsuki seethed towards them. Izuka looked up from vacuuming.
"Deku was supposed to do that!" Katsuki protested as the two laughed. "Shut up!"
"You guys..." Izuka sighed towards the two boys.
Katsuki then turned towards Izuku picking up trash. "Hey, can't you even clean something right, you idiot?!"
Izuku yelped towards him, clutching the trash bag. "Right! Sorry!"
"Man," Rikido rubbed the back of his neck. Mina stretched out her arms. "I'm so beat..."
"Hey, guys," Izuku called out to them. "If you put your trash in the halls, I'll take everything down in a second."
They didn't respond and leaned against the couch. Denki and Eijiro were there too, exhausted. "You can't do that on your own, you'll exhaust your arms, remember?" Izuka reminded him as she walked over to him. "I'll help you out."
"So," Rikido spoke up to the three around the couch. "Present Mic's class today."
"You as lost as I was?" Eijiro asked in exhaustion, as he felt like his eyes wasn't able to take everything in today. They had a LOT to catch up on...
"Were we supposed to know all the grammar he was going over?" Rikido wondered, the twins listening in curiously.
"Oh, yeah, that! Right? I was like, is this even English?" Mina wondered while the twins felt lost. It was a little upsetting to hear them talk about things that they couldn't understand since they couldn't be in class. Especially for Izuku, he was always excited to learn even when the others were bored for the simple fact that he was still in UA.
"I think I studied the wrong chapters!" Eijiro confessed to them.
"I got stuck at the beginning and then I couldn't figure out anything after that..." Rikido stated and Izuka closed her eyes, letting out a quiet sigh.
"About those work studies," Kyoka pointed out to Toru and Mashirao. The twins whipped around to the group in bewilderment. "I wasn't scouted, so I wonder if I'll get to participate in one."
"Maybe we can go to the places we did our internships," Toru suggested a bit hopefully. "I'd be totally down with doing that!"
Izuku gave them a disappointed frown, as none of them hadn't even noticed them... "I hope I get to do one," Mashirao spoke up and this outright devastated Izuku. Izuka turned to him sympathetically, patting him on the back.
Poor Izuku, it must be killing him to hear all about these new topics that the three of us weren't in class for...
"In just one day, we've been completely left behind!" Tenya said in a high-pitched voice. "That's what you're both thinking, right, House Arrests?"
"Hey, don't call me that, it's mean!" Izuku protested towards his friend.
"Aren't you two supposed to be good friends, Ida-San?" Izuka raised an annoyed brow, hands on her hips.
"What she said!" Izuku gestured to her wildly and then pointed in confusion. "Um, Ida. What's a work study?"
"Something I can't tell you about! The teachers have forbidden us from giving you any details about our classes," Tenya informed as he looked disappointed in the both of them. "Sorry, but you'll just have to experience the same shock and surprise we went through. Did you catch that?" He looked towards a seething Katsuki. "Bakugo?"
"Shut your mouth! I heard you, four eyes," He called out in annoyance.
"We're really sorry, Mido," Ochaco stated as she and Momo walked over with saddened expressions on their faces. "We'd tell you if we weren't told not to..."
"That's right, we don't mean to keep this from you to hurt you or Midoriya or Bakugo for that matter," Momo nodded in agreement, her eyes softening. The shortest girl blinked towards the both of them and let out a heavy sigh, closing her eyes. She could tell that they felt terrible keeping all this stuff a secret from her since she was the closest to the two.
"I'd rather you not pity me...I know you guys don't mean it. So we're cool," She then gave them a small smile. "Besides, once I'm back in class, you can drill me about the lessons all you want."
"For sure! We'll be back in classes together before you know it!" Ochaco giggled a little, giving the girl a comforting side hug.
"We promise that we won't talk about them behind your back anymore," Momo gestured to herself, hugging Izuka as well. Izuka hummed happily with a slightly embarrassed blush on her face; their friendship had gotten much closer after the Kamino Incident and the provisional licensing exam.
"I really don't mind, guys!" She giggled a little. "I've honestly been too busy with..." The almost-kiss appeared in her mind and she froze, her face turning red. She then started sweating a lot as she didn't want to think about it. And once she glanced at Katsuki, his face got red and they turned away from each other. "Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Thank you, but I've gotta pick up this trash now!" She pulled away from the two girls and picked up the trash bags, running off while trying to calm down.
"Huh?" Denki murmured as everyone stared after her. "What's going on with her?"
"Oh, uh..." Izuku looked at them nervously, knowing what was going on. "She's just really exhausted from today, I'll go check on her." He got onto his feet, getting his own trash bags.
"Well, she is a hard worker..." Momo murmured as Ochaco stared after the girl. She had seen Izuka like this before...
"Oh, I know! Maybe you've been drawing a certain person a lot since you're an artist," Toru pointed out in the common room. "Does that make sense?"
Izuka blinked and then seconds later, she covered her mouth in disbelief. "Uh? Heeeeeeeeeeeh?!"
"So you do like someone!" Kyoka smirked towards her after this reaction.
Does this have to do with Bakugo...?
"Aw, man," Izuku muttered while following his sister outside. "What is a work study? We're clearly being left behind! I know it's just the start of the semester, but these three days of house arrest are gonna hit us really hard," He pouted as she didn't respond. She just kept walking while carrying her bags. "There's hero basic training tomorrow! Everyone's gonna be learning new stuff while we're both stuck hanging out in our rooms. I hate this. I'm falling behind. I can't slow down now!"
"Well, that's just what happens when you decide to fight in Ground Beta after curfew," Izuka retorted while looking over her shoulder. "Three days will be over before we know it." She wasn't even allowed to paint during house arrest, Mr. Aizawa had taken all of her art supplies and kept them locked in a closet in Heights Alliance. That was agonizing to go through, but she hoped she could get past that.
"Well, can they go faster?" He murmured to himself but she still heard it. She let out a sigh, giving a tiny smile.
"It's not so bad. But I could do without Ida-San's treatment. Just understand that it's not personal with them."
"Yeah, I guess..." He stared up ahead as she kept walking.
Izuku faltered as he saw his sister curling up into a ball on the couch. They had moved away as soon as they heard his voice. Katsuki was clutching at his shirt with his face red, his heart feeling like it was about to escape his chest. Izuka herself had her face covered, blushing hard.
Izuku came to a stop, watching her continue to walk. "...Hey, sis." She hummed as she looked over her shoulder, stopping as well. "Earlier this morning when I came in. Were...you and Kacchan...about to-"
"Ah!" Her eyes went super wide and then she got defensive. "NOTHING! We weren't about to do anything! It's not relevant!" She took a deep breath, a slight blush on her face. He blinked at her in confusion as she bit her lip.
"It would've been if I didn't come in...wouldn't it?" He pointed out and she froze. The girl then whipped around so she wouldn't have to look at him.
"...I-I don't know," She admitted after a few seconds, sweating immensely while darting her eyes around. "I honestly really don't. These feelings are still new to me...I don't know how I'm gonna even talk to him anymore when all I can think about is...is nothing. It was nothing," She gripped her trash bag anxiously.
"You're shaking," He pointed out and walked over to her side. "It's not nothing...you shouldn't be ignoring it. Come on, take a deep breath." She closed her eyes and after a few seconds did as prompted. "Better?"
"Yeah...thanks," She murmured while releasing her tight grip on the trash, but still held onto it.
"If you're worried about how I feel...I think it's great for you two." Izuka blinked, looking up at her brother in surprise. "I mean, obviously it's a big deal for you both, but at least you can't say you're not talking to each other anymore! Isn't that great? You and Kacchan can actually have conversations now! I'm honestly a little jealous—uh, not that I'd do the things you were about to..." He looked away sheepishly. "Which was nothing. I didn't see a thing. But...you know, if you two don't wanna address it, that's okay too. Because I know you guys want a much better relationship."
She faltered as she looked up ahead, smiling happily. Her brother did have a point...even though it was crazy what was going to happen...part of her was still giddy inside. Even if she never wanted to speak of it again. It was going to take a bit to calm down and get past it, but that was what the house arrest was for. She just hoped that Katsuki wasn't going to treat her differently like he did during the practical exams...but she had a feeling it wouldn't come to that. Not when they had been through so much.
"Thank you, little brother," She said gratefully as they started walking again. "You're right. I'll just keep acting like things are normal—er...as normal as we could be, heh. And don't say relationship..." She muttered in a bit of embarrassment.
"Oh, right! Sorry," He gave her a sheepish laugh as they were passing by...a face in the wall? "It's just so crazy to think that you two-"
Both of them froze and then turned towards the wall.
"Ha!" The person gave them a small smile. "Trash and teenage love, am I right?"
Both of them yelped, Izuka screaming her head off and falling backwards. She landed on her butt while looking up at him. Please don't tell me that he heard all of that!
"What are you doing?" He pointed towards the right. "You guys know you can just throw away the food trays with the burnables, don't you?"
Izuku was shaking as he slowly turned to the guy in the wall, wondering if he was imagining things. "Uh...yeah..." He then glanced down at his sister. "You see him too, right?"
"Uh huh..." Izuka nodded slowly while staring up at him.
The guy nodded and then completely disappeared into the wall. Izuka looked freaked out while staring at the wall. Am I going insane? What was that?
The face then reappeared right in front of Izuku, who let out a scream. Izuka glanced down at the guy right next to her leg. She screamed again, scooching away from him. "So you must be those excitable first-year twins, aren't you? Ha, ha! I bet that was a freaky surprise for ya." Izuku backed away as Izuka moved towards the wall, panting. "Kinda sorry about that! Gotta admit, I did pop up here cause I thought you'd be shocked, though."
"What in the world are you?!" Izuku yelped towards him.
"Is this real? This isn't a dream? I'm really looking at a face in the floor who was just in the wall...?" Izuka held her head in a panic.
"Ha ha! Not bad questions there, my friends! I admit, sometimes I even weird myself out!" He stated cheerfully, as if he wasn't in the ground right now... "You know, once in a blue moon." Izuku didn't say anything as he gave a small sound of terror. "But don't worry, you're gonna find out who I am soon enough."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Izuka yelped towards him.
"I'm just glad it looks like you've got fighting spirits! You see, the truth is that people are talking about you, so I came to see what the fuss was about," He disappeared into the ground, and they looked around to make sure he wasn't reappearing.
"What-he...but that—ahhh..." Izuka was shaking as she couldn't process the past events.
"Okay. What just happened?" Izuku whipped his head around. He glanced down at his panicking sister, which told him that he wasn't dreaming. "I feel like I've seen him somewhere before..."
"Izuka!" Katsuki ran up to them from around the corner. "I heard the screaming, what the hell happened?!"
"Guy...in wall, then he was in the dirt—I'm so confused right now!"
"Hah?!" He blinked down at her in confusion. "What the hell are you saying?!"
Despite it seeming like time was crawling by, three days eventually passed. And the two of us turned in our written apologies.
Hopefully it would satisfy Mr. Aizawa. The only reason I even took an extra day was because of Katsuki, and we got over the awkward tension right after the...guy in the wall stuff.
The two put on their ties as they walked out of the common room. Katsuki was still cleaning.
Our house arrest ended the day before Kacchan's.
Who, by the way, did not believe us about what happened a few days ago.
Katsuki glanced up at the two of them. "Oi, Izuka. Can't believe you expected me to buy what you said," He called out teasingly to her and she groaned. "If you wanted to get out of an extra day of house arrest, all ya had to do was say so, idiot."
"Katsuki, I wasn't joking," She closed her eyes seriously without looking back at him. "I couldn't even sleep after that. But since I'm off house arrest now, I don't wanna be late. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," He muttered while going back to cleaning.
We were back!
And both of us were excited to learn about what we missed.
Izuku had an intense look on his face once the two were back in class. "Guys, I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused!" Smoke was coming from his nostrils as he bowed.
"I'm sorry too for being a disappointment lately! I promise I'll do better!" Izuka bowed as well to them.
"No sweat, Deku," Ochaco smiled encouragingly at them. "Thanks for your hard work!"
"All he did was vacuum," Kyoka pointed out while staring at the two. "And what's with those steam nostrils?"
"Class Rep! Ida!" Izuku turned to him next. "We're sorry we disappointed you!"
"Right," He held up a fist. "Well, I'm glad you learned from your mistakes. Follow the rules from now on. And Mido will be taking the special classes anyway, so I'd say she's been through enough!"
"We'll catch up with everything we fell behind on these past three days!"
"We'll work really hard!" Izuka pumped a fist, a sparkle in her eyes.
"That's fightin' the spirit! Do it, guys!" Eijiro encouraged them nearby with a small smile.
"Time to take your seats, everyone," Mr. Aizawa warned as he stood behind the twins. They both yelped since they didn't know he was right there...all of them immediately went to their seats and then sat in silence. "Morning. Now that the Midoriyas are back, we'll go into more detail about what the work studies entail. Go ahead and come in," He looked towards the doorway. All of them were confused as the door opened. "I'll have people who've experienced them firsthand explain."
Izuku gasped as three particular students walked in one by one. "I suggest you listen carefully as they point out how work studies differ from internships." The green-haired boy's mouth went wide at the three entering...because one of them was the guy in the wall! Izuka opened her mouth in disbelief, all eyes on the three students. "These three are third years at UA. They rank at the very top of our student body." The other two were the girl with periwinkle hair and a very anxious looking boy. "You may know them as...the Big Three."
The blond and the girl all smiled towards the class. The second boy looked towards the ground, hands in his pockets. "The Big Three. And it's him..." Izuku's eyes shook while the guy from the wall grinned widely.
No way... Izuka thought to herself staring at them.