—. My Hero Academia 180 degrees.—
49. Where Class A and Class B travel to the USJ, everyone reads Izuku's notebook, and Hawks recalls part of his past.
"Well, well. Sounds Looks like you and Midoriya had a long night arguing," Kaminari said casually over breakfast, his curious eyes landing on Bakugo. "I heard you even broke a window. I wonder when you two will finally start getting along."
Bakugo didn't answer. He was hunched over the table, sipping from a large mug of black coffee like a zombie, dark circles under his eyes and his gaze lost in the steam rising from the cup.
"I didn't know you drank black coffee," Kirishima said, intrigued, sitting beside him. "Totally a tough guy move."
"This stuff tastes like crap," Bakugo grumbled, frowning. "And it's not because I like it. This garbage isn't even good for you in the long run."
Kirishima stared at him, blinking in surprise.
"What?"
"You don't look like it, but… seems like you actually do everything on purpose. You even care about your health."
Before Bakugo could reply, a familiar voice cut in.
"Hey," Uraraka said, walking up behind them with a hint of concern. "Has anyone seen Deku? It's late and he hasn't come down for breakfast…"
"He's in the infirmary," Bakugo answered gruffly, not even bothering to look at her.
"What?! The infirmary?!" Uraraka exclaimed, alarmed. Her expression shifted quickly from worry to suspicion. "W-What did you do to him?!"
"I didn't do anything!" Bakugo snapped, slamming his hand on the table as he stood up. "Not everything's how it looks, round-face! And for your information, you're probably the last person he wants to see right now."
Uraraka blinked, taken aback, her face showing a mixture of confusion and concern.
"Look…" Kaminari interrupted, pointing toward the cafeteria entrance. "If Midoriya was in the infirmary… he's not there anymore."
Everyone turned their heads. There was Izuku, walking into the cafeteria with a sleepy yawn, his expression drowsy. Despite Bakugo's words, Uraraka didn't hesitate to rush over to him.
"Looks like your little attempt to keep them apart didn't work," Kaminari teased.
"Why don't you shut the hell up," Bakugo growled, though his voice lacked energy as he slumped back down and took another sip of his coffee.
When Uraraka reached Izuku, her face lit up with relief. "Hey! Are you okay? Bakugo said you were in the infirmary…"
Izuku gave her a tired but reassuring smile. "Yeah, I was… but don't worry. It was just a routine checkup, more or less."
"I see… what a relief," she said, her shoulders relaxing slightly, though she tensed again at the memory of Bakugo's earlier comment. "Also, he mentioned that—"
"Good morning. Sorry to interrupt," Iida cut in, appearing beside them with his usual formality. "Midoriya, I wanted to ask if we could decide on the seating arrangement for the bus to the USJ this morning to avoid further conflicts between Class A and Class B."
Izuku couldn't help but let out another yawn as he rubbed his eyes. "Right… of course, Iida. Just give me a second, Uraraka."
"Sure… okay," she replied, though her worried gaze followed him as he walked over to another table.
"Ribbit. He looks tired," Tsuyu said, suddenly appearing beside Uraraka, who hadn't noticed her. "It can't be easy sharing a room with Bakugo."
"I guess not… but…" Uraraka murmured, watching Deku as Iida showed him what looked like a detailed diagram of the bus. "Things aren't always what they seem."
Tsuyu tilted her head slightly. "You saying that for any reason in particular?"
Uraraka blinked, as if snapping out of her thoughts. "No… nothing special, really."
...
After breakfast, while the students were waiting in line for the buses to arrive, Todoroki approached Izuku and spoke in a low voice so no one else would hear.
"Whatever it is you're hiding… you didn't quite convince Iida." His tone was calm, but there was a hint of suspicion in his words. "Or me."
Izuku turned to him, visibly concerned, but Todoroki continued.
"Last night, Iida was eavesdropping outside our room after scolding you and Bakugo… until he heard you two take the elevator down," Todoroki said calmly. There was a brief silence before he asked directly, "Does this have something to do with All Might?"
Izuku lowered his gaze, torn. After a few seconds, he silently nodded.
"I see," Todoroki replied just as calmly, sliding his hands into his pockets. "You don't have to tell me the details if you don't want to, or if you all agreed not to… but I'll be around if you need to talk."
Izuku looked up, and after a moment of thought, smiled and raised his fist between them.
"Thanks, Todoroki. You're a great friend. You can count on me too."
Todoroki blinked, slightly surprised, but soon raised his own fist and bumped it gently against Midoriya's.
From a distance, Uraraka was watching them closely.
"That's odd..." Iida mused aloud, holding his chin with a concerned expression. "The buses should be here by now. It would be terrible to think that U.A. doesn't take punctuality seriously!"
"You're being dramatic! It's only been a few minutes!" Uraraka teased beside him.
Before Iida could reply, a familiar figure passed in front of them, walking sluggishly.
"What a pain..." muttered Mr. Aizawa without stopping.
When he reached U.A.'s main entrance, he placed his palm on the security scanner. Just as the system processed his identity, a commotion erupted outside, drawing everyone's attention.
"We want to see All Might!"
"It'll only take a moment!"
"We just want to hear about his first days as a teacher at U.A.!"
A group of reporters crowded the academy's entrance, cameras and microphones raised, eager for any response. The noisy crowd was blocking the buses from entering, turning the entrance into a chaotic mix of lights, voices, and shoving.
Aizawa frowned, visibly annoyed.
"Don't you realize you're in the way and holding up our schedule?" he snapped seriously.
But the reporters were undeterred. The most enthusiastic among them, bursting with energy that clashed harshly with Aizawa's lack of it, stepped forward with a microphone dangerously close to his face.
"We demand a press conference with All Might!"
"No," he replied curtly, pushing through the crowd with undeniable authority. The reporters kept shouting, but Aizawa ignored them entirely, clearing the way so the buses could finally move toward the entrance.
The students exchanged surprised glances.
"Looks like somehow they found out about All Might…" Mina observed with a hint of awe.
"Even though we were told not to speak or post anything about it," said Tokoyami seriously.
"They even made us sign a confidentiality agreement on the first day," Tsuyu recalled. "I thought it was overkill."
"Seems like someone couldn't keep their mouth shut..." Kaminari said, casting a suspicious look at Tokoyami.
Tokoyami returned the stare, his eyes glowing with a silent, defiant challenge.
Meanwhile, the first bus lined up right at the entrance. Aizawa raised his hand in a brief but clear gesture, signaling the students to come closer.
"Don't forget your assigned seating order!" Iida reminded them firmly.
At that moment, the same reporter from earlier caught up to Izuku in the crowd and leaned in with her microphone held high.
"Tell us what it's been like having All Might as a teacher!"
Izuku tensed immediately, nervous.
"W-well… he… is..."
"Don't answer," Aizawa interrupted, standing by the bus door. "If you do, it'll be one question after another, and we'll be here all day. It's always the same with them."
The teacher's dry tone was enough for the students to get the message. Despite the reporters' persistent questions, everyone remained silent as they boarded the bus one by one.
Then, amid the reporters' clamor, a barely audible voice whispered:
"Aizawa..."
...
The bus moved steadily down the road as Izuku reviewed a bundle of loose sheets filled with his notes. With quick, practiced movements, he transcribed the information into a clean notebook, making sure everything was properly organized. Every now and then, he paused to take a sip of coffee from the thermos he carried, which seemed to fill him with a sudden burst of energy.
Uraraka, sitting beside him, was already used to seeing Deku absorbed in his analysis. She knew he had a habit of documenting everything he found relevant about Quirks and heroes, but seeing him so focused, eyes fixed on his notes, she blinked—and an image flashed in her mind: Izuku, a little older, dressed in a formal suit and tie, a stack of exams in his hands, reviewing them with the same intensity he now gave his notebook.
"Professor…" she whispered without realizing it, and the moment the word slipped from her lips, she felt her face grow hot. She brought her hands to her cheeks, trying to shake the sudden image away with a few quick shakes of her head.
Meanwhile, in the flurry of his movements, one of Izuku's loose pages slipped under the seat and made its way toward the back. Kaminari picked it up and, curious, gave it a glance.
"Hey, Midoriya…" he said, leaning toward the front seats. "You should be more careful with all this information you're carrying around. In the wrong hands, villains could use it to find our weak points. That'd be seriously dangerous."
Izuku took the sheet back with a calm expression and nodded, his gaze firming with resolve.
"I know. But I'd protect this information with my life."
Kaminari looked a little surprised by the strength in his voice.
"Whoa… For someone who acts like a fool most of the time, that was a pretty sharp observation," Jiro commented from a nearby seat.
"Hey! I don't act like a fool all the time… I mean—" Kaminari tried to defend himself, but the laughter from their classmates made him give up.
With a dramatic sigh, he slumped back in his seat and crossed his arms in mock indignation.
"You don't exactly let people see that you're not all serious either," he muttered.
Uraraka, meanwhile, leaned a little closer to Deku to get a better look at his notebook. In doing so, their shoulders bumped slightly. It was only a light touch, but it was enough to make Izuku suddenly aware of her presence… and the fact that she was wearing her Uravity costume again.
"Is that an analysis of yesterday's team training?" she asked, noticing the graphs and notes covering the pages.
"Y-yeah," Izuku replied, feeling a wave of nervousness rise in him. He was about to hand her the notebook, but before he could, a tail reached in and grabbed it.
"That sounds interesting. Mind if I take a look?" Ojiro asked.
Ojiro flipped through the notebook with interest while the others leaned in to take a look as well. Soon, the murmur of conversation was replaced by surprised exclamations.
"This is incredibly detailed," Ojiro commented, scanning the precisely organized notes.
"Look at this, he even recorded the time it took us to react to each attack," added Mina, taking the notebook. "How did you manage to remember all this, Midoriya?"
"Hey, there's a section about me," said Kirishima excitedly. "'Kirishima has improved his endurance through rigorous and consistent training. His ability to harden at key moments allows him to withstand high-impact attacks, but he still needs to work on his reaction speed when facing sudden changes in the direction of a blow...' It even includes recommendations for improvement!"
"Let me see what it says about me," Jiro took the notebook and turned it toward herself, reading it with interest. "'Jiro. Her wide auditory range allows her to detect attacks before they visually manifest, although she could still work on integrating her quirk into more complex strategies. If she managed to use it more creatively and freely, for example…'"
She paused, frowning slightly.
"That's interesting… it's actually pretty similar to what I'd already been thinking," she murmured, surprised by how accurate the analysis was.
"Ha! So what does it say about me?!" Kaminari tried to grab the notebook, but Jiro had already turned it away.
"Hold on, hold on… 'Bakugo…' Oh…" Jiro fell silent for a moment before letting out a nervous laugh.
"What the hell does it say about me?!" Bakugo turned around, frowning deeply.
"Uh… nothing important," Jiro lied, but Kaminari snatched the notebook from her and read aloud before she could stop him.
"'Bakugo and Todoroki would definitely form the ultimate, unbeatable combo. This is due to the combination of high-impact explosions and ice attacks that can restrict the opponent's movement…'"
"What?!" Bakugo shouted.
Izuku had already gotten up from his seat and was heading toward the back of the bus, a look on his face that showed he had fully anticipated that reaction.
"Unbeatable combo?!" Bakugo jumped to his feet, his fury radiating around him. "Are you saying I need that damn ice bastard to be unbeatable?! I can be unbeatable on my own!"
Todoroki, who had remained silent until then, looked up.
"Well, it's a logical analysis. We cover each other's weaknesses."
"Shut up! Nobody asked you!" Bakugo roared. "I don't need anyone to 'cover' me! I'm gonna blow that nerd's head off for even suggesting it!"
Izuku didn't turn around and kept walking toward the back. "You're right. Maybe… I should… uh… fix it right now…"
"Don't you dare run away!" Bakugo tried to go after him, but Izuku was already on his way to the back of the bus.
"Deku, I don't think you should lock yourself in the bathroom," Uraraka tried to warn him. "I think someone left something terrible in there!"
"Looks like assigning seats to avoid conflicts was useless," Iida reflected, lowering his head in disappointment.
"They're acting like children," Momo complained, covering her mouth as if it was all terribly improper.
Todoroki suddenly remembered something. "By the way. You never told us why you were wearing that costume the day we first met you."
Momo tensed up. "Ah! That was because… there's a very reasonable explanation for that…!"
"You're making too much noise," Aizawa complained from the front seat, ready to restore order among the students.
In a second, the entire bus fell into tense silence, and everyone returned to their seats.
"I'm going to ignore most of your nonsense, but if you're going to keep arguing about who's stronger or who would make the better team, at least base it on real evidence. Midoriya, your analysis isn't bad, but it's not absolute either. Each of you can develop your potential in ways you haven't even considered. Bakugo, if you think self-reliance is the key to victory, you'll only end up limiting yourself. Todoroki, learning to trust a teammate is not the same as relying on their Quirk to cover for what you don't want to do."
Both nodded with different expressions: Bakugo gritting his teeth, and Todoroki with his usual calm and thoughtful look.
"That being said, I want you to reflect on a philosophical concept while we travel," Aizawa continued, now facing them with an open book in hand. "Friedrich Nietzsche spoke of good and evil as social constructs. Morality imposed by society isn't absolute—it's a reflection of the norms of its time. Keep that in mind when evaluating your own actions and those of others."
The group exchanged glances—some, like Tokoyami, genuinely intrigued; others, like Mina, clearly confused. Aizawa went on:
"A hero isn't someone who blindly follows rules, but someone who knows when to break them for a greater good. Nietzsche spoke of the 'Übermensch,' an individual who rises above conventional morality to create their own values. Do you think heroes fit that definition? Or are we still trapped in a system that dictates what's right and wrong?"
The atmosphere inside the bus shifted completely. There was something about the calm way Aizawa spoke, and how he tossed those questions into the air without offering definitive answers, that made even the most restless students quiet down.
Meanwhile, Uraraka, who had been listening with her head resting against the window, began to blink slowly, fighting off boredom. Without realizing it, she leaned toward Izuku, resting her head naturally on his shoulder. Izuku felt her warmth and froze completely.
But for a moment, his mind clouded over with the vision Sir Nighteye's Quirk had shown him: Uraraka, holding him in her arms as blood stained her lips. His blood… His end…
His hand trembled, hesitating. If he took her hand now… would he be defying that fate—or walking straight into it?
But then he looked at Uraraka again. Her peaceful expression, the calm rhythm of her breathing, the light weight of her body against his… No. He wasn't going to let that future happen. No matter what he'd seen, no matter what fate seemed to dictate. He would change that destiny with his own hands.
He took a deep breath and, with quiet resolve, placed his hand over Uraraka's, gently holding her fingers. Then he looked out the window at the sky with a smile.
Unbeknownst to anyone, high above the bus and hidden among the clouds, a pair of golden eyes quietly watched its path. Hawks soared in the sky, his wings stretched wide as he discreetly followed the vehicle's journey below.
For a few seconds, his gaze grew even more intense. His brows furrowed softly, yielding to the weight of memories that had begun to surface.
With my voice, I reached out to that feeling — it was kindness.
I know it will return, like compassion when touched by the light.
I'll search to join you, to slowly reach everyone.
I close my eyes here… and suddenly, they're all around me.
...
The first image was clear: Toya Todoroki lay unconscious on a bed. His skin, pale and wrapped in bandages, barely rose and fell with the rhythm of his weak breathing. From the doorway, Hawks watched him in silence, unable to take a step forward, his back tense and his wings folded, as if afraid to disturb the stillness of the room. Beside him, Lady Nagant rested a gentle hand on his shoulder, her touch firm but filled with compassion. In the young boy's arms, a small Endeavor plush was clutched tightly to his chest — a childish anchor to a past that was beginning to fade away.
They always said it was useless… but still…
They left me alone… why me?
And I saw them… the flames, their warmth…
I'm not lying! It's the truth!
...
That scene vanished like smoke swept away by the wind, and another took its place — years later. Toya, now a teenager, stood before him with a dull expression clouded by resentment. In his hands was the same plush, now worn with age. Without a word, he set it ablaze. Hawks, a silent witness, could do nothing but watch.
Wherever we are, on any stage, no matter the pain…
We'll be connected here!
Even if you're broken… your wound…
I'm going to heal!
...
And finally, he saw himself standing still in the shadows, unmoving, while Toya and Lady Nagant walked away — moving forward down a dark, unreturning path. Neither of them looked back.
Nothing else will matter!
I know I'm going to save you!
Today… I will save you!
...
Author's Notes.
Your comments are always welcome! Thank you so much for reading, following, and leaving a like. It always makes me smile :)