A Lesson in Leadership
"Let's see here…" Midoriya muttered, "Cold temperatures, acetone, and ethanol all desensitize nitroglycerin…the main hurdle to deal with there is a reliable method of deployment, both of those chemicals are volatile in their own right so carrying them around would prove more dangerous than helpful, not to mention how impractical it would be for such a niche situation…perhaps preventing combustion altogether would be more…yes, that would do nicely, if I could introduce a anticatalytic agent into the mix, that would prove helpful in a variety of situations, but that brings me back to my original problem of deployment…perhaps some sort of iron-based particulate, or maybe a Halogenated hydrocarbon…no, too toxic…"
Even though he now possessed arguably the strongest quirk in the world, Midoriya had no intentions of quitting this routine mental exercise. It was a habit left over from a time when the only weapon Midoriya could truly rely on was his mind. Every day, Midoriya would pick one of the subjects of his notes—hero or villain, it didn't matter—and dedicate a minimum of thirty minutes to brainstorming various methods of defeating them or shutting down their quirk.
"Excuse me, excuse me, young man!" A brunette reporter shoved her microphone in Midoriya's face as soon as he approached the massive crowd of media members blocking the entrance to the school. "Can you tell me what it's like learning from All Might?"
"Hmm?" Midoriya looked up from his notebook. "What's going on here?"
"All Might." The young woman flashed her most charming smile, "What's it like having the number one hero as a teacher? The public wants to know!"
Midoriya's expression was perfectly neutral as he glanced around at the huge collection of cameras and microphones surrounding him. When his eyes finally settled back on the female reporter, he smiled politely as he took a moment to craft a suitably generic response so he could gracefully make his exit.
"He's surprisingly approachable, considering his reputation. Other than that, he acts exactly as you would expect based on his many public appearances." Midoriya bowed, "Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have to get to class."
Midoriya moved to walk around the reporter, but frowned minutely when she side-stepped to intercept him. "I just have a few more questions, when All Might is—"
"Get the fuck out of our way, News Bimbo." A rough voice interrupted her. "This dipshit is too polite to say it out loud, but I don't give a fuck! You bunch of goddamn vultures are fucking annoying, so buzz off!"
"News Bimbo?!" The reporter exclaimed with an angry flush. "You did not just…wait, aren't you that kid from the Sludge Villain incident?"
'Is Kacchan…helping me out?' Midoriya's jaw dropped in shock as his long-time bully none-to-gently pushed him through the entrance while flipping off the outraged crowd of media members.
"Get a real job!" Bakugo taunted, "You 'Christmas Cake' hack!"
"C-Christmas Cake?! You little brat!" The apoplectic female reporter stormed towards them, "I'm only 23! Get back here and apologi—"
~KLANG~
Bakugo cackled as the thick steel doors of the famous 'Yuuei Barrier' slammed shut in the face of the furious woman. "Suck on that, you bloodsucking losers!"
"Thanks for the assist, Kacchan." Midoriya thanked Bakugo while struggling to contain the amused grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. 'Bakugo's talent for being an ass can be kind of funny when he isn't using it to bully his peers…still, I probably shouldn't encourage him.' "They were getting a little overbearing."
"Assist?" Bakugo scoffed. "Don't misunderstand, Deku! I didn't 'assist' shit—the doors wouldn't have closed on them as long as you were near the threshold, so I shoved your ass through."
"I'll keep that in mind." Midoriya replied, "I think you might have gone a little far with the insults, though."
"I agree." Aizawa's monotone, no-nonsense voice interjected. As he approached his students, he had to pull his capture cloth up over his mouth to hide his own delighted smirk at Bakugo's treatment of the press—he had to set an example. "Bakugo. I don't make any secret of my feelings towards the press, but as long as you wear that uniform, you need to remember that you are a representative of Yuuei. You can't go around calling reporters bimbos or…heh, bloodsucking losers."
'Ah, he laughed.' Midoriya noted.
'He totally just laughed.' Bakugo smirked.
"If this happens again, let me handle them." Aizawa continued. "Now hurry up and get to class. I have a few announcements to make."
"Yes sensei." The two chorused.
XXX
HEROES NEVER DIE
XXX
"Good work with yesterday's combat training." Aizawa began class without any preamble. "I've looked over everyone's grades and evaluations." He shuffled through a few papers. "For the most part, everyone did well enough considering your lack of experience. That being said, there are a few issues that need to be addressed…Kaminari."
"Eh?" The blond electricity user perked up at his name.
"Training or not, combat situations are not the time or place to try and score a date. Focus on your love life on your own time."
"Haha…yeah." Kaminari laughed sheepishly while the rest of the class snickered at his expense. "Sorry sensei."
"Don't apologize to me." Aizawa grunted. "Apologize to the partner whose time you wasted."
"S-sorry, Uraraka." Kaminari apologized. "I guess that was pretty thoughtless of me, huh?"
"Just don't do it again." Uraraka said, embarrassed by the unwanted stares and suppressed laughter directed their way thanks to the situation.
"Bakugo…you—"
"What!?" Bakugo interrupted in his outrage. "What are you on my case for? I fucking won!"
"If you had waited for me to finish my sentence," Aizawa narrowed his eyes at Bakugo, "you would know that your issue is not with your performance in combat, nor your judgement. Hagakure remaining behind to guard the weapon was the most logical choice under the circumstances."
Bakugo blinked. "Then what—?"
"I wasn't finished." Aizawa cut Bakugo off, quelling the volatile teen with a quirk enhanced glare. "I'm not calling you out like this because I'm picking on you. On the contrary, I'm grateful, because you've given me a perfect opportunity to teach all of you an important lesson." Aizawa shifted his gaze to the first seat in Bakugo's row. "Hagakure."
"Y-yes, sensei?" The transparent girl sat up straighter in her seat.
"Did Bakugo discuss the plan of action with you before he left to go engage the enemy team?"
"No, sensei."
"Did Bakugo ever ask for your opinion, or seek your input in any way?"
"No, sensei."
"Did Bakugo explain his reasoning for the actions he took at any point?"
"No, sensei."
"Did Bakugo ever take the time to inform you of what he was doing, or what was going on?"
"No, sensei."
"Tell me, Hagakure…what did Bakugo do?"
"He…um." Too embarrassed to repeat his exact words, Hagakure hesitated—she could almost feel Bakugo's glare boring through the back of her invisible head. "He just yelled at me to stay by the weapon and keep out of his way. Then he left."
"I see. Thank you, that's all I needed to know." Aizawa paused. "Before I say the answer, who here thinks they know what Bakugo's major failing was?" Several students raised their hands, but one seemed more eager than most. "Iida, go ahead."
"Thank you, sensei!" Iida boomed as he stood up. He chopped his hand through the air in a robotic motion. "Bakugo failed to communicate with his teammate in any capacity! He wrote off Hagakure as a liability and decided to forgo any attempt at teamwork! While it may have worked out for him this time, such arrogance could very well prove to be his downfall in the future!" Iida bowed and sat back down.
"You're on the right track." Aizawa replied. "But not exactly. As I said before, my criticism is not of Bakugo's tactical judgement or performance. Bakugo," Aizawa asked, "why did you leave Hagakure with the weapon? Is it because you thought she was useless? That you didn't need her?"
"What the fuck kind of dumbass question is that?" Bakugo huffed. "She got into Yuuei. Of course she isn't useless. I had the See-through Nudist stay put because I didn't want to worry about blasting my own partner while I'm fighting. How the fuck am I supposed to keep an eye out for an invisible person? I focused on taking down Dangle Ears first so that she'd have no problem taking Stupid Hair by surprise and capturing him in the unlikely event that I lost."
The class stared at Bakugo as if he'd grown a second head. "What the fuck are you all looking at?" He snapped.
"You know…" Jirou said, "If you filter out the total douchebag way he phrased it, I think Bakugo might have actually said something vaguely decent."
"Bakugo!" Kirishima grinned and clapped Bakugo on the shoulder. "You might act like an arrogant jerkwad" Bakugo growled, "but you had faith in your teammate all along!" He clenched his fist. "That's manly as hell!"
"You better get your fucking hand off of me before I remove it Stupid Hair."
"Wha…why didn't you just say that in the first place!?" Hagakure exclaimed. "You treated me like dead weight! If you hadn't have won so fast, I was thinking about leaving the weapon to capture one of them to prove you wrong!"
"The fuck!?" Bakugo shouted, "You would have ditched the weapon to 'prove me wrong?' Is your brain as empty as your wardrobe, you nudist idiot? That could have ruined everything!"
"Call me a nudist one more time…" Hagakure muttered darkly, "and I'll shove my invisible foot straight up your—"
"And that," Aizawa cut in, "is exactly my point. Bakugo, you are talented, but you lack leadership. Despite coming up with the optimal plan for your team, your complete lack of respect for your ally nearly incited her to mutiny against you. True leaders don't simply bark out orders, they inspire others to follow them. This requires a level of mutual respect—and respect must be earned. If you wish for anyone to listen to you, you must first demonstrate consideration for their thoughts and feelings."
'I was right!' Bakugo clenched his fists and glowered at his desk. 'You even said I was right! Why should I have to explain myself to the people below me?'
Aizawa raised an eyebrow at Bakugo's defensive body language. "You clearly seem to disagree with what I've said. Care to share your thoughts?"
Bakugo opened his mouth to retort when a scene from the day before flashed through his head. Words of condemnation and contempt directed towards an individual who had—if only for a moment—made Bakugo think, 'I can't beat him.'
"You'll never become the number one hero with your current attitude…we aren't the kind of losers who refuse to do our best out of spite."
'Damn it.' Bakugo cursed. 'That fucking nerd is right…I am different than that Half-and-half bastard. If I reject this lesson out of pride, then I'm no better than him.' Bakugo scowled. "No, sensei." He forced out through ground teeth.
Aizawa nodded. "Very well. Now, onto homeroom business. Sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden, but I have an announcement to make…" The class froze at the sight of Aizawa's dead serious expression, fearing the worst.
'What is it this time?' Ashido sweated, 'Is it another brutal pop quiz?'
'Is someone gonna get expelled again?' Kaminari squeezed the sides of his desk. 'Please don't be me!'
'He's expelling someone again, isn't he?' Hagakure slid down into her chair as low as she could. 'Maybe I'll be safe as long as he doesn't see me!'
'I wonder what's for lunch today?' Uraraka wondered, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere.
Aizawa sighed. "…it's time for you to pick a class president." Several loud thumps from multiple students slamming their foreheads onto their desks sounded out.
Ojiro let out a relived sigh. "Finally, a normal, school-like activity."
"Ooh!" Ashido jumped out of her seat and thrust her hand up in the air. "I wanna be a leader!"
"Hell yeah!" Kirishima pumped his fist. "I'm fired up!"
"This position was made for me!" Aoyama Yuuga—a blond boy with a penchant for randomly spouting French—declared.
"I'd like to do it." Jirou raised her hand.
Midoriya shook his head. Every single member of the class was putting forward themselves forward as a candidate. Unlike regular schools—where the position usually amounted to taking on a bunch of mundane extra tasks—the representative of a hero course was tasked with the responsibility of leading the group, a role which opened quite a few doors upon graduation.
'I can hardly blame them for wanting the prestige, but it's hard to believe that all of them actually want everything that comes with the job.' He calmly raised his hand. 'Still, if I'm going to be All Might's replacement, I can't miss this opportunity to establish myself as a leader of our generation.'
"Be silent!" Iida boomed, gathering the attention of his classmates. "Leading the many is a task laden with immense responsibility…but ambition alone does not equate to ability! As Aizawa-sensei said, a leader must have the trust and respect of those who follow them! That is why I propose that our leader be chosen by vote!"
"Ribbit. The words you're saying are good, but you've got your hand up higher than of the rest of us Iida." Asui pointed out, taking the wind out of his sails. "Besides, we haven't known each other long enough to build much trust."
"Yeah!" Kirishima chimed in, "And since everyone wants to do it, they'll all just vote for themselves!"
"That's precisely why anyone who manages to accrue multiple votes will be the best-suited individual for the position!" Iida argued. "Sensei! Is this acceptable to you?"
"I don't care." Aizawa replied. He zipped up into his sleeping bag and propped himself against the wall to catch a few precious moments of shut-eye. "Decide however you want, as long as you do it in the next 30 minutes."
"Excellent!" Iida took out a piece of paper and tore it into 19 pieces. "Let's get this vote underway then!"
"Hold on a minute, Iida." Midoriya spoke up, catching everyone's attention.
Iida frowned. "What is it, Midoriya? Do you have a different suggestion for deciding who gets the role?"
Midoriya shook his head with a smile. "Not at all, but we shouldn't rush straight to the voting. Aizawa-sensei said we have 30 minutes to decide. That's enough time to give everyone a minute or so to formally introduce themselves and briefly make their case for the position. It's not much, but it's better than making such an important decision based off of zero information."
'Plus,' he mentally added, 'it'll weed out the people who can't handle speaking publicly or can't articulate why they want to do the job beyond the personal accolades.'
"Of course!" Iida clenched his fist with a pained expression. "How could I have been so foolishly impatient!"
"No need to beat yourself up over it." Midoriya said diplomatically. "No one can think of everything."
"Very true!" Iida replied, chopping the air as he spoke. "Still, what a wonderful suggestion, Midoriya! You continue to impress me!" Iida rubbed his chin. "Now, how should we decide the order in which we speak?"
XXX
(With Ashido)
XXX
"Ooh! I'll go first!" Ashido bounded up to the front of the class without hesitation. "Hey everybody!" She cheered, "To those of you who don't already know, my name's Ashido Mina! My quirk is Acid. I can create acid from any gland on my body, I can also control its strength and kinematic viscosity!"
She shot a wink at Midoriya, who smiled and shook his head in amusement.
"I like to dance! I wanna be president because I've always been good at making friends and I'm not afraid to speak my mind! The one thing that I can't stand are people who bully others! I'm looking at you, Bakugo!"
Bakugo let out a derisive scoff and flipped her off. "Fuck you too, Raccoon Eyes!" Ashido stuck her tongue out at him.
"I'd like to make us all a class of people who look out for and take care of each other!" She flashed a grin and a peace sign, "Vote for me, 'kay?"
XXX
(With Kirishima)
XXX
"All right!" Kirishima grinned and knocked his hardened fists together with a satisfying ~crack~ before making his way up to the front. "I'll go next!"
Kirishima pointed his thumb at his chest and flashed his shark-like teeth at the class. "The name's Kirishima Eijiro! My quirk is called Hardening!" Kirishima activated his quirk and transformed his arm into a jagged, sharp and rocklike material. "It's pretty much what it sounds like. I can turn any part of my body as hard as a rock! I'm also a lot stronger when I use it too! My favorite hero is Crimson Riot!"
"Who the heck is Crimson Riot?" Satou whispered to Todoroki, who merely shrugged in response.
"I believe that he was a hero from a long time ago." Yaoyorozu helpfully supplied. "His prime was shortly before All Might's rise into prominence, if I'm not mistaken."
"Dang." Satou said. "Talk about retro."
"I want to be class president because my dream is to become a man like him! A chivalrous hero who leads from the front and always does his best! If you vote for me, I'll be this class' unbreakable pillar!"
XXX
(With Jirou)
XXX
"Uh, hey." Jirou held up a hand and waved half-heartedly at the class. "I'm Jirou Kyouka. My quirk is Earphone Jack. It's pretty useful for a lot of stuff. I can move them at will, they've got a decent range on them, and I can use them to hear quiet things and send out my heartbeat through them as an attack. I sing, and I know how to play a couple of instruments, but I'm best at the guitar."
"That's super cool, Jirou!" Ashido called out.
Uraraka nodded, "Yeah, you'll need to play for us sometime!"
"Maybe I will…sometime." Jirou shrugged nonchalantly but couldn't conceal her slight blush at the cheering from the other girls. "Anyways, I was the president of the Music Club back in Middle School, so I've got some leadership experience, I guess." She twirled her finger around her Earphone Jack and faintly smiled, "And I'm a pretty good listener, for obvious reasons. I'd appreciate your support."
XXX
(With Aoyama)
XXX
"Hmmph!" Aoyama struck a flamboyant pose as soon as he reached the front of the classroom. "It's a crime that I've been forced to wait this long to display my brilliance to you all! Me nom est Aoyama Yuuga mon amies! My quirk is the très beau, brillant Navel Laser! My favorite thing? Why, myself, of course!"
The class stared at Aoyama, everyone at a complete loss for words as he continued to pose like a model while he spoke.
"Speechless in the face of my beauty?" Aoyama chuckled. "Unsurprising! The leader of the class should shine like a diamond! That is why I am the clear choice, oui?"
XXX
(With Bakugo)
XXX
"All right!" Bakugo barked, "Listen up small fry! You had better pay attention, because I don't like repeating myself!"
"Sorry, what was that?" Sero asked with a grin. "I couldn't quite hear you."
Bakugo's eye twitched and he slowly began to walk towards Sero with sparks popping off in his palms. "You think you're funny, Soy Sauce Face?"
"50 seconds Kacchan." Midoriya reminded Bakugo before he wasted all of his available time. "Clock's ticking."
"Tch." Bakugo clicked his tongue. "Whatever, I'll deal with that smartass later…I'm Bakugo Katsuki, and my quirk is Explosion. If you can't put together what it does from the name, then I don't know what else to say to you other than 'you're a fucking dumbass'."
The class stared in disbelief at the nerve of Bakugo for casually insulting the very people he wanted to vote for him.
Bakugo slammed his fist into his palm with a bang. "If your idea of a leader is someone whose gonna hold your fucking hand and sing kumbaya, I'm not him."
"You don't say." Jirou snarked. "I never would have guessed."
Bakugo's eye twitched, but he ignored her. "I've got my eyes on one thing and one thing only—I'm going to be the number one hero, no matter what. You vote for me, and I'll drag all of your asses kicking and screaming to the top along with me!"
Without another word, Bakugo marched back to his desk and throw himself into his chair and the class spent several seconds in shocked silence. A vein pulsed in Bakugo's forehead. "Well?" He shouted, "Get a fucking move on! Let's get this shit over with, goddamn it!"
XXX
(With Iida)
XXX
"I am Iida Tenya!" Iida loudly declared. "My quirk is called Engine! It allows me to travel at high speeds!"
"You know we can all hear you perfectly fine, right?" Asui called out. "You can stop shouting."
Iida pushed up his glasses to hide his flush. "Erm…yes…anyways, the person I look up to the most is my brother, the Turbo Hero Ingenium." Iida smiled proudly. "He is an excellent hero who leads others and always follows the rules! I aspire to become a man like him."
At this revelation, several members of the class began whispering amongst each other. Midoriya raised his eyebrows. 'I thought Iida looked sort of familiar, but I didn't expect him to be part of that Iida family…it's no surprise people are talking about it. Ingenium is one of the most popular heroes out there right now.'
Iida bowed. "I realize that I have much to learn, but I humbly request that you place your trust in me! Upon the honor of the Iida family name, I swear that I shall carry out the duties of this office with integrity, dignity, and to the very best of my ability! Thank you very much!"
XXX
(With Yaoyorozu)
XXX
"If nobody has any objections," Yaoyorozu said, "I'll go next." After waiting a few seconds, she made her way to the front. "My name is Yaoyorozu Momo, and my quirk is called Creation." She held out a palm face up and materialized a Matryoshka doll. "As long as I have a little bit of time and an understanding of its chemical structure, I can create any non-living material. I enjoy reading and a nice cup of tea."
"As some of you may know, I am one of the students who was admitted through recommendations. I come from a line of pro heroes stretching back several generations and have been groomed for this role since I was very young." Yaoyorozu paused, unsure of how to phrase her argument in a way that did not seem like she was boasting. "Due to the nature of my quirk, I require a great deal of academic and organizational proficiency. If I am your class representative, I promise to utilize my academic skills and lifelong preparation for heroics in a way that will bring out the best in all of us."
"You know." Sero remarked. "After so many weird or overly intense people in a row, that was pretty refreshing."
Hagakure nodded. "She was really impressive in breaking things down yesterday during the combat trial, too. I wouldn't have a problem if she won."
Yaoyorozu bowed with a pleased smile. "Thank you very much."
XXX
(With Midoriya)
XXX
One by one, the rest of the class made their pitches, and before long Midoriya was the only person who had yet to say his piece. He rose to his feet and made his way to the front of the class.
"Hello everyone." He began with an easy smile. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, and my quirk is called Super-Power. It didn't properly manifest until about a year ago, so I'm still figuring out everything I can do with it, but for now…" He flooded his body with 5% of One for All, making a few members of the class inhale sharply and stiffen in their seats when his glowing gaze fell upon them.
'Interesting.' He thought. 'It seems as if my observations regarding people's reactions to One of All were correct. It looks like sensitivity varies from person to person, but they can clearly feel the energy I'm putting out…now let's see how they react if I keep going. It should be fine to go past the safety limit as long as I don't move.'
"I can summon a pool of energy either to individual limbs or throughout my entire body and use it to drastically increase my strength, speed and durability." Midoriya explained, observing the reactions of the class with a clinical eye as he continued to raise his output. "But if I use too much, the backlash can leave me severely injured."
The class watched in open mouthed shock as the small green sparks flying off Midoriya's body quickly grew into crackling arcs of electricity until they were suddenly shut off by a glare from Aizawa.
"Midoriya." The sleeping bag bound hero grunted, "Quit showing off. I'm trying to get a few minutes of rest here."
"Ah, sorry sensei." Midoriya apologized, noting the visible relief in the faces of the crowd as the tension quickly drained from the room following the deactivation of his quirk. 'Excellent. It looks like this will be an effective intimidation tactic—and All Might's absurd effect on crime suddenly makes a heck of a lot more sense.'
"Dude," Kaminari let out a shaky breath, "that was kind of freaky. Are you sure that the only thing your quirk does is boost your strength? That was some crazy pressure you were giving off."
"As far as I know." Midoriya replied.
"HA!" A sudden shout from Ashido drew stares from everyone in the class. She had stood up in her seat and was giving all of the girls a triumphant look. "I freaking told you!"
"Okay." Jirou nodded with a shell-shocked expression. "Now I see what you meant."
"Wow." Hagakure breathed.
"That was certainly something." Yaoyorozu agreed, giving Midoriya a considering look. "I never would have expected something like that."
Unsure of what to make of the conversation playing out in front of him, Midoriya looked at Ashido. "Should I be concerned about this?"
"Don't worry about it." Ashido sat back down with a satisfied smirk on her face. "I'm just basking in the familiar sensation of being proven right. Go ahead and finish your speech."
"…Right." Midoriya nodded. "Iida was correct when he talked about the great burden of responsibility that comes with being a leader—and honestly, bringing together a class of such wildly different personalities won't be an easy task." He grinned. "But if we were the type of people who took the easy route, we wouldn't be here at Yuuei, now would we?"
A few of the more boisterous students let out a cheer at that.
"It's only been a few days since we started school," Midoriya continued, "but I've dedicated a great deal of time observing each of you." He glanced at Ashido. "As anyone who has seen my notes can attest."
Ashido laughed. "I want a copy of that drawing you did of me, by the way!"
"Come see me later." Midoriya agreed. "I'll see what I can do."
"Drawing?" Asui whispered. "He drew you?"
Ashido grinned. "I'm pretty sure he drew everyone. He's pretty good too."
"Make no mistake," Midoriya pressed on, "everyone here has something valuable to offer as a leader, qualities that set them apart from the others…" He smiled at Ashido. "Whether it be a friendly, approachable demeanor…" He gazed at Kirishima, "Overflowing passion…" He glanced at Bakugo. "A relentless obsession with victory..." His eyes shifted to Yaoyorozu. "A keen mind honed by years of preparation…" He looked at Iida. "Or an unyielding sense of duty, all of you possess qualities that would make for a fine leader, a leader I would be proud to follow."
Midoriya smiled, "Right now, you may be wondering what qualities I'm bringing to the table." He paused for a moment to let out a chuckle. "Well, someone recently told me that I'm 'super weird', so there's that."
Ashido snickered along with the rest of the class at the self-deprecating crack.
"And it's true, I am a little weird. For years, my hobby was hunting for villain attacks so I could watch the heroes work. I spent almost every waking moment imagining myself in their shoes, reflecting on how to incorporate their best qualities into myself. I promise to apply this same practice to each of you. I will watch you. I will listen to you. I will learn from each and every one of you and make your strength my own, because at the end of the day, I aim to become more than just your representative…"
Midoriya paused and called upon One for All, illuminating his eyes for dramatic effect. "I'm going to become the next All Might." He bowed to the silent classroom. "Thank you very much."
XXX
HEROES NEVER DIE
XXX
(Lunchtime)
In the end, the results weren't even close. Midoriya had dominated the final tally with seven votes compared to Yaoyorozu's four. Bakugo's negative reaction to Midoriya's overwhelming victory had been unsurprising, but everybody else seemed fine with the way things turned out.
The moment he entered the cafeteria, Midoriya took the opportunity to claim a spot in the back corner of the room before making his way over to the lunch line. With his meal in hand, he opened up his sketchbook and eyed a few of the more interesting mutant-type students, idly drawing them as he ate.
"Heeeey, Class Prez, mind if we sit with you?"
"Hm?" Midoriya looked away from his current subject to see none other than Ashido grinning at him with Yaoyorozu and Uraraka in tow. "Um…sure."
'Why do they want to eat with me?' Midoriya wondered. 'I went out of my way to sit in the furthest, darkest corner of the room.'
"Midoriya! Would you mind if I joined you for lunch!?" Iida loudly greeted him.
"Please." Midoriya gestured at an open seat. 'And now Iida is here…is this what being popular feels like?' He furrowed his brow. 'This is weird.'
"Why are you crammed all the way over here in the back corner?" Yaoyorozu asked. "It was pretty difficult to find you."
"It's a little quieter." Midoriya answered, "I usually spend lunch either drawing or going over my notes to relax. Plus, nobody can get at my back in this spot, and I have a clear line of sight to the door."
"Are you Musashi Miyamoto or something?" Yaoyorozu smiled in amusement. "Do you think someone's going to try and assassinate you?"
'Little bit too honest just then, Izuku.' Midoriya smiled back at her. "Maybe." He replied in a light-hearted tone. "You never know."
Uraraka giggled. "You know, you're actually pretty funny for someone who's so quiet and serious all the time…hey, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Go ahead," Midoriya replied.
"Why does that Bakugo guy call you Deku?"
"I too am curious about that." Iida chimed in. "Your given name is Izuku, is it not?"
"Ah," Midoriya replied, "that." He took a bite of his food. "Kacchan's been calling me that since we were four. The kanji of my name can be read as Deku, and I was pretty clumsy as a kid, so he used the name to pick on me, saying that I was good-for-nothing."
"So, it's an insult then." Iida frowned.
Ashido puffed out her cheeks angrily. "Jeez! Sounds like he's been a jerk from day one!"
Midoriya shrugged. "I guess. It used to bother me a lot when I was younger, but I don't really care anymore. I know it isn't true."
"You know, I actually kind of like it." Uraraka said. "I think it's kinda cute, and it sort of sounds like the word for 'I can do it!'" Midoriya stopped eating to stare at Uraraka for a few seconds, making her cheeks light up under his piercing scrutiny. "W-What? Did I say something weird?"
Midoriya smiled and shook his head. "No…I just never thought about it like that. I guess you guys can call me Deku if you want."
"Really Midoriya?" Iida asked incredulously, "You're okay with that? It's supposed to be an insult, remember?"
"If I didn't care when it was explicitly being used as an insult," Midoriya replied evenly, "why would I care when it has a new meaning?"
"So Deku," Ashido leapt right into using the nickname with no hesitation. "When am I going to get a copy of that drawing?"
"Yes, that's right." Yaoyorozu chimed in, "You said that you like to spend your lunch periods drawing. Would you mind showing us some of your work?"
"I don't see why not." Midoriya handed her the sketchbook. He shot Ashido a meaningful look. "Thank you for asking."
Ashido rolled her eyes in response to the subtle jab. "I said I was sorry."
"Oh." Yaoyorozu let out an impressed murmur as she flipped through the pages. "These are actually quite good. Do you draw a lot?"
"Not as much as I used to." Midoriya replied. "But I still like to fit in time here and there. I find it relaxing."
Midoriya had an odd feeling in his chest as he spent the rest of the lunch period making small talk with his fellow heroes in the making. It had been many, many years since he'd had anything that could be remotely described as a 'friend', but he found that he was rather enjoying the experience.
At least, he was until the alarms started going off.
AN: Next chapter is the beginning of the USJ arc, and boy do I have something big planned out for you, my beloved readers. Until next time. Plus Ultra!
Rescue Training
~VREEEEEEE VREEEEEE VREEEEE VREEEEEE~
"Attention: there has been a Level 3 security breach. All students, please evacuate in a calm and orderly fashion. Attention: there has been a Level 3 security breach. All students, please evacuate in a calm and orderly fashion."
"Level 3!?" An upperclassman shouted before running towards the exit. "That means somebody's infiltrated the building!"
"What?!" Another student cried, "Let's get out of here!"
"It's a villain!"
"Everybody run!"
Midoriya closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a long, low, groaning sigh while the student body proceeded to break out into a frenzied panic, completely ignoring the soothing feminine voice reading out the pre-recorded instructions over the loudspeaker. He had begun to walk over to the window to see if could survey the situation when he felt a hand grab his shoulder.
"Midoriya, what are you doing?" Iida shouted over the racket, "Didn't you hear the announcement just now? We need to get out of here!"
"I heard." Midoriya scribbled onto his sketchpad. He pointed to the huge press of bodies trying to shove their way through the double doors of the cafeteria. "We can't get out through there right now. I'm going to see if I can assess the situation from here. In the meantime, I need you to go find Yaoyorozu and assist her in making sure the rest of the class is together and keeping their cool. Can you do that?"
A gleam appeared in Iida's eye as he nodded. "Yes of course! You can count on me!"
Midoriya nodded in gratitude and headed over to the window, where he saw Present Mic and Aizawa trying to drive away the press corps he had encountered that morning. They had somehow gotten through the physical UA Barrier, but their lack of identification still set off the sensors, leading to the current situation.
'Are you kidding me?' He thought. He glanced over his shoulder at the panicked mob behind him. 'All this for a freaking news story?' He shook his head and frowned. 'I need to put a stop to this before somebody gets seriously hurt. First things first…'
Midoriya climbed up onto a table to get a better view of the crowd and searched for Yaoyorozu. After a few seconds of this, his eyes lit up at the sight of a spiky black ponytail sticking out of the mess of people. 'I'm fortunate that she's so tall. If she was Asui's height I might have never been able to find her.'
Midoriya scribbled something into his sketchbook and hopped down from the table. He shoved his way through the crowd until he was able to lay a hand on his fellow representative's shoulder and held up his sketch book for her to read the large, hastily scrawled words. "It's just the press. I need your help to calm everybody down. Can you make me a megaphone?"
Yaoyorozu's face lit up with understanding and she materialized a pen out of her hand. "Not right here." She wrote, "I'd need some space to pull it out, and I'd need to open my shirt to have enough surface area to make it. Doing that in this situation is…"
Midoriya nodded and gestured for her to give him the pen. The way her quirk worked meant that she had to be prepared to bare some skin, but opening her shirt in the middle of a crowd packer tighter than a train at rush hour was another thing entirely.
"Understood." He wrote, "Grab onto my collar and follow me. I'll get us out of here." Yaoyorozu nodded.
'One for All: 4% Parallel Flow!'
Holding onto the back of Midoriya's blazer, Yaoyorozu's eyes widened when he ignited his quirk and bulldozed through the panicking mass of people pushing them forward. In the face of his oppressive aura and his sheer strength, it didn't take long before the people in his path simply began to make way, flowing around him like a stream diverted by a rock.
"Hurry." He wrote in the notebook once they were free. "If this keeps up, someone will get hurt. I'll stand in front of you to block their view, do what you have to do."
Yaoyorozu nodded and wasted no time in unbuttoning her shirt to pull the requested megaphone out of her stomach. Without waiting to button herself back up, she handed it to Midoriya.
With a blush on his face from the eyeful he'd just received, Midoriya turned on the megaphone. "Attention everyone!" Midoriya stated, his amplified voice drowning out the racket of the alarm and the shouts of the student body. "It's only the press! There's no reason to panic. If you look out the window on your right, you'll see that it's only the press! Please calm yourselves before somebody gets hurt!"
This news, delivered in a calm, authoritative manner, was like a bucket of ice water on the panic-stricken mob.
"Hey, he's right!" Somebody shouted, "Look, it's just a bunch of reporters!"
"For real?" Another voice complained. "I thought we were under attack by villains or something."
"Way to go, megaphone kid!"
"Yeah, awesome work! I totally thought I was gonna get crushed!"
Midoriya shook his head. "…These are supposed to be the next leaders of the hero industry?" He muttered. "An alarm goes off and they panic immediately. Is this how the students of the best hero school in the nation respond to a crisis? This is just embarrassing."
"That's not entirely fair." Yaoyorozu replied with an amused undertone. Her undone top had been restored to its former state. "Only a quarter of the students at Yuuei are actually in the hero course, you know."
Midoriya flushed. "Shoot, I didn't mean to say that out loud…can you pretend you didn't hear that?"
Yaoyorozu had to cover her mouth with her hand to suppress her laughter. "You're an interesting person, Midoriya Izuku. I'm not quite sure what to make of you."
Midoriya snorted softly and flashed a good-natured smile at Yaoyorozu. "That's got to be one of the nicest ways somebody's ever called me weird."
Yaoyorozu let out a chuckle. "I didn't say that. But…I can't deny that I find you to be a walking contradiction in many ways."
"Is that so?" Midoriya replied evenly. "That's not the first time I've been told that, but it's interesting that you'd say that with a little interaction as we've had. I'd like to get your take on it."
"Well…" Yaoyorozu frowned thoughtfully. "You're usually so quiet, aloof even, and yet you're a confident and compelling speaker. You can produce that intimidating aura and claim that you're going to be the next All Might, but at the same time, you're soft-spoken and humble."
"I don't know about that." Midoriya smiled. "Making a claim like that requires a certain level of arrogance. I appreciate the compliment though."
"Midoriya! Yaoyorozu!" Iida called out as he approached them. "All of Class 1-A has been accounted for! We are now waiting on you to proceed with evacuation!"
"Good work, Iida." Midoriya clapped Iida on the shoulder. "I knew I could count on you." He paused. "I realize that this is selfish, but I have another favor I'd like to ask of you if you are willing."
Iida nodded. "Of course! It would be my pleasure to assist you in any way that I can!"
"I'd like you to join us on the student council." He glanced over at Yaoyorozu. "Unless you have any objections of course, I don't intend on deciding on the officer positions unilaterally."
Yaoyorozu shook her head. "I would have suggested him if you didn't." She smiled. "But I appreciate the consideration."
Iida beamed. "I'm happy to be of service!"
XXX
HEROES NEVER DIE
XXX
"For today's hero training," Aizawa droned, "we will be performing rescue training. Specifically, we are going to cover disaster relief—things like fires, floods, and earthquakes. This time, All Might, myself, and another teacher will be supervising you."
"Man," Kaminari smiled woefully, "sounds like another tough day, huh?"
"Come on!" Kirishima slapped Kaminari on the shoulder, "This is what being a hero is all about! I'm totally pumped!"
"I'd be right at home in a flood." Asui croaked.
"I'm not done." Aizawa rebuked them with a scathing look. He withdrew a remote from the folds of his scarf and brought out the panels containing their costumes with a click of a button. "I'll leave it up to you to decide whether to wear your costumes or not, since some of them are ill-suited to this sort of activity. The training site is pretty remote, so we'll be going by bus this time."
'Rescue training, huh?'
"Hahaha! It's all right now!" All Might's booming voice sounded off in Midoriya's mind.
'This is it.' Midoriya pulled the aluminum case containing his costume out of its slat as scenes from the video of All Might's legendary debut played through his head. He had seen it so many times that every second of the grainy footage was seared into his mind.
"Why?" A fearless smile shone through the darkness, a beacon of hope to all who lay eyes upon its brilliance. "Because I am here!"
His eyes gleamed and he tightened his grip on the case to control his excited trembling. As informative as the battle trial was, combat was perhaps the least interesting aspect of heroics to Midoriya. 'It's just training now, but this is the reason I wanted to become a hero.'
XXX
HEROES NEVER DIE
XXX
Uraraka did a double take when she filed past Midoriya as she made her way onto the bus and saw the massive grin poking out from beneath his hood. She smiled and nudged his side when he plopped down next to her near the front of the vehicle. "You sure look pumped, Deku! I don't think I've ever seen you smile like that!"
"Oh?" Nearly giddy with anticipation at this point, Midoriya had to resist the urge to break out into giggles. "How do I usually smile?"
Uraraka furrowed her brow. "It's kinda hard to describe…it's more like, um, peaceful…I guess?"
"It looks like what you'd see on one of those old Buddhist statues." Asui croaked to his left, cracking up everybody within earshot with how completely spot-on that description was. "I always feel like you're going to start chanting mantras at me."
"Oh my gosh," Ashido snorted, "that's totally what it looks like!" She closed her eyes and performed a rough approximation of a Buddhist meditation gesture. "Master, please show me the path towards enlightenment."
"I can provide you with the tools." Midoriya replied in his typical measured tone. "But the path to enlightenment is ultimately a personal journey. Also, you're doing the Abhaya Mudra backwards."
Ashido broke out into laughter. "He actually knows what it is!"
"Anyways," Uraraka cut back in—by now, the girls had realized that getting back on topic when Ashido was involved in a conversation was not unlike finding a missing person: if it didn't happen quickly, it likely wouldn't happen at all. "Right now, you look really excited and happy!" She pressed her fingers together and smiled widely at him. "It's nice!"
'Too cute!'
"O-oh, r-really?" Feeling his heart constrict, Midoriya averted his eyes from Uraraka and ducked his head, eminently grateful for the way his hood helped to hide the blush slowly creeping up the back of his neck and onto his cheeks. "Thanks, I guess I'm really excited for the training."
'There's literally nothing to be embarrassed about.' Midoriya reminded himself. He took a deep, calming breath. 'Why am I reacting like this? Oh…right.' He realized. 'Puberty freaking sucks.'
"Oh ho…" Ashido eyed Midoriya's reaction with a mischievous gleam in her eye. 'I just saw something that promises to be entertaining!'
"Hey Midoriya." Asui said.
Trying to ignore the random shiver that had just run down his spine, Midoriya glanced her way. "Yes, Asui?"
"You can me Tsuyu." Asui informed him. "And I've got a question for you."
"Ask away." Midoriya replied.
"What did you mean when you said that you want to be the next All Might?" She raised a finger to her lip. "I can't help but think that you had something different in mind than when Bakugo said he wanted to be the number one hero." She paused, "He's angry and rude all the time, though, so I can't see him ever getting that popular."
"The fuck did you just say, Frog Face!?" Bakugo shouted, "I'll kick your ass!"
Asui pointed at him. "See what I mean?" Midoriya waited patiently and watched with detached amusement as several students took turns needling the ill-tempered teen.
"I wouldn't underestimate him if I were you." Midoriya reprimanded the naysayers with a smile and shook his head. "Kacchan's temperament aside, he's my most formidable rival for the number one position." He paused. "That I know of, anyway."
"Truly?" Iida exclaimed, only one of several people who reacted with surprise to that statement. "You think he has a better chance than Todoroki?"
"Yeah!" Kaminari added, "Don't get me wrong, Bakugo's a crazy tough customer, but Todoroki's got two ultra-strong quirks, and he's not a total asshole!"
"Fuck you too, you Piss-headed moron!"
"If I compare Kacchan's attitude to his?" Midoriya saw Todoroki look in his direction and unflinchingly matched the elite student's piercing glare. "Easily."
After a second, Todoroki scoffed and returned to looking out the window.
"Don't fucking praise me, Deku!" Bakugo yelled, "It's goddamn gross, you shitty nerd!"
"Anyways," Midoriya returned his gaze to Asui, "All Might is the number one hero, but you're right, I meant something different when I said what I did."
"Oi! Don't ignore me shithead!"
Midoriya smiled. "To be perfectly honest, I don't particularly care about the title of number one as far as the rankings go. The whole popularity contest aspect of the hero business seems like a meaningless waste of time to me."
At the very front of the bus, Aizawa let out an approving grunt. 'Got that right.'
Midoriya shook his head. "All Might has been doing this for a long time. Sooner or later, he'll need someone to take up his mantle, and I don't mean his spot in the hero ranking." He clenched his fists in his lap and his eyes gleamed with determination. "It's his other title that interests me."
"His other title?" Uraraka scratched her head. "He has another title?"
Iida stared at Midoriya with wide eyes. "You wish to become the next 'Symbol of Peace?'"
Midoriya nodded.
"WONDERFUL!" Iida shouted and jumped to his feet, making the rest of the passengers startle at the unexpected outburst. He had tears in his eyes as he burst into spontaneous applause. "What a wonderful ambition, Midoriya! Truly, you were the correct choice to lead this class!"
"Uh…thanks." Midoriya's eyes darted around the bus to confirm if everyone else was as weirded out by Iida's over-the-top display as he was. 'Iida's a nice enough guy and all, but he seriously needs to take it down like…five notches. This is a little embarrassing.'
"Hey Shitty Four-Eyes!" Bakugo jeered, "Suck his dick a little harder, why don't you?"
Iida's eyes bugged out. "W-What!? How crude!"
"Sit down and shut up!" Aizawa barked. "We're almost there!"
"I'm terribly sorry sensei!" Iida turned and bowed, "Please accept my apologies for my outburst!"
Aizawa's eye twitched. "Stop apologizing and just do what I said."
XXX
HEROES NEVER DIE
XXX
Midoriya stared around at the many features of the massive domed facility with stars in his eyes. 'Fires, floods, landslides, earthquakes, typhoons…simulations for every kind of disaster I can imagine at my fingertips.' He pulled out his notebook and bit the inside of his cheeks to keep from muttering. 'Just thinking about the amount of data I'm going to be able to collect here is…!'
"This is so cool!" Someone remarked. "It's just like Universal Studios Japan!"
"It makes me happy to see everyone so excited by my facility." An amused voice belonging to a man in a space suit remarked. "I designed and built this Ultimate Space for Jams myself you know."
"Huh." Kaminari said, "So, it really is USJ then."
"Oh my gosh!" Uraraka elbowed Midoriya to snap him out of his notetaking frenzy. "Look, Deku! It's Thirteen! He's my absolute favorite!"
"So it is." Midoriya agreed. "You said you even based your costume off of his, right?"
Uraraka furrowed her brow. "Did I say that? I mean, I did do the design with that in mind, but I don't remember talking about that with you."
'Shit. Damage control, fast.' Midoriya nodded, "Yeah, you did…I think." He shrugged, "I also might have overheard you saying that you liked him and I jumped to conclusions. After all, my costume is based off of All Might's, so I figured with the space theme you've got going on…"
"That makes sense." Uraraka agreed. "That's a good guess though. I wanted my outfit to be puffier like his, but the design department came back with this skintight jumpsuit. I'm more used to it now, but it's still a little embarrassing."
"I think it looks good on you." Midoriya calmly reassured her. "Plus, it's probably for the best that it's more form-fitting—unlike Thirteen, your quirk is contact-based, so mobility is more of a requirement."
"You…think it looks good?" Uraraka shyly repeated with a blush. "That's…um…"
Though he'd had no ulterior motives, Midoriya flushed once he realized how she'd taken his compliment. 'Idiot! The outfit is skin-tight, that was basically me outright saying I like her body!'
"Uh…yeah, I'd say that your outfit has the best design out of the girls, aesthetically speaking…" He cleared his throat and tried to remember his original compliment that went over well. "it's eye-catching and memorable, but the dual color-scheme and simple pattern keep it from being over-designed…that's just my opinion, anyways."
"Oh…Oh!" Uraraka beamed, still blushing but looking far more pleased. "Thanks! I think that's probably one of the best compliments I've ever gotten from a boy!"
"Don't mention it." This time, Midoriya decided to keep his opinions regarding her footwear to himself.
Meanwhile, Aizawa walked up to the other hero. "Hey, Thirteen…where's All Might? He was supposed to meet us here." Aizawa looked around suspiciously. "He isn't hiding so he can do one of his stupid entrances, is he?"
Thirteen shook his head. "No," he answered in a low voice, "he's waiting in the break room. Apparently, he just about hit his limit during his morning commute."
"Seriously?" Aizawa glowered. "That man is the height of irrationality." He sighed. "So be it, let's get started."
"Before that…" Thirteen said, "I just want to cover one point…or maybe two…three, no, four…"
"Just get to the point before the number gets any higher." Aizawa cut in.
"Right." Thirteen agreed. He cleared his throat and got the attention of the class. "As I'm sure many of you are aware, my quirk is called Black Hole. It can suck in and tear apart anything."
Midoriya nodded. "You've used it to save people in all sorts of disasters." Uraraka nodded enthusiastically.
"That's correct." Thirteen continued, "But it can also easily be used to kill." The space-themed hero paused to let his point sink in. "I'm sure many of you have powers that are similar. Though our society's heavy regulation of quirk use seems stable, we must never forget that it only takes one wrong move with a dangerous quirk for somebody to die."
Midoriya clenched his fists. 'Some of us more than others.'
"During Aizawa's fitness test, you discovered some of your hidden potential. During All Might's combat training, you learned how dangerous your quirks can be to others. But to day will be a lesson with a very different perspective. You will learn to use your quirks in order to save lives."
'It's all right now.' Midoriya's mouth twisted into a grin. 'Why? Because I am here.'
"Your powers are not meant to inflict harm. I hope that you leave here today with the understanding that you are meant to help people."
Midoriya cut his gaze over towards Todoroki. 'I hope he's listening to this.'
As the class applauded Thirteen's speech, a small dark spot appeared in the middle of the plaza below them and began to grow into a gaping maw of swirling black mist.
When a figure emerged from the mist, Aizawa's eyes widened. "HUDDLE TOGETHER AND DON'T MOVE!" He roared, making the students jump in surprise. "Thirteen! Protect the students!"
"Sensei?" Kirishima asked, "What's going on?" He began to walk toward the edge of the stairs. "Is this that pattern from the entrance exam?"
"I told you not to move!" Aizawa barked as he pulled a pair of yellow goggles our from the folds of his scarf, "Those are villains!"
A deep voice emerged from a pair of glowing yellow eyes within the dark mist. "Eraserhead and Thirteen," it said, "according to the teacher's curriculum we stole yesterday, All Might was supposed to be here…and yet…"
"Yesterday…" Aizawa muttered, "I knew it, so the break-in yesterday was you!"
"Where is he?" A pale, white-haired man covered in hands whined petulantly, "We went through all of this trouble, and rustled up so many friends to clear this level…you can't tell me that All Might, the 'Symbol of Peace' isn't here?" His voice got lower and angrier, "I know…maybe he'll show up if we kill all of these kids."
"V-villains?" Kirishima exclaimed incredulously, "Get out of here! What kind of idiot would think that they could just walk right into the heroes' home base?"
"Sensei?" Momo asked Thirteen, "Don't we have alarms here? They went off yesterday when the press got in."
"Of course we have them here," Thirteen answered, "but they aren't working right now…" He let out a frustrated growl. "And I can't get a hold of the main campus either."
"They must have one among their number with a quirk who can do that," Todoroki coolly surmised, "that means that this wasn't a random attack, this was carefully planned out with an objective of some kind."
"Thirteen!" Aizawa shouted, "Start the evacuation procedures! Kaminari, try contacting the school with your quirk, if they have an electrowave-type interfering, then you might be able to get around it! Midoriya! Use your broad-spectrum distress signal as well!"
'Impressive.' Midoriya noted as he pulled out the tough battery powered device from one of his pouches and activated it. 'He must know what exactly what equipment everyone has registered. He's thorough…I'm going to have to watch myself around him.'
"R-right!" Kaminari stammered and began to fiddle with his earpiece.
"Sensei?" Midoriya eyed the tension in his teacher's frame and realized what the man intended to do. "Are you seriously going to try and fight them alone?" He asked, keeping his voice as even as possible. "You need to let us help you or you will die. Your style of combat is one-on-one ambush tactics."
"Everything's going to be alright Midoriya," Aizawa reassured him, "a pro doesn't last as long as I have without having a few tricks up their sleeve. Thirteen, I'm counting on you." Without another word he leapt down the stairs into the crowd of villains and immediately began beating them senseless.
"I see…" Midoriya muttered as he watched Aizawa tear through villain after villain like wet paper. "With his goggles on, the enemy has no way of knowing whose quirk is being erased, preventing them from properly coordinating their attacks."
"This is no time for analysis, Midoriya!" Iida cried, "We need to evacuate!"
Midoriya nodded. "You're right." He said calmly. "Let's get everyone to the door. Everything is going to be alright."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that." Any attempt to make an escape was brought to an immediate halt when the dark mist from earlier materialized in front of them.
"Stay back!" Thirteen shouted, "Don't—"
"Get out of the way! / Die!" Bakugo and Kirishima shouted together, ignoring Thirteen's warning and attacking the mist with all of their might.
'No!' Thirteen cursed. 'I can't suck him up with those two in the way!'
"Greetings," the mist said politely as it easily swirled away from the two simultaneous attacks. "My name is Kurogiri, and we are the League of Villains. Forgive the presumption, but we came here today in order to engage with All Might, so that we might extinguish the Symbol of Peace."
'Kill All Might?' Midoriya's eyes went wide, 'Is this guy serious?'
"He was supposed to be here today, was he not?" Kurogiri sighed. "Ah, well, setting that aside," the ground beneath the students turned black, and they began to sink into the swirling maelstrom of dark mist, "this is my role."
"A portal quirk!?" Midoriya exclaimed, struggling in a futile attempt to escape the dark mire. 'Shit,' He thought, now chest-deep in the portal, 'this is bad, I need to warn them!' "Everyone," He shouted, "Get away from the dark spots! It's a portal! Don't let him suck you in!"
Just before his head completely slipped through the portal, the last thing he heard was a chillingly polite declaration from Kurogiri. "It is regrettable, but to achieve our goals, you will all be scattered...tortured...and slain."
XXX
HEROES NEVER DIE
XXX
When Midoriya exited the portal, he quickly realized that he was nearly fifteen meters in the air. As he plummeted towards the deep waters of the flood zone, he only had time for two thoughts to run through his mind. The first was that he was glad that he was above the flood zone. The second was a desperate hope that nobody else was teleported this high into the air above hard ground.
~SPLASH~
'Ow.'
After hitting the water with a great deal of force, Midoriya was in pain, disoriented, and being pulled downwards by his heavy costume. Thinking quickly, Midoriya let out a short pulse of air from his nose to figure out which way was up before vigorously kicking in the opposite direction. Despite the stinging of the salt water, Midoriya forced his eyes to open and immediately let out a huge volume of air with a yelp.
"Sorry kid, it's nothing personal!" The distorted voice of a fish-like man rang out underwater. The villain opened his enormous mouth and displayed rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth. "But you're chum!"
Midoriya's gaze hardened and he chambered his fist, channeling One for All into his body. 'If this guy thinks I'm going to sit back and become his victim, he's got another thing coming. One for All: 4% Sma—'
Before the fish-like villain could close the distance, a pair of feet slammed into the man's head, knocking him unconscious. Midoriya blinked as a powerful tongue wrapped around him and dumped him onto the boat that was floating in the middle of the man-made cove.