Aizawa stood across Nezu silently as the principal looked over the class' results. After letting the students go, the teacher immediately went to Principal Nezu's office, knowing that the opening ceremony was over by then.
He wanted the principal's opinion on the results and the students' potential. Of course, Aizawa himself already had an idea of said potential, especially since he would have expelled one of them, or at least tried to, if they didn't have any. However, after working under Nezu for so long, he had learned that the principal always had useful insight and could even see something Aizawa might have missed.
"I have to say, they're all quite good. Each one of them seems to excel at one exercise, at least," Nezu nodded in approval. "I am surprised you didn't expel one of them," He added, looking up from the results.
"I simply noted they all had potential, as little as it may be for some of them. Besides, even if I expelled them… You would have let them enroll in the General Studies right after, wouldn't you?" Aizawa gave the principal a tired glare.
"You know me too well," Nezu chuckled. "But you have to understand that I do not want a repeat from last year. If I hadn't overruled your decision, then we would have lost an entire class," He lightly chided the scruffy man, who simply sighed, unwilling to argue. Nezu put the results back down with one specific student file at the top. "Still… Despite having so many talented students this year, I hadn't expected the apparition of such a prodigy," He said, briefly glancing at the top file.
"Midoriya Izuku," Aizawa nodded, suddenly wearing a serious expression. "Physically speaking, he's unmatched. In all my years teaching at U.A, I can't say I've seen anyone as strong, and yet… I still felt like he was holding back in the softball throw. Not just because he couldn't turn into a dragon,"
"He likely was. His score is remarkable, but if he threw it any harder, then the ball would have been vaporized," Nezu casually suggested.
"That ball is made of special lightweight materials made to withstand this kind of exercise. Are you saying he would have vaporized it just by throwing it?" The teacher questioned, hardly believing it.
"Scary, isn't it?" Nezu grinned, answering Aizawa's question. "That kind of power is not to be taken lightly, which is why it's all the more important for U.A to teach young men and women like him to use their powers for good. In his case, it wouldn't be far-fetched to say that the way we approach him could change the whole world,"
The whole world… Aizawa's eyes met Nezu's as he understood immediately what the principal meant.
"You think he could have as much impact as All Might?" He inquired curiously.
"All Might changed the world because of his strength alone. We can debate about morals and philosophy, on how it was his heroic character who made the most impact, but the truth of the matter is that he possessed the power to back up his ideals. And now, there's someone even stronger than he was in his younger days in U.A. If that boy wants to make an impact on the world, he only has to be willing," Nezu explained while Aizawa silently listened. He already knew why the principal was telling him this. As his teacher, he was the one who would guide him in the next three years, and who'd set him on whatever path Midoriya might choose. These were the most important years of the young man's life. "We can only be grateful that he chose the path of a hero," Nezu breathed out before taking a sip of his tea.
"I suppose. I'll keep an eye on those students, but if any one of them lags behind…" Aizawa sighed before he could finish his sentence. He turned around to leave, briefly pausing to speak. "Still, I have a bad feeling for some reason," He muttered as he opened the door and got out of Nezu's office.
"I know that feeling…" Nezu whispered to himself, looking at his paws. He had seen that boy, Midoriya Izuku, from afar while he was going to the opening ceremony. It was much different than seeing him on a screen, even if the principal was far away. Of course, he saw the other students, too, but only Midoriya had any effect on him. Perhaps it was Nezu's animal instincts, which always remained within him despite his intelligence, but he felt shivers of fear the moment he laid his eyes on that horned young man. It was as if he were faced with a powerful predator, a beast. It must have been because of the nature of Midoriya's quirk, being a dragon. Still, he never felt that way the few times he met Ryukyu.
How curious.
***
Izuku grinned in satisfaction as he walked toward the school exit, thinking back to not only how he excelled in the teacher's tests, but also to his classmates. Some had more potential than others, and he already had an idea which ones could be the most easily "corrupted" for now. He still needed to find the others' darkest desires. It was only a matter of time, of course. Also, he thought about the invisible girl, and what his eyes could do for…
"SCALY BASTARD!" Someone suddenly screamed from behind him, grinding the horned boy's ears.
Izuku sighed in annoyance. He already knew who it was. He turned around to see Bakugou walking up to him, glaring into his eyes.
"What do you want?" The green-haired man inquired impatiently. They had known each other since childhood, and Izuku had learned that he'd never get anything out of Bakugou. He bested him every time the blonde challenged him, and only grew stronger since their last challenge years ago. Bakugou would never be a threat or a good challenge. A fight with him would never make Izuku's heart pump with excitement, and the blonde would never become an underling because of his nature. He wasn't the type to submit.
"Don't think this is over just because you got first place today! Those were just random physical tests! Nothing more!" Bakugou pointed a finger at the taller boy before pointing a thumb at himself. "I'm not the same guy I used to be! While you were probably sitting on your ass 'cause you thought no one could surpass you, I trained my ass off everyday for years! Just you wait… Any time this year… I'll defeat you!" He declared confidently, a wide grin upon his face.
Izuku didn't respond immediately, staring at the blonde boy in silence instead. He remained like this for a couple of seconds until he suddenly grinned.
"You never learn, do you?" He shook his head amusedly. "I have strength that can't be surpassed by training alone. You can't defeat me, but you know what?" Bakugou gritted his teeth but waited for the other boy to finish. "If you ever bring me down to my knees or even better, injure me to the point of spewing blood, I'll declare you the victor," Izuku assured, which only served to infuriate the blonde even more.
"Damn you, you bastard! Keep mocking me! I'll have the last laugh soon, anyway!" Katsuki flipped him off before walking away without another word. In the past, Izuku would often have fun watching him leave all pissed off like this. Now, the blonde just looked pathetic. Well, the dragon boy had better things to do anyway.
Just as he was about to leave the school grounds, too, another voice stopped him in his tracks again.
"Midoriya! Wait for us!" A feminine voice shouted, prompting him to turn around and see that it was Uraraka, waving at him and followed by a few other students. She was accompanied by Iida, Mina, and Kirishima, who were closely following after her. "Are you headed to the station?" Ochaco inquired once they caught up with him.
"Wanna go together?" Mina asked suddenly, grinning as her eyes darted between Ochaco and Izuku.
"Sure," Izuku nodded, gears already turning in his head as they walked together.
"Today sure was something, huh? I didn't expect a day on the first day," Kirishima clenched his fist with a wide smile.
"Ugh. Don't even want to think about it… I really thought one of us would be sent home," Mina looked down, giving off the complete opposite aura of Kirishima, mainly exhaustion.
"I was so stressed that I thought I'd mess up," Ochaco admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. "But I got a pretty good score. Never thought I'd be so close to the top 10. You did even better than me, Ashido!" The girl stated encouragingly.
"Now that I think about it, we were ranked back to back, right?" Kirishima grinned, remembering the two girls' ranking in the test and his own. "Iida was manly, too, but damn Midoriya, you're a beast! There was no way we were beating any of your scores!" He told the tall boy, watching him with admiration.
"Eh, I was pretty much born this way," He shrugged in response. "But you did well, too,"
"I have to say that I find Aizawa-sensei's methods… questionable. Tricking students like this with a logical ruse seems uncalled for and unprofessional! It puts needlessly too much stress on the students," Iida shook his head in disapproval. "Nevertheless, I can't help but admire you, Midoriya. Not only did you show great deduction prowess in the entrance exam, but your physical abilities are also extraordinary,"
"Thanks," He simply replied. It sounded like they were sucking up to him, but he wasn't going to stop it. His subordinates pretty much praised him for no matter what he did.
Izuku stood silent as they conversed with each other. Since today was only to welcome the students and introduce them to U.A, they would only officially begin their lessons tomorrow, meaning they ended this day earlier than a regular school day. They had more free time than they would have normally. Well, that wasn't really the case for him since he regularly skipped school back in Aldera without even facing any consequences, thanks to his superior grades and quirks. In any case, since they had free time…
"Why don't we go out for a bit before we all go home? Getting into U.A seems worth celebrating, so we could go and have a drink at a nearby café? What do you say?" Izuku suddenly suggested, cutting Kirishima off in the middle of a sentence.
"Oh, yeah! I'm all for it! I really need to unwind after today!" Mina exclaimed, quickly agreeing to his suggestion, which didn't surprise him since she seemed to be the most extraverted one among the group.
"Sure," Kirishima nodded happily. "We're gonna be classmates for 3 years, so we can get to know each other that way, though our fists could be just as good for that," He threw a challenging look in Izuku's way, though the horned man didn't respond to it. He had yet to see if Kirishima would be a real challenge and if a show of strength would truly be enough to earn his loyalty. For now, he doubted it.
"I suppose I can take a small detour," Iida held his chin, pondering if anything would prevent him from accepting. "Moreover, bonding with your classmates would make a healthier learning environment,"
"Hmm…" Ochaco seemed hesitant, looking away nervously while she scratched the back of her head. "I don't know… I'm not sure…"
Izuku smirked. He had thrown the first hook, and it seemed the fish was getting closer to the bait. He already figured the brunette was poor, or at least, was struggling financially. Her family wasn't doing too well. He was hoping she would refuse.
"Why not? It's my treat," Izuku offered with a thumbs up, making them widen their eyes in surprise.
"Huh? Really?" Ochaco inquired, looking up at him. "I… You don't need to, you know…" She stammered shyly.
She took the bait.
"Are you sure, Midoriya?" Iida asked. "We wouldn't want to take advantage of your kindness,"
"I don't have a lot of money on me, but I've got enough for a drink at least," Kirishima assured while Ochaco seemed more and more ashamed the more the two talked. It wasn't surprising. Here she was ready to accept getting treated to a drink while the two boys chose the polite route of refusing. That worked in Izuku's favor, of course. The more shame she had, the easier he'd have her in his grasp.
"I'm the one who invited you, so let me pay for it. Trust me, I've got no problem with it," Izuku assured confidently. Iida and Kirishima exchanged glances, but seemed to finally accept the tall boy's offer.
"Hell yeah! I love free stuff!" Mina threw her hands in the air excitedly, so blunt that it made Kirishima sweatdrop. "Are you a rich guy, Midoriya?" She asked bluntly.
"Aren't you too direct?" Iida scolded her with karate chops.
"She's always been like that," Kirishima snickered lightly, making Izuku perk up.
So the two knew each other… Maybe he could use that at some point… For now, he focused on Ochaco. He didn't appear wealthy on the outside; however, the criminal activities he kept secret made him wealthier and wealthier. Saying he was rich would be an understatement, at least compared to them. They wouldn't question him much for now, so…
"Yeah, I am," He felt confident enough to tell them that, especially since it'd help in his current plan. "At the very least, I can say I live quite comfortably," He added to make his level of wealth less clear.
"I guess if you're all going, then I might as well join," Ochaco mumbled reluctantly. Again, Izuku assumed it must have been because she felt like she was taking advantage of him and his money. That innocence was almost too sweet. Almost.
"Let's get going then! I know a sweet café nearby, and it's not that expensive either!" Mina declared, raising her fist to lead the way as she began walking away before they could respond.
Izuku wordlessly followed after her before the group chatter started again. Of course, he participated in it since he was supposed to use that to bond with them; however, he couldn't say he was too invested in their topics of discussion. He noted that Ochaco relaxed eventually and returned to her cheerful and upbeat mood. Just because he wasn't invested didn't mean he wasn't paying attention. Oh, no, he carefully paid attention to any piece of information that might be useful. He would grasp their personalities better and quicker. Because he processed information faster than the average person, it made it easier for him to follow what they said while thinking about the various ways to deal with them. Sometimes, he wondered if his mind was also a product of his quirk.
You wouldn't think so at first glance, but his quirk held quite a few secrets and abilities. Dragons were creatures of myths; eastern ones, like his quirk, were known to possess various powers, some he rarely used and thus never trained himself in too much. He supposed U.A was a good opportunity for that, too, and to develop his mind even further.
True to her word, Mina didn't lead them very far since the café had only been ten minutes away from U.A. And the drinks weren't expensive either. It was a shame since Izuku wanted to flaunt his money in front of Uraraka, but he supposed it couldn't be helped. It would also likely be strange if he insisted on treating them to an expensive place.
Nevertheless, he certainly got in their good graces. Even more so when Mina's eyes visibly sparkled at the sight of the drink she ordered. It was some kind of cranberry juice mixed with other ingredients, a drink unique to this particular café, apparently.
"So good!" Mina exclaimed after taking a sip. "That's literally my favorite drink, Midori! Thanks a lot!" She said before taking longer sips.
"You should slow down or you'll choke!" Iida admonished lightly, though he was promptly ignored.
"You're welcome," Izuku nodded as he pulled his phone out. "Since we're going to be classmates, we should exchange numbers. I already have Uraraka's, but not yours," He explained as he handed his unlocked phone over. Iida, who was the closest one, took it and input his number before passing it to Kirishima. Mina suddenly paused.
"Oh? You already have each other's numbers?" She inquired with a sly smile, her eyes darting between Izuku and Ochaco. "How long have you known one another?" Mina questioned the other girl.
"W-Why are you smiling like that?" Ochaco asked nervously. "We met at the entrance exam," She revealed before quickly pulling away when Mina suddenly leaned forward, close to Ochaco.
"Oh? And you already exchanged numbers?" The pinkette batted her eyelashes, her face now inches away from the other girl's. "Something going on? Come on! Spill!"
"W-What? I have no idea what you're… Huh?" Ochaco stuttered, her face as red as a tomato, which only served to amuse Ashido even more.
Izuku, on the other hand, didn't react in any way. Instead, he called the waitress and paid for the drinks. Nevertheless, the moment he pulled his wallet out, Ochaco didn't miss its thickness, even from the corner of her eyes, or the amount of notes left inside, even after the horned boy paid.
Again, he didn't usually carry that much money with him, but he knew that if he ended up in the same class as the brunette, then doing this would come in handy. Eventually, Mina stopped teasing Ochaco and entered her number in Izuku's phone, too, before giving it back to him.
Eventually, they left the café and went to the station. They didn't all take the same trains since they didn't go in the same direction, but it didn't matter since Izuku spent enough time with them, feeling like he got the results he wanted. He couldn't let his guard down, though. He was still far from getting anyone's loyalty, but this bonding would suffice for now. Before leaving for his base, he needed to make a stop at home to notify his mother, leave his school bag there, and most of all, change out of his uniform. He was not going to his villain lair dressed like a school boy!
However, the moment he walked up to the door of his house, his nose caught the smell of someone other than his mother. It was familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. After some consideration, he opened the door and went in.
"I'm home!" He called out before grumbling, taking off his shoes and going to the living room. Who could even be there? His mother didn't have many friends… He paused once he finally stepped in.
"Welcome back, Izuku! Look who's here!" Inko greeted him warmly from the couch as she gestured to the person sitting across from her. "It's Aunt Mitsuki!"
Indeed, it was. Well, Izuku never called her that. He hadn't really seen her in years since Inko was the one going over to her house most of the time, and anytime Mitsuki might have come, Izuku wasn't home. Even before forming a villain group, he didn't stay home much. The tall boy had to admit that the older woman aged quite well. Her face didn't appear to have any wrinkles, and her skin looked as soft as ever. Of course, he noted her large breasts. Now that was something he didn't forget about her. Well, that and the fact that she was Katsuki's mother.
"Hello," He calmly greeted her as the blonde stood up.
"Well, damn! Look at you, big boy! Inko told me you grew up, and even showed me a couple of pictures, but seeing it in person is completely different!" Mitsuki exclaimed while walking up to him. "You're huge! Come on! Give auntie a hug!" She spread her arms in a welcoming manner. After a small pause, Izuku shrugged and wrapped his arms around her. He was tempted to grope her, but it was probably not a good idea. "You've been to U.A, right? How was the first day?" She pulled back.
"Very good," Izuku smirked. "Also, your son and I are in the same class," He revealed, making Mitsuki grin.
"Is that so? That must be fate! You two have been in the same class ever since you were little kids," The blonde said. "I'm hoping U.A will straighten that brat. He's getting worse by the day," She frowned, crossing her arms. "If only Katsuki could be more like you," She sighed, shaking her head. "Inko tells me plenty about how polite and respectful you are. Total opposite from Katsuki," Mitsuku explained as Izuku glanced in his mother's way, noting that the greenette had a smile that didn't seem to show any emotion, m aking it hard to guess what she was thinking.
"Well, if you ever want to replace him, you know who to call," Izuku commented with a smirk, which made Mitsuki chuckle.
"I'll keep that in mind. I certainly wouldn't mind having a strong boy like you to help around," Mitsuki gave him a friendly elbow jab.
"You don't know how many times I've tried to convince him to come with me whenever you call me, but he's always so busy," Inko interjected while Mitsuki's grin remained unfazed. "You should visit her occasionally, Izuku, even if I'm not with you!" The greenette snickered lightly.
"Masaru would be happy, too," Mitsuki confirmed before looking at the tall boy again. "I doubt he wants to spend his day with adults, though,"
"Sure, but it doesn't hurt to keep your friends close," Inko retorted, giving Izuku another smile, which he brushed off by turning to the blonde MILF. As much as he'd like to stay here and ogle her, he had more important matters to deal with.
"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm going out. I only came here to change and get this stuff in my room," He told the blonde, showing his backpack before turning to his mother. "I'll probably have dinner with my friends,"
"Of course, just don't stay out too late," Inko nodded, watching him leave for his room.
"Well, I'm happy to see he has friends," Mitsuki crossed her arms. "Unlike my brat of a son. Ever since middle school ended, he stopped hanging out with those two buddies of his, or anyone else for that matter," She shook her head, visibly tired and disappointed. "Seriously, what am I gonna do with him?" The blonde sighed.
"Hmm… Who knows? When all hope is lost, one can only wish that things will get better on their own," Inko replied softly, looking ahead.
Mitsuki didn't respond, figuring her best friend must have spoken from experience. After all, she had lost her husband when Izuku was only a small child and had to raise him on her own. When seeing his massive stature, the blonde also had to wonder how Inko even managed to feed him. At least, he wasn't so big when he was even younger… She didn't want to imagine what his temper tantrums would have looked like…
***
After changing into more comfortable clothes, which consisted of an open black leather jacket with spiked shoulders and black leather pants, he bid them both goodbye and left for his HQ.
Passing by the strip club first, he expected to be greeted by Himiko when actually entering the base. The girl had taken quite a liking to welcoming him herself. However, she hadn't been there, replaced by Tangleweaver, who accompanied him deeper into the base. Izuku didn't question why he was the one to greet him this time, figuring it had little importance. Maybe he should have…
It would have prepared him for what he was seeing. Both Vortex and Tangleweaver stood by each one of his side, with stone-cold expressions.
"And one! And two! Move to your left! Move to your right!" Himiko chanted loudly.
She, Zhong, and Arsenal stood in front of long and red curtains. What was behind them, he didn't know, since he didn't remember setting those up. He was more focused on something else.
"Oh, yeah! I'm a pro!" Arsenal shouted while attempting to follow some of Himiko's movements, only to add some of his own. "Ha yah! And now we spin!" He announced only to end up spinning alone.
They were dancing. Why were they dancing? They weren't even in sync or followed a specific choreography. The blonde was in the middle while Arsenal was on her left, and Zhong was on her right. They even put on some music.
"One! Two! And three!" Himiko shouted again, hands on her hips as she shook her ass from side to side, then raised her hands to wave them to the left, then to the right as if she was shooing someone away. She would occasionally twirl, side-step, and even throw one leg in the air at some point. All in an attempt to make it look like she actually knew how to dance. Arsenal did whatever he thought was impressive or a pro move.
And their other partner…
"Is Zhong Liu doing a disco dance?" Tangleweaver deadpanned while watching the hulking bull-man.
"He's not that old, is he?" Vortex questioned, wearing the same expression.
"I'm going to puke," Tangleweaver muttered, disgusted by the display.
"Is anyone going to explain what's happening?" Izuku inquired, keeping himself from sighing loudly. Thankfully, he got his answer merely a few seconds later.
"And now for the finale…!" Himiko jumped forward and spread her legs and arms while Zhong and Arsenal both did a pose, too. "SURPRISE!" She shouted as the music ceased and the curtains behind them opened.
Izuku arched an eyebrow when the surprise was finally revealed to him. It was a row of ten women, some of whom he recognized as his workers. However, what got his attention was their outfits… They were all cosplaying as famous female Pro-Heroes. First, there was a blonde wearing a Ryukyu costume, while a tanned woman beside her wore a replica of Miruko's hero suit with a fake bunny tail and ears.
He recognized every other one, too, of course. There was Uwabami, Midnight, the Wild Wild Pussycats, Ms. Joke, Burning, and Sirius. Of course, it was obvious they weren't the actual Pro-Heroes, only women cosplaying as them. However, their costumes were quite accurate to the real ones, and Izuku could see that the new strippers they recruited were look-alikes of the heroines they cosplayed. They had great bodies, too, though they didn't appear as fit as the real ones, which wasn't a surprise.
"Ta-dah!" Himiko shouted, gesturing to the women, who were all doing various seductive poses.
"Okay… What is this?" Izuku inquired, though he had an idea.
"We know you want Pro-Heroes here, Master, especially as your slaves. But 10t alone wouldn't be enough, even if her… Mmmmh… Breasts make her worth three people, at least," Zhong Liu answered. "Until we get more, we thought about having some of whores play dress up! Even if they aren't the real deal, I'm sure a ton of villain would pay to pretend they're fucking hero sluts!" He explained before Arsenal jumped forward.
"And it's thanks to me we got these outfits, Master! One of my contacts made them! Without me, their plan wouldn't have been possible," He bragged pridefully, making the bull-man roll his eyes.
"They're super well-crafted, Ryu-kun! Almost look like the real deals," Himiko complimented the costumes.
Izuku's eyes moved from stripper to stripper, inspecting their outfits. He couldn't deny their accuracy, and the material also seemed strong. Thanks to his enhanced vision, he didn't need to be close to tell that. They really did find suitable women to wear them, too. It showed off their curves. They all stood confidently, but seemed weary of him, not only because he was their boss, but likely also because of his stature. Well, he'd have fun with that later.
"I'll compliment you three for your initiative. I have to say I was more focused on other plans," Izuku said, which seemed to brighten his three subordinates' expressions. "Anyway, today was my first day at U.A. Since I'll eventually participate in the Sports Festival, my real name will be revealed, so I might as well tell it to you now," He turned to Zhong Liu. "You were right. Ryu was just a code name I came up with. My real name is Midoriya Izuku, but refrain from using it. To you, I'm Haō," He finally revealed.
"Finally! I missed using your nickname… Izu-kun," Toga grinned, blushing as she held her cheeks.
"That name sounds so mundane…" Tangleweaver muttered to himself.
"Thank you for telling us, Master," Zhong Liu nodded gratefully. "Now that you're here… Would you like to test the merchandise, Master?" He offered with a smile, gesturing to the women behind him. They grinned seductively before walking up to him. They grabbed onto him, some wrapping their arms around his arms or even legs. Because of his size, there was enough room for all of them, though they had to squeeze between each other. Izuku remained impassive, showing little emotion. Of course, he was aroused, but he didn't let it show on his face.
"So, you're the Master… They told us a lot about you…" 'Ryukyu' said while caressing his abs.
"Bigger than expected," 'Miruko' added, smirking.
"You all know that I rarely miss a chance to fuck," Izuku addressed his other subordinates before shoving the women out of the way. "But I have something more important to take care of first," He turned to the strippers. "You all, get to work. I'll call if I need you," He ordered. They seemed disappointed, but left without a fuss.
"Aw… I would have loved an orgy, Izu-kun," Himiko's expression fell.
"What do you need, Master?" Zhong Liu asked.
"It's about Mount Lady. I told you she could be one of our easier targets for bribery and corruption," The dragon boy reminded him as Zhong nodded in agreement. "I thought about a plan while I was out today. I'm gonna need you and Vortex," He told the two men, who exchanged looks, then turned to their leader again.
"Of course, Master. What do you want us to do?" The bull-man inquired.
"We'll talk about it somewhere private. Come with us, Ace," He motioned for Himiko to follow them. Since she wasn't a student and wouldn't have her real name revealed publicly like he was, Izuku had no reason to reveal her name to even his subordinates. He needed to keep everything he could about her a secret, after all.
***
The next day…
All Might looked at his cup of tea, thoughtful. He was currently in his hero suit, more specifically, the silver age one. Of course, the man wasn't in the best shape. Since he wasn't using his quirk, he was in his weaker, skinnier form. You wouldn't believe he was All Might when he was like this. Actually, most of the time, he pretended to be All Might's secretary in this form, and it often helped him. A few people knew the truth, though. His colleagues at U.A, for one. They had all been quite shocked when they learned the truth, but they didn't know everything. They didn't know the secret of his quirk or the one who injured him like this.
"Are you nervous, All Might?" Nezu, who had been sitting across from him. "You don't need to be. You'll be faced with children, not villains," The principal grinned amusedly.
They were in the teachers' break room, right before the start of the first classes, so it was still early in the morning. No student had seen All Might in person yet, well… except for one…
"I've never been a teacher, so this will be a first for me. I'm mostly thinking about the students I'll have, though," All Might admitted, still looking down at his cup. "One of those forty kids could potentially be the future bearer of… One For All…"
"Is that so? Is Mirio not to your liking?" Nezu took a sip of his own tea.
"I haven't seen the boy yet. I wanted to weigh all of my options first… Finding a successor to inherit One For All is a huge responsibility, and I can't afford to make a mistake," The blonde hero shook his head.
"Sasaki-san won't be happy," Nezu pointed out. "He had been pestering me to find out when you'd come, so he could introduce Mirio to you himself,"
"Mirai is a hard-to-satisfy man," All Might scoffed amusedly. "Even if I chose Mirio without seeing the other possible candidates first, he'd scold me for taking too long. There is no winning with him," He chuckled lightly as he reminisced about the years he spent with Nighteye as his sidekick.
"Did you see any promising students during the entrance exam?" The principal asked.
"Hmm… They certainly have power. Some of them wouldn't even need any training to obtain One For All," All Might replied, thinking about the ones who displayed the most power. Nezu had also given him footage of the recommendation exam. Among all examinees, it was clear some of them already had bodies ready to receive One For All, such as Endeavor's daughter, young Bakugou, who finished in second place, or even young Shoji. Of course, he didn't forget about young Midoriya, who was a monster in his own right. All Might would have thought the boy already had One For All, considering the power he showed off. "However… None of the examinees showed particularly great heroic spirit. I'll need to observe them longer. I won't choose my successor based on strength,"
"That's to be expected," Nezu nodded. He trusted Toshinori's judgement, especially if it was about One For All. "I haven't seen much of the new students myself, but if you want my opinion, then I'd say Mirio is the worthiest candidate for now,"
"Do you really believe so?" All Might asked in surprise. Nezu didn't often speak up for people, so it was shocking to hear him vouch for the young man.
"His goal is noble, and he has your smile. He shines the same way you do," Nezu confirmed fondly, as if recalling Mirio's first years at U.A. "I can see why Sasaki-san recommended him,"
All Might looked out the window, watching the blue sky. He was nervous about seeing Mirai again, but he would still trust him with his life even after all this time. He supposed he owed it to him and shouldn't make him wait too long. If he trusted Mirio so much, then it was for a reason.
"I'll see them next week," Toshinori finally decided. "It's not that I distrust Mirai or young Togata, I just want to make sure I don't make a mistake," If he were to die… He at least wanted to know the world was in good hands, like his master did for him.
Nezu opened his mouth, about to reassure the blonde, telling him that he had time and that the world wasn't in danger anymore; however, someone knocked on the door before he could.
"Uncle Might?" A hesitant voice uttered as the person opened the door and peeked inside. "I'm sorry, I know students aren't supposed to be in the teachers' break room, but I really wanted to see you," She smiled. It was a blonde girl with blue eyes, wearing the U.A school uniform.
"Melissa! Come in! It's no issue if it's you," All Might softly smiled. The girl was like his niece, the daughter of his beloved friend, David Shield.
"Hello, Principal Nezu. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," The girl bowed her head as she closed the door behind her.
"It's alright, we were just having small talk," Nezu replied. "Do you need anything?"
"Uhm, no… Actually, it's embarrassing, but…" Melissa blushed, scratching the back of her neck. "I'm a little nervous, so I wanted to see Uncle Might before class starts,"
"You don't need to be, Melissa. Everyone is starting out, just like you," All Might smiled, standing up to place reassuring hands on her shoulders. "Besides, think of it this way, you have an advantage compared to everyone else,"
"That actually might make me even more nervous… I'm thankful you agreed to let me enroll here, even though I already graduated from I-Island Academy, Principal Nezu," Melissa turned to the principal. "But I don't know how the other Support Course students will take this. They're just starting, and here I am with already three years of experience…"
"Nonsense! Anyone can have a career change anytime they want to. I-Island may be the best in their fields, but I have no doubt that even you can still learn something in U.A," Nezu reassured her.
"Still… You know you can back out, right? You graduated, so you can become a scientist like your father. You don't have to do this," All Might whispered, a hint of worry in his voice.
Melissa momentarily looked away, as if considering her words.
"I know… I just… I want to know if there really is no hope, or if I could actually do it… If I could become a hero. Just like you, Uncle Might," The blonde girl looked up, eyes full of determination.
"Melissa… I…" All Might paused. In the support course, Melissa wouldn't be faced with danger; she'd be on the sidelines, supplying pro-heroes with support items. He had no doubt the young woman would build top-notch items and would greatly help the world. However… She said she wanted to be a hero. A hero like All Might. All For One flashed into the hero's mind, reminding him of the kind of dangers and the ceiling of power a hero could encounter. As a quirkless person, Melissa would… Yet, All Might couldn't bear to deny her dream, not when he and David had already done so in the past. "You can become a hero. I'm sure of it,"
The blonde stared at him silently, her lower lip quivering until tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. She quickly wiped them off with her sleeve before smiling.
"I won't let you down, Uncle Might!" Melissa smiled widely. "Thank you. I really needed to hear that," She breathed out in relief, then slapped her cheeks. "Get it together! I'm three years their senior, I shouldn't be so nervous about my classmates!" She told herself before turning around to leave. "See you later, Uncle Might," The blonde waved him goodbye and left, closing the door behind her as Toshinori chuckled fondly.
"I hope she will settle in well. She's so far from home, too…" All Might whispered, still staring at the door Melissa left through. Since she lived on I-Island, Melissa had to move here to attend U.A. Both her father and Toshinori helped her rent an apartment near the school.
"She will be fine; I can see a bright future ahead of her. She possesses quite the intelligence, too," Nezu reassured the skinny man… as his eyes gained a malicious glint. "Perhaps she'd make a good personal pupil," He added.
"Please, don't," Toshinori breathed out nervously. He didn't want to see a second Nezu, much less as someone he considered a niece.
The blonde man sighed as he looked out the window. It was still as sunny as when he got here… He hoped his first lesson would go well.
***
Izuku wanted to get out of here. Sure, he knew U.A would also have lessons on regular subjects, but he still didn't believe it would be this boring! In middle school, he would often skip classes because he would have perfect grades anyway due to his intelligence and because he studied at home, too. Most of all, he wouldn't suffer any consequences since the staff at Aldera was quirkist… which he gladly took advantage of!
He doubted U.A would be the same, though. So, he had no other choice but to listen to these boring lectures. Of course, he wanted to show U.A that he was a model student.
"Can anyone tell me the mistakes in this sentence?" Present Mic turned to face them as he gestured to the English sentence he wrote on the board. Izuku immediately raised his hand.
"The first H in 'which' is missing, and the preposition isn't in the correct spot," The horned boy responded before Present Mic even called out his name.
"Good answer, young listener!" The teacher congratulated him before explaining the two mistakes to the others. Yes, they were starting with pretty easy exercises…
Near him, Yaoyorozu sighed in disappointment as she looked down. She had raised her hand at the same time he did, but wasn't as forward, leading her to wait for Mic to allow her to answer. Clearly, she wanted some good points with the teachers, too, and Izuku just prevented her from getting one.
In any case, he had hoped he'd have a class with Midnight today and have something nice to look at. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to be the case. The next classes were Mathematics, Modern Literature, Geography, and finally, they'd end the day on Heroics. The last one might be interesting… Especially since it would be taught by All Might. He could barely believe he'd meet the top-ranked hero.
No matter where you went, everyone would tell you that All Might was the greatest and strongest hero. It excited him. He hoped he'd see the hero's abilities with his own eyes.
After several boring hours, the time for heroics class finally came.
"I AM COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!" All Might screamed, suddenly flying into the classroom, making Izuku's classmates gasp in awe.
"It's All Might!"
"H-He's really our teacher!"
"Isn't that his Silver Age costume?"
Indeed, it was. Izuku recognized it, too. The man sure was tall and muscly, though, not as much as the young man, of course. Izuku was already aware of All Might's size, so he wasn't expecting the pro hero to match him, but it was still a shame.
"Yes, yes! I'm me, All Might! I AM HERE!" The blonde shouted, giving them a thumbs up, making most of the students cheer. He was really trying to impress them, wasn't he? "Now, for our first heroics class, we'll be going out! Heroics don't happen in classrooms! So…!" All Might grabbed a remote and aimed it at the wall. After the click of a button, several cases slowly popped out of the wall, all numbered. "Wear this! Your hero costumes!" He announced loudly.
"Finally! I was waiting to show off my costume!" Mina exclaimed excitedly.
"Same! You'll see, it's super manly!" Kirishima turned to the pink-skinned girl.
"Mine is pretty simple…" Hagakure, the invisible girl, mumbled, though Izuku managed to hear it thanks to his enhanced hearing.
"Does that mean we're gonna see…" Mineta began speaking before turning to Kaminari.
"Skintight bodysuits?!" They both shouted at the same time, excited at the prospect. The only girl who heard them, Jirou, scoffed in disgust.
"So loud…" Yaoyorozu shook her head disapprovingly.
"Now, now, let's hurry! We can't afford to waste too much time! Take your costumes and go to the lockers of the training site B!" All Might instructed, his smile as wide as ever, before he bolted out of the classroom without even waiting for them.
The students quickly got out of their seats to retrieve the cases containing their costumes before exiting the classroom. Izuku had wondered when they'd put them on, but he didn't expect it to happen on the second day.
When he had been accepted into U.A, he also received a letter asking him for the description of the costume he wanted. It would be custom-made by U.A themselves, and they asked the students not to forget any detail that would help in the effectiveness of the costume or hinder their quirks. They were very thorough, and Izuku was well aware that they had various materials at their disposal, something he'd have to pay a high price for on the black market. However, he didn't really need any specific demands for his costume. His quirk was pretty handy because anytime he turned into a full dragon, his clothes would vanish, then return intact when he was back in his human form. He also didn't need any particular features for now, so he sent them the design and only asked to make it durable and fire-resistant.
After putting on his costume, grinning pridefully as he looked at it, he came out of the locker room to join everyone else.
The boy's costume was simple in design but suited his style. He wore a black leather jacket that appeared to have had the sleeves torn off at the shoulders, which were adorned with several sharp spikes. He wore black leather pants decorated with metallic chains, each adorned with small skulls. Two spiked bracelets encircled his wrists, complementing his black boots, which featured jagged, spiked tops. Finally, he had a black fur cape and wore a purple domino mask.
"Midoriya!" Ochaco exclaimed, running toward him. "Your costume's great! You look so cool!" She complimented him as the boy's eyes wandered over her. Her costume was tightly wrapped around her body, showing off her curves. The other two were right, they were gonna see some skintight bodysuits.
"Yours is pretty good, too," He replied, keeping himself from making any perverted comments.
"Thanks! Though… It's really tight… I didn't think they'd make it like this…" She blushed while rubbing the back of her neck.
As Izuku observed her for a few seconds longer, one of his classmates walked past him, giving him a quick glance.
"Huh, nice suit, dude," The girl, Jirou, complimented him, giving him a thumbs up. The tall young man nodded gratefully as she walked away. That was strange. He hadn't interacted with her before, so he wondered why she praised the costume. He supposed it must have been her style.
"Guys! Check out my costume!" Ashido suddenly ran up to them and struck a pose to show off her suit. "Pretty awesome, right?"
"Looks good on you," Izuku said with a nod, before glancing around at the others.
"Thank you, Midori, but careful…" Mina approached him and teasingly elbowed him. "Uraraka might get jealous…" She winked.
"Again, what are you talking about? Jealous of what?" Ochaco blushed, embarrassed by the pinkette's remarks. It seemed that when Ashido had a ship in sight, she didn't let go.
"Anyway, you guys' costumes are great! I know you're a big guy, Midori, but damn, those muscles!" Ashido pointed out with a grin while the other girl just looked away, red-faced as if she had just noticed the muscles.
"Ashido-san! These kinds of remarks are unbecoming of future heroes!" Someone in armor shouted as he joined them. Just the way the person talked was enough to tell Izuku who was under it.
"Is that you, Iida?" Mina inquired, looking annoyed that he ruined her fun.
"You look like a knight," Ochaco pointed out. Right before Iida could explain the reason for his costume's design, All Might suddenly spoke up.
"All of you look great in your costumes! Remember, this is how the public will see you and recognize you! But the next exercise will be much more important than your costume designs! Today, we're diving straight into battle training!" The old hero declared, sending a nervous shiver down some of the students' spines… and a rush of excitement in others.
"Battle training?" Both Bakugou and Izuku repeated, then grinned. "Now this is gonna be fun,"