Chapter VIII: Looking Beyond
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CRASH!
A sound similar to a gigantic explosion rang through the air, following a bellow of rage. Concrete snapped and tortured metal groaned as the formerly pristine building visibly moved backwards, bent, sagged, and then crumpled. The entire thing fell down, throwing up a plume of smoke and grit into the sky. It took a few minutes for it to settle, and once it did, Toshinori was revealed, panting in his skinny form. He was covered in dust and grime, which had mingled with his sweat. It was now caked onto him, his costume beneath barely recognizable.
The destroyed building had joined four others in the ruined street, and still, Toshinori's rage refused to be extinguished. His arms quaked from how hard he was clenching his fists, even in his lesser form.
In the new still silence, Nezu's footsteps sounded like little explosions himself. The animal pattered up to him and let out a sigh, "Are you sure you should be wasting your time taking out my poor buildings, All Might?"
Toshinori sagged, "No." He muttered, "But I don't think I care right now… Even I get angry. Midoriya-shōnen…"
"It was good you brought him to the general hospital and not back to U.A." Nezu said solemnly, "We may have lost him if you hadn't."
"I almost didn't." He ground his teeth at the reminder, "I was panicking so much I almost didn't remember Chiyo's Quirk can't be used on the exhausted." He had SO many injuries, and not just the obvious one. He had forced his psychic power so much that he'd burst multiple blood vessels inside his head. They were told Izuku's recovery would be slow, even with the expert help that the surgeons with applicable Quirks had provided at the hospital. Chiyo had travelled from U.A. as soon as she had been able to help. He sat down heavily on a bit of concrete. "I feel fury like I never have before. The only thing that ever came close was my fight with All For One."
Nezu's answering chuckle contained no humor at all, "On that, we are of like minds. And I know what Midoriya means to you." He tossed a towel to Toshinori, "Get yourself cleaned up." As Toshinori wiped his face off, Nezu's tone took on a dark, almost maniac tinge, "We have work to do."
…
"Please forgive me, Cementoss." Toshinori was now cleaned up and sitting in the U.A. War Room. An outsider would have been forgiven for thinking that a nickname, but the severe looks glued to everyone's faces gave the game away. The attack on their students had been far too successful, and every single one of them were all but out for blood. "I created more work for you."
"It's alright." The anthropomorphic block of cement waved him off, "It's barely worse than some of our students have done."
"All the same…" He replied in acknowledgement. "It looks like everyone is here. Are we ready to begin?" He asked the rest of the table, which was missing only Aizawa and Thirteen. It wasn't likely that the man or woman would be up any time soon, even if they were awake. Not with those injuries. Already a day had gone by since the USJ Terror Incident, and they were still piecing everything together.
"Yes, let-" Nezu started to say, before the door slammed open.
Aizawa was standing there, bound in nearly as many casts and bandages as a mummy. His eyes were barely visible from the bandages. Thankfully he hadn't been too injured by the Nōmu beyond his arm bones being turned to powder, but he'd still been slammed headfirst into the concrete. Recovery Girl had needed to focus her attention on his arms once the skull fracture had been mostly healed, so he was needing to do the rest naturally due to the stamina drain.
"Shō!" Nemuri and Hizashi exclaimed, standing up, "You can NOT be serious right now!" Nemuri glared at him.
Hizashi growled, "You need to be resting damn it!"
Aizawa ignored them and stomped his way in, also ignoring Chiyo's disapproving glare, and turned his own livid gaze on All Might, "What…" he hissed, "Happened?"
"A master stroke by the Villains." Nezu said, solemnly. He let out a sigh as he clicked a monitor on, "After piecing as much information together as I could, I believe I determined the start of the incidents did not begin with the attack on the USJ."
All Might clenched his fists as Nezu turned his gaze towards him, "On my way towards the school in the morning, there were dozens of incidents. Far more than there usually are. Robberies, high-speed chases, even a damn bomb in broad daylight." The monitor showed images of All Might saving the day. He turned grim eyes towards Aizawa, "After considering the evidence, I can only believe that someone who knew me in some manner orchestrated the entire morning to tire me out before the Rescue Training class began."
"And it worked perfectly." Nezu said, turning a gimlet eye towards Toshinori, "All but the bomb threat could have been handled by other Heroes. You wasted most of your time helping with incidents that other Heroes could have taken care of and exhausted your body. You're not as young as you used to be, Toshinori."
"That much is obvious." Toshinori let out a groan. He hadn't felt his bones creaking even a year ago. "I'll be moving into the staff housing instead of commuting from now on. Despite my limit, I still tried to take on too much. It was a mistake I won't make again. The next generation has to be my priority."
Aizawa let out a sigh, "At least you realize that." He said flatly, "And all it took was at least one of our students getting maimed for you to get it through your thick skull."
Toshinori didn't even get a chance to respond as Nezu's voice cracked like a whip, "Enough." He glared at them, "We will get nowhere playing the blame game. If you want to waste your time, do it on your time."
"Very well." Aizawa hissed, before turning to the rest of them, "All Might not being there has been explained, but where were the rest of you?"
"There were terror attacks all over." Nemuri sighed, "Creatures not unlike the one Midoriya defeated popped up near the main campus and surrounding towns as well." Aizawa looked like he was about to have a heart attack, so she hurried on, "Not LIKE the one he fought, but similar. Dead, vacant eyes. Exposed brains. They were all pale and clammy though, not black like the one the main Villains had."
"Diversion." Aizawa groaned as he watched the camera feeds, getting nods of fury from his colleagues, "They meant to kill our students. They meant to slaughter them!"
"That was confirmed by Kurogiri, the Warp user, partner." Snipe took a deep breath, "We've obviously debriefed what students we could. They held it together remarkably well. Perhaps a little too well."
Hound Dog let out some growls and howls at that, all but slavering.
"Yes, we will have mandatory sessions scheduled, Hound Dog." Nezu confirmed.
Snipe continued, "According to Kendō, his exact words were, "we have come to this bastion of Heroism to leave your broken corpses for the Symbol of Peace to find." Those monsters knew exactly what they were doing."
Present Mic growled, his Quirk slipping a bit and causing the room to rumble under his voice. He quickly schooled himself with a shake of his head, "I've watched all the footage I could find. Twice even. The cameras were all functional, at least. And what I absolutely cannot understand is how that man child leading them came up with something like this."
"He would have been the one who disintegrated the gate." Aizawa pointed out, "What a nasty Quirk in evil hands."
"True, but all the same, he did seem rather unlikely to truly be leader material." Nemuri snorted at the thought, "His 'gamer' lingo wouldn't have been out of place on some of our students. He acted like the entire thing was this fun game where he held all the cards and then he freaked when Midoriya punched him in the mouth. Both figuratively and literally. I'm not buying it."
Toshinori squeezed his armrest so hard the wood snapped, making everyone in the room jump. Nezu let out a sigh as they all stared at him, and he groaned in embarrassment, "My apologies." He sighed, before continuing, "But if what I suspect is true…"
"You as well?" Nezu eyed him with a grim look. The rest of them simply looked at one another in confusion.
"Yes." Toshinori growled, "This has his fingers all over it. The Nōmu by itself…"
"You two know something." Ectoplasm spoke for the first time, "Speak. There can be no secrets here. Not now."
Nezu and Toshinori eyed each other, before nodding grimly, "It would have been easier if we could have recovered the Nōmu from the USJ, but you all killed or captured enough of those lesser beasts to make me suspicious. The man I suspect is truly leading those monsters who attacked our children…"
Nezu finished his sentence, "Is the same one who injured All Might all those years ago." Eyes widened, "All For One."
Several of the teachers stood up so abruptly that they almost toppled their chairs, "That's impossible! He's a MYTH!" Nemuri yelled.
"How I wish that were true." Toshinori growled, "But he should be DEAD! He stopped to gloat over me once he tore that hole in my side, and I crushed his skull with my bare hands!" Several of the others recoiled, not from horror but from shock at the lengths the strongest Hero ever had been forced to.
"It is possible it is a trusted lieutenant and not the man himself." Nezu said, and Toshinori turned a disbelieving eye on him. He sighed, "Yes, I rather doubt we would be so lucky. His men were never as smart as he was."
"Regardless, we need to prepare!" Aizawa growled out, "They can NOT get away with putting our students in danger."
"No, they most definitely cannot." Vlad finally spoke up, his voice a little rough from the punch he'd taken in the diaphragm. "I suppose that is a nice little segue into them. They did well for such a terrible situation."
"Most of them." Nemuri said darkly.
"I hate to say it," Chiyo started, "But things would have been leagues worse without Midoriya's intervention. I do not want to praise him. He put his life at risk and sacrificed himself when that shouldn't have been a decision he needed to make. He…" Her breath hitched as she thought of his state even now, "But if he hadn't put himself on the line… if he had just taken the students with him and Thirteen and fled like he should have…"
"The little listeners left in the building and both Eraser and Vlad would have died." Present Mic said solemnly. "How do we chastise him for that?"
"We can't." Nemuri sighed, "And even if we do, it's not likely he'll listen."
'No…' Toshinori thought to himself in both elation and dread. Putting oneself on the line was the epitome of heroism. Toshinori believed that firmly. But If Izuku kept doing things like that, he worried his successor would never become the Hero he was meant to be.
"What about the others?" Chiyo asked, "Admittedly I've been too busy to truly review everything." She groaned, her old bones creaking.
"It's a shame Healing Quirks like yours are so rare." Toshinori said softly.
"Yes, but I've made my peace with it." Chiyo said, before her tone became drier, "I only hope you lot are prepared to tone your idiocy down when I'm not around."
She was met with snorts, and Snipe was the one who spoke, "Moving on to your question…" He tipped his hat, "Yaoyorozu, Ashido, Tokage, and Utsushimi did extremely well in playing to their strengths. Tokage and Utsushimi could maybe even have gotten Midoriya and Aizawa out of harm's way if that Nōmu hadn't been so powerful. They distracted and harried the Villains while also attempting to rescue their comrades. It was a valiant effort."
Hound Dog growled, "None of us like the idea of killing, but we all know it is something that is occasionally unavoidable in our profession. Yaoyorozu and Ashido both knew that anything less than lethal force would have likely been useless, and were able to do their best despite it. Midoriya didn't hesitate either. I hope that was just desperation, and I will definitely be discussing it with them. But it was good that they held nothing back when the cards were down."
Grim nods answered him. It pained Toshinori's heart that his students were forced into such a situation so soon. Their careers hadn't even begun yet. He spoke, "I was incredibly impressed with how well most of them worked together. Especially the ones who probably met on the bus. They'll go far with teamwork like that. Tsuburaba couldn't have known Kaminari for too long, but had the wherewithal to save him with one of his Solid Air platforms. It would have been bad if Kaminari landed in the water with Asui and the other students in there with them."
"Not all of them did." Vlad groaned, "I'll have to speak with Monoma. I know I get competitive with Eraser about our classes, but the way he was acting was unacceptable."
"Yours wasn't the only problem child." Aizawa growled, "Todoroki's performance was… lackluster, to put it mildly."
"Do you have any idea why he never uses his fire?" Mic asked curiously.
"No, but Hagakure's testimony (as well as the video footage) paints a grim picture." Aizawa replied.
Nemuri's face was no less dour, "I believe his words were "I'll never use his Quirk in combat!" weren't they?" She closed his eyes, "He has some sort of issue with his father."
"Regardless, it ends." Aizawa said, "I understand. I do. But hang ups like those have no room in Heroics. How many people would die if he refuses to use his full Quirk?"
"Too many." Hound Dog growled, "He'll be one of the first in my office, and I suspect it'll be far more than just once."
"Bakugō-shōnen will need it too." Toshinori sighed, "I'm sure he tried to not let it show, but his defeat of that Villain shook him. He wasn't nearly as… bombastic when he saved Midoriya-shōnen from Shigaraki."
"Yoarashi will need to be reprimanded, I think." Ectoplasm said, "I'm not sure if it would have been better or worse had he and his opponent stayed with the others, but he still technically abandoned his comrades to fight her. Granted, she was incredibly powerful and may have harmed one of them if they had stayed, but he didn't know that before they left."
"Better or worse, he made the same mistake in the Heroes vs Villains exercise, so he definitely will be reprimanded." Aizawa groaned tiredly.
"Is that everyone that needs a discussion, or can we table the rest of it for later?" Nezu asked.
"I think not." Nemuri hissed acerbically, "There's one more to discuss."
They all glanced at one another, thinking the same thing. Nezu looked tired, "Very well then." He said solemnly. "Let's get to it then."
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"Izuku!" Momo's (and several others) face lit up as the door of 1-A opened up. She stood in her hurry to greet Izuku, both surprised and elated that Izuku hadn't missed any classes. The school had been closed for over a week to let everyone recover and to run security check after security check. She had been beside herself with worry over the green haired boy. "I'm so glad you're oka-" The words died in her mouth. Her pallor turned ashen as tears started to pool in her eyes.
Someone let out a shriek. Or maybe several someones. Maybe it was her who screamed.
Izuku gave them an exhausted smile, "I'll be okay, Momo." She started to sob in full, uncharacteristically jumping over some seats in her hurry to get to him. Izuku looked like a deer-in-headlights as she barreled into him and squeezed him in the tightest hug she could. She was only a few seconds ahead of half the class. "Oof!" He groaned from the small impacts.
"Oh crap! Let's not crowd him, guys!" Kirishima yelled, pulling people away. In the end, all of the sobbing girls were clinging to him, along with Inasa. There were very few dry eyes in the room. Even Katsuki's fist was trembling on his desk. His jaw was clenched so tightly he was in danger of losing a tooth.
Izuku let out a sigh, only blushing slightly as he patted wherever he thought was safe. "It's okay. It's okay. I'll be fine…" He repeated gently.
"But Izuku!" Momo let out a wail again, she finally pulled back, "Your arm!"
Izuku shook his head, looking down at his right limb. It was entirely bandaged up… and missing everything from just above his elbow. He sighed, "Recovery Girl didn't even have to amputate it. It just… crumbled and fell off when it cooled down. She had to cut some away to stitch it closed."
Mina was ugly-crying and blubbering, "B-b-but your leg! You grew it back! Why-"
Izuku let out a chuckle, "Mina, I may be here, but I won't be able to participate in much Hero training at all for a little while." He winced as the girls sobbed louder, "Sorry, I need to sit." He took a slow step and Camie immediately stepped forward and cautiously helped him to his chair, where he sat with a groan, "My healing works off both my psychic power and my stamina." He said, "….Of which I have a non-zero percentage." He shook his head, "That was the hardest I've ever had to exert myself. I barely have enough power right now to dress myself. I'll probably have to learn to write with my left hand for a while too."
"But you'll be okay, right? Please tell us you'll be okay, Midoriya-chan/Deku-kun." Tsuyu and Ochako pleaded with him.
"I will." Izuku said, "It shouldn't be too hard to grow back when I'm back to full strength… I hope." He mumbled to himself at the end, though not quietly enough judging from the renewed sobs. He hurried to continue, "Just… it may take a while." He trailed off lamely.
"If you need anything, please just tell me." Momo hugged him again and began to plead with him, "Don't hesitate. Anything at all, we'll find it for you. Price is no object."
Izuku smiled warmly at the beautiful heiress, "I'll keep that in mind, Momo, but I'll be okay. Don't worry."
"How can I not when-" Momo cut herself off, not letting the thought continue. She hesitated, the words trying to come out but sticking in her throat, and then the door banged open again.
"You're all here." Aizawa said needlessly as he walked in. His arm was still in its cast and it rested in a sling, but most of the other bandages had been removed. He locked eyes with Izuku, before Aizawa's eyes dropped down towards Izuku's arms. He clenched his teeth behind his scarf. "Midoriya."
Izuku replied, "Sensei." They stared for a couple seconds, before Aizawa looked away,
"In your seats." He said, walking to his desk, "We have a lot to go over today."
The girls were still sniffling as they left Izuku, all of them making sure to pat him on the shoulder in support. Momo, Camie, and Mina's hands all lingered a bit longer than the others.
Iida held up his hand, "Ah, sensei, Mineta-san isn't here! Has he called out or is he going to be late?"
Aizawa reached his desk and sat down heavily, "I'm afraid there is no Mineta in class 1-A."
The class was so silent you could have heard a pin drop. Iida landed back in his seat with wide eyes, "But-"
Aizawa sighed, "After reviewing all the footage of the USJ, I determined that Mineta-san had burned every chance I had given him. He had been told time and again that his attitude needed to change, and he just gave lip service back. When the chips were down, he did not act like a Hero. For Vlad and I to receive complaints like the ones we got from several students during an incident like the one we experienced was far too much. I gave him his expulsion papers on Monday."
Inasa's face was like stone as he glared at the blackboard. He was one of the ones who had complained during debriefing, and he didn't feel sorry in the slightest. After hearing about what had happened in the Conflagration Zone, the rest of the girls couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. They were glad he hadn't been hurt, but gladder still that he wasn't anywhere near them anymore.
Even still, that did engulf them in a somber air. One of their classmates was gone. Aizawa proved he could and WOULD expel them now. Granted, Mineta had been an… extenuating circumstance, but this gave credence to that day one threat.
"Now," Aizawa said, glaring at them heavily. All of them stiffened up, "What we all just experienced was incredibly traumatic. Every one of you will have at least one session scheduled with Hound Dog." Several students looked like they were going to speak up, so he activated his Quirk and they shut up right quick, "This is non-negotiable. Whether you have more sessions with him depends on you." He turned his Quirk off and let out a tired sigh, "Being unsettled and needing help is not a weakness. Floundering on your own when you could be getting help is. Is that clear?"
"Yes sensei." The class replied quietly. Some far more reluctantly than others.
"Good." Aizawa sat down in his chair, "Midoriya?"
Izuku jerked, "Y-yes sensei?"
Aizawa's tone was uncharacteristically soft, "Will you be alright in classes today?" His eyes noticeably dipped towards Izuku's right arm.
Izuku put on a brave face, "I've been told being ambidextrous is a good skill to learn."
That put a small smile on almost every face. Aizawa's too, "Very well. Let's get started then."
…
"'Good skill to learn' He said." Izuku grumbled to himself once Aizawa had stepped out of the room with Todoroki on his heels. He glared at his work, which even to him was barely legible. Calling it chicken scratch would be an insult to chicken scratch.
Ochako giggled as she stood up and gave him a hug again, "Why not make the pencil float?"
Izuku grumbled some more, despite enjoying the hug. Who knew all it took to relax him somewhat around girls was a near death experience where they all fought for their lives together? "I have been told in no uncertain terms that if I use my power for anything for at least another week, Recovery Girl will find me and club me with her cane." Several of them shivered in fear. The kind old lady could be surprisingly scary when she wanted to be.
Before they could say another word, the door slammed open and several of the 1-B students walked in. Setsuna was leading the pack, and she stopped cold when she saw half the class get into combat stances. Even Izuku was clenching his pencil like a knife. "Hey, it's just us!" She waved her hands in surrender.
"Sorry." Camie said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, "We're like, kinda totally jumpy, you dig?"
"No, I do. I just about jumped out of my skin when-" Setsuna trailed off, a look of horror on her face as she zeroed in on Izuku. Her chin and bottom lip quivered before she strode forward and hugged him.
"Holy crap!" Tetsutetsu cursed when he saw it too. He looked down, "Guess not everyone made it out totally okay. I mean, Reiko was hurt too but…" He floundered helplessly.
"He says he should be able to heal it but…" Momo was worried despite it.
"What are you talking about, guys?" Setsuna's voice wobbled as well, but she had a watery smile on her face. "Look, all fixed." They all stared, and the class giggled light-heartedly. Setsuna had detached her right arm and stuck it on Izuku's stump. As her arm was much smaller than his, it looked hilariously adorable. Izuku was blushing madly as she played with his hair, "This is illegally fluffy." Setsuna declared, a small blush of her own on her face.
"Yes it is!" Izuku's blush intensified as Mina started playing with it too. "Holy crap Midori, what do you do to it? MINE isn't this fluffy!"
Okay, so he was still nervous around the girls. At least he stopped stuttering, right? The other girls had intrigued glints in their eyes, and looked like they were going to advance on him. But before they could, the door opened.
"I AM HERE!" All Might stuck half his body into the class, leaning forward in a way that looked quite hilarious. He was wearing his yellow pinstriped suit instead of his costume, which even the fanboys and girls in the classes couldn't help but think was a little goofy.
"All Might!" They all cheered.
"Hahaha! Good afternoon, children!" He said, cheerily, "Good to see you all doing well!" His smile dimmed, and the class sat straighter, "I wanted to come and apologize to you all for allowing the events of last Friday to happen." Everyone stiffened in shock, and made to protest, but he held his hand up, "Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, the facts are clear. Instead of being with my classes, I was off solving crimes that mostly could have been left to other Heroes." He stared at them seriously, "As a teacher now, you all should have been my first priority. My late arrival allowed several of you to get hurt, and for that, I am deeply sorry." He bowed his head, "It will not happen again."
Inasa stood, "We know you won't! Because you're All Might!" He held a fist up. He knew the truth of the matter, same as Izuku. All Might had been resting, not solving more crimes. His three hours had been up, "If they dare show their faces again, you'll send them packing!" The rest of the class cheered at his words.
All Might smiled brightly again, "You can bet on that, Yoarashi-shōnen." He then gave them a thumbs up, "I look forward to our next Heroics 101 class!" He directed his attention to his successor and almost couldn't help but flinch. Almost, "Midoriya-shōnen, might I have a word?"
"Ah?" Izuku blinked, "Sure thing, All Might." He stood and gathered his stuff, blinking when he realized he still had two arms, one of which was mimicking what he wanted almost perfectly. An amused, happy smile appeared on his face, "Setsuna." He smiled at her, and she blushed a little.
"Yessss?" She still replied teasingly.
"I like it. I'm keeping it." Izuku said, turning to walk away.
"Boooo!" She pouted, "Sorry Midori. I'd love to be your arm, but if I don't know what to do it won't either." She smirked, "Plus I kinda need that to write." With one last ruffle of his hair, the arm flew back to its owner.
He chuckled in reply, "Yeah, trying with my left was notfun…" He mumbled, "See you all in class."
"Bye Midori!" Mina said cheerily, and then made his face go hotter than his cursed attack at the USJ when she pecked him on the cheek, giving him an audible smooch. Izuku seemed catatonic when she pulled away, smirking cheerily, and All Might had to walk over to him and carry him out with an amused grin on his face. Izuku stayed stiff as a board as All Might carried him out under his arm.
Mina had an amused grin, "Still got it."
"Ohohoho. That was interesting." Setsuna had a glint of jealousy in her gaze, though she was still being playful.
"Yes, quite interesting." Momo's smile was a little… glassy.
"Darn, you went and stole first kiss." Camie pouted, making Momo's gaze snap to her.
Mina's smile widened, "I think it's time for a little girl talk!" She threw her arm around Momo and Setsuna's shoulders and started dragging them away, Camie following.
"Wah! Mina! Where are-" the door shut on them.
Kaminari stared at the door, "I'm going to feel bad about saying this," He said, eye twitching lightly, "But that lucky bastard!"
-]|[-
"Now before I say a word, I want to know if you have anything to say for yourself."
He furrowed his brow, "I'm not sure what you mean, sensei." Todoroki said evenly despite his confusion. Even with the slight expression, he looked entirely unconcerned. He was merely wondering why Aizawa had brought him into an empty classroom.
Aizawa stared at him with unimpressed eyes, "Are you so arrogant about your quirk that you believe yourself exempt from Mineta's fate?"
"Wha-" Finally an expression crossed Todoroki's face; dumb shock. He was not able to get another word in as Aizawa continued speaking.
"I will be blunt." The man stated, "After watching all of the footage and hearing the testimonies from your fellow students in the mountain zone, I'm tempted to not only expel you from U.A. but call every other school in the country to blacklist you from heroics entirely."
Todoroki ground his teeth in anger and his voice raised, "What did you-" Unbidden, the temperature started to drop.
Aizawa's eyes flashed their intimidating red as his Quirk activated, "Do not make this worse for yourself, Todoroki. And seeing as you are not seeing the problem, allow me to spell it out for you. You arrogantly assumed that half of your Quirk would see you through any and every situation and almost got yourself killed for your trouble. Every single one of the other students gave their all in the fight last Friday. All except you. Midoriya sacrificed his arm to save his friends-"
Todoroki had enough, "If I had been there I would have just buried it in a glac-"
Aizawa's capture weapon snapped out, wrapping Todoroki up and sealing his lips. He was dragged forward, wide-eyed, and his tie was seized in an iron grip, "If the next words out of your mouth are not either an apology or a 'yes sir,' this conversation is over, as is your career as a Hero."
Todoroki grunted, unable to even free his arms. He was released, and he took a deep breath, "Yes sir. I'm sorry, sir." He didn't sound very sincere.
Aizawa noticed, "I will excuse your ignorance as you were not there. Allow me to enlighten you. Midoriya cut its arm off, and not only did it regenerate, but it didn't even register any pain or stop its mission of pummeling me into the ground." Todoroki's eyes widened in surprise, "Ashido hit it with acid that turned its limbs into goo, and it regenerated." Todoroki opened his mouth but Aizawa talked over him, "Midoriya trapped it in a sphere of water and then had Yaoyorozu detonate a block of C4 bigger than your torso inside. The explosion turned it into nothing more than a spine and a little bit of head." Todoroki looked a little sick, "And it still regenerated."
"That's-" Todoroki took a step back, "That's not- There AREN'T any healing Quirks like that!"
"So we thought." Aizawa glared some more, "To be clear, that beast was an unstoppable machine with (according to the main Villain Shigaraki) multiple Quirks that was designed to kill All Might himself. You could have buried it in a new Ice Age's worth of ice, and it would have broken out. Do not let me hear you disparage the efforts of those who fought again."
Todoroki swallowed, "Yes sir." This time, the reply was much more sincere.
"Good. That's progress, at least." Aizawa snarked, despite his voice not containing any snark at all. "As I was saying, every single student fought their hardest to survive, and many came away with at least light injuries. Which made your performance against those two Villains damning. You had what you needed to fight them, and instead you went and put every other student in more danger. You not only would have gotten yourself killed if they hadn't been playing with you, but you gave a Villain with a situationally superior Quirk to your own more ammunition. Why did you not use your fire? You easily would have won."
Todoroki clenched his fist and set his jaw. His entire countenance made it blunt that he had closed off.
Aizawa realized that this was much deeper rooted than he had expected, "I see." he said evenly. "I will be blunt once more, Todoroki. You are strong and have a powerful Quirk, but as of this moment, you have nearly zero potential as a Hero. Someone who doesn't use all of their powe-"
"I don't need his fire!" The heterochromic boy snarled at his teacher.
Aizawa looked unimpressed. 'His fire.' It was a repeat of what Hagakure said, "Then you don't need to be a Hero." He replied flatly.
Todoroki's eyes took on a hateful tinge, "Am I expelled?"
"No." Aizawa replied, "Not yet at least." He turned away, "But do not mistake this as U.A. being afraid of your father's influence. He'll have to suck it up just like every other influential parent of a child who could never make it as a Hero. Whatever hang-ups you have with your fire won't matter to those who lose loved ones because you thought you could get by with half your Quirk. Instead, I will leave you with this ultimatum. The sports festival happens in two months at the end of June. If you haven't gotten your act together by then, then you really have no potential as a Hero, and I will make certain no other school in Japan will take you." He walked out.
When the door shut, Todoroki let out a snarl of rage and slammed his fist into the wall. The boy clenched his throbbing hand, icing it over. He sat heavily in his seat and started to brood.
-]|[-
"What did you want to speak about, Yagi-senSEI?-" Izuku almost dropped his bookbag in panic as they entered Toshinori's office. Toshinori had deflated and was currently on his knees, his forehead pressed onto the floor in full dogeza.
"Midoriya-shōnen, please forgive me!"
Izuku flailed his one good arm in panic, "Wh-wh-what are you doing, Yagi-sensei?!" He rushed over to help Toshinori up, but the man remained where he was, "Why are you-"
"Please do not act as if you don't know, Midoriya-shōnen." Toshinori got up and sat seiza. He had tears in his eyes as he stared at his successor, "You were MAIMED because I was off solving petty crimes I could have left to other Heroes!"
Izuku licked his lips to wet them, before speaking haltingly, "I won't lie… Things would have been a lot better if you had been there." Toshinori flinched, "But I know that ignoring others in need would just not be you."
Toshinori shook his head, "Do not make excuses for me, Midoriya-shōnen. I should have KNOWN BETTER." He clenched his side, "The entire point of me searching for a successor was my declining health and ability to be a Hero! And when I found him, I almost let him DIE when I should have been helping! They attacked because of ME!"
"Sensei, THEY attacked us." Izuku shook his head, "They made that choice, and we got out of it. Yes, things could have been a LOT worse, but we're ALL better prepared now." He sighed, "I won't say none of us are upset, or angry." Toshinori flinched, "But I'm pretty sure you're beating yourself up a lot worse than we are."
The man couldn't help the snort, "Reading me like a book."
Izuku smiled, putting his left arm on his mentor's shoulder, "We all need to be better. Especially with Shigaraki apparently declaring a grudge against us. So, if you want to make it up to us, teach us. Teach us EVERYTHING we'll need to know to survive."
"You can count on that." All Might said a little darkly, "And you can rest assured that we're on the hunt for this League of Villains." His eyes glittered, "We won't let them touch you again."
Izuku smiled, and offered All Might his hand, "We'll all need to be ready. I have a feeling they won't give up." His smile dropped, "I just hope that Nōmu was the only one. I… I don't know if I can fight another of those things." He looked at his arm, "Especially not soon."
"You shouldn't have had to fight the first one." Toshinori grumbled under his breath, clearly not done castigating himself. He took a deep breath, "H-how did Inko-san take it?"
Izuku flinched, staring at his feet, "She wanted to pull me from the school immediately." All Might flinched as well, "Sh-she didn't take it well at all. Only me reminding her that I would heal got her to stop panicking long enough for us to TALK." He sighed, "I… I had to pull some cards I'm not proud of to be allowed to stay."
Toshinori pursed his lips. "If it's not prying…"
Izuku shook his head. He didn't want to talk about him guilt tripping his mom. All he had to say was that he finally had friends and people who cared about him in a panic when she refused to budge on enrolling him somewhere else, and she had folded. He was pretty sure their relationship may have taken a hit… "I don't want to talk about it."
"That's okay." Toshinori took a deep breath, "But that wasn't the only thing I wanted to talk about." They walked over to the two sofas and sat heavily, "It's becoming more and more clear that we're running out of time. I need to pass my Quirk on sooner rather than later." He grinned a little in mock amusement, "Sure you don't want it?"
Izuku snorted, "Not a chance. Just look what that….evil fire did to me without One For All potentially overcharging it." Toshinori shuddered as he remembered watching the fight on the cameras. Evil wasn't a bad description.
He nodded, shrugging his shoulders, "I thought not. Had to try though." He looked down at his clasped hands, "My former sidekick (Sir Nighteye) made a recommendation to me."
"Oooh! He was one of your only sidekicks! Are you going to go with who he recommended? Who was it?" Izuku asked excitedly. Toshinori didn't answer for a while, "All Might? Is something wrong?"
Toshinori sighed, "Mirio Togata. A third year here. In terms of personality, he's exactly what I'm looking for. He's a good choice… But despite that…"
Izuku's eyes widened, "D-do you and Nighteye not get along?"
Toshinori snorted, "That assumes we have any relationship at all nowadays." He squeezed his fingers together, still not looking at him, "When I got injured, Mirai seemed to become obsessed with One For All and the Symbol of Peace. His Quirk allows him to see into a person's future," Izuku looked like he was about to freak out, so Toshinori hurried before Izuku could start building a head of steam, "-and he evidently saw something very bad in mine. He urged me to retire long before the surgeries had me down to twelve hours a day. Our relationship fractured because of it. Mirai idolized me. Not unlike you. But he took it too far. He took it to the point I started to feel like he didn't actually respect me at all. Our arguments got to the point that we stopped speaking altogether." He shook his head, eyes growing a little wet, "Five years without a word, and the first words I hear from him are a recommendation for me to pass my Quirk onto someone. It's like he feels One For All is his Quirk to pass on!"
Izuku looked a little teary eyed at how his mentor's relationship with a friend had fractured, "That's… that's so sad." He wiped his eyes. It wasn't at all what he thought All Might and Sir Nighteye's relationship would be like, "But…. That doesn't mean you shouldn't consider Togata-sempai. That seems a little…spiteful?"
"Ahahaha!" Toshinori laughed, "You thought so too, huh?" He shook his head, "I did consider him, and then I did some digging. And while he wasn't as adamant about Togata-shōnen as he was with you, Principle Nezu also recommended caution with him as well. He felt there could be some compatibility issues regarding activation." He laughed, "Plus, with all the mistakes I made, Togata-shōnen is perhaps a little bit too much like me. Plus, he's already so strong without One For All. There's a very real chance he'll CHART the second he's graduated."
Izuku's eyes bugged out, "No way!"
Toshinori nodded with a grin, "Yeah, Togata-shōnen is already good enough that he'd give some current pros a run for their money. He'll no doubt be a valuable ally and an amazing Hero once All Might is gone." He shook his head, "Regardless, I haven't eliminated Togata, but I haven't chosen him either."
Izuku had a light bulb go off, "Are you looking for someone in the first-year classes? I suppose I DID tell you I'd help, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did. Seems only fitting my successor gets to help choose who his partner will be. It was meant to be yours, after all." Toshinori grinned in amusement, "Though I veto Yoarashi-shōnen. He has too many of my bad sides! Ahahaha!" Izuku grinned in amusement, having not considered his bombastic best friend either. He was a little too much.
All Might's phone pinged, so he took it out. After a few seconds, his eyes widened, "Well now." He grinned at Izuku, "I suppose being my successor and the USJ Savior has some benefits." He put the phone away and unlocked his computer, "Come, Midoriya-shōnen. Principal Nezu has given me permission to show you the feeds from the USJ, as well as last year's Sports Festival for Togata's class."
Izuku's eyes started to sparkle.
…
"….Not Todoroki." Izuku said flatly.
Toshinori let out a disappointed sigh, "Definitely not. Enji, what in the world is going on? Why would your son refuse to use half his Quirk? Does he just not want to be in your shadow?"
"That looked a lot more personal than just not wanting to be in his father's shadow. No, something is wrong." Izuku retorted immediately.
"It worries me." Toshinori sighed, "And obviously, I don't think Bakugō would be a good idea." Izuku shuddered, "Several of the students DID catch my attention. Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, and Ashido from your class. Denki-shōnen also had a good showing but I don't think it wise to give it to him. His spirit of self-sacrifice was there, but he seems lacking in other aspects."
"Agreed. His Quirk is a bit too much of a wildcard." Izuku nodded, looking through his notebook, "Personally, I think Togata-sempai, Hadō-sempai, Momo, Kirishima, Tsu, Tetsutetsu-san, Kendō-san and Kaibara-san make the short list."
"Shall we take a night to think on it?" Toshinori asked him.
Izuku didn't really hear him. He was tapping his pencil on his lip, flipping through volume fourteen of his Hero Analysis for the Future notebooks. He had started a new one upon entering U.A., as there were so many fascinating Quirks amongst his friends and classmates. He was mumbling under his breath, and Toshinori rolled his eyes and settled back. Even if it was annoying, this 'thinking' mode of his was pretty effective. Suddenly, Izuku stopped, "All Might, remind me why Nezu-sensei said I shouldn't have One For All?"
"Hmm?" Toshinori stopped, and opened his mouth. He was cut off.
"We worried that if it merged with Phoenix Force, that it would become so powerful you could never use it." Nezu chirped cheerfully as he casually dropped out of a vent in the ceiling. It had swung open and then back closed once the principal had dropped out.
"Principal!" Izuku smiled at the unknown mammal.
"How do you do, Toshinori? Midoriya-san." Nezu asked cheerfully, sitting down next to the boy. "An intriguing list you've thought up. I'm eager to hear your thoughts."
"Yes sir." Izuku smiled, "All of these candidates have their merits. Kendō-san for example could definitely use the enhanced physical strength to her advantage, and she seems to have a great heart and a level head. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu-san could almost be twins, and would both make incredible shields with or without One For All. It would only enhance their strength and ability to help others. They both seem like wonderful people too. For Mina and Togata-sempai, it would enhance their already great physical ability and provide them with alternatives in case their Quirks are not enough."
"You've done some good thinking on these." Nezu praised, "But I'm sensing a 'but.'"
Izuku grinned, "You're sensing correctly." His eyes were sparkling, "Think about it! That story All Might told us almost a year ago now! His mentor's Float got overpowered once she gained One For All. The same applies to whoever is going to get it as well. There are two Quirks on this list that are already amazing, but could grow to be legendary if boosted in the way we suspect by All Might's Quirk. Hadō-sempai's Wave Motion is based on her vitality, and Momo's Creation… I have my doubts it's actually based on her lipids the way she thinks. She can create TOO MUCH for that to be the case. I think it's the fuel, not the building blocks itself."
Nezu's tail waved, "You think her Quirk functions not unlike an atomic fabricator from science fiction." He deduced.
"Exactly!" Izuku nodded, "Just think of what either of those two could do with their Quirks if you gave them the immense energy of a stockpiling Quirk!"
Nezu and Toshinori let out little laughs of their own, "Hadō-san's analysis is spot on, I think, but that's a large assumption for Yaoyorozu's Quirk."
"Do you disagree?" Izuku challenged the intelligent animal. Over a year ago, he would never have dreamed of speaking like that to the principal.
Nezu's grin widened, "I didn't say that. Your intelligence is most definitely something I am interested in cultivating." Toshinori stiffened a little, and at the other end of the school, Aizawa shuddered in his sleeping bag as if someone had walked over his grave, "I had my own suspicions, but you had more data. I think you might be right. Or at least on the right track."
"But One For All requires physical strength to use, and I'm not sure either of them fit the bill. Both of them are fit, yes, but do recall the training you underwent." Toshinori interjected.
Izuku looked at him flatly, "Momo easily carried a minigun and fired it for quite a while at the Nōmu without her aim wavering."
Toshinori opened his mouth with a raised finger. And then it clicked shut and the finger curled down, "Withdrawn." He grinned sheepishly, "Are you saying she's the best candidate?" Toshinori asked, staring at Yaoyorozu's profile before him.
"I don't think we should rush." Izuku shook his head, "But I know you need to make a decision soon. Just because she's a good candidate doesn't mean she's the best. We should think it over."
Indeed, both were excellent candidates, though Hadō-shōjo was a bit of an airhead. When the chips were down, you could always rely on her no matter what. As for Yaoyorozu? She hadn't hesitated to leap down to Izuku's aid at the USJ and had been instrumental in pinning the beast down long enough for Izuku to get back on his feet. She'd exhausted herself completely trying to save lives, and had also been crucial in the final takedown; helping with the C4 block and the vital information that fire would end it. She had a great head on her shoulders and would make an excellent partner for his successor, if chosen.
"Let's sleep on it, shall we?" Nezu asked, closing the discussion.
"Yes, I think that's a good idea." Toshinori nodded, "Thank you both for your help. This would have been much harder without you. Every single one of the students on this list would make excellent partners for you, Midoriya-shōnen. Thank you for helping me choose them."
"I'll always help someone in need! You know that!" Izuku blushed a little.
"That'a boy!" Toshinori laughed, ruffling his fluffy green hair. "Now get going. I'm sure your friends are missing you. We've been here for quite a while."
"See you tomorrow!" Izuku bowed to the principal and high-fived his mentor, before leaving.
-]|[-
A few more days passed, and then they received news none of them wanted to hear. "W-wait?! We're really going back there?" Kaminari gaped in shock.
Many others in the class were dumbfounded as well at the announcement they'd just had. It was their first heroics class since that fateful day, and now they were heading back to the USJ?
Aizawa nodded, "As separate classes, this time. Our Hero training was interrupted, after all." He eyed them, "As Heroes, you will be expected to visit the sites of disasters and even continue patrolling areas. Even ones you may have been injured in. Do not worry. We're taking far more precautions this time. All Might is already heading there, and will be waiting for you." Plus other teachers as well, but just All Might being name-dropped was enough for them.
That allowed them to breathe sighs of relief, "Yes, sensei!"
"As was the case last time, it is up to you whether to wear your costumes or not. Now get going."
…
"Midori, where's your costume?" Mina asked curiously.
"Never mind that," Momo was nervously working her hands together. She was in her costume, and almost back up to her healthy look from before the event. Izuku had been afraid for her health that day. She had lost SO much weight, "Are you sure you should be coming today? No one would look down on you for taking a self-study day."
Izuku grinned lightly at her concern. He looked far healthier than he had at the beginning of the week. Less exhausted. But he still wasn't allowed to use his Quirk… and was still missing an arm, "Plus Ultra." He shrugged, smile still on his face, "And my costume is getting repaired, Mina-chan." He paused, making a face, "Well, more like remade. Wasn't…much left to repair." He sweated in bemusement.
Camie snorted, "There's a thing as TOO Plus Ultra! You were legit wrecked, Izu."
"I appreciate the concern." He told them, "But I'm sure. Come on! Let's get on the bus!" He had to take control since Aizawa-sensei wasn't coming with them. He had to help Vlad-sensei with 1-B's training today.
…
Again, it only took a few minutes for them to arrive at the USJ, and their smiles almost blinded their waiting teachers as they saw Thirteen back on her feet!
"Thirteen!" Ochako (her biggest fan) couldn't help but hug the woman in the puffy suit, "You're okay!"
Thirteen laughed, the odd layering effect of her voice ringing, "Glad to see you made it out okay as well, Uraraka-chan!"
"Ahahaha!" Toshinori boomed out a laugh, drawing their attention, "I'm glad to see you all made it! Let's get started, shall we? Stay calm. THIS is planned this time." He joked, and pressed a big red button on a remote. Immediately, the facility started to rock. The landslide happened, the buildings in the conflagration zone started burning, and the lake started to flood, etc. "Now, in these disaster zones, we have robots mimicking citizens in need of aid. Your goal is to rescue as many of them as possible! We will be going from zone to zone, starting with the flood zone!"
Miss Midnight cracked her whip, "And obviously, there are going to be situations where your Quirk may be a hindrance in these scenarios. You must NOT injure or aggravate any injuries! It is up to you to decide how to approach each rescue!"
Thirteen nodded, "Remember what I told you the last time we were here! Your Quirks are powerful tools, but they could easily be used to kill if misused. You're here to learn not how to cause destruction, but how to save lives! Are you ready?"
"YES!" The class chanted, easy smiles on their faces. Just All Might's presence was enough to take the edge off, so they were excited to get to work. And off they went to the flood zone. They were put in batches of four each (except for one group of three due to Mineta being gone), and told that they had three minutes to get as many robots out from under the water and to safety as possible. Several were on the boat itself, while several others had fallen off of it and were drowning with no life jackets, while others were floating with life jackets. The robots floating on the surface and the ones on the boat they had a full five minutes for. They were told that if the five minutes elapsed, the ship would be considered "sunk" and the robots remaining on it would be dragged under to the deep. The ones on the boat had no injuries for them to jostle.
Izuku was in a group with Momo, Kyōka, and Sero. He blinked as he walked over to the prepared pier. He had started taking his gym uniform off, but was told they could not act at all until the timer started, so he dropped the hem of his shirt, "Sensei, is the lake deep enough that we have to worry about bends?" He turned and asked Thirteen. "Also, is it three minutes because of the brain death limit of five minutes with no oxygen?"
You could almost feel the smile, "A good question!" She nodded in approval, "But no, not in this case. In other scenarios, we would consider it, but this is just supposed to be a basic scenario."
"And that is indeed the reason! Less time than you would normally have, but then again you wouldn't be present the same second they fell overboard either." All Might shot his student a thumbs up.
"Good call, Izuku." Momo smiled approvingly.
Their timer officially started, and Izuku immediately shrugged off his gym shirt, shoes, and jacket. Half the class started blushing or wolf-whistling as they took in the sight of his muscular physique despite his missing arm, but he ignored them and immediately started belting out orders, "Momo, do you remember Star Wars? Can you make rebreathers from The Phantom Menace?"
She blinked, and immediately started to Create using her Quirk. Izuku had been pushing her and pushing her to make harder and harder items this entire week. They were items she knew how to make and how they worked, but he was constantly pushing her comfort zone by adding twists like these. Adding a fantasy/sci-fi twist to it to really push her creativity to the limit.
She struggled for a moment, but they popped out. Three of them. She, Kyōka, and Izuku all took ones. Sero blinked, "Hey, what about me?"
"You need to start reeling in the floating ones with your tape!" Izuku commanded, "Momo, make as many inflatable life jackets as we can carry, with a belt to secure them." Momo did as well, "Kyōka, use your Quirk to see if you can find the robots via sonar. Momo, a device capable of mapping them!" About twenty seconds of their initial three minutes had elapsed. Momo finished creating, and Kyōka hooked up one earphone jack to the device Momo handed her, which they all paired to smartwatches she had also created. Several pings appeared. "Two minutes and thirty seconds!" Izuku yelled, before putting the rebreather on his face and diving into the lake from the little platform they were on.
The rest of the class murmured. Kirishima was crying, "Midoriya is so MANLY! He only has one arm and not even a Quirk and he isn't letting it stop him!"
Kyōka grimaced as she followed, throwing off her electronics while making a mental note to check if they were / get them waterproofed, "Now I see what the teachers mean. I should probably avoid water rescues or think up a new costume." Several of the horndogs (Mina and Camie loudest of all) began to whistle as she shrugged off her jacket and shirt, revealing a sinfully tight sports bra. She had to fight to focus before on the mission and not get flustered. She wasn't confident in her body at all. She fixed the rebreather and dove in as well. Momo's costume started to glow as she adjusted it, turning it into a full swimsuit rather than her open leotard. She dropped her utility belt and dove in as well after equipping the last rebreather.
Sero stepped forward and pointed his elbows. "Let's do this!" He cried out, firing strands of tape at the floating robots, and reeling them in. As he did so, more and more robots started floating to the surface as the other three students put on the inflatable vests on the dummies and activated them. Over the next minute, the drowning robots were raised out of danger and Sero worked to reel them in.
Then the other students surfaced with splashes, and Kyōka split off, using her jacks to pull and push the robots closer to the platform for Sero to reel in. Momo and Izuku went off towards the yacht.
Momo raised her arms, aimed, and fired grappling hooks. Izuku grinned as best he could with his rebreather still on his face. Momo was becoming more creative and thoughtful regarding Creation. Once they got her to realize she was creating devices with electrical power AND programming already applied, she realized she could do other things as well. Such as creating an object already in motion and essentially firing it. They both attached to the railing of the yacht with loud clangs, and Momo briskly told him, "Grab onto me."
This was no time for blushing, so Izuku obeyed, hugging her. She glowed, and a thick belt secured him to her. They'd probably freak out later, but now was go time. Momo quickly started reeling in, and they climbed the hull with some difficulty. Izuku grumbled, "If only I was cleared to use my Quirk. I could just float us up."
"You're making everyone look bad." She giggled back, "Doing it with one arm and no Quirk." They got to the top and rolled ungracefully onto the deck. The belt vanished and they got to their feet. Momo quickly started making an inflatable raft which she tossed overboard, and then made one of those tube things down to it. She firmly attached the tube tunnel to the boat and then hurried off to find robots. Izuku brought over the first robot and he put it into the tube, allowing it to tumble down slowly and somewhat gently. When it landed, Kyōka had climbed on and got it out of the way. Momo sent the next two down, showcasing some of her deceptive strength in being able to lift two heavy bots without even a grunt of effort. Izuku brought the last of the bots on the ship, and they sent it down.
"Good job!" Izuku praised her, and raised his hand as Kyōka pushed the raft away from the yacht.
She high fived him happily, and then surprised him by pulling him into a tight hug, "You're amazing, you know that? You said on the second day of class that Heroes had to be more than one trick ponies, and you've already proved it." She squeezed him tight, drawing a massive blush from the boy.
"We couldn't have done this nearly as efficiently without you." He replied, "You were definitely the MVP."
She pouted, backing away, "Just take the compliment, Izu. I wasn't trying to make it a competition." She let out a little giggle as he looked away bashfully, "Come on. Let's get back." She jumped off the ship and into the water.
Izuku steamed for a moment, "These girls are going to kill you, Midoriya." He mumbled under his breath, before swan diving off and following. In no time, they were back on dry land.
"ASTOUNDING!" All Might applauded them, drawing blushes from all four of them. Kirishima was sobbing from manliness poisoning as he mimicked All Might's applause, "Not one aquatic Quirk amongst you with an injured member, and you finished long before the timer went off! What a fantastic display!" Momo was hiding behind her hands and Kyōka's jacks were tapping together gently.
"We could not have had a better first group!" Thirteen declared, "You all showed grit, determination, intelligence, and ingenuity with your solution! That is EXACTLY what we want to see from all of you! Top marks!"
Miss Midnight was grinning broadly, "A fantastically youthful display! Take a rest, you four! You more than earned it with that performance." She handed out towels to each of them, which were gratefully accepted as the next group (Inasa, Koda, and Iida) headed off to the little pier to prepare.
Izuku quickly dried himself off, and then grabbed his shirt from where he had discarded it. "WAIT!" Mina cried out, and Izuku froze. "Midori, it is vital you don't put that on yet!"
Izuku blinked in befuddlement as he held the shirt in one hand, "Uh, why?"
Mina went over to Kyōka and whispered in her ear. Kyōka's jaw dropped, then quickly clicked shut before she facepalmed. She took Mina's proffered phone with a little groan and a huffed, "Fine!" Her jack connected to one of her discarded speakers and the phone as well.
And then a song started blaring from her speaker as she continued facepalming, "AYAYAYAYAAAAY!"