Chapter 4: The Builder's Rejection
This document beta'd by kylekatarn77
4. The Builder's Rejection
Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.
-Winston Churchill
"Power Suit MK V, all electrical systems running!" Izuku said, trying hard to keep the nervousness out of his voice. He'd done most of the wiring himself, and he felt good about his work, but still.
"All systems are green! This baby is ready to go!" Mei cheered. "Initializing! Begin start up sequence!"
"Engaging," Izuku said, and closing his eyes, flipped the toggle that would turn the suit on. This time, there was no explosion, no fire, no sudden leak of hydraulic fluid. Instead, the suit turned on with a hum. "It's working!"
"Yes! I knew you wouldn't let mommy and daddy down, baby!" Mei cheered, running forward and hugging the Power Suit, and by extension, hugging Izuku as well.
"We did it!" Itzuku cheered, carefully striking a victory pose. He'd spent time practicing in the MK III and MK IV, so he knew how to keep his motions slow and steady.
"Well then, we're ready!" Mei declared. "Now we just have to head down to the UA headquarters to present our applications!"
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Izuku asked, feeling slightly nervous. "They did just invite you…"
"Well we haven't heard back about your application yet, which means we just have to go and show them just how important it is that you get into UA too!" Mei declared. "How am I supposed to show off all my babies if no one can see them in action?"
"R-r-right," Izuku agreed. "Um, so how do we get there?"
"Why, you carry me, of course!" Mei declared. "It's only a few kilometers. You're pretty good at running now, right? So you run over there in the Power Suit, and carry me and the rest of the gear! It's a perfect plan!"
"Um, won't we get in trouble for taking unlicensed gear out onto the street?" Izuku asked nervously.
"I thought about that!" Mei took out a few decals from a drawer and slapped them on to Izuku.
"Property of UA Support Department?" Izuku read. "Um, Mei, maybe we shouldn't-"
"Oh relax, we're showing this off at UA and they'll probably want our wonderful baby to use for themselves! Besides, once we have their unlimited materials we'll make you a better one!" Mei declared. Then she grabbed up her back pack and jumped at Izuku, who caught her by reflex. "Now, onward!"
Despite his misgivings, Izuku managed to open the shutter to Mei's room, then carry her and her bag of gear down the street. She'd put on a jumpsuit that stores sold that was modeled after the kind that UA students wore for the annual Sports Festival, so she looked like she belonged at UA herself. To Izuku's surprise, no one seemed all that shocked to see a suit of power armor carrying someone dashing through the streets of Musutafu. Apparently, the UA logo commanded enough respect that even police officers who saw them dash by didn't find anything suspicious going on.
It didn't take Izuku long to draw near to UA, by which point he had worked up a sweat, and the suit was starting to heat up.
"I'm overheating," he panted to Mei. "It's too hot in this suit! I forgot how hot the new power systems I installed could get, even with ventilation!"
"Hmm, we'll need some sort of cooling device for you in the next model," Mei mused. "But don't worry, we're almost there!"
UA High School had a massive, sprawling campus that took up a good portion of downtown Musutafu. The main building was many stories tall, made of four towers that were connected by a lower central hub. It gleamed in the early morning light, it's glass surface a beacon for all the world to see. The campus was protected by a visible 3 meter wall, but Izuku knew there were additional security systems that would prevent anyone unauthorized from trying to get over the wall, or pass through the main gates. When they arrived at the entrance, someone was waiting there for them.
"Hi Mr. Onizuka!" Mei called, waving excitedly.
The man turned, looking startled to see Mei hurtling towards him, carried in the arms of a massive suit of armor. This version of the Power Suit was fully enclosed, with a helmet that completely obscured Izuku's face.
"Mei? What is that? I know I told you to bring one of your inventions, but you didn't have to bring a whole robot!" Mr. Onizuka protested. He was a blond man, in his late middle years and going bald, though he had a comb over to try and hide it. He was wearing a tacky looking suit that didn't seem to fit him well, but Mei hopped out of Izuku's arms and skipped toward him, her arms spread wide.
"You said to bring one of my babies, and I brought our best one! This is the Power Suit, MK V, and it's daddy, Izuku Midoriya!" Mei said, wrapping Mr. Onizuka in an embrace. He returned it, which made Izuku feel a bit odd for a moment. He chalked that up to the heat.
"H-hello," Izkuku said, his voice echoing slightly from the voice modulator they'd installed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Onizuka."
"I thought...I thought that was just what you'd named one of your inventions," Mr. Onizuka said, blinking rapidly. "I didn't think you'd actually found a boy who willingly helped you in your lab every day, Mei."
"Well you said to practice my social skills, so I found a friend!" Mei proclaimed. "He's a great lab partner. The perfect papa for all my babies! He's even rigged the electrical systems for the suit! He added the voice modulator, and installed a gyroscope that helps with stabilization!"
"She, um, she means the suit, sir. Not, ah, actual babies. I-I-I'm not that kind of guy," Izuku hastily explained.
"I'm aware," Onizuka said, scratching the back of his head. He sighed. "Well, this interview was just for you, Mei. I'm not sure how they'll feel about you bringing a friend along…"
"Well, I always say, the more, the merrier!"
Izuku turned and gasped to see the person coming out of the UA gates, a man with what appeared to be an upside down excavator bucket on his head, though he was dressed in a suit instead of his usual hero costume today. "That's Power Loader, the Excavation Hero!"
"Call me Mr. Maijima," Power Loader said, coming out to examine Izuku. "My, my, this is quite an impressive specimen. Did your students build this themselves, Onizuka?"
"Actually, I don't know the boy at all," Onizuka admitted. "He must go to another school."
"I go to Mustafa Private Middle School actually, sir," Izukua said, bowing slightly. It was difficult to make such a motion in the Power Suit, but he managed it. "Mei and I met while she was scavenging for parts. I've been helping her for the last 9 months. We built this together."
"Really? Hmm. Well, come on in. I think I can whip up something to put you two through your paces," Power Loader said, leading them back inside.
They followed Power Loader into the main UA complex, past several buildings and into a testing site.
"I was going to take you into the support lab and have you show off your inventions there, but frankly I think you're ready for something a bit more advanced," Power Loader stated. "I've got a few of the robots for the Hero Exam in a few weeks set up here to test them out before the big day. Think you could take one of them on with that thing?"
"You bet!" Izuku said excitedly. "I actually applied for the Hero Course, but I haven't heard back yet!"
"Oh? Well, consider this a sneak peak I guess, there's already a lot of information available online about what to expect, so this wouldn't give you much of an advantage anyway," Power Loader declared. He motioned Izuku forward. "I'll activate one of the robots. You see if you can take it out."
The robot in question was painted green, with shield like arms that concealed weapons. It rode on a unicycle-like wheel and had a single, glowing red eye atop a snake-like neck. Izuku assumed a fighting stance, raising his arm and pointing it at the robot. It activated, letting out an electronic warble and charging forward.
"Grappling hook!" Izuku shouted. A spear like projectile launched from its mounting inside of Izuku's arm, but the robot raised its left shield, which the hook bounced off of. "No!" Thinking quickly, Izuku charged forward, dashing around to the side of the robot. He slammed out one fist, which connected with the side of the robot's head with a loud clang. The robot spun slightly, clearly rattled, and Izuku shoved it as hard as he could. It careened into a wall, bashing it's body and cracking it's case. The robot collapsed in a heap.
"Hey, not bad," Power Loader mused. "You have some sort of strength enhancing quirk?"
"Um, I-" Izuku began, but Mei interrupted.
"Nope! He's totally quirkless! What you see before you is purely the result of spectacular engineering and inventiveness from me, Mei Hatsume, and from the pilot, Izuku Midoriya! We've worked hard to create the most spectacular support equipment, from only scraps we scavenged off the streets! And bought with our severely limited funds."
She leaned in close to Power Loader, far past what most people found comfortable, but the Excavation Hero didn't back down. "Just imagine what we could do with proper funding and materials! Think about what a great fit for the Support Program I would be, and what an awesome Hero Course candidate Midoriya would be! Together, we're unstoppable!"
"I am impressed," Power Loader mused, rubbing his chin. He glanced at Izuku, who was feeling slightly embarrassed his condition had been revealed. "Quirkless, you say? That power came purely from your device?"
"I-I also have been training really hard!" Izuku said, raising his arm hesitantly. "I've done extensive physical conditioning, and my grades are really good! I sent my test scores to UA and everything with my application!"
"Hmm. Well, let's go to the lab so I can pull you up," Power Loader said. He led them back to the main UA building to a rear entrance, where Izuku had to climb out of the Power Suit.
"This is a beautiful piece of engineering," Power Loader observed, examining it carefully. He took several minutes to open panels and check various systems. It made Izuku especially nervous when he eyed the wiring and how he'd connected the various systems to their power supplies, capacitors, and back up batteries. He'd had to jury rig most of it, but it did work. "Hard to believe two kids built it out of a bunch of scraps in less than a year."
"That's because I'm a genius, and Midoriya is a super hard worker!" Mei declared, wrapping her arm around Izuku's shoulder and pulling him close. "Hatsume and Midoriya! Remember that name, because our babies are going to change the world!"
"S-s-she means inventions," Izuku clarified, blushing slightly and looking down.
"Sure she does," Power Loader chuckled. "I was 15 once too, kid. Hmm. Well, I can definitely see room for improvement here. The work is a bit rough, and I bet this thing is hotter than a tin roof. You look pretty sweaty there."
"Our next iteration will include air conditioning!" Mei declared. She dashed forward, pointing into the helmet. "You see those wires? Izuku saved up all his money and bought a VR headset, then configured it to take input through this headset! It helps modulate the movements of exoskeleton and gyroscope we installed. Just like Iron Man's suit!"
"Ironman? I'm not familiar with that particular hero," Power Loader said with a shrug. "Well, come on inside. Show me what else you got while I look up Midoriya here on the system."
Mei happily pulled out several devices, a few of which Izuku had helped her with. One was an early prototype of a pulse weapon similar to the ones Iron Man had installed on his suits. "I think I can use them to help control flight, once we get a good enough power source," Mei explained. "Midoriya has sketches of someone he calls Kacchan who uses explosions to propel himself through the air, and Iron Man used the same thing to help him fly. I don't know if we can get enough lift for true flight, but assisted leaps would allow for traversal of tall buildings or rough terrain."
"Who is this Iron Man you keep talking about?" Power Loader said as he typed something on a computer at his desk. "I've never heard of him. Is he foreign?"
"Um, k-k-kinda," Izuku stammered. "He's, um, American. But he's not real! It's a comic book, one about a quirkless hero, from the before times."
"Oh, that. Well, I never cared much about that kind of stuff," Power Loader said dismissively. "But if it gives you kids ideas, more power to you. Ah, here we go. Midoriya, Izuku. Says here you applied for the Hero Course. You're flagged for denial, due to your quirkless status."
"What?" Izuku said, going pale. "But, y-you saw me! I can be a hero! I took out that robot, no problem!"
"Your gear took that robot out," Power Loader said absently, typing something in. "Well, I'll just change that. I'm putting you in for the Support Course."
"The S-s-suport Course?" Izuku asked. "I...I wanted to go into the Hero Course…"
"I heard you the first time, Midoriya." Power Loader looked up, frowning. "Look, I'm sorry, but we don't let quirkless individuals take the exam for or enter into the Hero Course. That course is dangerous. Even kids with strong quirks get hurt. Someone like you could get themselves killed. But, from what I've seen, I'm more than willing to let both you kids in on recommendation to my course, the Support Class. I suppose you'll want to be in the same class?"
"Now wait just one moment!" Mei protested, planting her hands on her hips. "That is not what we said! Izuku wants to be the muscle, I'm the brains! I make the gear, he tests it and uses it, so we can get funding and make babies together forever! Just who do you think you are, changing that beautiful plan?"
"The man in charge of admissions to the Support Course," Power Loader said dryly. "I could just deny you both, if you're going to be obstinate about it."
"Mei, it's OK," Izuku said, putting a hand on her shoulder. He felt tears in his eyes, and wiped them away with one hand. "This is...this is a start, anyway. If I get into the Support Course at UA, at least I'm closer to my dream than if I get rejected. And besides...it would be nice to be in the same class as you. To have a friend to work with. I'd like that. Wouldn't you?"
Mei frowned. "Well, I don't know. I've never had a friend at school before."
Mr. Onizuka let out a loud sigh. "Mei, what have we talked about?"
"Yeah, yeah, social skills. I mean, yes, Izuku! I am your friend! And I want to make babies with you in the same class!"
"She means-"
"We know," Power Loader and Mr. Onizuka said together.
"Great, then I'll just put you both in class 1-H," Power Loader declared. "Midoriya, you might get a letter of rejection. Just ignore that, I'll make sure you get your letter of acceptance and call your parents to let them know what happened. You should have just applied to the Support Course. If you can rig electrical systems like those you're a shoe in. Why did none of your teachers recommend you?"
"They, um, well, they don't think-" Izuku stammered, meaning to say that his teachers didn't know, but Power Loader cut him off, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Ah. Right, well, Quirkless prejudice is a problem. But if you prove yourself here, you won't have to worry about it. And I'll go to bat for you with the administration. Leave the suit here, I'll show it to them if they have any questions."
"Oh, ok. Um, is that all? Do we have to take a test or anything?" Izuku asked.
Power Loader shrugged. "I have your grades right here, and I already knew what Mei scored. Honestly, I couldn't care less how good you are at taking tests. What matters is what you can make, and both of you can obviously make some top quality stuff. Onizuka's been bugging me for six months about this amazing student he had. He's come to me with good recommendations in the past, but I have to admit you two blew me away today. You'll be good fits for my class. We've got plenty of odd ducks in the Support Course."
"Just promise me one thing," Mei said as they left the building. She flung her arms around the Power Suit. "Take extra good care of my baby! Don't leave it out in the rain and make sure you polish it every day! Otherwise it gets lonely."
Power Loader chuckled. "Don't worry, your creation is in good hands. I'll make sure she's well taken care of."
"Well OK then. Be good, sweetie! Mommy and daddy love you very much and will be back for you soon with lots of upgrades!"
At the entrance, Mr. Onizuka and Power Loader parted ways with the two students, leaving them to walk back home by themselves.
"I can't believe we have to wait another three months to start!" Mei complained. "Mr. Majima even took our baby! Ugh, we'll have to find something new to work on, Midoriya!"
Izuku was silent, still going over what had happened. He couldn't get into the UA Hero program without a Quirk. It was likely he couldn't get into any reputable hero program as a Quirkless individual, and besides if he were separated from Mei, he would lose any hope he had of acquiring the gear he would need to become a Hero. Plus, she was still the only person who had ever shown any belief that he could become a Hero.
Thankfully, Mei was fully capable of carrying on a conversation by herself, and rambled on about her various plans for the new "babies" they'd be making together and how Izuku should wire them. Izuku let it wash over him for a while as he pondered the future, but then Mei said something that jerked him back to reality.
"You really were just like a hero when you took out that robot! One punch! Bang! It's like you knew just what to do! I knew you would be a great lab partner! Someday, you're going to be the world's greatest hero, Izuku, and it's our babies that will make you that!"
Izuku stopped, his emotions overcoming him. Mei continued on for a few paces, as Izuku hung his head, covering his face with his hands and beginning to weep. When she noticed he wasn't walking with her any longer, Mei stopped, turning around and looking at Izuku oddly. "What's wrong? Are you upset you didn't get into the Hero Course or something?"
Tears started to trickle down Izuku's face, and he scrubbed at them, trying to control himself. "N-n-no. I m-m-mean, yes, I am. I've w-w-wanted to b-b-be in that course all my life, but...but-"
"Hey."
Izuku felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Mei smiling at him. "It's OK! We can just keep making babies together! It's not like you can't take the Hero License Test or whatever even if you're not in the Hero Course! We'll just make such amazing babies together that everyone will have to see how cute they are!"
"T-t-thank you, Mei," Izuku said, wiping his eyes and smiling at her. "That...that means a lot to me. You… you're the only one who believes in me, in my dream."
"Well of course I do. You're the only one who believes in me!" Mei declared. Then she paused, frowning. "Hey, did you just call me Mei?"
Izuku's eyes widened. "I-I-I'm sorry, I know that's probably too informal of me-"
"It's about friggin' time! Do you know how confusing it is for you to keep calling me Hatsume even when we're with my family? I don't even know who you're talking to half the time! You're worse than I ever was at looking at people when you talk to them! Did no one tell you you're probably ASD too? See, we're totally alike! That's why you're the best lab partner ever! Now I know just what will cheer you up! We're going to make a super awesome baby together that will turn you into an amazing hero! I've been reading those Batman comics you left lying around and I think you need a tool belt! We can put in a rebreather device, a laser cutter, maybe some smoke bombs-I've always wanted to make smoke bombs, and-"
Izuku wiped his eyes and hurried after Mei, who continued to list off various devices they could create together. Somehow, even though he'd faced an enormous setback, he felt better. He would be a hero, as long as at least one person believed in him, he could do it.
Authors Note:
Disclaimer: I am not a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP), School Based Behavioral Health (SBBH) Counselor, or Clinical Psychologist. The depicted information is fictional. Any resemblance to real persons is unintended, and this is not a breach of confidentiality.
Transfer 504 Review
Name: Midoriya, Izuku
Age: 15
Date of Birth: July 15
Sex: M
Quirk: *See Assessment
School of Origin: Aldera Junior High
Case Manager: Horikoshi, K
School of Receipt: UA High
Results current as of year 8 (further testing waived).
Test Results / Percentile Rank
Cognitive 110 / 76
Academic 113 / 81
Adaptive 110 / 75
Social 92 / 30
Speech 87 / 19
Assessors Notes:
Cognitive:
Izuku's strengths are primarily in the areas of Fluid Reasoning (112) and Processing Speed (114); he is able to rapidly think on his feet and react to stimuli. His notably lowest score is the verbal area, in which he scored a 98. Points were not taken off for Izuku's speech impediment (see Speech results).
Academic
Izuku has generally high scores across all academic areas. His main strengths are in languages and history. His written expression score (109) is notably higher than his verbal expression score (97) being one standard deviation higher. Izuku typically scores at the top of his class in all areas. His overall class rank is in the top 10% of his school. There is no need for specialized instruction in the area of academics.
Adaptive:
Izuku is very proactive in meeting his own needs. His mother reports he has long been able to care for himself, and is very conscientious of both hygiene and nutritional needs. Izuku is responsible for at least a portion of his own meal preparation and is able to make appropriate choices. There is no need for Adaptive services.
Social:
Izuku is very isolated socially, due to his status as Quirkless (see Quirk Assessment, attached). This is exacerbated by Izuku's own speech impediment and his lack of drive to interact socially with peers. He rarely initiates contact within his own peer group, but does respond appropriately and enthusiastically when approached by others. He is able to converse about a wide range of subjects, though he does have a preferred set of subjects, as is typical. Currently, the team feels it would be detrimental to Izuku's social development to further isolate him from his peers for specialized instruction. The situation will be monitored, as per the standard 504 for quirkless individuals.
SBBH note: There is a history of depression in Izuku's family. He should meet with the SBBH counselor tri-annually for check ups. Both his mother and father have reported suicidal tendencies or thoughts. At this time, Izuku has not reported any such thoughts. This is in addition to standard Quirkless counseling per his 504.
Speech:
Despite progress that has been made over the previous school years, Izuku continues to display a pronounced stutter brought on by social anxiety. His social language is adequate, and he is able to communicate his wants and needs; the disability is entirely in speech production. At this time, upon parent request, speech services are being discontinued for Izuku. Therapy for social anxiety* is recommended.
*Note - Declined by parent.
Quirk
Izuku is the product of the union of two 4th generation quirk users. However, Izuku has failed to manifest any quirk. Testing conducted at the age of 5 indicates that Izuku does not possess the QR.16 gene. Izuku has been labeled as quirkless since the age of 5.
Diagnosis:
Izuku MIdoriya is not qualified for special education services at this time, and parent has declined further Speech/Language services. SBBH services will continue as per the Quirkless 504, and student mental health guidelines.
Received by UA High School
New case manager, Inui, R (SBBH)
Homeroom Teacher: Maijima, H
Note- Izuku originally applied to the Hero Course. However, as quirkless, he was slated for rejection. He was accepted into the Support Course on recommendation on March 13th (Maijma). Izuku is close to Mei Hatsume*, both were accepted for their collaboration on advanced support gear. Social interaction between the two should be encouraged, but monitored.
Case manager will continue counseling services.
*See case file, student has IEP under ASD (Sped minutes now to be provided primarily in gen ed setting by gen ed teacher)
…
I don't know about Japan's laws, but in the States Izuku's status as Quirkless would probably qualify him under 504 for classroom adaptations. His noted depressive tendencies would also flag his file for additional 504 services for counseling and therapy.
Consider all the teachers at UA being highly competent at their jobs to be my personal AU wish fulfillment scenario.
Yes, that means All Might too.
Chapter 5: Alone Together
This document beta'd by kylekatarn77
5. Alone Together
Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.
-Tony Stark
"Midoriya, Bakugo, I have to say, I'm immensely proud of both of you!" their teacher said, patting each of them on the shoulder. It was the last day of school, and Izuku was cringing at the sudden attention. For a moment, he thought Bakugo would erupt with anger, but instead the other boy just gave him a knowing smirk.
"Well, we both might have gotten into UA, but only one of us qualified for the Hero Course," Bakugo stated. "Deku's with all the other extras in the support course."
"Yes! But to make it in on recommendations alone! I had no idea you were such a talented inventor, Midoriya! It must have been all those things you learned during your years here," their teacher bragged.
Instead of correcting the teacher that it was Mei who helped him, Izuku just looked down, tapping his fingers together and blushing. Again, he expected Bakugo to lash out, being reminded that he'd had to work for his placement at UA while Izuku had simply been given a place, but Bakugo just laughed.
"Ha! I got the highest score of the entire year! I bet Deku just showed them something lame he'd cobbled together. At least you've figured out your place, nerd. Maybe if you work hard enough, I'll even let you make some of my gear!"
That got Izuku to look up, startled. "I would be honored to help someone as strong as you, Kacchan."
"Don't call me that," Bakugo hissed, for the first time showing his usual irritability. "From now on, you address me as Bakugou. I won't be associated with a damn extra like you, understand?"
"Now, now, boys, I'm sure you'll both do great things at UA. It's not every day we get to send two of our students to the top school in the country. And from my own homeroom class as well!" their teacher said, puffing himself up. "Make sure to remember me, when you both become famous."
"Pff. Sure," Bakugo said, turning to go. "It will remind me how great I've become, to remember what worthless trash I left behind!"
Their teacher seemed mortified at that, but Izuku bowed quickly to him. "Thank you very much, sir! I'll be sure to think about the things you've taught me as I attend UA!"
"Well, ahem, see that you do," the teacher ordered, looking mollified.
Izuku left, and for a moment, he almost called out to Bakugo. But then his hands formed into fists, and he glared after Bakugo, who continued to walk away, unconcerned about what was behind him.
"One day, one day you'll recognize me as a fellow hero, Kacchan!" Izuku whispered. "Because now, I have a friend who believes in me! I'll surpass even you, and become the most amazing hero the world has ever seen! The world's first and greatest quirkless hero!"
Mei, true to form, was already working when Izuku got to her workshop. "Izuku! Quick, come over here, I want to test these new smoke bombs!"
"No, wait, don't-" but it was too late. Mei detonated the smoke bomb inside of her own room, which of course set off the fire alarm, and caused the entire shop to have to be evacuated. A panicked customer called the fire department, even though there was no actual fire.
"Just...just go for a few hours, Mei," her mother said, shaking her head wearily. "This was your last day of Junior High! There was supposed to be a celebration! But now...we'll have to spend a long time cleaning up this mess."
"We could help, Mrs. Hatusme," Izuku offered tentatively.
She smiled at him, shaking her head. "No, not you Izuku. Take Mei somewhere and...and do something normal, for once. You two don't do anything but build things and study. It isn't right. You kids should have fun once in a while. Here. I was going to spend this on dinner tonight, but, well, I think maybe it's best if you two disappear until your father calms down, Mei. It's only 10,000 yen, but I'm sure you can do something fun with it."
"Yes ma'am!" Mei said eagerly, snatching the money away. "Come on Izuku, you heard her! We'll keep ourselves busy for a few hours!"
They hadn't gone far before Mei started giggling maniacally, holding out the money before her. "This is enough money to get all kinds of stuff! We could get some more coils of tungsten wire, ooo, or a few large resistors or-"
"Not this time." Izuku reached out and snatched the money out of Mei's hand.
"What!? Izuku, what are you doing! Give that back ! We need more stuff for our babies!" Mei squawked, drawing the attention of several passers by.
"It's not what it looks like-"
"Damn deadbeat dads. Kids these days, no respect," one of the pedestrians muttered, a woman with a head like a parrot.
Izuku sighed as Mei continued to try to take the money back. Izuku frowned and held it away from her. "Mei! Look, we, we should take a day off. Let's...let's do something fun, like your mom said. We did just graduate from Junior High! We could go see a movie, or get something nice to eat."
Mei eyed Izuku. "Hmm. But we'll use the rest of the money for things for our babies?"
Izuku sighed. "Yeah, OK. I do really want to make some new stuff before the semester starts. Maybe if I show Power Loader what I can do with the new gear, I could-"
"Right, then let's go do something fun!" Mei declared, grabbing Izuku's arm and hurrying forward. She paused after a few seconds, frowning and looking back at him. "Um, what's something fun we can do?"
"Er, we could see a movie?" Izuku suggested.
"Ok. What movie?" Mei demanded.
"Um…" Izuku scratched his head. It had been a long time since he'd had enough free time to keep up with new movie releases. "I think...I think a new All Might Movie came out? But...but I don't really want to see that…"
"Eh, that sounds boring anyway," Mei said dismissively. Then she brightened. "I know! Those comic books you're always reading are kinda fun! They have some neat ideas in them! We could go get more of those! I bet they're even cheap!"
"Yeah, sure," Izuku agreed hastily. Now that he thought about it, what was something fun he wanted to do? He'd never been much of one for amusement parks or arcades. And he really didn't want to see a movie with All Might in it right at this moment. His former idol had dramatically fallen from grace in his esteem. These days, he'd no longer had much All Might memorabilia, having sold most of it for money to buy new materials to use with Mei, or for training weights and gear.
Come to think of it, Izuku really only did a few things these days. He went to school, he studied with Mei, he worked on inventions with Mei, he tested inventions with Mei, and he trained using The Hero workout program. At first his mother had been worried he'd been spending too much time away from home, but ever since Power Loader had personally called her to congratulate her on his acceptance to UA via recommendation, those worries had melted away.
"I'm so happy that you've found a new dream to pursue, Izuku!" his mother had said, hugging him tightly. "You'll be an amazing Support! You've always been talented, and a hard worker, and now you have something you can really do to channel all that into!"
Izuku knew his mother had been trying to encourage him, but it just made him bitter. Not even she believed in him. Only Mei did, and thus, it was with Mei that Izuku spent his time. He didn't trust his dreams with anyone else.
Izuku and Mei took the train to Coruscant Comics in a comfortable silence broken only by Mei's humming. Mei alternated between periods of manic babbling and tuneless humming, depending on whether or not she had something she was obsessed with to talk about. Izuku didn't mind either, but it was nice to have some time with Mei where they weren't either working or studying. It almost felt like something normal friends would do, though Izuku would be the first to admit that he and Mei did not exactly have what anyone would call a normal friendship.
"Well look who it is!" Mr. Azara said as Izuku walked in. "And now, I know why you haven't been coming in as often! Midoriya! You should have told me you had a girlfriend!"
As Izuku went beat red and spluttered, Mei walked straight up to the counter. "Hello. I am Mei Hatsume. We have been told to do something fun. I think that the Iron Man and Batman comics are fun. We would like to buy some. Or possibly any schematics relating to the support devices that Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark possess. Oh! If you have any schematics for a better variety of smoke bomb, I would really like those too!"
Mr. Azara laughed as Izuku shuffled up beside Mei. "Well well, you've managed to find a lady as single minded as you are, Midoriya! And a cute one too. Well, you're a fan of Iron Man and Batman, are you?"
Mei nodded. "As an inventor, I found reading about the exploits of fellow inventors particularly entertaining. They gave me so many ideas for my babies! We modified number 17 into a grappling hook for increased mobility and drawing in baddies! It was so impressive that Izuku and I were both accepted into UA on recommendation! I'm a genius, and he's going to be the best hero in the world!"
"You got into UA!" A huge grin split Mr. Azara's face. "My God Midoriya, you actually did it! And on recommendation too! Which course? From your talk of inventions, I assume the Support Course?"
Izuku nodded, still feeling embarrassed that Mr. Azara had assumed Mei was his girlfriend. She didn't think about Izuku like that, even if he was having a harder and harder time not thinking of her of less as just a friend and more of well, a pretty girl who was his friend. "Y-y-yeah, um, that's the one. But you see, Mei isn't-"
"That's fantastic! This calls for a celebration! I think I might have something for you two kids. Hold on." Mr. Azara ducked into the back of the shop, while Mei hummed to herself and bounced slightly on her feet.
Izuku was busy studying his feet and wondering if Mei would actually be offended that Mr. Azara had said she was his girlfriend, or if Mei, as usual, hadn't picked up on that social cue, when someone cleared their throat behind them. Izuku spun to see who it was, while Mei continued to fidget, still looking at the doorway Mr. Azara had gone through.
"Well well, we don't usually get such...attractive specimens in this establishment," a fat, greasy skinned teen a few years older than Izuku and Mei with prominent acne said in a nasally voice. Izuku vaguely recognized him as a regular at the comic store named 'd never done more than exchange a few words on the lastest comics when Izuku had visited the store in the past. The other boy had been pleasant enough then, but now he was leering at Mei in a manner that both made Izuku uncomfortable and vaguely angry for some reason.
"Hello, I am talking to you," Koji repeated.
Mei finally glanced at him. "Yes, hello. I am Mei Hatsume. I am here for comics."
"Well, this is a comic book store," Koji said, folding his arms over his chest. "I happen to know a great deal about comics. What do you wish to know? I wouldn't mind discussing such things with a female, if she weren't too dull."
"Do you know about Iron Man and Batman?" Mei demanded. "Do you know how to replicate the items on Batman's tool belt? I've been working on making smoke bombs, but I think I need a better ventilated workspace. I'm considering trying out some laser devices for slicing through locks, but I don't have the necessary power devices yet."
Koji blinked at that. "Iron Man? Batman? Those are lame, old comics. Why aren't you interested in more interesting heroes? But then, you are with Midoriya. He's mostly interested in All Might, who is far too mainstream, but he does have an impressive amount of knowledge of other, more interesting heroes as well."
"I see. Well, I'm only interested in those two. It was nice to talk to you." With that Mei turned right back around, and began humming to herself again.
Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, but then Koji reached out and tapped Mei on the shoulder. "Hello, excuse me? I was not done talking to you."
Mei glanced at him, but Izuku found himself stepping forward. "Koji, have you read up on the latest issue of All Star All Might? I haven't been reading them as often lately."
"What are you talking about, Midoriya? You know All Might is far too mainstream for a conossour like me," Koji sniffed.
Just then, Mr. Azara came back, holding a stack of DVD cases. "Koji! Leave the poor girl alone. Go drool over something else. She's already taken, or didn't you see her come in with Midoriya?"
"Well, I just thought-"
"That would be a first. Go bother someone else, or I won't hold your limited edition His Purple Highness figure when it comes in next week!"
"Ugh. Fine. She was rude anyway." Koji walked off, and Mei smiled at Izuku.
"I bet he's ASD! He has no social skills."
Izuku's jaw dropped open. Mei's total non sequitur had caught him completely off guard. Normally, it was Mei displaying a deplorable lack of social graces. How on earth could she recognize those same shortcomings in someone else?
For his part, Mr. Azara nearly dropped his stack of DVD cases, he was laughing so hard. "Ha ha! Oh, he certainly might be! Ha ha, Midoriya! Where did you find this girl?"
"In a dumpster," Mei said helpfully. "He saved me and my baby."
"Now that is a story you'll have to tell me some time," Mr. Azara chuckled, dapping at his eyes with a handkerchief. "She seems like a perfect fit for you, Midoriya! You two make a cute couple. But here, these are for you two."
Izuku took the offered case, hoping Mei would continue to ignore the commentary, and read, "Batman, the Animated Series? Huh, that's interesting."
Mei peered at the DVD, then made a face. "Ugh, it's in English, with subtitles? I hate English."
"What? I don't accept that sort of Heresy in my store!" Mr. Azara declared in mock outrage, planting his hands on his hips. "Begon, infidel! We are a purely subs over dubs establishment."
"Ok. Come on Izuku, we can go do something else fun. Or we could just go to the electronics store and get stuff for our babies!"
"Um, Mei, he's joking," Izuku said, catching Mei's arm. "He um, he makes jokes like that sometimes."
"Oh." Mei turned around and shrugged. "Sorry, I don't really get jokes. Was that sarcasm? Mr. Onizuku says I'm bad at sarcasm."
"It might have been," Mr. Azara said, shaking his head. "You really would fit in around here, Mei. But, if you don't like English, I have Batman: Ninja and Ironman 2010, in the original Japanese."
"Ok. How much? We only have 2000 yen," Mei declared.
Izuku winced. That was only a fifth of what they had, and old stuff like this was usually expensive.
"Well, how about it's free to borrow? I bet you two just graduated from Junior High, right? And you got into UA! That's pretty great. Think of this as my graduation gift to you. Just bring them back when you're done."
"Really?" Izuku gasped. He smiled and bowed. "Thank you so much, Mr. Azara!"
"Yes, thank you!" Mei agreed, reaching for the DVDs. Then she glanced at Izuku, did a quick bow in the direction of Mr. Azara, and snatched the offered DVDs. "This fulfills our fun obligation, does it not Izuku?"
"Well, I mean, we should actually watch some of it, Mei," Izuku said he hurried after Mei. He waved one last time to Mr. Azara, who was gathering up the other DVDs and chuckling to himself. He winced. He hadn't ever corrected the store owners assumption that he and Mei were dating, but it was too late now, especially since they'd received such a wonderful gift.
"Well we can't go back and watch them now, my mom's probably still getting dad to stop being mad," Mei said. "So, I suppose we should go shopping!"
"Maybe we could go to my place and watch them?" The suggestion was out of Izuku's mouth before he could force himself and stop to think. What sort of boy would Mei think he was, inviting her back to his place to watch movies together? Oh, wait, right. She was Mei. She'd probably just ask if he had any more spare vacuums.
"That is acceptable," Mei agreed. "Especially since we still have the 10000 yen! Oh, there are so many wonderful things we can buy for our babies!"
"Yeah, um, why don't we pick up some food first. I'll text my mom and let her know we're coming over and bringing dinner."
"Ugh! Fine. As long as it's not too expensive!" Mei stated. "But we should really spend at least a little time planning on what we're going to build next!"
"Well, maybe the movies will have some ideas," Izuku suggested. "Ninja's are supposed to have really cool equipment, right? Maybe we can get some ideas from Batman: Ninja."
"Very well. That doesn't sound like too much of a waste of time," Mei agreed, though she then turned the DVD case over and began reading the back, humming to herself and smiling. She might actually be looking forward to it.
They ended up getting some hot meals from the corner store near Izuku's apartment. His mother excitedly greeted them at the door, having set out places for them to eat as they watched the movie. "Ohhh! My baby boy, graduated from Junior High! And going to UA! And you're having a friend over for movies! This is so wonderful!"
"I-i-it's not like it's a date or anything!" Izuku protested.
"Really?" Mei asked, sounding confused. "I thought we were having fun. Isn't that a date? Mr. Onizuku told me about dates, and this sounds like one." She looked to Inko. "Do you think this is a date? I think Izuku is confused."
"It can be a date if you want it to be one, sweetie," Inko said, patting Mei's arm. "Now come inside. Oh, you brought drinks! That's good, I was worried we wouldn't have anything you liked!"
"I run on coffee, energy drinks, and the occasional Strawberry Yoohoo!" Mei declared.
As it turned out, Mei was perhaps the worst sort of person to watch a movie with. She constantly commented on what was happening, remarking on whether or not something was impossible, or declaring that she could build a better version of whatever was currently on screen. As it happened, however, Izuku didn't mind, as Batman: Ninja, was a completely nonsensical movie that he likely would have found dull and boring without Mei's color commentary. He ended up laughing and poking fun at what was happening along with Mei, while Inko just sat on the couch, eating popcorn and crying.
Izuku was fairly certain his mother was convinced that he was having his first date, and that such an emotional event was sending her into a tizzy. This didn't really feel much like a date to Izuku. There were no awkward pauses, he and Mei didn't stare into each others eyes, or call each other pet names, or accidentally touch hands, or do any of the things he would have expected on a real date. And there definitely wasn't a dramatic love confession. Instead, he felt comfortable, and was just enjoying being with his friend.
At the end of the movie, he smiled at Mei. "That was fun."
"Really? I thought that movie was dumb. You seemed like you didn't like it either," Mei mused. "Did you really like it? I thought you were smarter than that."
"No, it was bad," Izuku laughed. "But it was fun watching it with you. Especially when you pointed out how impossible those transforming castles were!"
"There is no way steam engines or coal powered electrical plants could have provided enough power to do any of that! And the physics just didn't work! They didn't explain how any of that worked! And how does a bomb rupture the space time continuum and send them backwards in time to Japan, when they're from America?" Mei ranted.
Izuku laughed. "Exactly! And the part with the monkey's forming a giant monkey? Their body heat would have killed them all!"
"See? That's exactly my point! It was so dumb!" Mei agreed. She frowned. "Say, was this fun? Was watching the movie, even if we didn't like it, fun?"
"I think so. At least, watching it with you was fun. Especially since we got to make fun of it together!"
"Hmm. Well, OK. This was fun. But I think making our babies together is more fun!" Mei declared.
Inko let out a gasp, and Izuku had to jump up and pound her back until she coughed out the bit of popcorn she had choked on.
Mei frowned, tilting her head to one side. "Should I do something?"
"N-no, I'm fine, Mei," Inko gasped.
"She means the inventions!" Izuku hurriedly explained. "She calls them her babies! Well, our babies, really. But that's what she means! We, we don't do a-a-anything like, like that!"
"A-a-alright, Izuku, but I'm warning you! No funny business." Inko glared at her son. "If you were to do something to tarnish Mei's reputation, I wouldn't know what to do with you!"
"That would be pretty hard. Everyone already thinks I'm super weird," Mei commented.
For some reason, that made both Izuku and his mother burst into laughter. After a moment, Mei laughed as well. "Yes! We are all very weird!"
"I think you're right," Izuku giggled. "But I wouldn't have it any other way, Mei."
Chapter 6: Social Skills
This document beta'd by kylekatarn77
6. Social Skills
You can't go back and change the beginning. But you can start where you are and change the ending.
-C.S. Lewis
Part of Izuku felt like the day he started High School was the best day of his life. He was going to UA, his dream school, and for once he had a real friend in his class that he was excited to see.
Another part of him felt like someone had just walked over the grave of his dreams. Could you really be a hero, him? Quirkless, rejected by the Hero Course, and with not even his parents believing in him.
"Izuku, I'm so proud of you! Here, this is from your father in America. He says `congratulations!'"
Izuku took the wrapped box, feeling his heart pound slightly. He almost never heard from his father. He opened it and his excitement came to an abrupt end. It was a set of precision tools, finely made, and very expensive. With them was a note:
Good job son, you'll be a great support. - Dad.
Of course. His father didn't believe in him. Not that Izuku expected anything better of a man he barely knew. He forced himself to smile. "Wow, it's great. I'm sure this will be helpful to Mei and I as we build things."
He would use these tools. He would use them to make himself into a hero, the greatest hero in the world, one who saved lives, and believed even in those who no one else did. He hugged his weeping mother one last time, and headed out of the door.
Izuku was early to UA, but not as early as Mei was. He wasn't surprised to find her already at the support building, her uniform already dirty from grease and sweat as she worked on the Power Suit.
"Don't worry baby, mommy's here, and she brought upgrades, just like she promised!" Mei was saying to the invention when Izuku walked up.
"Good morning, Mei," Izuku greeted her.
She looked up at him and smiled. "I already calculated the area of the classroom and the volume! It's safe and we can work on our babies here! Ready to become a hero?"
Hope stirred in Izuku's heart. "Yes! I will be the world's greatest hero!"
"Ha! And it will be our babies that get you there! Hey, what's that you got?" Mei jumped down off of the Power Suit and hurried over, and Izuku set up the tool set.
"A gift from my dad. They're really nice."
"Oh ho ho, these are beautiful, Izuku! We'll make such wonderful babies together! Now come on, I found a better power source just sitting around in Mr. Power Loader's lab!"
"Right!" Soon Izuku was also up to his elbows in grease and sweat, only remembering to make himself and Mei take off their jackets. The new tools were useful, and soon Izuku was underneath the suit, rewiring the new power source.
"It looks like we need higher grade wire, Mei!" he called. "This set is being overloaded by the voltage. And also some new capacitors, these ones are burning out."
He reached out a hand, and someone placed a set of well wrapped thick copper wire in it. "Thanks, Mei!"
"I'd say you're welcome, but it's time for class to start. Come on, kid. At least let me take roll before you get started."
Izuku sat up with a jerk, banging his head on the chassis. He let out a groan, then slid out from under the Power Suit to look up at the amused face of Power Loader.
"Um, sorry, Mr. Power Loader, sir!"
"I told you, in class you call me Mr. Maijima. Now come on, it's time."
Izuku quickly got up to see Mei looking disappointed as Mr. Maijima motioned for her to go inside.
"But our baby, we-"
"Mr. Onizuku warned me about you, Hatsume. I'm telling you right now: I'm not mad you stole the power source out of one of the testing robots. I'm actually sort of impressed. I will be upset if you don't come in and take attendance and meet your classmates."
"Oh, fine. But I thought at UA we could make babies all the time," Mei complained as she headed inside.
"Please don't say that, Mei," Izuku groaned. "And did you really steal the power source out of one of the robots?!"
"It was just sitting there, no one was watching it," Mei said with a shrug. "Besides, I'm sure they have lots of those."
Inside the classroom, the rest of the class was waiting. To Izuku's surprise, there were two seats right at the front next to one another. When he got closer, he saw that Mei and put her backpack on one, and a placard with "Izuku" on the next desk. He smiled at the boy next to him, who had a head shaped like that of a snail, but before he could say anything Mr. Maijima got up in front of the class.
Today Mr. Maijima was dressed in his hero uniform, which consisted of the excavator bucket helmet, special gauntlets to augment his Quirk, Iron Claws, a pair of blue jeans, and no shirt. Though for some reason, he did also have on a bright blue tie.
"Good morning, welcome to the Support Course, class 1H. You all already know me, I'm your homeroom teacher. You're here because you all want to learn to make support items to help heroes in the field, and-"
"That's not true," Mei interrupted, not even raising her hand. "Izuku wants to be a hero, you just wouldn't let him in the hero course even though our baby totally annihilated that robot."
"She means the Power Suit!" Izuku said, desperately turning to look at their classmates. To his chagrin, they now all stared at him in shocked amazement, instead of looking at Mei. Maybe that was better?
Mr. Maijima however, just turned to his desk and opened a drawer. He pulled out a small square of paper that had a grid on it and set it on Mei's desk. "You remember this, Mei?"
She glanced at it. "It's a point card."
"Uh huh. Guess what? You're starting out today with 0 points. You interrupt me again, and I'll have to take some away. You don't get enough points, you don't get to work on your inventions, and I take back my robot's power source. Mr. Onizuku told me exactly how to handle you."
"What?!" Mei grasped, holding the card in both her hands. "How could you do this to me! I thought at UA we got to spend all our time making amazingly cute babies!"
"She means inventions," Izuku groaned, his head face in his hands.
"Even at UA, you still have other classes, Mei. You still have to follow the rules. Which I shall now be going over, in explicit detail. Not just for you, mind, but all your classmates. Also, explosions are -50 points."
"What about Izuku?" Mei demanded, pointing at him. "Where's his point card? He gets to make babies with me too!"
"She means inventions," Izuku moaned, now covering his head with his arms.
"We get that," Mr. Maijima chuckled. "Izuku's points are tied to yours, Mei. And remember what I said about interrupting?"
Mei harrumphed, slouching in her desk and setting her head in her hands while impatiently tapping her foot, but she didn't say anything further.
"Excellent. Now, a few ground rules. First, let's talk about workshop safety. Now, you all have some experience, but..."
Izuku forced himself to sit up and pay attention, his face still flaming red. He glanced at Mei, who at first looked sullen, but slowly sat up eagerly and leaned forward, a manic grin on her face as Mr. Maijima talked about procurement policies, tool storage, workspace allocation, times the lab was open, and what personal protective equipment they should be using in the workshop.
However, Izuku couldn't help but notice the other students glancing at himself and Mei curiously. Izuku couldn't blame them; they had made quite a scene.
"Right, that covers it, we'll do introductions. Most of you already met each other at the entrance exams, but we've got two others who you might have noticed have joined us, having got in through recommendations. Hatsume, Midoriya, why don't you introduce yourselves."
Mei immediately bolted up, turning around and grinning at the rest of the class. Izuku got up and stood next to her, trying to meet the others staring eyes.
"Hi! I'm Mei Hatsume, and this is my friend, Izuku Midoriya! We're both amazing inventors who make wonderful babies together-"
"-she means inventions," Izuku said, flushing and looking around wildly.
"-and Izuku is going to be the world's greatest hero, using our incredibly cute babies!"
"Um, shouldn't he be in the hero course then?" the snail boy asked.
"They wouldn't let him in, even though baby number 47, the Power Suit, totally destroyed that stupid robot! He would have gotten the highest score ever if they didn't have that stupid rule about not letting in quirkless people!" Mei ranted.
Izuku blushed and looked down as soon as the whispers started. He'd heard them all before.
"He's quirkless?"
"Why'd they let him in if he doesn't even have a quirk?"
"She seems really weird."
That last one wrenched Izuku's guts, and he suddenly looked up, glaring at his classmates. "Mei is an incredible inventor! She works harder than anyone I know, and makes stuff even pro heroes would be jealous of! Don't you dare mock her!"
That shut everyone up, the other students blinking in shock at the previously quiet and mumbling Izuku whose gaze now held fire.
"Oh yeah, and I have autism or something. But Izuku has social skills so if you have any questions talk to him," Mei said, pointing. "That's it. Can we start building now?"
"No, now the rest of your classmates are going to introduce themselves. Try to listen politely," Mr. Maijima ordered.
It was a struggle to pay attention to the rest of the students' introductions, but Izuku made himself at least listen well enough to remember their names. Mei, on the other hand, had gotten out a piece of paper and was happily drafting plans for modifications to the Power Suit as well as various other devices to be mounted on it. One part of the drawing made Izuku blush, as it depicted him wearing the armor and was labeled "SuperHero."
Once introductions were made, Mr. Maijima had everyone line up to attend the opening ceremonies. Mei was about to grumble, but Mr. Maijima passed by her desk, ticking off one of the boxes on the point card.
"Next time, actually pay attention while others are talking and you'll get more," he stated simply, and Mei immediately lined up without further complaint.
Izuku took his place next to Mei at the head of the line, noticing that the other students gave both of them just a little bit more space than they did the others. For her part, Mei was oblivious, humming to herself and following after Mr. Maijima. The other students whispered to each other as they walked, but no one talked to Izuku. Part of him was a bit disappointed, but most of him accepted it. He'd long isolated himself from his classmates as a defense mechanism.
"So Izuku, I'm thinking that we need to add more weapons! That power supply probably has enough juice to mount a laser, and I think that would be perfect for baby number 51!"
Izuku looked up to see that Mei had fallen in beside him happily swinging her arms as she strode along.
"Well, maybe, but then we'd need to rewire everything. I actually think weapons should have an independent power supply. I drew something up like that in one of my notebooks, I'll show you later. But I was thinking, what if they were modular? We could swap out different gear for different missions! After all, there's lots of different villains with different quirks we could come across, and we need to be able to outfit number 47 to confront each of those situations. I'm thinking we should have multiple modules, like the grappling hook, or other devices."
"Yes, yes! That's perfect! Oh, we can create so many different babies, and we won't have to leave any of them out!"
Izuku blushed and looked back at their classmates, but they all immediately found somewhere else to look.
"Modular gear is a good idea," Mr. Maijima commented. "When a hero is in the field, there's no telling what you'll come up against. Adaptability is important, and support gear can both enhance your own Quirk, or cover for your vulnerabilities. Now talk about that later, we're supposed to be listening. Don't embarrass me, Hatsume. Keep her under control, Midoriya."
They had arrived at the opening ceremony, and Izuku looked around curiously to see if he could spot Bakugo amidst the other first year students. To his surprise, it appeared that an entire class was missing, which seemed odd. Still, he didn't have much time to consider this, as a man with tall blond hair jumped out onto the stage as music suddenly blared.
"That's Present Mike!" Izuku gasped, pointing excitedly, but Mei didn't seem all that interested.
"GOOD MORNING UA!" Mike shouted. "Welcome to a brand new year! Which is of course going to be-"
"PLUS ULTRA!" the students roared out the school motto, even Izkuku. Mei just frowned and bounced on her toes impatiently.
"We give a warm welcome back to all our second and third year students, and a hearty welcome to our first year students! Even those in Mr. Aizawa's class, who apparently have more important things to do than attend our opening ceremonies. Give me a break! But anyway, before we get going, here's the one, the only, the incredible, PRINCIPAL NEZU! Can I get a big hand?!"
"She's got two," Mei mused as everyone applauded.
Izuku glanced over and saw one first year student, a girl, who had inflated her hands to massive size and was loudly clapping and cheering. It made Izuku a bit jealous, as he saw she was with class 1B, one of the Hero Course sections.
Out onto the stage walked a white animal in a formal suit, who jumped up onto a box placed by the microphone by Present Mic. "Hello everyone!" Nezu said in a cheerful voice. "It's me, the one who could be a cat, or a dog, or even a bear, but most relevantly, I'm you're principal!"
There were polite cheers and applause, but Mei turned to Izuku and frowned. "Why'd they let an animal be the principal?"
"You didn't know?" Izuku asked, surprised. "Nezu's an animal that manifested a quirk. It makes him even smarter than most humans."
"Well, he's not smarter than me. What's he ever invented?" Mei demanded.
"Shh, just listen, so we get to work on the Power Suit later," Izuku shushed.
Mei grunted and turned back around, folding her arms and looking bored behind her goggles as she bounced on her toes.
Izuku listened to Nezu's speech, which was the standard boilerplate stuff welcoming everyone and encouraging them to do their best.
"But of course, I know I'm not the one you really want to see!" Nezu said as his speech wound down. "I'm here to confirm: the rumors are all true! This year, our staff will be joined by the one, the only, All Might!"
"That's right students!" a loud cheery voice boomed from behind them. Everyone gasped and turned, to a caped figure silhouetted against the sun atop the building. "Fear not for your education! For I am here!"
Izuku felt his blood run cold as All Might leapt over everyone's heads and onto the stage. He found himself gritting his teeth, hands clenched, as he glared at All Might. The man who had once been his idol, his hero, the one who had nearly been the final nail in the coffin of his dreams, was once more standing over him. But Izuku knew the truth: All Might wasn't this grinning giant. He was a weak, skeletal figure with sunken eyes and a battered body, who killed the dreams of children. Why were they letting him teach?
"Izuku?" Mei said, suddenly stepping close to him. "Are you OK?"
Izuku realized his entire body was tensed up, his hands balled into fists at his side, and that he was glaring at All Might with a half snarl on his lips.
Forcing himself to relax, he smiled at Mei. "Yeah, I just, well, I was a big of an All Might fan, you know?"
"Wow, really? I thought you hated All Might. I don't really like him either." Mei picked just the wrong moment to say that, in her loud, clear voice, right into the middle of a hushed silence.
Everyone turned to stare at both her and Izuku, some with gaping mouths, others with looks of disdain or hatred. Not loving All Might in regular society was an aberration. Not worshiping All Might the world's greatest hero at UA, the school of heroes and All Mights Alma Mater, was a mortal sin.
Izuku glanced around, swallowing. He could feel even All Mights eyes on him. He cleared his throat, forcing himself not to stutter. "Everyone has their own dreams, Mei. I guess ours and All Might's don't line up anymore."
All Might blinked, and Izuku realized that he recognized him. That shocked him. Didn't All Might not even care about a weird quirkless nobody like him?
"Um, yes, well, I hope I can change your minds, as you get to know me as a teacher," All Might said, a grin appearing back on his face. "In fact, I hope to get to know everyone here at UA very well! I've acquired a great deal of experience and knowledge during my time as a Pro Hero, and I am here to pass it onto the next generation, in hopes that one of you will rise to be the next Symbol of Peace!"
That brought a lot of cheers and celebration from the other students, but Izuku found himself glaring at All Might again, muttering under his breath. "You just watch me, All Might. I will be the next Symbol of Peace. I'll be the World's Greatest Hero, and a better one that you ever were! I'll smile at everyone, and tell them that they too can be a hero, quirk or no!"
Someone pushed Izuku from behind, and he turned to see one of the other support students glaring at him. He was shocked, how could that student have heard him over the cheers? But then he remembered, when they had introduced themselves they'd said their quirk greatly improved their hearing
"Shut up, you quirkless loser. All Might is the greatest! You and goggles better watch yourselves! Freaks like you are- ACK!"
Mr. Maijaima grabbed the other student with one hand and lifted him up, his eyes filled with fury. "Hatsume and Midoriya might be odd, but that doesn't excuse rudeness. I especially won't tolerate any maltreatment of anyone in my class, disabilities or no. Understand?"
"But they were-"
"I don't care what they were doing. I'm talking to you. If I deal with them, I'll do it later. But the bullying stops, and it stops now. Need I repeat myself?"
"No, sir."
Power Loader unceremoniously dumped the other student onto the ground. "Good. Now listen."
There were more introductions after that. Izuku tried to pay attention, but his gaze kept wandering back to All Might. To his surprise, a few times, he found All Might looking back at him. He dropped his gaze then, feeling about an inch high. How could he really hate All Might? What had he said to Mei that made her think that? But then he thought of all the times he must have disparagged All Might, saying he crushed dreams, or that Iron Man or Batman were better heroes. Mei, for all her lack of social awareness, must have picked up on it. She'd never expressed personal dislike of All Might before, but then, Mei didn't really seem to care all that much about heroes in general. Maybe Izuku's attitude had rubbed off on her? He hoped he hadn't sabotaged her own chances at not being a social pariah in high school.
Guiltily, Izuku glanced over at Mei, but she was happily humming to herself, oblivious to the disdain that others were already showing of her. But she was like that. Izuku forced himself to straighten up. He would be more like Mei, and he would believe in her, just as she believed in him. To hell with All Might, and his classmates.
After the assembly they all headed back to class. Mr. Maijima glanced at Izuku and Mei, his expression grim, but he didn't say anything. As they walked through, All Might suddenly appeared around a corner in front of them.
"Power Loader! Might I borrow young Midoriya and his friend? I need to talk to them for a moment."
Mr. Maijima hesitated, then beckoned All Might closer. He whispered something into the ear of the #1 hero, that caused his trademark grin to momentarily falter.
"Oh! I see. Yes, well, I know about- Yes. Well, I'd still like to speak to them. But first, may I say something in front of your class?"
"Go right ahead. But remember, call me Maijima here, while we're teaching."
"Right, yes, of course Maijima."
All Might walked right up to Izuku, towering over him, and making Izuku swallow. He took a protective step infront of Mei, putting a hand out to shield her. He didn't know what he could do against All Might, but he would try. "Listen, what Mei said wasn't her fault. I...I may have said some things in front of her, and she trusts me. Please, excuse her rudeness. Any blame should fall on me." Izuku bowed, gritting his teeth. "Don't expel her. Being in the UA support course is her dream!"
"You misunderstand me, young Midoriya."
Izuku looked up to see that All Might was now bowing to him. "I should be the one appologizing to you."
That got a gasp from Izuku and his classmates. Mei, on the other hand, just nodded. "Yeah, what you said to Izuku was super mean. He's going to be a great hero, just watch!"
All Might stood up again, smiling at Mei. "It's good to see you care so much for your friend, Hatsume, isn't it? Well, I have to say, in front of your entire class, I am sorry for how you felt about what I said to you, Midoriya. Please understand: I didn't do it to hurt you, or deny your dream. I just wanted to save you from hardship and danger. It looks like you found a way forward, regardless."
All Might put a hand on Izuku's shoulder, startling him. The big man smiled. "You might not ever be able to be a pro hero, but that doesn't matter. You'll be a hero in your own way, as being here proves. Nothing seems to stop you."
"You've grown since I last saw you, Izuku Midoriya. I look forward to watching your career. I am certain that one day, you will be known as a hero who saves others. Everyone has a place in society, and by doing their best, they make the world a better place. It doesn't matter what that place is, but I think yours will be a very special one. The Support Course is valuable, just as important as the Hero Course. I hope you understand that, and that I never met to belittle you or your dreams, young man. Once again, I apologize."
"I...thank you, All Might," Izuku said. "But...but I still think I can be a hero." He glanced at Mei, who was frowning at All Might still, pressing up against Izuku's arm as if he was holding her back from attacking the man. "I'm here because I hope to prove that I can be a part of the Hero Course. Quirk or no quirk. I...I think I do still want to be a hero, like you, one who smiles and saves the day. I do accept your apology. What you said hurt, but...but maybe I needed to hear something like that. Otherwise, I never would have met Mei, or been as determined as I am to find my own way to be a hero. I'll be the world's first Quirkless hero. Just wait and see."
"I will," All Might said gently. He knelt down, so that his eyes were level with Izuku. "I can't give you a quirk, young man. But if there is anything else you need, let me know. I should be encouraging people like you. Perhaps...well, one day, maybe we can talk more. For now, I have to go. But I will be keeping track of your progress. Be a hero, Izuku Midoriya. Prove me, and everyone else who doubted you, wrong."
With that, All Might suddenly stood and laughed. "Haha! Well, even for a teacher, work is never done! And now I have to go! I'll be seeing the rest of you later! Farewell!"
With a gust of wind, All Might ran off, disappearing in the corridors of UA.
Mr. Maijima watched him go, then turned back to look at Izuku, rubbing his chin. "Well, that was...unusual. You've met All Might before?"
"He...he saved me from a villain, once," Izuku explained. "I...I told him I was q-quirkless. I asked...well, I asked if he thought I could be a hero, even with no quirk. He said no. At the time...for a long time, I thought it was because he was cruel. But now...maybe I was wrong. Maybe he is a good hero."
Mr. Maijima nodded. "I think he wanted to protect you, Izuku. A realistic assessment of your abilities is important. Right. Let's get back to class."
When they returned and everyone sat down, Mr. Maijima slammed the door hard, causing everyone to jump. He stalked to the front of the room and stood in front of Izuku and Mei, glaring at the class. "You two, get up."
Cringing, Izuku stood alongside Mei, who seemed irritated more than anything else. He expected to get chewed out for his and Mei's behavior, but instead Mr. Maijima put his hands on Izuku and Mei's shoulders. "Alright. The lot of you owe both Midoriya and Hatsume an apology. So stand up, right now, and give them one. And you better mean it, dammit!"
The other students slowly got to their feet, looking confused. Mr. Maijima strode forward, glaring at his students, leaving Izuku feeling utterly bewildered.
"I heard what you've all been saying. They're weird. Izuku is quirkless. Mei's autistic. They don't belong. Well, anyone who thinks they can get away with that, anyone who thinks that they're actually worthless just because they don't adhere to some imaginary standard you made up in your head, there's the door. Don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out."
"Sir?" one of the other students asked, confused.
"They're both better than all of you, in case you didn't realize it," Mr. Maijima said, pointing to Mei and Izuku. To Izuku's embarrassment, Mei nodded, as if such a statement were entirely natural.
"Did you see that device they were working on earlier? They made that out of scraps and salvage and a few things they bought at basic electronics stores with their own money. They built an incredible piece of machinery, on their own, with no training, while the lot of you were still tinkering with legos and thinking you were special because you won your Junior High Science fairs."
Izuku looked down, feeling deeply embarrassed. "We just… we just worked hard. We don't think we're better than anyone," Izuku said.
Mei opened her mouth, but Izuku's hand darted out, and he grabbed Mei's hand, squeezing hard. She let out a yelp, but then glanced at Izuku. He couldn't see it, but he was pretty sure she rolled her eyes at him. She harrumphed, and Izuku let go.
"Yes, we're not better than you," Mei stated. Though Izuku heard her whisper, "Much."
"I appreciate the modesty, but everyone here needs to get a realistic view of their own abilities. Yes, Izuku is quirkless. He's also better at electrical engineering than some professionals from what I've seen. Yes, Mei is autistic and rude. But she'll be the best damned inventor I've ever seen, and I'm including myself and other pros in that assessment. She's still a rookie, but she's got more natural talent in her left pinkie than some of you do in your whole bodies. So, you'll treat her and Midoriya with respect. Sometimes, you'll need to come to them for advice. They're both good natured enough that they'll probably help even if you're little jerks to them, but I won't tolerate it. You understand? Now apologize!"
The class did so, some reluctantly, others with sincerity.
"We accept your apology," Izuku said. He put his hand on Mei's back, and she bowed along with him, muttering her own acceptance. "And we are very sorry we embarrassed the class at the assembly. We will strive to do better!"
"Apology accepted," Mr. Maijima said. "Now, have a seat. We're going over your class schedules, and in a few minutes the teacher for your next class will arrive, which is English."
Mei let out a loud moan of despair. "Not English!"
"You'd better do well in it, because I'm giving Mr. Yamada your point card. All the teachers are aware of it Mei, so just remember they all can control your access to the workshop."
"Yeah, yeah," Mei grumbled. She looked at Izuku and smiled at him. "At least now I have a study partner who can help me!"
That made Izuku feel good, and he was happy enough to be attending an English class taught by none other than Present Mike anyway. And besides, he was at UA now. Time for Mei and Izuku prove that Mei really was amazing, and that he too could be a hero.