"Dude. Webjack took down the Creature Rejection Clan on his own yesterday!"
"I know, I was walking past one of their hideouts when all the screaming happened, and those villains were left dangling from the windows with that green webbing,"
"No way! Damn, I wish I had been there."
"My grandma was acting all paranoid this whole week, saying that the CRC was coming to get her and my cousins for being Heteromorphs. Guess I owe her an apology for calling her crazy."
"Again with this Vigilante. Man, when will they apprehend that freak?"
"I know, why would anyone do something as stupid as become a Vigilante when that just means you're doing Hero Work without getting paid for it?"
"So stupid,"
"Speak for yourselves,"
"I'm more interested in learning who the dude is under the mask. I bet he's hot."
Webjack. Webjack. Webjack. Webjack. Webjack.
That's all people seem to talk about these days. And he hates it.
Rather, they are praising him or scorning him; the fact alone that anyone would think he was worthy enough to be mentioned within the halls of a Hero Academy was sickening, and yet no one was telling them to shut up about him. Not even himself.
For two days, he isolated himself in his room, ignoring the concerns of his parents and trying to get ahold of himself, but it was pointless as all he could think about was the image of the Vigilante looking down on him, calling him inferior, while the rest of the world praises him as the next #1 Hero. A nightmare that couldn't possibly become a reality. He wouldn't let it happen.
'Fucking, stupid Extras,' Katsuki Bakugo growled in a low voice.
He seethed under his breath; his footsteps grew heavier, each stride a testament to the burden weighing on his shoulders. The hallway stretched endlessly before him, a maze of echoing voices and suffocating memories.
His mind raced with frustration, grappling with the bitter reality of his recent defeat. How could he, the almighty Katsuki Bakugo, be so easily bested by a mere Vigilante? A failure of Hero Society. It was a question that gnawed at his pride, a wound that refused to heal.
With a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes, Bakugo pushed forward, his gaze fixed ahead with steely determination. He couldn't afford to dwell on his failures, not when there was still so much to prove, so much ground to reclaim.
But as he rounded the corner, another group of students came into view, their voices carrying the same incessant chatter about Webjack. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard to Bakugo's ears, a relentless reminder of his own inadequacies.
"Fucking Extras," He muttered once more, his tone laced with venom as he stormed past them, his fists trembling with suppressed rage.
With each passing moment, the weight of his defeat grew heavier, threatening to crush him beneath its suffocating grasp.
"Can he even be beaten?"
That one question gave him pause.
It hung heavy in the air, a challenge that pierced through Bakugo's turbulent thoughts like a dagger to the heart. It was a question that should have elicited a swift and confident response from him, a resounding affirmation of his own strength and prowess.
But instead, Bakugo found himself hesitating, his usual bravado faltering in the face of doubt. For the first time in his life, he questioned the certainty of his own abilities, the lingering sting of defeat casting a shadow over his once unshakable confidence.
His fists clenched at his sides, his jaw set in a grim line as he grappled with his inner turmoil. "Of course, he can be beaten," He finally muttered.
But even as the words left his lips, Bakugo couldn't shake the nagging doubt that lingered within him. Deep down, he knew that defeating Webjack would be no easy feat, not after the way their previous encounters had ended.
Sometimes he felt that he was still trapped in a cocoon of web and couldn't get out.
He pushed those thoughts aside.
And as he continued down the hallway, his steps heavy with the weight of his own uncertainty, Bakugo couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Webjack was more than just another adversary to conquer. Perhaps, he was a reminder of the limits of his own strength, a challenge that would test not only his physical prowess but his resolve as well.
But for now, Bakugo pushed aside his doubts, steeling himself for the battles that lay ahead. For he was Katsuki Bakugo, and he refused to be defeated by anyone, least of all a mere Vigilante.
Opening the doors to his classroom, Bakugo saw that he was the last student of 1-A to enter, as the remaining seventeen members made it first. Most of them were chatting with one another. What? He did not know, nor did he care. But if he had to guess, it would be about the get-together with 1-B yesterday that he scoffed at when he was offered to come via text. As if he'd be caught dead hanging out with those he views as bigger losers than those he is stuck attending classes with.
"Hey, Bakubro! How have you been?" Kirishima greeted him. The only one who ever bothers with the likes of him.
"Kicking the homeless off my lawn. What'd you think I've been doing?" The explosive boy snapped irritably as he sat at his desk.
"Still mad, eh?" Kirishima said, scratching his head. "Have you also been blowing up every tiny spider you encounter?"
"No, I have not. But thank you for the suggestion. That'll surely make me feel better," Bakugo replied with a small but still sickening grin.
"All Might Jr., everybody," Mineta cringed at the barbarity they are subjected to every day, and considering that he keeps talking big about surpassing the Symbol of Peace more than anyone in the university, or anyone they have ever met, the rest of the class finds it almost appropriate.
"I'M NOT DEKU!" Bakugo figuratively exploded. Forget Webjack. This was the biggest offense he had ever been subjected to.
'Even in UA, I am still reminded of that useless nerd,' He seethed. "And I already have an old man!"
"Aww, you do love your papa," Mina teased.
"My patience for you is finally running thin, pinky slut!"
"Cry me a river. Your tiny dick ain't never touching my pink pussy," She mocked before picking up a bottle of water to drink from.
"Indecency in these hallowed halls will not be permitted!" Tenya snapped, unable to stand for such a vulgar tongue, which is a constant when Mina and Katsuki start talking smack until Kirishima plays peacemaker.
"Well, I'd say we're off to a nice start for today," Kaminari mused. The infighting amongst his classmates is a constant problem, yet oddly comforting, that it would be bizarre if things were peaceful for a change.
"It's funny you brought up Deku again because I think that cute gravity girl knows him as well," Kirishima said, recalling the previous talk yesterday.
"What… Did. You. SAY?!" Bakugo turned his gaze to him like a predator.
This day cannot get much worse.
"Yeah, he's a student in Kogane and is the genius who came up with the plans for Hagakure's new costume," Kirishima informed, unbothered by Katsuki's wrath.
"FUCKING HELL—"
He would've said so much more vulgarity, but all attention diverted back to Mina, who started coughing up the water she had drunk. As she choked on the water, panic rippled through the classroom. Her friends sprang into action, rushing to her side as they tried to help her breathe properly again.
"Someone get water!" Kirishima shouted, his voice tinged with urgency as he knelt beside Mina, gently patting her back in an effort to dislodge whatever had caused her to choke.
Momo quickly fetched a glass of water from her desk, her hands trembling slightly as she passed it to Kirishima. "Here, be careful," She said, her voice laced with concern.
Jiro and Shoji hovered nearby, their expressions etched with worry as they watched Kirishima help Mina drink the water, ensuring that she was able to clear her airways.
As Mina finally caught her breath, relief washed over the classroom. "Are you okay?" Kirishima asked, his eyes searching hers for any signs of distress.
Mina nodded weakly, her throat still raw from the ordeal. "Yeah, I'm fine," She managed to croak out, her voice hoarse.
But even as the immediate danger passed, Mina's mind raced with thoughts. She couldn't shake the revelation that had struck her in that moment of panic. Bakugo's vehement hatred for someone named Deku, coupled with Ochaco's mention of her friend Izuku Midoriya, had suddenly clicked into place.
Izuku Midoriya… Deku… Webjack…
"What the hell! Deku?" Bakugo's words to Webjack back in the USJ returned to Mina like a freight train.
'Son of a bitch! He knows exactly who Jackie is. He's just too thickheaded and stupid to accept it. Meaning that he is someone he hated and can't accept that he, of all people, is better than him,' She concluded. 'Izuku Midoriya is Webjack. Does Ochaco know? She did seem worried most of the day, so maybe she knew that he was going to fight the CRC. Wait, we were flirting with each other in front of her, and she made no reaction, so they're not together-together. Then again, someone like Jackie must have a bunch of girls, so she must be used to—GETTING OFF TOPIC!'
She slaps herself in the face with both hands to clear her head, further startling her classmates with her odd behavior.
"You're freaking us out, Mina," Kirishima said, worried still.
"I just drank too fast, okay. No need to treat this as another Villain attack," She muttered. "Though, I guess this means you're already good with rescue operations."
"You think so?" The Hardening Metahuman asked, confused and flattered.
Their teacher, Lockdown, enters the classroom at that exact moment, signaling the start of classes.
"Good, you're all on time, but by your positions, someone is either dying or you're all eligible for expulsion. Which good news will give me the chance to have an early sleep?" He said condescendingly.
'He can't seriously still be looking for excuses to expel me!'Mineta sobbed, always feeling like his threats were only pointed at him and not the guy who's constantly behaving like a Villain.
"Something wrong?" Aizawa asked, getting a better look at his students and now noticing how all of them, except Katsuki and Shoto, are surrounding Mina.
"Nope! Everything is alright, Teach! Just having some fun together before we begin your tortu—I mean, lessons for the day," Mina blurted out to avoid what just happened from being spoken to him.
The pieces of the puzzle fell into place in Mina's mind, but she chose to keep her realization to herself for now. For all she knows, she's jumping to conclusions and almost choked herself for nothing.
Mina can admit that she's not the smartest student in UA, let alone in her class but she knows that it's all speculations until she has any concrete proof, and it starts by meeting Izuku in person, and the only way to do that is to get closer to Ochaco, which makes it all the more important that she joins Class 1-A to get to the bottom of this, otherwise she'd end up potentially ruining someone's life if she is mistaken.
And mistakes like false accusations are something a Hero should never do. You're either 100% accurate or you do nothing at all.
"Good. If you problem children are focused, then we can begin, and we have a big class today on Hero Informatics," Aizawa declared.
Everyone tenses, panic causing their blood pressure to rise exponentially as they dread what he says next, all wondering if it's a pop quiz.
"You need codenames. Time to pick your hero identities."
The class breaks out into cheers of relief and happiness as they see it's something easy.
"This is gonna be totally Awesome!" They all screamed.
But they quickly get back to their seats as Aizawa activates his quirk, giving him a sinister look as his hair floats in the air like snakes and his eyes flash red. "This is related to the Pro-Hero draft picks that I mentioned the last time we were in class together. Normally, students don't have to worry about the draft yet. Not until their sophomore or senior year, actually, but your class is different. In fact, by extending offers to freshmen like you, pros are essentially investing in your potential. Any offers can be rescinded if their interest in you dies down before graduation, though."
"So what you're saying is we still have to prove ourselves after we've gotten recruited," Toru surmised.
"Correct. Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers," He taps a button on the remote he was carrying.
And on the screen, the list of students, from highest to lowest, with all their offers. Unsurprisingly to everyone but Bakugo, Todoroki was at the top of the list with the number 4500 offers. Then it was Iida, Tokoyami, and so on, with Bakugo dead last with only six offers.
"WHAT THE FUCK!" Bakugo snapped.
"Whoa! Way to go, Todoroki," Sero praised the Iceman of the class.
"The majority of them are because of my father," Shoto shrugged, uninterested in the numbers.
Aizawa clears his throat, and they both shut up. "In past years, it's been more spread out. But this year there's a pretty big gap."
"Bakugo is dead last?" Jiro asked, as surprised as the rest of her classmates.
"Well, it's obvious why. He's been behaving like a villain since day one," Mina said coldly.
"True, and his lack of restraint in the festival was going to put off a lot of Pros," Sato added.
"And how could we forget how easily he got taken down by Webjack?" Kaminari finished, knowing that would push the last of Katsuki's buttons and make him go berserk, not really afraid for his life since Aizawa had his eyes on him since he showed everyone the results.
Katsuki, to his credit, was able to restrain himself for once, unable to rebuke anyone since he knew from the start that the Pros were going to reject him because of how he was bested by the Vigilante; seeing it for himself was still a hard pill to swallow.
"I didn't fuck up nearly as bad as the rest of the Pros who were there, so why am I the only one being punished?" He snapped. "Webjack buried most of them after destroying Ground Beta!"
"I'm still shaken about that," Kaminari muttered.
"Yeah, that went beyond ripping me off," Sero muttered as the scene of the most common training ground in UA being destroyed sparked fear in the Hero Students.
"You're not being punished for what happened to you. Pros, like Mirko, Shishido, and Ryukyu, on the other hand, are facing heavy backlash for their inability to catch the Vigilante," Aizawa informed. "I'm not too worried for Hawks, Fat Gum, and Uwabami since they've bounced back from tougher situations; the rest, I'm not holding my breath."
"What about Endeavor? He received the worst injuries from Webjack," Shoji asked.
"My old man is already in a speedy recovery thanks to his sheer stubbornness and Recovery Girl's Quirk. He still needs to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but otherwise, he is no one to be concerned about," Shoto explained, and while this is technically good news, the way his tone shifted on the last part of his sentence suggested that he doesn't care about his own father's well-being.
'Daddy issues,' All of them thought at once.
"Yeah… are we ever going to receive an explanation on why Webjack showed up in the stadium all of a sudden?" Kirishima asked.
"I mean, we all saw that it was the black mist Villain from the League," Sato reminded.
"Based on the information we were given by Ingenium, Webjack arrived in Hosu City the same day the Sports Festival started to hunt down the Hero Killer and was successful in finding him. As they fought, Ingenium interfered in the fight but didn't do so well against Stain, unlike the Webhead," Aizawa informed, making Tenya cringe at the reminder that he almost lost his brother to a monster. "The situation could've been handled more delicately, but All Might learned his lesson, and so while he remains a teacher in UA, he will prioritize your safety above capturing criminals. The fault for the Vigilante's escape mainly falls on Endeavor, who led the manhunt, and we all know how that went for him."
To that, Shoto made a weak chuckle in amusement that didn't sit right with most of them, on how nonchalant he is about his father getting buried alive in so much falling debris by Webjack.
'Well, this answers one question on why the other real problem child in this class is wasting his own potential,'Aizawa sighed irritably. 'Why didn't I let Vlad have this one. Monoma couldn't have been half as bad.'
"One last question, about Uraraka and Shinso. Since our class is still not yet whole and they did well in the Festival, they will be joining our class, right?" Mina asked.
"Looks that way, however, while their Quirks are exceptional, their physical prowess leaves a lot to be desired, hence why they both will undertake Internships with Pros of Dean Nezu's choosing. They do well; they're in. If not, then that means I have fewer problem children to deal with on a daily basis," Aizawa explained, making his students feel like they're nothing but deadweight to him.
'Asshole.' Some of them spat in their thoughts, though Bakugo was the only one whose response was vocal.
"Getting back on track. Despite these results, you'll all be interning with pros, got it? Even those of you who didn't get any offers."
"That's such a relief," Toru said excitedly.
"Yes. You already got to experience real combat during the attack on the USJ Facility," Aizawa continued. "It'll still be helpful to see Pros at work. Up close and personal, in the field, firsthand."
"And for that, we need hero names!" Sato exclaimed.
"Things are suddenly getting a lot more fun!" Kaminari grinned.
Their homeroom teacher continued. "These codenames will likely be temporary, but take them seriously or—"
The door is opened, and Midnight saunters in with her hips swaying seductively, "—You'll have hell to pay later!"
She takes command of the class, each heel click dominating the room, "What you pick today may end up being your codename for life! You'd better be careful, or you'll be stuck with something utterly indecent."
"Is she really talking about something being indecent?" Jiro hissed.
"She's got a good point. Midnight is going to have final approval over your names. It's not my forte," Aizawa pulls out his sleeping bag, "The name you give yourself is important. It helps reinforce your image and shows what kind of hero you wanna be in the future. A codename tells people exactly what you represent. Take "All Might" for example."
Whiteboards were passed to each student as they began brainstorming ideas for their hero name. Some of them are indecisive, while the rest already have their names planned out.
"Time's up! Now, students, who among you is ready to share?" Midnight asked, catching them off guard, about having to introduce their names in front of the class, but no one objected to this.
Aoyama stands up from his desk.
"~Hold your breath!~" He raised his whiteboard dramatically, "~The Shining Hero: Dazzler! Mon ami, you can't deny my sparkle!~"
"Hot damn! That's a good one!" Mina praised.
"You're going to make so many lovely ladies sparkle!" Midnight giggled with excitement.
"~You flatter me, mademoiselle.~" Aoyama grinned. 'My compliments to our dear Web-Slinger for giving me my latest inspiration.'
This gives everyone the confidence to make their announcements, and Mina is the second one up, "Okay dokey, I'll go next! I'm the Joy Hero: Alien Queen!"
"Hey, that's pretty cool!" Denki commented.
"Hold on! Like that horrible monster with the acidic blood?! I don't think so!" Midnight denied her firmly, getting chills just thinking about the Xenomorphs.
"Oh, come on! How are "Death Arms" and "Gang Orca" any better?" Mina protested, mentioning two Pro-Heroes who have controversial names despite their positive reputations.
"A fair argument, but at least their names aren't inspired by something repugnant like a movie monster," Midnight countered.
"But I wanna be the Queen!" Mina would not budge at all about her choice to be the Alien Queen. Midnight was going to reprimand her until a thought came into her mind. Recalling the videos she saw online about Webjack chasing the CRC Leader to the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall, followed by him flirting with one of the UA students who was present for the capture.
That caused a bit of controversy about how someone from a Hero Academy willingly plays around with an outlaw, but Midnight sees it as too cute, and since she and the rest of the Staff are planning on putting Webjack through the Reclamation Initiative…
"Oh, so this is about him, eh?" The R-Rated Hero now sported a teasing tone.
"W-Well…" Mina was lost for words, a bit embarrassed about being figured out.
"Alright, alright. I'll let you have this one," Midnight relented, but quickly wrapped a hand around the student's shoulder to pull her in closer and whisper in her ear. "But in exchange, if you manage to get with the Webhead, I get to cop a few feels."
"Deal!" Mina proclaimed, accepting these terms.
"DO YOU TWO HAVE NO SHAME!" Jiro cried in disbelief, unable to avoid eavesdropping because of her enhanced hearing, her face redder than Kirishima's dyed hair, leaving everyone more curious about what was spoken between Mina and Nemuri.
Mina returns to her seat with a triumphant smirk, ignoring the questions of her classmates, and when she wouldn't budge, they turn to Jiro, who slams her head on her desk, cursing her Quirk more than ever.
"Alright! Who's next?" Midnight focused all attention on herself. "Come on now, don't be shy, there is much to be done today, and believe me when I say that you don't want to miss a single second of it."
"King Explosion Murder!" Katsuki declared fiercely once it was his turn.
"You're kidding, right?" Pretty much everyone deadpanned.
"HUH?! It's a Perfect name!"
"It's like you aren't even trying," Mina mocked.
"Like you can think up something better, Raccoon Eyes!"
Mina raises a hand and lifts a finger for each name she comes up with, "High Ex, Nitro, Bomb Boy, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and, my favorite, Sparky-Sparky Boom Man!"
"Like hell you're calling me that!"
"Back to your seat and try again," Midnight instructed, and a begrudging and growling Katsuki obeyed. "Iida, you're up next."
"Of course," Tenya answered, stepping forward to his class, his mind made up on what to call himself. "As a member of the Iida Family, it's a given that I, too, am to be a Turbo Hero. And though I may always pale in comparison to my brother, I strive to be the best I can be to stand alongside Ingenium, hence why I shall go by the Hero Name: Stratos!"
"Oh, because you aim to go fast until you reach the Stratosphere! That's wonderful!" Midnight praised. "Personally, I would call you "Speedroid," given how your family also likes to dress up as robots."
"Fitting, but I regret to admit that while speed is what my Quirk is all about, I don't consider myself a true speedster since a lot of Pros can outpace me easily," Tenya said gratefully.
"We'll see about that once you learn to make your Engines bigger and more impulsive,"
It was not long before nearly all of them had their names declared. Tsuyu was named the Rainy Season Hero: Froppy, Mashirao the Martial Arts Hero: Tailman, Denki the Stun Gun Hero: Chargebolt, Eijiro the Sturdy Hero: Red Riot, Koji the Petting Hero: Anima, Rikido the Sweets Hero: Sugarman, Mezo the Tentacle Hero: Tentacole, Kyoka the Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack, Hanta the Taping Hero: Cellophane, Fumikage the Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi, Toru the Stealth Hero: Invisigirl (compliments of Setsuna), Minoru the Fresh-Picked Hero: Grape Juice, and Momo the Everything Hero: Creati.
All of them were approved by Midnight, though some are more questionable than others.
Up next was Shoto, and his choice for a name was his given name.
"Are you serious?" Midnight muttered with disappointment.
"I can't think of anything that would be fitting for me," Shoto replied, the disinterest in this important topic evident.
"I already have a name for this loser. Icyhot!" Katsuki chuckled mockingly.
"That's okay." Shoto was not bothered by it and did not consider it an insult like Katsuki intended.
"Yeah, we're not repeating Aizawa's mistake of letting someone unreliable pick a name for you," Nemuri sighed.
With Class 1-B, Present Mic is the one helping determine the codenames for the other aspiring Heroes in Training, and just as Neito was about to introduce his hero name, the Voice Hero spontaneously sneezed. And it was loud enough to make the students closest to him get blown away and crash into the wall.
"Oh… my…" Hizashi mumbled with shame and embarrassment. "I'll go get Recovery Girl!"
"HIZASHI!" Vlad King roared, two massive swords made of his hardened blood already in hand to slice and dice.
"I'M SORRY!" He managed to yell without activating his Quirk this time.
"What is all that commotion?" Momo asked as everyone in 1-A heard most of what went down with their neighbors.
"Shit… I forgot that Mic was the one helping Vlad with his kids," Midnight cursed. "Alright, let's wrap this up. Todoroki, please take the time to reconsider your name during Internships. Bakugo, this is your last chance."
"Lord Explosion Murder!" Katsuki shouted once he returned to the lectern.
"Are you even trying?" Everyone reprimanded him.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" He snapped.
"That's more a villain name than mine, and you know it," Mina mocked.
"Shut up before I blow you to smithereens!"
"Go ahead, but the question is, who will put the next big supervillain, "Lord Explosion Murder," in his place? All Might, or Webjack?"
That put another crack in the young man's already fractured ego and shut him up, looking like he had finally calmed down.
"If you want to be a hero. A true hero. I suggest getting your priorities straight, kid. Otherwise, the only thing you'll accomplish is being Ground Zero for failures."
That is, until Webjack's words to him from their first fight resurfaced in his mind, and his anger rose up.
'Oh, I'll be a ground zero, alright. THE GROUND ZERO FOR YOUR GRAVE AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO DARES TO LOOK DOWN ON ME!'
With almost manic speed, he wiped out what he wrote in his whiteboard and wrote something else before showing it to his class, slamming on the lectern so hard that the sound it caused woke up Aizawa, who had managed to stay asleep until now.
"Destroyer Hero: Ground Zero!" He declared once and for all.
"That is so MANLY!" Kirishima cheered for his friend's better name.
"That sounds like it should be the name of a Manga," Midnight praised.
"When I become the #1 Hero, the only Mangas and Movies people will read and watch will be about me!" Bakugo boasted.
Katsuki's renewed vigor is cut short when he is assaulted by Aizawa's Capture Weapon.
"What comes next will be more enjoyable than I'd hoped, you damn brat," The homeroom teacher sneered, sorely tempted to strangle Katsuki.
"Good, you woke up just as we finished!" Midnight said chipperly, not bothered by her colleague's display of brutality against a student.
"And yet I am still sleepy," He growled before partially calming down to speak up, but his grip on the angry young man never loosened, to the said boy's chagrin.
"Normally, after the first period, you kids would be taking English Class with Present Mic, but just for today, you'll be doing something else," Aizawa decreed, surprising everyone.
"What's the occasion?" Momo asked.
"Simply put, I'm not convinced you brats are ready for Internships. You have the potential, and you've steadily surpassed what you were capable of during your first day, but compared to Class 1-B, you're all still lackluster," Aizawa gave the brutal truth, crushing the spirits of his students.
"We knew that's how you felt, but you didn't have to say it out loud," Denki sobbed.
"Case in point, before I am convinced you are ready to go out there under the shadow of true Pros, I want to pair you off against a Senior student. Someone who's pretty much already a qualified Pro-Hero,"
That got another rise out of 1-A, including Katsuki, who stopped struggling, now finally intrigued.
"Teacher, you want us to fight against our upperclassmen, like 3-A!" Tenya said enthusiastically, with his hand held up.
"No. Not a whole class of Seniors. It'll be all of you against ONE student," Aizawa said more seriously, with his eyes narrowed, further horrifying 1-A.
'Just how far will this motherfucker go to look down on me?'Katsuki growled, knowing that Lockdown had it out for him for a while, not as much as Mineta, but it was obvious. At first, he tolerated Katsuki's attitude, favoring his prowess too much to be bothered by his attitude, but recently, before the start of the Sports Festival, his homeroom teacher started treating him differently, as if he didn't belong in UA. This latest stunt only confirms it.
'Only one student. It must be one of the Big Three,' Shoto concluded with a mix of anticipation. He, too, feels insulted by the idea of his whole class fighting a single person, but Aizawa's been hard on him since the beginning for refusing to use the full might of his Quirk. But Shoto doesn't care what his teacher thinks. His path is clear to him, and if he can defeat this student with just his mother's ice, then his point will finally be made clear.
Exiting the main building, Shota and Nemuri took the students of 1-A into Gym Gamma, a large, empty, and enclosed space made of concrete.
"This facility was created by Cementoss as a place where students could develop new techniques that could be applied on the Provisional Hero License Exam, under the supervision of me, Ectoplasm, and Cementoss. For occasions like this, it makes for an ideal place for one-on-one fights, though Aizawa decided to go overboard this time," Midnight explained to the students.
"Fascinating, and with his superb Quirk, Cementoss can make all sorts of obstacles suited for training. The possibilities are endless!" Tenya surmised.
"Right again," Midnight winked.
"Can we get this over with already! Where's this big shot you think is better than us, especially me?" Katsuki demanded.
"I've been here the whole time!" Declared a tall student, older than all of 1-A, wearing the university's gym uniform. He has a very muscular build and several noticeable scars around his lower arms. His face is peculiar due to his beady blue eyes having a simplistic style with no visible sclera, and a nose prominently rounder than most others. He has blond hair, the top part of which is arranged in a cowlick, while the bottom section is worn swept backward.
"Mirio Togata! A pleasure to meet you all!" He introduced himself before leaning closer at an absurd speed that somehow surpassed Tenya's, head forward with a hand on his ear in a position to hear better, before he shouted. "THE FUTURE'S GONNA BE…"
It was clear that he was expecting an answer, but 1-A had nothing to say as though they'd been accidentally frozen by Shoto, himself included.
"Gonna be what?" Denki asked, dumbfounded.
"Awful! That was your cue to respond, guys! Crap, I thought we would be in synch for a moment!" He uttered more chipper than they've ever heard in anyone else.
"I just met him, and I already want to blow up his face," Katsuki growled, annoyingly.
"And I thought the teachers were weirdoes," Kirishima muttered, but still found it in him to chuckle a bit at Mirio's manly aura.
"I understand if you guys are confused. To tell you the truth, I was caught off guard when Mr. Aizawa came to me with this offer, but once he explained to me that he wanted to give you guys a head start on what the strength level of a Pro is, I was more than happy to help," Mirio smiled. "It's true I am still a student of UA, but I've been interning under the Hero Sir Nighteye for a while now, and after being given the honor of being among the Big Three, I'm confident in saying that me and my two best friends are the closest to matching the power of true Heroes, so we can learn a lot from fighting each other."
"The Big Three. The best of the best students UA has to offer," Tenya said, feeling honored to be in the presence of such a prestigious student. His brother, Tensei, was among the Big Three when he was a Senior in UA. This will be a good chance to glimpse at what he needs to compete against before he can consider himself a Pro-Hero.
"I don't mean to be rude, but is pitting one guy against a whole class really logical, teach?" Kirishima asked what all of them were thinking. Katsuki and Shoto aren't the only ones feeling insulted by this idea.
"As future Pros, you'll be expected to take on entire hordes of Villains. Logically, it would be better to avoid such an outcome and try to even things out, but as you and I witnessed in the USJ, sometimes we have no choice but to try and be a one-man army against near-impossible odds," Aizawa explained.
"Yeah! And most of us, mainly yours truly, proved he can take down a whole army of petty villains, so this feels pointless," Katsuki shouted.
"The villains you fought only had numbers to compensate for their strength. Scoundrels who, for whatever reason, wasted their potential and lives, and thus their Quirks weren't as powerful as they might've been if they had the same training you're being given. In time, you will fight against true swarms of villains that may eventually overwhelm you, which is why allowing yourselves to be overconfident because of minor victories that mean nothing in the long run is the height of foolishness," Aizawa continued to further downplay 1-A's efforts, and this time he made them feel more down because most of them are still shaken by their close call with death.
"And making us work together against someone like Togata is supposed to give us an idea of how we're supposed to fight as one-man armies?" Shoto questioned, visibly agitated by his teacher's constant antagonism.
"We're about to find out, won't we?" Aizawa said coldly before turning to Mirio. "Togata. Didn't I tell you to come in with your Costume? That uniform is completely useless."
"Sorry, teach, I fully intended to wear it today, but I lost it," He laughed embarrassingly while rubbing his head. "I thought I left it in the usual spot in my classroom, but when I went to get it was just gone. Crazy, huh?"
"Yeah, crazy," Aizawa growled, pointing daggers at Midnight, who looked away from him with a light blush on her cheeks, playing with her fingers, and even went as far as to whistle. "What is wrong with you?!"
"I thought it would be good for the girls to see what a real man's muscles should look like," She said sheepishly.
"Yeah, they're the ones with the problem."
"Let's just get this over with! The sooner I fry this clown, the sooner I can call it a day," Katsuki sneered.
"Love the confidence, my angry friend, but it would be wise not to take me lightly," Mirio warned, though he did not sound threatening, nor did he mean to be.
"As if I would ever be friends with a clown like you!" Bakugo snapped.
"Restraint, Bakugo! He is our senior, after all," Tenya warned.
"Does that word even apply in a university?" Denki questioned.
The majority of them were already prepared to fight; some, like Katsuki and Shoto, were ready to finish this in one move.
"You really shouldn't antagonize them so much, you know," Nemuri insisted to Shota as the two teachers stepped away from the fight to give the student space. "The others don't always agree with your methods, and this time you are going overboard. Another heavy loss might affect their self-esteem, Bakugo most of all."
"That's the idea. I regret to admit I was too complacent in the beginning with the likes of Bakugo and Todoroki because of their promising results, and while they remain my top students, being the only ones who actually proved their worth in the festival, they are constantly held back by their own egos and delusions of grandeur," Shota stated. "Their perceptions of reality don't match the real world, which doesn't care what they want and believe in. The World only cares about one thing, and that is for them to fight with their full potential realized and to overcome any threat that comes their way, and as things stand, Vlad's students are more eligible to be called Heroes."
"This is a first. You usually don't care about Vlad's one-sided rivalry with you. Always making fun of him for being too hyperactive and "irrational" about pointless things. Never thought I'd see the day when you actually wanted your students to be all they can be," Nemuri teased.
"I've always wanted that for every student I teach, but things are different now. It's hard to explain, but I get the feeling that this might be the tipping point for UA. No other year have we faced something like the League, and like it or not, these kids will be at the center of the conflict," Aizawa said with narrowed eyes. "They have to realize this, and to do that, they have to forsake the limitations holding them back, and if being bested by just one of their seniors doesn't do it, then I'll have to take more drastic measures."
Bakugo made the first move without warning, storming forward, explosive energy crackling around him as he launched himself at Mirio with all the ferocity he could muster. His fists clenched, his eyes burning with determination, he was determined to prove himself against the one he did not acknowledge as a formidable opponent.
Mirio, on the other hand, stood calmly, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched Bakugo approach. He didn't move an inch, his stance relaxed yet poised for action.
As Bakugo closed in, he unleashed a barrage of explosions, sending blasts of fiery energy hurtling towards Mirio. But Mirio was already moving, his body phasing effortlessly through the onslaught of explosions.
"What?!" Bakugo shouted in shock, having hit Mirio's face and upper torso with a volley of explosions, but every blast passed harmlessly through him as if he were made of smoke. The best he could accomplish if it really was his doing was to make his shirt get blown away, but judging by the lack of damage to it, he may not have been the cause.
"None of Bakugo's explosions worked on him," Denki uttered in shock.
"Does his Quirk offer some kind of invincibility?" Tokoyami wondered.
"Yeah, but I don't think it's because he's sturdier than he seems," Tsuyu noted, noticing how Mirio's shirt fell off without him visibly doing anything.
Frustration boiled within Bakugo as he watched Mirio effortlessly evade his attacks. He gritted his teeth, pushing himself to unleash even more explosive power. But no matter how hard he tried, Mirio seemed to dance effortlessly around his attacks.
"I admit you're fast," Bakugo growled, his voice laced with frustration.
Mirio chuckled softly, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "And you're strong. But strength alone won't win you this fight, Bakugo."
With a sudden burst of speed, Mirio closed the distance between them, his fist lashing out with blinding speed. Bakugo barely had time to react, his instincts kicking in as he raised his arms to block the incoming blow.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through Bakugo's body, the force of Mirio's punch sending him staggering backward. He gritted his teeth, his muscles straining as he fought to regain his footing.
Mirio stood before him, a picture of calm confidence. "You're not bad, Bakugo. But you still have much to learn."
Bakugo's eyes narrowed, his determination burning brighter than ever. He refused to be defeated, not by Mirio, not by anyone. With a fierce roar, he launched himself back into the fray, ready to give everything he had in this battle of wills and strength.
But he is interrupted as Shoto moves in next, releasing a glacier from his feet, and goes for Mirio. Katsuki, luckily, saw the ice barrage coming and used his explosives to fly upward, evading the ice that engulfed Mirio.
"You MOTHERFUCKER!" Katsuki roared.
"A little heads up would've been appreciated. That was totally unmanly!" Kirishima reprimanded the most reclusive member of 1-A.
"And since when has Bakugo heeded any warning from us?" Shoto asked rhetorically, not expecting an answer.
"Okay, I can see that your decision has merit after all," Nemuri frowned at the lack of true camaraderie between the students. They do well in simulations where they can exploit one another's strengths and compensate for each other's weaknesses, but in a fight against an unknown foe, it's more about which of them can score the victory first.
"Right. I've dealt with problem children like this before, and more often than not, pitting them against a foe they have no chance of winning unless, perhaps, they have complete synergy is one of the first steps to getting them to accept how weak they truly are," Aizawa sighed, predicting exactly how this fight is going to go down. "Bakugo and Todoroki are strong, and they may grow to be among the strongest in history. But against someone who's experienced true fear and failure like Mirio and came out of it stronger than ever, their efforts are wasted."
Mirio phased through the floor behind Todoroki, his body shimmering as he re-materialized in an instant. The ice that had engulfed him moments ago now lay shattered on the ground, a testament to Mirio's incredible speed and skill.
Todoroki whirled around, his eyes widening in surprise as Mirio appeared behind him. Before he could react, Mirio's fist connected with his side, sending him stumbling forward with a grunt of pain.
"Watch out, Shoto!" Momo cried out, moving to intercept Mirio. But before she could reach him, Mirio was already moving again, his movements fluid and precise.
He darted past Momo with the same speed as before, his fists and feet striking out at every opportunity. Momo barely had time to raise her arms in defense before she, too, was sent flying backward, her breath knocked out of her by Mirio's relentless assault.
The other students of 1-A watched in shock as Mirio effortlessly dispatched their classmates one by one. His movements were like a dance, each step calculated and precise, his attacks landing with pinpoint accuracy.
"This guy is insane," Denki muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"He's too fast," Tsuyu croaked, struggling to keep up with Mirio's movements. Every attempt they made was simply too slow to reach him.
"We need to regroup," Kirishima shouted, his voice filled with determination. "We can't beat him if we keep fighting like this."
They tried to fight back, but their best efforts were futile. Mirio was unstoppable. With each passing moment, more and more of their classmates fell before his relentless onslaught.
"You bastard…" Katsuki seethes, arriving back at the scene, and sees that, counting himself, there are only seven left. Kirishima, Kaminari, Mineta, Aoyama, and Tsuyu; the rest seem down for the count, including Todoroki.
"Man… I'm freezing! Good thing I'm used to experiencing frostbite and hypothermia; otherwise, I might've been toast," Mirio laughed, enjoying this fight more than he thought. "You guys are slow but cool all the same."
"Would you please put your clothes back on. It's really distracting," Denki protested, more so for his masculinity feeling false when compared to the upperclassmen.
"Sorry for the indecency, but I'm afraid my Permeationdoesn't make what I wear phase through things like my body, so I kind of had to get used to fighting like this," Mirio explained, ashamed of fighting his freshmen like this, but it can't be helped without his Costume.
"Still think the girls are pleased with this sight?" Aizawa questioned Nemuri about who was to blame for this situation.
"Oh, I think some of the girls will remember this for more than just a beat down," Nemuri said shamelessly while blushing and hugging herself.
"Phasing? Did I hear him right?" Kirishima asked.
"Yeah, the bastard can become intangible, meaning he can render himself impervious to physical harm," Bakugo concluded.
"Does that mean we can't do anything against this guy?" Mineta uttered in horror.
"Of course we can beat him, you idiots!" Katsuki snapped. "A Quirk like his is complete garbage. No way a lame ass like him has what it takes to be a Hero."
"That's what people used to tell me, and sometimes I thought they were right, but one thing I learned during my time in UA and especially while working under my Pro-Hero mentor is that no Quirk is worthless, heroic, or villainous. It's all about who's using it," Mirio said wisely.
"Cute crap. Let's see if you can continue with that baby talk when I'm done!" Katsuki declared, using his Explosive Speed again to charge forward.
Katsuki's mind raced, his instincts sharpened by the adrenaline pumping through his veins. As Mirio revealed the nature of his Quirk, Katsuki's keen intelligence kicked into overdrive, analyzing the situation with lightning speed.
"You can't stay intangible forever," Katsuki mused, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "That means there's a moment when you have to become solid again."
Mirio nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Exactly. It's only fair to give you a fighting chance, isn't it?"
Katsuki's lips curled into a smirk as he formulated a plan. "Alright then, let's see if you can keep up with me."
With a burst of speed, Katsuki launched himself forward, his explosions propelling him towards Mirio with incredible force. Mirio's eyes widened in surprise as Katsuki's fist connected with his side, sending him staggering backward.
But before Mirio could recover, Katsuki was already on him again, his attacks relentless and ferocious. With each blow, Katsuki aimed for the parts of Mirio's body he was certain remained solid, exploiting the brief moments of vulnerability in his intangible state.
Mirio was caught off guard by Katsuki's sudden improvement, his movements becoming more frantic as he struggled to keep up with the explosive young hero. Despite his best efforts, Mirio found himself on the defensive, his flawless technique faltering under Katsuki's relentless assault.
The other members of 1-A watched in amazement as Katsuki fought with a newfound determination, his attacks precise and calculated. With each passing moment, their confidence grew, believing that victory was within their grasp.
"Okay! If Permeation can't help me, then it's time for a good old match of endurance!" Mirio declared, taking Katsuki now more seriously. The next time Bakugo hit him with an explosion, the blast did not phase through him, but this time made contact with his skin.
"He stopped using his Quirk," Tsuyu said.
"Guess now that Bakugo has him figured out, there is no point relying on his amazing defense," Kaminari added.
"So it comes down to a showdown between men. HELL YEAH! That's what I'm talking about," Kirishima cheered for Bakugo.
Mirio powered through the explosion launched at him, the cheeky grin never fading from his face as he moved forward, delivering a fast punch that Katsuki barely managed to dodge, putting more force than he intended with his Explosive Speed to move him out of the way.
'What the hell…' The violent trainee gulped with newfound fear; he could not hide from those watching. 'His Quirk doesn't enhance his body to superhuman levels, and yet he's as swift as lightning and hits like a juggernaut. Who the hell is this guy?'
"Your Quirk is amazingly versatile, friend," Mirio praised, launching another lightning-fast punch that was closer to hitting Bakugo, but his explosive speed prevailed in getting him out of danger again. "But relying on your Quirk too much is not good for you. I mean, if you can only make explosions with your arms, then you'll become obsolete if they're too damaged, so I suggest you develop some new tricks."
"SHUT UP! Don't you dare mock me!" Bakugo screamed, his attacks becoming more unhinged.
"What if a Villain is smart enough to realize that your Quirk Factor is only in your arms, and if they do enough damage, you won't be able to use your Quirk anymore. When you get yourself a Hero Costume, you should consider installing protection." The words that Izuku told him shortly before they parted ways from Aldera resurfaced in his mind at that exact moment.
'He's the same as Deku. No wonder I've been especially pissed since I laid eyes on him. You're both little shits who think you're better than me! You think you have me all figured out?! HUH?!'
"I'll show him… I'LL SHOW YOU BOTH!" The sheer weight of the rage magnified the power of his Explosion, causing a portion of Gym Gemma to explode upon collision, but thankfully, no one but Mirio was caught in the blast, and his endurance and resilience proved a formidable obstacle for the explosive young hero.
"It's as if he injected himself with Trigger," Nemuri gulped at the sudden increase in brutality.
"Or rather, Togata's words of wisdom caused him to recall something that set him off more than usual," Aizawa said, paying close attention to anything Bakugo says.
Despite Katsuki's relentless barrage of explosions, Mirio refused to yield, absorbing each blast with unwavering determination. With every explosion, Katsuki felt the strain of his Quirk taking its toll on his body, the throbbing pain in his arms and shoulders growing more intense with each passing moment.
But Katsuki refused to back down, his determination burning brighter than ever as he unleashed his full power against his formidable opponent. With a fierce roar, he channeled all of his energy into his Special Move, Stun Grenade, creating a blinding sphere of light between his hands.
The sphere erupted into a blinding flash, engulfing the area in brilliant light as the force of the explosion rippled through the air. For a moment, it seemed as though Mirio had been defeated, his form obscured by the dazzling display of light.
But as the light faded, Mirio remained standing, his expression unchanged as he stared down at his opponent with unwavering resolve. Despite the intensity of Katsuki's attack, Mirio had managed to endure, his indomitable willpower allowing him to weather the storm of explosions unscathed.
Katsuki gritted his teeth in frustration, his muscles aching from the exertion as he struggled to catch his breath. Despite his best efforts, he had failed to defeat Mirio, the strength and resilience of the Senior student proving to be more than a match for his explosive Quirk.
"You Freshmen are a lot of fun, but you're way too eager," Mirio smirked. "If you're too focused on reaching the finish line, you lose sight of the opportunities the journey presents you with. Of course, if someone's life is endanger, then good on you, but even speedy rescues can be risky."
"Shut up! I won't be just another Rescue Hero pansy," Katsuki groaned.
"And that's where we get to the meatgrinder of this little game, my friend. You have the talent and the drive, but when it comes down to it, you have a long way before you can call yourself a Hero!" Mirio lectured, charging after Katsuki for one last strike. "Quirks may be the most important part of our individuality, but they're just tools at the end of the day!"
"I said SHUT UP!" Katsuki screamed, launching one last explosion, but it was futile as Mirio used Permeation again, phasing through the incoming attack.
"You can make my Quirk obsolete but as a Hero you could never take away—" He lunged forward, aiming for Katsuki's face that it looked as though he was going for his eyes, getting him to instinctively close them, and this is what Mirio was counting on as he simply passed his arm through his face, before contorting himself in the air and delivering a powerful punch. "—MY POOOOWWWEEEEERRRRR!"
Katsuki got blown into the air, the force of the punch too great that he could not breathe for the seconds he was falling before he hit the cement floor, and by then, he was done. He couldn't move. He couldn't feel his limbs. Though his breath returned to him, his strength did not. He's been bested, and his thoughts went numb as a result.
"Oh shit, Bakubro!" Kirishima cried out.
"This is the part where you say he lasted longer than you anticipated, right?" Midnight asked,
"If I did, I'd be a liar." Shota shrugged. "I was almost hoping Bakugo would put up more of a fight than this and would've lasted longer."
"Alright, who's next?" Mirio asked, expecting another challenger among those still standing, though the one to answer first is among the first that have fallen.
"I'm not done…" Shoto half-growled, forcing himself up on his feet, though it was a struggle. His whole body is still trembling from the pain he received when Mirio first struck him down.
"Still kicking, I see. You're a gusty one. I could've sworn I hit you extra hard by mistake since I was a little too eager to start this," Mirio praised Shoto for his resilience, though perhaps he had spoken too soon since the Icy student is not as physically capable as Katsuki or Eijiro despite the rigorous training his father foisted on him. He can dish out a lot of pain, but thus far, he's proven that he can't take it.
"You might want to lie down and rest. You're clearly not used to something like this," The Senior insisted to the other stubborn member of 1-A.
"I think not!" Shoto declined. Once he formed a distance between himself and his classmates, he went on the offensive.
His movements were fluid and precise, the Ice of his Quirk crackling with power as he summoned forth imposing constructs of frozen fury. With each strike, he aimed to catch Mirio off guard, forcing the Big Three student to constantly remain on the move to evade the onslaught of icy attacks.
Mirio, for his part, matched Shoto's movements with a grace and agility that bordered on the supernatural. With swift sidesteps and acrobatic leaps, he effortlessly dodged Shoto's ice constructs, his reflexes honed to perfection as he danced through the battlefield with an almost ethereal grace.
But despite Mirio's impressive evasion skills, Shoto refused to relent, his attacks coming fast and furious as he sought to overwhelm his opponent with sheer force. Ice spikes erupted from the ground, icy tendrils lashed out with deadly precision, and frosty gusts of wind threatened to freeze Mirio in his tracks.
For a moment, it seemed as though Shoto's relentless assault might be enough to turn the tide of battle in his favor. But Mirio, ever the cunning strategist, remained one step ahead, his movements calculated and precise as he deftly avoided each and every one of Shoto's attacks.
With a swift sidestep, Mirio slipped past a barrage of ice shards, closing the distance between himself and Shoto in the blink of an eye. In one fluid motion, he delivered a powerful blow that sent Shoto reeling, the force of the impact sending him crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.
As Shoto struggled to regain his footing, Mirio pressed his advantage, his attacks coming fast and furious as he sought to overwhelm his opponent with sheer speed and agility. Despite Shoto's best efforts to defend himself, he found himself struggling to keep up with Mirio's relentless assault.
With each passing moment, Shoto's strength began to wane, his movements growing slower and more labored as exhaustion threatened to consume him. But even in the face of defeat, he refused to back down, his determination unwavering as he continued to fight with all his might.
But in the end, it was Mirio who emerged victorious, his indomitable willpower and unparalleled skill proving to be more than a match for Shoto's icy fury.
"That, my young friend… was really "cool," Mirio praised, claiming victory over 1-A.
"Lame!" Everyone uttered in response to the lame pun.
"Jeez… tough crowd,"
"Alright! I've seen enough for now," Aizawa said, deeming this fight over.
The rest of the day was pretty much spent with 1-A recovering from their humiliating defeat and skipping all other classes. Something that Aizawa more or less neglected to remind the other teachers because he left Nemuri to tell them for him, and she forgot to tell them, so Aizawa will have to speak with the Dean by today's end. Which is ridiculous to him because he let Nezu know in advance what he was planning with Mirio.
"This day went from fantastic to abysmal," Sero sobbed, still in pain from the beating Mirio gave.
"Sorry about that. I've been told repeatedly that I have to learn when to hold back, but sadly, I can't help myself when I'm overexcited," A fully clothed Mirio apologized and had the decency to look embarrassed because he was brutal with the weaker students. "I really did my best to keep my privates for the sake of the ladies."
"Oh, we saw it. And you are forgiven," Mina huffed, the pain leaving her quicker than most.
"Damn tall, musclebound asshole," Mineta seethed with infinite envy for Mirio's perfect masculinity.
"Okay! For future situations, always remember to have a spare costume ready to replace your missing and damaged one," Aizawa caught in to keep the topic away from anything perverted.
"I'll be sure to ask Power Loader for more spare Lemillion Costumes!" Mirio responded with a salute. "So what did you guys think of my Quirk? Nejire's and Tamaki's are way cooler, but my Permeation is pretty neat, ain't it?"
"Neat my ass! It's fucking OP!" Sero protested.
"Yeah! Phasing and Warping. What are you? Another Hybrid like Todoroki?" Toru questioned, and this earned her a cold glare from said hybrid since being reminded of his nature always riles him up. He wouldn't have done anything, but Aizawa still silenced him with his Erasure.
"THE HELL IT IS!" Katsuki again snapped. He was the slowest to recover from their defeat, but once he was on his feet, his rage was the first to react. "His Quirk is bullshit! There's no way you should've been able to do what you did to us."
"No need to be impolite about it. Let me explain: when I activate Permeation across my whole body, I can phase through everything and everyone. And everything includes the ground itself," Mirio began.
"By phasing through the ground, you mean you're actually falling through it," Kyoka guessed.
"Yep. Falling straight through the Earth. But when I deactivate Permeation, something amazing happens. Multiple objects can't occupy the same space, so says logic, so one of them gets expelled. That being me. So I get launched out of the ground instantaneously. That's what you would call my "warping." I can control the angle with my orientation and pose, so I can choose where I get shot through."
"That sounds like a glitch in a video game to me," Mina pouted, making Mirio laugh.
"That's one way to look at it!"
"That sounds like a strong Quirk if you ask me," Tsuyu stated.
"Am I mute, or were you useless Extras born deaf!" Katsuki protested, not believing how ignorant his so-called classmates are when factoring in the total usage of Permeation.
"We all wish you were mute," Ojiro sneered.
"His Quirk sucks because EVERYTHING phases through him when he uses it, including oxygen, so he can't breathe when he's intangible," Katsuki revealed, earning a few gasps. "Additionally, his eardrums can't pick up vibrations, so he can't hear shit either. And you have to be a special kind of stupid to not conclude that he also renders himself blind since his eyes can't absorb light."
"Wow. You're really smart," Mirio praised again, not bothered by his drawbacks being unveiled since he intended to reveal them. "In truth, my Quirk is horrifying. Everything passes through me, and I can't feel anything at all. That said, I still have mass, so the only thing left is the sensation of falling endlessly, to the Core of the Earth."
"That's fucked up, man," Kaminari said, getting chills with this explanation.
"And fucking useless. It makes no sense for anyone to be so capable with something like that," Katsuki sneered. "So how then…"
"The key is time and quick thinking. Every second. Every nanosecond counts. Picoseconds even. When to activate it. Which parts should only be made intangible, and when to deactivate my Quirk at the exact moment? It took a lot of hard work, but I managed to pull through," Mirio grinned while flexing his muscles. "I'm the same as you guys. I had to work hard to bypass my limitations and gain more strength. I believe that a true Hero's Power is not their Quirk but their determination to push through all obstacles and never give up. Just get back up and keep trying. The only real weakness you have is yourself."
That made the majority of the students feel inspired, lifting their spirits even more. It almost felt like getting a pep talk from All Might.
'The only weakness I have is myself,' Shoto thought, staring at his raised left hand, thinking of his father's flames before hastily pushing the thought aside.
'Strike One. This had some merit after all,' Aizawa mused, catching a glint in Shoto's expression. A glint of acceptance. It got sealed back behind his doubts and insecurities fairly quickly, but now that he's seen it, he knows it can be pulled out again.
As expected, Bakugo is the only one who wasn't impressed by Mirio, refusing to take his words to heart because of the familiarity, and it wasn't All Might that came to mind.
"He gave up on attending UA, so nothing you say means anything."
"Who gave up on UA?" Mirio asked in curiosity, but Bakugo didn't respond, more surprised that he knew what he was thinking.
'Did I say that out loud?' He mumbled in disbelief.
"Bakubro?" Kirishima asked, now worried because Katsuki seemed more troubled than just by their loss.
'And that's strike two,' Aizawa might've smirked if he wasn't in a bad mood like he always is when giving lessons.
'Oh boy… I knew this guy was going to be trouble. He's not just an angry Pomeranian; his insecurities are deeper than not being able to handle defeat,' Mirio thought, rubbing his chin, wondering how best to help Katsuki out of his funk. 'No good. The best I can do is give him a reason to keep trying to get stronger, and usually giving someone more rivals to surpass does the trick.'
"Hey, man, I get it. Losing can be a real bummer, especially when the job we're studying and training for can't accept any failures since failure means the death of someone, but if you let it get to you like you're doing, you're only going to reach dead ends," Mirio advised. "And yes, losing to a Vigilante sucks, but hey, I'm still walking tall and living life, so you can too."
"Wait, what'd you mean by that?" Kirishima asked.
"Oh yeah… that's where I was going with this. I encountered Webjack myself while working under Sir Nighteye. During his second month of vigilantism, back when he wasn't as cool and funny as he is now," Mirio revealed.
"You think he's funny?" They asked and deadpanned.
"I tried to arrest the Webhead, so we fought. Well, he tried to avoid confronting me when he found out I wasn't a Pro yet, so props to him for not wanting to harm a student, but I put him in a no-run scenario, so we smacked each other for a bit. Thought I had him when I used my Blinder Touch Eyeball Crush on him, that's the same Special Move I used on Bakugo, and I was sure he was out for the count after that, but nope! He was only faking that I managed to hurt him, and when I was close enough, he sucker punched me in the stomach! Knocked me out cold for the rest of the day. Last thing I remembered before blacking out was him apologizing for the cheap shot,"
"He should be sorry. Super unmanly," Kirishima frowned in disapproval.
"Says the guy who avoided getting hit too badly by him during our match," Mina reprimanded her friend, who in turn grew somber because he didn't really get to do much in the fight. He wasn't sure if Mirio even acknowledged his presence.
"Nah, it was a good lesson. Never assume you've won just because you hit your foe with your full strength and let your guard down. Plus, I was lucky; if Jackie had been a real Villain, I probably would be dead, and the one to break the news to my parents would've most likely been Sir Nighteye," Mirio said with his smile now more somber.
He's known defeat and humiliation his whole life, but he always managed to push through, his willpower always striving to be better than he was the day before. But losing to Webjack was different. For once in his life, he felt like all of his hard work and efforts were for nothing. The Vigilante wasn't even trying to fight him and never once used his full strength, as though he could never pose a challenge to him. It took a stern but encouraging peptalk from Sir Nighteye to lift his spirit, but the feeling of unworthiness never left his heart.
And it's for this reason that Mirio can empathize with Katsuki's newfound shock as he gazes at his senior with a look that is easy to describe.
"The upperclassmen that defeated me so easily couldn't stand up to the Masked Bastard either!"
Bakugo was always easy to read, and this time he's an open book.
Mirio just offers him a thumbs-up of encouragement.
"If you're bumped about losing, then try to get better. If your Quirk is awesome, that's no excuse to slack off and not make it better. If it sucks, then work harder than everyone else and make it a boon for those who need your help. Perfection is boring anyway!"
"So manly…" Kirishima looked like he could cry.
"Would you look at that, it seems your little plan worked to a degree," Midnight commented, noticing the new vigor in the students, including Katsuki, who looks like he's been enlightened.
"This is only the first step. These brats won't change overnight, so I have to push them harder, but at least I have a better understanding of just how damaged they really are inside," Aizawa said, contemplating everything he discovered.
'Endeavor is the reason why his son won't use his Quirk to his maximum potential, which I knew from the beginning, but I may have underestimated just how spiteful Shoto really is. Does that mean that rumors about how piss poor his parenting skills are might be true?' He thought. 'And Katsuki. The cracks in his pride are shattering bit by bit. He no longer considers himself the superior hero, try as he might to put on a strong front. And what he said earlier was he talking about Midoriya? Him not attending UA should've been good news for you, and yet… were you disappointed when you didn't find him here?'
-[-
"You sure love to keep a girl waiting," Toga pouted, upset about her previous encounter the day before, since Webjack left from the hotel to think over hers and Lady Nagant's condition, getting home quickly to not worry Inko and returning to Himiko the very next day in the afternoon.
"You gave me a lot to consider. I mean, what she wants goes against what my goals are, and if I do this, I'll end up becoming a real Villain, and so will you, and the whole point of me helping you was to prevent that," Webjack muttered while he was crouching on the railings of the hotel's rooftop.
"Legally speaking, you are a Villain because you're not a Hero by the standards of this crummy society," Toga reminded while playing with her knife.
"We both know you get what I mean."
"Yeah, and I am dead set on following Nagy's lead on this, and so should you," She affirmed. "No one's going to die if we play our cards right. There will be blood spilled, which is always fun, but at least your main rule won't be broken, and the unhappier the Commission is, the better off Society will be."
"And they already painted a target on my back, so what's the use in arguing?" Webjack conceded. "Alright, I'm in."
"Aww, Jackie, I knew you couldn't say no to me," Toga giggled with delight.
"And about assembling the manpower, I crippled. I believe I know someone who can help boost our chances. Two of them, in fact. They're pretty low on the criminal spectrum but more formidable than meets the eye, and personally, they're not really Villains, just two people who don't want to be forgotten and are just doing crazy nonsense to be remembered."
"Well, I never heard of them, so they're clearly not doing a good job," Toga joked.
"That's the sad part. So if nothing else works out, the Police will surely remember them for years to come if they agree to join us," Jackie sighed, hoping against all odds that what comes next won't backfire like the last time.
In a lone apartment, a certain gray-haired man stood above a smaller red-haired woman. Despite her size, she was an adult and was currently rewiring a small gadget.
"Ooookay. Got it," She spun around in her chair as she presented the device to the man, "Here we go, a new video camera and everything."
"It looks exquisite!" The man replied before lifting up a small teacup. "I love it! Well done!"
"Thank you, Gentle!" She cheered, "I can't wait to try this out tomorrow!"
"Indeed! Tomorrow will be our greatest heist yet, La Brava!"