MosesArk Reborn2000
patreon
Quirkless Existence Chapter 10
🕑 Added 2023-06-07 12:30:21 +0000 UTCSummary: As the League continues its operations, the heroes, most notably the students find themselves dealing with continuous tragedies.
Chapter 10: Compounding Tragedies
Rikiya Yotsubashi sat down in his place as the President and CEO of the Detnerat, seated before him were his company’s board members. With a smile, he greeted them. “Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, what is the latest on our expected sales figures for the quarter?” He asked their CFO; the middle-aged woman adjusted her glasses as she gave her report.
"They're looking good, sir. If we just consider the sales of the usual lifestyle products, we're set to see a 2.12% increase in revenue." There was a pleased hum from the people present at that, as while not the biggest lifestyle support in Japan, they were one of the largest and most trusted in the Asian market thanks to their high-quality products, in a way they were the Mercedes Benz of lifestyle support. An increase of even just 1% would easily mean over 11.5 billion yen.
“Something the shareholders must be pleased about I assume?” Yotsubashi asked, leaning back into his seat as while he was the leader of the company, if there was one thing, he learned early on was that unhappy shareholders meant a poor year for any company, even if that dissatisfaction wasn’t based on facts.
"I would hope so, the good news only gets better from there as we've made headway in our plans to expand into the hero market." The CTO spoke up, as the 30-year-old had been the one to spearhead their efforts to enter the extremely competitive and ironically enough cutthroat hero support gear market. It wasn't as if they could get any of the top 30 to use their equipment since they were all signed to other companies, one also couldn't rely too much on no-name pros as that was far too niche to see any real profit for a company their size.
“Yes, we’ve managed to acquire both the land and the permits to set up another 3 workshops for support gear, which will boast the local economy thanks to the increased jobs and productivity.” The CLO added, having signed the last of the paperwork a few days prior, though it was a smart move on the CEO's part to suggest that rather than set up shop in central Japan where there were dozens of other vendors, that they open their workshops up north, away from the major cities.
"That'll bring the total number to 8, shame that they need to be small scale else they'll be churning out gear by the thousands." The CFO noted as while lucrative, such profits didn't rise from mass production but rather from the sales of individual quality items. After all, there were only so many spare costumes a pro would need to have on hand and it wasn't like you could sell equipment geared towards something like say Gang Orca to Crust.
"Can't be helped, different heroes request different things. The best we can do is produce on mass essential standardized key components like we’ve been doing for years.” Yotsubashi added as they had all known this from the start.
“And of recruitment? Workshops are fine and all, but they do need labor, and we don’t just take anyone as our brand’s number one goal is quality.” The CFO inquired.
“We’ve managed to hire a few more designers and engineers, even poached a few from Scarlet Smiths.” The CHRO replied, a bit smug about herself with that last part.
“They’re a subsidy of the Yaoyorozu conglomerate, aren’t they? I can imagine that it wasn’t easy getting them to break their contracts.” Yotsubashi noted as he had dealt with that conglomerate ever since he become a rival to their near chokehold on the lifestyle support market. Ruthless was a word he would use to describe them and their business practices but who was he to talk? One didn't get this far without tossing aside the morals that common folk practised. It was also because of that that he made a mental note to increase security to ensure that they didn't succeed in any attempt to sabotage them as payback for poaching some of their people.
“It wasn’t, but they’re well worth it. It’s just going to be a pain dealing with the Yaoyorozu family as no way they’ll take this laying down.” The CHRO shrugged her shoulders.
"They're been less than kind to anyone butting into the hero support business, considering they essentially own 40% of it." The CTO said he could already feel the headaches that will come from trying to win business contracts and clients with the Yaoyorozu family present, and most likely wishing to see their efforts crushed before they can blossom and steal business from them.
“Hence why we should focus on recruiting younger talent, UA’s having its sports festival soon, they’ll be plenty of opportunities to see whatever their support course can bring to the table.” The COO, who up till now had been silent, spoke up. The retired pro-turned-businesswoman had a better understanding of heroes than most of them combined. It was how she knew that students often didn't know what they wanted and needed qualified support engineers to help them create and master their identities as pros. If you could earn them as clients through that, they rarely ever choose a new support company.
“I wouldn’t doubt that, the Sports Festival is the showing for the hero course, I have no clue why U.A. even lets the other courses compete when the last time someone from outside their flagship course made it to the final rounds was 10 years ago.” The CFO scoffed, though it wasn’t a rare feeling as while the U.A. Sports festival was a spectacle that long surpassed the Olympics as far as Japan was concerned, it was still an event geared towards the hero course. Yotsubashi wouldn't have put it past them to exclude the other courses if they had more than just the 2 hero classes per grade.
"Probably to appease parents who wish to see their children have a chance, but I would say it's crueler to dangle the chance of victory in front of them and then place it on a mountain as they do." The CHRO stated, that although she supposed that they'll change the formula this year around as while she believed it foolish to still have the event after the USJ attack, surely, they'll change it a little to keep the attention on the hero students who need some good PR right now, and being bested or even challenged by students who don't get the same training as them might just make them feel worse.
“Yes, it’ll probably be the Culture Festival where we can get any real scouting done as they only do it for the sake of the other 3 courses that get shafted in the Sports Festival.” Yotsubashi agreed with the sentiment as while a great chance to view the future of heroes, it wasn't the potential clients they needed, but engineers to do the work.
However, who said that they couldn’t do both at once? "That doesn't mean that it'll be a waste of time, I believe that the hero course always goes for internships after the festival, is that right?" He asked the gathered board members.
“Yes, all first years are required to attend, if I recall right, second and third years are much the same, only they can choose to do work studies if they have the license.” The COO replied, recalling her time at Shiketsu.
"You're suggesting we offer something similar to the support students from U.A.? It'll be a hard sell considering that we're newcomers to the field, not to mention the fact that the Yaoyozorzu family is already one of their key donors. Once they hear of this, they'll no doubt offer the same." The CTO caught onto what their president was thinking but he wasn’t too keen to take the risk.
"True, but U.A. for all its eccentricity, is a much more impartial institution than most. They'll are the very least consider it and if the Yaoyorozu conglomerate or more likely, the companies they own that do business with U.A. requests something similar, well they can't refuse ours now can they?" Yotsubashi wouldn't pretend to understand the thought process of that aloof principle, having a better grasp on the minds of U.A.'s board, but he knew enough about the beastman to know he was fair in his choices, rarely buckling to outside pressure. He could meet with him and pitch the idea as he was the type to enjoy innovation.
“They have a proven track record, we only started producing support gear 2 months ago.” The CTO countered.
“But do we have a proven track record in lifestyle equipment, one going back decades and while it's different things, it does give us far more credence than a new start-up, wouldn't you say?" Yotsubashi replied with a question, getting the CTO to pause to think about it for a moment before he smiled at the CEO.
"Well, it would be good to get them early, it'll also be a good experience for both us and the internships considering we just recently won that 67 million yen contract with the Wild Wild Pussycats." He placed his hands on the table, leaning forward.
“More so, it’ll be great PR.” The literally mousy CMO added, already seeing the good press they’ll get from offering U.A. support students that chance, perhaps they could even extend it to their general and business courses. After all, they would need people in marketing, finance, design and legal for the future and if U.A. produced the best, why not try and get some?
“Then it is settled then, now onto the next-” Before he could move onto another topic, the CEO felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. A little black spot on his head grew just a little but not more as it wasn’t his normal phone ringing, but his second one. Reaching for it, he saw the caller ID and quickly got up.
“Pardon me, ladies and gentlemen, I do have to take this.” The board gave their permission as he walked out of the room, entering his office and taking a seat not in his normal chair but in the sofas that were present for the more casual or friendly visits he would entertain. Turning to the wall-to-wall window that gave him an excellent view of the city, he answered the call.
"Why hello, Curious. I wasn't expecting a call, during work hours." He spoke, keeping his voice low but not low enough to illicit any kind of suspicions from anyone that might have been nearby. It wasn’t like he had potential leaks in his company, but it was better safe than sorry.
“My apologies, Grand Commander but I believe that this is something you would wish to hear.” Curious spoke over the phone, sounding apologetic he let it go, the black mark receding.
“Well, go ahead.” He told her.
“We’ve tracked down the headquarters of the Shie Hassaikai, and the locations of our missing girls.” His eyes widened just a little at that, having heard that Skeptic was having a challenge was that. Had he finally tracked them down? Good for him, though he would need to be careful in not mentioning the time it took for him to find them.
"That's good, but I have a feeling there's more to it than that." As pleasing as it was to hear that they had a location on that vile Yakuza group, surely she could have waited to tell him later if this was just that.
There was a pause, and when Curious replied, it was in barely hidden contempt for the Yakuza. “There is, we also discovered that not only is Overhaul's gang the source of this Venom epidemic hitting the streets but that the source of the drug is Midoriya herself.” His black spot grew, even larger when he heard that. it didn’t take a genius to figure out what she was referring to, what was angering her as much as it was him.
“A latent meta-ability?” It was rare, mainly happening with those who merely discovered that there was more to their quirk than they first believed, but someone could have an invisible meta-ability. If her abilities could be used to boast the abilities of others, then it was likely that she was being forced to use her gift for the benefit of those outdated vermin.
“Worse, he’s harvesting her and Eri’s cells to produce his new drugs. Midoriya’s for Venom, and Eri’s for her meta-ability, that from what we know, can rewind any living matter to a previous state.” His black mark only grew as he heard that, the image of them tied down to tables like lab rats popping into his mind as he took a deep breath lest he let his anger out. Venom was already a scourge seeing how it was adding fuel to the fires that raged every day in hero society for the government’s dogs to put out in a grand circus for the masses, but to hear that to create it required such cruelty. No, this wouldn’t do.
“His plans to perfect it to create a drug that can completely erase one's meta-ability but he’s only in the trial stage at the moment, only succeeding in producing a drug that can suppress one’s quirk for a time.” His breath hitched at that, thinking about what he learned about the old days, the times before the government created the implemented the hero system. There had been calls for such then, a 'cure' for the 'sick' as they called them. Others believed they could use such on a dangerous prisoner, stripping them of their individuality for the sake of keeping them, and the rest of society in line.
It would be bad if villains got their hands on such, but if the HPSC managed to get some for their uses, they might…no, they WOULD use it to further enforce their deceptions and shackles on the people, and strip the meta-abilities from any that could threaten it.
“He dares commit such acts? To attack a basic human right?” He asked more himself than her as he calmed himself down, his fury boiling as he wished to crush that petty fool like the ant he was but alas, he couldn't at the moment. “You already on the move?” However, now that he heard what she had to say, he could predict that Curious had already made some moves of her own to see him defeated and his research destroyed.
His lieutenant didn’t disappoint as he could hear the smile on her face as she replied. “Plans are already in motion; I merely wish for your blessing to carry them out.”
“You have it. see this fool and all those who follow be crushed.” He replied, leaning into his seat as his fury abated, at least a little with the news.
“Thank you, but things will go smoother if we can mobilize some of the pros in our ranks as we have good reason to believe that the local police and heroes are compromised.” He wasn’t surprised to hear that, Yakuza had always found cops willing to look the other way for cash, pros being similar wasn’t as common but when so many were merely fighting for a pay-check, why wouldn’t they accept a bonus?
“Is that so? How compromised?” They needed to see his Kai and his efforts crushed, but they couldn’t afford to be open about it, not at this stage else the HPSC would realize they existed and crack down hard on their operation if not downright attempt to crush them as they did over 40 years ago.
“Midoriya-san doesn’t know, all she knows is that he has plants in the police and that at least one local hero seems to be in his pocket as well," Curious replied, though while it wasn’t ideal that they couldn’t trust any of the local pros and law enforcement, he was curious about the source of this information.
“And how did you talk with her? Have you already freed her?” He would have recalled hearing about that as he knew that Curious would have made it a media circus.
“No, I just have a mole in his organization whose acts as a means to allow us to chat.” The man hummed as he thought it over, closing his eyes to better think before he gave his response.
“Good plan…Alright, you may use any assets we have in the area, make sure it’s a single strike that cuts this cancer before it and its outdated beliefs can spread.” He ordered her as they didn't have too many pros, but he suspected that there would be enough for this. They'll also need the names of those local pros to keep them distracted while their people destroyed all of Kai's records if they left even a single bit behind, the HPSC and police would find it and he wouldn't put it past them to try and replicate any of that man's work for their gains.
He ended the call and put on a smile as he returned to the board meeting, giving those he left a small bow of apology. “My apologies, it wasn’t anything too important but you know how some of our employees get when they’re nervous, now let’s get back to business.”
Line Break
Despite the situation that had just happened, Tomura found himself only mildly irritated, his master’s lessons about keeping calm doing wonders as he took a sip of his drink. “Goddammit, should have met up with him somewhere else.” He scratched his neck as his second in command and main method of transport cleaned a glass, neither reacting to the moans and blood splatter on the walls and floor.
"It was…regrettable that we came to blows," Kurogiri replied as he placed the clean glass back into its place, reaching for another to clean as most had some blood on them, the source of which being the headless body that was slumped on the floor, next to it was 3 others-all dead which the sole other occupant was extremely concerned about as he held his arm where he had a deep cut.
“What the hell was that for? We’re on the same fucking side, why’d he attack us?” Tesla demanded. He had thought it would be easy, they invite Stain over, convince him to join and they gain another powerhouse to the League, it would be a hell of a lot better than the dregs they had during the USJ raid as even while he enjoyed sticking it to U.A. and heroes, he knew they only got that far thanks to surprise and the fact they had so many people in venom, to replicate that as Shigaraki's faceless master has advised, they would need better people that didn't need drugs to be a threat.
Well, now they needed those people more than ever as that fucker Stain just killed two of them! Oxy-Man and Sharkyonara were dead just because that asshole didn't like them! He was only lucky as his reflexes meant he kept his arm, though it hurt like a bitch.
Not reacting to his pain as he slowly got up from the wall, the effects of whatever Stain's quirk was fading, Shigaraki spoke to him. “We’re not.”
“What?”
“That asshole" His red eyes turned to the T.V. in the corner, one replaying the U.A. first-year sports festival, specifically the part where a god third of class 1 didn't qualify for the second rounds, his smile growing as he saw how dejected his victims looked. “He may not be unimportant like the rest of the NPCs out there, but he’s just as blind. You heard him, the moron’s obsessed with All Might.” Stain had been willing to listen, but as soon as they mentioned their goals to kill All Might and destroy his previous order, the man had locked up and declared them 'aimless fools eager for blood and death' Ha! As if he could lecture them when his scarf was dyed red from the fucking blood of the heroes he slaughtered.
Moreover, despite his hypocrisy, he made sure they knew he was a stanch All Might stan just like the rest when he took Oxy-Man's head clean off for just shit-talking the blonde buffoon. Sharkyonara has his neck slashed open when he tried to attack the sword user in retaliation, the blood spatter nearly hit Shigaraki, it had hit Kurogiri and the bar wall behind him, forcing the teleporter to now silently clean the glasses and bottles.
Asshole didn’t even apologize for his rudeness, he just demanded they return him to his little hero hunt, which he obliged as while he wanted him dead, it wouldn’t do to fight in the bar, not when he lived and gamed in the building and risked damaging his new console. "I had hoped we could work together; it would make things so much easier to have such a high-level player but he's just like the rest of them, obsessed with the same lie that this godforsaken world has accepted as truth."
“Does this change our plans?” Tesla asked as Shigaraki passed him a first aid med kit to sort his wounds out, one didn’t run a bar without having such items on hand.
Shigaraki took another sip of his drink, how he did so with a fucking severed hand on his face, Tesla would never know. "…No. We're still hitting Hosu in 2 days." Shigaraki kept his attention on the replay of the Sports festival, which now covered the second round where class 1-A had to fight tooth and nail to make it through, but still managed to send 12 people to the finals. It was pretty impressive that they managed to rally to do it, more so when he saw how the blonde boy from 1-B seemed to be infuriated by the turn of events.
“Wasn’t it meant to be a dual assault? Us, some Nomu and Stain?” Tesla asked as their plan to strike Hosu hadn't been the most thought out, far less than the USJ as Shigaraki had only started working on it the night before Stain showed up, he was meant to help them narrow things down.
"I don't need someone like that to get the job done, besides we have enough people to cause some panic, this time those sheep won't be able to ignore us like U.A. is pretending to do," Shigaraki replied as he pointed to the TV which while muted, still seemed to carry the energy of the crowds into the dark bar. Shigaraki's opinions on the NPCs had never been high, but it seems that they couldn't even break from their programming as that festival was less than 3 weeks after his attack. The first gathering of villains attacking in broad daylight in over 30 years, and it's treated in the same way one did every other two-but villain attack: News coverage for a few days, some concerns from the public, heroes say 'it's all good.'; sheep believe it, and by the end of the week, they're all focused on something else.
"Regardless, even with our numbers, the plan will need a few adjustments," Kurogiri advised.
“Yeah, yeah. Master,” Shigaraki turned to the other T.V. the one which never showed a picture and was seemingly always on, at least when Tesla was in the room. “I’ll need another Nomu to make up for the fact Stain’s useless.” There was an amused chuckle from the other end, one that still shot fear down Tesla’s spine even though he never saw the man who caused it. it was like his malice and dominance bled through the screen, dwarfing that of Shigaraki’s.
“The doctor’s not going to be happy but it can be done, you’ll like them juiced up as well?” The voice asked, his words calm and collected, spoken in an accent far more refined than the regular gutter thug or low-tier villain.
Shigaraki smiled underneath his mask, holding up a news article which talked about Stain's last victim, the Turbo hero and how he was expected to retire from the profession due to injuries from the attack. The USJ incident was not even mentioned. “We paid good money for those stats boosters,” He started, the paper turning to dust as he gripped it with all four fingers and thumb. “Why not use them?”
This response seemed to amuse the faceless voice as its rough laugh conveyed. “Good, Tomura. Always be sure to use what you have in front of you to the maximum capacity of the situation. You’ve already introduced yourself to the world, now you need to ensure they can’t forget you.”
Line Break
“Hey…” The members of class 1-A present turned in shock to see Uraraka in the doorway, and to put it simply, she looked terrible. She looked like she had tried to get her hair in order, but gave up halfway, slouched over the door, the dark circles around her red eyes made it clear that she had been doing nothing but crying the entire weekend with little sleep. To see the girl who had been so bubbly at the beginning of the semester reduced to this… was heart-wrenching.
Yaoyorozyu sprung to action, her feelings about the situation pushed aside as she raced to her friend's side, helping her into the class and letting her use her taller frame as support. "Uraraka! We weren't expecting you today, are you sure you're up to it? There's no shame in needing a couple more days." Truly, none had expected to see her till maybe Wednesday, not after what they all had seen occur.
Uraraka shook her head, appreciating the concern but wishing to stay. “I’m not, but it was this or stay in my apartment by myself.” She smiled at Yaomomo, but it felt and looked hollow. Despite this, Yaomomo didn’t comment on it even if her frown conveyed how much she wished to say otherwise. Ochaco's parents may have come to visit her over the weekend and were there for her the entire time, but they had to return home for work and while they suggested trying for their daughter's sake, or having her return with them, she had fought them on it, she didn't want them to miss any more work then they did on her account, nor did she wish to miss school…she hoped that the lessons will help distract her, keep her busy in a way her sparse apartment couldn't.
Walking up to them, Tokoyami walked up to the two with his hands behind his back, hiding something. “I hope that the reporters didn’t give you as much trouble as they gave us.” Just like when it came out that All Might was a teacher, and then the USJ incident, reporters had descended on the school. But if Tokoyami had thought the earlier incidences bad, then what was happening outside the walls of UA was akin to a biblical flood of reporters, microphones and cameras. How it could be anything else as the first case, it was the number one coming to town, the second had been after an unprecedented attack.
Now…now there was a body count.
“Midnight-sensei was waiting for me, she got me through without issue…” Uraraka replied as he revealed the object, he had been hiding behind his back. “Flowers?” Uraraka asked as she stared at the bouquet of White Roses and Orchids.
Handing them to Uraraka, Tokoyami bowed his head. “It’s appropriate...and it was a good classmate, as short as our time together turned out to be.” Their collective gaze turned to the seat that was in front of Uraraka’s desk, to Iida’s seat. It had only been a few days since the chaos that was the League’s attack on Hosu, but it still felt like it was only yesterday as it was during that attack that claimed the lives of 80 people, that their class rep had been killed by Stain, alongside another pro hero, Native.
Though, while the rule-loving boy wasn't in his seat, it wasn't empty as there was already a picture of Iida framed perfectly on the desk, surrounded by a wreath of flowers that the rest of the class must have brought it. seeing this brought a smile to Uraraka's face, and some tears as she tried to wipe them away. “Thanks, I brought some as well.” She opened her bag carefully, pulling out a smaller bouquet, White Lilies straight from her neighbor’s small balcony garden. She couldn’t give much, but even just these few meant a lot to her as she approached Iida’s desk and carefully placed them amongst the others.
“We can organize them better, there is also the chance more will come with the others.” Yaoyorozu offered as she and Tokoyami kept the girl engaged. From across the class, Bakugo silently watched this along with Kaminari, Kirishima and Ashido. He had been the first to enter and first to lay down flowers for glas-for Iida. His death had replayed in his head ever since he saw it to the point that Jeanist gave him his last 2 days with him off, citing that it wouldn't do to try and teach him anything in his state.
“First the USJ and now this?” Kaminari wrapped his hands around his head, clenching his teeth. “Tsu and Mineta just returned to class and now…” It was hard enough having to do the festival when 2 of their number were too injured to participate, but he thought that they found their grove again, they had been so excited for internships, thinking that they could put the League behind them.
“I’m surprised that most of us could even get out of bed, I know it was a struggle for me," Kirishima said, his mood much lower than normal much like his hair, which while red as ever, wasn't spiked as he couldn't find the motivation to finish his normal look.
“Speak for yourself, I was watching the news…I saw it.” Bakugo could still recall how the seat felt on his ass, the staleness of the air, the annoying humming of one of Jeanist’s sidekicks. He could recall of it, the exact moment that someone had heard about the news and turned on the news for the rest of them to see.
It had been pandemonium. At least 40 league thugs rampaging, having 5 Nomu's as their tanks and heavy hitters. The entire place looked like a warzone with how bad things were. Then…then the footage changed as a news camera caught sight of Stain. It shifted from the fires and screaming, to a darkened street right as Stain finished off Native. He could do nothing at that moment but scream and silently beg for anything else, but it didn't change the fact that on live television, for the entire world to see, Stain killed his first student, he killed Iida. “I wish I could sleep after that, had to convince the folks to medicate my ass.” His weekend had been a stressful one, but he imagined there wasn’t a single member of their class that had one any better.
“Yeah, but it must be even harder for Todoroki and Shinso,” Ashido whispered as the two had been on Hosu, but been unable to save Iida as Todoroki wasn't fast enough to capture Stain before he did Iida in, and Shinso wasn't able to stop the bleeding in time. Todoroki was present, sitting by himself but it wasn't the normal silence, but rather a subdued one, even Hagakure, who had taken to talking to him more, couldn't get much out of him. “You think he’ll come in?” She asked, looking at Shinso’s empty seat.
“Wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t. Like for fuck’s sake, the USJ was a mess already, but this-this was…” Kaminari replied as he couldn't imagine what it must have felt like to not be able to save someone, that was the entire point they were training to be heroes, wasn't it? To save people? He didn't want to admit it, but there was a part of him that resent the sarcastic purple-haired boy for not being good enough, but the larger part of him knew better.
“Either way, Todoroki doesn’t look too hot right now, but isn’t it strange that Uraraka’s glaring at him?” Ashido asked, the group looking back towards Uraraka to see her lock eyes with Todoroki, her tear-filled ones quickly shifted to fury as she looked like she was about to attack him. For his part, Todoroki's eyes remained hollow as he just looked away, even if this didn't keep Uraraka's glare from hitting him till Yaoyorozu redirected her attention back to them and away from the duel-haired boy.
“Maybe she blames him? He’s one of the strongest in class, maybe she feels like should have been enough.” Kirishima suggested but even he didn’t seem to think that was the whole story.
"I don't know…that doesn't sound like her," Kaminari replied.
"We haven't seen her mourn, dunce-face," Bakugo said, he had seen how fierce round cheeks could be when she wanted to be. Damn cupcake had a fire in him if her performance against him in the 1v1 meant anything. But if that was her determination, then the look she gave Todoroki was her hate. Those eyes she shot him, reminded him of the eyes he used to give Deku, they were the eyes of someone that thought whatever they were looking at was a bug, an annoyance at best and a pest at worst. The only issue was, why? Why did Round-cheeks have those eyes for Half-and-Half? You would think he killed Iida.
As the rest of the class arrived, conversations remained light as they gave Uraraka their condolences and placed their offerings on Iida's desk, Sato bringing an entire vase which they could put the loose flowers into. Aoyama brought the largest bouquet of them all, one the size of Mineta, his eyes looked redder than Uraraka's as he remained uncharacteristically quiet, shuffling to his seat like a church mouse.
With 18 of the 20 seats filled, Aizawa opened the door, the man out of bandages but in no happy mood as he allowed Shinso to walk in past him, the boy looking less like he was sleep deprived, and more like he was a zombie, many suspecting he hadn’t slept much since the attack close to a week ago. Walking up to the front of the class, the underground hero opened his mouth. “I see that the news has already reached you all, I hope that the faculty was able to aid you all onto school grounds as I can imagine there isn't anyone in a mood to speak with the press.” He had done so for Shinso, who nearly had a breakdown when he tried to enter school grounds and was accosted by some reporters, he had been swift in dealing with them and most had dispersed after the fact.
He wasn't going to hold back this time around, so if they wished to write something about how U.A. wasn't open to the press, let them. They had no right to pressure his students into speaking when it was clear they were in mourning.
"His funeral will be held over the weekend, and his family have extended invitations to the entire class and while we as a school can't and won't force any of you to attend, we highly encourage it, if for no other reason than to say your goodbyes.” He hated this part, the part of a hero’s journey where you attended the funerals of fallen comrades. He had wished to never have to see his students go through it so young as he did, that they would finish their training before they had to say goodbye to a dear friend…but life wasn’t fair. He knew it, he did his best to teach his students that, to make sure they knew that.
It didn’t mean he liked it, that he didn’t mourn the loss of one of his students.
“That being said, if anyone needs to talk about this, even outside of school hours, please make full use of Hound dog whose more than willing to help, is that understood.” He pressed a button and the work and private numbers of the school's counsellor were on the board, he waited and saw that at least some of them either took a picture or wrote it down before he took it down.
“Good, now…A moment of silence for Tenya Iida.” The scraggy-looking man closed his eyes and bowed his head, his students doing the same with only the sound of some whimpers getting through.
Line Break
As the lunch bell rang, the students didn’t get up with the same energy as they normally did as while Lunch Rush made some of the best food they had ever had, most didn't feel hungry. Still, they knew that they needed to eat or else they'll regret it when they got to foundational hero studies afterwards. It was with this mindset that Shinso packed up his stuff to head to meet with Uraraka and Yaoyorozu for lunch. “Hey.” He looked up to see an unexpected sight.
“Great, what do you want, Pomeranian?” Shinso rubbed his eyes, too tired to deal with Bakugo at the moment.
"You want to train with Rock Face and me?" He paused, turning to look at him again as if to be sure this was the real deal and not some duplicate. Seeing that Bakugo appeared serious about his offer, his tired eyes narrowed.
“What? Why would I?” Bakugo had been almost as bad at socializing as Todoroki when the school year started, as it was Kirishima that made the first move and carried their friendship if you could call it that. Kaminari and Ashido joining his circle seemed more miracle than fact. So the idea that he would reach out to someone with what he could hope wasn't a trick to use him as target practice was strange.
"I saw the look in your eye when you walked in, I had the look once," Bakugo replied, his red eyes narrowing as Shinso looked away, but at least he wasn’t commenting on the fucking slime villain as he expected he would. “It wasn’t a fun time dealing with it by myself.”
“Okay, here’s another question: Why are you helping me? You barely talk to anyone and when you do, it’s like you’re the Karen of the Hero course.” Shinso asked him, getting an angry huff from the blonde but he kept his temper in check, not like he was wrong.
“I…I have a friend like you,” Bakugo stopped himself from using the past tense. “She went through a similar experience…I don’t like making the same mistake twice.” Deku might have been better off not trying to be a hero any more, but she was not the same girl he knew after that day. She had been a hollow husk before she was kidnapped.
“And you think you can help me deal with it?” Shinso's skepticism and disbelief were annoying, but once more he kept himself in check as it wasn’t like he ever practised this kinda stuff, mainly because the three stooges were typically a happy-go-lucky bunch.
"Don't know, but I can try my luck. Besides, I'm not taking no for an answer, I'll drag your insomniac ass to the gym kicking and screaming if I have to, it'll be a great workout." Shinso's brow raised at that comment, but while he could brainwash him not to do that, he knew how his quirk worked, the same as most of the class. Besides, it wasn't the worst option.
“…Beats working out by myself, sure why the hell not. When and where?” Shinso agreed, finishing packing his things as the two walked out of the class, leaving Aoyama to eat his lunch in peace like he normally did.
“Tomorrow, after school," Bakugo told him as the two walked down the halls, other students giving them a wide berth once they recalled which class they belonged to.
“Why not now? You’re always in the gym if the sounds of yelling and explosions are to be believed.” This time, it was Bakugo who turned to look away to prevent Shinso from seeing his face.
“I have somewhere else to be.”
