26

Chapter 26: The Clock is Ticking, the Hours Are Going ByNotes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Tenya is a reasonable person. He wouldn't say he is particularly smart or self-important, even though some of his prior classmates have claimed he was such, but he is, or he'd like to consider that he is, disciplined.

This discipline comes from knowing that heroes have to act a certain way, have to uphold a certain standard. Tenya is well aware of the dangers of heroism, and therefore, it is an occupation he knows he needs to take extremely seriously. Even the slightest mistake could cost his own, or someone else's life. Perhaps that was why he took the debacle at the entrance exam so personally. It feels like he's failed some part of himself, because by all accounts, Tenya should've known better than to flee in the face of danger and abandon those that needed help.

He had disgraced the very essence of being a hero! It was shameful!

Except Midoriya had told him that he ought not to take the loss too hard, didn't he? Tenya had to agree that there was logic in what the other boy said. While Tenya knows about how fatal making a mistake could be, it's true that he is just a hero in training. This school is meant to allow him to make those otherwise deadly mistakes without consequences, so that he won't when he actually becomes a hero.

While it is only his first day at UA, Tenya already has high hopes for his new school, even after their most... unorthodox way to start the day. He would have liked to attend the opening ceremony and such, but Tenya's sure his Sensei knows what he's doing.

It does worry him, maybe a little though, that Midoriya is missing from class even after their teacher returns.

What exactly had Midoriya done? Tenya frowns upon being nosy, but he can't deny his curiosity. Midoriya couldn't have done something in the classroom, since Tenya was there and would have stopped any tomfoolery had he witnessed it. And Midoriya was nothing but pleasant, unlike that Bakugou fellow who just really didn't seem the type to attend a hero school. Then again, Tenya had misjudged Midoriya at the entrance exam, thinking him someone only there to mess around, and he had been wrong, so he will try to keep an open mind regarding the rest of his classmates.

Regardless of if Midoriya had done anything, he did seem a bit shaken up when they did the quirk assessment. But,...well anyone would be with the threat of expulsion hanging over their head. Tenya was too, and he couldn't deny feeling a little betrayed when it was revealed as only a logical ruse. And yet, Midoriya still looked like he would be sick even when he'd placed first, and was called to see Sensei, and still hadn't returned.

Tenya can admit, with every passing class where Midoriya is absent, he becomes more and more worried. He can tell Uraraka is as well, but it isn't as if he can step in to reassure her. Uraraka is an energetic girl and has the makings of a fine hero, but Tenya can't exactly consider them friends. That would be too one-sided of him, especially since he hasn't asked Uraraka what she thinks of it. The same can be said for Midoriya, but Tenya is worried all the same, however presumptuous that makes him. Midoriya was a sight to behold at the entrance exam and Tenya firmly believes that there is no one more suited for attending a hero course than the curly haired teen. Which begs the question, what exactly had Midoriya done to warrant a teacher's conference on the first day? Surely nothing bad? But Midoriya had been so worried…

A knock startles Tenya from his thoughts and he internally reprimands himself for not paying attention to the lesson. Ectoplasm-sensei is trying his hardest to teach their class and his absent-mindedness is terribly disrespectful, despite it being unintentional.

However, it seems Ectoplasm-sensei's attention is also drawn to the classroom door and Tenya allows his eyes to slide over. Who would disturb their studies? Is it-?

"Come in." Ectoplasm-sensei requests, waiting as the door opens and reveals…

Midoriya. Tenya feels his stiff shoulders sag a little in relief.

"Sorry for the intrusion." Midoriya offers tentatively. His complexion looks much better from this morning, and his spirits seem to have risen, although it's immediately clear to Tenya that the teen has been crying. What exactly happened?

Ectoplasm-sensei accepts the apology with ease and gestures for Midoriya to enter the classroom fully and take his seat. Midoriya walks out from behind the door and to his seat, pointedly ignoring or oblivious to the curious and shocked gazes of their classmates.

Tenya's eyes widen in shock at the state of Midoriya's appearance. He wants to say something, ask the numerous burning questions in his brain, but his disciplined nature keeps his mouth shut. Unlike the whispers and exclamations he hears from his classmates.

He is curious though, why Midoriya would come back from skipping so many classes looking like that.

The teen has butterfly and flower clips in his hair, haphazardly arranged like a child had stuck them in. There are also numerous stickers covering his uniform as well as his face and hands. When Midoriya walks close enough, Tenya thinks they are of cats but he isn't sure. His mind is trying to process this, along with everything else he knows of Midoriya's strange situation- which isn't much- and predictably comes up empty. He quite literally does not have enough information.

There are a lot of things about Midoriya that Tenya finds...for lack of a better word, strange. And the only way he can properly categorize all the instances is to reflect on every time he has encountered the teen in question.

The first time, of course, being the entrance exam. Tenya had met Midoriya by calling him out for his muttering, which he realized later was most likely a misunderstanding. Tenya had been nervous, and when he was nervous it became hard to focus. So hard that he inadvertently became irritated by the things that took away from his focus, like say, a teenager's muttering. In hindsight, Tenya can admit it wasn't very hero like.

Thankfully, Midoriya wasn't the type to hold a grudge.

Their second meeting was at the exam site. Well, it wasn't much of a meeting. Tenya was focused on the task at hand and didn't spare a glance for his fellow competitors unless they were in his immediate vicinity. He had no trouble with taking out the robots and believed himself to be doing well. That is, until the zero pointer was released.

At first sight, Tenya was able to tell that he would not be able to beat it. It wasn't worth anything anyway, there wasn't any sense in attacking it. And then he had seen her- Uraraka- although he hadn't known that was her name at the time. She was only a girl then, an unlucky examinee, and Tenya was too afraid, too selfish, to step forward.

So he ran away.

Even the memory of it is painful for him. He knows that everything turned out fine, but he will never forget his own cowardice in that moment. He hadn't even told Tensei, sure that his brother would have been disappointed in him.

But it made all the more of an impression then, when Midoriya had rushed in without a second thought. Tenya didn't notice it right away, but he had turned around to keep track of how much ground the zero pointer had gained. He saw the blur that was Midoriya slap Uraraka's hand and then shoot into the air.

The zero pointer was taken down in one shot.

Even now, it's hard for Tenya to fathom the amount of power needed to accomplish such a feat. Power like that could rival any of the strength quirks he's seen, perhaps even All Might's himself. It was obvious then, that awe in the face of such a power would be normal.

However, when Midoriya rejoined them, the injured Uraraka in his arms, he seemed wholly unaware of his strength. He called no attention to his quirk, shrunk from the attention in fact, and Tenya recognized a true hero when he saw one.

To make things more strange, Tenya approached Midoriya afterwards to speak with him, and the boy burst into tears. Tenya was startled, to say the least, and quite confused. Even when Midoriya assured him it was no fault of his, Tenya was not reassured. In the end, Tenya was left without answers.

Then, they'd met again at UA. Tenya's impression of the teen had soared: Midoriya was humble, kind and mature, someone that Tenya would look up to given time. Admittedly, Midoriya was acting weird when Sensei showed up, but Tenya forgot to ask about it when the incident happened in the locker room.

Like he's said before, Tenya is no stranger to the dangers of hero work. He knows heroes get injured, and he's seen a few scars, albeit small ones, on his brother Tensei, but never on someone so young, and to such severity. Midoriya's scars weren't small ones. They could not be believably explained away by childhood accidents or clumsiness. It looked more like he had broken his arm, never let it heal right, and then broken it many more times over. Not to mention what looked to be a skin graft on one of his shoulders. How does something like that happen?

Tenya has a few theories, none of which he likes to speculate on, because that would be inconsiderate towards Midoriya. He can say that the most common theory among the boys was government experimentation to create a superhuman. Tenya knows that's utter nonsense, but after Midoriya's performance in the quirk assessment, he can begrudgingly accept where they are coming from at least. Whatever the reason or reasons behind Midoriya's scars, Tenya doubts they are good.

He can always ask Midoriya later, in a private setting, once they have become appropriately acquainted. Speaking of acquaintances...it seemed as if Midoriya knew Bakugou before UA, or that Bakugou knew Midoriya. That "explosion" of Bakugou's before the quirk test certainly revealed as much, though Tenya didn't like the hostility apparent on the blonde's face. Someone like Midoriya knowing someone like Bakugou? It only added another thing for Tenya to think about in the mystery that was Midoriya Izuku.

It is only right though, that since Tenya intends to be Midoriya's friend, that he unravels this mystery and helps the teen with any problem that presents itself. That is what heroes do! Meddle where they don't belong!

And if anyone deserves someone meddling on their behalf, Tenya firmly believes it would be Midoriya.

Izuku rejoins his class after lunch a little apprehensively. He knows the worst has passed, for now, but he hasn't cleared all hurdles just yet. His cover has cemented, thanks to Aizawa-sensei, but there are still cracks. One misstep and Izuku could be in a world of trouble and misunderstandings.

It'shard to dwell on the future consequences of his actions though, not when he looks at the ridiculous amount of cat stickers on him and the green and red beaded friendship bracelet adorning his wrist. He need only think of how he spent his morning, and his face breaks into a smile.

He's not expelled! Which is great, but more importantly- he got to see Eri! She looked much better than before. Her once matted, tangled hair now shines like silk, pulled into a stylish ponytail. Her room, that Izuku was witness to, is large and comforting, everything it should have been from the beginning. Izuku is especially appreciative of the kawaii unicorn and cat plushies.

He's glad she's safe. He's glad that Aizawa-sensei got her to UA and let her have the nice things she deserves to have. He's glad that since he is an official student of UA, he'll be allowed to see her more often.

Izuku's just so incredibly happy right now that not even the shocked whispers of his classmates can make him nervous. His image is all over the place, Izuku suspects, and yet he's not bothered in the slightest. If he cared about people seeing him look silly, he would've never let Eri sticker him, or would have removed the stickers before he reached the classroom. As it stands, Izuku would One For All smash anyone who tried to pry them off of him.

"Settle down." Ectoplasm-sensei says, and most of the chatter dies down. Izuku can still feel their eyes on him, especially the curious gaze of his teacher, who likely heard about Eri and "Deku" as well. It's weird to have all the teachers know who he is and praise him, but Izuku is slowly adjusting. He supposes it isn't all bad, he just hopes Kacchan won't hear about it. Izuku already knows he'll get interrogated by the blonde at the earliest convenience to talk about his quirk. At least- that's what happened in his old dimension, although Izuku will have a different explanation prepared this time.

Thankfully, Izuku can enter the lesson seamlessly when Ectoplasm-sensei continues and at least a few of the eyes watching him return to their own work.

Since the lunch hour already passed, there is no opportunity for his classmates to ask the questions they so desperately want to. Izuku is thankful for it, but doesn't think he'll be spared once the last bell rings. Then again, maybe Aizawa-sensei will interfere since they still need to talk about things.

When the bell does ring though, there is no mad dash for his desk as he'd suspected, but his classmates do take a suspiciously long time to pack up as Iida and Uraraka approach him.

"Mido-"

"Deku-kun!" Uraraka crowds him, cutting off whatever Iida was about to say. "You look so cute!" She squealed, poking at the clips he forgot were in his hair. "Where did you go?! What did you do?!"

Izuku chuckles nervously at her enthusiasm. Isn't Eri a close-kept secret? And Izuku doesn't want to give his classmates any ideas by talking about his "adventure" with the Eight Precepts.

He licks his lips. "I went to talk with Aizawa-sensei. There was an issue regarding my file and sensei just needed some clarification."

"For hours?" Uraraka frowns.

"Well, no." Izuku admits, not quite sure how to explain Eri's presence without revealing classified information. Maybe he should've removed the stickers before he came in.

"Midoriya babysat one of the staff's children while the teachers were busy. He was allowed out of class to do so." Aizawa-sensei interrupts from his place by the door. Izuku doesn't know when he showed up.

Most of the students are still in the classroom to hear Midoriya's explanation, but now they all hurry out at the sight of Aizawa-sensei. He sure made an impression with the expulsion threat and the quirk test right off the bat. The pro watches his students leave until it's just them and two others.

"Now, there are a few remaining things we need to talk about. Iida, Uraraka, if you don't mind waiting outside."

Izuku glances at his friends. He's used to walking to the dorms with them after school, but that time has not yet come- and perhaps won't ever with all the changes Izuku has made. They don't need to wait up for him either way. Izuku doesn't know how long this will take, and when discussing sensitive matters, it's best not to have anyone nearby.

"You guys can go ahead." Izuku tells them. They seem disappointed but resigned. Before they turn away however, Izuku peels off two different cat stickers. One of a cat in a hot air balloon and another of one in glasses and a bow tie. He sticks them on Uraraka and Iida respectively, smiling all the while.

Uraraka seems pleased, while Iida stares at it warily, though there isn't anything to be wary of.

"I'll see you tomorrow. We can talk more then." Izuku promises. He waves them away and then turns to address his teacher.

Aizawa-sensei sweeps an unimpressed gaze over Izuku's appearance. "Have fun?"

Izuku smiles widely. "Lots! Thank you so much, I-"

"It's fine." His teacher cuts across him smoothly. "I don't intend to keep you for long. I only want to outline some of my expectations for you and ensure you understand them."

Izuku nods, a little puzzled.

"Alright." Aizawa-sensei sighs. "Firstly, I am making mandatory appointments for you to get a physical as well as mental check up."

Izuku wants to roll his eyes. More of these things? He's fine!

The pro must see it on his face. "We cannot gain access to extensive medical records of our students beyond any existing conditions they share with us that we need to know about. Regardless of what doctors have said about your condition previously, we will verify it ourselves to better help you."

Not that he needs help, but Izuku knows there isn't any other choice but to concede. He doesn't mind check-ups all that much anyway.

"Alright." Izuku nods. "Is that all?"

Aizawa-sensei pinches the bridge of his nose. "Unfortunately, no. Due to the knowledge that you just recently developed your quirk, I want to run a few tests on the volatility of your quirk as well as the level of control you have over it-"

"Wait." Izuku interrupts immediately, dread washing over him. "We just did a quirk assessment. Surely that proves everything is fine?"

He can't afford for people to look too closely at One For All. Who knows what they'd discover? That suspicion isn't something he wants to deal with.

Aizawa-sensei frowns. "A quirk assessment proves nothing. What appears fine on the surface can hide terrible complications. Your quirk developed in an unnatural way. We have no way of knowing what kind of impact or backlash that'd have on you."

Izuku is widely impressed that Aizawa-sensei knows so much. His guesses are scarily accurate too, if slightly off. He isn't sure he can argue anymore without making himself suspicious again. It's not like what his teacher has in mind could be all that invasive, could it?

Finally, Izuku nods again. "I suppose I can do that. What else?"

"Good. The last thing I need to say is something I'm sure you are already aware of. You will not mention Eri to anyone, not even your classmates. She is a closely guarded secret and her very life depends on its integrity. Do you understand?"

"Of course." Izuku answers immediately. He does know that, had counted on it when he rescued Eri. UA's defences are practically impenetrable and that makes it one of the best places for her.

His teacher nods. He walks around his desk and picks up a stack of papers. 

"Well that's all I needed to say. If you wish, you can come before school and stay after to see Eri. Free periods and lunch can also be used for the same purpose, you need only arrange it with me beforehand. And under no circumstances do I want to hear about you doing anything even remotely illegal. I won't listen to a single reason; it will be an automatic expulsion. Am I clear?"

Izuku gulps, his mind latching onto him and his classmates breaking the rules to rescue Kacchan in Kamino. If that happens again, he doesn't want to be expelled.

"What if it's life or death?" He asks, a pleading note in his voice.

Aizawa-sensei narrows his eyes. "The rules are in place for a reason, Midoriya. You will never be put in a situation where a life will be in danger here at UA- and before you protest- if such a thing were to happen, I'd expect you to rely on the teachers and staff. You can come to any of them about problems you have, including me. But I will not have you disregard any law you'd like in the name of the greater good. That crosses into the territory of vigilantism." His teacher's look sours as if remembering something unpleasant and Izuku tries not to flinch.

"I understand." Izuku replies after a moment. It's not like he wants to break the law, and he had sworn off his vigilantism for the most part. Besides, Izuku plans to prevent Kacchan's kidnapping from even happening, so there might not be any need to worry about future law-breaking.

"We'll see." Aizawa-sensei sighs, making Izuku frown. "Now, I believe I've kept you here long enough. I'll see you in class tomorrow problem child."

Izuku nods, reading the dismissal for what it is, and walks out of the classroom.

This conversation, as well as the one earlier, will greatly change his UA experience. Izuku just can't tell yet whether that is a good or bad thing. But it's not like he can waste his time thinking about it. There are other things requiring his attention.

He gazes into the distance as his feet carry him onto the subway, ignorant of the strange looks sent his way. It feels odd to know that there is an evil out there, one not yet known to everyone else, one that he might encounter soon.

The USJ.

The League of Villains.

It's almost time to see this through.

Notes:

Hello again.

To answer a question I get a lot in the comments: No, I do not have an update schedule. I post when I write things, and the frequency depends a lot on my state of mind for that week.

I do try to keep it so there is nothing longer than a month between updates though.