Chapter Text
Shouta wasn't sure what to expect when he returned to the dorms the next day. He'd run into Nemuri and Yagi, being made aware each of them had a conversation with the various members of the trio, and he knew they intended on talking to one another. Since the dorms appeared to be in one piece, he was fairly confident they didn't kill one another, and optimistically he hoped they'd worked out their issues between one another…but he still wasn't sure what to expect.
He was pleasantly surprised to see the trio were calmly sitting around the table in the dining room, seeming to be deep in conversation, none of them noticing his arrival at first. Perceptively, he noticed that Ochako appeared to be struggling with the plate of what looked like omurice, but she was still eating it. And though the other two appeared to be watching her like hawks, they also seemed to be gently encouraging rather than pushing. He nodded to himself. This was what they had hoped would happen, something kickstarting her recovery (as Nemuri was now absolutely convinced she had a disorder). She'd still need a lot of work, and hopefully she'd accept some help from Nemuri and Inui, but for now…this was a good start. But, he didn't want to draw attention to it, that might set her back. Instead, time to focus on the next steps.
He cleared his throat, making the trio at the table jump slightly. He hid his smile beneath his scarf at how the fur on their ears stuck straight up, and how Himiko nearly leapt on top of the table…this whole cat thing was truly entertaining to him, at this point. Still, he had important information for them, so once they calmed down again he spoke. "Classes start up the day after tomorrow. We've had no early move-ins besides yourselves, so we won't be seeing anyone new until the first class. On the first day I normally do a Quirk Assessment Test, followed by a one on one explanation of the scores people got in the Entrance Exam for the latter half of the day. People also tend to begin moving in on that day as well. Since I know how your Quirks work, I see no reason to have you take the QAT. Especially with the whole explanation of your Quirk condition. So I'll have you three join when the test is over, and we'll explain it then. Sound good?"
Izuku shared a glance with Ochako and Himiko, before nodding. "Yeah, that works. We'll just…hang around till you call for us?"
"I'll send you a message." Shouta waited for them to nod again, before asking a question he'd been wondering. "Quick question though, Midoriya. Someone else from your high school is in my class, a Katsuki Bakugo? Do you know him?"
Shouta already knew the answer to this, but watching Izuku's eyes go wide and fearful clued Shouta in that their suspicions about the relationship between the teens was probably correct. Especially when he added on the sudden glares the two girls were sending his way. He wondered if they realized how feral they looked right then, eyes slitted, ears flat, teeth bared, or if it was entirely subconscious and they hadn't even noticed.
"Y-yeah, I know him," Izuku managed to sputter out.
"Will there be any issues with you both being in the same class?" Shouta asked. Internally, he was hoping the teenager would give him something to work with, something he could use to make a decision on…and yet he found himself disappointed immediately, as Izuku quickly shook their head in negation. A negation the two girls seemed very unhappy with, as Ochako suddenly elbowed Izuku, but the green-haired teen didn't even flinch. Shouta sighed. "Midoriya…are you certain there won't be any issues? It's fine if there is. Not everyone has to like one another."
Izuku swallowed thickly. "I-I'm sure, sir. We'll be fine. We um…we had some arguments when we were in school but it's fine otherwise!"
Shouta stared Izuku down, before nodding. "I'll take you at your word then. Since classes start soon, we'll only do some light training today to be sure you're in good condition for the start of the year and have decent control. Meet me at Gamma in an hour." With that, Shouta spun about and left the dorm. He was frustrated; originally, he'd wanted Bakugo in his class so he could control the boy if his powerful Quirk went out of control. Once the suspicions about the two teens relationship began to become more and more clear, he wanted to swap Bakugo to Vlad's class, but the letters had already gone out and trying to switch students before the year started was a right clusterfuck of paperwork (why the government was so obsessed with this he still did not understand), not to mention you had to get the Board's permission, for some ungodly reason.
But if Izuku had given him a reason, any actual reason he could take to the Board, it would have been easy…but the teenager wasn't ready to tell him. Not yet. And he feared trying to force it out of him would be a backslide for Izuku's mentality, especially after his breakdown the prior day. Shouta knew he'd just have to keep a close eye on the two, and make sure nothing happened.
Shouta had clearly cursed himself. The test went off fine, the students understanding the assignment without issue (and the threat of a 5 page essay for last place motivated them all), and then he figured it was the perfect time to introduce the problem trio. He explained the basics…Quirk accident had caused a forced Quirk share and awakening, they were now under special education concerns as it had never happened before, etc. The best lies were mostly true, after all, he just left out the whole One For All thing, explaining Izuku's quirk away as a stockpiler that took forever to activate.
What he hadn't expected was less than a minute after the trio had stepped out, that Bakugo would blow a gasket and actually try to attack Izuku. Shouta's reflexes had been primed from the beginning, expecting something from the obviously on edge blonde teenager, but he had not expected a direct full frontal assault. Honestly, it was a good thing he caught Bakugo when he did…the looks Ochako and Himiko were giving the blonde had him wondering if he was going to end up in the stratosphere or stabbed a half dozen times if Shouta hadn't stepped in. He also did not fail to notice Izuku suddenly shrinking in on themself the second the explosions started, nearly shaking out of sheer panic, nor did he fail to notice how both Ochako and Himiko seemed to react to whatever the teenager was feeling.
Now Shouta had a big, annoying problem to deal with, but luckily, a far too eager spy gave him what he needed. He announced to the class he would be right back, to take some time to mingle and talk to one another, and dragged Bakugo along with him towards where he knew Yagi was hiding (badly), stopping before the bulked up hero and watching the very interesting sight of Bakugo suddenly straightening up and looking up at Yagi with hero worship in his eyes. Huh. He shook his head, now was not the time.
"Alright, here's what's going to happen. I still have a class to run, but your behavior was absolutely unacceptable. All Might here is going to sit you down and you're going to explain what was going through your head with that assault, and we'll decide your punishment later."
"Punishment? For what? Deku doesn't have a Quirk! It's some sort of trick, and I want fucking answers!" Bakugo tried to argue, but Shouta narrowed his eyes, letting his hair lift slightly to let the blonde know he meant business.
"Answers? You don't demand answers, Bakugo, you ask nicely and someone decides if you deserve an answer. Understand that your position in this university is subject to any of the teachers and or the president's whims. What you did was an assault and we have a zero tolerance policy for that. We, the staff here, are well aware of the particulars of Midoriya's Quirk and can confirm that yes, he does have one, not that it's any of your business either way. I have a class to get back to, and you have an explanation to give. All Might will give his recommendation on your punishment once that is done." Shouta kept his gaze locked on the blonde teenager, before looking up to give Yagi a sharp nod. With an annoyed huff, he spun about and headed back towards his class, wanting to check on Izuku before he started the sit downs. He could hear Yagi walking away, Bakugo following behind, and decided to focus on Izuku for now.
Which didn't seem like it would be too difficult, considering the teenager was very clearly avoiding talking to anyone else, while Ochako and Himiko ran interference. Weeks spent with them made it pretty easy to tell when they wore fake smiles…not out of a distaste of their fellow students, no, it seemed like they were already making friends, but out of a concern for Izuku which Shouta had to admit he shared, seeing how pale the teenager had become, or how their tail kept flicking back and forth agitatedly (what he wouldn't give for every student to have an easy cat-based tell).
The students straightened up at his presence, but he waved them off, quickly explaining the plan to have the one on one talks with each of them after class. He showed his sheet explaining the times he expected to see them in his office (each session took less than fifteen minutes on average), and asked everyone to go get their syllabi from the classroom and he'd see the first one on the list (Aoyama) in ten minutes. He asked Izuku to stay behind for a moment, quietly telling the girls they should help their classmates find the dorms. He could see both of them were very much hesitant to do so, but Izuku told them it'd be fine, once again flashing that incredibly fake smile that fooled no one…but they heard the teen out and left, leaving the two alone.
Shouta internally sighed at seeing Izuku seem to shrink, like they expected Shouta to yell at them. He needed to nip that in the bud asap. "Midoriya- '' he began, but was cut off immediately.
"I-I'm sorry for the trouble, Sensei, I didn't think Kacchan would um…"
"Blow up with no reason, pun not intended?" Shouta asked, raising an eyebrow. Izuku nodded sheepishly. Shouta let out a deep sigh. "I'm not angry at you for his behavior. I'm not angry at you at all. If anything, I'm angry at him, which is why he's going to have a talk with Yagi and we'll see what punishment to give him once we've had a chance to discuss it."
"P-punishment? For what? He didn't actually hurt me, it was just a scare thing…"
"...Midoriya, think about him doing that to Uraraka or Himiko and then say that to me." The way the teenager immediately slammed their mouth shut and looked away from Shouta was enough for him, deciding to let that point go for now. "I just want to know why you didn't tell me? I understand it's difficult to trust me, I have yet to earn it, but I genuinely meant I'd take care of it if he was going to be a problem."
"I don't want to be treated special or different, though," Izuku muttered, still not meeting Shouta's gaze.
"It's not special treatment. Assaulting another student outside of training is absolutely forbidden. If he had done it to anyone he'd be in trouble."
"I…I mean, if you'd done something before he did anything."
Shouta pinched the bridge of his nose. "Being able to fix the problem before it became a problem would be more logical for everyone involved. If I had known he'd be like that towards you, I would have pushed for him to be moved to Vlad's class. He initially was put in mine so I could disable his Quirk if it was an issue. I tend to take those with more volatile Quirks for that reason, you see. But switching classes would not have impacted yours or his chances, you know. Both classes get the same treatment."
Izuku looked down at the ground, their voice soft. "O-oh…I guess that makes sense. B-but still, it's really not that big a deal, he's just got a bit of a temper, a-and it's only really at me, he's going to be a great hero, he's got such a good Quirk for it and-"
"Kid, stop. Focus on yourself, not on him. And stop defending him. That's not your job. His actions have to speak for him." Seeing Izuku's ears go flat on their skull made Shouta wince internally, modulating his tone to be more gentle. "I'm not trying to be cruel, Midoriya. But you're not being fair to yourself right now. You deserve to not be attacked on your first day, and I really don't think I'm being unreasonable when I say that. C'mon kid…remember what I said the other day. You have to give yourself a chance. And if it's too hard to see it that way, just picture Himiko or Uraraka in your place…and imagine how they feel when this happens to you. I doubt you even have to imagine, you can feel it after all."
Izuku's wince clued Shouta in that he was correct in that guess as well. But the stance the teen had informed Shouta that they still hadn't quite let go of this. Shouta wanted to prod a bit more, but he worried that'd push the teen too far now. Hopefully after a bit, he could try again, for now he'd let Izuku head back to the dorms and get some rest. "Alright, I don't want to keep pestering you, and I do want you to know I'm not upset you didn't say something, I'm just trying to understand your reasoning. You're not in trouble either. Just head back to the dorms and get some rest, classes start up seriously bright and early tomorrow. Alright?"
Izuku paused, before nodding. After a moment, they looked up at Shouta, their voice soft as they asked "What's going to happen to Kacchan?"
Shouta really wanted to sigh deeply at how focused Izuku was on someone who clearly was not a good influence in their life, but he could imagine that this was a very deep hole to dig the boy out of, and for now he'd just start working on it slowly. "That'll depend a lot on what he says to Yagi, and what myself, Yagi, and Nezu decide. I'll give you this…it is unlikely he will be expelled. One incident doesn't make for an expulsion normally," 'and you'll probably blame yourself for it if we went with that option', Shouta thought to himself, "but detention is likely, and probably class transfer as well. But we'll see after he talks to Yagi."
Izuku nodded again, almost absently turning around and walking off in the direction of the dorms. Shouta watched the teen go for a moment, before shaking his head to focus. He had to go over the exams with the rest of the class, and he'd catch up with Yagi after to see what the older pro had to say.
Once Toshinori had managed to get Bakugo to take a seat in his office, he took a moment to just look at the teenager. Bakugo's face was set in a scowl, arms crossed over his chest, a defensive, closed off posture that Toshinori wasn't surprised by. Getting in trouble on the first day of University would lead to either defensiveness or panic, and clearly Bakugo chose the former. Still, Toshinori chose to stay silent, hands clasped on his desk, looking directly at Bakugo. He was well aware a boy like that would not stay quiet for long, and wanted to see where the blonde teenager chose to take this.
As he expected, he didn't have long to wait, Bakugo losing his patience with an annoyed huff. "Well?"
"Well what, young Bakugo?"
"What do you want from me that you dragged me all the way out here?" Bakugo seethed.
Toshinori hummed contemplatively. "Well, I'd like to begin by asking you what led to you choosing to assault another student on the first day."
"I wasn't assaulting another student, it was Deku! I was calling out that fucking quirkless liar and a cheat!" Bakugo snapped back, fists clenched.
Toshinori arched an eyebrow. "You somehow believe that young Midoriya managed to deceive the entirety of the UA staff? Didn't you see the cat ears and the tail? Clearly, he's got some type of Quirk."
"No one gets a Quirk when they are eighteen! That's fucking impossible! He had to cheat somehow!"
"Ah yes, and you are an expert on all things Quirks? Please, would you mind sharing your degree in Quirk sciences?" Toshinori held back a grin at how utterly flabbergasted the teenager looked. He rarely showed his more sarcastic side to people, preferring to keep his jovial, over the top hammy performances to make people feel more at ease, but Bakugo seemed to need a wake up call and acting out of character might just be what he needed.
Bakugo shook his head. "I'm not making shit up, that's how it works! It's gotta be a trick!"
"I assure you, the staff here are experts and have already verified it is not a trick. But you see, young Bakugo, here's something you are forgetting." Toshinori leaned forward over his desk, placing his hands flat on the desk as he stared directly into the teenagers eyes. In a quiet but firm tone, he continued. "It is none of your business how or why Midoriya has a Quirk. You are not entitled to knowing the details of his abilities or really, anything about him. We, the teachers here, handle our students and their Quirks. You do not. You do not decide who goes here, or why, or when, or for what reason. What you should be concerned about is the fact you assaulted another student, which is grounds for punishment up to and including expulsion."
"What?!" Bakugo shot to his feet, hands sparking. "That's bullshit! I didn't even hurt him! And I wasn't going to!"
"Oh? It certainly looked like you were. Why shoot towards him with your Quirk then?" Bakugo gestured helplessly, sputtering as he tried to justify his reasoning. Toshinori narrowed his eyes, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers before his face. This might be the chance he needed to get what information he wanted to look into Aldera. He held up a hand to cut the boy off. "Let me try it this way. Do you understand how Quirk law works?"
Bakugo scoffed. "Yeah, we learned about it in grade school. Don't use your Quirk in public, don't use it for crimes, etc. What's that got to do with anything?"
"You don't consider the school grounds public, nor using it for assault a crime?"
"You can use your Quirk at school! Especially here, it's a hero school!"
Toshinori arched an eyebrow. "You can utilize it here when you are directed by your teacher, and you should not be using your Quirk in school. That is absolutely illegal." And that was what Toshinori wanted to see, the sudden confusion on the blonde teenager's face. "Did your school allow free Quirk use?"
Bakugo shrugged. "Yeah, of course. They said the law was outdated and it was fine."
"What else did they say?"
Bakugo looked wary. "...Why do you wanna know?"
"Because your answer may determine if I recommend expulsion or not. Now, answer my question."
Bakugo froze slightly at the word expulsion. Toshinori was glad. The boy seemed to finally be grasping that he was genuinely in trouble, and that this wasn't going to be let go so easily. Good, the first steps were being taken. Bakugo swallowed. "They said shit like you could use your Quirk however you wanted, and stronger Quirks meant you were destined for better things. I thought it was a lot of bullshit, but a lot of the extras thought it made sense and would use their Quirks on other people and shit."
"Other people…like, let me guess, young Midoriya?" Bingo. Bakugo paled, but immediately jumped in with more information, almost frantic.
"Not me! I never hurt him with my Quirk! I know that's illegal!"
"Never? Do be aware I'll be checking with him on that statement," Toshinori reminded, waiting to see the response.
Bakugo froze for a moment, before sinking back into his chair. "I mean…we got into fights as kids sometimes. Just stupid shit. And I guess…I mighta burned his shoulder once, but I wasn't trying to burn his shoulder, just his shirt! And the teachers said it was okay, he was just a Quirkless Deku, he didn't matter!"
"You're not stupid, young Bakugo. Your test scores are incredibly high. You must be aware that someone telling you it's okay to hurt someone else is not justification to do so." Bakugo scowled once more, crossing his arms over his chest, but didn't try to defend that. Toshinori sighed as he rubbed at his brow. "What you did before, we cannot punish you for. But any similar behavior here would be grounds for immediate expulsion, and possible prosecution if you used your Quirk illegally." Watching Bakugo's face go white wasn't something Toshinori enjoyed, really. He was angry at the boy, yes, but he also felt like it was possible to move the boy onto a better path. He'd shown some understanding of why that attitude that the school tried to instill in him was wrong, but he still seemed to lack empathy for Izuku. So he'd ask a few more questions to get an idea of what all went on before he made a decision.
"You mentioned you didn't use your Quirk on young Midoriya…but did you assault him without it?" Bakugo's silence was a damning confirmation, one which had Toshinori having to clench his fists beneath his desk. He let out a deep sigh. "Help me understand. Why would you, someone who wants to be a hero, think that is a good idea?"
"Because he was fucking stupid! He kept going on and on about being a hero, and he had nothing! He was a scrawny twig with no powers, yet he kept putting himself on the same level as me! I had everything going for me, the right power, the right drive, and he had none of that, but he kept trying to act like he could do what I could! He needed to learn how shit works in the real world!" Bakugo snarled.
"And the way you 'taught' him that lesson was to hurt and abuse him? Please tell me you understand how wrong that is."
"You just…you don't get it! Strength is what matters! You're living proof of that! You kick the shit out of everyone, beat all the villains, win the day! I'm gonna be just like that! Better even! But Deku kept trying to say he could do it too, and he can't!"
Toshinori sighed. This…definitely felt like something deeply ingrained in the boy that one conversation was not going to break him free of. But what more was a hero school for than to educate? Part of him wanted to just kick the kid out and wash his hands of him, but…he feared Izuku would blame himself. The few times the teenager had mentioned 'Kacchan' to him had been in a strange mix of hero worship and fear, and from what conversations he'd gleaned with Izuku had led Toshinori to realize there was an unhealthy attachment. One which breaking instantly might not work out as well as he hoped.
Toshinori leaned back in his chair. "I am disappointed, young Bakugo, but as I said earlier, we won't punish you for your actions at your high school. But what you did was beyond unacceptable, and I won't pretend like your words do not color my decision. I am worried about your temper and complete misunderstanding of what it means to be a hero, and I am tempted to send you to general education rather than let you continue in the hero course." Bakugo leapt to his feet once more, ready to protest, but Toshinori was having none of it. "Sit down, Bakugo. Don't make this worse for yourself than it already is." The teenager begrudgingly sat back down, but his pale face and clear worry was visible.
Toshinori let out a deep breath and leaned forward on the desk. "Bakugo, your attitude is wholly unsuited for heroics. That said, I also believe in second chances, and in the belief people can learn from their mistakes. If you are willing to try to understand why your attitude is wrong, then we can try to work something out. However, it is clear your prior school made many, many mistakes in how it treated its students. Let me ask you this…would you be willing to talk to me and a friend of mine about what all you were taught in that school?"
"...sure, I guess. Not like I have a fucking choice," Bakugo muttered, sounding defeated.
"You do. I won't force you, and if you say no, I won't let it color my decision on your punishment."
"...well, apparently they taught me a bunch of bullshit, so yeah. I'll talk, if it means they pay for screwing up my education."
Toshinori let out a smile, one that sent a chill up Bakugo's spine. It wasn't like the type he'd give to reassure others, and it wasn't even like the ones he showed villains. No, this one felt far more dark, almost sinister, his blue eyes glinting in the light. "Excellent choice. Why don't you tell me a little bit now?"
"So, your recommendation is we give Bakugo detention, move him to 1-B, swapping him with another student, as well as mandated anger management with Inui?" Shouta asked.
Toshinori nodded. "I admit, part of me wanted to do more, but I worry my attachment to Izuku was coloring my decision making."
"Oh, more would have been reasonable, but this punishment is as well, since he'll be serving detention with me," Nezu waved him off, a cheery smile on the chimera's face.
Shouta shuddered at the tone Nezu gave. He was going to wash his hands of this, having no desire to get mixed up with whatever Nezu decided to throw Bakugo's way. He turned to look at his fellow first year teacher. "You fine with this, Kan? We're somewhat just throwing our problem to you."
Kan shrugged. "It makes sense. Besides, between the two of us, I've got the worse temper. I've dealt with other temperamental kids before, I can handle it. The question is who do we swap for him?"
"Got a recommendation?"
Kan flipped through his papers. "Hmm. No, no, no, probably not, could work…ah. How about this one?" Sliding the paper across the table to Shouta, the dark-haired man glanced down at it and shrugged.
"Works for me. Nezu?"
"The paperwork is already filed. I'll send someone to help her move her belongings to 1-A, since she's already moved into the 1-B dorms."
"Alright. I'll go talk to her to explain the situation then," Kan said, standing up.
Shouta followed suit. "I'll join you, I can introduce her to the class then." Kan nodded, the two teachers heading out of the room, leaving Nezu and Toshinori alone.
Out of curiosity, Toshinori reached out to grab the paper, sliding it over to look at the page. Red hair and teal eyes with a bright smile met his own, Toshinori nodding absently. "Itsuka Kendo, huh?"