"Does anyone else feel like their brain is melting?"
Kaminari's voice was a pitiful mumble that cut the silence of the classroom, broken only by the squeak of Ectoplasm's chalk on the blackboard.
"It's calculus, Kaminari-san," Momo replied in a low voice from two seats ahead, without even turning around. "It's the foundation for many engineering applications and trajectory analysis."
"It's the foundation for my next headache," Mina retorted, dropping her head onto the desk with a dull thud. "I don't get why we have to do this. Are we going to throw villains or calculate their parabola?"
"Both, Ashido-san!" Tenya Iida exclaimed, his arm chopping the air at a perfect angle, though he remained seated. "A hero must be prepared for any intellectual contingency! Understanding complex mathematics sharpens the mind for strategic decision making!"
"Shut up, Four Eyes," Katsuki Bakugo growled from the front row, not bothering to lower his voice. "Some of us are trying to understand this shit."
"Language, Bakugo-kun!"
Melissa sighed quietly, closing her notebook. She had finished the problems ten minutes ago. Beside her, Ibara was methodically drawing a small plant in the margins of her notebook, looking completely serene.
"Doesn't this bore you, Shiozaki-san?" Melissa whispered.
Ibara looked up, her green eyes calm. "Growth requires patience. Even for the mind. Though I admit I would rather be outdoors."
"I'd rather be in the workshop," Melissa agreed. "Or at least in a class that isn't... this."
Just as Ectoplasm assigned another set of equations, the lunch bell rang. A collective sigh of relief swept through the class.
"And after lunch," the professor announced in his duplicated voice, "you have Hero Basic Training."
That re-energized the room.
"Finally!" Eijiro Kirishima exclaimed, slamming his fist into his palm. "Some action!"
"I wonder what we'll do," Uraraka said, joining Melissa and Ibara as they headed to the cafeteria. "I hope it's something exciting! Do you think Aizawa-sensei will be teaching new combat moves?"
"Probably," Melissa said. "He seems like the type of teacher to oversee combat training."
"He is thorough," Ibara corrected calmly. "I find that an admirable quality."
The lunch hour passed quickly, filled with speculation. Now, sitting back in classroom 1-A, the atmosphere was completely different from the morning. There were no complaints about math. The air was charged with anticipation.
"Where is Aizawa-sensei?" Kaminari asked, rocking in his chair. "It's getting late."
"Stop moving like that, Kaminari-kun!" Iida scolded him. "It is detrimental to the school furniture and disrespectful to punctuality!"
"Relax, Iida. Maybe he fell asleep in his sleeping bag," Mina said.
The classroom door slid open. But it wasn't Aizawa who entered.
"I AM WALKING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"
The voice boomed, rattling the windowpanes.
All Might, in all his glory, was planted in the doorway. He wore his Silver Age costume, the colors bright and his smile so wide it looked like it hurt.
There was a second of complete silence. The entire class was frozen.
Kaminari was the first to react. "No... way...!"
"It's All Might!" Kirishima shouted, jumping to his feet.
"It's really him!" Mina shrieked.
"Is he going to be our teacher!?" Ochako asked, her eyes wide as saucers.
Even Bakugo looked surprised, his red eyes widening before settling into a scowl. Todoroki, in the corner, simply observed, unfazed.
All Might strode to the lectern, each step a dull thud of confidence. His laugh rumbled amicably and made almost everyone smile.
"WELCOME, YOUNG HEROES, TO THE MOST IMPORTANT CLASS OF YOUR LIVES! HERO BASIC TRAINING!"
He slapped the lectern, though he didn't seem to need the amplification.
"I WILL BE YOUR GUIDE ON THIS THRILLING ADVENTURE! AND TODAY, WE WILL FOCUS ON THE MOST IMPORTANT THING...!"
He paused, leaning forward, his smile impossibly wide.
"COMBAT TRAINING!"
The class erupted.
"Combat!" Bakugo roared, a wild grin crossing his face.
"Awesome! Finally!" Kirishima exclaimed.
"BUT TO FIGHT LIKE HEROES, YOU MUST FIRST LOOK LIKE HEROES!" All Might continued. "AND FOR THAT, I HAVE A LITTLE SURPRISE FOR YOU...!"
He pulled out a small remote and pressed a button. With a hydraulic hiss, the side walls of the classroom opened, revealing metal shelves that slid out. On them sat twenty numbered metal briefcases.
"YOUR HERO COSTUMES, DESIGNED ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN SPECIFICATIONS AND QUIRK REGISTRATIONS!"
If the room had been loud before, it was chaos now. Everyone scrambled from their seats, rushing to the wall to find their number.
"Mine! Number 17!"
"Here's 3!"
"Oh my god, I can't wait!"
Melissa found number 19. The case was heavy and technological looking. Ibara located hers, number 13, right next to it.
"Hey, check this out!" Kaminari yelled, opening his on the spot. "This jacket is so cool! And look at the headset!"
"Hey, support idiots!" Bakugo barked, glaring at the contents of his case. He was pulling out the enormous grenade shaped gauntlets. "I asked for something scary, not these plastic decorations! Do they even work?!"
"Mine is so cute and round!" Ochako exclaimed, hugging her pink and black suit, complete with a visor helmet. "Although maybe a little tight!"
"It sparkles!" Yuga Aoyama said, holding up his cape. "Non! It is magnificent!"
"Darkness," Fumikage Tokoyami murmured, lifting a dark cloak.
Melissa opened her case. Inside, folded with precision, was her suit. It was a vibrant blue with white lines, a clear homage to her uncle's suit, but visibly reinforced. She touched the material: a flexible yet tough polymer. She saw the reinforcements at the joints and the small gyroscopic stabilizers on the hips and shoulders. It was an engineering masterpiece from her father.
"Wow, Shield-san," Ibara said beside her, looking over her shoulder. "Yours looks... very complicated. All those wires?"
Melissa smiled, a little nervously. "Stabilizers. They're designed to help me... well, stay upright if I use too much power." She looked at Ibara's case. "Yours is... very simple."
Ibara nodded, pulling out a simple white dress made of durable fabric, practical boots, and what looked like thick gloves. "I prefer natural cloth. It allows me to move without restriction. I do not need machines to aid my Quirk."
Melissa felt a small sting at that but disguised it. "It looks practical."
"PUT ON YOUR COSTUMES, YOUNG HEROES!" All Might boomed, interrupting the comparisons. "AND MEET ME AT GROUND BETA! IT'S TIME TO BEGIN!"
Minutes later, Class 1-A gathered at the entrance to Ground Beta. The facility was enormous, a simulated city complete with skyscrapers, narrow streets, traffic lights, and fake storefronts.
The atmosphere was electric. Seeing everyone in their costumes for the first time was striking.
"Hey, Kirishima, your suit is so rugged!" Kaminari said, bumping his elbow. "So manly!"
"Yours too, Kaminari! You look awesome!"
"Uraraka-chan, your suit is adorable!" Mina said, bouncing. "We match! Pink is the best!"
"Yours too, Mina-chan! Though mine is a little... snug!" Ochako blushed as she tried to adjust the suit.
"Those grenades look powerful, Bakugo!" Kirishima yelled.
"Shut up, Shitty Hair!" Bakugo snapped. "They aren't decorations! They're for blowing everyone up!"
Melissa adjusted her gauntlets. The suit felt good. Light, but protective. She felt... like a heroine. Or at least, someone pretending to be one.
"It's... a lot more real now," she said to Ibara, who stood calmly beside her, her white suit standing out among the brighter colors.
"It is the first step on our path," Ibara replied. "May the heavens guide us."
"YOU ALL LOOK GREAT, CLASS!" All Might shouted, getting them into rows. "YOU LOOK LIKE REAL HEROES!"
They were about to start when a sharp sound got their attention. The enormous giant screens mounted on several buildings flickered to life. The smiling, slightly unsettling face of Principal Nezu appeared, multiplied by ten.
"Greetings, future heroes! And welcome, All Might!" Nezu's cheerful voice echoed through the fake city. "I apologize for interrupting your first exciting class, but I have two important announcements for the entire school."
Everyone looked up, curious.
"The principal?" Kaminari muttered. "What does he want?"
"Quiet! The principal is speaking!" Iida hissed.
"First," Nezu continued, "I am pleased to officially announce that, starting today, All Might himself is joining our esteemed faculty full time! Let's give him a warm U.A. welcome!"
A burst of applause and cheers erupted from the students, much louder this time.
"Full time All Might-sensei!"
"That's awesome!"
All Might puffed out his chest, laughing proudly. "THANK YOU, PRINCIPAL!"
"And second..." Nezu's smile became a little more enigmatic. "As some of you may have heard rumors, U.A. is implementing a new and revolutionary pilot program for the accelerated development of heroic potential."
There was an immediate murmur among the students.
"Pilot program?"
"Accelerated development?"
"What's he talking about?" Kaminari whispered. "Does that mean we're guinea pigs?"
"It means more work, idiot," Kyoka Jiro retorted, plugging one of her jacks into her boot.
"An innovative initiative from U.A.!" Iida declared. "We must pay close attention to the details!"
Nezu continued, "We are exploring innovative methods, impractical approaches, to push our most promising students to the next level. Stay tuned for future news on this exciting initiative."
He paused, his gaze seeming to sweep over every student, even through the screens.
Melissa felt a chill. She exchanged a quick glance with Ibara.
"He's talking about Izuku, isn't he?" Melissa whispered.
"Undoubtedly," Ibara replied quietly. "The principal knows what he is doing."
"Now, enjoy your training! Give it your all! PLUS ULTRA!"
The screens went dark.
All Might cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention back. "ALRIGHT! ENOUGH TALK! IT'S TIME FOR ACTION!"
He explained the exercise. Heroes versus Villains. Two teams of two. One villain team would defend a fake nuclear weapon hidden in a building. The hero team would have a time limit to either capture the weapon or neutralize the villains.
"THE TEAMS WILL BE... THESE!" he announced, and a holographic screen displayed the pairings.
Team B: Shoto Todoroki and Mezo Shoji.
Melissa looked at her classmates. Todoroki was impassive, as always. Shoji nodded politely in his direction.
"A strong team," Melissa murmured. "Ice and reconnaissance. That's good."
She searched for Ibara's. Team H: Fumikage Tokoyami and Ibara Shiozaki.
Ibara looked at Tokoyami. "An interesting partner. His Quirk is... particular. I hope we can work well together."
"THE FIRST MATCHUP WILL BE...!" All Might theatrically plunged his hands into two boxes labeled "HEROES" and "VILLAINS". "TEAM A WILL BE THE HEROES... AND TEAM D WILL BE THE VILLAINS!"
Melissa scanned the list for her name. Team A: Ochako Uraraka and Melissa Shield.
Team D: Katsuki Bakugo and Tenya Iida.