—Well, now it's clear that we are not the OP protagonists of this story— commented Terumi Mei while everyone watched the punch-for-punch battle between All Might and Nomu. A battle in which no shinobi other than Might Guy and Tsunade could participate.
—It was to be expected. That God took so many advantages from us and left us without techniques. I bet that with the full range of elemental Jutsu, substitutions, bunshin, shunshin, and sealing, we could dominate that chicken— Tetsumaru replied.
—But we would still be glass cannons. One hit and we're screwed— Mei reminded him.
—That's what substitutions, bunshin, and shunshin are for— Tetsumaru countered.
The battle culminated just as in the canon, with All Might breaking the Nomu's absorption threshold and sending it flying.
Unlike in the canon, Kurogiri did not intervene in the fight, as he was busy getting an unconscious and perhaps infertile Tomura out of the place.
Due to this, neither Todoroki nor Bakugo intervened, giving All Might precious seconds to finish the fight without his wound being pressured or having to save the explosion boy.
By the time the other UA teachers arrived, only the cannon fodder brought by Shigaraki remained.
All Might hurriedly said goodbye and retreated as quickly as he arrived. Although he wasn't so exhausted as to return to his emaciated form on the spot, he had still spent a lot of energy in his fight with the Nomu.
—Get down right now, brat— Aizawa said with a cold voice to Tetsumaru, who remained floating in his cloud of sand with his arms crossed, a mixture of the essence of Gaara and Madara, given his clothing and hair.
Or so he liked to think, since years of hair growth were still needed for that image.
Aizawa turned his gaze to a stealthy Mei trying to sneak away as if it were none of her business. She smiled, sticking out her tongue, winking, and tapping her head with a "tehee~" that made some of the approaching students blush.
—First we'll attend to the injured, and then, you and you will come with me to the principal's office— he said to the Terumi siblings.
Most of their classmates had witnessed part of the confrontation, seeing Mei cruelly sterilize the villain and Tetsumaru being assaulted by a monster that even All Might had difficulty defeating.
They were quickly surrounded and bombarded with questions.
—What the hell, Tetsumaru! How did you face that thing!?— Kirishima shouted, impressed by the black-haired boy's feat.
The others nodded, especially those who witnessed everything from the beginning like Shoji, Uraraka, and the others who stayed next to Thirteen.
—I didn't face it. I simply evaded it— he replied calmly.
—But you helped us. Thank you very much, Tetsumaru— said the girl with the gravity quirk.
—You bastard, you stole the spotlight!— Bakugo growled.
While the chatter continued, Midoriya stood aside, his expression twisting with complicated emotions.
He was impressed by the actions of his classmates, Mei and Tetsumaru. Where everyone else froze and watched, they jumped in to help Aizawa. Midoriya knew that if it weren't for the intervention of the black-haired boy, Aizawa would have ended up very badly against the Nomu.
Even Mei had the courage to face the Nomu and take its eyes... Huh?
—Mei-san, what happened to the—
Midoriya's mouth was covered by a Satetsu muzzle. He looked at Tetsumaru in surprise, who gave him a meaningful look.
After securing the villains, some of them having difficulty walking due to the actions of a certain Kage incarnation, the police arrived on the scene and things proceeded normally.
The rescue practice was canceled due to All Might's exhaustion and Thirteen's injuries, and everyone was taken back to UA. As Aizawa had promised, Mei and Tetsumaru were dragged to Nezu's office.
—Would you like some tea? — the rat/bear/dog asked.
—We don't drink tea. Is there any coffee around?— Mei said.
—Of course.
Once two steaming cups of coffee were served, Nezu began his talk.
—Well, first of all, I'd like to praise you for the help you provided during this attack. Especially you, Tetsumaru-kun. Thirteen told me how you protected your classmates and led them away from danger with your quirk.
—Just Tetsumaru— the black-haired boy said. Nezu nodded with a smile.
—Certainly, Tetsumaru. While your actions reflect an exemplary heroic spirit, that doesn't change the fact that you disobeyed your teachers and put your life in danger.
You should have limited your intervention to keeping yourself and your classmates safe, and left the confrontation to your teachers— Nezu continued, evaluating the boy's reaction.
Tetsumaru's impassivity did not waver. They had expected this.
—I understand— was his only response.
—I don't think you do understand. I could suspend you for this, Terumi— Aizawa warned.
—I am aware, sensei. I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate. And I'm not Terumi, that was a mistake by the orphanage.
—Easy there, young hero. There will be no punishment or anything like that. Your feats deserve recognition rather than reprisals— Nezu calmed him. He then turned to the reddish-brown haired girl who had already drunk her coffee and was now taking her brother's.
—And you, young Mei. Is there anything you'd like to tell us?
Mei froze in place, like a deer blinded by car headlights. She tapped her chin for a moment and shook her head.
—Give me the eyes, brat!— Aizawa reprimanded.
—Waa! I-I don't know what you're talking about!— Mei defended herself.
—We looked everywhere, but we never found the eyes that we all saw you rip out of the Nomu— Nezu explained with a smile.
—Ugh— Mei groaned, her shoulders slumped, and she pulled a giant eyeball out of her thigh-strapped backpack.
The eyeball kept moving its pupil from side to side, and part of the optic nerves that were supposed to be connected to the brain were wriggling like tentacles.
With a splat, she put it on the small table that separated the students from the principal and the teacher. Aizawa stared blankly at his students and Nezu grimaced at the sight of the writhing thing.
—The other one— Aizawa said.
-Please, I want to keep this one! - Mei insisted.
—Why the hell would you want that thing?
—It would look great in my room.
—It's an eye.
—Yes.
—A moving eye.
—I know. Cool, right?
Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. Nezu might have laughed at this exchange if it weren't so repulsive and concerning. Why would a 15-year-old girl want to have a live eye as a decoration?
—Young Mei, how about you give us the eye to study, and when we are finished, we will return one to you?— Nezu proposed, startling Aizawa.
—Do you promise to return it safe and sound?— she asked with uncertainty.
—It's an eye, not a loved one or a hostage— Aizawa and Nezu thought in unison.
—We will do our best— the UA principal nodded.
Reluctantly, Mei handed over the other Nomu eye.
In Mei's past life, when she was him instead of her and was complete, he had collected a lot of strange and somewhat shady things.
Strange snails, stuffed pets, some of his own and others from random people.
Yes, Tetsumaru and Mei were a strange pair. Not for nothing were they destined for a sausage-filled hell.
************************
—They are... peculiar— Nezu said tentatively after dismissing both siblings.
—They are weirdos. It's no wonder they are unsociable— Aizawa said.
—They are your students— Nezu reminded him.
—Yeah... - Aizawa sighed.
Despite the peculiarities of both siblings, Nezu, Aizawa, and the other teachers were not unfamiliar with the incredible abilities of the two.
Distracting a monster capable of fighting All Might head-on is no small feat. More incredible and disconcerting, they managed to take its eyes.
—If molded properly, these children will become great heroes— Nezu finally said.
—Or unhinged villains— Aizawa thought.