12 Chapter 12

While everyone else was excited by the appearance of All Might in his Silver Age costume, full-body tights with a red top, blue bottom, a utility belt, predominately golden boots, and golden vambraces, Izuku's usual smile had frozen.

By rejecting One-for-All, Izuku was hoping that All Might wouldn't be the teacher of Class 1-A's Foundational Hero Studies course. Now that he had appeared, the probability of the USJ incident and other events transpiring increased drastically...

Striking a pose at the front of the room, All Might shouted, "Foundational Hero Studies! As the name suggests, this Class focuses on teaching you everything you need to know to be a proper Hero. As for our first lesson..."

Striking yet another pose, this time holding a placard with the word battle written on it, All Might declared, "We'll be conducting a battle simulation!"

Hearing they would be conducting battle training on the second day of school, a tense yet excited atmosphere pervaded the classroom. Things became especially exciting when All Might pressed the activation switch of a tiny remote, causing the far-side wall of the classroom to slide open, revealing twenty numbers briefcases.

"To aid in your first battle, the school has prepared gear and costumes in accordance with the forms you filled out during your enrollment. In other words, these are your very first Hero costumes...!"

As not everyone had the means to acquire rare materials or develop high-quality costumes, the Class practically erupted in response to All Might's words. Izuku was similarly excited, as he had put considerable effort into designing his Hero costume, but it was hard to remain enthused when he knew his life would soon be imperiled. He wasn't completely unprepared, but even the best-laid plans meant little in the face of true strength and inextricable violence...

Interrupting Izuku's thoughts, All Might made a pointing gesture toward the door with his thumb, saying, "Grab the briefcase matching your Seat Number and then make your way to the Field Beta. You can change in the corresponding Locker Room. With that said, I'll see you there...!"

Without waiting for anyone to respond, All Might bolted out of the room as if there was a fire. In the wake of his departure, everyone hurried to grab their assigned briefcases, the only exceptions between Izuku and Shinso. The latter didn't have a briefcase just yet, so he waited for everyone else to clear out before grabbing his gym uniform and following at a distance as the Class made their way to Field Beta...

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Contrasting the diverse and fairly flamboyant costumes of his classmates, Izuku's military-themed Hero costume sacrificed flair for practicality and ease of movement. The top was a seemingly simple black tee, but it was woven from a special carbon-fiber mesh that made it resistant to small-arms fire and most blades. The bottom was made from the same material, but it resembled the standard-issue fatigues of the JSDF, complete with cargo pockets.

Complimenting his outfit, Izuku wore a set of titanium-plated dog tags around his neck, heat-resistant combat gloves on his hands, and thick-soled combat boots on his feet. He also wore a red belt around his waist that came equipped with a magnetic belt buckle and a short-wave signal jammer. It could also serve as a tourniquet during an emergency, but that was a function Izuku hoped he would never have to utilize.

Seeing Izuku's outfit, the nearby Kirishima couldn't help asking, "Is that really your Hero costume? Don't get me wrong, it looks pretty badass, but isn't it a little too ordinary?"

Without missing a beat, Izuku tucked his dog tags into his shirt as he said, "I prefer the term 'practical.' Besides, soldiers, policemen, and firefighters are the 'original' modern Heroes. Paying homage to our roots never hurts."

"Well, when you put it that way, I dig it," said Kirishima, extending his right fist with a smile.

Adopting a smile of his own, Izuku bumped Kirishima's fist with his own, saying, "I'll see you on the battlefield." before making his way out of the Locker Room. One of the many benefits of a practical costume was that it was easy to change into, so he was among the first to finish getting changed. The only person who took less time was Ojiro, but his outfit was basically just a modified karate gi.

Upon arriving at Field Beta, Izuku's green eyes briefly flickered as he noticed a pair of white shoes and distinctive blue gloves hovering in the air. While Ojiro was among the first to arrive, the absolute earliest was Hagakure. After all, her current Hero costume was essentially just her 'removing' her clothes, not changing into something else...

Seeing Izuku looking her way, a potent blush spread through Hagakure's invisible face as she slightly turned her body. She had mentally prepared herself to be 'seen' in her Hero costume, but it was still embarrassing to be stared at directly.

Smiling wryly, Izuku decided against bothering Hagakure and instead made his way over to where All Might and Ojiro were standing, his eyes scanning the latter as he said, "Nice costume. I take it you've undergone some traditional martial arts training?"

Nodding his head, Ojiro replied, "Yeah. My family owns a dojo outside of Tokyo. My Quirk may not be all that impressive, but I'm pretty confident in my strength and skill."

Following Ojiro's response, All Might elected to comment on Izuku's outfit, remarking, "That's quite the practical costume, young Midoriya. I'm a little surprised, though. Based on your performance during the Entrance Exam, I thought you would have incorporated more Support items into your Hero costume."

Punching his right fist into the palm of his left hand, Izuku explained, "I've changed quite a bit since then. I still plan to make use of Support items in the future, but I'm currently focusing on my close-combat and detainment skills."

Recalling how Izuku had apprehended Bakugo, All Might gave a curt nod without pressing the matter further. He truthfully had a lot to discuss with Izuku, but now was neither the time nor the place...

With All Might leaving them to their own devices, Izuku and Ojiro made casual conversation until the other students trickled in. Most of the girls wore form-fitting costumes that would bolster their popularity once they became Heroes, while most of the guys wore edgy or flamboyant outfits that would allow them to stand out. Female Heroes, especially attractive ones, had a much easier time earning fans and brand endorsements, so male Hero costumes needed to be flashy or iconic to compete. Of course, none of that mattered if you were truly powerful...

Waiting until everyone had arrived, All Might struck a pose with his hands on his hips as he said, "They say the clothes make the Pros, and behold, you are the proof of that claim! From this moment on, you are all officially Heroes-in-training!"

Hearing someone like All Might call them 'Heroes-in-Training,' the eyes of nearly everyone in Class 1-A blazed with resolve. The former was the idol of almost every child in Japan, so even a small compliment from him was enough to get them pumped up...

Feeding into everyone's excitement, All Might began explaining the details of their Battle Training. Simply put, they would be split into groups of two, one side playing the part of Heroes while the others were Villains charged with protecting a fake nuclear bomb. If the Heroes managed to touch the bomb before time ran out, they would be victorious. On the other hand, if the Villains managed to incapacitate the Heroes or stall until time ran out, they would be the victors...

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As things were developing similarly to canon, Izuku expected to be paired with Ochaco, working together as a Hero Team. Instead, undoubtedly as a result of Bakugo being dropped from the Class and Shinso being added, he ended up on a Villain Team with Ashido, prompting her to come over to him and remark, "It looks like we're fated to be together, Midoriya-kun." in a teasing tone.

Though his mood wasn't the best due to All Might's appearance, Izuku managed a smile as he replied, "If that's the case, I'm pretty lucky. You look amazing in your costume, by the way."

Similar to the majority of female Heroes, Ashido opted for a skin-tight bodysuit as the core of her Hero costume. What distinguished her from the rest was her psychedelic camo pattern, blending bright turquoise and magenta in a way that was offensive to the eyes yet compelled people to stare. Over that, she wore a yellow half-vest with a thick fur collar, a white facemask that covered the upper half of her face, and dark-purple boots with yellow accents.

Adopting a broad smile, Ashido mused, "You never pass on an opportunity to pay a girl a compliment, do you? Not that I'm complaining. I put a lot of effort into this design, and I'm pretty proud of my physique."

Nodding his head, Izuku asserted, "It shows." before quickly changing the topic, adding, "I also designed my Hero costume. What do you think?"

Leaving Izuku a little speechless, Ashido replied, "Eh, it's okay. Your body matches, but you don't really have the face of a rugged soldier-type Hero. Your face is too round, and your freckles aren't doing you any favors."

"..."

As there was a fair amount of truth to Ashido's words, Izuku found himself unable to refute them. He had worked hard to cultivate a lean and athletic figure, but his face hadn't changed much since middle school. Cutting his hair had made a massive difference, but his face and bone structure made him look frustratingly young and naive.

Exhaling a sigh, Izuku had a defeated expression and tone as he said, "I believe honesty is important, but you could have sugarcoated your words a bit. This is the face I was born with, after all. There isn't much I can do to change it..."

Patting Izuku's shoulder, Ashido attempted to comfort him by saying, "I didn't say it was a bad face. If anything, your face is pretty cute. It gives you a 'trustworthy' vibe that makes you easy to approach."

Though he didn't appreciate being called 'cute,' Izuku ultimately shook his head and said, "I'll take the compliment. Thanks, Ashido-san."

Smiling even wider than usual, Ashido gave Izuku a few additional pats on his shoulder before suggesting, "Come on. Let's watch the other matches together and plan our strategy. Mineta shouldn't be a problem, but Shoji-kun's grip strength is insane. My Quirk can't really be used against people directly, so you'll have to be the vanguard to fend him off."

Nodding his head in affirmation, Izuku joined Ashido in watching the other matches. Deviating from canon, where 'Deku' had to compete against Bakugo in the very first match, Izuku and Ashido wouldn't be participating until the third. This gave them plenty of time to strategize, even if the first match was guaranteed to be a bust. After all, it was a match-up between Todoroki and Tokoyami, representing the Hero Team, against Tsuyu and Sero as Villains. Izuku would like to cheer for Tsuyu's victory, but he knew she had no hope against Todoroki's ice powers.

At least she looked adorable while hibernating...

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With the first round ending with Todoroki's and Tokoyami's absolute victory, Izuku offered some consoling words to Sero and earned himself some brownie points by asking Yaoyorozu if she could produce a warm blanket for Tsuyu. The latter was extremely susceptible to the cold, so she invariably collapsed after Todoroki used his ice powers to freeze the entire building. Sero, too distracted by her condition, was unable to fend off Tokoyami and his Dark Shadow, so the match ended after a mere 37 seconds.

Fortunately, while the second match was also a little one-sided, it was marginally more interesting as Shinso was on the Hero Team, paired with Ojiro. When the two encountered the Villain Team, consisting of Kaminari and Koda, Shinso exploited his Brainwashing Quirk to take out the former in an instant. Koda lasted a little longer, as he seldom spoke aloud, but he was virtually powerless against Ojiro's assault since the only animals in the mock city were birds and a variety of insects. As a result, Shinso was able to casually walk around him, placing his hand on the rocket-shaped bomb and securing the Hero Team's victory in a modest 5 minutes and 13 seconds...

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(A/N: Izuku is starting to regret not accepting One-for-All xD...)