8

Chapter 8: A Lesson in Leadership

Chapter Text

"Let's see here…" Midoriya muttered, "Cold temperatures, acetone, and ethanol all desensitize nitroglycerin…the main hurdle to deal with there is a reliable method of deployment, both of those chemicals are volatile in their own right so carrying them around would prove more dangerous than helpful, not to mention how impractical it would be for such a niche situation…perhaps preventing combustion altogether would be more…yes, that would do nicely, if I could introduce a anticatalytic agent into the mix, that would prove helpful in a variety of situations, but that brings me back to my original problem of deployment…perhaps some sort of iron-based particulate, or maybe a Halogenated hydrocarbon…no, too toxic…"

Even though he now possessed arguably the strongest quirk in the world, Midoriya had no intentions of quitting this routine mental exercise. It was a habit left over from a time when the only weapon Midoriya could truly rely on was his mind. Every day, Midoriya would pick one of the subjects of his notes—hero or villain, it didn't matter—and dedicate a minimum of thirty minutes to brainstorming various methods of defeating them or shutting down their quirk.

"Excuse me, excuse me, young man!" A brunette reporter shoved her microphone in Midoriya's face as soon as he approached the massive crowd of media members blocking the entrance to the school. "Can you tell me what it's like learning from All Might?"

"Hmm?" Midoriya looked up from his notebook. "What's going on here?"

"All Might." The young woman flashed her most charming smile, "What's it like having the number one hero as a teacher? The public wants to know!"

Midoriya's expression was perfectly neutral as he glanced around at the huge collection of cameras and microphones surrounding him. When his eyes finally settled back on the female reporter, he smiled politely as he took a moment to craft a suitably generic response so he could gracefully make his exit.

"He's surprisingly approachable, considering his reputation. Other than that, he acts exactly as you would expect based on his many public appearances." Midoriya bowed, "Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have to get to class."

Midoriya moved to walk around the reporter, but frowned minutely when she side-stepped to intercept him. "I just have a few more questions, when All Might is—"

"Get the fuck out of our way, News Bimbo." A rough voice interrupted her. "This dipshit is too polite to say it out loud, but I don't give a fuck! You bunch of goddamn vultures are fucking annoying, so buzz off!"

"News Bimbo?!" The reporter exclaimed with an angry flush. "You did not just…wait, aren't you that kid from the Sludge Villain incident?"

'Is Kacchan…helping me out?' Midoriya's jaw dropped in shock as his long-time bully none-to-gently pushed him through the entrance while flipping off the outraged crowd of media members.

"Get a real job!" Bakugo taunted, "You 'Christmas Cake' hack!"

"C-Christmas Cake?! You little brat!" The apoplectic female reporter stormed towards them, "I'm only 23! Get back here and apologi—"

~KLANG~

Bakugo cackled as the thick steel doors of the famous 'Yuuei Barrier' slammed shut in the face of the furious woman. "Suck on that, you bloodsucking losers!"

"Thanks for the assist, Kacchan." Midoriya thanked Bakugo while struggling to contain the amused grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. 'Bakugo's talent for being an ass can be kind of funny when he isn't using it to bully his peers…still, I probably shouldn't encourage him.' "They were getting a little overbearing."

"Assist?" Bakugo scoffed. "Don't misunderstand, Deku! I didn't 'assist' shit—the doors wouldn't have closed on them as long as you were near the threshold, so I shoved your ass through."

"I'll keep that in mind." Midoriya replied, "I think you might have gone a little far with the insults, though."

"I agree." Aizawa's monotone, no-nonsense voice interjected. As he approached his students, he had to pull his capture cloth up over his mouth to hide his own delighted smirk at Bakugo's treatment of the press—he had to set an example. "Bakugo. I don't make any secret of my feelings towards the press, but as long as you wear that uniform, you need to remember that you are a representative of Yuuei. You can't go around calling reporters bimbos or…heh, bloodsucking losers."

'Ah, he laughed.' Midoriya noted.

'He totally just laughed.' Bakugo smirked.

"If this happens again, let me handle them." Aizawa continued. "Now hurry up and get to class. I have a few announcements to make."

"Yes sensei." The two chorused.

XXX

HEROES NEVER DIE

XXX

"Good work with yesterday's combat training." Aizawa began class without any preamble. "I've looked over everyone's grades and evaluations." He shuffled through a few papers. "For the most part, everyone did well enough considering your lack of experience. That being said, there are a few issues that need to be addressed…Kaminari."

"Eh?" The blond electricity user perked up at his name.

"Training or not, combat situations are not the time or place to try and score a date. Focus on your love life on your own time."

"Haha…yeah." Kaminari laughed sheepishly while the rest of the class snickered at his expense. "Sorry sensei."

"Don't apologize to me." Aizawa grunted. "Apologize to the partner whose time you wasted."

"S-sorry, Uraraka." Kaminari apologized. "I guess that was pretty thoughtless of me, huh?"

"Just don't do it again." Uraraka said, embarrassed by the unwanted stares and suppressed laughter directed their way thanks to the situation.

"Bakugo…you—"

"What!?" Bakugo interrupted in his outrage. "What are you on my case for? I fucking won!"

"If you had waited for me to finish my sentence," Aizawa narrowed his eyes at Bakugo, "you would know that your issue is not with your performance in combat, nor your judgement. Hagakure remaining behind to guard the weapon was the most logical choice under the circumstances."

Bakugo blinked. "Then what—?"

"I wasn't finished." Aizawa cut Bakugo off, quelling the volatile teen with a quirk enhanced glare. "I'm not calling you out like this because I'm picking on you. On the contrary, I'm grateful, because you've given me a perfect opportunity to teach all of you an important lesson." Aizawa shifted his gaze to the first seat in Bakugo's row. "Hagakure."

"Y-yes, sensei?" The transparent girl sat up straighter in her seat.

"Did Bakugo discuss the plan of action with you before he left to go engage the enemy team?"

"No, sensei."

"Did Bakugo ever ask for your opinion, or seek your input in any way?"

"No, sensei."

"Did Bakugo explain his reasoning for the actions he took at any point?"

"No, sensei."

"Did Bakugo ever take the time to inform you of what he was doing, or what was going on?"

"No, sensei."

"Tell me, Hagakure…what did Bakugo do?"

"He…um." Too embarrassed to repeat his exact words, Hagakure hesitated—she could almost feel Bakugo's glare boring through the back of her invisible head. "He just yelled at me to stay by the weapon and keep out of his way. Then he left."

"I see. Thank you, that's all I needed to know." Aizawa paused. "Before I say the answer, who here thinks they know what Bakugo's major failing was?" Several students raised their hands, but one seemed more eager than most. "Iida, go ahead."

"Thank you, sensei!" Iida boomed as he stood up. He chopped his hand through the air in a robotic motion. "Bakugo failed to communicate with his teammate in any capacity! He wrote off Hagakure as a liability and decided to forgo any attempt at teamwork! While it may have worked out for him this time, such arrogance could very well prove to be his downfall in the future!" Iida bowed and sat back down.

"You're on the right track." Aizawa replied. "But not exactly. As I said before, my criticism is not of Bakugo's tactical judgement or performance. Bakugo," Aizawa asked, "why did you leave Hagakure with the weapon? Is it because you thought she was useless? That you didn't need her?"

"What the fuck kind of dumbass question is that?" Bakugo huffed. "She got into Yuuei. Of course she isn't useless. I had the See-through Nudist stay put because I didn't want to worry about blasting my own partner while I'm fighting. How the fuck am I supposed to keep an eye out for an invisible person? I focused on taking down Dangle Ears first so that she'd have no problem taking Stupid Hair by surprise and capturing him in the unlikely event that I lost."

The class stared at Bakugo as if he'd grown a second head. "What the fuck are you all looking at?" He snapped.

"You know…" Jirou said, "If you filter out the total douchebag way he phrased it, I think Bakugo might have actually said something vaguely decent."

"Bakugo!" Kirishima grinned and clapped Bakugo on the shoulder. "You might act like an arrogant jerkwad" Bakugo growled, "but you had faith in your teammate all along!" He clenched his fist. "That's manly as hell!"

"You better get your fucking hand off of me before I remove it Stupid Hair."

"Wha…why didn't you just say that in the first place!?" Hagakure exclaimed. "You treated me like dead weight! If you hadn't have won so fast, I was thinking about leaving the weapon to capture one of them to prove you wrong!"

"The fuck!?" Bakugo shouted, "You would have ditched the weapon to 'prove me wrong?' Is your brain as empty as your wardrobe, you nudist idiot? That could have ruined everything!"

"Call me a nudist one more time…" Hagakure muttered darkly, "and I'll shove my invisible foot straight up your—"

"And that," Aizawa cut in, "is exactly my point. Bakugo, you are talented, but you lack leadership. Despite coming up with the optimal plan for your team, your complete lack of respect for your ally nearly incited her to mutiny against you. True leaders don't simply bark out orders, they inspire others to follow them. This requires a level of mutual respect—and respect must be earned. If you wish for anyone to listen to you, you must first demonstrate consideration for their thoughts and feelings."

'I was right!' Bakugo clenched his fists and glowered at his desk. 'You even said I was right! Why should I have to explain myself to the people below me?'

Aizawa raised an eyebrow at Bakugo's defensive body language. "You clearly seem to disagree with what I've said. Care to share your thoughts?"

Bakugo opened his mouth to retort when a scene from the day before flashed through his head. Words of condemnation and contempt directed towards an individual who had—if only for a moment—made Bakugo think, 'I can't beat him.'

"You'll never become the number one hero with your current attitude…we aren't the kind of losers who refuse to do our best out of spite."

'Damn it.'  Bakugo cursed. 'That fucking nerd is right…I am different than that Half-and-half bastard. If I reject this lesson out of pride, then I'm no better than him.' Bakugo scowled. "No, sensei." He forced out through ground teeth.

Aizawa nodded. "Very well. Now, onto homeroom business. Sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden, but I have an announcement to make…" The class froze at the sight of Aizawa's dead serious expression, fearing the worst.

'What is it this time?' Ashido sweated, 'Is it another brutal pop quiz?'

'Is someone gonna get expelled again?' Kaminari squeezed the sides of his desk. 'Please don't be me!'

'He's expelling someone again, isn't he?' Hagakure slid down into her chair as low as she could. 'Maybe I'll be safe as long as he doesn't see me!'

'I wonder what's for lunch today?' Uraraka wondered, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere.

Aizawa sighed. "…it's time for you to pick a class president." Several loud thumps from multiple students slamming their foreheads onto their desks sounded out.

Ojiro let out a relived sigh. "Finally, a normal, school-like activity."

"Ooh!" Ashido jumped out of her seat and thrust her hand up in the air. "I wanna be a leader!"

"Hell yeah!" Kirishima pumped his fist. "I'm fired up!"

"This position was made for me!" Aoyama Yuuga—a blond boy with a penchant for randomly spouting French—declared.

"I'd like to do it." Jirou raised her hand.

Midoriya shook his head. Every single member of the class was putting forward themselves forward as a candidate. Unlike regular schools—where the position usually amounted to taking on a bunch of mundane extra tasks—the representative of a hero course was tasked with the responsibility of leading the group, a role which opened quite a few doors upon graduation.

'I can hardly blame them for wanting the prestige, but it's hard to believe that all of them actually want everything that comes with the job.' He calmly raised his hand. 'Still, if I'm going to be All Might's replacement, I can't miss this opportunity to establish myself as a leader of our generation.'

"Be silent!" Iida boomed, gathering the attention of his classmates. "Leading the many is a task laden with immense responsibility…but ambition alone does not equate to ability! As Aizawa-sensei said, a leader must have the trust and respect of those who follow them! That is why I propose that our leader be chosen by vote!"

"Ribbit. The words you're saying are good, but you've got your hand up higher than of the rest of us Iida." Asui pointed out, taking the wind out of his sails. "Besides, we haven't known each other long enough to build much trust."

"Yeah!" Kirishima chimed in, "And since everyone wants to do it, they'll all just vote for themselves!"

"That's precisely why anyone who manages to accrue multiple votes will be the best-suited individual for the position!" Iida argued. "Sensei! Is this acceptable to you?"

"I don't care." Aizawa replied. He zipped up into his sleeping bag and propped himself against the wall to catch a few precious moments of shut-eye. "Decide however you want, as long as you do it in the next 30 minutes." 

"Excellent!" Iida took out a piece of paper and tore it into 19 pieces. "Let's get this vote underway then!"

"Hold on a minute, Iida." Midoriya spoke up, catching everyone's attention.

Iida frowned. "What is it, Midoriya? Do you have a different suggestion for deciding who gets the role?"

Midoriya shook his head with a smile. "Not at all, but we shouldn't rush straight to the voting. Aizawa-sensei said we have 30 minutes to decide. That's enough time to give everyone a minute or so to formally introduce themselves and briefly make their case for the position. It's not much, but it's better than making such an important decision based off of zero information."

'Plus,' he mentally added, 'it'll weed out the people who can't handle speaking publicly or can't articulate why they want to do the job beyond the personal accolades.'

"Of course!" Iida clenched his fist with a pained expression. "How could I have been so foolishly impatient!"

"No need to beat yourself up over it." Midoriya said diplomatically. "No one can think of everything."

"Very true!" Iida replied, chopping the air as he spoke. "Still, what a wonderful suggestion, Midoriya! You continue to impress me!" Iida rubbed his chin. "Now, how should we decide the order in which we speak?"

XXX

(With Ashido)

XXX

"Ooh! I'll go first!" Ashido bounded up to the front of the class without hesitation. "Hey everybody!" She cheered, "To those of you who don't already know, my name's Ashido Mina! My quirk is Acid. I can create acid from any gland on my body, I can also control its strength and kinematic viscosity!"

She shot a wink at Midoriya, who smiled and shook his head in amusement.

"I like to dance! I wanna be president because I've always been good at making friends and I'm not afraid to speak my mind! The one thing that I can't stand are people who bully others! I'm looking at you, Bakugo!"

Bakugo let out a derisive scoff and flipped her off. "Fuck you too, Raccoon Eyes!" Ashido stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'd like to make us all a class of people who look out for and take care of each other!" She flashed a grin and a peace sign, "Vote for me, 'kay?"

XXX

(With Kirishima)

XXX

"All right!" Kirishima grinned and knocked his hardened fists together with a satisfying ~crack~ before making his way up to the front. "I'll go next!"

Kirishima pointed his thumb at his chest and flashed his shark-like teeth at the class. "The name's Kirishima Eijiro! My quirk is called Hardening!" Kirishima activated his quirk and transformed his arm into a jagged, sharp and rocklike material. "It's pretty much what it sounds like. I can turn any part of my body as hard as a rock! I'm also a lot stronger when I use it too! My favorite hero is Crimson Riot!"

"Who the heck is Crimson Riot?" Satou whispered to Todoroki, who merely shrugged in response.

"I believe that he was a hero from a long time ago." Yaoyorozu helpfully supplied. "His prime was shortly before All Might's rise into prominence, if I'm not mistaken."

"Dang." Satou said. "Talk about retro."

"I want to be class president because my dream is to become a man like him! A chivalrous hero who leads from the front and always does his best! If you vote for me, I'll be this class' unbreakable pillar!"

XXX

(With Jirou)

XXX

"Uh, hey." Jirou held up a hand and waved half-heartedly at the class. "I'm Jirou Kyouka. My quirk is Earphone Jack. It's pretty useful for a lot of stuff. I can move them at will, they've got a decent range on them, and I can use them to hear quiet things and send out my heartbeat through them as an attack. I sing, and I know how to play a couple of instruments, but I'm best at the guitar."

"That's super cool, Jirou!" Ashido called out.

Uraraka nodded, "Yeah, you'll need to play for us sometime!"

"Maybe I will…sometime." Jirou shrugged nonchalantly but couldn't conceal her slight blush at the cheering from the other girls. "Anyways, I was the president of the Music Club back in Middle School, so I've got some leadership experience, I guess." She twirled her finger around her Earphone Jack and faintly smiled, "And I'm a pretty good listener, for obvious reasons. I'd appreciate your support."

XXX

(With Aoyama)

XXX

"Hmmph!" Aoyama struck a flamboyant pose as soon as he reached the front of the classroom. "It's a crime that I've been forced to wait this long to display my brilliance to you all! Me nom est Aoyama Yuuga mon amies! My quirk is the très beau, brillant Navel Laser! My favorite thing? Why, myself, of course!"

The class stared at Aoyama, everyone at a complete loss for words as he continued to pose like a model while he spoke.

"Speechless in the face of my beauty?" Aoyama chuckled. "Unsurprising! The leader of the class should shine like a diamond! That is why I am the clear choice, oui?" 

XXX

(With Bakugo)

XXX

"All right!" Bakugo barked, "Listen up small fry! You had better pay attention, because I don't like repeating myself!"

"Sorry, what was that?" Sero asked with a grin. "I couldn't quite hear you."

Bakugo's eye twitched and he slowly began to walk towards Sero with sparks popping off in his palms. "You think you're funny, Soy Sauce Face?"

"50 seconds Kacchan." Midoriya reminded Bakugo before he wasted all of his available time. "Clock's ticking."

"Tch." Bakugo clicked his tongue. "Whatever, I'll deal with that smartass later…I'm Bakugo Katsuki, and my quirk is Explosion. If you can't put together what it does from the name, then I don't know what else to say to you other than 'you're a fucking dumbass'."

The class stared in disbelief at the nerve of Bakugo for casually insulting the very people he wanted to vote for him.

Bakugo slammed his fist into his palm with a bang. "If your idea of a leader is someone whose gonna hold your fucking hand and sing kumbaya, I'm not him."

"You don't say." Jirou snarked. "I never would have guessed."

Bakugo's eye twitched, but he ignored her. "I've got my eyes on one thing and one thing only—I'm going to be the number one hero, no matter what. You vote for me, and I'll drag all of your asses kicking and screaming to the top along with me!"

Without another word, Bakugo marched back to his desk and throw himself into his chair and the class spent several seconds in shocked silence. A vein pulsed in Bakugo's forehead. "Well?" He shouted, "Get a fucking move on! Let's get this shit over with, goddamn it!"

XXX

(With Iida)

XXX

"I am Iida Tenya!" Iida loudly declared. "My quirk is called Engine! It allows me to travel at high speeds!"

"You know we can all hear you perfectly fine, right?" Asui called out. "You can stop shouting."

Iida pushed up his glasses to hide his flush. "Erm…yes…anyways, the person I look up to the most is my brother, the Turbo Hero Ingenium." Iida smiled proudly. "He is an excellent hero who leads others and always follows the rules! I aspire to become a man like him."

At this revelation, several members of the class began whispering amongst each other. Midoriya raised his eyebrows. 'I thought Iida looked sort of familiar, but I didn't expect him to be part of that Iida family…it's no surprise people are talking about it. Ingenium is one of the most popular heroes out there right now.'

Iida bowed. "I realize that I have much to learn, but I humbly request that you place your trust in me! Upon the honor of the Iida family name, I swear that I shall carry out the duties of this office with integrity, dignity, and to the very best of my ability! Thank you very much!"

XXX

(With Yaoyorozu)

XXX

"If nobody has any objections," Yaoyorozu said, "I'll go next." After waiting a few seconds, she made her way to the front. "My name is Yaoyorozu Momo, and my quirk is called Creation." She held out a palm face up and materialized a Matryoshka doll. "As long as I have a little bit of time and an understanding of its chemical structure, I can create any non-living material. I enjoy reading and a nice cup of tea."

"As some of you may know, I am one of the students who was admitted through recommendations. I come from a line of pro heroes stretching back several generations and have been groomed for this role since I was very young." Yaoyorozu paused, unsure of how to phrase her argument in a way that did not seem like she was boasting. "Due to the nature of my quirk, I require a great deal of academic and organizational proficiency. If I am your class representative, I promise to utilize my academic skills and lifelong preparation for heroics in a way that will bring out the best in all of us."

"You know." Sero remarked. "After so many weird or overly intense people in a row, that was pretty refreshing."

Hagakure nodded. "She was really impressive in breaking things down yesterday during the combat trial, too. I wouldn't have a problem if she won."

Yaoyorozu bowed with a pleased smile. "Thank you very much."

XXX

(With Midoriya)

XXX

One by one, the rest of the class made their pitches, and before long Midoriya was the only person who had yet to say his piece. He rose to his feet and made his way to the front of the class.

"Hello everyone." He began with an easy smile. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, and my quirk is called Super-Power. It didn't properly manifest until about a year ago, so I'm still figuring out everything I can do with it, but for now…" He flooded his body with 5% of One for All, making a few members of the class inhale sharply and stiffen in their seats when his glowing gaze fell upon them.

'Interesting.' He thought. 'It seems as if my observations regarding people's reactions to One of All were correct. It looks like sensitivity varies from person to person, but they can clearly feel the energy I'm putting out…now let's see how they react if I keep going. It should be fine to go past the safety limit as long as I don't move.'

"I can summon a pool of energy either to individual limbs or throughout my entire body and use it to drastically increase my strength, speed and durability." Midoriya explained, observing the reactions of the class with a clinical eye as he continued to raise his output. "But if I use too much, the backlash can leave me severely injured."

The class watched in open mouthed shock as the small green sparks flying off Midoriya's body quickly grew into crackling arcs of electricity until they were suddenly shut off by a glare from Aizawa.

"Midoriya." The sleeping bag bound hero grunted, "Quit showing off. I'm trying to get a few minutes of rest here."

"Ah, sorry sensei." Midoriya apologized, noting the visible relief in the faces of the crowd as the tension quickly drained from the room following the deactivation of his quirk. 'Excellent. It looks like this will be an effective intimidation tactic—and All Might's absurd effect on crime suddenly makes a heck of a lot more sense.'

"Dude," Kaminari let out a shaky breath, "that was kind of freaky. Are you sure that the only thing your quirk does is boost your strength? That was some crazy pressure you were giving off."

"As far as I know." Midoriya replied.

"HA!" A sudden shout from Ashido drew stares from everyone in the class. She had stood up in her seat and was giving all of the girls a triumphant look. "I freaking told you!"

"Okay." Jirou nodded with a shell-shocked expression. "Now I see what you meant."

"Wow." Hagakure breathed.

"That was certainly something." Yaoyorozu agreed, giving Midoriya a considering look. "I never would have expected something like that."

Unsure of what to make of the conversation playing out in front of him, Midoriya looked at Ashido. "Should I be concerned about this?"

"Don't worry about it." Ashido sat back down with a satisfied smirk on her face. "I'm just basking in the familiar sensation of being proven right. Go ahead and finish your speech."

"…Right." Midoriya nodded. "Iida was correct when he talked about the great burden of responsibility that comes with being a leader—and honestly, bringing together a class of such wildly different personalities won't be an easy task." He grinned. "But if we were the type of people who took the easy route, we wouldn't be here at Yuuei, now would we?"

A few of the more boisterous students let out a cheer at that.

"It's only been a few days since we started school," Midoriya continued, "but I've dedicated a great deal of time observing each of you." He glanced at Ashido. "As anyone who has seen my notes can attest."

Ashido laughed. "I want a copy of that drawing you did of me, by the way!"

"Come see me later." Midoriya agreed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Drawing?" Asui whispered. "He drew you?"

Ashido grinned. "I'm pretty sure he drew everyone. He's pretty good too."

"Make no mistake," Midoriya pressed on, "everyone here has something valuable to offer as a leader, qualities that set them apart from the others…" He smiled at Ashido. "Whether it be a friendly, approachable demeanor…" He gazed at Kirishima, "Overflowing passion…" He glanced at Bakugo. "A relentless obsession with victory..." His eyes shifted to Yaoyorozu. "A keen mind honed by years of preparation…" He looked at Iida. "Or an unyielding sense of duty, all of you possess qualities that would make for a fine leader, a leader I would be proud to follow."

Midoriya smiled, "Right now, you may be wondering what qualities I'm bringing to the table." He paused for a moment to let out a chuckle. "Well, someone recently told me that I'm 'super weird', so there's that."

Ashido snickered along with the rest of the class at the self-deprecating crack.

"And it's true, I am a little weird. For years, my hobby was hunting for villain attacks so I could watch the heroes work. I spent almost every waking moment imagining myself in their shoes, reflecting on how to incorporate their best qualities into myself. I promise to apply this same practice to each of you. I will watch you. I will listen to you. I will learn from each and every one of you and make your strength my own, because at the end of the day, I aim to become more than just your representative…"

Midoriya paused and called upon One for All, illuminating his eyes for dramatic effect. "I'm going to become the next All Might." He bowed to the silent classroom. "Thank you very much."

XXX

HEROES NEVER DIE

XXX

(Lunchtime)

In the end, the results weren't even close. Midoriya had dominated the final tally with seven votes compared to Yaoyorozu's four. Bakugo's negative reaction to Midoriya's overwhelming victory had been unsurprising, but everybody else seemed fine with the way things turned out.

The moment he entered the cafeteria, Midoriya took the opportunity to claim a spot in the back corner of the room before making his way over to the lunch line. With his meal in hand, he opened up his sketchbook and eyed a few of the more interesting mutant-type students, idly drawing them as he ate.

"Heeeey, Class Prez, mind if we sit with you?"

"Hm?" Midoriya looked away from his current subject to see none other than Ashido grinning at him with Yaoyorozu and Uraraka in tow. "Um…sure."

'Why do they want to eat with me?' Midoriya wondered. 'I went out of my way to sit in the furthest, darkest corner of the room.'

"Midoriya! Would you mind if I joined you for lunch!?" Iida loudly greeted him.

"Please." Midoriya gestured at an open seat. 'And now Iida is here…is this what being popular feels like?' He furrowed his brow. 'This is weird.'

"Why are you crammed all the way over here in the back corner?" Yaoyorozu asked. "It was pretty difficult to find you."

"It's a little quieter." Midoriya answered, "I usually spend lunch either drawing or going over my notes to relax. Plus, nobody can get at my back in this spot, and I have a clear line of sight to the door."

"Are you Musashi Miyamoto or something?" Yaoyorozu smiled in amusement. "Do you think someone's going to try and assassinate you?"

'Little bit too honest just then, Izuku.' Midoriya smiled back at her. "Maybe." He replied in a light-hearted tone. "You never know."

Uraraka giggled. "You know, you're actually pretty funny for someone who's so quiet and serious all the time…hey, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Go ahead," Midoriya replied.

"Why does that Bakugo guy call you Deku?"

"I too am curious about that." Iida chimed in. "Your given name is Izuku, is it not?"

"Ah," Midoriya replied, "that." He took a bite of his food. "Kacchan's been calling me that since we were four. The kanji of my name can be read as Deku, and I was pretty clumsy as a kid, so he used the name to pick on me, saying that I was good-for-nothing."

"So, it's an insult then." Iida frowned.

Ashido puffed out her cheeks angrily. "Jeez! Sounds like he's been a jerk from day one!"

Midoriya shrugged. "I guess. It used to bother me a lot when I was younger, but I don't really care anymore. I know it isn't true."

"You know, I actually kind of like it." Uraraka said. "I think it's kinda cute, and it sort of sounds like the word for 'I can do it!'" Midoriya stopped eating to stare at Uraraka for a few seconds, making her cheeks light up under his piercing scrutiny. "W-What? Did I say something weird?"

Midoriya smiled and shook his head. "No…I just never thought about it like that. I guess you guys can call me Deku if you want."

"Really Midoriya?" Iida asked incredulously, "You're okay with that? It's supposed to be an insult, remember?"

"If I didn't care when it was explicitly being used as an insult," Midoriya replied evenly, "why would I care when it has a new meaning?"

"So Deku," Ashido leapt right into using the nickname with no hesitation. "When am I going to get a copy of that drawing?"

"Yes, that's right." Yaoyorozu chimed in, "You said that you like to spend your lunch periods drawing. Would you mind showing us some of your work?"

"I don't see why not." Midoriya handed her the sketchbook. He shot Ashido a meaningful look. "Thank you for asking."

Ashido rolled her eyes in response to the subtle jab. "I said I was sorry."

"Oh." Yaoyorozu let out an impressed murmur as she flipped through the pages. "These are actually quite good. Do you draw a lot?"

"Not as much as I used to." Midoriya replied. "But I still like to fit in time here and there. I find it relaxing."

Midoriya had an odd feeling in his chest as he spent the rest of the lunch period making small talk with his fellow heroes in the making. It had been many, many years since he'd had anything that could be remotely described as a 'friend', but he found that he was rather enjoying the experience.

At least, he was until the alarms started going off. 

AN: Next chapter is the beginning of the USJ arc, and boy do I have something big planned out for you, my beloved readers. Until next time. Plus Ultra!