[9] The Sorting Ceremony

[Two weeks later]

"Ladies and gentlemen, heroes and teachers, lend me your ears!" Present Mic's voice boomed through the U.A. faculty office, somehow even louder than usual. "It's time for the event you've all been waiting for, the moment that will shape the future of heroism as we know it!"

The gathered teachers exchanged glances, a mix of amusement and exasperation on their faces. Midnight leaned over to Ectoplasm, whispering, "He does realize this isn't actually televised, right?"

Ectoplasm shrugged, his mask hiding any expression. "Just let him have his fun. It's been a slow week."

Present Mic, oblivious to the commentary, continued his spiel. "That's right, folks! It's time for the annual U.A. Student Draft! Where we, the esteemed faculty, decide the fate of our bright-eyed, bushy-tailed newcomers!"

He paused dramatically, waiting for applause that didn't come. Undeterred, he pressed on.

"And now, without further ado, let me introduce our illustrious panel! First up, the man with the plan, the brain behind the game, give it up for our commissioner – Principal Nezu!"

Nezu hopped onto a raised platform, looking far too amused by the proceedings. "Thank you, Present Mic. Though I must say, 'commissioner' seems a tad grandiose. I prefer 'benevolent overseer of chaos.'"

Present Mic laughed a bit too loudly. "Always the joker, Principal! Now, let's meet our team captains! In this corner, representing Class 1-A, the man who puts the 'zzz' in 'hero' – Shota Aizawa!"

Aizawa slouched forward, looking like he'd rather be literally anywhere else. "Can we just get this over with?"

"And in the other corner," Present Mic continued, undeterred, "the iron fist of Class 1-B, the man who puts the 'kan' in 'he kan do it' – Sekijiro Kan!"

Vlad King crossed his arms, a vein throbbing in his forehead. "That doesn't even make sense, Mic."

Present Mic waved off the criticism. "Details, details! Now, let's get down to business! Principal Nezu, care to explain the rules for our viewers at home?"

"There are no viewers, Mic," Aizawa grumbled. "It's just us."

Nezu cleared his throat, heading off the brewing argument. "Yes, well. The rules are simple. Aizawa and Kan will take turns in a snake draft selecting students for their respective classes. The goal is to create balanced teams that will push each other to excel."

"Sounds thrilling," Aizawa deadpanned. "Can I go first so I can get back to my sleeping bag sooner?"

Kan scoffed. "Always in such a rush, Eraser. Don't you care about molding the next generation of heroes?"

"I care about my REM cycle," Aizawa shot back. "Besides, we both know how this is going to go. I'll pick the problem children, you'll get the well-adjusted ones, and we'll both end up with headaches by midterms."

Kan shrugged. "I wouldn't be so sure about that…"

Present Mic's voice cut through the bickering. "Alright, alright! Let's keep things civil, folks. Aizawa, since you're so eager, why don't you make the first pick?"

Aizawa sighed, reaching for a file. "Fine. Let's see... Shoto Todoroki"

Kan whistled low. "Endeavor's kid? You're not messing around, Eraser."

Aizawa shrugged. "He's got potential."

Kan nodded, his eyes scanning the files before him. "Alright, for my first pick, I'll take Rei Kazama."

A murmur rippled through the room. Midnight leaned forward, intrigued. "The other recommendation student? Interesting choice."

"Indeed," Nezu chimed in. "Young Kazama has quite the legacy to live up to."

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "Jin Kazama's younger brother, right? The one with the processing quirk?"

Kan nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "Exactly. His quirk's potential for analysis and strategy could be a game-changer in hero work."

"If he can handle the pressure," Aizawa muttered.

Present Mic clapped his hands together. "A bold move from Vlad King! Now, since it's his turn again, who will he choose next?"

Kan didn't hesitate. "Akira Sakamoto."

The room fell silent. All eyes turned to Aizawa, who straightened up, suddenly alert.

"Sakamoto?" he said, his voice carefully neutral. "You sure about that, Kan?"

Kan met Aizawa's gaze steadily. "I am. The boy's got potential, and I think he could benefit from a fresh start in 1-B."

Nezu's whiskers twitched, his beady eyes darting between the two teachers. "An interesting choice, indeed. But are you prepared for the... unique challenges young Sakamoto might present?"

"I am," Kan said firmly. "Every student deserves a chance to prove themselves, regardless of their past."

Aizawa's eyes narrowed. "He could be a bad influence on the others."

"Or he could surprise us all," Kan countered, echoing Aizawa's earlier words. "Besides, isn't that what U.A. is all about? Giving young heroes a chance to grow beyond their circumstances?"

A tense silence fell over the room. The other teachers watched the exchange with rapt attention, sensing the underlying currents of the debate.

Finally, Nezu cleared his throat. "Well, the choice has been made. Akira Sakamoto will join Class 1-B under Sekijiro Kan's guidance."

Present Mic, sensing the need to lighten the mood, jumped in. "And there you have it, folks! Class 1-B snags not one, but two potential powerhouses! The plot thickens!"

As the draft continued, Aizawa couldn't shake a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd been prepared to take on Sakamoto, to keep a close eye on the former vigilante. Now, that responsibility fell to Kan.

He only hoped his colleague was ready for what he'd signed up for.

Nearing the end, only three students remained: Kojiro Bondo, Jane Doe, and Izuku Midoriya. The tension in the room was palpable, each teacher weighing their options carefully.

Vlad King leaned forward, his eyes scanning the remaining files. "For my next pick, I'll take Kojiro Bondo."

Present Mic nodded enthusiastically. "Ah, the glue guy! A sticky situation for anyone who crosses him, eh?"

Ignoring the pun, Vlad King turned his attention to the final two candidates. His brow furrowed as he considered his options.

On one hand, there was Izuku Midoriya. The reports on his entrance exam were... unusual, to say the least. A late-blooming quirk that seemed to cause more harm than good. But there was potential there, raw and untapped.

Then there was Jane Doe. An enigma wrapped in a mystery, with a quirk that screamed 'covert ops' more than 'flashy hero work.' Her background was a patchwork of question marks and redacted files.

Vlad King's eyes narrowed as he read through Jane's file once more. The HPSC connection was... troubling. He'd heard whispers about their methods, their willingness to blur ethical lines in the name of heroism.

He glanced at Aizawa, who was watching him with an unreadable expression. They both knew the weight of this decision.

After what felt like an eternity, Vlad King spoke. "I'll take Jane Doe."

A murmur rippled through the room. Midnight leaned forward, intrigued. "The mystery girl? Bold choice, Vlad."

Nezu's whiskers twitched, his beady eyes fixed on Vlad King. "Are you certain, Sekijiro?"

Vlad King nodded firmly. "I am. Her quirk has potential for rescue and stealth operations. And..." he paused, choosing his words carefully, "I think she could benefit from a structured environment like U.A."

Aizawa's eyes narrowed slightly, catching the underlying meaning. By bringing Jane into Class 1-B, Vlad King was giving her a chance at a normal hero education, away from whatever the HPSC had planned for her.

"Very well," Nezu said, his tone neutral but his eyes sharp. "Jane Doe will join Class 1-B."

Present Mic, oblivious to the undercurrents, clapped his hands together. "Alright, listeners! Let's break down these stellar lineups, shall we?"

He dramatically unfurled a scroll-like list, which promptly rolled across the floor and under Aizawa's feet. The underground hero sighed, stepping aside.

"For Class 1-A, we've got a real powerhouse roster!" Present Mic began. "Starting with Shoto Todoroki, our ice-and-fire prodigy. Endeavor's gonna be watching this one like a hawk, eh, Eraser?"

Aizawa grunted noncommittally.

"Next up, Katsuki Bakugo! This kid's got an explosive personality to match his quirk."

"Joy," Aizawa muttered.

"Momo Yaoyorozu, our creation queen! And Tenya Iida, speeding his way into heroics just like his brother!"

Snipe leaned over to Cementoss. "Is he going to do this for every student?"

Cementoss shrugged. "Probably. You know how he gets."

Present Mic continued, undeterred. "Fumikage Tokoyami, bringing the darkness to the light side! Mezo Shoji, with enough arms to hug the whole class at once!"

"Please don't encourage that," Aizawa interjected.

"Mashirao Ojiro, proving tails aren't just for monkeying around! And Mina Ashido, adding a splash of color to the hero scene!"

Midnight chuckled. "I like her style."

"Ochaco Uraraka, defying gravity and expectations! Eijiro Kirishima, the manliest of manly men!"

"Is that even a compliment?" Vlad King wondered aloud.

"Tsuyu Asui, hopping her way into our hearts! Koji Koda, the animal whisperer himself!"

Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mic, can we speed this up?"

"No can do, Eraser! Each future hero deserves their moment in the spotlight!" Present Mic grinned. "Now, where were we? Ah yes! Rikido Sato, sweet as sugar and twice as strong! Hanta Sero, taping up the competition!"

"This is going to take forever," Ectoplasm groaned.

"Denki Kaminari, lighting up the room and short-circuiting the villains! Yuga Aoyama, sparkling his way to the top!"

Aizawa muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "kill me now."

"Kyoka Jiro, bringing the beat to the hero beat! Minoru Mineta, small in stature but big in... uh... grape-ness?"

Even Present Mic seemed to struggle with that one.

"Moving on! Toru Hagakure, the invisible girl with visible potential! And last but certainly not least, Izuku Midoriya, the late bloomer with a quirk that packs a punch!"

Present Mic paused for breath, much to the relief of his colleagues.

"And now, for Class 1-B!" he announced, somehow even louder than before.

"First up, Rei Kazama! This kid's got a mind that moves faster than Ingenium on coffee!"

"That's... not how his quirk works," Vlad King muttered.

"Akira Sakamoto, our resident wild card! From vigilante to hero-in-training, talk about a character arc!"

Aizawa and Vlad King exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between them.

"Setsuna Tokage, the girl who can fall to pieces and still keep it together! Itsuka Kendo, proving big hands make for big heroics!"

Nezu nodded approvingly. "A strong start for Class 1-B, indeed."

"Aoi Todo, the man with a... unique taste in conversation topics! Neito Monoma, copying his way to the top!"

"Camie Utsushimi, bringing her illusionary flavor to U.A.! Jurota Shishida, the beast with a heart of gold!"

Vlad King allowed himself a small smile. His class was shaping up nicely.

"Ibara Shiozaki, the vine goddess herself! Shihai Kuroiro, proving darkness can be a force for good!"

"Interesting quirk combinations," Cementoss noted.

"Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, the man so nice they named him four times! Yosetsu Awase, welding his way into our hearts!"

"Is that safe?" Midnight wondered aloud.

"Yui Kodai, size doesn't matter when you can change it! Sen Kaibara, drilling through obstacles like they're butter!"

Vlad King nodded, mentally cataloging potential team-ups.

"Kinoko Komori, proving fungi can be fun, guys! Pony Tsunotori, galloping her way to heroism!"

"These puns are getting worse," Ectoplasm groaned.

"Kosei Tsuburaba, the bubble boy with big dreams! Reiko Yanagi, ghosting villains left and right!"

Nezu's whiskers twitched in amusement.

"Kojiro Bondo, sticking it to the bad guys! And last but not least, Jane Doe, our mystery girl with rodent charm!"

Present Mic finally lowered his voice, grinning at his colleagues. "And there you have it, folks! The future of heroism, right here at U.A.!"

A moment of silence followed, broken only by Aizawa's long-suffering sigh.

"Well," Nezu said, clapping his paws together. "That was certainly... comprehensive. Thank you, Present Mic."

"Always happy to bring the hype, sir!" Present Mic beamed.

Nezu hopped down from his perch. "Now that we've finalized our class rosters, it's time to inform our eager young heroes-to-be."

He turned to Midnight, who was already reaching for her phone. "Nemuri, if you could coordinate with our administrative team to draft the acceptance letters?"

Midnight nodded. "Consider it done, Principal. I'll make sure they're suitably dramatic."

"Just the facts, please," Aizawa grumbled. "We don't need them showing up with overinflated egos."

"Aw, you're no fun, Eraser," Midnight pouted.

Nezu cleared his throat, drawing attention back to himself. "The letters should inform students of their class assignments and provide details about move-in day for the dorms. That will be two weeks from today, giving them time to prepare."

Vlad King raised an eyebrow. "Two weeks? That's cutting it close, isn't it?"

"Ah, but anticipation is half the fun, Sekijiro," Nezu replied, his whiskers twitching. "Besides, it'll give us time to... fine-tune a few things."

The gleam in Nezu's eye made several teachers shift uncomfortably.

"Classes will officially begin one week after move-in day," Nezu continued. "That should give students time to settle in and for us to run some... preliminary exercises."

Aizawa's eyes narrowed. "What kind of exercises?"

Nezu's grin widened. "Oh, nothing too strenuous. Just a little test to see what we're working with. I'm thinking something along the lines of a quirk assessment, perhaps?"

Aizawa nodded slowly, a hint of approval in his usually impassive face. "That could work. Weed out any potential problem children early."

"Now, now, Shota," Nezu chided gently. "We're not weeding anyone out. We're simply... assessing their potential."

Vlad King crossed his arms. "And what about security measures? With Sakamoto and Doe in the mix, we might need to take extra precautions."

Nezu waved a paw dismissively. "All in hand, I assure you. Hound Dog will be increasing his patrols, and I've asked Power Loader to upgrade our surveillance systems."

Present Mic, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly perked up. "Hey, does this mean I get to announce the class assignments on my radio show?"

"Absolutely not," came the unanimous response from every teacher in the room.

Mic deflated. "You guys are no fun."

Nezu clapped his paws together, drawing the meeting to a close. "Well then, I believe we have our marching orders. Midnight, those letters. Aizawa, Vlad King, start planning your welcome speeches."

Both men looked equally unenthused at the prospect.

"The rest of you, prepare your classrooms and curricula. In three weeks, we'll be shaping the future of heroism. Let's make sure we're ready."

As the teachers filed out, a palpable mix of excitement and trepidation filled the air. This year's crop of students promised to be... interesting, to say the least.