41

Chapter Text

Groans echoed around the common area as their morning alarms began to ring out into the early morning silence. Mobile devices around the room chimed with a variety of tones that they were all quickly coming to hate. It had only been a couple days since Midoriya had started them on their training regime, and none of them were loving him, either. Especially since they hadn't seen him since the first day.

"Urk. Ugh, come on everyone. Professor Aizawa will be down in a few minutes, and if we aren't all moving when he does, he'll replace homeroom with more calisthenics." The majority of the class had collapsed into the common room the night before and hadn't been able to summon the strength again to move into their own separate spaces.

"Oh come on, Momo. Five more minutes." The pained moan from Ashido was met with aid from Mezo in pulling the woman to her knees first and then to her feet second. Even as she leaned against the large man, she groaned at her muscles' response.

Kaminari dragged himself from the floor, grimacing as his quirk sparked across his skin. Ojiro limped towards the bathroom, using his tail for support. Jiro and Toga watched quietly from their barstools in the kitchen as a swath of their class lugged themselves from various locations to begin the day. Toga smirked when she saw Sero lying still and staring deadly at the ceiling. "You may want to get moving, Elbows. You're gonna get chewed out at this pace."

Sero groaned from his place on the ground before calling back. "Fuck you, Fangs." Toga's lips peeled back in a silent snarl, displaying her namesake. Sero grunted as he pulled himself to his feet, seemingly beginning a rant. "This is ridiculous. Look at this." He gestured around the room to the haggard members of the class. "We're barely a week into class and we can barely walk. Most of the class couldn't even make it onto the elevator before they were asleep."

Jiro raised her hands placatingly. "Look, I know it's a rough routine at first, but-"

"No. This is insane! Just because you two are freaks when it comes to fitness doesn't mean the rest of us should be able to keep up. Look at Iida!" Sero pointed to the man still lying face down on a pillow. "He can't even get up, and god knows he's more used to running than the rest of us. Midoriya isn't joining us! We aren't even on a normal schedule!" Sero began getting worked up now, his voice pitching up as he gestured to everyone that had stopped to listen. "The rest of the students here have classes spread throughout the week. They chose their classes. They have time to themselves. We barely get a day to rest, and the rest of our schedule has already been decided for us. We don't get to decide anything!"

"Sero," Jiro said placidly. "We're in the hero course. That entails-"

"Bullshit. You heard Midoriya. We're all just his and that rat's little experiment." Toga took a step forward now, practically snarling, while Jiro felt her eye twitch at the comment. Ashido shuffled nervously in agreement while Kaminari stood staring at the ceiling, as if he was counting the nonexistent tiles to try to avoid the conversation entirely. "Who knows if we're even going to make it to 'the field,' as he puts it."

The atmosphere, heavy with anticipation and as sharp as a knife's edge, froze when a hand clamped down on Sero's shoulder. Koda was frozen mid-step on the stairs coming down. A low croak sounded from the base of them. Kirishima, having come out of the bathroom for the tail end of the rant, was stuck in place, and Tokage had frozen and was staring wide-eyed at them anxiously. All eyes followed the arm of the man to the displeased face of Midoriya Izuku.

It was in a low tone that he spoke, barely even a rumble. Calm by any measure but terrifyingly neutral. "If that's what you think, then you should probably take the form I gave you to the administration, don't you think?"

Sero's pupils had dilated to disks as he stared up at the man behind him. "W-when.."

"I came through the front door a moment ago at the start of your little diatribe. I'd love to hear more about why Iida can't move, but first I'd like to make something clear." Midoriya let go of Sero's shoulder before stepping past and drawing everyone's attention. "The reason your schedules are so restrictive is simple. You aren't here to play around. You want to be the best? We're going to treat you accordingly. This first year is critical in not only forming your habits but establishing everyone's foundations. The foundation which the rest of your time spent here at U.A. will build off of. Your second year will see us all having a less restrictive schedule. It'll even allow for one or two electives. It will expose you to a wider range of fieldwork, as well. That'll be important, because in everyone's third year with us, you'll be expected to pick the specialization that suits you best. This is where you'll all finish your training and experience in this program."

Midoriya let his eyes roam across his gathered classmates. "Technically speaking, I'm still your classmate, not an official educator here, so I will warn you all. Nothing about this will be easy. This course isn't going to teach you how hero work is usually done. It's not going to teach glitz and pomp. Where you would normally learn how to market yourself, we're going to drill criminal law into you. Where you would learn flashy takedowns that look great on camera, we're going to teach you how to talk someone down off a ledge, and should that fail, eliminate the threat quickly and concisely."

Midoriya pinned several of the students with his gaze. "This all requires you to meet a certain baseline of physical fitness. Something that will get easier as time progresses. As I said before, if any of you have an issue with this, then take it to the administration. We barely have enough time to train you effectively. There isn't enough to waste on people who don't want to be trained, and neither of us have time to waste on slackers, either. Am I understood?" A chorus of understanding was directed at Midoriya, and he relaxed. "Good. Tokage." Midoriya gestured to his own face. "You're sprouting feathers."

The shaking woman squawked and rushed back into the bathroom. Midoriya chuckled and shook his head. The tense atmosphere eased, and Midoriya spoke again. "Now in just a moment-"

The front door clicked again as it opened, and this time, everyone turned to see who it was. Slowly, one unsteady step at a time, Uraraka crept into the building with a frowning Aizawa at her side. Hagakure rushed across the room with a squeal, alongside Ashido who froze halfway, blood draining from her face. Once again, the room was silent as their gazes flicked between the pained smile on Uraraka's face and the sleek black metal from her right knee and left thigh down. The dangerous growl when Toga spoke echoed the sentiment of many of the class. "And why was it again that you didn't let me kill the bastard?"

Aizawa spoke now in an exasperated, disapproving tone. "Because then I'd have to arrest you, Toga."

Ashido shook herself before crossing the rest of the room with a plastic smile. "Well, you look like shit."

Uraraka stared for a moment before laughing and wincing. "Oh, oh don't make me laugh. It hurts." Mina's eyes tracked to where Uraraka's hand was pressed against her left side. Images of rebar rammed through her, covered in blood, so much blood, came unbidden to her mind before Ashido shook her head to dismiss them.

"Come on, let's get you settled in again, shall we? We can do that. Right, Mido?"

Midoriya nodded before speaking softly. "I was going to ask the girls to help with that before I got," Midoriya's eyes flicked to Sero briefly, "distracted." A little louder, Midoriya called out to the class. "Tomorrow is our rest day, so in light of current circumstances," Midoriya glanced down at the still face-down form of Iida Tenya, "and evident overwork from some of you, take today, as well. Just remember that when we come back, we'll be starting the basics of fighting with your conditioning. So make sure to rest up, everyone." The relief from the class was palpable as they all started to disperse. Quietly, Midoriya signaled for Aizawa before squatting down next to Iida.

"How much did you overdo it?" Midoriya asked quietly.

"I didn't go over the limits you gave us…" Iida protested weakly but could feel the stare burning into the back of his head. "Much.."

Midoriya pinched the bridge of his nose before taking a breath. "Iida. The training maximums for both canteen types were calculated very carefully to avoid this exact scenario. Did anyone else join you in this insanity?"

A moment of silence delayed into two, and Midoriya, annoyed, poke Iida in the back of the thigh, eliciting a quiet hiss. "Tsunotori and Shinso joined in, but I'm sure they're fine, unlike me. I did the most."

Midoriya rolled his head back and groaned at the ceiling. "They are also far less physically fit than a son of the Idaten family line." Midoriya rolled his shoulders and stood stretching. Aizawa simply shook his head, glaring down at Iida.

"I'll take this one to Recovery Girl. You go check on the other two."

"That's rather gracious of you…" Midoriya trailed off while glaring suspiciously at Aizawa.

Aizawa smirked. "I'm pointing the nurse-shaped cruise missile in your direction."

Midoriya groaned and cursed, but turned to head up the stairs and check on the two when he glanced over at Toga, narrowing his gaze suspiciously. Quietly, Midoriya slinked his way to the kitchen and inspected the fridge. Not so quietly, Midoriya walked back out and placed a hand on Toga's shoulder this time. "Himiko, when was the last time you ate something?"

The woman jolted in Midoriya's hand while Jiro across from her smirked into her cereal. "What are you talking about, Izuku? I have a bagel right here!" The jittery response did nothing to shake Midoriya's suspicions, and at the glare he was sending her way, Jiro snorted before covering her mouth and shaking her head.

"Told you, Himi, he saw through you immediately."

Toga whined, and Midoriya sighed before taking the seat next to her. Quietly, he unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt and rolled it above his elbow before presenting it to her. "Drink."

Toga glanced around the room and blanched before shaking her head furiously. Midoriya sighed again. "You can either do this, or we can go to Recovery Girl and you can receive her wrath. They are going to know you need blood for more than just your quirk eventually, and considering that the blood bags in the fridge are gone, I'm sure at least a couple of them have already picked up on it." Midoriya looked Toga in the eyes before slowly shaking his head and speaking softly. "No one is going to judge you for this here, Himi, and if they do, then they're in the wrong program. We have multiple mutant quirks in the class, and you don't see any of them being harassed, do you? U.A. doesn't tolerate that kind of behavior like the rest of the country."

Slowly, Toga took Midoriya's arm and sank her fangs into his brachial artery. Midoriya stifled the instinctual response and shook his head. This is going to be a long fucking day.

…

I was right. Long. Fucking. Day. Midoriya could practically feel the snarl creeping out of his throat as he attempted to school his face to the best of his abilities. This would be the third time he'd warned Snipe's student about this, and if Midoriya had anything to say about it, it was the last time.

The professor had found Midoriya in the teachers' lounge with his head buried in paperwork not long before noon. The large man had evidently brought Midoriya good news regarding the completion of the gas chamber. It had been something Snipe himself had wanted constructed for some time, owing to the potential usage of lachrymators in their field. It hadn't, however, surprised him when the board didn't approve the funding to build the gas chamber. Snipe could acknowledge that, from their perspective, the optics on it were bad.

Midoriya had simply been another dissenting voice against the lack of funding. He, however, had been more than capable of funding his program himself. Snipe supposed it was a benefit Midoriya and Hatsume had, being two of the richest people in the world. When he had wanted to run tests in it, Midoriya had simply smiled and agreed to be the range safety officer for Snipe's morning course.

That was a decision that Midoriya was regretting at this moment. He should have just run the tests himself. But nooooo, I had to let Snipe play with his new toys. Fuck friendship. He has morons for students. "Tohaku, so help me, if I have to tell you one more time to keep the firearm pointed down range, even if it's on the bench in front of you."

Tohaku glanced down at where the .45 was pointing at the wall between his and his girlfriend's stall before scoffing. "Oh come on. The magazine is out. It's clear, it's fine."

"If it's fine, Tohaku, then why is the slide forward? Magazine out and the slide locked back. Keep it downrange until I clear you, and even then, keep the weapon aimed downrange. These are the basics, and you don't get to not follow them because Snipe isn't here today."

The other members of the course were beginning to peek their heads out of their stalls, as Midoriya's frustration was tangible even over the sound of gunshots and their hearing protection. Tohaku's eyes flicked nervously between his watching classmates and Midoriya. He opened his mouth to argue back when he saw his girlfriend watching, as well.

Midoriya saw the moment the student went from being stupid and backing down to being a moron and committing. Tohaku grabbed the sidearm from the bench before turning and speaking, "I said it's safe, so what's the big deal? Look. Woo-"

Midoriya's eyes tracked the gun in the air until it strafed the wall between stalls and was turning towards him. It was mostly instinct that drove his actions. He'd admit that it wasn't an entirely conscious decision, even if it was entirely satisfying. Midoriya's hand shot out, gripping the sidearm at the trigger guard and wrenching the barrel upward, locking Tohaku's finger even as Midoriya's knee shot up and into the groin of the male student.

A collective hiss echoed through the now quiet class as Tohaku stumbled back onto his knees, gripping his groin with tears in his eyes. It was a second before the man child began sputtering curses about how Midoriya wouldn't get away with his actions, that he'd drag him in front of the school board for this.

The tirade was cut short when his eyes tracked to the .45 bullets rolling to a stop on the ground in front of him. His eye's tracked upwards then, first to the gun in Midoriya's hands, now with its slide pulled back, then Tohaku's eye's tracked further up towards the face of his underclassman. The underclassman that had dared embarrass him now scowled down at him with pure and unadulterated fury. When his voice came out, it was cold and hard.

"That bullet? Maybe a ricochet, if you're lucky. Maybe no injuries if you use up the rest of your lifetime's worth of luck. More than likely? With how you just behaved, deciding to strafe the rest of your class? Paramedics if I'm lucky, a dead student if I'm not. Let it sink in for a moment that you could have easily killed one of your fellow classmates because of your petulant behavior."

"I- I- Midoriya I-"

"Do be quiet now, because I wasn't finished. Class is, as of this moment, dismissed. You will be coming with me to explain to Snipe and a disciplinary board why you felt the need to keep a loaded firearm pointed at your girlfriend in the next stall over."

…

Midoriya was surprised to find several students quite awake and rummaging around in the kitchen. Even more surprising was that Shinso was the first to notice him, with one hell of a shit-eating grin. "Do I even want to know-"

Midoriya startled when Ashido came barreling into his side, jittering, laughing hysterically, and practically climbing all over him. Scratch that, getting handsy with him. "Okay." Midoriya peeled the girl off of him and pulled her hand away from his belt. "What the hell is going on here?"

Shinso continued to grin as he sipped on a mug of what smelled suspiciously like-. "I fed everyone coffee." There it is.

Midoriya continued to hold Ashido in the air at arm's length while his eyebrows scrunched together. "Why would that…" His eyes opened wide in horror and possibly mild amusement. Though he would deny that if anyone asked. "You didn't. Please tell me you didn't give everyone my coffee blend."

The shit-eating grin only grew wider. "Well, almost everyone," Shinso stressed the syllable further than necessary. "Asui practically threw it back at me. Must be in a foul mood. Tokoyami turned it down. Iida and Yaoyorozu…" Shinso trailed off for a moment before scrunching his nose and continuing quietly, like the mere words were heresy. "They're tea drinkers. Won't touch coffee."

Midoriya groaned good-naturedly with his two main worries out of the way. "Shinso, caffeine is lethal for frogs and toxic to birds. You were handing them poison." Shinso blinked before giving a surprised oh.

Midoriya finally dropped Ashido, who had begun to pout, before heading towards the kitchen. He hadn't gotten there before she was on his back like a hyperactive chipmunk. The scene in the kitchen was something out of this world. Mezo sat in one corner, a porcupine of eyes and ears observing everything at once. Kirishima was frantically doing squats while watching Sero dig through the cabinets, and Kaminari jittered, nursing a giant smile and a mug.

Sero whipped around when Midoriya walked into the room before running up to him. "Heeeeey. Hey, Midoriya, my man, my dude. Say, would there happen to be any more of that coffee of yours? Maybe in your room? You've gotta be stashing some somewhere, right? Right?"

Midoriya stared blandly at Sero before responding with a negative. "I mix it myself back at Moonlit headquarters, so no." All of them were startled by a sorrowful wail from Kaminari, followed by lightning. Midoriya could hear Shinso cackling in the common area, and he in turn could hear Midoriya cursing him over the shrieking of his classmates.

Notes:

It should be noted that, regarding that firing range scene, people are actually that stupid. That is a real event from a local range.

Guy wasn't listening to the RSO and the gun was pointed right at his girlfriend in the next firing stall over. RSO took it off the bench unchambered the round and kicked the man out.

Have fun with that information.