[13] Data and Deception

After my morning workout, I showered and dressed. As I knotted my tie, I ran through my mental checklist. Be engaged, but not overbearing. Show intelligence, but let others shine too.

Ectoplasm was already in the classroom when we arrived, his masked face unreadable. Math first thing in the morning. Perfect.

"Today, we'll be covering quadratic equations," Ectoplasm announced. "Who can tell me the standard form?"

I raised my hand, but not too quickly. Let someone else go first.

"Yaoyorozu," Ectoplasm called.

She stood, perfectly poised. "The standard form is ax² + bx + c = 0, where a, b, and c are constants and a ≠ 0."

"Correct," Ectoplasm nodded. "Now, let's solve this equation..."

He wrote a problem on the board. I solved it in my head quickly, but waited. One, two, three other hands went up before I raised mine.

"Midoriya," Ectoplasm pointed to me.

I walked through the solution step-by-step, deliberately stumbling on the last part. "...so x equals negative 3 and... 5?"

Ectoplasm paused. "Close. The second solution is positive 5. Remember to check your signs."

"Right, sorry," I said, feigning embarrassment. "Thanks for the correction."

As I sat down, I caught Yaoyorozu looking at me. She smiled encouragingly.

The rest of math passed similarly. I participated enough to be noticed, but always left room for others to shine. All the while, I watched. Kaminari looked lost, his confident facade crumbling with each equation. Bakugo solved everything quickly but hated being called on, his scowl deepening each time. Todoroki worked silently, efficiently, his face betraying nothing.

Next up: History with Midnight.

Midnight sauntered in. "Good morning, class! Today, we'll be discussing the early days of quirk manifestation and its impact on society. Who's ready for a titillating tale of chaos and change?"

Her teaching style was... unique. Heavy on innuendo, light on actual dates. But effective, in its way. The class was certainly engaged. Mineta practically swam in his own drool, while Iida looked scandalized.

"Midoriya," she called on me. "What year did quirks first start appearing?"

"The first recorded quirk manifestation was in Qingqing City, China, in the year 2000," I answered. "A glowing baby was born in a hospital there."

Midnight beamed. "Excellent! Someone's been doing their homework. Now, who can tell me about the societal upheaval that followed?"

I let others answer this time, content to observe. Ashido was surprisingly knowledgeable about quirk history, her excitement palpable as she described the chaos of the early quirk era. Todoroki seemed bored, but his eyes betrayed interest when Midnight mentioned early quirk-based laws.

As the lesson continued, I made mental notes. Midnight's teaching style, while unorthodox, was effective. She knew how to keep attention, how to make dry facts memorable. A useful skill for any leader.

The bell rang, signaling the end of History and the start of English. Present Mic burst into the room, his voice booming.

"GOOD MORNING, LISTENERS! ARE YOU READY TO DIVE INTO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ENGLISH?"

I winced, noticing Jiro doing the same. Her sensitive hearing must make Mic's classes a special kind of torture.

"TODAY, WE'LL BE PRACTICING PRONUNCIATION! REPEAT AFTER ME: 'THE THOUGHT THROUGH TOUGH THOROUGH THOUGHT THOUGH'"

The class stumbled through the tongue twister. I deliberately mispronounced 'thorough', earning a correction from Mic.

As lunch approached, my stomach growled. Learning was hungry work, even when you were mostly pretending to learn.

The cafeteria was packed. I grabbed my food and looked for a strategic seat. Not with Bakugo - too volatile. Not with Todoroki - too quiet. Ah, perfect.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked Uraraka and Iida.

"Of course not!" Uraraka beamed. "How are you liking classes so far, Deku?"

I sat down, smiling. "They're great. Tough, but interesting. How about you guys?"

As they chatted, I ate and listened. Not just to them, but to the conversations around us. Bits and pieces of information, all potentially useful.

"...heard All Might's teaching here..."

"...Sports Festival coming up soon..."

"...wonder what other hero schools are like..."

The bell rang too soon. Time for Practical Hero Training with Aizawa. This is where things would get really interesting.

We filed into the classroom, finding Aizawa already there, looking as tired as ever.

"Alright, listen up," he drawled. "Today we're covering basic hero laws and ethics. Open your textbooks to page 15."

As Aizawa lectured, I paid close attention. This was crucial information for my future plans. I asked a few carefully worded questions, just insightful enough to show I was engaged without seeming like a know-it-all.

"Sensei," I raised my hand. "How do these laws apply to heroes in training? Are there different standards for us?"

Aizawa's eyes narrowed slightly. "Good question, Midoriya. As students, you have more leeway in some areas, but also more restrictions in others. For example..."

As he explained, I noticed Mineta wasn't paying attention. His eyes were fixed on... ah. Of course.

"Psst, Kaminari," Mineta whispered, not very quietly. "Check out Yaoyorozu's-"

"Mineta," Aizawa's voice cracked like a whip. "Since you seem so eager to talk, why don't you tell us the three main clauses of the Hero Public Safety Act?"

Mineta froze, panicking. "I, uh..."

I raised my hand. "Sensei, if I may... Perhaps Mineta was distracted because he's concerned about how these laws might affect smaller heroes? Given his stature, I imagine he'd need to approach rescue situations differently."

Aizawa's eyebrow rose. Mineta looked at me, confused but grateful.

"An interesting point, Midoriya," Aizawa said. "Mineta, care to elaborate on that?"

As Mineta fumbled through a response, I caught Yaoyorozu's eye. She smiled gratefully. Perfect.

After class, I headed to the support department.

The hallway was quiet as I approached the workshop door. Too quiet. I tensed, instincts screaming danger.

BOOM!

The door exploded outward. A blur of pink and metal flew towards me. I reacted instantly, catching the projectile - no, person - before they could hit the wall.

"Whoops!" A girl's voice laughed. "Looks like the propulsion was a bit too strong on that one!"

I set her down, taking in the goggles, the wild pink hair, the manic grin. "Are you okay? That was quite an exit."

"Oh, I'm fine!" She waved off my concern. "My babies just get a bit excited sometimes. I'm Mei Hatsume, by the way. Future support hero extraordinaire!"

Babies? Before I could respond, a voice bellowed from the smoking workshop. "HATSUME! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT UNSUPERVISED TESTING?"

A man in a yellow helmet stomped out. Power Loader, the support course teacher.

"Ah, come on, Power Loader-sensei!" Mei pouted. "How am I supposed to innovate if I don't push the boundaries?"

"By following basic safety protocols!" Power Loader shouted. He turned to me. "You, student. Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "No, sir. Just surprised."

"Good," he grumbled. "Hatsume, clean up this mess."

As Power Loader stormed off, Mei turned to me, grinning. "So, what brings a hero course student to our humble workshop? Looking for some support items?"

I smiled back. This girl could be useful. "Actually, yes. I was hoping to discuss some ideas. My quirk is strength enhancement, and I was thinking about ways to maximize its effectiveness."

Mei's eyes lit up. Literally. "Ooh, strength enhancement? I've got just the thing! Come on, let me show you my babies!"

As she dragged me into the workshop, chattering a mile a minute about servos and hydraulics, I made mental notes. Mei's enthusiasm and skill could be valuable assets. And her lack of social awareness? Perfect for someone who needed discreet tech work done.

"So, I'm thinking something to help with impact absorption," Mei said, pulling out a sketch pad. "Ooh, or maybe a kinetic energy redistribution system! What's your maximum output? Have you measured your force generation under varying conditions?"

I blinked, genuinely impressed by her rapid-fire ideas. "I haven't done any precise measurements yet. That's part of why I came here, actually. I was hoping to get some baseline data on my quirk's capabilities."

Mei's grin widened impossibly further. "Data collection? Now you're speaking my language! I've got just the thing..."

She dove into a pile of half-finished projects, emerging with what looked like a high-tech arm band. "This baby can measure force output, muscle strain, and energy expenditure. We'll have you quantified in no time!"

As Mei rattled off the device's specifications, I considered the possibilities. Accurate data on my quirk would be invaluable.

"That sounds perfect," I said. "How soon can we start testing?"

Mei's eyes gleamed with manic enthusiasm. "No time like the present! Let's head to the training room and put you through your paces!"

The next hour was filled with tests, measurements, and Mei's constant stream of ideas and observations.

"Amazing!" Mei exclaimed, poring over the data readouts. "Your force generation is off the charts! And the way your muscles distribute the load... I've never seen anything like it!"

I feigned modesty. "It's nothing special, really. I've just trained hard."

Mei waved off my comment. "Don't sell yourself short! This data opens up so many possibilities for support gear. Ooh, what if we designed a suit that could amplify your strength even further? Or maybe focus on enhancing your speed and agility to complement the raw power?"

As she sketched out rough designs, I watched carefully. Mei's brilliance was obvious, but so was her tunnel vision. She saw the world through the lens of her inventions, missing the broader implications. Perfect.

"Those all sound incredible, Hatsume," I said. "But maybe we should start with something simpler? I wouldn't want to overtax your schedule."

Mei looked up, blinking as if just remembering I was there. "Huh? Oh, right! No worries, I can handle it. Multitasking is my middle name! But if you insist on starting small, how about we begin with some reinforced gloves? They'll help you manage the backlash from your punches."

I nodded, smiling. "That sounds great. When do you think they'll be ready?"

"Give me a week," Mei said confidently. "I'll have a prototype for you to test in no time!"

Mei's inventions could give me a significant edge, both in my hero work and in my private endeavors. And her lack of curiosity about my personal life? A definite plus.

Back in my dorm room, I pulled out my laptop. Time to update my notes on my classmates and teachers.

Yaoyorozu: Intelligent, eager to help. Potential ally. Seems to respond well to perceived vulnerability.

Mineta: Perverted, easily manipulated. Possible pawn or scapegoat if needed.

Todoroki: Skilled but aloof. Intriguing reaction to quirk laws. Family history worth investigating.

Mei Hatsume: Brilliant, socially oblivious. Valuable resource for tech and data collection. Easy to manipulate with promises of interesting projects.

Aizawa: Sharp, observant. Potential threat if he becomes too suspicious. Need to maintain perfect student facade around him.

As I wrote, I smiled. Day one, and already so much progress.