Never in his life has Shinsou been so relived to see a bunch of wooden houses in the middle of a forest.
That does, admittedly, sound like he makes it a habit to stumble across them, but Shinsou has just seen one too many horror films. A wooden cabin in the middle of the forest, absolutely cut off from society on all sides… That's just a classic set up.
Even though Shinsou knows the place is owned by Pro Heroes, and not some crazy axe murderer, the little warning bells in his head are ringing to be careful, just in case.
Although, even if there was some crazed murderer hiding away inside, Shinsou would still, gladly, hobble his way over to the buildings. Even if he would only manage to snatch a few minutes, a few seconds even, of rest in a warm building, it would still be so worth it.
Judging by the near desperate shuffling of his classmates, their feet only just managing to actually get up off the ground, Shinsou wouldn't be surprised if they also decided to risk a hypothetical axe murderer for a moment of rest.
In fact, all things considered, Shinsou is probably fairing better than his classmates. Brainwashing, in a twist that surprises no one, requires a brain to take effect, and while Pixie Bob's mud monsters were pretty advanced in other aspects, there was no way Shinsou's Quirk was going to work.
Which was a real blow, since that meant Shinsou had to be on decoy duty with Hagakure.
Alright, that came off a little more insulting than he had meant. Being the decoy wasn't terrible, at least that way he actually had something to do, could actually help instead of just coasting along in the back.
And it was tiring, since he had to run in, get the mud monster's attention, and then get the hell out before his classmates rushed in with their Quirks at the ready. He might have been putting in less effort than, say, Todoroki, but he was still working hard.
It just stings a little since, you know, Shinsou wants to be a Hero, not a decoy. Sure, there was nothing to be done about his Quirk not working on the mud monsters, but surely he could have done something else? Could have thought of a way to defeat them?
Damn, Aizawa-sensei is gonna be on his back about his later, won't he? Even if Shinsou doesn't tell him, he'll still find out and then decide that, in light of this, training will be doubled until Shinsou picks up the slack. Hearing that his personal student couldn't do much more than run around pretending to cry surely won't sit well with him.
A vindictive part of Shinsou is already coming up with comebacks, like, 'You know, maybe if you warned us I could have brought my capture weapon?' And 'Yeah, I decided not to just hit rocks with my fists because I'm not insane?'
Getting mouthy with Aizawa-sensei is a guaranteed way to earn himself some sort of punishment though, probably running laps for a few hours or sparring which will, without a doubt, end with Shinsou's face on the ground.
Is it worth making a sly comment in exchange for getting pushed to his physical limit? Probably not.
Up ahead, at the front of the group of zombies Shinsou calls his classmates, Midoriya raises a shaky hand. He smiles, although the effect is ruined due to his very obvious huffs.
"Come on guys, just a little further," Midoriya, bless his heart, does his best to sound just as cheery as always. It fails.
Not that Shinsou is blaming him, if he wasn't already pessimistic then this whole experience would have been what did it for him.
Sure, in theory, running around a forest fighting mud creatures sounds like a great time. Even better, there are no rules against using their Quirks, so they can get away with practically anything.
That sort of set up is the dream for any Hero in training. Any ten year old too, Shinsou imagines.
And, yeah, it was kinda fun at the start. Tiring, but there was a sense of freedom that came with being able to do anything, being able to use their Quirks however they wanted with no teacher looking over their shoulders.
(That's how Shinsou imagines his classmates felt, anyway, since, again, his Quirk wasn't much help.)
That mindset had vanished when the clock stuck 12:30 and they were still, painfully so, stuck in the forest fighting. Morale dropped by a huge percent when people realised they had missed lunch, Shinsou's included.
Now, at some point past 5:00 pm—Shinsou's phone had died about fifteen minutes ago, so who knows anymore—any joy from being set loose in a forest is thoroughly dead.
Dead like Shinsou's feet and his motivation.
At this point all Shinsou wants is something to eat, drink, and a comfortable spot to lay down. Hell, he'd even take an uncomfortable spot at this point. Just somewhere that isn't at risk of spontaneously turning into a massive beast.
To his despair, it takes another ten minutes to actually arrive at the main camp, which is just great for Shinsou's ego. What should have been a, what, three minute walk? Yeah, not a good look.
At least, when they finally arrive, Aizawa-sensei and the others are waiting outside for them. Even if the sight of them annoys Shinsou to no end, he can comfort himself with the knowledge that he didn't have to go hunting them down.
Not that he would, even if detention or expulsion was on the line. Aizawa-sensei can do some work for a change and come to them, use all those years of experience as a Pro.
Aizawa-sensei doesn't outwardly react once the class has arrived, instead choosing to just stand there with his hands tucked away. Beside him, Mandalay and Pixie Bob smile and wave everyone over, and beside them…
Is a small child, for some reason.
The boy, who Shinsou thinks could be around six years old, is dressed in an oversized grey shirt and black shorts, his black boots looking rather scuffed up. The only pop of colour on the kid is his bright red cap, complete with two yellow spikes just above the brim.
Now, Shinsou doesn't have anything against kids per se, but he can't help but wonder why this kid in particular is here. Not a member of the Wild, Wild Pussycats, given the dull clothes…
Probably a relative of one of the Heroes here, although, that again raises the question of why he is here and not, you know, anywhere else. Especially when the kid, upon seeing a class of half dead teenagers, glares with all the hatred his little body can muster up.
Mandalay claps her huge paw gloves together, forcing Shinsou to pull his attention away from the mystery kid and towards her, "Congratulations on making it through the Beast's Forest!"
A few steps away Kaminari, only just back from his dumbed down state, clicks his tongue, "You… You said it'd take like, three hours!"
Which is something that has been bothering Shinsou too. Mandalay had said that, if they were quick, they might make it by lunchtime. That implies that, even if they went slow, they would make it in about four hours? Five?
Eight. Eight hours in that forest.
Privately, Shinsou thinks they should rename it to the Forest of Death instead. He'd back the name up in a heartbeat.
"I timed it on how long it would take us to get through, sorry about that!" Mandalay laughs a little, as if her miscalculation didn't ruin the day of twenty-something teenagers. Interestingly, the apologetic but amused look on her face washes away into something more… Plain when she speaks next, "But one of you made good time, at least."
Dazai, stepping out from behind Aizawa-sensei, smirks, "You guys missed out, lunch was just to die for~"
Shinsou's relationship with Dazai is at, possibly, an all time low already. It wouldn't be wise to attack him, verbally or otherwise. He still feels terrible about what happened during the exams, and he really wants to rebuild that tiny bit of trust and friendship he had before it happened, but…
Yeah, Dazai makes it easy to hate him sometimes.
His Ability would have saved them literal hours, but he snuck off and abandoned them.
And now he just has to rub salt in the wound. Yeah, Shinsou bets lunch was delicious.
Thankfully, even dead tired as they are, there is one person in class 1A that won't ever hesitate to give Dazai something back.
Or, in this case, won't hesitate to throw a rock at him.
Dazai just about manages to duck behind Aizawa-sensei in time to dodge the rock, which is a real shame, "Chibi! Just because you're slow doesn't mean you can harass me!"
Chuuya stalks forward, his face pulled into a mean grin as he raises a fist, "Oh, we'll see who is slower in a minute, bastard."
Honestly, Shinsou can't blame him. When Dazai had vanished Chuuya had actually seemed rather unbothered about it, like he knew it was going to happen anyway and so couldn't be bothered getting mad about it.
Then, when they hit the lunchtime limit, Chuuya's attitude…
Well, saying it flipped would be an understatement.
Before that point, he dutifully took down the mud creatures without complaint. After, though, each take down was accompanied by some sort of insult towards Dazai. He would run ahead of everyone else, and the only way Shinsou could tell where he went was the echoing "Bastard!" and "Fucking Mackerel!" that would proceed the sound of crashing rocks.
It had been rather funny, although Shinsou couldn't help but feel a little bittersweet.
If he hadn't fucked things up during the exams, he might have been right there with Chuuya, venting his own annoyance towards Dazai.
They weren't super close before, but he had made a joke at Chuuya's expense during their first training session together, so it wouldn't be crazy to assume he could get away with insulting Dazai a little.
And, yeah, he could still try now but…
Even if Nakahara forgave him for what happened during the exams, Shinsou isn't able to shake the feeling that, if he were to talk with Nakahara, things would be different.
He's dealt with this sort of thing before, that when he people know what his Quirk can do, even if they act all nice and friendly, the undercurrent of fear is impossible to ignore.
Shinsou doesn't think Nakahara is afraid of him, but he has to be aprehensive. On guard even if he thinks Shinsou won't do anything to him.
And, if Shinsou is being honest, part of him is scared he won't be able to make that go away. Even if he tries his hardest to build trust, Nakahara might still carry that with him.
It's cowardly, but Shinsou finds himself hesitating to actually start on rebuilding that trust.
"I didn't have much faith in you guys, but a few of you did great!" Pixie Bob laughs, pulling Shinsou's mind back to the present. Her cat paw gloves, fitted with their own claws, reach out and begin grabbing at Todoroki, Midoriya, Bakugou, and Iida, "I claim these kitties!"
The chaos unfolding before him is quite the sharp contrast compared to his own, more depressed thoughts, but hey, watching those four awkwardly shuffle around while Pixie Bob pokes at them is a great distraction.
One that Shinsou can't find it in himself to be jealous over. Usually, it hurts not to have your own effort recognised, but in this case Shinsou is rather glad about it. Maybe he should under perform more.
A quick glance tells him that Aizawa-sensei had stopped Nakahara from actually beating Dazai up, although, based on the look in Nakahara's eyes that restraint won't last.
"Uh, actually, I have a question?" Midoriya, who somehow slipped out from Pixie Bob's grasp, asks. He directs his question towards Mandalay, who nods at him to continue, "That boy over there…"
Not for the first time, Shinsou finds himself thanking Midoriya for asking the question he couldn't be bothered to. While he does want to know why this kid is hanging around, it's not such a desperate need to know that Shinsou would bring it up.
A look of understanding crosses Mandalay's face, she smiles before gesturing over to the boy, "That's Kota, he's my cousin's son and is staying with us right now."
About what Shinsou had guessed, although he's still left wondering about the 'why' factor. If it was just a visit to family then Mandalay surely could have timed it a little better, knowing she'd have a class of Hero students to entertain.
Unsurprisingly, Midoriya accepts this without pushing any further. Instead, he takes a few steps over to Kota, his smile warmer than usual as he leans down a little, "Hi Kota! My name is Midoriya Izuku and—"
And Kota, without any hesitation, nails him in the dick.
Huh.
Iida, and Shinsou could swear he activated his Quirk, zooms over to grab Midoriya by the shoulders. With a click of his tongue, he shouts, "You fiend of a child!"
"Tch, like I care!" Kota snaps back, easily dodging Mandalay when she tries to reach out to him, "Why would I wanna talk to a bunch of wannabe heroes."
With that, he runs off, expertly ignoring Mandalay's calls for him to come back and apologise.
Now, something could be said about the way he spat out the word 'Heroes', how his anger felt more than just a child being difficult. Shinsou has heard people talk like that before, mainly Villains on TV shows and the odd classmate of his, someone who thought he would agree with their twisted opinions due to his Quirk.
It's worrying that a six year old is talking like that, and, if Mandalay's resigned expression is any clue, this isn't a new thing.
Yeah, now Shinsou has even more questions about the kid.
"Heh." Bakugou smirks, looking oddly proud of a kid he's never met before.
Or maybe he has, despite knowing that Kota is Mandalay's relative, he honestly wouldn't be surprised if someone said he was actually related to Bakugou. Different hair colours, sure, but the hair that Shinsou had managed to see under Kota's hat spiked out just like Bakugou's does. They also have tempers, it seems.
If Shinsou were braver, he might make some snide comment about that, just a little dig to get back at all the times Bakugou's been… Well, Bakugou.
Given that Shinsou is about five minutes from passing out, he'd rather not risk his life over it. He's sure that Bakugou, even if he's dead tired, could muster up enough power for a few large scale explosions still.
"He's like a mini Bakugou," Todoroki says, deadpan as always, and man, strong people really don't have to worry over anything, huh?
Predictably, it only takes a second for Bakugou to get pissed off, his hands sparking up with explosions that feel way too large this late in the day. "The fuck did you say?"
Shinsou takes a step back, just in case. Not once did he get singed today, he'd like to keep it like that.
Aizawa-sensei sighs, flashing his Quirk just long enough to get Bakugou under control, "Alright, stop arguing. Training starts for real tomorrow, so make sure you get enough sleep tonight."
And what the hell does he mean by that? Was spending roughly eight hours suffering in a forest fake training? Not even worth mentioning compared to the real deal?
…
Maybe being a Hero isn't worth it after all.
"For now, though, let's all eat!" Pixie Bob, uncaring to Shinsou's mental anguish, claps her hands, "This is the only time we'll be cooking for you, so make the most of it!"
Right, Shinsou will enjoy his last meal as a UA student, then run away…
Run away through the forest, which he would rather die than go through again…
Well. Looks like Shinsou will either deal with whatever hell training Aizawa-sensei has planned, or die in the process.
-
When Aizawa passed along a warning that he had a 'girl-crazy' boy in his class, Sosaki Shino, also known as Mandalay, had sighed and questioned why she was even allowing this training camp.
It wasn't the fact he had a 'girl-crazy' kid in his class, after all, Shino isn't dumb enough to expect that many teenage boys to be completely well behaved, UA students or not. Rather, she had found herself exasperated that, out of everything, Aizawa has chosen to warn her about that.
Still, she had passed along the warning to her teammates and asked Kota to take up guard on the wall between the hot springs. Since Shino usually doesn't allow him to climb up there, Kota had thankfully been willing to help out, although not quite as willing to admit that he wanted to explore up there.
Now, with Kota passed out on the sofa next to her, and a very concerned looking UA student just a few steps away, Shino thinks she really should have cancelled the camp.
Shino smiles at the boy, who she remembers as being called Midoriya Izuku. His Quirk was one of the interesting ones, super strength except he can't use it without hurting himself, the perfect case for Tiger to whip into shape. "Thank you for bringing him here."
Midoriya shakes his head, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot, "Don't worry about it. Do you think he'll be alright?"
Shino rests a hand on Kota's head, the movement gentle so he doesn't stir, "I'll keep an eye on him, but I imagine it was just the heat and rush of the fall."
Really, she should have considered the risk of falling more before sending Kota up there. The wall itself is constructed to allow someone to sit up there, and with how small Kota still is, Shino had thought that he would be alright so long as he didn't stand without holding onto something.
Ah, and Kota had been so pleased to be allowed up there. He'll surely be unhappy if she says he can't go up anymore, but is risking his safety worth it?
"Actually, I have a question, if that's alright?" Midoriya asks, a hand coming up to rub his neck.
Shino pushes aside her thoughts and, yes, she can already tell what Midoriya wants to ask. While Kota doesn't meet that many new people, the ones he does meet always seem to come back with the same question.
Moving her hand from Kota's forehead, Shino looks over at Midoriya, "You're curious why Kota doesn't like Heroes, right?"
Midoriya nods, "I feel like every kid grows up admiring Pros, maybe even wanting to be one themselves. For Kota to dislike them so much…"
Shino sighs, but nevertheless speaks, "A lot of people these days don't like Pro Heroes. I mean, just look at your newest classmates."
The rise of anti-Hero groups has spiked in recent months, absolutely due to the actions of Stain and, to a lesser degree, those two Yokohama boys. It leaves Shino on edge, knowing that the trust people have in Heroes is waning. How can she continue to do her job, to save people, when the very people she wants to save no longer trust her?
Shino continues, "Kota's parents were Pro Heroes, and good ones at that but… Well, they were killed in action a few years ago."
Midoriya winces, and Shino sends him a soft smile.
"Not a single civilian was injured during that fight, by all means they died an honourable death that day. How do you explain that to a child, though? His parents left him behind, all while everyone was praising how well they did…" Shino trails off, unable to keep herself from casting her eyes back to Kota.
She can remember the day his parents died like it was yesterday. The phone call, how she rushed to the hospital to find her precious nephew stood between two covered bodies. He had looked so small back then, hands shaking yet his face unmoving.
For the first week or so, Kota hadn't done much of anything. He would sit there and, if Shino asked, would eat a few mouthfuls here and there. He didn't smile when she came into a room, didn't ask if she had taken down any scary Villains, didn't ask after the rest of her team like he used to.
That's why, in the beginning, she had been relived to see him get angry. He was finally doing things again, finally moving between spaces without needing prompting from Shino.
He would scowl at her, would call her life's work stupid, but he would eat full meals, and he would no longer spend hours just staring at walls.
Kota hasn't quite mellowed out as she had hoped would happen, he still stomped around and insulted every Hero he could think of, but Shino has been noticing him getting a little better.
For example, instead of yelling at Shino to keep him out of her 'stupid Hero work', he had been willing to help out with the camp. Only little things, of course, but more than he would have a year ago.
And now, surrounded by kids closer to his age, kids who have faced their own hardships with Villains, Shino can only hope someone can get through to him. Maybe even Midoriya, with his kind face and genuine worry about a boy he's only just met.
Of course, that's if those two don't poison the well before Midoriya can do any good.
Shino sighs, uncertain if she should even be saying this, "If we're being honest, we almost didn't allow this training camp to happen here. Those Villains—Sorry, those boysfrom Yokohama… Kota is my biggest priority right now, and I'd do anything to keep him from being hurt again."
Kota is still so young, still so deeply effected by the deaths of his parents. Although he likes to act tough at times, he always turns away from the news when it reports on Villains, always gets so mad at Shino when she comes home with an injury.
Through some stroke of luck or another, Shino has managed to keep Kota in the dark about what happened with Mt. Lady. If he were to learn about it, learn how these two boys killed a Hero and are now attending UA…
Shino can't let that happen, not when he's too young to truly comprehend why UA accepted them. Kota would just get angry about it, would scoff and insult all the Heroes who let it happen—All while hiding his true feelings deep down.
That's why Shino didn't want them at the camp. Not because she thought them irredeemable, not because she inherently disagreed with Nedzu's decision to rehabilitate them, but because she has a nephew to care for, one that has already been through so much in his short life.
So far neither of them have caused any trouble, just as Aizawa assured her would be the case. In fact, she has about thirty emails sitting in her inbox arguing their case, each one carefully worded to strike a balance between understanding and stubborn.
So, yes, Shino knows they aren't the devil children the media makes them out to be. She knows that very rarely are Villains purely evil, most of them are made from circumstance, from a hard life anyone could have the misfortune to fall into.
Dazai is mischievous, too smart for his own good, someone with a sought after Ability—And Shino doesn't need to be from Yokohama to understand the implications there. He can be mean, can analyse opponents and pick up on their weaknesses and insecurities just like that, but he can also he helpful. Through roundabout ways, Aizawa had claimed, he pushes others to get both stronger and smart.
Nakahara is kind to a fault, cautious around those he deems a threat, but still looking out for those who need help. He's tough, easily stronger than class 1A put together, but not cruel. He gives pointers to those who want to get stronger, taking time out of his day to walk through techniques until his classmates understand. He too has the sort of Ability that leaves those in power stumbling after him, willing to pull out any trick to get him on their side.
And—
And Shino understands. Had her sister and brother-in-law lived, she wouldn't have hesitated so much to allow the camp to be held here.
But they didn't live.
Selfish as it may be, Shino's first reaction was to tell Aizawa to keep those boys as far away as he could. It was only through his hard work fighting for them had she eventually agreed—under some stipulations, of course.
Part of her feels bad about it, the part that knows if Aizawa of all people is vouching for them, then they must have some good inside. They must be benefiting from being at UA, away from their old lives back in Yokohama.
A larger part of her remembers Kota staring off into space like he couldn't stand being mentally present. A larger part of her remembers hearing Kota cry for hours after going to bed, how all he wanted was to see his parents one last time.
Ultimately, Shino may have allowed them to take part in the camp, but if they step even a inch out of line then she won't hesitate to get them as far away from Kota as she can. She won't hesitate to do her job as a Pro Hero.
-
Chuuya isn't unused to getting up early in the morning for missions—Or well, early in the night, given the Port Mafia's hours of operation, but still. Getting up early and pushing through any desires to head back to bed is easy, all it takes is a little discipline.
The kids of class 1A lack said discipline.
Last night, when Chuuya had found out he and Dazai would be sharing a room with the rest of the boys, he had been a little annoyed. Sure, he gets along with most of them well enough, but getting on with someone for a few hours during the day, and getting on with someone at almost all hours of the day, are two very different things.
Chuuya, more than anyone else, would know. Doing just one mission with Dazai only makes Chuuya want to pull his hair out, doing long missions (such as this one) forces him to consider how much trouble he'd actually get in for letting Dazai die. He's sure everyone back at the Port Mafia would understand.
Still, he had held onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad. He'd have someone to talk to before bed that wasn't Dazai, he wouldn't have to worry about Dazai intentionally leaving him asleep to make him late, and, hell, maybe getting to play… Cards, or whatever else people do before bed on class trips, would be fun.
Everyone had fallen asleep pretty quickly last night, which hadn't been surprising in the least. Spending the whole day fighting through a forest had left the class dead on their feet, even the more mischievous members only had it in them to make a couple jokes before passing out.
Chuuya himself had laid in that dark room, surrounded by light snoring and the occasional mutter, and had expected to be in for a late night. He was tired, of course, but he knew himself and knew sleeping with so many people in the room would be difficult.
Dazai was by his side, thankfully deciding that, after drawing on a few faces, to stay quiet and behave for the rest of the night. So, yeah, he had expected to fall asleep at some point, and probably not very deeply given the situation, but that was it.
It had taken Chuuya about and hour and a half to drift off, and while he had slept lightly, he can't recall waking up more than three times during the night.
Usually, on missions where he can't avoid sleeping in the same room as everyone else, it'll take about two hours to get to sleep and he'll be up for every creak or loud snore.
The fact that didn't happen…
Chuuya is deciding not to think about it.
That aside, Chuuya has no complaints about that night.
The morning, though?
Absolute hell.
Chuuya had gotten himself up, changed, brushed his teeth, and managed to drag Dazai up before most of the boys had woken up. At first he had assumed that he was early, his body naturally inclined to wake up before he actually has to get up, just so he can have time to properly get ready.
But then Todoroki and Iida dragged themselves up and went about getting ready not long after, Todoroki even making small talk as he brushed his teeth beside Chuuya.
Midoriya and Bakugou were next, both groggily waking up at the same time. It was almost amusing to watch Bakugou get annoyed about that, a glare on his face as if Midoriya had planned it all.
Aside from those four, though?
Dead asleep until the last possible moment.
When they did, eventually, get up, all Chuuya could hear was grumbling and complaining about having to get up so early. As if they hadn't slept in an extra half hour.
Aizawa hadn't been impressed either, if the way he slid the bedroom door open to scold them was any sign. They had ten minutes to get outside or their training for the day would be doubled, a threat that, with yesterday's events in mind, got the class moving.
Now, stood in a clearing of the forest, Chuuya can only hope tomorrow morning isn't as bad.
It's not like Chuuya had to wait around for everyone to get up, but that idiot Dazai had decided to drag his feet until everyone else was up.
Aizawa, stood in front of the miserable group of students, begins to speak, "The purpose of this training camp is to increase your strength, you lot aren't push overs, but you certainty won't stand a chance at getting your provisional licenses like this."
Hearing of hero licenses isn't a new thing for Chuuya, so he's gotten over the initial bafflement at the idea of needing a thing piece of plastic to save people. Really, what would hero society do if someone with the perfect Quirk came along, but they happened to fail the licence exam on pure misfortune?
Chuuya, once again, knows from personal experience that just having anyone with a strong power running around 'helping' people is a bad idea, still, he thinks he'd rather commit double suicide with Dazai than run around for a group of judges to give him permission to use his Ability how he pleases.
Beside him, Dazai leans in closer, a grin on his lips as he whispers, "Say, Chuuya, you'll really commit double suicide with me?"
"What the fuck," Chuuya whispers back, did he say that part out loud or something?
… Alright, no, Dazai isn't telepathic, so Chuuya isn't even going to entertain that idea.
Dazai sticks his tongue out, "You'll always be my top choice, Chibi~"
Before Chuuya can press him on that further, Aizawa coughs and sends a quick glare in their direction, "A provisional Hero license will allow you to use your Quirks in public, so long as a fully qualified Hero is there with you or has given you permission."
He then pulls out a small ball, about the size of Chuuya's palm, before tossing it over to Bakugou, "Bakugou, your record at the start of the year was 705.2 metres, let's see if you're able to beat it."
It takes a second, but Chuuya has a vague idea of what Aizawa is talking about. Someone—maybe Midoriya? Or Kaminari— had told Chuuya about the Quirk apprehension test Aizawa had put them through right at the start of the school year. Supposedly, he said whoever got last place would get expelled, but revealed that to be a 'logical deception' at the end.
And knowing Aizawa… Well, it was easy to believe he'd done that. Probably not his first time either.
Bakugou grins as he walks forward, loosely rolling his arms as he throws the ball up and down.
"You got this Bakugou!" Kirishima calls out, the smile on his face not wavering even when Bakugou scoffs at him.
While Bakugou walks forward, Chuuya takes the chance to look around a little. The clearing they're in is large, the trees neatly trimmed to give them the most amount of space possible. The whole class could, easily, work in this area and still have room for more.
Interestingly, just along the treeline, Chuuya can spot various boxes and crates. Equipment for training, maybe?
Once in position, Bakugou throws the ball up and for the last time, the weight of it hitting his palm with a dull thud. His feet shift, one pulling behind the other as his right hand gears up to throw.
To the surprise of no one, Bakugou yells out as he throws, although the sound is partially muffled due to the multiple explosions he lets off at the same time. "Go to hell!!!"
The ball goes soaring, the extra power from the explosion pushing it further and further.
It flies and flies, gradually getting lower and lower until Chuuya is unable to see it through the thick trees.
Aizawa looks at his phone, huffing only slightly before turning the thing around.
709.6 metres
Huh.
Dazai, like the bastard he is, can't help himself but laugh, "And here I thought Kacchan was top of his class~"
Bakugou twitches, likely a second away from whipping around and turning his anger on Dazai. It wouldn't be the first time and, Chuuya thinks, he might just step aside and let Bakugou go at it this time. Maybe Chuuya will get lucky and Dazai will learn to stop purposefully aggravating people. Doubtful, but Chuuya can hope.
Unfortunately, Aizawa is quick to step between Bakugou and the rest of the class. "Quirks are like muscles, the more you use them, the stronger they get," He explains, not bothering to look back at the fuming Bakugou, "While you've all improved, your Quirks are still underdeveloped."
Then, perfectly calm as if commenting on the weather, Aizawa continues, "This camp will change that, you'll train so hard you'll feel like dying and then some."
If someone had asked Chuuya, before this mission, why he thought teachers chose the profession they did, he probably would have said something about having a passion for it. Wanting to help and see students develop, that sort of thing.
Aizawa is great and all, and at times he really does embody that classic teacher vibe. At other times, like right now, the grin on his face seems a little too genuine at the idea of working class 1A to the bone.
Midoriya, one of the few that doesn't actively look like he's planning an escape, raises a hand, "B-But Sensei? With so many different Quirks…"
Whatever else he meant to say is quickly cut off by an overly-cheerful voice, "That's where we come in!"
From behind a nearby tree, and Chuuya is forced to wonder how long they've been huddled behind a few trees, a now familiar group of cat themed heroes jumps out.
One of them, a girl dressed in yellow with teal hair, is the first to slide into her position. "Four kittens in one litter!" She grins, lunging down and throwing her arms up, "Allow us to lend a helping paw!"
Mandalay is next, pulling the same pose she did yesterday just slightly in front of the yellow girl, "Your feline fantasies are here, say meow!"
The next, a tall and dramatically muscular man dressed in brown, clenches his paw hands together, "We're champions serving up justice… With our tails!"
"Purrrfectly cute and cat-like girls!" Pixie Bob chimes in, easily moving in place to complete the set up.
Together they grin and say, "You can call us… The Wild, Wild Pussycats!"
…
Chuuya has mostly gotten used to the outlandish way of life for pro heroes. He regularly talks to a man who, in professional circles, is known as 'Erasurehead' and doesn't make fun of his name. He has had a front row seat to Yamada pulling out an extra large hairspray bottle, because god forbid his hair obeys gravity's laws.
Still, seeing a group of grown adults dressed in fluffy skirts, making cat related puns, and jumping around is… Well.
If it was a choice between becoming Dazai's personal attendant and babysitter for a year, or having to do a chant like that, Chuuya would prefer to just pull the trigger.
The Wild, Wild, Pussycats don't seem put off by the lack of reaction to their chant, which must be a common occurrence.
With, thankfully little fanfare, they all break away from their carefully arranged pose.
Aizawa looks over at Midoriya, "To answer your question, there is a reason why the Wild, Wild Pussycats were picked to help train you all."
The girl dressed in yellow jumps up a little, smiling wide even while her eyes don't quite focus on anyone in particular. "My name is Ragdoll, and my Quirk is called Search! I can sense up to one hundred people, I can also see their weaknesses and locations!"
Chuuya very rarely, if ever, wishes he had a different Ability. While he has suffered hardships because of the power he has, that doesn't change the fact that it's his. Being able to walk into a room full of enemies and come out without a single gunshot wound, being able to leap to the top of buildings without a second though, hell, being able to carry all his shopping in just one trip—Those are all the little things that build up his Ability, and he loves each part.
Still, though, sometimes he hears about someone else's Ability, or Quirk in this case, and can't help but feel a little jealous.
Ragdoll's Quirk isn't suited for the front lines, so it's not like Chuuya actually wishes he had it, but man, there have been a few missions where it would have come in handy.
Like the time Chuuya was brawling it out in an underground complex, only for Dazai to cut the lights without warning. The fucker had said it was to trip up the opponents, but Chuuya was the only one who would struggle to find his way around the place in the dark!
Had he been able to sense the locations of everyone, he wouldn't have spent almost five hours stumbling around that damn place.
Pixie Bob is next to speak, "You already know my Quirk, Earth Flow! With it I can make the purrfect training grounds for you all!"
From what Chuuya observed, 'Earth Flow' has a lot more potential than making 'perfect training grounds'. Not enough for Chuuya to be jealous about it, but if Pixie Bob had an Ability and not a Quirk, then she absolutely would have been snapped up by now.
Same with Ragdoll, actually.
Mandalay, and Chuuya is only now noticing the little kid—Kota?— from yesterday stood just behind her, gestures for everyone's attention.
She then smiles with a very clearly closed mouth.
'With my telepathy I can give advice to multiple people at once!'
Chuuya, as he is finding out right now, does not like people talking directly into his head. Well, that's absolutely bumped her up in the risk rating.
Sure, there's a chance she can also hear other people's thoughts, which would be disastrous for the plan, but Chuuya has a more… Practical concern.
Even the most experienced, deadly fighter can be put off by incessant nagging. To have that but inside your own head, a place where you can't escape and get some peace and quiet?
Yeah, sounds like a nightmare.
He'll have to think more about that later though, seeing as the guy dressed in brown is stepping forward and Chuuya wants—
"And I'm here to beat you up!"
Which. Well. At least he's honest?
There are absolutely no further explanations offered for that, not even a name for the guy.
Aizawa, the biggest offender for 'saying something out there and pretending it's normal', gestures for the class to come closer, "Line up, we'll start giving out instructions now."
Class 1A share nervous looks, the tension only broken when Bakugou scoffs and stomps over to get his task. Chuuya can't quite hear what he's being told to do, and Bakugou's arrogant expression doesn't help him decipher it either.
Pixie Bob seems pretty excited by it, though, if the way she starts urging Bakugou along is any indicator.
The next student steps up, which is when Dazai slouches up against Chuuya's arm. His voice is low, eyes locked on the heroes across from them, "Ranking?"
Chuuya hums, biting back a laugh when Kaminari is handed—and almost drops—a large battery. He looks down at the thing as if it's a torture device, which, now Chuuya is thinking about it, can't be that far from the truth. Even someone who uses Electricity as a Quirk isn't wholly immune to it's effects.
Chuuya shrugs, "Ragdoll, Mandalay, Pixie Bob, then the guy."
Dazai pushes further into Chuuya's space, a cold finger slipping under his sleeve to poke at his wrist. Chuuya allows it, which quickly turns into a mistake when the poking turns into pinching.
Expertly shifting so Chuuya's elbow can't hit him in the ribs, Dazai clicks his tongue, "Really? And I had high hopes for you Chibi…"
The thing is, Chuuya knows well what Dazai is trying to do here. Most of the time, actually, Chuuya is very aware that Dazai is intentionally trying to piss him off and get a reaction. After all, 'Chibi has the best reactions!'
Still, knowing that's what Dazai is after, and not falling for it are two different things.
Chuuya, and he never claimed to be above petty fighting, takes a sudden, large step to the side. He doesn't even step out that far, and yet Dazai, too used to Chuuya just putting up with being using as furniture, stumbles to stay upright.
"The hell does that mean?" Chuuya asks, biting back a laugh when Dazai scowls at him. Serves the bastard right.
Dazai sticks his tongue out, only coming back to lean on Chuuya a few seconds later, "I just thought you wouldn't be so easily scared off."
Again with the intentional button pushing.
Thankfully, all it takes is a glare and well placed elbow for Dazai to explain himself. Although, when the idiot actually opens his mouth, his words mean absolutely nothing to Chuuya, "Only an idiot can't identify their own weaknesses and turn them into advantages."
Which is such a Dazai thing to say, really, Chuuya should have expected that.
It's such a Dazai thing to do as well, pick apart himself just as he does his enemies, make sure there's nothing that can be turned around on him. Chuuya, both from seeing it happen and instigating himself, knows that Dazai is good at turning an unfortunate situation around in his favour. If someone, Ragdoll in this case, manages to catch something that Dazai hasn't then, with all likeliness, that 'weakness' won't last long.
Chuuya doesn't have 'blink a second slow and I'll know you're the murderer' intelligence though.
"And anyway," Dazai continues, "If Chibi can't even multitask while fighting, well, I might just have to report you for failure to meet expectations."
"There's a difference between multitasking and having someone talking your head off," Chuuya shoots back, the 'I would know' feeling a little redundant to say.
Before either can say more, which is a shame since Chuuya was about to ask what Dazai would do about Mr. Beat-you-up, Aizawa calls out to them. Chuuya looks over, slightly surprised to see all the 1A kids walking off with various equipment and matching looks of dread.
Aizawa gestures for them to come closer and, on the way over, Chuuya spares a moment to look around. Bakugou, having been the first to get his task, is already set up some distance away. In front of him is a large metal barrel, the bottom set above a fire. Bakugou promptly shoves his hands into the water and, after a few seconds of glaring at it, pulls his arms up towards the sky before setting off as many explosions as he can.
A few steps away, Todoroki is being lead to another metal barrel by Mandalay. Chuuya can't help but feel morbidly curious about what his task will be.
He also wonders what the law has to say about this sort of thing, which he absolutely blames Aizawa for. Morality and Ethics class has been tackling laws pertaining to hero work and training, and, much to Chuuya's dismay, he's got most of them memorised at this point.
He pushes those thoughts to the side for now, although it's not like he plans on thinking further on it.
"Dazai, for a few hours I want you to train the capture weapon with me, then you can 'help' the rest of the class with their training," Aizawa says, pulling at his capture weapon until it split in two… Had he just been carrying a spare around for this exact moment? Does he usually do that?
Actually, how had Chuuya even missed it in the first place?
Aizawa, after handing the capture weapon over, looks at Chuuya, "Nakahara, would I be right to assume you aren't able to train your Ability like class 1A will be with their Quirks?"
Chuuya shakes his head, although part of him wants to ask Aizawa more information about that.
With Abilities, it's not like you can't make them stronger, it's just… Well, it's a matter of figuring out new ways to use them and bettering your control. With how Aizawa described Quirks, though, it seems possible to massively improve how much power is actually outputted.
If kids like Todoroki and Midoriya still have underdeveloped Quirks then they might just pose a threat to Chuuya one day.
Might being the keyword of course.
Well, whatever, maybe he'll just ask Midoriya about it later. Seems like the thing he would know all about, and asking him would have the added bonus of not appearing suspicious to Aizawa.
"I thought that would be the case," Aizawa starts, "You have a choice then. Train without your Ability with me, with your Ability with Tiger, or help out the class with their training. I'd prefer if you did some training for yourself, but it's up to you."
Training with Tiger, who must be the guy dressed in brown, could be interesting, but when Chuuya glances over to see him punching Midoriya into a tree, his interest in the option drops.
Don't get Chuuya wrong, he's not afraid of fighting someone who might be stronger than him. He's also not afraid of being knocked around a little, even if he so rarely gets hit these days.
He'd just rather not today and, since he has the option, Chuuya doesn't see the harm in it.
If it also means he can stay closer to Dazai throughout the day, then that's just a lucky coincidence.
Chuuya shrugs, "I guess I'll train with you for now, then maybe help out a bit?"
Training with Aizawa is pretty fun all things considered, even if he makes Chuuya do dumb things like climb trees. On top of that, helping out with class 1A would be a good cool down.
"Alright."
Chuuya pulls an arm up, intending on doing a few light stretches before a proper warm up, only to notice something different.
That is to say, while the Ability nullifying bands don't feel anything like No Longer Human, Chuuya is still able to tell when he has access to his Ability. And right now, without a doubt, Chuuya could activate Upon The Tainted Sorrow if he wanted to.
When he looks back over at Aizawa, Chuuya finds his hands are in his pockets, one of them likely curled around the remote that returns Chuuya's Ability.
"You said we'd be training without my Ability," Chuuya says, half of his mind trying to figure out if this is some trick.
"I did." Aizawa shrugs, only bothering to explain more when Chuuya slowly nods, "You mentioned getting more freedom with this sort of thing, remember?"
He does, but that hardly explains anything.
"Obviously…" Chuuya trails off, doing his best to will Aizawa into explaining himself.
It's not like Chuuya doesn't want access to his Ability, but there has to be some sort of trick he's missing here.
Aizawa sighs, looking put out as if he wasn't behind this to begin with, "Both class 1A and 1B will be working on their Quirks, it's only a matter of time before an accident happens. Being able to keep yourself, and others, safe makes this the perfect time for it."
Then, without even the slightest sign of hesitation, "Besides, I trust you won't misuse it."
Which… Is the dumbest thing Chuuya has ever heard.
Has Aizawa already forgotten about Corruption? Even if he does, well and truly, trust that Chuuya won't attack class 1A, Corruption is a huge risk to that. It hardly makes sense for him to just…
Just let Chuuya do what he wants.
Dazai, and for once Chuuya is glad for his annoying partner, makes a sound of understanding, "Ah, but there are rules, right Sensei? We can't have little dogs going too far off leash."
Actually, Chuuya hates Dazai and wishes his bandages will always be itchy and wet. At the same time.
Aizawa pauses for a second, and it's only when nods does things make more sense. Right, Chuuya can use his Ability, but not too much. Nothing that would put the students in danger, nothing outside of Aizawa's line of sight.
Or, that's the rules Chuuya would have set if the roles were reversed.
Instead, Aizawa just continues to makes things worse.
"Dazai, you really need to stop with the dog jokes," Aizawa scolds, "And yes, there are rules. You two remember Kota?"
Chuuya nods, catching Dazai's grin out of the corner of his eye. No doubt his partner is remembering Kota's unique greeting to Midoriya, probably thinking of ways he can get the kid to mess with other students too.
Aizawa continues, "For the duration of the camp, neither of you are to talk with or bother him, alright? This is serious, so don't push this." He looks at Dazai a little more intently for that last part, which makes Chuuya feel a little better.
Not that it helps with everything else he's feeling. Namely, what the hell kind of rule is that?
Alright, keep the two mafia members away from the kid, sure, but what about Chuuya's Ability? About the rules for him having access to it? Is Aizawa just going to move on and act like nothing is wrong?
Aizawa, moving on as if nothing is wrong, sighs "Now then, the both of you, run ten laps around the treeline."
Dazai gasps, his face easily slipping into something similar to betrayal, "Ten laps? What a cruel Sensei you are!"
"I can make it twenty, if you want?"
At this point, Chuuya would run fifty if it meant he could get a little clarity on things.
Notes:And we're back!! Did you all like the chapter? I know Shinsou povs usually go down well, so I hope you all liked that! I certainty had fun writing it haha.
And the Mandalay pov, what about her? I originally wrote that section as a Midoriya pov, and I actually kinda liked it, but I realised the main thing I wanted to convey in that section was Mandalay's opinion on skk, so it made more sense to swap. That's one thing I really want to try and highlight in this arc, how the WWPC and 1B still have negative opinions on skk, while class 1A and Aizawa have grown to see them as more than that. We'll see how that goes haha.
And Chuuya pov! Maybe could have been better, but the whole time I was writing it I was dead tired haha.
Now, I have some important things to mention here, so please read this!!
Well, firstly and most importantly, it's my birthday tomorrow! I expect to see many birthday wishes in the comments, or else I'll quit writing fanfiction forever and you'll never know how wwt ends. Ok, I'm being dramatic, but writing wwt for so long makes me deserve lots of birthday wishes.
Secondly, I got a job!! It's my first one, so I'm quite excited about it haha. I won't say exactly what I do, but it's something I really enjoy doing, and the people there are literally soooooo nice. A few of them are anime fans too! (If either of you are reading this... Uh. Hi I guess?) I'm not doing crazy hours either, so once I get used to working consistently I should still be able to update wwt as often as I currently do ^-^
My last piece of news is that there won't be an update next month! I know, I know, how could I do this to you all but!!! I promise wwt isn't going on hiatus or anything like that. It's just that the LoV attacking the camp is really soon, and I want to make it the best I possibly can! I do have a plan written out for it, but it's not quite where I want it to be. So, instead of writing it over however many months, and not being able to change things as I go, I'm gonna lock in and write it all! Doing it like this means I can put better foreshadowing and stuff in, which is something I struggle with sometimes since I make up a lot of things on the fly haha. It also means, once I've finished writing it, I can post the chapters every week or so!
I'll say it again, if I ever discontinue wwt then I'll let you guys know asap! I'll also post a chapter with my plans for the rest of the fic, so if such a thing hasn't been posted then that means this fic is still updating!
Oh, and I haven't done one of these in a while sooooo this is a rest point! If you're reading this fic in the future where there are waaaaay more chapters, and you happen to be binge reading it, take a break now! The LoV attack will start soon, and I know taking a break when reading something like that is hard, so do it now!!!
Ah! One more thing!!
Some of you may recall that I said I was gonna rewrite early chapters. Well, months after saying that (and months after actually rewriting some chapters) I've finally posted the updated versions! Chapters 2, 3, and 4 have been edited so far! Now, I know some of you won't want to reread them, and that's totally fine! There aren't any major changes like new scenes or ideas integral to the plot, just rewording things and adding a few sentences here and there. (Again, I actually did these months ago, so please excuse me if there are big changes I forgot about. Shouldn't be, but you know) The early chapters are soooo different from how I write now, so it's nice to see them a little more caught up with the rest of the fic haha. It makes it easier for me to reread too, since I couldn't help but cringe reading them before.
If anyone reads the rewritten chapters do let me know what you think!
Now, I do think that's all I wanted to say...
Thank you all for reading, and I'll see you in two months time with the real meat of the training camp arc!