//AN: Can I get a show of hands on who has actually made it this far?
Maybe just leave a comment on this or something.
Also do yall think the pacing is too slow? Or too fast?
Would you like to see more day to day interactions? //
[One Week Later]
—Underground Facility—
In the depths of his lab, Garaki fiddled around with a few of his machines, ensuring that they were all up to date and prepared for any sudden occasions.
He scribbled something in the air, the room analyzing his hand's movements and translating them into data on a glowing screen.
Numbers and formulas scrolled rapidly, but Garaki's muttering was cut short when a sharp beep echoed through the chamber.
The terminal flickered, the call request unmistakable.
"…Master." Garaki straightened immediately, adjusting his glasses as the voice filled the room.
All For One spoke with that familiar calm, patient tone that carried more weight than any threat. "It's been a week. Tell me, how is our progress?"
Garaki's glasses gleamed in the light of the monitors as he leaned closer, barely containing his excitement. "Splendidly, my lord! The prototypes are showing remarkable results! Better than I'd hoped, even. Their response times are improving, their durability increasing… oh, the possibilities are endless!"
He chuckled, unable to help himself. "With just a bit more fine-tuning, they'll redefine what it means to be violent! Hah! You'll be very pleased, I assure you."
For a moment, silence hung on the line. Then All For One's voice returned, smooth and satisfied. "Excellent. Your enthusiasm tells me you've made true progress. Continue, Doctor. The time for patience is nearly at an end."
Garaki adjusted his coat with a flourish, his eyes bright with manic energy. "Yes, yes, of course, Master! Soon, everything we've dreamed of will stand before us!"
All For One let the words hang for a beat before shifting the subject. His voice dipped slightly, thoughtful. "And yet, one matter troubles me. Before we could claim him, someone interfered with Rupture."
Garaki stiffened at the name, his grin faltering. He adjusted his glasses again, stalling for just a breath before replying.
"Yes… I had my suspicions as well, Master. To be certain, I tapped into the HPSC's secure channels. I listened in on scraps of conversation, reports, inquiries. And what I found was… inconclusive."
He spread his hands, letting the monitors around him flicker with his notes. "They never even got the chance to interrogate him. The Hero Commission is just as baffled as we are. Whoever struck Rupture down, it wasn't them."
All For One's response came after a long pause, his voice like a weight pressing down through the receiver. "…So. An unknown element. Someone watching my pieces before I've even placed them."
Garaki gave a nervous chuckle, though his eyes glinted with fascination. "Precisely! Someone bold enough to kill before the Commission could act, yet skilled enough to vanish without leaving a trace. Dangerous, yes, but imagine what that means, my lord! A variable we cannot yet define."
The faintest rasp of breath preceded All For One's reply. "Unacceptable. I want answers, Doctor. I want names. Whoever moves against me in the dark must be dragged screaming into the light."
Garaki bowed his head low, almost knocking his forehead against the desk. "Y-yes, Master! I will redouble my surveillance. If there's a rat burrowing under our feet, I will flush it out."
"Do not fail me, Kyudai. This phantom hunter will be found. And when they are… they will learn the meaning of despair."
The line clicked dead, leaving the lab in heavy silence.
Garaki sat back slowly, sweat dampening his brow even as his lips twisted into a smile. He turned toward one of the nearby pods, where a Nomu twitched violently against the reinforced glass.
"Someone thinks themselves clever enough to toy with us… Hah… how delightful." His grin widened, manic light gleaming behind his lenses. "Let us see how long they last in the shadows."
The machines hummed louder, as though eager to share in the doctor's anticipation.
—
—U.A. Entrance—
Crowds of reporters stood outside the entrance to U.A., blocking the way in to the campus. They carried all sorts of equipment, eager to stay as long as possible. It was entirely possible that these folk had been outside since the break of dawn.
Renji stood far away in disbelief at the audacity of the reporters and cameramen as they leaned forward, microphones shoved out in front of them toward the other students.
Fortunately, he had arrived a little late to the party, allowing him to observe the mob of story-driven men and women without being swept into it right away.
Their voices carried through the air, overlapping and frantic.
"Is it true All Might has joined the faculty?
"Has U.A. been purposefully hiding the news from the public?"
"Did All Might retire to become a teacher?! What else are they keeping from us?"
The name kept coming up again and again. Every single question circled back to All Might, the reporters desperate to confirm the swirling rumors.
Renji's hazel eyes narrowed as he listened and watched them ignore his classmate's protests. Midoriya looked like he was about to crumble to dust at all the overlapping voices.
They weren't even here for Class 1-A, they weren't here for the students at all. All they wanted to hear about was All Might.
Renji adjusted the strap of his bag, a quiet sigh slipping from his lips. "Figures…" he muttered under his breath. "All this for one man."
But before he could turn toward a separate entrance, a sharp voice cut through the chaos.
"Hey—you there! The latecomer!"
Every head turned. Cameras swiveled. In an instant, Renji found dozens of lenses and eyes locking onto him.
The wave of voices crashed all at once.
"Do you know if All Might is here?"
"Has he really been hired as a teacher?"
"Tell us, what's it like training under the Symbol of Peace himself?"
The swarm pressed closer, microphones and cameras nearing like piranhas.
Renji's jaw tightened as his patience wore thin. He hadn't even stepped through the damn gate yet, and already these vultures were circling him for scraps.
"…Tch." He exhaled sharply, lowering his gaze as his bangs cast a shadow over his eyes.
They didn't take the hint.
"C'mon, kid, just one comment!" A chipper voice rang out.
"You're a U.A. student, aren't you?" Another spoke.
"What's your connection to All Might?"
That was it.
Moving swiftly, Renji reached into his bag and pulled out a flat metal disk no larger than his palm. Without another word, he tossed it onto the pavement in front of him and brought his heel down hard.
CRACK!
A burst of compressed air exploded outward, a sharp shockwave rattling the ground and blasting the mob back several steps.
Reporters yelped as their hats flew, microphones clattered onto the ground, and camera crews scrambled to steady their equipment.
The sudden silence that followed was almost deafening.
Renji straightened, eyes cold and the faint wind still rippling around his frame.
"Take the hint already." He muttered, voice low but carrying through the air.
With that, he slung his bag higher on his shoulder and strode past the stunned crowd, fist bumping Kirishima as he neared the gate.
—
—Class 1-A—
"Hey, what was that thing you did Renji?" Kirishima asked, walking alongside him.
Renji lifted his head, gesturing to his bag, "You mean with the reporters?"
Nodding, Kirishima walked ahead and pushed the door to the classroom open. "Yeah, looked pretty high tech. Did you make it at the Development Studio again?"
Renji gave a small, satisfied smirk. "Yeah. Exactly."
—
Flashback — U.A. Development Studio —
The workshop buzzed with constant noise—whirring saws, sparking welds, and Hatsume's excited muttering filling every corner.
Renji sat at a cluttered workbench, soldering wires onto a thin, disc-shaped casing. A soft hiss of compressed air escaped with each test, making his bangs flutter.
Walking up to the bench, Hatsume leaned over with sparkling eyes, practically vibrating with energy. "Ooooh, a mini shockwave emitter? That's baby-making brilliance! Bet it's highly marketable too!"
Renji didn't look up from his work, tightening a screw into place. "Not for the market. Just for me. I got a few ideas for this."
"Hmm…" Hatsume analyzed the device. "It's kind of like that little vortex device you got—but reversed!"
"Pretty much." Renji replied, keeping his focus. "I figured I should have both a push and pull option."
Hatsume gasped dramatically. "Ohhh, a complementary baby! You're raising a family now, Renji!"
Renji exhaled through his nose, smirk twitching despite himself, and went back to his work.
—
—Class 1-A—
Chatter filled the room as more students filtered in, taking their seats. The chaos from outside seemed to have followed them in.
Renji slipped into the classroom quietly, hazel eyes scanning the chatter. He adjusted the strap of his bag, moving toward his seat.
Hagakure's presence was immediate, even if invisible, her outline shifted slightly beside him. He ignored it, keeping his gaze forward, jaw tight.
Aizawa stepped into the room soon after, his expression as deadpan as ever. "Listen up. Today, we're going to elect a class representative," he announced, his monotone cutting through the noise. "This is your chance to gain some recognition, so pay attention."
The room erupted immediately. Students began shouting over each other, declaring themselves worthy of the role.
"Class rep?" Asui croaked, looking around the class for the best pic.
"I should be the representative! I can handle it!" Kaminari yelled out, a light current running through his body.
"No way, me! I'm the most responsible!" Mina stood from her chair, slamming her hands on the table playfully.
Aoyama struck a flashy pose, somehow shining even without using his Quirk. "A class representative demands a certain level of glamour and charisma, and obviously, I am the only choice!"
The room groaned and laughed simultaneously, the cacophony of self-nominations and protests threatening to drown out Aizawa's voice.
"Enough," Iida barked, standing straight and adjusting his glasses. "We cannot let this devolve into chaos. The fairest way is a vote. Everyone will submit their names, and we will proceed in an orderly manner."
Murmurs of discontent and reluctant agreement swept through the class. The students scribbled names onto pieces of paper while Iida collected them with a precise, businesslike efficiency.
TZZHHHHHH!
—
Renji stood up from his seat, stepping into a higher dimension where he would be able to move as he chooses.
The world around him was frozen in stasis, allowing Renji to walk over to the pile that Iida had collected and analyze each of the votes.
Granted, he could have just waited to see the results but why would he do that when he could just see everything himself.
"Damn it." Renji said, counting each of the votes.
He had received three votes, totaling the highest out of the rest. Most of his classmates had voted for themselves, typical, but there were a few outliers.
Iida had received two votes, with one of them coming from Renji. Similarly, Yaoyorozu had also gotten two votes, which meant that one of the two would be vice representative. Well, unless Renji did something about it.
Renji exhaled softly, straightening. Why is everything so complicated these days?
He stepped back, letting his mind travel back to the physical world. The classroom was moving again, voices overlapping as the others murmured about the upcoming leadership changes.
Iida finally called the class to attention at the podium in the front of the room. "The votes have been tallied," he announced, holding the stack of papers. "The class representative is… Kanzaki Renji."
Renji remained still, calm, his eyes sweeping across the room.
"And for the position of vice representative…" Iida began, comparing four slips of paper. "We have a tie between Yaoyorozu and me."
Yaoyorozu straightened immediately, her composure impeccable as she spoke, voice calm and polite. "It's fine, Iida. You take the position of vice representative. I can manage on my own."
Iida's glasses slipped slightly down his nose as he shook his head firmly, adjusting them back into place. "No, that would be improper! We must present ourselves properly. We will each conduct a speech and—"
Renji's sighed, his patience already thinning. He stepped forward, cutting through the formalities like a blade. "Who cares?"
His voice was sharp, carrying over the murmurs in the classroom. "One of you take my spot. I don't want it."
A silence fell over the room. Even Yaoyorozu paused mid-motion, a faint flicker of surprise in her eyes. Meanwhile, Iida froze, blinking as though trying to process the defiance.
Renji leaned back slightly, calm, almost bored, letting the tension in the room hang thick. "Seriously. As the class representative I formally elect one of you to take my place. Don't waste time arguing about who's vice. Just pick someone and move on."
Yaoyorozu tilted her head slightly, her thoughtful expression returning. "If that's what you want… very well. Iida, you may take the role. I will support you as best I can."
Iida straightened immediately, pride and determination flaring. "Understood! I shall dedicate myself fully to the responsibilities of class representative and ensure that Class 1-A functions efficiently and honorably!"
"Finally, now we can get on with actual work instead of speeches." Renji smiled, happy to get the ordeal over with.