Bakugo grumbled as the class started to work on this 'simple class band'. To not give it your all was a pathetic thing, it's one of the only reasons he remembered some of the names of the extras in this class.
So Dodger got into a funk after beating some Yakuza goons, so what? On the one hand, he was slightly impressed by just how spiteful and motivated the idiot could be when he actually put his mind to it, and it made him think maybe he could actually use All Might's power. On the other, he got into this weird mindset that just made him act completely off, not that he cared but he really brought the mood down.
'Whatever'. He thought. Dodger wasn't De-Izuku, his business outside of how he used One For All wasn't any of Bakugo's business. He'd just focus on murdering his drums and let the other morons do what they wanted.
"Bakugo, slow down, you're going too fast!"
"You morons just can't keep up!" He growled back at them. "If you can't keep up with the beat, everything else is going to be shit!"
"No one here can play that fast, that means you need to get to our level." Ear lobes argued at him. "It's my song that we're playing, so I know more about how it's played than you. So chill your exploding ass for five minutes."
He twitched, this was why he quit the band in the first place. Extras kept trying to impose their rules and slow ass tempos on him. They held him back. Just like De-... Shit. "Fine." Despite not getting his match with Dodger that night, it did bring up one fact he was reluctant to admit: Bakugo did good when he worked with others.
"Kaminari, you need to loosen your fingers since we're stopping anyway, like this." Ear lobes held the dunce's hands and had to baby him through it. If he ever becomes that lovey dovey, he grants anyone he's ever pissed off permission to kill him.
==
Vlad sighed. "I can't believe my class is doing a play as stupidly named as 'Romeo, Juliet, & the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Return of the Kings'." Why did he have to have insane people in his classroom? Why couldn't he have gotten to teach general studies? "I thought we drilled in the importance of avoiding copyright into their heads by this point."
"Funny enough they named every piece of art they're using." Nedzu spoke up, looking over their paper. "Shakespear, George Lucas, JRR Tolkin, it's all here. Usually we just leave that stuff out and say it was a coincidence." Don't make it sound like you're proud of that! "Label it as a parody and your class will be able to get away with it."
"If that wasn't bad enough, Monoma's taking charge of the whole thing. It's his play, and Kendo signed up for the beauty pageant." Vlad groaned, already subconsciously reaching for an aspirin bottle. "This isn't exactly how I wanted my students to stand out."
"Take it while you can. My class is actually going for something smaller." Aizawa handed in his paper. "Given the circumstances, it does seem like a rational approach. The Cultural Festival is for the other classes. How's the General Department doing by the way?"
"Oh, you worried about your secret love child?" Nemuri snickered, he let out a snort as well. He'd take any laugh he could get, and a shot at Aizawa was a win in his book. "It's actually his idea they went with, a haunted house. Guess he's trying to make his dad proud and scare people from the shadows." The R-rated hero laughed at Aizawa.
"I would bury you if I didn't have something more important to deal with this week." The tired teacher groaned. "I take it that the Support Department is running as smoothly as usual."
"Most of them are showcasing, but a few students felt like they should band together and try to do special events, like a VR heroism display." PowerLoader laughed. "It was kinda fun … until I turned out to be the final boss." The man shuddered. "Not to mention Hatsumei taking this as an excuse to triple down on inventing. She's already built a seven foot mech, and I had to stop her from adding an A.I to it. The last thing we need is an exploding sentient robot rampaging through the school."
Nedzu nodded. "A wise choice indeed … and that just leaves a couple more of the General Department classes and the Business Department entirely. Have any of the young number crushers decided to go with a big showing?"
"Actually one of them invented a fantasy hero league." Ectoplasm blankly stated. "Mic currently has the most votes out of the teachers."
"WHOA! Yeah!" Said teacher raised his arms. "So this is what it's like to be like Toshi, rising atop the podium of popularity!"
"I fear the intelligence of this generation, I really do." Aizawa blankly stated. "So far we have no overlapping productions, a great start considering last year all the classes decided to do the same thing." So much takoyaki ""We need to keep security on high alert as well. Once the families arrive we need to keep the barrier system active. The last thing we need is another break in."
"Precisely, which is why Hound Dog will be on patrol with Ectoplasm." Nedzu sipped his tea. "The man needs something to occupy his time since he's taken a break from counseling."
"I still feel the need to jump out a window whenever I look over Suzuki's profile." The dogman shuddered.
"The tea helps … It doesn't cure it but it helps." Great, now two of their staff were scared by a single boy. Was it even worth it to keep him around?
==
"And … kablam!" Todoroki watched as another windstorm blew out from the boy's fingers, knocking down a pile of trees. "I've got the power down but it's still too wild without gear." Iruma looked at his hands. "Claw Pistol is a little better, but too lethal for normal people."
"I'd rather you not blow holes into a purse snatcher, Young Suzuki." Yagi muttered. "Maybe you can try … flipping sideways, or downward?"
"How are you so bad at teaching?" Toru felt the need to ask, and Shoto completely agreed.
"One For All came to me more naturally than Suzuki. My body was already in enough physical shape to handle fifty percent when I received it. Also I didn't randomly sprout new evolutions." The later one was fair.
"So Dodger can do something you can't when you had it. Great, just fucking great." Bakugo, the latest addition to the inner circle, grumbled. "Just how far along is the moron in using One For All? I don't want to wait forever for my rematch."
"I'd say … twenty two percent?" Yagi raised an eyebrow. "I don't get it, it's like all the muscle mass you've gained over the last month was undone."
Iruma let out a nervous laugh. "I may have been holding onto a girl that rewound my DNA and body unless I broke it faster then she could use her quirk."
"A collar and bell, I swear to god." Toru grumbled. "What about that 'cookbook' you keep talking about? You keep saying you have one, but I doubt you're talking about actual cooking."
"Oh, well it's like my dodging got better after Nighteye trained me." The boy explained. "So my mind buzzes and tells me how to dodge danger instead of me just doing it."
"Your head..buzzes?" Shoto asked.
"Yeah, sometimes it's like a little voice in the back of my head that tells me what I have to do. Sometimes it tells me to let go of something dangerous, other times it's like it shows a path for me to avoid danger."
"That sounds more like another power than heightened instinct." Bakugo summarized what Shoto was thinking about.
"But Shoto can shoot fire and ice, doesn't that count as two powers?" The boy asked.
"No, my quirk is more like a form of atom manipulation, I can either increase their movement for heat or decrease them for cold." Iruma looked confused. Right, he needed to dumb it down. "My quirk is like a thermostat. I make things hot or cold, and it all comes from one quirk." Iruma nodded in understanding.
"So Iruma-kun's quirk has gone through two changes since he's had it." Toru thought out loud. "And both of those changes were around the same time as other classmates." She looked over at Bakugo. "... Does that mean someone else is gonna become abnormally strong? Am I next?"
"You can already use light bending, Invisalign." Bakugo bluntly pointed out. "Just concentrate it harder and you might be able to focus it into a laser like Sparkly."
"Since when are you so interested in other people's quirks?" Shoto asked.
"I'm not. De-Midoriya's main hobby was quirk analysis. He occasionally said something useful every one in a while." The explosion user rolled his eyes. "I just happened to pick up what I found necessary for beating the fuck out of other people."
"Yeah, I kinda doubt I can beat Bakugo." Iruma laughed nervously. "I guess all that's left is to wait for Mei to come up with some new equipment to use."
"He really doesn't look like you at all in a fight." Shoto said to Yagi. "You lept from the air, he ran on all fours across walls. You punch, and he kicks. He uses support gear, and you didn't…"
"I did use it occasionally, but it was too bulky for me to use practically every time I threw a punch." Bakugo looked startled at the little fact for some reason. "So after a good month or so I ditched it, and just let David support me until I was at one hundred percent."
"You…had help..?" Bakugo raised an eyebrow.
"Well of course, everyone needs help now and then. I can't resist mind control or an instant transformation quirk. You know Nighteye was actually my sidekick right?" He asked the boy.
"An asshole of a sidekick." Iruma grumbled as Toru patted his back.
"I honestly assumed they were just fanboys that were over eager to do your paperwork." Bakugo admitted.
"David drove a car that regularly raced at Formula speeds and shot missiles, and Nighteye could see into the future and formed his own successful agency, and you thought they just did paperwork?" The man asked, before looking off. "Actually Mirai was still a fanboy, I once caught him sleeping in All Might pajamas … It was an awkward tuesday."
"I'm texting that fact to Bubble Girl right now." Iruma got out his phone. "Sorry, still a bit spiteful." They really needed to sit him down at some point.
"Either way, Young Suzuki, there's a little trick that I learned when I had One For All." Yagi got back to the main point. "I used to constantly shift between percentages when I used it, for example, when I developed my Detroit smash, I started with twenty percent while reeling it back, and jumped to thirty at the moment I released it."
"So don't stir the pot … creme brulee?" They all groaned as the boy moved around. "Maybe if I put more power in my fingers then my body … and time it juuuust right." He flicked, sending a small blast of air forward … because most of the power was sent to sprawling Iruma five yards behind them, landing on a tree. "Okay! … I can't cook creme brulee yet!"
"Hey Million Points! I got something new for you!" Oh Hatsumei was here. This could go really good or really bad. "Gloves that take all of the air you compress and make it explode just like the pomeranian guy you have. Oh, there he is now!"
"She only lives because she makes kickass explosions." The fact he didn't jump immediately to killing her showed he did learn from those remedial classes.
==
Dabi watched the group with a grin. So far joining this league thing was a win, they've done nothing but win. Depowered All Might, killed any heroes that got in their way, bulked up on weapons and supplies by tearing down that asshole Yakuza leader, and best of all, got to revel in the fact Endeavour was handed the position of Number One hero by fucking default of all things.
Now he could dedicate all his power to his back up plan, which was the more fun option than just killing Shoto when he got successful enough. Everything was coming along quite nicely, and all it took was joining an insane but dedicated group of likeminded maniacs.
Sure the Demon thing was weird, but the existence of heaven and hell didn't matter when he was so close to getting what he wanted. In fact, the idea of Endeavor burning in hell made it all the more exciting. Maybe he should get in on summoning one of those bastards?
"Oh, it's Toru-Chan!" Toga smiled as she pulled out her phone, others looking at the girl with a 'cutesy' ringtone.
"Please tell me you got a burner, we don't need heroes tracking us, no matter how hot you claim your crush is." Mange was one of the more rational ones, even with the bipolar mood swings.
"Of course I got one! That way I can write down my number on her with blood everytime we meet up!" Not the right reason, but he'd take it. "Hey Toru-chan! Missed me already?" The girl was silent, smiling but nodding. "Yes … I see … hold on a moment." She put the phone down. "Hey Shiggy, what's our stance on helping heroes put away abusive parents?"
"Depends. I'd rather kill the assholes and forget they ever existed. Why?"
"I mean personally I'd prefer to savor the memory of watching their hope melt away as you rip them to shreds."
"Dabi, don't be a Kiriwo, it doesn't suit you." Toga insulted him before she turned back to him. "They want to put away Iruma-kin's parents but apparently they got their hands on enough money to slow down an arrest warrant. We either can speed up the capture or slow down whatever escape they plan on using."
"Let's cut them in a corner, I'll grab the hatchet for the police officers! " Everyone seemed obsessed with this Suzuki kid, personally he didn't see the big deal. Even Bakugo seemed like a better member, and he tried to kill them.
Tomura sat quietly for a few seconds, looking a bit introspective. "Tell her I want to know the full story first. I want to know everything they've done, I need to understand why Iruma is the way he is."
"He says he wants backstory, or no deal." She waited a few seconds. "Her breathing is so cute." She whispered to Spinner.
"Please don't talk to me about romance, not my cup of tea." Toga huffed again before hearing something on the line.
"Okay got it." She put down the phone. "She's texting." The girl explained. One minute went by…then two…then five..what the fuck? How long did it take to write 'my parents are assholes and here's why.'? "Got it…shit…oh shit…how the fuck did they get away with all of this!? Using him as live bait as a baby?!"
The group blinked, looking as Tomura speed walked over and grabbing the phone, scrolling … scrolling … he finished with a frown. "We'll do what we can." He muttered into the speaker, crushing the object into dust. "Toga, Twice, we'll work together on this personally. The rest of you keep your heads down while we're gone."
"No need to tell me twice." He's made sure to stay off the radar this long, even if he left a bit of evidence at every crime scene. Seriously, how much trouble could one boy cause?
==
It was rare to see Bakugo intent on finding a video. Idly, Ashido leaned over silently to see the search bar, and laughed out loud. "All Might support gear? Since when were you a fanboy?"
"I'm not Raccoon Eyes, I'm just doing research. If I'm going to be the next number one, I'm going to apply every bit of knowledge about All Might I can to myself." Of course the perfectionist needed to have an excuse to look up videos of his favorite hero kicking ass.
"Dude, don't be an ass about it." Kirishima grinned, jumping in to sit with them. "If I heard something about Crimson Riot the first thing I'd do is look it up instantly."
"Well I prefer not to think about your shit taste, shitty hair." She could half agree on that. Her horn buddy could use more decorations around his room and less work out gear. "I suppose you haven't found shit either, Dodger?"
"I don't get why I have to look it up." Iruma was scrolling through videos. "I already have enough gear as it is." Since when did these two hang out together?
"Oh yeah, I guess if All Might has a similar quirk it's best to get a similar gear to match." Sero spoke, also jumping on the couch.
"Is there anyone else wanting to pile up out of nowhere, speak now or forever hold your peace." Bakugo spoke sarcastically.
"I've been here the entire time." Toru said, planting herself right next to Iruma's side, much to Bakugo's dismay. "I'm making sure Iruma-kun actually uses his phone right, last time he was alone with it, he almost got sucked into NFT's."
"It's like a sticker you can get inside your phone." The boy needed help. Like, medical help."Oops, I clicked one." What sounded like an accordion began to play as two figures took up the video screen.
"Society, the world we live in. Truly despicable." Spoke a dapper looking man with white hair and way too much eyeshadow, sipping tea on top of a building. "It is up to us, the people on the streets, to bring it justice." He said pretentiously, mouth not moving. Was it a monolog? "That is the goal of I, Gentle Criminal!"
"If he's a criminal, how can he make videos like this?" Sero looked over their shoulder.
"Likely hacking or some shit like that." Bakugo reasoned, already annoyed by the video in question.
"Oh, I think I've seen these guys' videos before." Toru sighed. "They just break into places without actually doing anything most of the time, and leave before the police come."
"This shop here, do you see the ramen and milk listed right there?" The camera zoomed into the window, very badly edited. "They sell their food overpriced compared to the national rate, and nobody complains because there's no other Business in town!"
"The bastards!" Ashido looked over to Iruma, who took this personally. "Do you know how hard it is for people to earn a living?! You have to constantly think about paying for water, heat, electricity, and they're taking advantage of people's desire to not starve at night!" Right, the kid had a reason for being such a glutton.
"So me and my lovely assistant, La Brava!" A small girl with ALSO too much eyeshadow appeared, waving with a smile. She needed to teach these villains fashion. "We have decided to show them justice!"
"Why is the editing so sporadic and showy?" Kirishima asked. "It seems like a rush job."
"They're villains, so they probably just upload whatever they can before making a run for it." Toru shrugged. "They look more like grade school pranksters than actual bad guys." Sad but true.
"And with every job, I prepare the perfect tea for such an occasion. Today, it is Royal Flush." Was that necessary? "Now sir, put all the money in the bag." They watched a man get mugged in fast forward, before a hero showed up.
"Oh shit, Elecplant!" Kaminari shouts, jumping in.
"I didn't know you were a fan." Ashido replied at his reclamation.
"She's his Mom." Momo explained-What?! "He told me when we were sharing stuff a while back, and we met her on I-island"
"It seems the heroes have slowed down, only sending a single hero to combat me." Four more showed up, as the man visibly started to tremble.
"Wimp." Bakugo muttered.
"La Brava, you know what to do."
"Of course Gentle." The feed was cut, returning after he walked away from the beaten heroes, 'Gentle's Cool' displayed at the top of the screen.
"Come on, if you're going to have a fight in your video, actually show the fight!" Kirishima complained.
"So that's how she got that injury … she said she fell down a flight of stairs!" Kaminari complained as well.
"What about the money Gentle?"
"It was never for the money, it was for the cause. Stay tuned, dear viewers, for next time, we'll sound an alarm that'll shake the city to its core!" The video cut to static before it finally finished.
"They didn't even have a proper ending." Ashido groaned. "That's five minutes of my life I'm never getting back."
"Should we actually be concerned about anything he said?" Kaminari asked.
"The only thing this d-list villain is guilty of is wearing more eyeliner than Sparkly and using his quirk in public." Bakugo groaned. "If I come across him, I'll kill him, but he's not even worth remembering."
"Well, I think they deserve something for all the effort." Iruma clicked the like button on the frankly terrible video. "They did a great service to the world after all."
"They knocked out five heroes."
"Are they good people?"
"Dude, one of them is my mom." Kaminari bluntly stated.
"Is your mom a good person?"
"..." Kaminari quickly found the video on his phone and liked it himself.
"I feel I should reprimand you, but I haven't really known the woman that well myself." Momo deadpanned, before blinking. "We should have dinner together during a visit." Momo putting on the long term moves, nice. "Now who wants tea? I have a special brand my parents sent me I'd like to share."