….
The next day, first year classes at U.A. began as usual; but there was a different energy in Room 1-A.
A chattering excitement that came from genuine celebration rather than usual pre-class chaos.
"Congratulations, Shinso!" Kirishima was practically vibrating against his desk. "Welcome to the hero course, man! It's official!"
"You earned every bit of it." Yaoyorozu added, offering a warm, dignified smile from her seat. "Your tactical performance during the final exam was nothing short of exceptional."
Shinso Hitoshi sat at what had been an empty desk since the first day of classes.
Surrounded by the sudden barrage of attention, he looked slightly overwhelmed. His perpetually exhausted eyes still carried their signature dark circles, but the heavy, defensive cynicism that usually guarded his face had lifted.
"Thanks." he muttered, his voice a little rough. For years, he had been conditioned to believe his Quirk was a villain's tool, a liability to be feared. "I am... honestly still trying to process the fact that I am actually sitting here."
"Well, you better process it fast." Jiro joked, spinning a headphone jack around her finger with a grin. "Dabi-sensei doesn't give handouts, transfer students or not. You are in the meat grinder now."
"I am aware." Shinso's lips twitched slightly. "Aizawa-sensei made sure I understood what I was signing up for."
"WELCOME TO CLASS 1-A!" Ashido and Hagakure erupted in perfect, high-energy unison, having clearly rehearsed the welcoming committee routine the night before.
The classroom dissolved into a chorus of laughter and a fresh wave of fist-bumps, a seamless tide of acceptance washing over the new transfer.
"EVERYONE!" Iida stood abruptly, arms chopping in his characteristic manner. "While I am pleased to welcome Shinso-kun to our class, the morning bell has struck! It is time to settle down! Homeroom will commence momentarily, and we must demonstrate the utmost decorum and–"
"Ugh, you're such a buzzkill, class rep." Kaminari groaned, though he was already shuffling back to his designated desk.
"Late bummer." - "Classic Iida." a few more commented, though without real malice.
Within moments, the class had settled. Students in their seats, attention forward, ready for instruction.
As if on cue; and exactly as Iida had predicted, the door slid open.
Aizawa entered first, followed by Dabi.
Aizawa had been prepared to use his mandatory greeting: "Sit down and shut up, you have two minutes to..."
But the words died in his throat; the students were already silently seated.
Aizawa stopped dead in his tracks, a rare flicker of visible astonishment fracturing his usually deadpan expression.
When did they get this organized?
His dark eyes swept across the rows, executing a swift, instinctual headcount.
Every single seat was filled.
Then his gaze caught on the desk that had sat empty since the first day.
It wasn't empty anymore.
Shinso sat there, alert, focused, and carrying himself with the quiet intensity of a boy who knew exactly what it cost to get through that door.
For just a fraction of a second, Aizawa allowed himself to think: Maybe I was too hasty with Mineta.
The purple-haired student had been expelled on day one for behavior that Aizawa had deemed utterly incompatible with the standards of Hero work; specifically, a string of aggressive sexual harassment that had made multiple female classmates deeply uncomfortable during the initial Quirk assessment test.
At the time, it had been a swift, merciless call.
And honestly, looking at how Class 1-A had developed in the months since; their flawless cohesion, profound mutual respect, and the absolute lack of internal harassment issues…
Aizawa knew he didn't actually regret it.
No, he corrected himself firmly, his mental ledger snapping shut. I made the right choice. This class is infinitely better for it.
He gave an imperceptible shake of his head, dismissing the unnecessary second-guessing.
The next second, Aizawa's expression hardened into a distinctly disdainful, heavy-lidded glare; the exact look that made his students' survival instincts scream.
"I am sure you are all feeling incredibly proud of yourselves." He began. "A perfect pass rate on the practical exams. Unprecedented historical results. I suppose you're all sitting there thinking you've mastered the fundamentals."
Several students shifted uncomfortably; the warm celebratory mood evaporated instantly.
"You haven't." Aizawa said, his dark eyes sweeping the rows. "Which is precisely why the upcoming forest lodge training camp is going to be significantly harsher than anything you've experienced so far."
"Initially." He continued. "...the core curriculum was that students who failed the practical exam wouldn't attend the training camp."
Several students who had barely passed let out a quiet, collective sigh of relief.
"However, since everyone passed–" His tone suggested this was somehow disappointing. "–you will all be attending. Do not get comfortable. This camp will push your Quirks harder than the Sports Festival and demand more endurance than the finals. Expect absolute hell."
He reached down, pulling a thick stack of printed documents from his capture scarf, and began distributing them to the front row.
"These are your supply lists. Training equipment you will need to survive the terrain. Many of these items are highly specialized and won't be available at your standard neighborhood convenience stores. You will need to visit the major commercial district in Kiyashi Ward. I highly suggest going together as a class to ensure no one compromises the group by missing critical gear."
The papers circulated quickly through the rows.
Students began scanning the bullet points, their eyebrows creeping upward at some of the more unusual, high-grade specifications.
"Three days from now, we depart at dawn. Be ready." Aizawa warned, his tone bringing absolutely no argument. "Are there any questions?"
The moment Aizawa finished, excited chatter erupted; though students were careful to keep their volume reasonable.
"Some of this equipment is really specific." Yaoyorozu observed, scanning her list. "Thermal regulation gear rated for extreme elemental spikes, specialized mountain-grade camping equipment..."
"We should definitely head out as a group." Uraraka suggested, turning around in her seat. "A lot of these tactical stores are clustered in the same shopping mall district. We can split up into teams and help each other locate the trickier items."
"Plus, it will be a blast!" Ashido added, her pink cheeks flushing with excitement. "A total class shopping trip! Think of it as the ultimate bonding experience before the brutal training camp kills us all!"
"I know some excellent specialty equipment stores." Tokoyami offered from the shadows of his desk, his arms crossed inside his uniform sleeves. "Dark Shadow and I have conducted extensive wilderness training before. The darker corners of Waku District hold what we need."
"Shopping trip! Shopping trip!"
Ashido chanted, and within seconds, a dozen students were already cross-referencing their cell phone calendars to coordinate schedules.
At the front of the room, Aizawa watched the flurry of teenage organization with his usual exhausted expression, then glanced sideways at his colleague.
Dabi stood quietly, but there was something in his expression that Aizawa recognized.
"What are you thinking about?" Aizawa asked, voice low enough that students wouldn't hear. "Trying to come up with some weird plan to turn the world upside down again?"
Dabi gave a fake laugh. "Yeah. And this time around, it's going to be my best masterpiece."
A chill ran down Aizawa's spine.
He had worked alongside the man long enough to identify the exact energy Dabi radiated when he was orchestrating something massive.
The training camp attack preparations? That had this same energy. The Sports Festival modifications?
Same look.
Whatever Dabi was plotting, it was going to be big.
A part of Aizawa's hyper-vigilant nature wanted to demand details on the spot. He wanted to know exactly what kind of chaotic variable Dabi was about to unleash upon their training camp.
But he swallowed the question and looked away.
With Dabi, sometimes it was better not to know in advance.
The man's strategies had a maddening habit of succeeding despite being utterly insane, and Aizawa had learned the hard way that trying to parse the logistics beforehand only left him with a Migraine-tier headache.
More than anyone, Aizawa understood him.
On the surface, Dabi looked calm, relaxed even, but underneath that composure was something volatile, a lit stick of dynamite waiting for the right spark.
And recently, someone had touched his family.
If anyone wanted to understand how furious he truly was, they only had to look at what remained of the people he had 'spoken' to afterward: Nine, Chimera, Slice, and Mummy.
Unfortunately, none of them had provided useful information – or more accurately, they hadn't possessed any worth giving in the first place.
That had made things worse.
If they had known something valuable, they might at least have retained some use. Their ignorance only sealed their fate in Dabi's hands.
It was something Aizawa still tried very hard not to remember.
Meanwhile the masterpiece Dabi was referring to, however, had absolutely nothing to do with the training camp itself.
It was about what would happen in the commercial district.
According to the plot, Dabi knew the League of Villain's leader; Tomura Shigaraki, will have his first one-on-one with Midoriya during the shopping.
Which means, Dabi thought, it's the perfect opportunity for me.
He also had some things to settle with him for sending certain 'guests' to his residence when he wasn't home.
It was time for payback, and this time, he wasn't going to hold back.
The League wanted to test the U.A. 's defenses?
And more importantly they DARED to lay hands on HIS family?
Fine.
Let them come to the commercial district, make their move and think they were the predators.
Dabi would be waiting.
And when the smoke cleared, the League of Villains would understand with absolute, agonizing clarity why targeting his students, and his family - was the worst and final mistake they would ever make.
The smile that crossed his face, devoid of any warmth.
Beside him, Aizawa noticed it immediately.
Yeah, Aizawa thought. I definitely don't want to know what he's planning.
In the classroom, students continued discussing their upcoming shopping trip with innocent enthusiasm, completely unaware that their teachers were silently preparing for war.
"This is going to be fun!" Uraraka said cheerfully.
Aizawa and Dabi exchanged a glance.
Fun, Aizawa thought dryly. Sure. That's one word for it.
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
Hey everyone,
I wanted to ask for a small favor. A close friend of mine has just started their freelance journey in video/content editing. Skill-wise, I'd place them right between a beginner and an intermediate level; they've got the foundations down and are ready to grind.
If you or anyone you know is looking for an editor to help with projects, social media content, or videos, please consider reaching out to them! It would be a massive help.
You can reach out to them through their Reddit profile here: u/xnavxox
Note: Please make sure you both have a clear agreement and understanding of the project requirements and expectations before starting any tasks.
Thank you so much!
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
Author Note:
Visit Patreon to instantly access +1 chapter for free, available for Free Members as well. For additional content please do support me and gain access to +12 more chapters.
-->[email protected]/WrightBrothers