15- - rule two - WEBNOVELS

Chapter 15: No Straight Road

Midoriya woke up to the slivers of daylight peeking through his window, his curtains partially drawn. This was the first morning that the guest room actually felt like his room. The large bookshelf in the room was stacked with his potted plants, the greenery filling the space with a familiar warmth. His notebooks were on the bottom shelf, some still piled on the previously empty desk. The ceramic plates from Ishihara's were also on the bottom shelf, and right next to them was his inheritance. The beautiful brown chess box lay daintily next to those plates, with the recipe book right on top. The antique silver kettle still remained in the cardboard box that he had brought it home in, the teen still unsure of where to place it.

Gami floated around his successor as he lifted himself out of bed. The ghost peered inside the closet from behind once it was opened. The closet no longer looked sparse and sad, and was now filled with pretty much all of his clothes. Unfortunately, that still wasn't much, mostly battered shirts and worn shorts. And even though it may have seemed a little bit selfish, the spirit hoped the heroes would indulge the boy. At the very least get him some more clothing.

The morning was still fairly early, but nonetheless Midoriya changed quickly into his school uniform. He didn't bother turning on the overhead lights, simply using the breaking light of dawn to illuminate his room. In the darkness, he couldn't tell where Links was, but he just hoped he was staying far enough away from the small feline.

Ever since picking the cats up, Links had been basically confined to the guest room along with him. It was all in efforts to help the kitten work through his oddly paranoid behavior, but so far, it didn't seem to be working. It had only been a few days though, so the heroes hadn't given up just yet. The teen really didn't know how long it took to heal such skittish behavior like that, but he assumed it was long and tedious.

Sneakily, he opened his bedroom door and tiptoed out into the hall. It was still early enough that he was the first one up, so in a desperate effort to not wake up any of the adults, he moved quietly to the living room. Throwing himself down onto the couch, he snuggled up into the armrest. The whole reason he was even up this early was to sort souls for his job and all, but he was feeling sluggish and unmotivated. He had been pushing himself lately to stay on track with his work, but with all of the emotional baggage he'd been carrying around, most days felt eerily dull.

But today would be different, at least that was what the boy was telling himself. He had been idly sitting on the couch for nearly five minutes, comfortablely curled into the armrest still, but he forced himself to sit up straight and get to work finally.

"Finally going to get started?" the ghost teased.

Midoriya looked at him narrowly, but replied, "Yeah, yeah. No need to bug me about it, unless you want to help?"

He chuckled hard, but only his successor could hear that, "When have I not?"

Giving a sassy eye roll, he swiped his hand close to his mentor, summoning the flames right in his face. Sometimes, the teen would make the flames appear just to watch them burn. It was calming, in a way, to see his work when he wasn't under pressure. They were such an odd color compared to typical fire and the way they waved in the nonexistent wind was mesmerizing. But today was unfortunately not a day he could slack off, maybe later, but certainly not now.

One by one, the little puffs of light slowly made themselves visible throughout the living room. They resembled what one would believe stars looked like up close. Midoriya cupped the dimmest one he could spot, and quickly got to work.

With every soul he sent away, the boy grew more and more somber. When he first started doing this, his intention was to record the details of each and every person that passed through his fingertips, but he quickly realized it would be too time consuming and depressing. But still, he wished there was a way for him to remember all of the different lives he witnessed each day, as well as quell his guilt of not saving them, even if it was impossible. So instead, he reassured them that he would become an amazing hero, maybe not number one, but certainly a marvelous hero. Before he sent a soul away, he promised he would save another life in return.

"Who do you have there?" Gami asked, breaking the silence, "You have been holding that one for a while now."

Snapping out of his stupor, the teen turned to look at his mentor. He tossed the soul to his other hand, using his now free right hand to deny the ghost's previous statement. "No, no. I've just been thinking…"

"That still does not answer my question…"

That made Midoriya roll his eyes again, but nonetheless he responded, "Her name is Nagano Ko, if it interests you so much."

"That is a classic name, though a pretty one. Can you tell me more?"

Midoriya wondered why the spirit was so interested in this particular person, but he entertained Gami's curiosity. "She was a college student studying modern art. She was really good at painting. Died of a sudden heart attack though."

Gami hummed in contemplation, seemingly pondering something. His hand drifted to the grey stone dangling from his neck and his boney fingers stroked it carefully. The boy focused on the oval shaped rock. The strange, black swirls had always tugged at the back of his mind, and he often wondered where they came from. But the way his mentor fed into the silence made him wonder if he was remembering something from his past.

"Did you know her? I don't know how, since you two weren't alive at the same time but…" He voiced his thoughts aloud.

"No, no. I do not know who she is," the specter explained.

The teen pressed for more, "So what is it?"

Gami waved the pendant around his neck, wiggling the rope between his fingers, "Something about the painting. That feels… familiar."

"Like what kind of familiar?"

"I do not really-"

The ghost flinched heavily, cradling his head in his skinny hands. Midoriya jumped from the couch, completely abandoning his job in favor of his friend. He wasn't sure what was going on, but the man's actions reminded him of when he had a migraine before and after a premonition. He whispered his frantic concerns, but it didn't seem like his mentor could hear him.

Gami couldn't hear any of his successor's cries through the deep throbbing in his head. It felt as if someone was drilling a jackhammer into his nonexistent skull, but even then, there was something almost akin to whispering in the back of his mind.

"Look, look! I painted this stone for you!"

That voice… it felt so familiar, but he couldn't quite pin who it was. It was high pitched, feminine, definitely not the tone of his successor. Besides, it was way too young to be the boy's. The voice had to belong to a young girl, around 6 or 7 years old.

"Do you like it?"

Then, the headache stopped just as suddenly as it had begun. He could now hear the world around him, and the desperate cries finally reached his ears.

"Sorry to worry you, I am alright," he reassured.

"Gami what was that?" Midoriya was not convinced. "That's never happened before."

He contemplated lying to the teen, but realized that would accomplish practically nothing. There was no real reason to keep this from him, so why did he feel the urge to do so? Nonetheless, he shook it off and swallowed his anxiety.

"I do not know," he started, "There was a voice in my head, and I recognized it. But other than understanding it was a female child, I do not remember who it was."

That seemed to shock the normally reserved boy. "Anything else? What did the voice say?"

"She… told me that she painted this stone."Gami fumbled said stone between his fingers. "For me."

Well, that certainly explained the swirls and specs away, but only raised more questions. Who was this girl? What was her connection to the spirit? What was the reason behind the rock that hung from his neck?

There was one thing that stuck though. His wordplay earlier somehow triggered this repressed memory back into the limelight. If that was true, could all of Gami's memories be recovered? Was there a way for the ghost to remember his past again?

"This is promising though," the boy assured, "If we can trigger your subconscious like that again, you might be able to remember more stuff."

The transparent man nodded confidently, eager to recover more of his past. He had no idea why he couldn't remember his life before retiring. Even his time as Death was foggy, with only miscellaneous, miniscule memories remaining. Although he was excited to continue gaining his memories back, he knew that right now, his successor should be working, not worrying over him.

"Well, we can worry about this later." He was going to get his boy back on track, whether he wanted to or not. "You need to finish up. It is almost time for Eraserhead and Present Mic to wake up."

"You're right, I didn't even realize it was this late!"

He plopped himself back down onto the couch and leaned into the cushions, reaching for another puff of light. Gami too cupped a dimming soul in his hands, holding onto it until his successor was ready. He moved a bit closer to the couch, his side tangibly resting against the armrest.

But neither he, nor Midoriya, realized that.

It wasn't long before both heroes awoke from their slumber. Though it would have normally been surprising, both men were thoroughly used to seeing the young boy up and dressed before them. The student had long explained the way his odd behavior connected to his responsibilities, but he assumed it would be a hard pill to swallow without time to adapt. He had pretty much spent the majority of his life alone, so he still wasn't used to people being around him while he was up at home.

But it sure didn't take long for both pros to get ready to leave. It was still quite early, but since both were teachers, they had to arrive much earlier than typical students. Of course, he was not a typical student, so he got to U.A. just as early as the staff. But honestly, the lack of sleep didn't bother him as much as it would another student. His natural sleep deprivation just became a part of his lifestyle, along with many other peculiar tidbits that would seem odd alone. But together, they made up the shambled mess that was his character, so he worked with them as any person would.

Midoriya's ears perked up at the quiet jingle of keys, his eyes focusing in on his surroundings. Aizawa was standing by the front door, all decked out in his hero gear. Yamada was leaning on the kitchen island, munching loudly on an apple. It seemed as if everything the voice hero did was intentionally loud and obnoxious, though it could just be part of his nature at this point. But, like clockwork, the boy stood up at the metal jingle and walked over to the mat by the door to slip on his signature red sneakers. Despite however many times the ghost teased him, he would never get rid of those shoes in place of another pair. He had simply grown too attached to them.

"Hey little listener," the blond man called out unexpectedly, showing off another bright, red apple in his hand, "Care for one?"

The teen tried his best to eat as little of the heroes' food as possible, but he hadn't had anything since he woke up. Normally that wouldn't be enough of a reason for him to accept, but his stomach growled menacingly and he caved. Just as his head nodded slightly, Present Mic tossed the apple lightly at him in an underhanded throw. Despite being shy and reserved, his instincts were as sharp as ever, and he did not hesitate to snap his free gloved hand up and catch the fruit with ease. The apple was even shinier up close, its pristine, red skin drawing more saliva to the corners of his dry mouth.

He didn't get the chance to take the first bite in peace, but he wasn't really expecting to. Besides, the boy had no problem eating and walking at the same time. The school was barely a 15 minute walk away, and so both pros preferred to walk rather than drive.

In contrast to his partner, Yamada was still dressed in his casual wear. It was much more likely that he would be recognized in his hero wear than Eraserhead, who's underground status and constant vigilance kept him out of the media spotlight. So the raven haired man could afford to leave the house in his costume, while the blond did not have that luxury.

Midoriya ended up listening to Gami's quiet ramblings since the entire walk was flooded in nothing but silence. He would whisper back sometimes, but he avoided talking to the spirit when around the heroes because he wasn't sure if they were used to that fact yet. He wasn't sure if either adult was even used to him yet, but that was an entirely different tangent he really didn't want to get into.

The trio were only a few minutes away from the hero school when Aizawa spoke up. "Just to let you know, Bakugo will be back in class today."

What? Was… was Aizawa being serious? Bakugo had been suspended from school since the battle training incident, and the classroom had been obnoxiously quiet since his departure. Did that mean that his words had gotten to Nezu? That the principal had been convinced not to expel him? This was Nezu he was talking about, and he seriously doubted that his plea alone was the deciding factor. There had to be some ulterior motive, because Midoriya knew that he did not have the ability to convince Nezu. But, he didn't really care what was the principal's turning point, because it was all relieving in the end.

Gami had voiced his opinions on the situation a number of times, complaining that the teen should have been expelled, especially after Midoriya found himself vouching for him to Nezu that night. The ghost had made his beliefs more than apparent, but none of that did enough to sway the teen from his own. He would defend Bakugo and his potential even if no one else would, and not because he was some spineless wimp. He held grudges and kept up his paranoid layer at practically all times. He wasn't very trusting and had a difficult time working with others at first. He was a whole mess of social skills, that was for sure.

But he knew he had to defend the fiery blond. He had to because he knew with absolute certainty that something about his reckless and endangering actions that day were wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it, no matter how many times Gami had asked him to explain; he just knew that wasn't Bakugo. His actions were too extreme, too over the top, even for Bakugo. He felt it in his gut, like a thick, obnoxious smell he couldn't get out of his nose, that something peculiar was happening. And the righteousness in him, or at least that's what he attributed it to, wouldn't allow him to sit idly by.

Aizawa must have mistaken his silence as some sort of fear, because he attempted to reassure him. "Don't worry too much about it. He'll be taking anger management sessions with Hound Dog, and I'll be watching him closely to make sure he doesn't pull anything as idiotic as that again."

That's not what the quiet boy was worried about. In fact, he couldn't really find himself worried about Bakugo's return at all. He was just relieved. It was so strange, being relieved at the return of someone like Bakugo, but he couldn't deny how it eased the storm in his stomach. For some reason, the wrongness he'd been experiencing while the blond remained absent from class felt so… personal, like it was his fault. He'd been such a mess these past few days, a mess of blame and guilt and he couldn't make sense of any of it. The only thing he could place was this overpowering feeling of ownership. He just didn't know why or how, such is the way of a gut feeling. All he knew was he had to fix it, he just had to.

But he had. He had done it, and the relief was so sweet he could die happy in it.

As the front entrance of the school came closer in sight, so did what looked to be a mass of people standing by it. This was one of the few times Midoriya was so shocked, he forgot his filter entirely, much less his vow of usual silence. "What in the world…?"

"Reporters," Eraserhead responded almost instantly, "Damn bloodsuckers."

Yamada piped in, "They must have found out All Might was teaching here."

"I'm surprised it took them so long," his husband added sarcastically.

The green haired teen's attention shot back and forth between the two adults. Currently, they were out of sight from any nosy reporter stares looking their way, as well as out of earshot, but if they got any closer, he was sure they'd be discovered. He wasn't sure if the teachers wanted to just walk through the crowd or not, but he hoped for his sake they'd be taking another entrance.

But after a few seconds of back and forth banter, he could contain himself anymore. "So are we going through there or what?"

Both turned to stare at him as if he'd grown an extra head, but Yamada spoke up for his husband, "Sho hates reporters, though I'm sure you could already tell-"

"And I have good reason!" Said man interrupted.

"Because of that," Present Mic continued despite the quip, "we'll be taking a side entrance inside."

"Oh, good," Midoriya huffed under his breath, though everyone around him caught the comment due to the silence in the air. But no one mentioned it, preferring to make their way to the side entrance instead. The doorway looked like a general staff entrance, it was no wonder why the reporters weren't here as well.

Aizawa pulled out a seemingly normal looking key and slipped it into the lock. With little effort, he twisted the key into place until it clicked, pushing open the door with ease. They made their way to one of the upper floors and both teachers entered the 1-A classroom, even though Yamada's room was further down the hall.

The boy plopped his bag down at his desk. It wasn't particularly heavy, but it did feel nice to get off his shoulders. There was still well over an hour until class officially started, and the teen wasn't sure what he would do with all the extra time. The past few days, he'd just sat at his desk and worked on adding details to his notebooks, but he really didn't feel like doing that today. So instead, he strolled over to the window and pressed his gloves against the glass to get a close look.

"Wow, I didn't realize how many reporters were actually out there," he commented after having gotten a better look at the size of the crowd.

"They kind of look like ants from up here…"

Eraserhead took a few steps towards the window as well, but after only a glance, he sighed heavily and turned to the door. "I'm going to go see if I can clear them out before the students start arriving."

"You need me to come help?" Yamada called after him.

But Aizawa just shook his head. "Those leeches will just freak out more if they see you, Zashi. They probably won't know me anyway, so I'll be fine."

Present Mic's shoulders slumped, "I guess that's true."

The tired teacher just nodded solemnly, but that didn't stop his hasty exit of the classroom. Midoriya didn't bother to glance back, just keeping his gaze focused on the small dots by the front entrance of the school. His ears were still trained on the other hero though, but not a sound was made.

"He is just standing by Eraserhead's desk."Gami seemingly read his thoughts in that moment, but he didn't even nod to confirm the statement. The heavy silence in the classroom made it impossible for the boy to move a muscle, so he just kept staring at the window.

The emptiness must have finally got to the blond pro and he cleared his throat. The quiet teen's head snapped around to look at him, and once the two made eye contact, the announcer decided now was the time to speak up.

"Do you mind me staying in here for a bit?" he asked, "I don't really want to head down to my empty classroom just yet."

Midoriya didn't answer right away, instead taking a moment to think. He wasn't really asking for his opinion, this was just another one of those formality things. He was supposed to say yes, whether or not he really wanted the hero to stay.

"If you do not want him to stay, then just say no." The ghost seemed to realize the rut he was in, but his stomach still churned at the thought. All he had to say was yes, so why was it so difficult? Why was he hesitating? He had done this numerous times before without any problems, so why did this time feel so… different?

Yamada's gaze moved away from the student during the awkward silence, turning towards the door instead. He should just leave. It was obvious the boy didn't want him to stay if he was taking this long to answer. But then, why didn't he just say no? The silence was arguably more disheartening than a simple decline, and easily more uncomfortable. Did he feel obligated to just go with whatever answer he was subconsciously pushing?

Actually… now that the hero thought about it, that would explain a lot of Midoriya's behavior over the few days he'd spent with them. The teen always seemed to give the answer that he and Aizawa were looking for, practically agreeing with everything. Yamada wanted to slap himself. Of course his actions were submissive, he came from an abusive and neglectful household. The poor kid probably had to survive by going along with whatever the others around him wanted. The past few days, the pro made an effort to give Midoriya as many choices as possible to help him feel comfortable in his new environment, but that was probably making the problem worse. But it wasn't like he could do the opposite and limit the kid's choices either, so how was he going to fix this?

The blond dropped his head in his hands, feeling like he was right back at square one again. Maybe the best way to start fixing this mess was to just leave. That was what the teen seemed to want anyway, plus it would give himself a chance to think everything over. So he stood upright from his slouching position, startling the boy in the room, and took a few steps towards the door.

But right as he did, he picked up on some heavy sounding footsteps coming from down the hall. The only person that came to his mind was Cemetoss, but he usually didn't come until later. He turned towards the reserved student and he too seemed to pick up on the loud tread. They shared a glance of confusion, before watching the color in the boy's face completely melt away. His eyes widened to the size of baseballs and Present Mic noticed how his hands started to tremble slightly. He looked back towards the classroom doorway to find the cause of his reaction, unprepared for what he saw.

"Ah, young Midoriya, Yamada, what a surprise!"

A set of familiar, golden blond tufts peeked out from the size of the doorway, along with a chiseled and shadowed face. The man hobbled the rest of his hulking form to the center of the doorway so he could be seen in full.

Midoriya almost threw up at the sight of All Might. He never realized how the close proximity to the number one hero made him so uncomfortable. He could make out a low growl from the spirit next to him, but the echoing in his head drowned out most everything else.

"You need to be realistic."

No, no, no. He had gotten past this already. He could become a hero. He was going to become a hero. He had made so much progress so far, he couldn't let a chance encounter with All Might send him back to the starting line.

Present Mic had no idea why the teen behind him looked so sickly at the sight of All Might, so he treaded carefully. "You're here early… All Might."

The burly man laughed, "Indeed I am! Had a bit of extra time on my hands, so I figured I'd get here early for a change!"

The announcer chuckled uncomfortably, his peripheral vision allowing him to see Midoriya still looked afraid. The number one hero didn't seem to realize anything was wrong, laughing loudly. All Might cleared his throat, wheezing slightly and brought his large hand out as a gesture.

"It's lucky I caught you here, young Midoriya. I've been meaning to speak with you." That made multiple stomachs in the room drop. "Would you head to the teacher's lounge with me? I'm afraid it's a private matter."

Gami immediately interjected, "You do not have to. Just say no!"

But how was he supposed to say no to the number one hero? Sure he had done it that one time 10 months ago, but that was in a moment of unrestrained rage. Right now, he knew nothing but fear.

"You need to be realistic."

He tried to breathe normally, but his thoughts were swirling around uncontrollably, like a hurricane. His erratic heartbeat was impossible to follow, or match with his gloves. He felt like throwing up and wheezing at the same time, but his pure panic only let him quietly hyperventilate.

"There just isn't any other way you-"

Why did All Might want to talk with him? Was he going to punish him for his language during that encounter? Was he going to kick him out of U.A.? If anyone could do that, surely the number one hero could. All Might could definitely squash his hero career if he wanted to.

"You're not going to be able to get anywhere when your records say quirkless. You'll just be spinning in circles until you've lost all the energy to keep going."

He had told All Might that he didn't have a quirk that day, and while it wasn't a lie, it was certainly dangerous information. What if that was what All Might wanted to talk about? The pro had seen him fight during the training exercise a few days ago, and he sure didn't look quirkless. He had already spilled his secret to multiple heroes. Nezu, Aizawa, Yamada, and Recovery Girl all knew. He wouldn't allow his secret to get out to anyone else, much less All Might of all people.

"I can see your potential, and that's why I'm offering you my quirk. Hell, just the fact that it's my quirk should have you excited."

Was this about All Might's quirk? He hadn't told anyone about the little he figured out about it, not even the other heroes or teachers. He wasn't going to take the chance of spilling to Aizawa or Yamada if they didn't know about it, regardless of whether they worked with him. Did All Might think he told someone? Or was he going to use the fact that he lied about being quirkless as blackmail?

His heartbeat was pounding in his ears and his head felt light and sickly. The teen's hands were cold and clammy under his gloves. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe. The air in his lungs felt suffocating. It had only been a few seconds, but the echoes in his head made it seem like forever. Why wouldn't it stop? Was he still truly this reliant on All Might's opinion, even after all this time?

Gami was shaking him lightly, calling out his name, but he didn't register any of it. He just wanted someone to shut his head up. He just wanted it all to stop. The pain, the suffering, the misery. Why couldn't he just stop breathing already? He wanted relief; he wanted release. Was that too much to ask?

"There just isn't any other way you-"

"You're not going to be able to get anywhere when your records say quirkless. You'll just be spinning in circles until you've lost all the energy to keep going."

"I can see your potential, and that's why I'm offering you my quirk. Hell, just the fact that it's my quirk should have you excited."

"You need to be realistic."

Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic. Realistic.

Yamada was not an idiot. He could see the obvious uncomfortableness all over Midoriya's face. There was definitely some sort of tension between the two, and All Might either didn't notice or didn't care. Letting the teen talk with the number one hero alone would not end well, especially not with him in this state. But what was taking him so long to respond…?

Oh.

The teacher really wanted to slap himself. Maybe he was an idiot sometimes. He had just deduced that the boy felt obligated to just go with the flow. He was used to being submissive, not sticking up for himself and his well being. Just because his reaction was plain to see didn't mean that his answer was that simple.

The rest of his thoughts hit like a pile of bricks. There was no way Midoriya would deny the number one hero, even if that was what he truly wanted. He just didn't know any better. Present Mic had no idea what was the beef between the two parties, but he knew he needed to act fast and on instinct.

"Ah, about that…" The words just came spilling out, but he just trusted in his subconscious at this point. "The little listener is here early to go over some English stuff with me. So I'm afraid we're both a bit tied up at the moment."

All Might may be oblivious, but he certainly wasn't dumb. It didn't make sense for a teacher to be privately reviewing material this early into the school year. "But it's barely the first week?"

But Yamada was a master of improv. "Ah, well the little listener is quite the hard worker. Who would I be to deny him?"

The number one hero seemed to take that response as valid and shrugged. "Alright then, I'll leave you to it. I'll catch young Midoriya some other time."

With that, All Might walked away from the door, his footsteps slowly becoming more and more quiet. It wasn't until the tread grew completely silent that the blond pro let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. He turned towards the student behind him, who only looked up in shock.

Midoriya couldn't understand, no matter how hard he racked his brain. Why did the teacher lie? There was no reason for him to; he had no idea of any of the hostility between himself and All Might. He drilled himself further, but could come up with no good reason why. It just didn't make sense.

But his mind was still in utter turmoil, whirling around violently. He couldn't focus a single one of his many questions enough to phrase it verbally. But his mouth ached to say something to the man standing in front of him. He needed to know-

"Why?" It was small, timid, and somber sounding.

Yamada looked initially confused by the short question, but he shrugged slightly, as if he was puzzled. "Well, you didn't seem all that eager to go, so I figured you didn't want to."

"I could have told him myself." Even Midoriya knew that was a lie.

The hero didn't want to belittle the teen by stating he couldn't have, even if it was true, so he stepped over that point carefully. "I just figured I'd help out. Give you a good excuse so it wouldn't look all that bad in front of All Might."

They boy moved to rebuttal, but that's when Gami stepped in. "At least now you do not have to talk with that pathetic excuse for a hero. Just leave it at that."

The teen internally flinched at his mentor's harsh words, but headed his advice. Sure he had a lot of questions, and not everything made sense, but Yamada had saved him from a potentially emotionally fatal encounter with the number one hero. That warranted at least some thanks, which could arguably start with silence.

But Present Mic couldn't help his curiosity. "I have no idea what happened between you and All Might, and I'm not asking to know. I just wanted to tell you that if you ever want to talk about it, I'll be there to listen."

"He totally wants to know about it." Gami couldn't help but intervene with a sarcastic comment. Midoriya rolled his eyes dramatically, but didn't deny the statement. Sometimes, he was really thankful no one could hear the ghost but himself.

Yamada still hadn't heard a response from the boy in front of him, and took it as his cue to leave. "Well, I'll get going. I'm sure I've got paperwork somewhere to catch up on."

"NO!"

That outburst surprised everyone in the room, including the teen who exclaimed it. He grew red with embarrassment as his eyes turned downcast. He started fiddling with his gloves, which he determined a while back was his nervous tic. He noticed pieces by his fingertips felt threadbare. Did his scare with All Might really affect him that badly? He hadn't even noticed he had unconsciously triggered his powers. He really needed to get a handle on the mess that was himself.

But now wasn't really the time to be focusing on that, as the English teacher remained frozen on his way to the door. Gathering up any confidence he could muster, Midoriya ook his first step in repaying Yamada for his intervention. "I-I mean… y-you can stay. If you want, that is."

Present Mic was genuinely surprised, but chose his question carefully, trying not to push any one answer. "Are you sure?"

The teen blinked. Was he sure? He really had no idea, but something in his gut told him this was right. Not that he had to let the hero stay, but that he should. But was that what he wanted? Even the spirit next to him stared patiently, wondering what he'd give to a question like that.

The answer was debatably more shocking than the outburst that started all this. Even Midoriya wasn't quite sure if it was really him talking.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Yamada stayed for as long as he possibly could, but he did eventually have to leave. The two did enjoy some idle chatter during their time together, with Midoriya being the mediator for whenever Gami wanted to contribute. But the English teacher did leave the classroom, giving the teen a few minutes alone to himself. He didn't really get to use his free time though, too busy setting himself up for class. Aizawa still hadn't returned from when he left originally and the crowd seemed just as large as when he first observed. His classmates piled in gradually, each looking more disheveled than the last.

Iida was the first one in the classroom, besides Midoriya of course. He stumbled in a bit ungracefully, but caught himself on the doorframe. Once he caught sight of the reserved boy huddled by his desk, his attention focused and he power walked over, straightening his raven blue hair on the way.

"Ah… Iida," he sighed a bit louder than usual since no one else was in the room, "How are you?"

"Midoriya!" he cried out upon reaching the desk, "I am well, though a bit frazzled. The number of reporters outside is completely obscene."

That made the teen get out of his desk and walk towards the window. "Goodness, they're really still out there."

Iida looked puzzled. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Well, Aizawa-sensei went out there to try and calm the crowd, but I'm guessing it didn't exactly go as planned…"

"Aizawa-sensei did help me get inside, but he is having difficulty controlling the catastrophe outside," he clarified.

Midoriya hummed in confirmation and made his way back to his seat. The other boy though, seemed to have something else on his mind. He moved his hand towards the green haired teen, and he stopped and turned around at the gesture.

"The first two days of school, you came in at around average time, not too early, but certainly not late by any means," Iida expressed, moving his hands around violently, "But these past few days you have been arriving here extremely early, even earlier than myself, which is saying something. I'm just wondering if there is a reason for the change in behavior."

Startled, the boy looked over to his companion, who clearly wasn't expecting that observation either. Any normal person might have been freaked out by the level of attention a declaration like that required, but Midoriya was also a person who liked to observe people closely. If anyone could understand, it would be him. His notebooks were definitely proof of that.

But still, he wasn't quite sure how comfortable he was revealing his new home situation. Telling Iida the truth, that he was currently living with Aizawa and that was the reason he was coming into school early, didn't seem like an option to him. Even though the raven haired boy had been nothing but kind to him since they had met, although a bit stiff, he just couldn't bring himself to spill the beans.

"I just decided to try and get to school earlier," he added in a bit of flattery in hopes it would get the strict student off his back, "You kind of inspired me to be more responsible, you know?"

Iida practically beamed, his eyes sparkling through his glasses. "I am so glad I could be a role model to such a successful student like yourself!"

Midoriya smiled and let out a small chuckle at the boy's antics, surprisingly not a hint of uncomfortableness in his laugh. "Yeah, I got here a bit earlier than I should have this morning. Luckily, Aizawa-sensei let me in through the side entrance, so I didn't have to go through the mob out by the front."

"Well, that is quite convenient," Iida replied, pushing up his glasses, "That does make me wonder how long it will take to disperse the crowd, if it gets dispersed at all, that is. I am a bit concerned that this could get out of hand."

Gami jumped in suddenly, "I am rightfully worried as well. Those reporters seem relentless."

"Well, they're probably after updates on All Might," the teen explained, relaying the info from Present Mic earlier, "but I'm sure Aizawa-sensei and the other heroes will take care of it eventually."

But even he did not believe his own words, underlying doubt simmering over the surface of his voice.

The conversation died at that, with Iida making his way over to his desk to set himself up for the day. In, eventually, followed more students, each one a complete mess of ruffled hair and panty breath. The deadly duo grew more concerned at each entry, Midoriya for Eraserhead's well being, Gami for his successor's. But Bakugo was not among the students arriving for class, and the boy couldn't help but feed his curiosity.

Uraraka rushed inside the classroom as one of the later students. The teen and his mentor both watched her struggle to her desk and throw her bag down into the seat. Her hair was disheveled and her face flushed red. She frantically waved her hand in front of her face, desperately attempting to cool herself off. Midoriya wanted to get out of his seat and ask her about how she was doing, but the churning in his stomach kept him grounded. Luckily for him, the brunette made her way over to him instead.

"Midori!" she cried, "Have you seen the number of people outside? It's insane!"

"So I've heard," he quipped back, "Are you alright?"

She laughed and combed her hair messily with her fingers, "Yeah, just a bit exhausted. Aizawa-sensei helped me get past them though."

He hummed, "Yeah, I heard the same from Iida actually. How's he doing? He's been out there a while…"

Uraraka shrugged. "Aizawa-sensei looked more tired than anything really. I wouldn't worry too much."

That eased some of the odd churning in the boy's gut, but he still looked towards the window in hopes he could spot his teacher's figure. The ghost too floated over to sneak a glance, but his downcast head was more than enough for Midoriya to know he hadn't spotted anyone.

"Worry about what?"

With a familiar sense of deja vu, both students turned to the now open door to see their homeroom teacher standing there, his hands stuffed in his pockets. The tired man walked inside casually, drawing silence from all corners of the classroom. But the shock of seeing the pro quickly faded when someone else moved from behind him.

This was the first time Bakugo had been in class since the training exercise incident, but his angry scowl still remained. The timid boy flinched instinctively and shied away his eyes towards the window. Uraraka, like much of the class, simply stared at the return of their volatile classmate.

Aizawa didn't bother to pry out a response for his previous question. He also wasn't blind to the stares coming at the student behind him. This was to be expected. This was what he expected. But he didn't comment and moved tiredly towards his desk instead.

But when he watched Bakugo move towards his desk as well, right in front of Midoriya, he remembered the other thing he was supposed to do when he got back to the classroom.

"Midoriya," he called out monotonously, opting to use the boy's name rather than the nickname he had given him, "I've got a new seat for you."

Originally, the hero wanted to move Bakugo elsewhere and keep Midoriya right where he was. He didn't want the student to feel seemingly punished by having to change seats. But when he attempted to plan out the move last night, he realized that anywhere he moved the blond wouldn't really work out. Most of the new spots were either still too close to the green haired teen or were too close to Iida or Uraraka.

He had talked to those other two students a day after the incident, and while neither seemed too traumatized by the event, Aizawa still didn't feel comfortable moving Bakugo near either of them.

There were a few promising spots that the hero considered, but when he explored them more in depth, they were shot out of the sky quickly.

He could switch Bakugo and Aoyama. That would keep the blond far enough away from both parties, as well as in the front where he could see him. But there was a reason Aoyama was in the front of the classroom. The flamboyant boy was too dramatic to be moved even a row back. That was just a headache waiting to happen.

The only other spot he could think of was switching Bakugo and Yaoyorozu, which again would keep him away from both parties. But putting the angry teen in the back of the classroom would no doubt turn out to be a disaster. Plus Aizawa was observant, and he did notice the glares Bakugo would send to Todoroki. The blond seemed to have unnatural hostility towards the candy cane teen as well, not as much as towards Midoriya, but still enough to not want to put the two boys next to each other.

So the pro came to the conclusion to move Midoriya instead. But now the question was where?

There weren't many options for that either. He didn't want to put the boy near Uraraka or Iida, as he was concerned they'd just use the opportunity to talk or get distracted. Again, he could switch Midoriya and Aoyama, but that brought up the same problems as before. There was only one switch he could see working out…

"Yes s-sensei?" the boy called out hesitantly.

"Switch with Yaoyorozu."

This made the most rational sense in his eyes. Now, Bakugo would be a good distance from both parties and still near the front of the class where Aizawa could keep an eye on him. Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida were all decently separated so they wouldn't distract each other. Plus, Yaoyorozu was a no nonsense type of student. If anyone could tolerate sitting behind the explosive blond, it would be her.

The move was quick. Yaoyorozu didn't seem too bothered by it either, which was good. Both students packed up their things and swapped with haste, and Midoriya plopped himself down in the very back corner of the classroom.

Todoroki, who was seated directly adjacent to Yaoyorozu's old spot, gave a stoic, but friendly head nod. The boy smiled back softly, hoping not to draw Aizawa's attention. He noticed Gami making gestures in his peripheral, but bottled up his sarcastic comments for later.

The class didn't get too distracted by the sudden move, and all the students piped down as their teacher placed his hands on his desk. All the attention was directed back to the front of the room, including Midoriya and Todoroki, whose heads snapped straight from looking at each other. Aizawa slapped a stack of papers hard onto the wood, startling anyone else whose attention may have been slipping.

"Good work with the battle training a few days ago," the pro started, shaking around the papers in his hand, "I've looked over your grades and evaluations…"

Whispers started up at that, but the teacher quickly shushed them with a smack of the papers against the grain of his desk.

"Bakugo," he began, debating his next words wisely. He didn't want to beat a dead horse, especially since he and Nezu had already ridiculed him throughout the days before. But he also wanted to make it clear that the incident would not be swept under the rug. "Grow up already. Stop being petty and wasting your talent."

All eyes turned to the blond, who merely growled under his breath. "Got it…"

"And Midoriya…"

He flinched at the announcement of his name, the eyes moving to him instead. Gami copied Bakugo's reaction and growled, though protectively instead of cynically. The ghost stepped closer towards his successor's desk, putting his hulking form between the boy and the hero. And though no one could really feel intimidated, the teen did feel more comfortable knowing someone had his back.

"Learn to be more self preserving. You can't save anyone if you incapacitate yourself first." The pro knew that was a bit harsh, but he was shaping future heroes here. After watching the replay of the training exercise with Midoriya, he saw scary similarities with that student and All Might, both reckless individuals who liked to put others before themselves. Normally comparing someone to All Might would be nothing but a complement, but Aizawa despised how the number one hero behaved. There were very few abilities that could allow one to keep up with a powerhouse like that, and though immortality was one, he did not want any of his students tearing themselves apart in the name of heroism. And being Midoriya's homeroom teacher, as well as his temporary caretaker, he would do his best to squash the problem at its source.

"Y-yes Aizawa-sensei," he replied submissively.

"You have to admit, he is not wrong…" Gami didn't want to rub salt into the wound, but did want to reinforce the valid point the man was making. He cared enough about his successor to not want to see him in pieces every battle.

"Now, onto homeroom business," Aizawa stated, moving on from the topic before, "This might seem a bit sudden, but today…"

The boy could practically see the wave of nervousness wash over the class, but couldn't deny that the same wave washed over him. What would they be doing today? Another quirk test? More practical training? Risk of expulsion? The anticipation was eating away at his consciousness.

"You'll pick a class president."

And then the class absolutely exploded.

Cries from all around the room could be heard, each one proclaiming why they were the best fit for president. The complete outburst of chaos was so startling, Midoriya nearly fell backwards in his chair.

"I wanna be president!! Lemme do it!!"

"The position was made for me."

"I'd like to do it!"

"I wanna be a leader!!"

"In my administration, girls will have to show 30 cm of thigh!!"

"Goodness, is this 'class president' role truly that important?" Gami wondered aloud.

"Well normally, the position entails just routine tasks, so nobody really wants to do it," Midoriya explained at a decent volume, the rest of his class easily drowning him out, "But being class president here at U.A. would really be a position for a top hero in the making."

"I see," the ghost clarified, "but does that still typically require this much of an outburst?"

The teen simply shrugged, opting instead to sink himself down into his seat. As amazing of an opportunity to be class president at U.A. was, it definitely wasn't something he could see himself doing. It was just too far into the spotlight for his confidence. He was fine with anyone else taking the position really. The only exception would be Bakugo, but even then, he could probably tolerate it with enough time.

"Quiet down everyone!!"

That voice was certainly not Aizawa's, so everyone promptly shut up and looked around for its source. Eventually, all eyes fell on one familiar glasses wearing boy seated near the back.

"Leading the many is a task of heavy responsibility," Iida started, pushing up his glasses dramatically, "but ambition does not equate to ability!"

He then stood up, startling the students around him. He placed his hands down roughly onto the surface of his desk, creating a dramatic bang. "This sacred office demands the trust of its constituents. If this is to be a democracy, then I ought to put forward the notion…"

The deathly duo eagerly awaited for the end of Iida's declaration, along with the rest of the class. Surprisingly, despite his outward appearance, Aizawa too was listening in. He, unlike the others, had a fair idea where the student was going, but was more interested in how the rest of the class would receive the idea.

"That our true leader must be chosen by election!"

Gami cocked his head curiously. "An election? Is that how the position of class president is normally chosen?"

Now that the chaos was practically over, Midoriya couldn't speak without being noticed, so he shook his hand side to side under his desk, indicating to his mentor that his statement was correct some of the times. The spirit nodded his head, but still continued to stare at the class of students in pure fascination. It hadn't even occurred to the boy that Gami may never have seen a class president election. There were many things he often forgot Gami didn't know about.

The two watched Asui turned around from her desk to face Iida, "But Iida, we haven't known each other long enough to build trust."

"Everyone will just vote for themselves!" Kirishima jumped in.

But the stiff boy didn't seem fazed, "That is precisely why anyone who manages to earn multiple votes… will be the best suited individual to the job."

That seemed to satisfy the majority of the students, so Iida turned to face Aizawa, who was currently stuffing himself into one of his sleeping bags. "Will you allow this sensei?"

The teacher merely shrugged, "I don't care, just make it quick."

And that was enough confirmation for the class to somehow gather up a box and enough slips of paper to start their vote. Iida directed it organizedly, having the students go up and submit their vote in an orderly fashion. Because of his move to the back, Midoriya was close to being last to vote and had plenty of time to think about it.

Todoroki went up before him, and both Midoriya and Gami watched him walk. He noticed the boy seemed a bit hesitant, but that was most likely because he'd never voted for a class president before. The teen drew a lot of similarities between Todoroki and his mentor, and often associated Gami's experiences with what could potentially be his. So he assumed by his behavior that he had never voted for a class president before, but whether that was true or not needed a direct statement to be sure.

Eventually, it was his turn to get up and vote for a class president. His mentor followed close behind, interested to see how the process worked.

"Who are you planning on nominating?" he asked, hoping for another following explanation to why.

But Midoriya simply shot him a sly smirk, before waving off one of his fingers subtly in a dismissive tone. Gami still caught the action and huffed sarcastically, before heading back to the boy's desk alone.

If his friend wanted privacy, then he would grant it, no matter his curiosity.

Eventually, all the kids had placed their votes. Iida took natural charge, walking up to grab the box and giving it a good shake. He then took off the lid and started taking out the individual slips of paper, marking the votes on the board behind him. The class waited in tense silence as the numbers were tallied up. And once Iida wrote the last tick mark on the board, everyone erupted.

"How did I get 2 votes?!" Midoriya exclaimed in nothing but disbelief. Gami shrugged nonchalantly, still not really understanding exactly how the process worked. Todoroki cocked his head in confusion next to him, but didn't say a word.

"What the? Who the hell voted for Deku?!" Bakugo cried out in shock. He only got one vote, which he placed himself. Angrily, he stood up and clenched his fingers, steam practically leaving his ears.

"Guess we know it wasn't you!" One black haired student with bulky elbows quipped back.

While his successor was internally freaking out, the ghost took a look around the classroom, observing the rest of the reactions.

Yaoyorozu was straightening out her clothes and making her way over to the front of the classroom. She, like Midoriya, received 2 votes, tying him for first place. Gami wondered how the position of class president was going to be decided now.

Iida was sulking at his desk, having only received one vote, which was unfortunately not enough to place. The other students were giving the strict boy weird looks, but otherwise said nothing. Though Gami was more interested in whether Iida voted for himself or someone voted for him instead.

Uraraka was whistling inconspicuously near the back of the classroom, her glance away from the currently yelling Bakugo. And while the spirit wasn't accustomed to most modern societal practices, such as the concept of a class president, he could easily tell she had voted for Midoriya. It made him feel strangely honored that the brunette thought his successor was fit for the position.

"Well," Aizawa called over the crowd, silencing everyone, "both Midoriya and Yaoyorozu tied for first place. How are you going to decide the class president now?"

The hero almost looked annoyed that the process was taking so long, but even still, he gestured for the green haired boy to come up from and join Yaoyorozu. Gami decided now was a good time to return back to the teen's side, to at least show his support as he walked up to the front. The specter wished he could do more to ease his successor's shaking though, as his nervousness was starting to spill over.

Once Midoriya stood next to the spiky, black haired girl, he tried to solve both the current dilemma and his own, "I-It's no big deal, Yaoyorozu can just be-"

"Midoriya," she interrupted him stiffly, "Did you vote for yourself?"

"N-no, but-" he tried to get his point across, but the student wouldn't let him.

"Well, I did," she revealed, "so you truly earned the spot of class president."

"But-"

"Fine." Aizawa figured enough time had been wasted, "So your president is Midoriya and your vice president is Yaoyorozu."

"I look forward to working with you, Midoriya." Yaoyorozu nodded professionally.

"S-same to… t-to you," he replied back not as smoothly.

Aizawa sighed and let the two sit down, before attempting to get class started, but that didn't mean he missed the way Midoriya dragged his feet back. After fostering the boy for a few days, he came to understand his submissive and shy behavior. So when he was selected to be the class president, especially after not voting for himself, the pro had mixed feelings. This was obviously not what the child wanted, but this was also a good opportunity for him to gain more confidence, which was essential for hero work. There was also the risk that the pressures of such a position could send any progress he made with the student spiraling.

He sighed again, heavier this time.

It was going to be a long day.

Lunch rolled around much quicker than Midoriya expected, but to be fair, he couldn't really focus on the passing time due to his anxiety. The entire day, his hands shook uncontrollably and his skin was slick with sweat. He knew his mentor had picked up on his stress early, but couldn't find the time to properly address it during one of his classes. Both were eager for lunch for related, yet different reasons.

He hadn't planned on eating today, but his stress was starting to make him light headed, so he succumbed to his urges and bought a small bowl of rice. Gami wished his successor ate more each day, but the boy was used to fending for himself. His lunch funds still came from his own pocket and neither Aizawa nor Yamada had checked it out yet. The ghost could only hope that one of the two teachers got around to checking his lunch account and figured out he was still paying it himself. Then, just maybe, his friend would finally be able to eat substantially every day.

He sat down at his table alone, not waiting to start at his rice. It was only a matter of time before Uraraka and Iida joined him as they did every day. Gami was taking his time to weave between the crowded cafeteria, which had always seemed unusual considering the ghost could just pass through them. He made it to the table eventually and floated over to talk to his successor.

"Feeling any better?" the man asked with concern.

"A little," he responded, shakily serving himself another portion of rice, "I just-"

"Hey Midori!" Uraraka called out, placing her tray down onto the table, "It's finally lunch time, am I right?"

"O-oh hey Uraraka," he responded startled. Had she heard him talking to Gami? By her statement, he assumed not. But still, he had to make sure. "Did you-"

"Midoriya," Iida then unknowingly interrupted, "Congratulations on your position as class president!"

"T-thanks Iida." He watched the blue haired boy drop his tray on the table as well, before sitting himself down. "I'm just worried about whether or not I can really be class president…"

Iida shoved a mouthful of rice into his mouth, "Midoriya, your grit and decisiveness in a pinch make you perfectly suited to lead us all. That's why I voted for you."

"W-what?" That made the teen do a double take, "You voted for me?"

"Indeed! One of your two votes was from myself."

"Yeah, you totally got this Midori!" Uraraka jumped in on the pep talk, "Your plan during the training exercise was amazing and you predicted Bakugo to the smallest detail! I couldn't think of anyone better to vote for than you!"

"You both really voted for me?" he asked rhetorically in surprise.

Both kids nodded, still eating. Iida though, let his curiosity get the best of him. "You admitted earlier that you did not vote for yourself. Who did you choose then, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I am interested to know as well."

Midoriya rolled his eyes sarcastically at his mentor, but turned to his friends with a more genuine look. "I actually voted for you, Iida."

Said boy looked flabbergasted. "Me?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, "You're so responsible and such a great role model. You even organized the entire vote. I thought you of all people definitely deserved the spot."

"That's true," Uraraka agreed, "Didn't you want to be president, Iida? You've got the glasses and everything!"

Both Gami and his successor winced at the brunette's bluntness, but Iida didn't seem to mind.

"Again, ambition and suitability are different matters," he explained, "I humbly made the choice I felt was correct."

The more Iida talked, the more he reminded Midoriya of his mentor. His professional tone of voice and his respectful mannerisms made him question the specifics of Iida's homelife. He wondered how the teen would react if he even met his ghostly companion. He would probably enjoy a conversation with him at the very least.

"The way you talk…" Uraraka seemed to be catching on. "Iida, are you a rich kid?!"

Again, the duo flinched at the statement. Iida too seemed a bit appalled by it, but distracted himself by shoving more rice into his mouth.

"I don't like people to know… so I try to hide it…" he started, "But yes. I'm from a renowned hero family, and I am the second son."

Both of the other students sparkled at the admission, growing more excited by the minute.

"Do you know of the turbo hero, Ingenium?"

That flipped a switch in Midoriya's head, "Of course!! He employs 65 sidekicks at his office in Tokyo!! So you're-"

"Yes!" he interrupted, "He is my brother! He leads the people with his unwavering adherence to rules and regulations. He's truly a beloved hero!!"

The boy stood up proudly, pushing his glasses up from his nose. He could feel the pride swell in his heart, making him want to show off his family heritage to the world, or at least to the two kids in front of him.

"It's my admiration for my brother that has inspired my own desire to become a hero. Though I realize I am not yet ready to lead anyone." He sat back down, sending a small smile in his friends' direction. "As the superior candidate, it was right that the role should go to you, Midoriya."

Both kids gaped in shock for a few moments. That last bit made the quiet teen feel especially bad about not wanting the role. Iida was just so enthusiastic about it, and he himself felt wrong for not feeling the same way. Uraraka was the first to break the temporary silence.

"I've never seen you smile before, Iida…" she commented.

"Eh?!" he cried back, "Is that so? I smile on occasion!!"

And just like that, the worries from before melted away. Seeing his two friends laugh so heartily made his soul feel warm, like he was standing next to a fireplace.

"I am truly glad they are your friends," Gami whispered suddenly, as he watched the entire conversation play out, "I only wish you had met them sooner."

"Me too," he answered under his breath and the two chatted together, "but I'm just glad to know them now-"

All three, as well as the entirety of the cafeteria, jumped out of their skins at the sudden blaring of the school alarm system. Both Midoriya and Iida leapt out of their seats as Uraraka choked on her rice. Students started rushing to exit the cafeteria, pushing and shoving their way to get to the front. Desperate for direction, the group of friends plus one ghost listened for an announcement.

"Security level 3 has been broken. All students please evacuate in an orderly fashion."

But that only raised more questions for the trio. Another student passed their table, so Iida called out to him, "What's security level 3?"

"It means someone has infiltrated the building!!" he replied panicky, "Hasn't happened in my three years. Anyway, hurry up and get out of here!!"

At that, both Uraraka and Iida rushed to follow the crowd, but something made Midoriya quickly pull them back by the ends of their uniforms, something he would have never done in the past. "Wait! If we just rush in, we'll be completely trampled!!"

The two recovered from their momentary panic. Iida replied first, "Then what should we do?"

The teen knew he didn't have much time to form a plan, so he looked around. The cafeteria was now completely empty, except for the crowd of kids piled by the exits. The walls around them were covered in huge windows that led directly outside.

"The windows!" he realized, "Maybe we can figure out what's going on or who got inside!"

"Let's split up then!" Iida added, "We can cover more of them!"

The three nodded and ran towards the windows to look. Midoriya took a second longer though, and addressed the ghost standing next to him.

"I assume you want me to search as well?"

The boy nodded, "Start by checking the perimeter of the school. If you find how they got inside, come right back."

"Alright, I shall search urgently, but thoroughly," he reassured, but left immediately through one of the windows.

Once the spirit disappeared, he ran over to a group of windows facing what he presumed was the back of the school. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so he moved over to check the next set. His head darted around feverishly, searching for anything strange, like a suspicious person or a potential infiltration. But nothing stood out, and he was growing more concerned by the second.

"Over here!" Iida's voice rang out over the panic from the hallways around them, "It's just the media!"

Uraraka and Midoriya ran over quickly and looked in the direction he was pointing. Sure enough, it was just the large crowd of reporters from this morning, now somehow inside and trying to storm the school.

"We need to tell everyone," Uraraka cried out, "They're all panicking over nothing!"

"But how?" Iida looked towards the crowd, who were still fighting to escape, "The chaos will prevent any attention we try to grab!"

Midoriya's gaze shot over to the crowd as well, eyes darted every which way. What should he do? They needed to stop the panic before someone was seriously injured, but his mind was coming up completely blank. This was his first action as class president, he couldn't let Iida and Uraraka down so soon.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Gami floating back to him, coming from one of the packed hallways. He watched the ghost fly over the crowd to get to him.

But right at that moment, the spirit reached his successor, secretly out of breath, but would never let it show after the time the boy teased him. He hoped he hadn't taken that long inspecting the cause of the break in, but he had discovered some riveting information he knew the teen would want to hear about.

"It is just the press," the man explained exasperatedly, "They somehow broke through the front gate."

The teen nodded subtly, trying not to draw attention to his weird movement in the already tense situation. His mind wandered back to seeing Gami fly over the crowd with ease. And that sparked an idea in the back of his head.

"Guys," he said confidently, "I have a plan."

Together, the three students made their way to the start of the chaotic crowd, arms linked to prevent their separation. Once at the start of the hallway and beginning to get sucked into the mass, Iida called out.

"Now Uraraka!" he cried, "Make me float!"

"On it!" she exclaimed, and slapped hands with him. Almost immediately, Iida began to lift off the ground. Midoriya and Uraraka then grabbed onto the bottom of his shoes and began guiding him above the ground, like a giant parade balloon. Anytime one of the two started to become separated, Iida would pull his legs together and draw his friend back towards him.

"Remember, we need to draw their attention!" the normally quiet teen yelled to his friends.

"There! The exit sign!" Iida shouted as it came into sight.

"Should we let go now?!" the brunette shrieked, barely clutching onto the tips of his shoe.

"No," he called back, "Not yet. I need to be closer!"

As the three approached the exit sign, Midoriya could feel his grip on Iida slipping. He could barely hold on anymore. Gami, who was floating above him, tried pulling his successor closer, but wasn't able to get a hold of him.

"Iida," the boy cried out, "I can't hold on much longer!"

"Now then!! Let me go!!"

The two did as they were told, and released Iida from their grasp. He allowed himself to float momentarily to roll up his uniform pants. Then, after pushing himself away from the wall, he activated his quirk.

"Engine boost!!"

Like a sonic jet, Iida whirled around on the air, a lot more uncontrollably than either he or Midoriya had anticipated. He twirled around like a spinning coin, so fast he couldn't tell which way was forward. His eyes flew around disorientedly, trying to pick apart his surroundings.

"What's Iida doing?!" Uraraka yelled to Midoriya, who she was reaching out for.

"I don't think he can see which way to go!" he screamed back, "I think he's too dizzy!!"

They linked arms after a few moments of struggling, now together, but still being mauled by the crowd. They both stretched for one of Iida's legs, but neither could reach. Gami too tried to push the boy, but his arms simply phased right through.

Now, Midoriya was faced with a tough decision. He could summon his scythe to push Iida with, but that could turn dangerous in this volatile of a crowd. Plus his DT could act up and potentially hurt his friends. But if he did nothing, he along with Uraraka and countless others would be crushed. Two options currently were weighing in his head. Prioritizing his fears or prioritizing the safety of the students.

Well, when his mind put it that way, the choice was clear.

"Uraraka, I need my hands!" he ordered her, and she quickly let go, only to grab the back of his shirt.

He thrusted both hands as high above the crowd as he could, then summoning his weapon with a quick flex. In a hasty, but gentle motion, he snapped his blade to its flat side and bopped Iida with it, sending him in the direction of the exit sign. Once he saw the boy start to move, he allowed his shoulders drop and let his scythe disappear.

Iida tumbled around in the air before face planting into the wall. Recovering quickly, he grabbed the pipe overhead for stability. He needed to say something to catch everyone's attention, something short and concise, straight to the point.

"EVERYTHING'S FINE!!"

The entire crowd of anxious kids stopped. The teen took that as a cue to keep going.

"It's just the press!" he continued, "There's nothing to panic about! We're fine!!"

Feeling a bit of his older brother channeling within him, he added onto that, "This is U.A.!! Behave in a way befitting this great institution!!"

And just like that, students started to look around. The ones closest to the windows peered out and confirmed Iida's statement. Once the panic died down, kids began making their way back to their classrooms, no longer fighting to escape the enclosed hallway. The space eventually emptied out, with only Midoriya, Uraraka, and a few other students remaining. Both kids rushed over to the entryway with the exit sign above it.

"Iida!" the brunette cried, "That was amazing!!"

"You did it!" Midoriya jumped in. "There's no more panic!"

Iida didn't bother moving from his spot on the wall, still gripping the pipe for dear life. "I don't deserve all the credit. Without either of you two, there was no way I could have pulled this off."

He turned to Uraraka, fixing his glasses with his free hand, "Your quirk was essential to this plan. Without being able to float above the crowd, I would have not been able to gather everyone's attention. I would have been trampled instead."

The girl flushed, not used to her non offensive quirk being praised in such a way. She rubbed a hand at the back of her head sheepishly. "A-ah thanks…"

"And you Midoriya," he continued, "Your decisiveness and response time were incredible in the midst of the panic. And your plan to calm the crowd was remarkable, as well as your flexibility in the face of hindrance. You are truly the best choice for class president."

The teen sighed. Back to that topic again. He really had no idea what he was going to do regarding his role. Would it be best to just suck it up and deal with it, or should he come clean to Iida and Uraraka in hopes they had another solution? He really didn't think he was fit to be president, and that wasn't even considering the fact he didn't want to be.

"You shouldn't sell yourself short Iida," the green haired boy began, "After all, it was you who calmed everyone down. You sounded like a true leader up there."

That wasn't just formality talking either. Iida really did sound like a professional, calming the crowd in a matter of seconds. That was a trait Midoriya was certain he didn't possess, one perfect for a role model. If only more people had seen the strict boy's potential in leading others, then Iida would most definitely be the best candidate for class president.

That brought an idea to the forefront of his head, but he quickly pushed it aside when a U.A. staff member came along carrying a step ladder. Someone else must have alerted the staff that a student was stuck above an entryway, since neither Midoriya nor Uraraka had left to get anyone. Thankfully, the rescue response was quick and Iida was helped down by his two friends. The duo watched his shoulders relaxed as his feet touched the solid ground, though the stiff boy never addressed it. After a few moments of catching breath, the three made their way back to their classroom, hoping they weren't late enough to spark Aizawa's wrath.

Together, they held their breath as Iida pried open the giant door. It unfortunately made a loud groaning sound and the three students winced in conjunction. Once the door was completely opened, the three braced themselves for whatever was to come.

The trio were met with the enamored stares of the majority of their classmates. Kids started to get out of their chairs to make comments, but Aizawa quickly put a stop to that.

"Midoriya, the class has been waiting on you to start some presidential matters," the blatant call out made the boy want to sink into the ground, "Everyone else sit down and stay quiet."

The students that stood out of their seat quickly sat back down after that, and Uraraka and Iida scurried over to their own. Midoriya hurried to the front of the call where Yaoyorozu was waiting, and she debriefed him on the situation. Nodding solemnly, he turned towards the rest of the seated class, but hesitated to address them.

"Go ahead, class president." The teen couldn't tell if Yaoyorozu was trying to encourage him or just being sarcastic.

"Just take a deep breath. You can do this," Gami whispered, which startled his successor since the ghost hadn't said anything in a while.

Doing as his mentor told, he took a moment to regain his composure before speaking. "W-we'd like to choose the other student council members, but before that…"

He looked directly at Iida, before taking a second to organize his thoughts. To the others around him, it seemed like he was making a dramatic pause.

"I believe…" he started shakily, "that Iida is better suited to be class president."

He watched said boy gasp in surprise, along with a good majority of the class, but he didn't let that kill his confidence.

"You all saw how well he led everyone in that crisis earlier," the boy explained, "I think he's the correct choice for the job."

Iida stood up in shock and tried to refute, but his classmates were faster.

"Ah! Sounds good!! Iida really showed his stuff back in the cafeteria!!" Kirishima agreed, "Not that I've anything against you, Midori!"

Another student with blond hair and a black zigzag streak jumped in. "He was like a beacon pointing to the emergency exit!"

The rest of the class joined the Iida praising bandwagon, and the strict boy felt a flush of pride flow through his bones. Though he turned to Aizawa as a last ditch effort to get Midoriya keep his position.

"Aizawa-sensei, will you allow this?" he asked with a hint of desperation underlying in his voice.

But the teacher didn't care, since there was no way a pro like Eraserhead could miss a detail like that. He just continued to drink out of his juice pouch, whie giving the class an eerie glare. "Whatever, just get on with it…"

Well, with the teacher… semi approval, Iida couldn't really refuse. As great as he believed Midoriya was suited for the role, he had passed it onto him. And an opportunity like that was one that should be accepted with open arms, not only for his own benefit, but to respect his friend.

"Very well," Iida agreed, "I will accept the job then, but only if Midoriya remains on the council as secretary. Your brilliance is too great to lose!"

That in turn made the teen shy away in embarrassment, but luckily Gami was there to pick him up. "That seems like a fair offer to me, as well as a genuine compliment."

Class president was something he could never do himself, but a student council member… maybe that was something he could. Besides, it was a great offer, something that made him feel prideful, an emotion he didn't experience often.

"I can do that…" Midoriya confirmed, to which Iida smiled. Yaoyorozu, who had been observing the situation quietly at the front of the classroom, smiled softly as well. Surprisingly, she was glad to have both students as part of the class government, despite however she may have originally felt about the timid teen being class president. The other students followed suit at the feeling of celebration.

"You can do it, Emergency Exit Iida!!"

"Go Emergency Exit Iida!"

"Do your best!!"

The stiff boy chuckled and walked up to join Yaoyorozu in the front. Together, the two put up a strong, professional front for class 1-A. Iida latched his arms behind his back and puffed out his chest slightly, resembling a regal lion.

"Well, let's get down to business," he stated, calling the rest of the class to attention, "Now that Midoriya is our secretary, we'll need two more students to step up for treasurer and historian."

And at that, the class devolved into shouts and chaos, all trying to justify why they would be best for the position. Midoriya, now back in his seat, smiled at the antics around him. Gami approached his desk, wanting to say something about what he discovered earlier, but decided against it.

He wanted to let his successor enjoy the peace while it lasted.

It wasn't long before the day ended and the students started leaving the classroom. All of the class roles had been filled, and Iida made one last announcement as president before letting everyone go. Like usual, he and Uraraka waited for Midoriya to pack up his things at his desk, as the boy took unreasonably long to put his items away.

"So, are we walking to the station together?" the brunette asked curiously.

At that Midoriya sighed and shook his head, "Sorry, but I have to stay back again."

That was the third time he had used that excuse. It wasn't that he didn't want to walk with the duo, but ever since being put under Aizawa's care, he didn't need to go to the station anymore. The boy didn't want to tell them the truth though, opting to keep it for himself. If he did, then they would start asking questions and prying into him, which was the exact opposite of what he wanted. Though, if he was going to keep this up, he would have to come up with better excuses…

"You've been doing that each day since school started," Iida pointed out, "Is something wrong? If you do not wish to walk with us, that is fine as well…"

"No, no!" the teen immediately denied, "It's not you guys. I… really don't want to get into it, but just know that this isn't really my choice. I don't think I'll ever be able to walk with you guys to the station…"

"That's alright Midori!" Uraraka reassured, trying to lift the mood, "We'll see you tomorrow then!"

Midoriya wanted to call after them, but the two left too quickly to hear. He reached out his hand in hopes to grab one of them by their uniform top, but his glove only gripped air. His shoulders fell solemnly, too sad to notice that he was the only one left in the classroom.

"They will understand when the time arrives,"Gami consoled gently.

"I don't know if that time will ever come…" he speculated back.

Neither decided to keep the conversation going, but after only a few moments of silence, the ghost figured it was time to change the mood. "Would now be an opportune time to hear of all the discoveries I made earlier?"

"Oh?" he wondered, "There's more?"

"Indeed," the man explained, "I did not have time to divulge everything I witnessed outside."

His successor made a gesture to keep going, "Do tell then…"

"The barrier to close off the front entrance of the school was destroyed completely, four layers and all," he spilled, "Although, it does not look to be the work of an explosive."

"Woah, that is concerning," he mumbled, "I know reporters can get desperate, but it doesn't make sense for one to pull something risky like that. U.A. could sue them for property damage at the very least…"

"I do not understand," Gami inquired, "Are you implying that it was not a reporter who destroyed the barrier?"

"That's exactly what I'm implying," Midoriya clarified, growing increasingly worried, "Did you notice anything else?"

"Unfortunately not," he replied, going back to a point he feared his successor missed, "Do you think the destruction of the barrier was the work of a quirk?"

"If it's not from an explosive," the teen continued, "then probably."

He twiddled his fingers nervously, ignoring that fact that Aizawa was staring at him concerningly from his desk. This sounded bad, really bad. He was positive that a reporter would not have done the damage, but that only left one other plausible option.

It was some sort of villain that broke into the school, using the mass of reporters as cover.

But that brought up its own set of terrifying issues to think about. Why? What was the reason? Did they intend to retrieve something from the building, or was this just a statement? The more he thought about it, the more it unnerved him. The only way to ease his racing mind was to see it for himself, and draw his own conclusion.

Then, the classroom door opened suddenly, startling both Aizawa and Midoriya, who were sitting in silence the entire time. In popped Nezu, whose tail was swaying almost anxiously. He turned right to the pro, barely acknowledging the student at all.

"Aizawa-san," the principal addressed, "We need you out by the front. The other teachers are already waiting."

The hero nodded, standing up out of his chair to leave the classroom. It was obvious that the two along with the rest of the staff were going to inspect the front entrance. But when the boy realized he was going to be left behind, he stood up suddenly, his desk chair screeching violently against the floor.

"Wait!" he cried, "Can I come inspect the damage too?"

That comment made both heroes come to an ironically screeching halt.

"How did you know about the damage?" Aizawa's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Nezu said nothing about that."

Realizing what his teacher was implying, he backtracked hard, "N-no, no. Gami told me about it just now. I had him investigate during the panic earlier."

When neither Aizawa nor Nezu replied, he continued rambling, "He said the barrier was destroyed and I wanted to see for myself. I'm just concerned it's not from a reporter and I just wanted to make sure for myself and all. I won't bother you guys if you let me go…"

Figuring he should probably stop talking, he shut his mouth abruptly, opting to look at the ground rather than at any disapproving glares. He should have not said anything at all, considering he could probably have found a way to check out the entrance for himself. But no, he just had to go and ask for permission…

"Absolutely not," Aizawa answered.

"Sure!" Nezu finished.

The conflict in statements brought Midoriya's gaze up from the floor, just to see the two teachers staring at one another like they had each grown an extra head. Eraserhead was the first to speak though, beating out the rat by a few seconds.

"I am not allowing Midoriya to be a part of this investigation," he stated strongly, "Despite whatever you may believe, he is still a student at this school, as well as a minor."

"Nonsense, Aizawa-san," Nezu responded as if what the pro said previously held no worth, "An extra pair of eyes never hurt anybody!"

"Nezu." The teacher seemed to be reaching his limit. "May I continue to remind you that he is a student. The last thing we want to do is instill any more underlying fear after what happened earlier."

"Ah, but he already knows. There's no point in denying his curiosity if the secret has been spilled."

Aizawa sighed, "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

"Nope!" The principal popped the "p" a bit too cheerfully.

Another loud sigh could be heard. "Fine then. Let's go, Problem Child. We're already late enough as is."

There was a sudden, hushed "yes" from the corner of the classroom, but other than that, complete silence. The three exited the classroom together, with the two staff members in the front and Midoriya tagging behind. Well, Gami was there too, but it was easy for the teachers to forget about him periodically. Though, today was not one of those times.

"So Midoriya." Nezu was certainly an unpredictable individual, and he often startled the deathly duo, whether it was through his actions or his words. "Did Gami say anything more about the barrier? After all, he was the only one to see it in the moment. We didn't get to see it until after the reporters were cleared out."

"Well, he said that all four layers of the barrier were completely destroyed." The teen's analytic mind kicked into gear. "The process must have been considerably fast since it was all destroyed by the time Gami got there, which was much earlier than any of the staff, going by your statement of course."

"How did Gami know there were four layers to that barrier?" Aizawa questioned cynically.

The ghost looked confused.

"I… counted…"

Midoriya was puzzled too, but more by the hero's relentlessness. "He says he counted…"

That made the pro huffed in annoyance, but he otherwise stayed quiet, allowing the boy to continue.

"Um… Gami did say that he didn't think the damage was caused by an explosion," he added.

"Hmmm," Nezu hummed, "Interesting."

It didn't take much longer to reach the front exit of the school, and the three walked out as if they were going home. But instead, they stopped at the front entrance, where the rest of the main hero teachers were waiting. Midoriya could name them all by heart, which left him in an undisturbed state of awe.

Midnight.

Thirteen.

Recovery Girl.

Cementoss.

Ectoplasm.

Present Mic.

Vlad King.

Snipe.

Powerloader.

But the student was ultimately disturbed by one of the teachers.

"Nezu," Cementoss stated roughly, "Why is there a student behind you?"

"I invited Midoriya to join us, Ishiyama-san," he explained, "So no worries!"

The other teachers seemed a bit uncomfortable at the principal's eagerness, but didn't bother to say anything in return.

"Anyway," Nezu continued, "I'm sure it is pretty obvious that no ordinary reporter could have done this…"

That comment turned the mood sour, and all of the adults, plus the one teen, turned to inspect the dismantled entryway. The boy peeked out from behind Aizawa to take a look as well.

The majestic front entrance Midoriya remembered so fondly from the entrance exam was practically completely destroyed. The four layers were visible, as well as piles of debris surrounding. The air smelled faintly of rusted metal, the same aroma one would expect old blood to radiate.

The rodent was the first to move forward towards the rubble, clasping his paws behind his back. "It's obvious someone instigated this whole affair. The question is… did some evildoer manage to slip in, or do they intend to wage some greater war?"

Curious, the teen took another slow step in the direction of the entrance. The other teachers gasped in surprise, but no one made a move to stop him. Gami recognized the glint in his successor's eyes.

"What is it, Izu? What have you noticed?"

Nezu too, seemed to pick up on the fact that the student's mind was working into overdrive. He turned back around and smiled.

"S-sir," he asked shakily, "M-may I?"

"Nezu!" Snipe cried, "You can't be serious!"

"Go right ahead, Midoriya!" the principal answered, ignoring Snipe's cry.

So the teen did. Walking right up to the destroyed barrier, he was careful not to put his hands on the torn metal. Inspecting the edge of the barrier, he quickly squatted down to feel the bits of dust and debris through the fabric of his gloves. He came to a startling conclusion.

"This was decayed…" he realized.

The adults around him didn't say a word, that was, until Present Mic spoke up.

"How can you be so sure, little listener?" the blond questioned.

Midoriya turned back to look at the group. "It's the exact same texture compared to the metal I decayed during the entrance exam. The lingering smell matches up and everything."

Nezu hummed, jumping straight to the point, "Are you implying this is the work of a decay quirk, Midoriya?"

The boy turned back to the mangled barrier, his mind raced and yet drew up only one possible solution. Added with the information he had pieces together back in the classroom, and it painted a terrifying picture.

"That's exactly what I'm implying."

Chapter 334 - 15-