Chapter Text
The first sight that greeted Emet-Selch as he stepped through the huge gates enclosing UA High School was a green head of hair.
“Selch-sir!” Midoriya yelled, apparently having run out from the building.
“Your hair is sticking up, Midori,” said Emet-Selch in lieu of a proper greeting. “It makes you look much like a pineapple.”
“Why do people always compare me to food?” Midoriya groaned, looking up into the sky.
Emet-Selch tilted his head. “In what way?”
With a good-natured sigh, Midoriya began listing off nicknames that he had received over the years. “Broccoli boy. Green bean. Cinnamon roll.” After a pause, he added, “also Bush Baby, but that’s not a type of food.”
“I should hope not,” Emet-Selch remarked. “If you ate babies, I would be concerned.”
It was silent for an awkward moment before Midoriya spoke. “Uh, yeah.”
After a moment’s pause, a thought struck Emet-Selch and a smirk spread across his face. “You resemble a strawberry as well.”
Midoriya spluttered, face turning red.
“What?!?”
“Hair the color of leafy greens, face a reddish hue.”
“See, this is what I meant by food,” the green-haired student retorted.
Emet-Selch only smiled in return.
Tragically, their peace was soon spoiled by the arrival of Emet-Selch’s parenting rival– one very annoyed-looking Aizawa Shouta.
“Midoriya, it’s illogical to get this excited over one person.”
Midoriya pouted. “But Aizawa-sensei, you invited Mister Selch, so you must know how nice he is!”
Aizawa scowled.
Emet-Selch scowled in return, refusing to be the one to break eye contact.
In the corner of his field of vision, though, he could see Midoriya watching them with rapt attention. “Oh my gosh, it’s like they’re having an alpha male moment!” he heard the boy whisper excitedly.
Almost simultaneously (and Emet-Selch hated that they were so in-sync), he and Aizawa turned towards Midoriya. “Alpha male?” Aizawa asked incredulously.
Midoriya’s eyes widened comically with terror and he covered his face with his hands. Despite that, though, Emet-Selch could still hear Midoriya’s “oh no I’ve destroyed any positive relations with the two of the only adults I like” perfectly clearly.
He reached out and patted the green curls, turning away from Aizawa’s death glare. “Fret not, Midori,” he said, ignoring the way Aizawa’s scowl only deepened at the usage of the nickname. “I know many who are far more deserving of the title ‘alpha male’ than I, and I wish I could have told them that to their faces. All is forgiven.”
“I will not be called an alpha male,” Aizawa muttered.
“Suit yourself,” Emet-Selch retorted. “It’s a perfectly lovely–”
“Anyways, ” Aizawa interjected, facing Midoriya and ignoring Emet-Selch, “the exercise will start in fifteen minutes. I still need to familiarize myself with your friend’s abilities and brief him on the rules of Ground Gamma.”
“Oh, yes!” Midoriya nodded enthusiastically. “I should go warm up!” And with that he ran off, leaving Emet-Selch and Aizawa alone.
“I am putting up with you for Izuku’s sake,” Aizawa asserted. “Do anything inappropriate and I will not hesitate to ask Uraraka to punt you into the stratosphere.”
Emet-Selch nodded seriously, despite not knowing who this ‘Uraraka’ was. “I see. Midori is very fond of you, so I will do likewise.”
He extended a hand.
Aizawa gripped it tightly.
“By the way, one more guest will be joining us,” Aizawa added. “Midoriya seems very fond of him too, so please do your best to refrain from making snide comments even as you act your role as a villain.”
Emet-Selch crossed his arms. “I don’t care.”
“Perhaps you should,” Aizawa answered cryptically.
Emet-Selch cocked an eyebrow.
Who could it be? Could the same fortune have befallen another from my world? His mind flashed unbidden to those that he most wished to see, although he knew that the odds were close to nothing.
But Aizawa left no more room for question, dragging the other away. “Allow me to show you around our facilities. The most important rule, first and foremost, is to not cause property damage exceeding a billion dollars…”