Chapter Text
Last chapter: Hitoshi deadpanned. “I guess. Now, what did you bring me out here to do?”
The edge in Neito’s grin was concerning. “Let’s talk teams.”
Izuku snorted. “You sure, man? I’m guessing this is a pretty tense subject,” motioning slightly towards where Hitoshi had tensed minutely and Mei had started fidgeting. “I don’t think we should talk here anyway, how about we head over to the P.E. grounds? It’s normally pretty abandoned over there.”
The general nods of acquiescence were a slight boost to Izuku’s self confidence.
I hope I’m not just going to drive my team into the ground… I’ve never really led a team before. Always in impromptu situations, not a prolonged period of time.
Izuku looked around, suddenly analyzing. At least one of these people are on my team… there are only two teams, so it’s statistically likely. Of course, it could be more than one person, or none at all.
Arriving at the grounds brought Izuku out of his thoughts ( which were still spinning, honestly this day was exhausting ) as Mei suddenly grinned. “We’re here! Sit down, everyone.”
Everyone sat.
“Okay. Let’s, uh, rip the bandage off, so to speak.” Neito’s confidence had deserted him, it looked like. And now he seemed as if he was regretting his whole life. “I’m on the villain team.” A blanket of silence settled over the group.
And then it was broken by Mei, screaming “Oh, thank god! I hoped someone else was!”
“Scream it a little louder, would you? I don’t think the rest of the school knows.” Hitoshi had the sarcasm to join the group, that’s for sure. “I, um, I’m on the villain team too.” He looked angry, but his words were soft.
Hmm. Hitoshi Shinsou. Quirk: Brainwashing. Probably bullied for it, possibly abused. After all, most people don’t like knowing that their kid is able to control them. And just like in my case, the teachers most likely just stood by, watching. If not blatantly joining in. Probably wasn’t encouraged to speak around people, which is why he’s so quiet. Poor kid. I gotta get him to talk to me. Of course, I could be wrong, but… probably not. The quirk he has would probably be “diagnosed” as a “villainous” quirk, but there’s no such thing. I wonder if anyone ever told him that. He’s probably angry that he was “picked” for the villain team… should probably reassure him.
“Hah. Well, you guys are in luck, ‘cause I’m also on the villain team. But not only that.”
“Wow, that’s all of us. Izuku, lemme guess: you’re also the Queen.”
“Perceptive as ever, Mei - but I wish you’d given me a chance to dramatically announce it.”
“Oh, wow. So it was about the drama, huh?”
“You’re one to talk, Neito. But still, Hitoshi, what’re your thoughts? You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“You’re the Queen, right? Absolutely surely?”
Oh. I see what he’s about to do.
“I give you consent to-”
“Answer me truthfully. Are you the Queen?”
“Yes.”
“Can you prove it?”
“Yes.”
“Huh.” Izuku had been under the influence of Hitoshi’s quirk before, but it was a stressful situation. That was nice. “That was oddly calming. I’ll have to have you do that again, can we exchange numbers?”
Hitoshi looked surprised. I guess he doesn’t have many that react happily to having answers forcefully extracted from them. “Uh, sure? And you can call me Shinsou, I guess.” Here, he grinned “you passed the test.”
“Oh, who else has? If it’s not too personal.”
“Just Mei, Majima-sensei, Aizawa-sensei, and Yamada-sensei.”
That’s it? No wonder he’s so hostile.
Neito spoke up, false-offended. “I want to pass the test! Take control of me!”
“Alright. Do you have a crush on Izuku?”
“N-no! What the he-”
“Confess your love to Izuku.”
“Izuku. I love you like a brother.”
“Harsh, man.” Mei looked amused. She was fiddling with a small hunk of metal, goggles down over her eyes.
Shinsou broke the control, laughing. With these people, chaos was like a second language.
“C’mon Neito, I thought we had something. You know, all those study dates.”
“ That was a study group and Mei was there too! ”
“I thought you knew. Those were all polyamorous dates. You’ve been in a threesome and you didn’t even notice?”
“ They were what?? I’m in a WHAT?? ” He looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
“Calm your tits, Neito, I’m joking.” Flashing a grin to Mei and a wink to Hitoshi, Izuku continued to fluster one of his best friends. “But not about the threesome.”
Neito looked ready to pass out, and his rapidly paling face caused the whole group to laugh.
“I’m joking. I promise. Hey, Shinsou, can you prove it to him? Or don’t, if you don’t want to.”
Hitoshi was still smiling. “No problem Izuku, what’s your favorite color? By the way, Neito, you pass. Call me Shinsou.”
“Purple of course, like your lovely-”
“Are you in a threesome with Mei and Neito?”
“No.”
“Did you go on study dates with them?
“No.”
“Would you like to be in a threesome with them?”
Mei leaned over and flicked Izuku in the head. “That’s one answer I don’t need, pretty boy.”
Hitoshi snorted. “That’s a first. Normally you’re over there like ‘answers! Give them to me! I hunger!’ and I have to “sleep you” so that the other students don’t lock you out of the workshop.”
Neito looked interested, after all, Mei was a little bit (quite) unapproachable. “Oh, how much time do you spend together? After all, you’re in different courses. Also, thanks, man. Glad I passed.”
Mei and Hitoshi will have a “reason” to know each other soon, Izuku thought with a smile. If there’s anyone Aizawa’s going to bring into class 1-A after how the sports festival went, it’s Shinsou.
Hitoshi looked a little embarrassed, after all, the time they spent with each other (despite being in different courses) was a slightly concerning amount. “Uh, as much as we can, really? The other Gen-Ed students don’t really like my quirk. Or, to be honest, my drive to get into the hero course.”
Neito turned to Mei. “All this time, and you haven’t introduced us fully? Mei. I thought you were better than this.” With despairing eyes, he turned to Izuku. “Tell me, you aren’t hearing this like I am!”
I see what you’re doing there, Monoma Neito. For someone with “no tact”, you’re doing your best to make Shinsou comfortable. It’s a little like you want to “adopt” him… eh, whatever. Izuku grinned. “I think she’s bluffing. She wouldn’t do this to us! It’s impossible! Right, Mei…?”
Mei laughed. “You too idiots don’t know the first thing about how this brain works. I think you should probably take a look-”
“In a book-” Shinsou intercepted
“IT’S THE READING RAINBOW!” Neito excitedly confirmed, nearly cackling.
“Oh my god, you guys. I swear, you’re mentally four or something.” I don’t get much time to hang out with friends I really like, do I? Todoroki excluded. But we’re in the same class, so. I hope they’ll stay with me for a while.
“Only the best for our dearest ‘Zuku!”
“Mei, how much sugar have you had?”
“None! I swear!”
“Uh huh. Anyway, I got a little bit of homework, can we do this later?”
“Sure. Hey Mei, ooh, that rhymed, can you get us Hitoshi’s number?”
“No problem, blondie. Purple, care to go test some new babies? I’ve almost figured out a mouthpiece and headset combo for you!”
As the ragtag team of “villains” got up to go back to their separate rooms, Izuku remembered his pet project. “Mei! I totally forgot, but can we get together for an inventing session? I need a utility or storage belt of some sort. Or just a place to conceal something.”
Mei looked at him quizzically. “You sellin’ drugs or something?”
“No! I need to hide the rulebook. Keep suspicion off me.” That was certainly out of the blue, Mei. Although I guess I deserved it.
“Sure. I’ll text you when I’ve got free time.”
It was 8 pm, and Izuku was deep in a planning mindset when his phone buzzed with a text from Mei.
Come on over to the Shop, got time now.
Sweet, I got the prints.
Well that was quick
been 4 hours. I finished them a while ago
Greeted by an overly enthusiastic Mei - seriously, how much sugar had she had today? The workshop was nearly empty, as most things were at 8 pm on a Saturday, and they had the whole time to plot and plan.
“Alright, what do you need for your not-for-drugs utility belt?”
“It’s not a not-for-drugs utility belt! It’s a-”
“So it is for drugs?”
“For the love of - no. Just help me build it, would you?”
“Sure. Run over the prints for me, yeah?”
“Alright, so I need a couple compartments…”
The night faded into a blur of prototypes and sounds of machinery.