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Class 1-A has a bit of a reputation. They’re known as a demon of a class - with quirks like theirs, why wouldn’t they be. And with their penchant for being caught in the middle of multiple villain standoffs, they’ve more than earned that title. But with great quirks comes great responsibility. It was more often than not that one or more people were feeling the effects of quirk exhaustion. But that was more or less a part of their lives at this point. Most of Class 1-A had grown up with their quirks, and as such relied on them for most everything. Aizawa had noticed this trend. A majority of the class, barring a few, relied on their quirks almost exclusively for combat. His pedigree students - Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, and Iida - were some of the worst offenders on this front. He couldn’t exactly blame them, as their upbringings had dictated their reliance on their quirks, but he was annoyed all the same. It irked him. Reliance on quirks for fighting was putting them at a disadvantage, especially in fights against someone like himself. He tried, time and time again, to push his students to learn quirkless combat. And time and time again, his kids students ignored his advice. He would sigh, resigning himself to fight a losing battle. Ironically enough, a battle with a villain would change their minds.
The day started as most others - Aizawa shuffled into homeroom with his emotional support cup of coffee. He gazed tiredly at his charges. They gazed tiredly back. His problem child actually had his head on his desk, hand clutched around a travel mug. Mood, Shota thought. “We’re starting today’s class with a bit of sparring out on the field.” A collective groan rang out through the room. “This is the Hero course. I don’t care if you’re tired. You never know what kind of situation you’ll be in, or what state. Get your gym clothes on and meet me at the gym.” Shuffling and conversations sounded throughout the room as the class started their trek down to the gym. Aizawa entered the large doors and found a seat. He sighed, sipping at the drink in his hand and promising himself another cup after training was over. The students of Class 1-A began filtering into the gym.
Just as the last student arrived, a loud bang resonated throughout the gym. Everyone glanced around, trying to find the source of the noise. Aizawa set his coffee on the ground and readied his capture weapon. Yaoyorozu looked over at him.
“Everyone be on your guard. This may be an attack.” Everyone dropped into fighting stances, most students readying their quirks. Aizawa pressed a button on the inside of his jacket. This would alert the faculty to the attack. Yaoyorozu began producing weapons. Smart girl, Aizawa thought. He assumed that the girl began to create the weapons both for herself and her classmates like Hagakure whose quirks were less suited for direct combat. Sharp and derisive laughter echoed throughout the gym.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the infamous Class 1-A.” The voice echoed slightly and Aizawa cursed silently, unable to pin just where the voice was coming from. A figure dropped from the ceiling supports. This figure was clothed in a deep blue jumpsuit with two long strips of fabric hanging around their neck. Is it a capture weapon? Aizawa thought. He pushed through the crowd of students.
“Ah, Eraserhead. What a pleasure. I’ve always admired you. We’re quite similar, you see. Both of us can erase others quirks.” Gasps echoed throughout the room. Students like Todoroki who had called upon their quirk suddenly were unable to use it. Yaoyorozu’s pile of weapons stopped growing.
“Who are you? Why are you here?” Aizawa snapped, in hopes that the person in front of him would keep talking and he could buy time until other faculty arrived at the scene. To his slight relief, it seemed that the villain was intent on monologuing. “Excellent question, my dear Eraserhead. You see, I was sent to collect an item quite precious to my employer.”
“Item?”
“Yes, Eraserhead. This item just so happens to attend your class. I was sent to collect the ninth user of One for All.” Out of the corner of his eye, Aizawa saw Bakugo tense and turn his head. He heard a small squeak from Midoriya. Aizawa knew that those two were probably hiding something pertaining to the villain’s search, but pushed that thought out of his mind as he prepared to defend his students. “The reason that I was sent is simple. One for All makes its user rather tenacious and hard to capture, with the whole power boost going on. And I know for a fact that these students, while having incredible abilities, rely rather too much on their quirk. So I figured that taking them away would leave this person more or less defenseless. Excellent plan, right Eraserhead?” Aizawa scoffed.
“I’m not letting you take any of my students, asshole.”
“Oh but I think you will, or rather, my prize will. He seems to have a bit of a bleeding heart, especially in regards to his classmates.” So he’s here for the Problem Child, Aizawa thought. “Come on out now, Izuku Midoriya. If you go with me willingly, I’ll spare your precious classmates and teachers.” Like hell, Aizawa thought. He heard shifting behind him, his students most likely circling around Midoriya to protect him. Aizawa grinned.
“He’s not going anywhere.”
“Oh come now, Eraserhead. We’re only going to maim him a little.”
“We?”
“Oh my dear Eraserhead. Did you really think that I came alone?” Aizawa heard loud thuds and whipped around to see his students being manhandled by a group of thugs. Bakugo was being held back by two particularly large ones, hissing and spitting like a cat. Ochaco and Iida were kicking and yelling. Todoroki was on the ground, restrained by a large man. Every student had some form of weapon held against them. Aizawa knew that if he moved to anything to free or protect them, the students would be slaughtered. Midoriya stood with a determined look in his eyes.
“Problem Child, don’t!” Aizawa yelled. Even as the words left his mouth, he knew that his effort was pointless. Midoriya walked towards his teacher, mouth trembling slightly.
“Mr. Aizawa, it’s okay. I know what I’m doing.” Aizawa looked on in despair as Midoriya walked up to the figure in front of him. “Please, let them go. Put down the weapons. I’m here willingly. Please don’t hurt them.” Midoriya’s voice broke on his last word. Shouts of Midoriya’s name rang out throughout the gym, his classmates begging him to stay. “I’ll be okay, guys. Don’t worry.” Midoriya smiled. The masked figure responded.
“Lower your weapons, everyone. See? That was so easy. Your empathy is really your downfall, little one.” Aizawa saw the group of thugs release their weapons, and even their strong grips on his student. The figure reached out a hand and placed it on Midoriya’s shoulder. Suddenly, a shout rang out.
“Deku, what do you have!” It was Bakugo. Quick as lightning, Midoriya grabbed onto the arm near him and twisted it, before reaching up and hitting the figure over the head with what Aizawa realized was the handle of a knife. He saw his student begin to kick the dropped weapons and restrain the thugs, knocking them unconscious or otherwise incapacitate them. If the students did this with a little more enthusiasm than need be, well, Aizawa saw nothing.
“A knife!” Midoriya yelled.
A chorus of students behind him screamed “NO.” Midoriya looked up from where he was standing over the villain.
“Are you okay, Mr. Aizawa?” Midoriya’s brow crinkled in concern, as if it was Aizawa who had narrowly escaped kidnapping instead of him.
“What- how did- what was that?” Aizawa stuttered, completely perplexed. Midoriya grinned at him, and launched into an explanation.
“We decided to come up with a code for if we were ever confronted by a villain and wanted to coordinate our attacks for a more surprising element.”
“And you decided to go with a Vine?”
“It seemed fitting.”
Aizawa groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand. These kids are going to give me an aneurysm. The room burst out into quiet laughter. He heard a yell of “Look out!” behind him before another figure dropped down from the rafters and quickly wrangled Midoriya into a chokehold. The figure laughed.
“You really thought it would be so easy? Well, his quirk won’t wear off for an hour, and I’m our escape plan. Struggle all you want, little one. You’re coming with me. And don’t you do anything, Eraserhead,” Aizawa froze from where he was readying his capture weapon, “You don’t want sweet little Izuku here to have a broken neck, do you? After all, we only need his DNA and his mind.” Aizawa swore. Then something unexpected happened.
Izuku bit the person holding him. From the scream that emanated from the figure, Midoriya bit down hard.
“You little shit!” The figure ground out. Midoriya punched him and then, grabbing his arm, flung the figure over his back to the ground. The collision knocked out the villain. Midoriya sat down criss cross applesauce on the figure’s back and smiled at Aizawa like he hadn’t just judo flipped someone twice his size.
“Vibe check!” One of the students behind him yelled out. Aizawa guessed that it was either Mina or Kaminari. Laughter rang out through the room. Just then, the door to the gym burst open, Present Mic and Midnight rushing through prepared for battle. They stopped suddenly at the sight in front of them.
“Uhh,” Present Mic said, “Everyone okay?” Affirmative answers came from the students and Mic walked forward, stopping in shock as he saw Midoriya. “You know what? I’m not even going to ask.” The teachers began restraining the villains and applying quirk suppression cuffs. Aizawa turned to Midoriya.
“You alright, kid?” He asked. Midoriya smiled and replied.
“Yeah. I’m a bad bitch, you can’t kill me!” Aizawa blanched, then started laughing. Mic looked over at him in concern, as Aizawa began gasping from laughing too hard. Laughs from the students joined Aizawa, and even Bakugo cracked a smile. Aizawa knew that he would have to have a talk with Midoriya about whatever the villain had meant by “One for All”, but he was content that his students were unharmed. Maybe now they’d understand the importance of quirkless fighting.