Chapter Text
The realization was slow, gradual, and came on in a way Shota had not expected. Though as with many things, he came to understand, it began with trust. The trust between a small, traumatized girl, and a passionate, though reckless young hero.
-------
From the first time Aizawa had seen Midoriya Izuku, during the U.A. Entrance Exams, nothing about the boy had made sense. For someone with a powerful quick, he was slow to use it, waiting until the final minutes of the exam to release his devastating power. It was a strange choice for the boy to make, Shota had thought, since Midoriya hadn’t scored any villain points, and knew that the zero-pointer was worth nothing to him in terms of his score. Other potential students with strong quirks had collected many villain points, like Bakugou Katsuki, or Iida Tenya, or even Aoyama Yuga. And yet Midoriya, despite having no points, had decided to leap in and save one of his fellow examinees, giving up his last chance to score points. It was at this point that he had finally used his ‘Superpower’ quirk, leaping hundreds of feet in the air.
Shota had seen the way his legs turned purple and mottled as Midoriya used his quirk and questioned how this boy could think he would be able to be a hero, before quickly dismissing the thought as he watched the small boy destroy the zero-pointer in one punch, protecting Uraraka Ochako from being crushed, not that the examiners would have allowed that.
As Midoriya fell back to earth, clearly lacking a plan to land, Aizawa began considering how he would train and protect a boy so reckless that he hadn’t predicted what his quirk would do to him. Shota had no time for students who were lazy and refused to commit themselves to training their bodies and quirks, and this boy clearly believed he could rely on the strength of his quirk to see him through the hero course. But this did not seem to match the boy before him who had sacrificed his body to save the girl who was struck. That showed a heroic spirit, not one that was lazy, but one who would step in despite the consequences to himself.
Frowning, Aizawa turned away from the examination grounds as Recovery Girl stepped in to heal the injured candidates, including Midoriya. Turning instead to the written examination, Shota looked over the boys’ marks and saw that he had scored highly across the board, including in questions of strategy. Normally students who were reckless or indolent demonstrated the same mindset in their bookwork, believing that the strength of their untrained quirk would guarantee them a position in UA’s Hero Course. But this was not the case with Midoriya – he had clearly studied hard in anticipation of the exam and had written clear, well structured answers to each question. Even in questions where his answers lacked depth, he demonstrated intelligence and passion.
None of this made sense to Aizawa as he considered the boy on the ground below them. He would have to wait and see what happened if the boy was accepted into the Hero Course. Perhaps his poor judgement with his quirks application was a case of examination jitters, or not being able to practice with his powerful quirk at full strength. Regardless though, a hero who couldn’t save themselves, or could only offer one attack before giving up was of no benefit to anyone.
------
The first day of class arrived quickly and Aizawa looked over his class list recognizing several names, either by reputation such as Yaoyorozu Momo, or Endeavour’s son, Todoroki Shoto; or by their performance in the entrance exam like Bakugou Katsuki who had placed first in the entrance exam. But along with those students came the conundrum that was Midoriya Izuku. Shota could feel a headache forming already…this class was going to be full of problem children.
Every student in this class had demonstrated some potential, and Shota could imagine how strong they would be if they made it through their three years at UA, but some students would have a lot further to grow if they were going to become successful pro heroes. He would work these students and grow them from fledglings to battle-ready, mature heroes in time, but it would take all his commitment as well as theirs to reach that point.
And the first person to feel Shota’s fierce training style, his determination to bring them to that level would be Midoriya Izuku, the boy who made no sense.
Aizawa was still uncertain about the boy, and about whether accepting him into the Hero Course had been the right choice, and he was prepared to expel the boy if he found no improvement from the entrance exam. As Shota watched the class complete the tasks with varying degrees of success and several impressive feats of skill and quirk application, he waited for Midoriya to use his quirk to gain some advantage over his peers, expecting the kid to use his super strength to boost his position, but by the time Midoriya got to the baseball throw, he still hadn’t attempted to use his damaging quirk.
Maybe he is afraid of the pain , Aizawa thought to himself, though quickly dismissed that thought, he didn’t hesitate in the entrance exam… must be some other factor.
Finally as Midoriya readied himself to throw the baseball, Aizawa felt it - Midoriya’s quirk. In the moment it took for Shota to disrupt Midoriya’s access to his quirk, the Erasure-Hero felt the depth of the kid’s power. It was staggering – that much power in the hands of a fifteen-year-old kid… Aizawa wondered whether the boy even knew the devastating power he held.
But that thought would have to wait as Midoriya finally drew on that hidden strength and prepared to release the ball. Allowing his own quirk to power up, Shota’s hair lifted and eyes glowed red as Erasure took effect on Midoriya’s quirk, leaving him to throw the baseball only 36 metres.
“Someone like you should never have been allowed to enrol at this school,” Aizawa stated. It sounded cruel to the students, but he wouldn’t allow a kid who was underprepared to be released into a job as a pro-hero when they were a threat to not only others, but also to themselves.
“Wait, you did what to my…” Midoriya spoke up, turning to face his teacher with a shocked look, before jerking upright almost in shock. “Those goggles, I know you – you can look at someone and cancel out their powers!”
“You don’t have control over your power,” Aizawa continued, ignoring the boys’ outburst, “Were you planning to break your bones again? Counting on someone else to save your useless body.”
“What? No, that’s not what I was trying to do-” Midoriya’s voice was cut off suddenly as Aizawa’s scarf wrapped around him, dragging him towards his teachers’ position.
“No matter what your intentions are, you would be nothing more than a liability. I’m sorry Midoriya, with your power there’s no way you can become a hero.” Shota explained firmly, expecting to see sorrow or disappointment in the kids eyes, like he’d seen on the faces of every student before him who had received similar pep talks. Instead, after an almost imperceptible moment of shock, Midoriya’s expression shifted to one Shota didn’t quite recognise, a frown dropping his brows as his eyes hardened. Was it frustration? Anger? Aizawa wondered what would happen next, as he let go of Erasure and allowed the kid to regain control of his quirk.
“I’ve returned your impractical quirk. Take your final throw.” If the boys’ quirk required him to break his bones to use that immense power it would only endanger any hero he ever worked with, he would be useless after two hits, if it broke his arms every time. Is he going to use his quirk and have to forfeit the rest of the events like a fool? Or admit defeat and settle into last place. Either way he doesn’t belong here.
Watching Midoriya’s frustrated face, Aizawa waited, along with the rest of the students, to see what would happen. Some of the students, who had shared training grounds with Midoriya during the entrance exam, were no doubt confused as to why the kid hadn’t used his power, and why their teacher had decided to single him out for criticism, but Shota didn’t care, now was the time for Midoriya to make a choice that would decide his fate.
Almost disappointed, Aizawa sighed as he felt the boys power wind up again, and he waited for the inevitable horror of broken bones and bruised skin after Midoriya launched the ball into the air a second time, this time with the power of his quirk behind it, pushing it high into the sky out of sight. With a resigned look Aizawa turned back to look at his student who was smiling with grim determination as he clenched his fist in triumph.
“You see – I’m still standing,” Midoriya proclaimed, displaying not a broken arm, and bloody fist, but one bruised finger, still functional.
With a mad grin Aizawa was for once pleased to have been wrong. He hadn’t expected this confusing and contradictory kid to surprise him with a third option, to find something that would show his teacher he could improve and improve fast, but here they were.
“This kid…” Aizawa muttered, maybe there was still hope for Midoriya after all...