Chapter Text
A stark white office, not one shadow sat between Grian and the fat old man opposite him. Grian had only been discharged from the hospital two days prior but was quickly picked up from the Tokyo Airport in his hasty escape. It was a rather large scene with little consideration for the public’s camera.
Now Grian was certain his face was plastered across all social media, probably with a description ‘mug’. So fantastic. Not to mention this man smelt vaguely of porky sweat that stuck to his tongue when he mouth-breathed to avoid its off-putting-ness. He was having an awful couple day and now he needed to convince the Hero Public Safety Commission to not immediately arrest him.
He might even get sent to Tartarus being a mob boss and all. “Okay, Mr..” The man shuffled through some papers quickly, “Hm no mentioned a surname? Sorry, boy, what is your surname?”
Grian coughed into his hand, “Oh my parents don’t want any association to me, Grian is fine.”
“Right, okay, Mr Grian, as you know your record is less than ideal and with this list of crimes,” He gestured so or so, while he spoke like he wasn’t talking about a 15-year-olds freedom, “You’ll be thrown in juvie for a couple years then a larger facility in adulthood.”
The man reshuffled all the papers and now Grian could see his own school picture, he wore his beige uniform with a beat-up, scarred face throwing a peace sign and leg kicked up behind him. Taurtis has dared him? What was he gonna say, no?
“Now, fortunately for you, the HPSC has taken special interest in your situation,” translation: your quirk, “And would like to offer some help,” translation: kidnap you like they did Hawks “To allow you future prospects at being a hero.” The man closed his eyes with a smile.
So, that’s it. The Commission wanted to kidnap him, take him to an underground trading facility and make him a child soldier. And he couldn’t exactly say no. “Well, Mr Commission Dude, as much as I love the offer, I really wanna go back to London?”
They wouldn’t bite. The facts were straight; do what they say or go to prison. “Unfortunately, that is not an offer Mr Grian.” To the guy’s credit he did not seem put off by Grians attitude.
“Okay but I have a question.” The man raised his eyebrow, “How will they be training me?”
The man looked to the side. “Well, you see, recently we have experienced some.. mixed reactions at Hawks’ age and status so we will be sending you to a hero school, UA to be exact. With the lack of public support and fewer commission members I’m sure you understand that given the circumstance the Commission would love to offer you both the same accommodations however that is not strictly possible as of now.”
Never had Grian been so glad for hero society. Thank the public and thanks Hawks’ debut. UA will be impossibly better then whatever backrooms they have around here. “Oh, shame.”
“You will be required to update us every week on your progress and any necessary information, including how often you train a day and facilities you attend etc. We will give you a detailed list later and a little of training on the Commission’s report expectations and template.”
“Right. Where do I sign?”
It had been two long weeks and Grian had already debated running away 17 times. He didn’t have many opportunities as he was constantly supervised, and they’d stuck some sort of ankle monitor on him.
They had him demonstrate his quirk in just about every way: flying across obstacles; mimicking about every type of quirk of his handlers- ew by the way; even stretching his wings long and flapping them to see their power. Everything. As well as educating him on just about everything they thought off so he would be ‘ahead’ of everyone.
In their infinite wisdom they ignored that for the past two years Grian has done just about everything except school and had not a clue what they rambled about. He did learn their report measured which is just fancy spying in Grians very educated opinion.
So now they had but some kid out of ‘Class 1-A’ so it could be given to a less deserving him. Yay. Maybe the guy was a dickhead. The hero types tended to be all high and mighty. From long lines of prestige and a larger than life stick up their arse.
The new uniform fit better than Akademi’s, which had been some second-hand pair from the lost and found he’d nicked on his second day of Tokyo. UA represented everything that Grian hated about Hero Society and Japan’s overall love of it. It was large, it was expensive, and it lacked any real personality.
No graffiti, not even on the desk he sat at. It was perfect wood, not a grain out of place and smoothed until almost soft. Some blue idiot had yelled they get replaced every year when the mean blonde a couple seats in front had kicked his feet up.
He honestly felt a little out of place, he was the only foreigner and looked very out of place, when he was with Sam, he was never the only foreigner, and even while Japan doesn’t look favourably on them, everyone had liked him enough to look past it. Until you know.
He had yet to properly introduce himself, but their homeroom teacher would most likely force them to stand up, introduce themselves once he got up off the floor. He stared at the man. Bright yellow as he was, it was hard to miss him. Everyone else had already arrived but with the few complaints of their homeroom teacher being late he supposed they weren’t the brightest bunch.
“Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds.” The man announced. “All of you- par three- took that long to notice I was here. Only realising when I announced myself at that. Fix that. Its too long.” His voice was dry. Sarcastic in nature but not tone.
The other students jump into their seats and Grian applauds the other two kids who figured out that the teacher was there. They’re not all totally incompetent. “My name is Aizawa Shouta. You will call me Aizawa. Along the walls there are suitcases with the athletic uniforms and a number. The number corresponds with your seat. I will meet you on the Ground Beta once you are all dressed.”
A girl with straight brown hair raised her hand but spoke before being called upon. “What about the entrance ceremony?”
“Such a thing is not worth out time. You are heroes in training, each minute is valuable. Now go.” Alrighty then. Just to be expected of this place, heroes time is more worthy than everyone else’s.
He stood first and grabbed his uniform, heading to where he knew the Ground Beta changing rooms were. The Commission had forced him to memorise the layout of the ridiculous school. There were some others trailing slightly behind but a boy with a lightning streak in his hair ran to catch up with him.
“Heya dude! My name is Denki, what about you? You seem to know where you’re going, so you must be pretty smart! You have awesome wings! Just like Hawks, are you related or something? That’s so cool if you are! Oh, are you one-”
Grian laughed gently, “Hey, Grian. Thanks, about my wings and no I’m not related to Hawks. Never met him, just another winged guy.” He didn’t know how long that would be true; Hawks will surely get wind of the Commissions new pet project and will find him one day. Not today though.
“Oh wicked! My quirk Electrification, does what the label says.”
“Sounds pretty cool. Mine is Mckaw. Wings of a bird and a bit of mimicry.” Grian smiled as he continued to turn corners. He wasn’t the best at holding up the conversation, not that Denki seemed to mind.
The boy just bounced around, a ball of electricity, refreshing in a way Taurtis and Sam haven’t been in over a year. “Are you American? Your definitely not Japanese!”
“God, American? No. I’m from London!” Grian played up the annoyance at the mistake. “Moved to Tokyo around Halloween a couple years ago but went to nursery here too.”
Grian pushed the doors to the changing room open and held it for Denki. He walked to the back pushing his suitcase onto the bench beneath the lockers. “Tokyo ooOOoo, haven’t been there in weeks. Not since the whole Akademi high school thing. Did you hear about that?”
Even if Grian hadn’t been involved, he would have heard of it; everyone had. It’d been the biggest news for weeks. Several students killed, teachers missing and dead, an actual Yakuza, everything the news loved except for a hero-villain fight.
“Kaminari, that’s rude. What if he knew someone involved? So not manly.” A red head butt in. “I’m Kirishima.” He hung his hand out and Grian took it.
Denki looked flustered. “Oh, sorry dude, I didn’t think-”
“It’s fine. Yeah, I know about it.” Grian really didn’t want to go into it, this whole situation was its fault, if only he had left after going to the beach. If only he never came. “It’s Grian.” He introduced simply.
He listened to Denki and Kirishima idly chat as he pulled the shirt over his head. It was a little difficult with the wings, but he managed without accidently plucking any of his feathers. He needed to get changed quickly unless Sam’s or his Yakuza day’s scars get pointed out. Grian turned, perhaps a little slow, away from the group and adjusted his wings to hide his back. He got the shirt on as quickly as possible before turning back around.
His legs weren’t nearly as bad.
The other two were done dressing but waited patiently for him and his extra limbs. He ran with them as they screamed about being late, laughing easily. A boy named Sero had ran with them, his arm caught wonky in his head whole. They arrived out of breath with an annoyed looking teacher.
Grian smirked, “Sorry we are late ‘Zawa, these pretties aren’t easy to rangle a shirt over.” He spread his wings as he spoke and giggled behind his hand when then man raised an eyebrow, face sour lemon.
“Do not call me that.” He turned to the other three, all heaving but Sero had on his top properly at least. “What about you three?”
Denki smiled, “Oh you know, those pesky bird wings kept accidently knocking my clothes out my hands!” He winked at Grian when he smacked the taller boy with his wing.
Sighing, Aizawa turned away from their small group. “I know you have all done apprehension tests in middle school however it will be different today..” As the man rambled on an honestly useless explanation and example Grian turned to Sero.
“Am I meant to have done one of those before?”
“They are required by all schools in Japan by law, so yeah.” The boy drawled out lazily and not all that quiet. Grian didn’t reply, what do you say to that? ‘Oh well my gym teacher was a crazy lunatic who got us running laps or playing dodgeball for hours on end’ or ‘my school disregarded law as more of an option then you know a law, and I’ve never done that before’?
“-ll be pretty easy, if you played attention.”
“Huh?”
Aizawa was gonna hate him. He hadn’t even realised he said it till it passed his stupid, stupid lips. “Just because the HPSC recommended you doesn’t mean I won’t expel you Grian. Now since you are so intent on causing an uproar, why don’t you go next.”
He chucked a large metal ball at Grian, it wasn’t as heavy as he expected. He stepped into the circle silently. He would brush against someone but, except the mutations, he hadn’t the foggiest what their quirks were.
He resolved to just through the thing. He’s pretty sure he would do pretty well in the other areas of the test so whatever. He threw it and it went pretty far all things considered. A bit over average which was a nice surprise, Rowan and his love of dodgeball coming in clutch once more.
He turned to Aizawa, “Well burn my biscuits and wack ‘em in a stew that’s all my quirk can do.” He shrugged lazily and walked back to Denki and the others. The annoying blond from this morning was watching him with glinting red eyes.
Aizawa moved on from his after a quick massage to the temples, instructing some other kid who he should probably pay attention to- just to find out their quirk- when the blond guy walked over.
“Hey Squawker!” He stomped over to Grian, hands propping angrily. “You think you can disrespect me with that display!”
Grian ignored him, he wanted to turn away but Sam had taught him better. “Look, I don’t know what you want me to do. Avian, remember? What do you want; me to fly really high in that little circle then throw it? Wouldn’t do much buddy.”
The other boy looked more pissed then pissed. He grabbed Grian by the shirt and pulled him up until his feet no longer touched the floor. Grian moved to grab the gun tucked in his waist band- except it’s not there anymore. He has no weapons. He does have talons.
Grian grabbed his wrist in a hooked grip and jerked his hand down. Feeling sticky metal fall down his nails and hands in drops. He was heaving and staring the other dead in the eyes. Dull black in shiny red. Aizawa and his scarf ripped Grian away from the blond. Pulling him back harshly, Grian ignored it, eyes locked on the red of the others wrist.
“Bakugou, Grian! That is enough. Bakugou go to the infirmary. I will talk to you after this period, stay there until then. Grian I will escort you to a bathroom after I get Midnight to watch over the class.” He then took out his phone. Newer than anything Grian had ever seen before.
The woman took five minutes to arrive, and it was spent tied up in itchy bandage-like cloth and with sideway glances and quiet mutters. Fantastic. He was going to be expelled and sent to jail. Just amazing.
Aizawa dragged, yes actually dragged, him to the bathroom. Once they arrived, he unravelled him and forced his hand under the tap. “You will not be expelled for this incident.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “However, should this happen again you will be.”
Grian scrunched up his nose. “What?”
Aizawa crouched down to eye level, which is actually rather condescending now he thought about it- “I was made aware of your previous circumstances at that school and you where aggravated so I cannot put the full blame on you. You reacted quickly. As your teacher I should have stopped Bakugou and for that I apologise.”
Grian felt utterly stupid. Out of his depth and beyond anything he knew to expect. “Oh.” The wet from his hand gradually worked its way up his slave as he held his hands upwards and rather dumbly. “Yeah, it’s okay. I shouldn’t have slit- urm- Bakugou’s wrist.”
Aizawa nodded. “I will have to report this situation to the HPSC as they are listed as primary guardians and it will go one your record. Don’t do it again, I already have too much paperwork.”
Grian giggled. “Of course. Sorry.”
Aizawa then led them back to the group, where they had continued the apprehension test. Denki waited to the side, looking around every couple minute or so until he saw Grian. He ran up to the pair and grabbed Grians wrist.
“What was that man?” Denki whisper yelled. “Are you being expelled?”
Grian shook his head. “No no, he said it’s a warning. That the Bakugou guy initiated so it’s not only my fault but if it happens again, I’m gone.”
Denki immediately looked more relaxed giving thumbs up to someone over Grians shoulder. “Thank God. Had me scared half to death! What made you react like that?”
It’s a reasonable question but if Grian had it his way he would have shot Bakugou in the foot or arm. So Grian just let out a soft. “It scared me.”
And that was that.