apathy

in which a murder is planned

The students of class 1-A are bunched together in front of a line of their teachers. Each group is in their hero costumes, with the students chatting amongst themselves.

As he waits in his weakened form for his exam team to be announced, Toshinori can't help but search out Midoriya in the crowd. His hair is easy to spot and Toshinori glances over the hero costume he's wearing. The majority of his costume is simple—a green hoodie and heavy boots over a black bodysuit—and then a headband with demon horns pushing back his bangs and a utility belt-harness with a mechanical, multi-jointed tail connected. The tail is long, ending in a razor sharp arrowed tip, and currently curled around Midoriya's leg as he listens to his friend whisper to him. 

"Alright," Aizawa calls out, silencing the students who were talking. "Remember, this is an exam. You can fail it. So if you want to go to the forest lodge with the rest of us, don't mess up. I'm sure you talked to the older students, so you probably think you know what you're up against."

"Thank god it's just the robots!" Kaminari sighs to Ashido. Principal Nezu takes this opportunity to pop out of Aizawa's scarf, startling a majority of the class. Midoriya and Shinsou are exceptions with their sudden glares.

"WRONG!" The principal shouts. "The robot rumor is a misdirection!"

"In other words, a logical ruse." Aizawa adds, grinning at his students.

"That's right!" Continues Nezu amidst groans, climbing down from Aizawa's shoulder. "What you'll actually be fighting... are your dear teachers here!"

Toshinori decides this is as good a time as any to make his entrance. He puffs to his hero form and steps out of his hiding spot, smiling at his students. A few of them pale a bit at the idea of fighting him. 

Aizawa glances his way, clearly a bit suspicious of him. He must have seen Toshinori looking at the pairs, then. Despite being the number one hero, Toshinori can't help but sweat a little. Aizawa can be quite scary.

Hopefully, the fact that he only switched Kirishima and Midoriya back would give him a little slack in the eyes of their homeroom teacher.

"Everyone has been paired off with one, based on a number of criteria!"

"First, Todoroki and Shinsou," Aizawa announces, grin reappearing, "against me."

Shinsou immediately pales to look like death warmed over, while Midoriya—and surprisingly, Todoroki, what an unexpected new friendship—pat his shoulders. 

The rest of the teachers step up to announce who is paired with them. When Cementoss calls Kirishima's name, Aizawa goes stiff. His head snaps to the side to glare at Toshinori. His eyes aren't glowing red, but it's a near thing, if the pieces of hair floating off his shoulders says anything. If looks could kill, Toshinori would be beyond six-feet under.

"And finally, Bakugo Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku against All Might!" Nezu announces, cutting through the dark tension that has just sprung up between his two teachers. Toshinori glances at the crowd of students to catch Midoriya's reaction. His face has gone even blanker than before, a sharp contrast to the angry way Bakugo hunches in on himself. "That's everyone! Please make your way to the appropriate bus! Good luck!"

Aizawa looks like he would very much like to strangle Nezu, and then Toshinori himself. What stops him is Todoroki stepping up to ask for directions to their bus. Toshinori seizes the opportunity to escape towards his own to stand in wait.

Bakugo arrives first, climbing into the bus with barely a glare in Toshinori's direction. Midoriya, on the other hand, takes longer. Toshinori spots him hanging back with young Shinsou, talking quietly to him. They both look solemn. Shinsou looks a touch more nervous than Midoriya, who wears the same exhausted-blank expression as always. 

"Young Midoriya!" Toshinori calls, interrupting them. Midoriya turns to look at him, gaze sharpening into something... not hateful, but close to it. Toshinori suppresses a shiver, reminded of the way Midoriya had stared through him during the Sports Festival, and waves him over. "This way, please!"

Midoriya says something else to Shinsou and then they split with a mutual nod. Toshinori awaits Midoriya with his trademark smile. He's nervous about this next bit. He's practiced what he will say, but there's always the chance that he will mess it up. He doesn't think he can afford to.

"Young Midoriya," He starts when the student is close enough, "Before you get on, may I have a word with you?"

Midoriya studies him for a bit. His eyes take in the solemn look on Toshinori's face, then drop down to the strength suppressant cuffs, and finally drift to his injured side. Eventually, he nods. Toshinori lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and bows deeply.

"Midoriya Izuku, a few years ago, I stood in front of you and told you something incredibly cruel. I am very, truly sorry for my words. I was wrong." Toshinori lifts his head, meeting Midoriya's impassive eyes. "You can be a hero, Izuku. No matter your quirk or lack thereof. I hope one day you can forgive this old fool."

Midoriya doesn't say a thing, but something flashes in his eyes, and the neutral slant of his mouth sharpens to a scowl.

"I forgave you years ago, because you obviously weren't thinking about what you were saying. I'm too tired to hold onto that grudge." He says. "You can stand up."

Toshinori slowly does so. 

Midoriya removes one hand from his hoodie pocket to gesture at what he's wearing. Where he's standing. In the middle of one of the top hero schools, in a hero costume tailored specifically for him. 

"Obviously I can be a hero. I have the costume and the name, not to mention a ton of paperwork placing me in the hero class. The problem isn't whether I can or can't, anymore."

Midoriya turns away from him to climb the first step on the bus. The words he sighs as he disappears inside break Toshinori's heart.

"I'm just apathetic to heroism now, honestly."