You're officially a week into being a homeroom teacher's aide, and it actually hasn't been as bad as you thought it would. Aside from special trips and assignments, most of the hands-on lessons occur in classes taught by other heroes like All Might, meaning there are less important tasks for you to try to help with and for Aizawa to shut you down over.
You've been spending a lot of time watching Aizawa in action as a teacher, and at the end of the day, he's not fully ineffective. A lot of his teaching style reminds you of your own, but he adds an extra level of aggression and distance that prevents the students from really connecting with him. Maybe if you ever figure out a way to get him to connect with you, you can approach that subject.
In the meantime, however, you've been able to get to know your students and the other faculty members more- something you think is much more important than trying to appease your impossible co-teacher for the time being.
The kids in your class are truly incredible. Not only are their Quirks all unique and powerful, but their attitudes and stories for being at UA are also inspiring, even at their young ages. Some of the students are much more open to talking to you like Kirishima and Sero, who are always looking for an opportunity to show off what they can do. Some of the others like Koda and Bakugou are a lot more closed off although for those two specifically, it's in totally different ways.
Midoryia caught your eye on the first day and although he tends to keep to himself, you can easily see the way the other students gravitate toward him, like when they voted him as the class representative- and then rallied them all to support Ida. Seeing how Aizawa singled him out from the very beginning also makes you want to help him succeed. As much as your co-teachers words the other day hurt you, he wasn't completely wrong when he said you see some of yourself in Midoriya. Just because someone is behind in Quirk control or development doesn't mean that their determination and work ethic can't outweigh it- and you have a feeling Aizawa knows that, otherwise he would have almost certainly expelled Midoryia by now.
Today, you and Aizawa are bringing the students to a special UA facility for rescue training. You're excited- you'll be working with All Might, who's become a fast friend for you at the school, and aside from combat, rescue hero work is your specialty. With other pros there to buffer Aizawa, you might be able to really help the students- and show your stuff to everyone finally.
The USJ Facility is massive, with several entire landscapes built inside. You're excited to see it in person- almost as excited as the students chattering behind you on the bus. In contrast to the noise in the back, the front of the bus is uncomfortably silent. Aizawa is seated next to you in the window seat, and you're by the aisle, scooched as far away from the hero beside you as possible. You haven't spoken much this week and your conflict on the training field is still looming overhead. You spend the ride focusing on how you want to best help each student at training today, trying not to fidget in your seat too much. You're wearing a new hero costume, and it's taking a lot to get used to. The fabric is specially developed to be immune to your toxin excretions, but it's very, very, tight. You're even wearing a trench coat despite the heat until you have to take it off inside.
The bus comes to a halt and you crane your neck to look at the massive domed building up ahead.
"We're here, everyone." Aizawa wastes no time heading out and you follow quickly. Thirteen, the pro hero, is waiting inside for all of you.
"Hello, everyone! I've been waiting for you!" Thirteen throws her arms up happily and you can't help but grin. She was one of the warmest members of the team when you were all first introduced and having her here already makes you feel more comfortable.
The students are clearly enamored by Thirteen, whispering excitedly as she leads you all in. She guides you all through the several different scenario areas- each dozens of acres apart at least.
Aizawa approaches Thirteen quietly. "Hey, shouldn't All Might be here already? Lemme guess, he scheduled another interview."
Thirteen motions the two of you closer, speaking in a hushed tone. "Actually, it's something else. Apparently, he did too much hero work on his way to school this morning and used up all his power." She holds up three fingers quickly and both you and Aizawa nod your understanding somberly. All Might's energy to stay in his hero form is still waning- just three hours in that form and he's already drained for the day.
"Lucky for us, we have our third pro hero right here!" she smacks you on the arm gently.
Aizawa crosses his arms. "Semi-pro. Anyways, the clock's ticking. Let's get started."
As Thirteen starts the introduction, you slip off your trench coat, doing your best to brush off Aizawa's pointed comment. You glance at him and roll your eyes when you see him glaring at you.
Forget it. Today's about the students.
"Now, this is very important, everyone. As you know, I have a very powerful quirk."
Midoryia chimes in excitedly. "Of course! With Black Hole, you've rescued people from all kinds of disasters!"
"That's true, but my Quirk could just as easily be used to kill. Some of you also have powers that can be dangerous. If you lose focus or control, it could be deadly."
You know just how true Thirteen's words are. You prefer using your Quirk for rescue missions, but you're just as effective in combat due to how fatal it can be. If you really wanted to, you could likely release enough toxic fumes right now to kill everyone in the USJ. Hopefully, the students will remember all the lessons they've learned so far and be able to focus on helping people.
"Thank you, everyone, I'm finished!" Thirteen bows dramatically.
"Right. Now that that's over"
Right as Aizawa starts talking a massive jolt of electricity shoots through the building, shattering lights in every direction. The fountain in the center of the facility sputters loudly as a large, dark wormhole appears on the water's surface.
You all whip around, startled by the noise as the wormhole expands, exploding as dozens of figures start emerging through it.
Aizawa's entire expression and posture shift in a nanosecond as he barks orders at the students.
"Stay together and don't move! Thirteen, protect the students!"
The students start murmuring amongst themselves, questioning what's going on. They start to scatter in a panic, asking if it's part of the training.
"Stay back!" Aizawa screams at them, halting all the students in their tracks. "This is real. Those are villains." He snaps his goggles over his eyes and jumps into action.
"Stay behind me, everyone!" Thirteen gathers the students behind her. They're clearly terrified, but despite their fear, they still focus on the bigger picture.
"How did they get in here- why aren't the alarms going off?"
"Are they attacking the whole campus or is this their only target?"
"They must have inside information to know what location to strike at the exact time a class would be here."
Christ, these kids are almost too smart for their own good, and unbelievably brave.
Aizawa shushes everyone. "Thirteen, get them out of here, and contact the main campus."
"What are you going to do? You can't face them on your own! Even if you can nullify some of their Quirks, you're not suited for group threats like this!" Midoryia pleads with Aizawa, fear and worry shadowing his face,
Aizawa scoffs. "You can't be a Pro if you only have one trick. I'll leave them to you, Thirteen."
She nods and Aizawa leaps down into the facility. Before he even hits the ground, he throws the ends of his scarf, entangling a whole handful of villains before throwing them to the ground. He moves so quickly that you can barely track him.
"Thirteen, I'm gonna go help him."
She shakes her head adamantly. "He told us to leave! Eraser Head can handle himself, he's a pro for a reason."
"I'm not doubting his abilities, I'm being realistic. Everyone needs someone to have their back! Get the students out of here and bring back help, please."
Thirteen hesitates as if debating whether or not to argue with you but in the end nods slowly. "Fine. Go!"
You dash off to catch up with Aizawa who's already engaged with a dozen villains. You watch in shock as he weaves and dodges quicker than any villain can keep up with, tossing them around with his scarves and even punching out a heteromorphic type with one hit.
Well damn. You hadn't realized Aizawa was... such a badass.
"What are you doing here?" The pro notices you approach from behind and scowls at you in between his attacks.
"Thought I'd see what you want for lunch- what the hell do you think? I'm helping!" The masses of villains are already advancing on you and you fire large crystalized chunks at them, knocking the closest to the ground and blocking their own ranged attacks.
"I don't need- Shit!" Aizawa falters for a second and you turn to what he's looking at. The dark, shadowy figure that first appeared in the facility somehow made it all the way up to where the students are, blocking them off from the exit.
"How did he get up there so fast?" You debate turning around, but there are dozens of villains here versus just one. Thirteen is an incredible hero, surely she can-
A second explosion rings through the air as the shadow figure expands rapidly, encompassing the entire entrance along with all the students. You notice wormholes opening throughout the facility in your peripherals and then they all disappear just as quickly.
"Eraser Head!" You call to the pro in between dodges and strikes, using his hero name while there are enemies around. "I don't know what just happened but I'm gonna bet it wasn't good!"
Aizawa swings by through the air. "The students need help. Get out of here!"
"There's, like, twenty villains here, and I-" You're scooped right off your feet as Aizawa grabs you around the waist with one arm, holding onto his scarf with the other.
"Dude, what the fuck, put me down!" You're about to force yourself out of his grasp when you realize how high off the ground you are so you begrudgingly hold on.
He places you back on the ground roughly at the base of the exit stairs, his arm still holding you so close you can see the conviction in his eyes through the slits in his goggles.
"Our students need you. Go."
You're frozen, mind lingering on the intensity of his eyes, the fact he said 'our' students and the almost painful pressure of his hand on your back.
"Okay" Is all you're able to say, and he immediately swings away to engage the villains again. You force yourself to focus and run up to check on the kids.
Most of the students are gone, with just Iida, Shoji, Uraraka, Koda, Ashido, and Sero left by the exit. Ashido and Uraraka are kneeling on the ground by Thirteen- or what's left of Thirteen. Her large protective suit is torn apart and she's limp on the floor. The others are facing off with the massive, shadowy figure you saw earlier.
The villain is standing between the students and the exit, so you know you've got to get him moving.
"Hey, asshole!" Everyone looks as you run up the stairs and right at the villain. "Your time's up!"
You shoot crystal shards at him but they go straight through, slicing into the wall behind him.
"Iida, go!" You turn and hiss in the student's direction and he darts for the door. The villain lunges toward him and you throw yourself through the vapor, releasing gaseous toxins in hopes that might do some damage. It at least distracts him long enough for Shoji to run up and grab him, holding him within his large arm span for a few moments.
The villain finally breaks out, throwing Shoji against you and knocking you to the ground. He floats quickly toward Iida and you roll over in time to throw a massive crystal wall up in front of him, cutting him off. Uraraka runs up as the two of you get up and dives into the villain's vapor, tossing him up into the air with her anti-gravity.
"Shoji!" You yell in his direction, and he catches on, shooting his tape to entangle the villain. Sato grabs the tape and the two of them catapult him off the platform as Iida finally pries the door open, speeding out to find help.
You rest your hands on your knees for a second, trying to catch your breath but you snap right back up when you hear the students yell. You run to the edge of the platform in time to see one of the villains down in the center pinning Aizawa down by the arm.
You immediately run right back down, ignoring Aizawa's order to stay back. "Stay here you guys- Watch Thirteen and wait for help!"
Aizawa finally breaks out of the villain's grasp but he's clearly injured- he's barely able to use his quirk and one of his arms is hanging limply at his side. He pauses for a second, panting, and notices you as you run up, knocking out villains with your crystals along the way.
"What did I tell you-" He starts but you shoot crystals over his head, sending a villain flying.
"Shut up!" You swing your arm and throw up a wall over a villain, trapping him inside. "You need help!"
Aizawa doesn't answer you as he starts attacking more villains and you think he's finally accepted your help but he suddenly throws his scarf at you, trapping you in it and whipping it in the opposite direction, sending you rolling on the ground away from the battle.
you pull yourself up off the ground, fuming. "You motherfu-"
A massive creature snatches Aizawa up off the ground, digging its claws into his flesh.
You scream as Aizawa is pulled away, spurts of blood soaking the creature's hand as you leap up, shooting crystals at the creature that encapsulate his arm. The monster simply flexes, shattering the crystals to the ground.
What the fuck is that thing? You can hear the villain who hurt Aizawa gleefully shrieking about something but all you can focus on is getting the pro away from this heteromorphic, or whatever the hell it is.
You shoot more crystals, but this time you create a massive shard right under the creature, shooting it up and knocking him off balance.
The creature roars at you, its voice so loud it shakes the ground and you struggle to stay upright as you fend off the other remaining villains.
"You shouldn't have done that!" The other villain runs at you and you falter mid-dodge from the vibrating floor, giving him just enough time to grab your ankle.
Your whole body starts cramping up and you shriek in pain as your ankle explodes in pain. The villain starts dragging you by your leg toward the monster.
"I didn't know you would be here," the villain croaks. "I don't even know who you are! You're quite old to be a student, but there are no pro heroes in Japan I don't know about."
Your vision blurs slightly from the pain and you fight to stay conscious. He stops at the feet of the creature as it finally gets up, raising the arm clutching Aizawa over its head.
The creature smashes his face into the earth, over and over. The crunching of bones and cartilage echoes throughout the dome and you can feel flecks of blood splatter across your face.
You scream, from your own pain and the pain of seeing him crushed in front of you. The villain behind you cackles and squeezes your leg tighter.
In reality, it all probably passes in a few seconds but you feel like you're frozen there watching it happen for hours. The sight in front of you swirls in your brain, morphing into rubble and the bodies of your past students. Then, they're all gone. All you can see is the limp, warped body of Aizawa as he's crushed over and over.
The villain releases your leg suddenly, tossing you to the ground painfully. You hear him walk off and start talking to someone as the other villains crowd around you, staring and jeering. You try to move your ankle and hiss from the pain. You glance down and see the skin and fat tissue almost all disintegrated, exposing muscle and raw flesh to the elements.
"Damnit." You look at the creature who's finally stopped his strikes on Aizawa and is now just holding him solidly against the ground.
"Aizawa!" You whisper hoarsely, praying it's not as bad as it looks. There's no response and the villains above you laugh.
"I really thought this would be more of a challenge- heroes are really not what they used to be!" One of the villains kicks you in the stomach and you heave, curling up. You might be able to get up, but you need to catch your breath and deal with these fuckers first.
You hear a scream and see the disintegration villain run to the edge of the center platform. He grabs something and you can just make out Asui, Mineta, and Midoryia peering over the edge, Asui's head now in the villain's clutch.
"No!" You scream and slam your fists into the ground, crystalizing the ground around you and shooting it up the legs and torsos of the villains surrounding you. You pull yourself onto one leg, dragging the other behind you. You expect Asui to be crushed in his grasp but nothing happens.
The villain looks back in your direction. "You really are so cool, Eraser Head!"
You glance down in shock and see Aizawa struggling against the creature's grasp, gasping for breath but using his Quirk against the villain even with blood pouring out of his body.
You stomp your bad foot into the ground, grimacing at the pain as you crystalize luminescence over your whole foot and ankle, encompassing your wound like a cast. It still hurts like hell but it gives you enough support to run.
You shoot liquid toxin from your palms at the villain's feet and Midoryia leaps out of the water, clenching a fist to punch him at the same time.
"Midoryia, don't!" You yell but it's too late. His punch makes impact, sending shockwaves through the entire building. You crystalize your feet to the ground to keep from being thrown by the impact.
As the dust settles, you both see the giant creature standing where the other villain was just seconds ago, his stomach against Midoryia's fist and his feet sizzling from the toxins.
"That smash... are you a disciple of All Might's?" The villain wonders aloud from behind the creature. "It doesn't matter, I'm done with you now."
The monster grabs Midoryia's arm and the villain dives for the other two students so you dash forward, sending Asui and Mineta up into the air on a massive crystal platform out of the villain's grasp.
A large boom echoes through the building from the entrance, and your heart skips a beat as a familiar, hulking figure appears just in time.
"Fear not, students, for I am here!" The hero uses his catchphrase, but his face doesn't hold his usual smile. His face is dark, angry, and serious. It's so intense of an expression you feel a shiver down your spine.
"So after all this waiting, the heroic piece of trash finally shows up." The villain groans. So the students were right- they came here for All Might.
All Might leaps off the platform, making his way over to you and taking down every remaining villain before you can blink. You see him only for a second before you're whisked up in his grasp as he grabs you, Aizawa, Mineta, Asui, and Midoryia and places you all by the exit stairs, a safe distance from the monster.
"Everybody, back to the entrance." All Might is keeping his hulking figure between you all and the remaining danger. "And take Aizawa with you, he doesn't have much time."
You don't hesitate to move, pulling Aizawa onto your shoulder. "Let's go!"
Midoryia hesitates. "All Might you can't! That creature- I smashed him and I didn't break my arm this time but he wasn't fazed at all, he's too strong!"
All Might puts his hand up, silencing the young student. He turns around, his signature smile now on his face. "Young Midoryia, I got this!"
You're pretty sure you can still see a shadow of the darkness in his face and in the back of your mind you remember what he told you about his limits and failing power, but you also know you're useless right now and your main responsibility is to your students. You need to get them out safely.
You nudge Midoryia, prompting him to finally move and you all hurry up the stairs.
Aizawa's body is heavy against your shoulders, and even with Mineta supporting his legs each step is agony on your ankle. Every couple of seconds you check if you can still feel the hero's breath on your cheek, and miraculously it's still there, however faint and ragged.
Asui calls your name suddenly and you turn in time to see Midoryia frozen again staring at the battlefield.
The monster has All Might pinned down, fully grappled, and immobile.
"Midoryia..." You warn, chest tightening in fear. Just as you feared, he dashes back toward the fight.
"Midoryia! Stop!" You scream but he doesn't acknowledge you, catapulting himself at the monster.
You panic, torn over what to do, but you look at Asui and Mineta's petrified faces and know you need to get them all out of here. Even if you went back, Midoryia's wild Quirk and determination would make it impossible for you to stop him in your current state. He's made his choice, and you pray it doesn't all become too much for the clearly weakened All Might to handle.
"Get out of my way, Deku!" Explosions ring out and you spot Bakugo slamming into the warp villain, followed closely by Todoroki and Kirishima. They all strike quickly and unexpectedly, taking down both the monster and warp villain in mere seconds.
Asui hurries beside you excitedly. "Look! They're helping!"
You nod. "They're... very capable. But let them take care of it, Mr. Aizawa doesn't have much time."
It's torture to ignore the explosions, screams, and shockwaves coming from behind you as you hurry up the stairs. It goes against everything you've ever done before, but it does teach you one thing. As much as Aizawa gives the students a hard time, and at times is even unfair to them, he cares about them fiercely and didn't hesitate to sacrifice himself to try to keep them safe.
At the top, the other students hurry over, checking on all of you and ushering you to where they're hiding. Shoji graciously pulls Aizawa off of you carefully, holding him with his massive arm span.
"Are you alright?" Uraraka asks you worriedly. You wave your hand, trying to quell her concerns.
"It looks worse than it is," You lie through your gritted teeth, trying to give her a comforting smile like All Might would. "I'm fine."
One final shockwave shakes the building and you all see the monster hurtle through the air and crash through the roof of the facility.
"Holy shit." Did All Might do that? "Oh, sorry- I mean crap!"
Sato and Shoji pull Thirteen up off the ground, supporting her on their shoulders.
"That was that brain dude!"
"Such power!"
"That's why All Might's the best hero in the entire world!"
You're reminded by the student's relieved faces why the Symbol of Hope is so important.
The entrance door bursts open and you all see the UA faculty hurry inside, led by Principal Nezu and Iida.
"Sorry, everyone! I know we're a tad late, but I got the teachers over here as fast as I could." Iida runs in, his face as serious as ever. "I've fulfilled my duty, and I've brought reinforcements!"
You nearly burst into tears at the sight of all the faculty here, finally. Most of them go straight to work, heading inside and taking out all of the villains, and a couple immediately help you, Aizawa, and Thirteen head outside. There are multiple vehicles and ambulances outside and you're all ushered into transports.
"Wait, hold on!" Midnight has you thrown over her shoulder as she climbs into the back of the ambulance. "Our students are still in there!"
Midnight lies you down on a stretcher and the EMTs swarm, strapping you in. "The danger is over, the rest of the faculty are getting them out right now! You need immediate medical attention."
You're overwhelmed by the wires being attached to you and struggle to get free, but Midnight lifts the corner of her sleeve, putting you to sleep with her pheromones. You try to sit up, but everything quickly goes dark.