Bakugou Katsuki's POV
Zero stood by the door, it's frame towering a decent metre over his considerable height. The uniform he wore was uncomfortable to say the least, with the formal jacket being stiff from such little use and the hem of his ironed pants crinkled by annoyingly shiny shoes.
Even worse though was the U.A. logo printed boldly onto the chest of the shirt, but he'd been specifically instructed not to touch or take it off. Well obviously, or it'd be long gone by now. But Zero's least favourite part was, undoubtedly, the the cold metal collar clasped firmly around his neck.
This wasn't like the chains he'd first found himself in; those, he'd hated. These, he loathed.
The conductive substance it was made of allowed the Pro Hero who was babysitting Zero, mainly Eraserhead, to send shockwaves through his brain and body at the click of a button, overpowering him instantly.
If Zero were to step one foot out of order the consequence would be around 120 volts of electricity straight through his nervous system, setting him on the road of long and agonising pain.
So yes, Zero really despised his 'accessory.'
It wasn't just the physical discomfort it brought though, really it hurt his pride more than anything else. And for someone as egoistical as Zero, that wasn't the best thing to do.
And even beyond that, he also didn't like it for what it symbolised to those around him. That Zero was a prisoner in his own body, unable to wield the Quirk he'd been gifted with, and kept strictly in line at all times.
The spikes studding it gave off the look of a dog collar, and that's no doubt how people thought this situation would be. Him, free to move around and yet locked up at the same time, just like the average house mutt.
But even worse were the memories. Zero knew he'd messed up the second those Heroes walked in the door after making him agree to their 'conditions' holding the damned thing, when he'd had a rather vivid flashback.
Zero himself had felt the blood drain from his face, and went visibly tense. The Heroes noticed this, but thankfully hadn't figured out why.
If they did know the reasons for the last time Zero had worn one of these, the memories that had overcome him in those few seconds, then his plan would be ruined. But that wasn't going to happen. Zero would make sure not to let his cover slip again.
Leaning against the wall directly underneath the sign saying 'Class 1-A', he listened in to what was being said inside.
"Do you all remember what I told you about the new student joining our class yesterday?" Came Aizawa's drowsy voice.
Murmured affirmation rung through the air, spoken with excited and eager tones.
"And the part about them being here for unusual reasons?"
More confirmation was voiced from the students.
"Well, seeing as they'll be joining us today, I believe that now is a good time to explain exactly why."
Zero zoned out. This was the boring part where the Hero went overboard dramatizing things and making an unrealistic picture about 'oh, he's a big, bad villain and you'd better stay away from him or you'll get your head bitten off.'
Not that Zero minded. He'd prefer to be left alone most of the time, being introverted by nature and in no mood to put up with some Heroes-to-be prattling on about their sun soaked, splendour filled path.
To Zero's surprise, the steady drone of Aizawa's voice finished talking in less than two minutes, far quicker than what he had expected. However, the silence was soon replaced by other noises.
Whispering swept through the room behind Zero like wildfire, and though he couldn't decipher what was being said, there was an undeniable undertone of apprehension.
"You all know him as the big-time Villain Ground Zero, and until we can get a proper name, you'll address him as such. You are not under any circumstance to tell a soul outside of Class 1-A about this operation." Aizawa continued.
Zero felt a tiny spark of hope flare. The Heroes didn't know his real name, so they didn't know who he was before he became a Villain. Zero was still safe.
"Furthermore, you will treat him with respect. He is a trained killer and despite his young appearance, his hands have ended the lives of many. Chances are, if he were ever to escape from our security's precautions, he would not hesitate to kill you either."
Zero's brows rose. This guy certainly wasn't sugar coating anything. Again, not that Aizawa was wrong.
"Though he has taken Quirk suppressants and is wearing a repressive device, he is still dangerous. I expect you to treat him like you treat one another, though from what we know he won't return the sentiment. However, none of you will fight him outside of supervised trainings."
Eraserhead gave it a moment to sink in.
"Even for those who got in on individual recommendations, it is more than likely that you would not win in combat against him."
This time, the class was not so careful as to keep their exclamations quiet.
"Sensei, do you think he'd be able to beat you?"
"How old is he?"
"Mr Aizawa, is he strong enough to take on Todoroki-kun or Yaomomo?"
"How many people has he killed?"
"What does he look like?"
"Enough!" The louder shout was accompanied by a heavy 'thump' of something hitting wood.
"I will answer the questions I heard, but that is all. After that, if you want the truth, you'll have to find out for yourselves. And I can tell you now, that's easier said than done."
An expectant hush fell over the class as they waited for their teacher to follow through with his promise.
"We don't know his exact age, but he is not yet eighteen and has been in the field for a decent six years. Make of that what you will.
He is without question more than capable of taking on Todoroki or Yaoyorozu and winning, possibly both at the same time. There's no way of knowing for sure, and I don't plan on finding out.
We do not know the exact number of people he has killed, but it is more then what you are thinking.
You can see what he looks like for yourselves when I call him in, and I expect you not to point fingers."
"Sensei?" Spoke up a curious voice.
"Yes Ashido."
"You didn't answer my question sir. Is he good enough to beat you?"
Silence.
"I can neither confirm nor deny. It would be a close match, but again, just pray that you will never have to know." Then, in a louder voice, "You can come in now."
For the first time in a long, long while, Zero did as he was told.
— — —
Roughly shoving open the door, he strolled in and stood in front of the class, skimming over the sea of faces with bored eyes. There were more gasps and whispers, but Zero's face remained as unimpressed and irritated as ever.
"One of our students is sick today," Aizawa said, gesturing with his chin to an empty desk. "You can take their spot for now, and we will have a new desk for them moved in later today."
Zero clicked his tongue, but complied to the unspoken order. He stalked through the isle closest to the wall and window with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, stopping by the open seat. Glancing slowly from one side to the other, Zero checked over the people in front of and behind him.
There wasn't really much to look at one seat up though, considering all that was visible of the girl in front of him was her uniform. Her Quirk must have some kind of camouflage or invisibility side effect, Zero supposed.
The boy behind was almost as plain. With a mess of forest green hair and matching eyes, the small statured kid had an innocent look about him. It pissed Zero off.
His temper only worsened when the freckled boy stirred a memory in the back of his head that he couldn't quite recall...
Slouching in the chair of the absent extra, Zero figured the smiling boy behind him might have just been one of the kids he fought at the USJ. Yeah, that was probably it.
Despite this revelation, Zero couldn't shake the feeling that the USJ wasn't the only place he'd seen him.