Chapter 13: Approaching Opportunity
Focus. Breathe in. Breathe out. Relax the body. Clear the mind.
Ben closed his eyes as he sucked in air, only opening them when he exhaled seconds later. He slowly reached out his arm, making sure his shoulder wasn't tensed and reached out slowly...
"Ben! Breakfast!"
"Mrrow."
"No!" Ben cried out mournfully as the cat he was reaching out for leapt up onto the balcony's guard rail before jumping down to ground level. Ben hung his head in frustration, remaining on his knees. Fifteen minutes of taming the cat had gone to waste.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't try to lure the strays onto our balcony Ben." Grandpa Max slid open the glass door to cast a disapproving look on his grieving grandson. "Pets are not allowed in this complex, and I don't want to pay an unnecessary fine. Now come on. Eat and get ready for school."
"Yes grandpa." Ben pushed himself up from the ground and followed his grandpa back inside. After washing the dirt and dust off his hands, Ben sat down at the table and started digging into a simple plate of eggs and toast. He had similar breakfasts all summer when he traveled in the Rust Bucket, but there was something about making them in a proper kitchen that made them taste better. A sizzling caught Ben's attention as he looked to see Max tossing some objects in a pan with oil and sauce.
"Baby octopus, a korean delicacy!" Ben felt his stomach twist as he saw the octopus up close. The bulb that was it's head still holding with all limbs intact, curled outwards covered in spicy red sauce. "Still couldn't believe they sold a box of these at 1750 yen. As long as there is nothing wrong with them, it's a steal!"
"Urg." Ben couldn't stop the groan that escaped his lips as he heard his grandpa crunch down. 'Please tell me he isn't eating it's guts and brain.'
"Mhmmm, just as good as I remember. Haven't had this in decades; last time I was in Korea was when there was a rogue Merlinisapien causing trouble in Busan." Another crunch sent an involuntary shudder down Ben's spine. With his appetite gone, Ben pushed his seat back and brought his plate over to the sink. Good thing he finished eating his food just as Max finished cooking his.
"Thanks for the food grandpa!" Ben yelled over his shoulder as he went back into his room to prepare for school. Brushing his teeth, organizing his backpack and slipping into his uniform took less time today than any other day before. Ben smiled at his own small victory over his tie. He made his way to the front door, slipping on his shoes as he pushed the door open.
"Have a good day Ben! Remember what Nezu told you!" Grandpa Max called out from the table.
"Don't talk about what happened at the USJ. Same thing they told everyone in my class apparently. According to what Nezu said. Or whatever. Later!" Despite what had happened the past two days, what with a villain attack and a large responsibility bomb dropped onto his wrist, Ben just felt good. Was it a good night's rest, a hearty breakfast or the sense of purpose that drove his actions? He'd figure them out later. The short walk was definitely something that Ben knew his classmates envied. He'd overheard conversations in UA's halls about how early some students had to wake up to make certain train or bus times to make it on time.
One turn after another, and Ben soon saw the walls of UA, in their new, updated state. Surprisingly, they looked the exact same as before. If it were not for the fresh layer of paint and the news from yesterday, Ben may not have realized they had been changed at all. It must be on purpose, Ben thought to himself as he grew closer. If the changes were obvious, then it would defeat the purpose of overhauling the system. Keeping it the same visually would keep the villains guessing. As he walked onto UA grounds, he heard a familiar voice call out from his right.
"There he is!" Looking over, Ben saw a welcome sight of three familiar faces rushing over: Tetsutetsu, Shoda and Pony. Shoda and Pony were obviously distressed if their expressions were anything to go by. Tetsutetsu, on the other hand, followed at a much more leisurely pace with his hands behind his head and smiling at Ben. What a contrast.
"Are you alright?" Shoda and Pony stopped in front of Ben and started looking him over, as if they were trying to find injuries.
"Uh, yeah. We didn't have school yesterday. Why wouldn't I be alright?" Ben asked back, confused. Tetsutetsu threw his head back, laughing, while managing out a 'told you so!' Shoda and Pony exchanged a look of disbelief. Was he kidding them, or did they severely overestimate Ben's intelligence?
"The ATTACK. The VILLAIN ATTACK. You know, the one that put you and your class on the news all of yesterday?" Shoda pressed for answers while Pony just nodded her head, her fists clenched to her chin in nervousness.
"Oh, yeah, that. I guess I'm alright." Shoda covered his face, groaning, while Pony tilted her head at Ben. She was unsure if her japanese was that bad or if Ben was just that unfazed by an act of literal terrorsim.
"I tried to tell them yesterday, Ben. I really did." Tetsutetsu removed his hand from the back of his head to throw around Ben's shoulders. "I told them that there was no way Ben, of all people, would get hurt. With a quirk like yours, I wouldn't be surprised if you were the one that sent them packing instead of All Might!"
"Aww, and here I thought we were friends Tetsutetsu. Were you not worried for my safety? I'm so hurt." Ben held his hands to his chest in mock pain, but on the inside he was glowing with pride. At least one person saw his power for what it was. The power to kick ass.
"After what you did to an army of robots, and the zero-pointer? Please. If you can rip through metal with one fist as Four Arms, what's a bunch of street thugs gonna pull out that could threaten you?" Scoffed Tetsutetsu.
"I don't know Tetsutetsu, lethal force? Those weren't programmed UA bots that attacked the USJ. Those were villains who would show no remorse for hurting a student. Or worse! I don't want to imagine what you guys went through." Shoda rubbed a hand over his eyes before looking over Ben once more. Seeing his injury-free body and his neutral expression, Shoda's worry slowly dropped and he smiled. "Guess you really are alright."
"I wouldn't lie to my friends like that Shoda. If I wasn't fine, I wouldn't have come to class. I really am fine." Ben tried to reassure the boy with a smile. Ben didn't have that much experience with friends that cared as much as they did. Back in Bellwood, he couldn't really claim to be in a friend group at all. It was a new feeling, but one that Ben really did like.
"You are so brave Ben." Pony sighed as the group started to progress into the main building. "Facing evil villains and not being bothered at all! I knew if I was there, I would have been in a panic."
"We were in good hands. Aizawa-sensei and N. 13 kept us safe until All Might showed up." Ben told her, which was mostly the truth. Ben was under orders, as were all the other 1-A students, to keep what exactly happened at the USJ a secret. It was bad enough that a villainous organization infiltrated UA, but children fighting villains themselves? It was better to keep the public under their assumption that the students kept behind the teachers until All Might showed up.
"But we heard on the news that both of them suffered major injuries. Is that true or...?" Shoda's voice trailed off as he noticed Ben hanging his head. "Oh."
"...It wasn't pretty. They both got banged up pretty bad." Ben felt a small flash of guilt run through his body. He could have gone alien and fought alongside his teachers, but he was ordered not to. What if he ignored that order? Would Aizawa-sensei and N. 13 have avoided their critical injuries if he did? The image of the two heroes bodies lying motionless on the ground, bloodied and bruised brought a vile taste to his mouth.
"At least they put up a good fight. Weren't they outnumbered twenty to one? It's impressive that they gave as good as they got if you ask me. Really showed some guts and Plus Ultra energy." Tetsutetsu remarked as they pushed open the doors and entered the building.
"If Aizawa-sensei is hurt that bad, he's in the hospital, no? Then who will teach your class this morning?" Pony asked as they went up the stairs.
"I dunno. A substitute? Japanese schools have substitute teachers right?" Ben honestly didn't know. UA had heroes for teachers, so did they have half their staff on campus and the other half off on duty? How did it work if one hero got sick, or needed to leave?
"We are not aliens, Ben. Of course we do. It's a matter of who, not if." Shoda said as they exited the stairwell.
"Sorry, sorry. Oh, by the way, congrats on the election Vice President." Ben lightly punched Shoda in the shoulder, to which the boy bashfully grinned in return.
"Thanks. I lost to Kendo, but that wasn't too surprising. In just one day she cemented herself as a leader in our class. She's just the kind of person people look up to, you know?" Shoda looked down before snapping his gaze back to Ben. "Oh, she was also beside herself with worry yesterday. Try to talk to her today so that she can get some peace of mind back, or at least send her a text."
"Sure, can do Mr. Vice Pres- ah wait." Ben thought for a moment. "I don't have your numbers do I?"
"Well, let's correct that right now!" Tetsutetsu brought out his phone, to which Ben did the same. Seeing Ben's phone, Tetsutetsu whistled. "Damn Ben, what kinda phone is that? Some United States exclusive model?"
"Uhh, I guess you can say that." Ben awkwardly rolled his head to the side to avoid the question.
"Oh, take mine too Ben! Just let me..." Shoda swung his backpack around to start fishing around in one of the side pockets.
"Me too!" Pony reached into her backpack as well to whip out her own cell phone. "You can get Kendo's number and everyone else's later."
After exchanging numbers, Ben gave his goodbyes as the three 1-B students went into their classroom. Walking down a couple of paces, Ben found and opened the door to his own class. Upon opening the door and making his way inside, Ben saw about half the class still absent. With a solid five minutes until the first bell, it was to be expected. What Ben didn't expect was for the people in the room to lock onto Ben and stare at him as he walked to his seat.
Ben made it to his aisle before the looks became too much. Ben flipped his head to see a variety of expressions on his classmates' faces. Midoriya and Kirishima had awe, Ida and Asui had indifference, Shoji and Yaoyorozu kept poker faces, Todoroki looked like he was angry but he always seemed angry while looking at Ben, so it's hard to tell. The rest started to mutter amongst themselves.
"What's up guys?" Ben attempted to break the ice with a smile. "Fun to be back, am I right?" Shoji proceeds to walk up to him, a dupli-arm morphing into a mouth.
"Are you alright?" Shoji predictably asked.
"Lots of people are asking me that today." Ben muttered before throwing his arm out with a thumbs up and smiling brightly again. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"
"You fought with that thing from the USJ! The villains said that thing was the All Might killer, but you took it on in head-to-head combat!" Midoriya interjected into the conversation as Ben passed him to get to his seat.
"Well, it wasn't really a one-on-one if you really think about it. You told me what to do, and Bakugo and Todoroki helped out in the middle. Thanks for that by the way!" Ben shot some more thumbs up at the two.
"Tch!" Bakugo made a sound of anger and didn't move from his position, arms crossed over his chest. "I did it because those guys gave me a clear shot. I didn't do it to help you, Shrimp!"
"Hey!" Ben's head quickly swiveled to glare at the back of Bakugo's head. "No one's allowed to call me that but my cousin!"
Shoji threw his arms up. "Well, if you can argue, you are fine."
"That thing was a nasty fighter though. Multiple quirks! Not just two, but almost four! Everything I know about quirks has been torn down since I got to UA." Midoriya sighed while looking down, no doubt thinking self-deprecating thoughts.
Ben took the opportunity to jump back into the conversation. "Yeah, that thing was, like, the third multi-quirk person I've seen in the first week alone."
The classroom got quiet after Ben spoke and everyone once again focused their attention on Ben, who looked around in confusion. "What?"
"'Third?' You've seen two people with two or more quirks?" Sero had turned in his seat to look at Ben with an incredulous gaze.
"Umm, yeah? We all have. The other two are in the class right now." Ben then pointed towards the quiet Koda and the brooding Tokoyami, which startled them into paying attention.
"Pardon? I already introduced you all to my quirk, Dark Shadow." Tokoyami asked in confusion, with Koda nodding along frantically, signing that he did the same with his quirk.
"Oh, I just thought that you had a mutation quirk as well. Because of your... avian features. Like, I don't know what exactly Dark Shadow qualifies as, but I think it most closely resembles an emitter type quirk." Ben pondered for a moment. "But that still means you have an emitter and a mutation quirk. That makes two. Koda is the same way, no? Based on what he did for the Trial of Battle, he's got an emitter quirk with his voice, and he's got a rock mutation quirk as well."
The room was silent as class 1-A looked at Tokoyami and Koda in a new light. "You know, now that Tennyson mentions it, it does seem like those two got multiple quirks." Kirishima noted, resting his head on his arms.
"Maybe the two are linked in a way?" Muttered Midoriya, flipping through his notebook. "Dark Shadow's features most closely resemble Tokoyami's head, so maybe it influenced his development? Or the other way around? Koda doesn't have that good of a link. His quirk is related to animals, but rocks are not animals, so why would he develop something like a rocky exterior?"
Tokoyami shook his head at the commotion. "Even if I do have multiple quirks, it is irrelevant as it does not power me up in any way. My mutation only gives me the head of a bird, not any bird-related powers. My eyesight and hearing are human level, making me still reliant on Dark Shadow."
"Yeah, but that's not that true for Koda! I fought him in the Battle Trial, and he's got a permanent mini-version of my Hardening and can call animals for help! Makes him a threat at any range. We should work out sometime bro, as quirk buddies." Kirishima leaned over to talk, while sending a wink towards Koda. Koda gave a small nod while staring at his hands, as if looking at his body in a new light.
This topic sent 1-A into deep conversation, during which the rest of the class trickled in and eventually joined in. If anything, the topic allowed them to temporarily forget what had happened two days ago and just talk amongst themselves like normal high schoolers. Soon, the bell did ring, which caused Ida to assume class president mode and he rushed to the front of the class to demand everyone take their seats. When Sero pointed out the hypocrisy of Ida being the only one standing, Ida did his bow before returning to his seat. The class waited a moment, then two, and anxiety started to develop. Where was their teacher, substitute or not? Then the door opened.
"Good morning class." To the class's surprise, Aizawa-sensei walked in. But when they got a good look at him...
"Woah." Their teacher had no skin showing, as every inch of him was swathed in white bandages. His arms were coated, and stray strands hung down. His head looked like the head of a mummy, as they couldn't even see his eyes or mouth through his bandages. How did he see?
"Aizawa-sensei, is it alright for you to be teaching in your current condition?" Asked a worried Yaoyorozu.
"There is no need to worry about me. I've taught with worse injuries before." Was that true? With how Aizawa acted, there was a real possibility. "I couldn't afford to miss these next few weeks of instruction regardless. As it stands, your battles have not ended yet."
The class immediately started muttering in panic. The battles have not ended? Was the school in danger? Were they going to encounter more life-and-death scenarios?
"The Sports Festival is coming up!" The class breathed a collective sigh of relief. That sounded normal! Then the class got all riled up again.
"Oh yeah, that's right! UA is still a school, so it makes sense that we would have school related activities." Ojiro leaned his head against his propped up fist.
"But this is no ordinary year, is it? There was just a villain attack on UA grounds two days ago, is it really wise to hold an event that they are likely to infiltrate again, ribbit?" Asui asked Aizawa.
"You are not the only one to think like that Asui, but precautions have been put into place. We have worked with the police to increase their presence five fold for the day. Just getting near the stadium will require going through an extensive screening process. We've recruited local heroes to serve as additional security. This is in addition to the UA staff and the usual invited heroes in attendance. Not to mention All Might himself will be there and will not leave unless a national emergency occurs. Needless to say the amount of security at this event has never been seen in any other event held by this school." Aizawa reassured her.
"What you all should be concerned about is performing at the Festival itself!" Aizawa turned his attention back to the class at large. "Our school's Festival has replaced the Olympics in importance and popularity. This is your first chance to demonstrate to the nation what you've got. The people will be watching, as well as professional heroes. If you catch the attention of a scouting agency, they may attempt to contact you for future work-studies and internships. Proper networking can give you opportunities that would have never presented themselves otherwise. You only have three of these Festivals to participate in, so make this one count!"
Ben chose this moment to raise his hand.
"Yes, Tennyson?" Aizawa pointed at the moment Ben's hand went above his head.
"What's a Sports Festival?"
UA Cafeteria-
"Do you two seriously not know what a Sports Festival is? What rock have you guys been living under?"
"The United States." Muttered Ben, poking his food with a chopstick.
"And France." Aoyama picked up his spoon and ate some of his rice, only to grimace and gently shove his bowl away from him.
When Ben asked his question in that morning's homeroom, the class had exploded into chaos. Immediately Ben was bombarded on all sides, with everyone talking to him at once. With Midoriya speaking at a lightning pace in front of him, Yaoyorozu lecturing from behind and the rest of the class yelling from his right, it took Aizawa raising his voice slightly above average to command the class to stop. The first two classes after homeroom had people constantly shooting glances at him. Fortunately, Aoyama approached him during their short break to admit that he didn't know about the Festival either, thanking Ben for asking and sharing foreigner comradery. Unfortunately, people overheard this as well, and began hounding Aoyama to an equal degree.
The looks people shot Ben reduced by half because that half was now sent towards Aoyama. The two felt quite ostracized and as a result retreated to the cafeteria as soon as the lunch period began. Ben did want to talk to Kendo as he promised, but couldn't quite spot anyone from 1-B. The two then found a secluded table near a corner to eat but underestimated the tenacity of their classmates. As they started eating, some of their class began to sit at their table until it was nearly full. Now the table also had Shoji, Ojiro, Hagakure, Tokoyami, Koda and Sato.
"I suppose it makes sense. The Festival is only big in Japan due to our hero culture. Other nations wouldn't really be into watching the youth of a different country fight it out." Sato started sprinkling what looked to be a supply of his personal sugar all over his food. However, it was what he said, not did, that caused Ben and Aoyama to look at each other in confusion.
"'Fight it out?' Pray tell, what do you mean?" Aoyama spoke for both of them.
"You know! What they do at the Sports Festival, you've seen it." Sato waved off the question.
Ben frowned. "Actually we haven't. None of you guys actually answered my question from Homeroom. Aizawa-sensei didn't, and all of you just started yelling at me."
"Oh. Well then, give me some time to prepare a presentation!" Sato started gathering various pieces of tableware and started setting them up in groups.
"So will anyone actually answer?" Ben looked around.
It was Ojiro who finally did. "The UA Sports Festival takes place over three days, where all three years of UA fight to attempt to claim first place. Each year's hero classes, general education, and anyone in the support course who volunteers competes through three events that pits the students against each other and eventually only one comes out the victor."
"It's ready!" Sato announced. "It's basically what Ojiro said, but I can go into detail. So, you see this?" He pointed towards the pile of tableware he amassed in front of him.
"The individual events of the Sports Festival change each year, but the style of each one remains the same. The first one is a free-for-all, everyone for themselves! Last year was king-of-the-hill, and the one before that was a race. It's aimed to weed out most of the competition." Sato then knocked away a large portion of the mass of tableware, leaving a significantly smaller portion.
"The second event is a team-based game. There's been capture the flag, escorting a mock payload or VIP, or even a relay race. Teams will then advance to the last event based on their overall performance." Sato carefully made groups of utensils before grabbing about two thirds of them and handing them out.
"And the third event is always one-on-one combat! The big one, which most people consider to be the only event that really matters. Usually it is just a standard regulated fight with quirks allowed, but there have been some augments made in the past. There have been years when people fought with foam swords, blindfolded and there was one year where the entire arena was upside down. They had to fight while hanging off monkey bars, and if they fell they were eliminated." Sato took away everything and was left with a single fork, which he took and plunged into his curry, where it slowly fell to the side. "And there you have it! What do you think?"
Ben and Aoyama glanced at each other. "It seems..." Ben began, and everyone at the table leaned in.
"...Barbaric." Aoyama finished.
"What?" The rest of the table recoiled in shock.
"Eyy, we're on the same wavelength!" Ben shot finger guns at Aoyama before turning to the rest of the table. "He's right though. I thought a Sports Festival would have us playing, well, sports! Tennis, volleyball, the like. It sounds like we're being pitted against each other for entertainment purposes! We're high schoolers! Not Gladiators!"
Aoyama nodded, folding his arms and closing his eyes. "I suppose I could understand why UA is doing this, as these events would better help us in becoming heroes. Well, more than conventional sports. But being televised? Being ranked? Sounds more like a sporting event than a school sanctioned event, what with Aizawa-sensei saying this is the new Olympics. Must I remind everyone that we are still minors? I thought there were regulations against using minors for profit."
"I don't think this is for profit." Hagakure chimed in. "I think people only pay for tickets, and families of students enter for free. What, you guys didn't have festivals of any kind when you were in your home countries?"
"Not really." Ben swallowed a mouthful of food before answering. "We had some parent's nights where we demonstrated some of our work, and there were class plays, but nothing on this level."
"My old school had a 5 kilometer fundraiser event." Added Aoyama. "That's kinda like a festival."
Koda signed something while shaking his head in amazement. Shoji nodded. "I agree Koda. Other school systems are quite strange. I also can somewhat see why they are not very partial to the Sports Festival. The name is quite misleading when thought upon further."
"It matters not what we think of the Festival. As hero students our participation is mandatory." Tokoyami spoke up from the table's edge.
"Well, for hero students the real purpose of the Festival isn't really for us to win per say." Ojiro adopted a thoughtful expression. "It is to get noticed by the hero agencies watching. Of course getting into the top 3 would definitely be ideal, but as long as you make an impression in the events you do take part in you should be fine. It's not like we are graded on how we do."
"Is that what everyone was so pumped about? Like Uraraka?" Ben noticed that Uraraka in particular seemed pumped about the upcoming event. She seemed to have a fiery aura around her, until she said something to Ida and Midoriya that made her rub the back of her head sheepishly. Of course, this all took place before All Might had appeared by a hallway to whisk Midoriya away.
"Hard not to be. This is the first real demonstration of our skills." Shoji then noticed Koda signing sadly from his seat. "Plenty of people will not be able to use their quirks to their full extent, Koda. Although, I do agree that the lack of animals in or around the stadium will not help your case."
"At least you have your rocky skin to help you stand out!" Complained Hagakure. "I'm literally invisible! I didn't catch any attention on TV yesterday, so how am I supposed to get scouted at the Festival?"
"Well, with your build Shoji you'll have no problem standing out. With a mutation quirk like yours, I don't think you'll even have to make it to the 3rd round to make an impact." Sato looked over Shoji with an impressed gaze.
"If we are talking about standing out, I think we all know who's going to steal the show." Aoyama chuckled. The entire table then turned to look at Ben, who had been eating while only listening to the conversation around him. Understanding what was hinted at, Ben looked up.
"You really think so?"
"It is obvious." Tokoyami sipped his water. "Your otherworldly powers are unlike anything the nation has ever seen. People would want you based on uniqueness alone, as people adore the unexplainable. This is before considering your near infinite versatility and power, all the while being young and not even hitting your prime. Agencies will no doubt fight tooth-and-nail to recruit you, regardless of your intention to leave for America after your 3 years at UA."
"Just don't get cocky, kid! Everyone's gonna be training their asses off for the Festival, trying to knock you off your pedestal as number one. I know I am." Sato gave a toothy grin, but the look in his eyes showed Ben his conviction.
"It is true." Admitted Ojiro. "Despite your age, you have been number one at anything that was ranked. The entrance exam, the assessment on the first day, and then there was the USJ. If someone disagreed with your power before, you proved them wrong then. But that just makes everyone much more driven to beat you. Hope you're ready." The table looked at Ben, trying to gauge his reaction.
Ben just smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The rest of the lunch period passed by in relative peace, with the table discussing how to stand out to maximize their chances of being scouted. As far as Ben was concerned, it didn't really matter who scouted him. He just wanted to have fun. It was a festival, no?
Lunch ended without any fuss, which prompted Ben and his table to get up and head back to class, where Snipe taught in his usual slow, methodical process. It was a boring class until five minutes before the end, where the normally calm hero looked at his phone and started to worry.
"Darn, I thought I told Powerloader that I needed those lab materials by today! I need them for the third years!" The hero shook his head in annoyance before turning to face the class who had all stopped their work to stare at their teacher. "Look class, I need to grab some stuff from Powerloader to set up a lab for a future class. Just finish that worksheet, put them on the desk, and do whatever you want till the class ends. Then, you're free to go. Got it?"
"Yes sensei." The class chorused
"Good." Snipe went to the door. His hand touched the door, before he turned back to the class. "Oh, I almost forgot. Tennyson!"
Ben raised his head. "Your homeroom teacher wants to talk to you after class. After this period, go to the teacher's office on the first floor, you'll find him there." Snipe then left the room.
"What did you do?" Yaoyorozu asked from behind, to which Ben turned around with a shrug.
"Dunno, but I haven't done anything all day." Ben left the obvious unsaid.
The worksheet went by easily enough, even Ashido and Kaminari had it complete and placed it on the teacher's desk with a good amount of time to spare. The rest of the period was just 1-A talking, burning time until the class was over. Everyone slung their backpacks over their shoulders and made to leave. However, the moment the door was opened, their progress was stifled.
"Woah. What the heck is this?" Uraraka gasped as she stood in front of a mass of bodies. Students, all in UA's uniform, crowded around the entrance to 1-A's classroom. Lots of them were checking their phones as they pointed at the nervous hero students idling behind the door frame. General chatter increased as more of 1-A poked their heads around to see what the hold up was, only to pale and retreat.
"Isn't it obvious?" Bakugo snorted as he shouldered his way to the front, knocking Ben and Uraraka aside. If he heard the two noises of complaint, he didn't mention it. "They want to scope out the class that was on the news. We're the ones who survived a villain attack, making us the biggest competition."
Bakugo then turned to address the mob in front of him. "If ya think you can win, you're all got major brain damage you fuckwads. Give up and scatter you damn mob."
Ida's presidential instincts triggered an immediate response. "Bakugo, that was uncalled for! Do not address fellow UA students with such derogatory names! All students, regardless of class designation, deserve respect. And do not refer to a group of students as a 'mob!'"
Bakugo opened his mouth to deliver a scathing retort, but new voices drew everyone's attention to the back of the mass of students. "That is true. I did come here to see what the famous class 1-A was made of, but I am sincerely disappointed. I didn't think anyone could be this arrogant."
"Yeah, are all people in the heroic department angry assholes? This is going to be easier than I thought!" Two new students made their way to the front of the class, with very different figures. The first one stood out only due to how short he was. He was shorter than Ben, which was saying something as he was the shortest in 1-A. At least he still hadn't hit his puberty growth spurt yet, this guy's height looked stuck like this. His only other defining trait was his hair; purple and with ball-shaped objects making a line on his head. Other than that, he didn't seem like much.
The second guy definitely stood out in a crowd, even with the same hair color. His hair was not only purple, but stood up, like Kirishima's but more natural. Wide, somewhat bloodshot eyes and a long lanky figure gave him an odd body type. It didn't look like he had a lot of muscle, but looks can be deceiving.
"Heh." Ben snorted, seeing two standing at the front, side-by-side. The height difference alone was comical. Hearing this, the taller one narrowed his gaze at Ben.
"What's so funny?"
"You're both purple." Ben pointed at their heads.
"I don't even know how to respond to that." Muttered the short one, hands on his head. The tall one was not amused, his eyes lasering in on Ben, making him feel quite uncomfortable. Then his eyes lit up with realization.
"You must be Tennyson. The one all the rumors were about." At his declaration, noise of the mob behind him drastically increased, with people jostling each other to get a better look.
"Oh? And how do you know that I am?" Ben acted coy, crossing his arms.
"Oh you know how rumors are. How Tennyson has a shapeshifting quirk that no one has ever seen before. How Tennyson is the most powerful student to enter UA since All Might, but whose true form is not at all what you'd expect. That it allows him to wander around unnoticed." Drawled the purple-haired student. "I think I speak for everyone behind me, though, that we did not expect Tennyson to be some kid. I personally expected something better."
Ben felt a twinge of annoyance at this barb. He watched with a furrowed brow as the taller students leaned back with hands in his pockets, a satisfied smirk on his face. Who did he think he was? "Well, I didn't expect to look at some overconfident, no-name, greasy-faced teenager when I went to school today. Sleep and a shower; ever heard of those?"
Snickers were heard from the mob and the short boy hid his face behind a hand to cover his smile. Guess the mob wasn't unified entirely. Ben chose to ignore the whirling arms of Ida behind him. He would deal with that later. The tall boy's smirk disappeared into a grimace as he took his hands out of his pockets.
"You talk a lot of shit for someone so small. Can you really be the one who challenged All Might's entrance exam score? I suppose we can figure that out for real at the Sports Festival. A lot of people in general ed ended up there because we didn't score high enough in the entrance exam. But it is possible to earn a second evaluation into the heroics course through performing in the Sports Festival." The student paused for dramatic effect.
"Of course, the opposite is true as well. After all, if one of us hero hopefuls is to climb the ranks, one of you has to fall. After what we watched yesterday, and what we all saw today, I think all of us gen ed students are thinking the same thing: why don't we knock a couple of these hero course guys while they parade about on their high horse? We are going to be gunning for you and your spots in the hero course. Watch your backs."
"Yes, watch your backs! So that you may see first hand how quickly class 1-B will usurp your position as hero class to watch out for!" A third voice announced from down the hall, near the back of the edge of the mob. Ben looked to his left to see a blonde student with a massive but fake smile plastered over his face.
"I hoped 1-A had more class, but it appears I was sorely mistaken. An egotistical ass and a child with a mouth too big for his own good." Bakugo's fists tightened and Ben's right hand inched subcounsciously towards the Omnitrix.
"If this is the best 1-A has to offer then 1-B truly shall reign supreme! I truly wish you the best of luck, for you will need it if any of you have even the slightest hope of being- ACK!" A massive hand suddenly appeared behind the blonde and chopped down on his neck. Everyone present winced at the audible impact except for Bakugo, who remained indifferent.
"Monoma, I really wish you would stop this obsession with 1-A. It was kind of funny yesterday, but even then it was awkward. Now it's just embarrassing." Kendo sighed as she hoisted the now identified Monoma up. Spotting Ben, she gave a soft smile, to which Ben returned.
"You alright Ben?
"You're the third person to ask that exact same question, so I'll give you the same answer: yes."
"That's good to hear. Did Monoma bother you guys?"
"A little. But seeing you hit him was good enough for me."
"Alright then, I'll get this guy some space so he can cool off for our hero class. Catch you later."
"See ya." Ben waved as Kendo turned around and dragged the dazed Monoma to a quiet corner to let him recover. With Kendo departing, the rest of the people in the hall decided to as well. It was really started by Bakugo pushing his way through the mob, dismantling it by force. Ben didn't see what happened to the purple haired duo, but he assumed they just left for home as well. Walking to the stairs and down the halls with his class, he then took a different turn than the rest to walk towards the teacher's office.
Ben gently pushed open the door to the office, expecting to have to excuse his presence to multiple faculty members. To his surprise, he saw no one. Just the group of desks that he saw the last time he was here. Wasn't Aizawa-sensei supposed to be here?
"Mrrrph." Ben's shoe stepped on something that wasn't floor.
"Gah! Oh, I'm so sorry sensei! I didn't look down and-"
"Shut up and follow me where we won't be disturbed." In a matter of seconds Aizawa had emerged from his sleeping bag and was walking out the door. Ben quickly followed behind. With the last class done and class 1-B in hero class, the two escaped to the field without any encounters. Looking around, Ben noticed that it was the same field class 1-A had done the quirk assessment test on the first day. Aizawa stepped in the middle of the track, where he then turned around. Ben stopped in front of him.
"I'm sure I don't have to tell you why we are talking right now." Aizawa's voice made it obvious he was not kidding around.
"This is about the USJ, isn't it?" Ben got a small nod.
"What you did was reckless Tennyson. You disobeyed a direct order from your teacher, used your quirk without permission and put your own life in danger. On those grounds alone, you'd be expelled, no questions asked."
"Oh no." Ben gulped, a feeling of dread enveloping his body.
"You acted as if you were a vigilante, and that is not something we want to cultivate at UA. However, I do understand your situation. You were acting in the defense of your classmates, who were in danger due to my own defeat. That was my fault. I understand that, and you are not at fault there." Aizawa's eyes may not have been visible to Ben, but Ben could still feel the glare that emanated from them.
"But you stepped over the line when you decided to engage the villains in combat. You are not licensed, heck, you are still a first-year student. You had the opportunity to run with your classmates, but instead, you chose to fight." Ben grimaced upon that remark. Looking back, the disintegration guy did pose a huge threat that he should have helped Asui and Midoriya avoid. Instead he just let them run and hoped his presence could hold the villain's attention.
"What's more is that you put yourself directly in harm's way, in a way that seemed almost like suicide." Ben felt like this was a stretch.
"Oh come on sensei! I beat that Nomu guy, remember?" Ben asked.
"And what happened literally moments later?" Although Ben could not see it, he knew Aizawa was raising an eyebrow.
"Errr." Ben stalled while frantically thinking of a response.
"You hit your time limit." Aizawa shook his head after seeing Ben's surprised face. "Oh come now, surely you'd expect a staff full of heroes carefully watching you to have some level of basic evaluation skills. After watching the entrance exam, it is obvious you have 10 minutes. And from the USJ clips, it was clear you did not want to transform back in the face of more villains. The panic you displayed is testament to that."
"Tennyson, I understand that you feel like you are obligated to do more since you have so much power, but you need to understand restraint. Yes, you did save Asui in that moment, and bought your class some time. You even defeated one of the major villains. But then you were left vulnerable. If All Might didn't arrive when he did, you definitely would have been killed. Then it would have just been you trading your life for someone else's. You would have accomplished nothing" Ben just sighed and nodded, absorbing the lecture while looking down at his feet.
"Tennyson, look at me." Ben begrudgingly raised his head to look his teacher in the eye. "I need you to promise me that you are going to listen to your teachers from here on out."
"Even if it means risking potential death?" Ben challenged his teacher.
"Yes." Ben recoiled in shock at the bluntness of the answer. "Tennyson, we are heroes. We are the first to respond to danger and anything that threatens peace. Heroes will do anything, pay any price, to achieve that goal. Even if it costs us our lives. As a teacher, that extends to protecting the children who I am given to guide. So please." Aizawa's voice dropped to the lowest Ben had heard.
"Promise me. I need to hear it from you."
"I promise sir. I will listen from here on out." Ben looked Aizawa straight in the eyes.
"Good. And while we are on this sort of topic, I'd like to tell you something not as Aizawa-sensei, but as just Aizawa." Ben was caught off guard when his teacher suddenly gave him a small bow.
"You saved my life and those of my students. Thank you."
Ben was properly flustered. "T-they are my classmates too, I care for them!"
"Good." Aizawa was gone just as suddenly as he came. Aizawa-sensei was back. "Now let's discuss your punishment."
Ben's positive emotions were gone in a flash. "Punishment?"
"What you did should have been an easy expulsion case, open-and-shut. However, the circumstances surrounding you and what happened at the USJ are very unique. It is not logical to expel any student over how they acted during a villain ambush. For the first time since I became a teacher here, I actually agreed with what our dear principal suggested." Aizawa suddenly procured a clipboard in his right hand.
"What Nezu suggested was a sort of progressive punishment. Punishment in the sense that it will take place when detention would usually take place, eating up your free time after school. Progressive in that it will function as more time for me to personally train you."
"Train me...?" Ben was getting nervous.
"Yes, train you. I won't lie, I think you are among the most powerful beings in Japan when able to transform. Your many forms give you an unmatched level of adaptability, and each form brings a level of combat power that very few other heroes in their prime can match. However, when not able to transform, you are incredibly weak. You are a polarizing force Tennyson; either a titan or a fly. So, I am going to train you to reduce that polarization." Aizawa clicked a pen in his other hand.
"So what happens now?" Ben asked.
Ben did not catch Aizawa's shit-eating grin.
Half An Hour Later-
Huff...Huff...Huff...
Thump...Thump...Thump...
"Too slow. That repeat does not count. Again!"
Aizawa received a strangled groan in response. Between the bandages wrapped around his head, he could see Ben staggering back toward the 800 meter starting line. He was now clad in the standard UA gym suit, as sweat-soaked as it was. When Ben got to the starting line, Aizawa raised his phone and pressed a button on it's screen. His phone then produced a gunshot sound, prompting Ben to start another 800 meter repeat.
"Aren't you being a bit harsh on the kid Eraserhead?" The earpeace Aizawa was wearing relayed.
"Are you questioning my teaching methodology detective?" Countered Aizawa, getting a chuckle from the other line.
"Fair enough, like I'd know anything about teaching. Let alone someone with as much power as our case subject Tennyson." There was a shuffling of papers. "I won't take too much of your time, so I'll be brief."
"Briefness is good. I know you and All Might started your investigation while I was in the hospital, so any leads?" Aizawa watched as Ben completed a lap.
"The news is brief because there isn't a lot of it. We haven't made any significant advancements from what we told you when you got out of the hospital. All Might contacted David Shield, but even he knew nothing of Azmuth. Right now he's pulling some favors he has, trying to get more answers." Sighed Detective Tsukauchi.
"To be expected. This Azmuth person has a frightening degree of paranoia. Wouldn't surprise me if he already caught wind of us trying to find him. We may be chasing an impossible goal here." Aizawa then shouted for Ben to alternate between sprinting and jogging 400 meter laps around the track.
"I suppose." Detective Tsukauchi was slightly uncomfortable after what he told the hero moments before. The truth was that Eraserhead didn't know about All Might's initial hypothesis about Tennyson being related to Him. He was confidential information after all. The less people knew about him, the safer they were.
"I think I have one thing that may help you in your investigation, Detective. I won't have the time to assist for a while, so I do the work in my stead." Aizawa kept his gaze locked onto Ben's sprinting figure.
"All right, lay it on me." Tsukauchi prepared a pen and paper.
"Look for american news reports of vigilantism, particularly those with full-body mutant quirks. Look for Tennyson's forms." There was a pause.
"...am I allowed to ask why?"
"Tennyson has combat experience, lots of it. You saw the clips of the USJ. He's a bit cocky, yes, but it's not greenhorn overconfidence that so many debuting heroes have these days. It's the sort of confidence one generates after taking on so many villains that you know just by looking at them that they won't pose a threat to you. I saw it in his eyes on that day. It's one thing to look at a video recording but it's another thing to see it first-hand."
"Claiming an 11-year old has combat experience is a pretty hefty accusation, Eraserhead." Warned the Detective.
"If you don't find anything, then those accusations will disappear. But until then I'll follow my gut feeling." Aizawa saw that Ben had finished and was walking towards him. "The kid's approaching."
"Very well. I'll look into what you told me. Until next time." A click and the line went dead.
"Sensei... I'm done... with... the running... am I done?" Moaned Ben, quivering on his exhausted legs.
"Oh no Tennyson. You just did the cardio portion. You'll do that everyday to warm up. For the main workout today, we'll be working on your core."
"Oh, what!" Ben couldn't believe his ears.
"On the ground." Aizawa commanded, to which Ben unhappily obeyed.
"How long will we be doing these training sessions?" Ben looked up to his teacher turned trainer.
"Until I think you can handle yourself without the aid of your quirk." Responded Aizawa.
"And when will you think that?"
"Enough stalling. Get into a plank position! Hold for a minute."
Ben gritted his teeth and tried to tighten his core. There wasn't much to tighten.
"Oh, we'll be doing ten of these 1 minute planks. And we have nine more core exercises to go through. Just thought I'd let you know."
It took all of Ben's strength not to collapse right there.
2 Grueling hours Later-
"...that's the last one. Good work today Tennyson. You're the first student I ever had to not complain a single time during one of my special training sessions."
'That's because if I spoke I'd die!' Ben screamed in his head as he lay gasping on the floor. His arms and legs felt like they were going to fall off, and his core was completely destroyed. Laying on his back, Ben tried to pull himself upright, but failed.
"I know it's tough. All Might himself assisted me in designing it, so I know it's tough." This plan was indeed approved by All Might. Why All Might had something called the 'Aim to Pass! American Dream Plan!' was beyond Aizawa. Was that even what it was called? He couldn't remember. What he did know was that he toned the original plan way down. Unlike for the person All Might made his plan for, Aizawa wasn't looking to beef up Ben, more to bring him in line with his classmates.
"You need to be able to at least be on par with your classmates. Many of them don't have quirks that they can rely on 100% of the time, so they had to train. The only two constant weapons every hero has regardless of specialization and quirk are their brains and body."
"Are... you kidding me?" Ben managed to speak. "Match my classmates? Have you seen them? The other guys? They're freaking cut sir! Like, they are all 15 but half the class already has 6-pack abs. How can I compete with that?"
"That is true." Admitted Aizawa. "As generations pass, I also have noticed that more and more first-years have... trained bodies. I suppose that as hero culture sets it's roots deeper in Japan, people want to become heroes at a much younger age. As many feel that their quirks are not enough, they go to the gym to even the playing field. But enough about that. Stop comparing yourself to them and work your own body. I expect you to be here at the same time everyday until the Festival."
"Even on the weekends?" Ben paled at the thought.
"Especially the weekends. Your hero classes will not be nearly as strenuous as the first day in order to not hurt you before such an important event. And don't worry, I won't let you get hurt on my watch." Aizawa's creepy aura appeared, meaning his smile appeared behind his bandages and sent a chill down Ben's spine.
"The plan takes into consideration that the Festival is in about 2 weeks. As long as you do what I say, you'll be fully able to compete at 100% of your capacity." Aizawa turned and started walking away.
"Now get home Tennyson, and get 8 hours of sleep. You'll need every minute of it."
Every minute was indeed needed, as Ben went through agonizing training after school everyday for the two weeks preceding the Festival. If his classmates noticed his sluggish movements and lack of energy, they did not comment. It wasn't like he was the only one in that condition, most if not all of 1-A showed signs of personal training in preparation. Days passed and Ben dutifully showed up to the field everyday to meet his bandage-wrapped trainer/teacher. It was hard to tell if he was making improvements, as his muscles were so sore all the time. But Aizawa told him that even if he didn't feel it, he was improving. So Ben chose to believe that and powered through with all that he had. At least Grandpa Max had mercy and didn't cook any weird food during the two weeks. At least he had that victory.
Location Unknown-
"What is it this time Doctor?"
"The latest shipment from the Forever Knights just came in the other day, Sir! And I think you are going to like what they brought in." In a dimly lit underground laboratory, two figures were walking down a narrow hallway. The shorter figure in the front was jittering with excitement, while the taller one following was moving much more slowly. As if his body was heavily damaged in some incident and he had yet to fully recover.
"The Forever Knights? So, after going dark for a year they finally show life again. If this is more of those orange drones, I will not be pleased." The tall figure's voice seemed harmless, but the Doctor knew the threat behind those words. When He was displeased, people tended to die.
"W-well Sir, it IS another drone..." The Doctor stammered out, tapping his fingers togethers as he avoided eye contact.
He stopped moving and moved his head down.
"Is that so?" Now the Doctor was nervous. He was starting to speak in a different tone, the tone he used against those that betrayed Him or conspired against Him. The Doctor frantically waved his hands around, trying to ward off the violence that was bubbling beneath His indifferent exterior.
"B-b-but it is not like anything we have received before!" The Doctor peered upwards to see that He had stopped moving and speaking, remaining still. Taking this as a good sign, the Doctor continued. "It is something completely different, and of much better quality. I should not have called it a drone, that is insulting this new robot's design."
"Oh?" Now the Doctor had His attention.
"Yes, I believe these robots are the key to the next stage of Nomu development! Behold!" As the pair approached the end of the hallway they were bathed in the hastily set up lights mounted sloppily on the walls of the room. The room was a previously unused storage space, and was transformed into a mini-laboratory the previous day. A desk with a computer was to the left and two large pods were braced against the wall on the right. It was in the center, atop a white operating table, where the robot the Doctor had praised so much was located. He approached the table and set his hands on the operating table, leaning forwards to get the best view of the robot.
He then decided the Doctor was full of shit.
The robot looked like something out of LEGO or a child's drawing done in kindergarten. The robot was devoid of any advanced features, or any for that matter. The head was a smooth sphere atop a small pin that connected it to the main body. The neck was stuck into a wide, but narrow torso that curved inwards into about the same width as the neck piece. So, more akin to a toothpick than a real torso. A strange red U was put into the chest, with the U connecting to the top between the neck and the shoulders. The arms and legs were not any better, looking like they were snapped on like a Bionicle. The robot did not even have a hand, it had a fist with lines drawn on it to make it look like a fist. This robot looked flimsy, poorly-constructed and purpose-less.
"Doctor. What is the meaning of-" He started to speak, only to be interrupted by a raucous laugh.
"Yes, I know Sir. Underwhelming, is it not? When the Forever Knights told me of the lengths they had to go to to procure these, I expected something more. That is why I did not inform you of these yesterday, I thought these had no real value to us. But the other night, I decided, on nothing more than a whim, to do some basic analysis of these robots. Imagine my surprise when I discovered what these unassuming robots hold inside their white exterior!" The Doctor rushed to the operating table, where one of the robot's arms had its white plating torn away, revealing what looked like black wires bunched to look like a human muscle. The individual wires were clumped in such a way that it replicated the human body's biceps.
"Sir, come here, and take a look-" Deciding to humor the doctor, He decided to get that closer look. He walked up to the Doctor, who had set up a small microscope that was placed to get a close look at the inner workings of the robot. He placed an eye to the scope, and the Doctor turned it on with a flick of a switch.
"-At this!"
His sight was immediately filled with images out of a middle school science class. Cells stacked against one another, each fulfilling it's duty to create a wall of an organ. A tube beside the wall of cells gave way to a flowing stream of blood cells, and moving the microscope showed the wall on the other side, with near identical properties to the wall seen before. It looked like a human's body.
But He was not looking at a human's body. He was looking at... a robots.
"Impossible!" He whispered, increasing the microscope's power to get an even closer look. Each cell was a small robot of its own, with these smaller robots performing designated tasks to continue the body's collective existence. The 'red blood cells' were small batteries, bringing power from the chest to the far away corners of the hands and feet. The organs were robots magnetized together to perform a single function. A closer look showed that even the DNA within the individual cells was robotic, with small lights flickering indicating a powered state.
"I couldn't believe my own eyes when I saw this last night Sir. I told myself that I was so tired my eyes were playing tricks on me, but nothing has ever fooled my eyes before. I spent all last night analysing this robot, and the sheer magnitude of this robot and the developmental process behind it still has not fully set in. Each cell, nay, strand of artificial DNA, was purposefully engineered for a self-sustaining body! The amount of effort, resources and time that must have gone into a single one of these! This robot was crafted literally cell-by-cell. We may be looking at the most advanced piece of technology ever to grace this planet." He was impressed. More than that really, this was something exceeding even His wildest dreams, and when you were as old as He was, that was no mean feat. Twisting a knob, He increased power to the scope to get a closer look at one of the artificial DNA strands.
Upon closer inspection, the DNA was indeed robotic in nature, but half was missing. To be expected; human DNA is often explained with a pairing analogy. This was different however. When looking closer, the strand seemed to be contorting, wriggling and adjusting itself as it floated through the artificial cell. Almost like it was expecting something to attach itself too, but could not accurately determine what it would be.
"Now, if you would back away for a moment, Sir." He obliged, lifting his head and taking a step back. The doctor fiddled with an additional wire he brought over, attaching it to the microscope. Hurrying over to the desk, the Doctor flipped a switch, activating a projector. A flickering screen appeared on one of the plain walls, showing a rough image of what He was looking at the moment before. The Doctor picked up a small syringe, and a maniacal grin grew on his face.
"You have seen nothing yet Sir! The true power of this robot will be revealed when I do this!" Plunging the syringe into the wire-muscles of the robot, the Doctor pushed the contents of the syringe into the machine. Switching from the operating table to the projection, He watched in fascination as red washed over the black and whites. Then he noticed the artificial DNA rushing over to collections of what was injected in. It was difficult to tell what was happening, as the microscope only showed so much. It was revealed soon enough, with a bright white flash coming from the robot itself.
After shielding His eyes, He waited a moment for the aftereffects of the flash to dissipate. When He finally looked back upon the robot, His body went slack in amazement. No longer was the arm of the robot metal and wiring, but, somehow, flesh? Smooth pale flesh with outlined bones and muscles existed where before there was only cold metal. The only thing that told Him that this was a robot was the fact that it was only the arm that was morphed. Despite that, the fact that this robot was able to transform itself from metal to flesh truly staggered Him. He knew other nations were continuing advancements in science, but this went beyond his imagination!
"As you can see Sir." The Doctor faced Him with that grin still plastered on his face. "This robot is somehow able to take imputed genetic material and undergo some sort of rapid metamorphosis to turn itself into what was injected. With the amount I used and with the restraint I put on it's shoulder, you saw only the arm transform and only for a few seconds. However, with time and preparations, I believe I can transform the entirety of the robot's body as well as greatly increase the duration!"
"This is truly an unprecedented development." He mused, rubbing his chin. "So you're telling me that this can replicate any genetic material one puts into it?"
"Oh, absolutely Sir! Why, it does not have to be human genetic material either! You saw the robot's interior: it's adaptable and ever-changing. What I put into it just now." The Doctor waved the empty syringe. "Was a blood sample of a quirkless test subject who failed in my previous experiments. The robot accepted basic human DNA, so it turned itself into a basic human arm. While I'm sure you need not be reminded Sir, we must consider that-" The Doctor's grin grew ear-to-ear, his eyes flashing with glee.
"-quirks are genetic in nature."
"'The next stage in Nomu development!'" He slowly began to piece together what the Doctor was proposing.
"Yes, yes! Imagine it Sir: the perfect army! Infinitely adaptable, completely merciless and all under your control. No longer will we be hampered by the need to provide Nomus with sustenance like nutrition or oxygen. No longer will we have to strategize what quirks to give them, only for Japan's near-infinite hero roster to exploit their weaknesses. Linked to your quirk, they will be able to change on the fly, adopting the perfect quirk for whatever hero they fight!"
"Linked? What do you mean Doctor?" He interjected.
"I took a look inside the head of the robot." The doctor scurried over to said head. "It appears that these robots have some sort of receptor built into their heads. We must remember that these are advanced robots, not humans. I hypothesize that these robots were not meant to have genetic material literally injected into them. I merely did it to show it's capabilities. Rather, a DNA signal of some kind is transmitted to them remotely, where their artificial DNA then morphs itself into whatever is broadcasted. I took a look at the receptor, and it is somewhat similar to what I have seen before but..."
"But what?" If He had eyebrows left he would be lifted one right now.
"It is far too advanced for me to figure out, I am sorry Sir. It is most similar to a cell phone receiver, as it is surprisingly small and compact. This leads me to believe that these robots were designed to accept signals from something equally small and compact." The Doctor then began to clutch his head in his hands. "No device could possibly store genetic information while being able to broadcast it all the while being portable, is it? What hand-held device could possibly fit that description and be feasible to produce?"
"Never mind that Doctor." He snapped the Doctor back to reality. "What is important right now is can you make this army a reality?"
The Doctor gave a deep sigh. "At the moment Sir, no. As much as I loathe to admit my own shortcomings, it is too obvious here to ignore. My field of study is biology; the study of quirks to be precise. I can create artificial beings like the Nomu with little effort as well as monitor your unique health condition."
"But this?" The Doctor gestured to the robot. "This is engineering on a level I have never seen before. I can only complete half of what is needed to make this dream a reality. Not to mention that I significantly damaged this robot during it's autopsy, leaving us with only 2 fresh ones left. I can not accomplish this task with my current skill set. I am sorry Sir."
"So what you are saying is." He hummed. "We need to find your equal in engineering? Someone with technological smarts to match your quirk smarts? If we were to acquire such an individual, could this army of yours become real?"
"W-well, yes, I suppose that is what I am saying." The Doctor hung his head. "But there is not one person who is that smart that is also open to working with our organization! The only two I can think of are the hero Powerloader and the UA principal Nezu! Both of which are established staff of UA, and would never work with us. Even if we somehow captured one or both of them, we could not get them to work. We also could not trust what they put out even if we could coerce them to work!"
He let out a laugh. "Perhaps you should stop looking for someone with intelligence or an intelligence quirk and start looking for someone with a quirk that works with technology Doctor."
"But Sir, there exists no such quirk!" The Doctor's hand reappeared on his head, his knuckles white with frustration.
"True. In Japan, no one in this country has what we seek. But beyond these borders? Well, there is an untapped market just begging to be utilized." Ignoring the Doctor's gasp of realization, He began to recall just exactly what he wanted. The Osmosis quirk was what caught His eye originally, but it was not the only one. There was one other, a one-of-a-kind quirk that held unique and powerful properties. He put off acquiring the American quirks due to no pressing need at the time. That has changed.
"Doctor, contact Giran. Tell him that I need his forces to acquire a specific target and bring him to me alive. Tell him money is no object."
The Doctor quickly scrambled away, rushing to fulfill his command. He strode over to the operating table and brushed a gnarled hand over the smooth surface of the robot.
"Bioid." He whispered. "That is what I will call you. A robot that transforms itself based on biological input. And the future of the League."