Lightning - My Hero Academia

Chapter 26: Harsh Words

"Hmm? Is class over already?" Aizawa mumbled as the school bell rang, waking him up from his nap.

"Yeah, man! All the pipsqueaks just had their hero names approved! I took the liberty of writing them all down for you, because I'm super cool and helpful." Present Mic said, holding a piece of paper out to him.

"Thank you for your assistance today," Aizawa said, standing up and taking the paper. "Alright, students. Class is dismissed for the day. Miss White, please stay behind. We have something to discuss." He instructed.

With that, all of the students started to get up, grabbing their things and making their way out. As Ako made his way out, Aya and Cain came around to meet up with him.

"Hey, Ako! That was a fun class session today, huh?" Aya chuckled.

"Yeah, it was. It was funny seeing everyone get all fired up like that." Ako said with a little smile.

"Yeah, even I got excited! I don't know, I guess things are feeling a lot more real now. Before it was always 'training, training, training', but now we're doing internships at actual agencies! This is our first real opportunity to start investing in our careers." Cain explained.

"Well somebody's thinking long-term. I'm impressed, Cain." Aya said with a smile.

"Heheh, well that's what it's all about in the end, right?"

"You're right!" Chikashi chimed in. He was talking to Lula by the door as Ako and the others stepped out of the classroom, "Sorry, didn't meant to insert myself, I just overheard." He quickly excused himself.

"You guys wanna go to the library with us?" Lula offered, "We're gonna start doing research and combing through our offers!"

"I'm down. I don't got any plans." Ako agreed.

"That sounds like a good idea! I can pick out ones that deal with lots of violent crime!" Cain said, clenching his fists in determination.

"That's intense." Aya giggled.

"Well let's get going." Chikashi said with a smile.

With that, the group of five started making their way towards the library. They went down the hall and around the corner. That's when Ako realized that he'd left his backpack in the classroom.

"Oh man! I left my stuff in the classroom! I better go before Mr. Aizawa locks up the room. I'll meet you guys there!" Ako said before quickly hurrying off.

"Make sure to excuse yourself when you get there! Mr. Aizawa always goes easier when you mind your manners!" Chikashi advised him before Ako went back around the corner.

"Got it! Thanks!" Ako said before returning to the classroom door.

As he approached it, he could hear Koko White inside, talking to Mr. Aizawa...

"...Mr. Aizawa, with all due respect, my actions were not laziness. They were purely a tactical decision." Koko stated.

"How does giving up without even trying to finish the first round fit into your definition of tactical?" Aizawa asked dryly.

"I could have easily solved that maze, but it wasn't about solving it. It was about solving it first. My skill set isn't up to that kind of task, not when I was being pitted up against the best quirks in UA. There was just no way," She said certainly.

"I could see that as soon as we were lowered into the labyrinth, and so I saw no reason to put effort into a pointless venture. There's no way I would have advanced." Koko explained her reasoning.

"That's not thinking like a hero. You threw away an opportunity to show what you're capable of. You're sharp enough to find another way. I've already seen that."

"When a pro hero doesn't have the right abilities to handle a specific situation, they hold the line until someone with the right quirk arrives on scene. That is what this translates to, sir." She explained.

"So you say, and yet you saw your classmates – Lia and Erena and Lula – they all advanced to the tournament despite not having the skills that you're talking about." Aizawa pointed out.

"I...was only thinking about what I was capable of. I never considered working with others, or coercing them like Lula did with Zachary." Koko admitted.

"Being a pro hero is not a solo act, Miss White. These classmates are your teammates. Even in competition, you all can come together towards a common goal. You may not have realized that then, but you need to realize it now.

"I'll be frank with you, the board nearly considered removing you from the hero program and letting Tanaka take your place." He revealed.

There was a moment of silence in the room...

"I belong here. I'll prove that." Koko said in a quiet voice.

"Good. I'll be watching you closely. If I see you show that kind of inaction again, you'll be switched out of 1-A and into class 1-F. I hear that the support class still has an opening." Aizawa said.

Before the conversation could continue any further, Ako knocked on the door. Mr. Aizawa and Koko both stopped talking and looked towards the door. Ako opened it and walked in, waving and quickly lowering his head.

"I apologize, Mr. Aizawa. I didn't mean to interrupt. I left my bag here." He said quickly.

"Get it and go, Mr. Tanaka." Mr. Aizawa said quickly.

"Yes, sir." Ako nodded and quickly went to the back of the classroom. He picked up his backpack and put it on as he made his way out of the room.

As he walked towards the door, he locked eyes with Koko for a few long, awkward moments. She looked frustrated and hurt, angry even. None of that was really directed towards him, he hoped, but it was hard to tell, considering how Mr. Aizawa had just brought his name into her predicament.

Without another word, Ako left the room and closed the door behind him. As he made his way towards the library, he couldn't help but feel bad for Koko. He hadn't seen her in action yet, but she seemed to be dealing with issues similar to his own.

"Man, UA is a lot harsher than I thought..." Ako thought to himself...