Chapter Text
Shouta isn’t sure what he was expecting when he walked into the staff room for a sudden meeting set by Nedzu, but it certainly wasn’t this.
“I’m sorry you want to revive the Civil War assignment?” Shouta asks as he sits down between Nemuri and Hizashi who look equally unhappy about the idea.
“I know the three of you have your own reasons for disliking the Civil War assignment. But with villains like Stain, All For One, and Shigaraki I think it is important for the students to understand all of the aspects of heroics this assignment teaches,” Nedzu says. Shouta wants to say no. He wants to say that he won’t make his students take part in this assignment. It had been one of the few things to get to Shirakumo.
“Let's say you understand that reasoning. How do we keep the kids on track? How do we keep this from breaking them?” Hizashi says.
“We let them recruit two teachers.”
“You want to give them two pro heroes. The hero team is immediately going to go to Ectoplasm and from there it’s over,” Nemuri says.
“Certain teachers will be sitting out. Ectoplasm, Snipe, All Might, myself and any other teacher who wishes to. You also have the ability to turn your recruitment into a lesson, have them meet a certain condition or have them convince you their side is right or the other side is wrong. Have fun with it. The teachers will have to follow the orders of the student leader and anyone they put in charge in their absence.”
“What about helping them meet the requirements?” Nemuri asks.
“The students must make a mistake and realize the mistake with applicable consequences. Much like when your year did it, Kayama,” Nedzu says.
“So we’re all gonna be the backup band for the kids?” Zashi says.
“Exactly. You’ll be there to provide experience and advice when asked and also fill out the ranks of the students.” Nedzu says.
“And to make sure none of them take their roles too close to heart. Specifically the villain team,” Nedzu says.
“Okay and what about some of the objectives? Those were a lot from what I can remember,” Hizashi says. Shouta sighs, they had been. Hizashi had been on the hero team but Shouta had told him what some of those objectives had been.
“I have kept more of the more mundane ones. I added a few more that required a bit more creativity. I did take out a few of the old objectives to make room for those but most of them are still there but optional due to the more achievable ones.”
“I will be having weekly therapy sessions with each student on the teams to make sure they are handling things in a healthy way,” Hounddog says.
“If a teacher feels a student might need to be removed from the assignment for any reason they must confer with the other teacher on their team if there is one, or with the main booth if there is agreement or a majority then that student will be removed with no penalty to them.”
“With all that settled I supposed it is time to decide the leaders of the two teams,” Nedzu says.
“Who should we decide on first?” Snipe asks.
“I believe I already have my choice. All Might does as well.” Nedzu says.
“You want Midoriya to be the leader of the heroes?” Nemuri asks.
“Not quite. While I believe Young Midoriya would excel in leading a hero team, I believe that playing the head of the villains would allow him to use and nurture his less used skills that I do not have the knowledge to encourage properly.” All Might, who has been quiet up till now, says.
“You want that small broccoli child to play the villain?” Nemuri asks.
“Young Midoriya might be kind and have the heart of a hero, but he is also calculating and he can analyze a situation faster than anyone I have met aside from…from Sir Nighteye. If the idea of the two of them together hadn't filled me with a deep sense of fear I would have introduced them before work study to gain help training him. I think the two of them would have done amazing things, terrifying but amazing things.” All Might says and you can hear the mourning in his voice.
No hero should outlive their sidekick. Doesn’t matter how old they both are.
“But he’s so nice,” Nemuri says when the respectful silence goes too long.
“I, for one, want to see what the kid can do. See what lies beneath that smile," Hizashi says and Shouta pauses from where he's about to throw his own vote against the problem child. He knows Hizashi as well as he knows himself, as well as he knows Nemuri…as well as he knows…knew…nevermind. But he didn’t always. There was a time long ago when he thought Hizashi was an idiot with a flashy quirk. But once he made friends with the man and realized that the mind of a strategist lived under the surface. His husband is smarter than anyone Shouta knows aside from Nedzu and that was a quirk.
But no one would ever know by just looking at the jovial blonde.
“I’ll give him my vote. Let’s see what the problem child can do. If nothing else it will be funny,” Shouta says with a shrug.
After that a few more teachers give the green light.
“Good. We have our villain team leader. Now for the hero team,” Nedzu says.
“Who would be a good leader for the heroes?” Snipe asks.
“It has to be someone who has shown leadership ability or the general ability to lead.”
“I hate to be the one to recommend it but Bakugou?” Thirteen says hesitantly.
“No. Anything with them on opposite sides is going to be a mess,” Shouta says.
“As much change as I have seen in Young Bakugou I do not believe that he is ready for a position in leadership. He is far too hot headed and brash to be a leader for now. Especially when he is still going against Young Midoriya,” All Might says.
“Okay. What about Asui? She might benefit from the opportunity to show her leadership skills.”
“She prefers Tsu,” Hizashi and Shouta say at the same time.
“And the two of you try to pretend you aren’t married,” Nemuri teases them. Snipe huffs. Shouta grins. He had the man convinced the two of them were mortal enemies when he had started here. Until the marksman had caught the two of them celebrating their anniversary. Now Nemuri never lets the man forget it.
“I don’t know. I am sure young As…Tsu would be an excellent leader. I fear getting the other students to follow her will prove difficult. Especially young Bakugou.”
“So what you are saying is that it can’t be anyone from Midoriya’s group of close friends.”
“Unfortunately not. There would be a lack of trust.”
“What about Kirishima? He has shown an excellent ability to gather people together and leadership and delegation when it matters.”
“It might also be the only leader Young Bakugou would accept aside from himself.”
“Yeah but Kirishima is a bit blind when it comes to Bakugou.”
“This might flip the dynamic enough to help both of them.” Snipe points out.
“Plus I can see him not taking anything Midoriya might do during this exercise personally and that’s something they’ll both need.” Ectoplasm says.
“What about participants who are injured but not enough to be dead?” Recovery girl says using air quotes.
“Hero wide will have to call you and arrange a visit. Villains will make do with whatever they can scrape together.” Nedzu says.
“That seems accurate but worrisome.”
“Is Class B taking part in this?”
“Yes. However we will give Class 1-A a chance to recruit them. Then they will have the option to join.”
“Monoma is going to be insufferable.”
“I know.”
Shouta sighs as more and more of the intricacies get discussed.
He doesn’t know how he feels about all this after all this time. But if it’ll help prepare the kids for the real world then he will do it.
Anything to prevent another hero student dying.