The King is Dead

Everyday is New

"Do you have your bracers?"

Shouto nods, slipping his sneakers on. He's always felt more comfortable with his sneakers rather than the school loafers. Much easier to run if someone comes after you.

Hizashi fixes his tie. "What about your new cleats? You'll need them."

Shouto nods again. He's not in a talking mood, waking up from a nightmare so bad you thought you would die always tends to throw him off a bit.

"Hizashi, he's fine. We packed everything last night. We've checked four times since then. If he forgets anything we'll bring it to him. Easy fix." Aizawa wraps his scarf around his neck, stuffing a hand in his pocket. "He will be fine, it's you I'm more worried about." He eyes Hizashi up and down, taking in the frizzed, unwashed hair and crooked glasses. "Go shower or something, make yourself useful."

"Can't you at least pretend to care? We both know you do."

Aizawa bites back a curse and sighs. "Let's go. Don't wanna be late."

Shouto nods. "Goodbye, Hizashi."

Hizashi practically has tears in his eyes. "Todoroki?" He wipes at an eye. "Can I hug you?"

Shouto looks troubled, and Hizashi is about to take it back but then Shouto is nodding unsurely. Hizashi carefully wraps his arms around the boy, he's stiff and uncomfortable but it's high time Shouto gets used to this sort of affection.

They part from the one-sided hug and Hizashi ruffles Shouto's hair. "Have fun and don't start too much trouble. Got it?" Shouto nods and then Aizawa herds him out the door before Hizashi can start worrying again.

Shouto is silent the entire ride there. No music plays, Aizawa just drives and keeps himself from falling asleep. There aren't any protesters out today, it looks like it might rain so they're probably avoiding that.

The train station isn't busy. Shouto can't see any classmates yet, but he probably wouldn't recognize all of them, and not to mention the invisible girl he nearly froze at the USJ. He can't believe that's one of the only memorable moments he has with a classmate.

When they walk out, Aizawa leads him to a bench near the station building. Here's hoping that nobody sees his vibrant hair and starts a crowd.

"Remember that your only job is to do what Mt. Lady and her sidekicks say." Aizawa reminds. "And the only way we got the commission to agree to this is because she offered up a sidekick to watch you at all times. Don't make their job any harder than it has to be."

Todoroki nods. "At all times."

Aizawa rests his eyes after that. Todoroki wonders if he's going to be working with any of his classmates. It wouldn't be ideal. Might even be embarrassing that he has to have a hero babysit him all the time but they just want to make sure nobody else is murdered. Makes sense.

"Aizawa-Sensei!"

Iida is walking squarely over to their spot on the bench. He offers a bow to Aizawa and an unsure glance to Todoroki before sitting on the other side of the teacher. Todoroki looks down at the cement under his sneakers, he wishes his class would at least stop the staring. He doesn't care if they continue to hate him. He just wants them to leave him alone completely. Pretend he isn't even there.

More of the class joins them at the bench and when Aizawa stands, Todoroki realizes all twenty of them are here. Everyone dressed the same with their suitcases in hand. These are overnight internships- they won't be returning home until they're over. Todoroki can only pray he won't have nightmares in the barracks of Mt. Lady's agency building.