The Emperor's Dragon II

Complications of the Quirk

While they were in different classes, Shouto had seen the look Momo gave him this morning. She knew he hadn't told anyone that his quirk was back and was disappointed, and so today, at homeroom, he'd asked Aizawa to wait after class.

The underground hero had given him a look that spoke volumes but had nodded. Now Shouto was disappointed in himself that he hadn't had the courage to just show his teacher this morning what had happened. Then things would be over with already.

The yellow caterpillar that was his homeroom teacher crawled into the room and Aizawa's face appeared at the opening of the sleeping bag. "What did you want, Todoroki?" he asked.

Shouto could hear a slight note of annoyance in his voice. He recognised the tone since his father used it often enough.

"I have something to tell you," Shouto said.

That seemed to gain Aizawa's interest. "You've made a decision about the special course?" the underground hero asked. All those who had their quirk taken - Bakugou, Kirishima, Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, Iida and himself - had been given time to make a choice of if they remained in the Hero course, and try to become the first quirkless heroes, or if they would withdraw and go into General Studies, Support or Management. The Principal had made it clear he would make space in any of those courses for them.

Bakugou had announced he would continue in the hero course even before Nezu had finished explaining the options to them. The others had taken the time to think. Kirishima had decided to continue in heroics, though he admitted it would be far more difficult now. Iida stated that he had to maintain the family business, and so would continue in heroics. The three of them would participate in the special course Nezu had recently mentioned. Yaoyozoru had bowed to the pressure of her parents and accepted a place in the management course and Kaminari had decided to continue at UA but in General Studies. He was reliant on his quirk, and continuing as a hero, without it did not seem to be right for him.

Shouto was continuing in Heroics. He had no choice in the matter. While initially Endeavor had been angry, he had eventually dismissed the loss of his quirk as temporary. Izuku Midoriya would be captured, and forced to give it back and that would be that. It was sometimes interesting how like his father Bakugou was since that was his determination of the situation as well.

"Not, exactly Sir," Shouto replied before he shook his head. There was no easy way to say it, so instead he raised both hands and let a tongue of fire dance on his palm, while he formed a block of ice on his other.

It was fair to say that Aizawa had been expecting something far more mundane from the request by the way his eyes shot open. He scrambled to his feet as Shouto let his quirk fade.

For a few moments Aizawa just stared at him and then he sighed heavily. "Come with me," he ordered in a tone that brooked no disobedience. It was kind of impressive how quickly his homeroom teacher squirmed out of his sleeping bag and stalked out of the classroom.

Shouto followed compliantly. Now that he'd shown his homeroom teacher he had no choice but to go through with telling others. Aizawa didn't lead them to the Teacher's Lounge, instead he took them a level higher.

He'd never been in this area. It looked like a corporate setting but then Shouto realised it was probably where Nezu had his office. Having the Teacher's Lounge on the lower level meant that students had to go through there first so wouldn't come up here.

Aizawa led them to a door that didn't seem different from any other. He tapped on the door and then went straight in. Shouto followed and it was only once he entered the room that Shouto realised it had to be the Principal's office.

There was a coffee table and a couch at the entrance but behind that was a desk. Nezu was almost lost in the chair that was behind it. The window was behind him. Shouto noticed that one wall was covered in bookshelves, and the other was cupboards. He wondered briefly what was in them but recognised that thought was his mind trying to delay.