A Tarnished Hero

Chapter 25: Gathering Shadows

Izuku led the students of class 1-B into Ground Beta, the students following him like sheep to its shepherd. He ignored the murmuring coming from behind, his mind already used to it from the various physical training sessions he'd held with them.

He was well aware that he was being talked about behind his back, some of which included the use of derogatory terms. Well, let them. It's not like it could hurt him or anything. Plus, he could get back at them with the tortu- training he was about to commit. Discipline is an important factor for heroes, after all.

"Alright." Izuku suddenly stopped, causing the students behind him to stop in their tracks, their whispers dying down as only the howling wind was left roaring in the area. "So, anybody here have any idea what we're gonna do today?"

None of them raised a hand for a few seconds. Izuku waited until somebody did so, and he wouldn't continue until someone did. Initiative is also a valuable trait in the hero business, and pussyfooting was frowned upon by the majority of the veterans. At least, those still alive to enjoy the gift that was life.

It only took about half a minute of awkward silence before somebody raised their hand. She had orange hair and teal-colored eyes, face morphed into one that radiated determination. Acknowledging the girl, she lowered her hand and stood at attention.

"Sir, will we be conducting urban warfare?" A grin floated up Izuku's face.

"What else can we do in this concrete jungle?" He gestured towards the buildings scattered around the area. "But with a twist. You already know how sneaky villains are, or did you forget the time where you all... I dunno... cried for dear ol' mama and papa while cradling yourself with a thumb up your mouth?"

At the sudden jab, some of the students winced, specifically, those that had the fortune, or misfortune in their case, to go against him as a demonstration a week ago. It was fun traumatizing teens, and it gave them a healthy dose of fear of being put in the same situation they found themselves with him.

"Now, you're all gonna have turns doing it yourself." Izuku grabbed a box that he had placed here just a few hours ago in preparation for the test he was going to conduct. "Each one of you take a piece of paper from this here box, and we'll move onto the next phase."

Immediately, the students formed a single file line, none of them pushing against each other or bumping into each other like mad dogs in a cage – or just human beings in general in a supermarket. They already knew what it was like to get chewed out by him, and Izuku knew they all felt that way.

Perks for being feared, but they can't argue he brought results to the table. Already, they were being shown comparable to their sister class, even with less real-life experience. The Sports Festival was just a few days away, and they were doggedly chasing after them, trying to prove themselves that they were their equals, or their superiors.

Must've hurt that the news always kept on talking about class 1-A, leaving class 1-B forgotten on the wayside, but that was a minor problem. They still had those rose-tinted glasses on their eyes, so whenever they saw their sister class, all they saw was the fact that they got to fight villains.

They didn't take into consideration that they could've lost their lives, and Izuku tried to ram this thought into those stubborn little heads of theirs, but sadly, his words fell on deaf ears. So, all he could do was make sure that they were ready when shit hits the fan.

Once the last student quietly took their slip of paper, noting that it was the pony girl, horns, hooves, and the likes, Izuku tossed the box away like it was worth nothing.

"Okay, those with red colored slips, raise them in the air." Four students raised their hands, and Izuku had to stifle a laugh. Fate worked in mysterious ways, it seemed. "Step forward."