My Hero Academia: EMTs

Negotiations

Henry:

I actually like suites. Really, I like dressing up, period. It makes me feel important and just a tad more confident. When Charles made me practice business meetings with him, I always wore a well-tailored suit. The fitting process was a chore, but I liked how I looked when it was done.

Here I stand in the hall outside the office of principal Nezu himself, the man... creature?... who runs the entire school. This is the boss of UA. I'm dressed in a nice baby blue suit to emphasize feelings of innocence, while my tie is pink to give the ensemble a nice pop. My briefcase is a light gray. The Yamadas went all out to get me an interview with Nezu, and I SO appreciate it. Clothes can be a tremendous part of professional presentation, and I don't want to ask for entry into a prestigious school in my street clothes.

My nerves are on edge. Hizashi offered to help me present my case, but I can't shake the feeling that needing someone to hold my hand or direct my speech will only add a layer of inauthenticity. I have to remember the strategies that Charles taught me—at least at the negotiation table.

A soft adult voice calls me into the office... here goes...

I step into a surprisingly spacious office. The floor is a laminate green, the walls are white, on my right is a gray closet, and on my left is a metal bookshelf with alphabetized books of nearly uniform height. In the middle of the room is a rigid-looking dark wood desk, and behind the desk is a large black swivel chair facing away from me. The office looks over the city of Musutafu through a huge window that almost takes up the entire wall past the chair. It's an arrangement that exudes organization, structure, and a sense of responsibility as you overlook the city. I was told the principal is a nice person, but this is more than a little intimidating, to be honest.

The chair swivels around, and... oh crap. Why?

This big, imposing office and the guy running it is a heteromorph that looks like a white, anthropomorphic cartoon mouse from a children's show—complete with cute paws and a well-made suit that only worsens the effect. Don't laugh, don't even chuckle, you idiot!

I stand for a second, trying to force myself not to cringe as the mouse man puts his chin on his hand. "Go ahead, have a reaction- it's actually worse if you just stand there stifling it. I'm honestly not offended," he says. I finally give in to a slight chuckle. "There, see? It's fine. And honestly, I feel like laughing a little myself. Your outfit makes you kind of adorable, considering your age. Almost like you're trying too hard to seem like a man." My shoulders slump a little when he says that. "Don't take that the wrong way; the effort is appreciated, I assure you. Had you come in here with street clothes, I would likely have thrown you out without another word." I freeze at that statement. "Yes... about what I expected. Now that we understand how strict I plan on being- go ahead and explain why you believe I should accept two middle school convicts into the most prestigious high school in the county- mid-session, no less. This doesn't happen often, and I don't intend to make it a habit."

I swallow, then bow politely. He nods and waves to a seat in front of his desk. When I sit down, suddenly, he's not so cute. He's huge—at least in my eyes if not in reality. He's the person who holds my future in his hands.

He begins the talk by saying, "There are a few things I want to clarify, Mr. Yamada. First, I will not refer to you as Miles out of respect for my friend Hizashi—does this bother you?"

"I would actually prefer Yamada, sir. Miles wasn't a good father." I say, folding my hands, confident in at least that statement.

"Good. Next, I am aware of the dire nature of your situation. UA has allowed children to take refuge in its halls before; it's not unheard of. However, in your case, there are complications. One, until Hizashi took you in, UA had no real interest in your case; second, and more importantly, your criminal status will bring unwelcome scrutiny to the school. We have an eight-year-old girl who lives in the dorms right now to shelter from the Yakuza, but she is innocent, and no one questions her presence because she constitutes no threat. We even have a middle school girl who is also sheltering with us because brutal experiments brought out a quirk enhancement in her that many nefarious agents may want access to. However, she too is innocent, so her presence is taken strictly as us being charitable and heroic. In your case, you are related by adoption to one of the most dangerous men in the country, and you are a known criminal," He then takes a small pack of playing cards out of his desk and shuffles through it until he produces a card. "Look familiar?"