Powerless - A My Hero Academia/ DC Crossover

Chapter 11: Combat Training

All Might held the old red hero costume that marked his Silver Age period. It was time for him to teach his first class. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little nervous. He always had imagined that he would be a good teacher, but in light of recent events with Midoriya and Batman, now he wasn't so sure.

He was going to be teaching combat training to the class of 1-A. The prospect was daunting to him, especially with Midoriya. He saw his performance in the exam and the Gauntlet, but fighting against machines was very different from fighting against a living person. He had to be sure that things didn't get out of hand. He especially wanted to make sure that Midoriya didn't get hurt.

But there was also a part of him that was excited to see what else Midoriya was capable of.

Since his performance in the gauntlet, Izuku had become quite popular with class 1-A. He had already made some friends, especially with Iida. Despite their animosity when they first met, Izuku found that he was a passionate, helpful and considerate person at heart. He looked up to his brother, the hero Ingenium, and wanted to live up to his legacy, something Izuku respected.

All of the students of class 1-A had great quirks, and Izuku could immediately see why they were chosen for the hero program. He made it a point to study all of their quirks, strengths and weaknesses. Batman had lectured Izuku intensely on the importance of knowing the full extent of a subject's ability, even if that subject is your ally.

"Allegiances are never set in stone," Batman had said. "At any time, any given moment, your ally could become your enemy. Knowing what they can do and how to bring them down could be the difference between lives saved and lives lost."

It had been a hard lesson to learn at first. He idolized the hero community, and to think that any one of them could turn rogue was a frightening thought.

Conversely, word had spread quickly throughout the school that UA had accepted its first quirkless student. Izuku would receive awkward glances and conversations would hush as he passed them. On occasion, he could hear their whispered conversations:

"Is that him?"

"That's him, the quirkless kid."

"How did he even get in?"

"I hear he was sponsored."

"No, he passed the entrance exam. They say he took down the zero-pointer."

" No way! "

"Some of the students from class 1-A say he even passed The Gauntlet."

"Aizawa's student crusher? I don't believe it."

"I guess we'll see how long he lasts."

Izuku had grown used to the attention, but still found it annoying. But he wouldn't let it distract him. He had to remain focused if he wanted to surpass them.

Back in class 1-A, Izuku was going over his notebook silently to himself when -

"I AM HERE!" A voice shouted into the classroom. Izuku jumped to see All Might, in full hero form, dramatically posing in the doorway. "Coming through the door like a hero!"

The class gazed in awe and wonder as All Might marched to the front of the room. They were chatting to each other, excited that All Might was teaching here, amazed and star struck that they could see the number one hero in person.

Izuku's face remained passive, but his stomach was churning into knots. It had been over ten months since their meeting on the rooftop. Despite his appearance now, in his mind's eye, Izuku could see through it to the thin, sickly character underneath. Izuku had completely disavowed the hero after their meeting, and seeing him in person again brought back unpleasant memories: the sludge monster, his dream dying, and worst of all, Kacchan. When All Might got to the front of the room, his shadowy eyes seemed to focus squarely on Izuku, who simply returned to his notebook as if he noticed nothing.