Sounds Like a Hero

Ch 32 - Sounds Like a Statement

Despite all the flack she gave Bakugo on his volume control...Despite her sensitivity to sound...Neon was hating the quiet around her at school. Everything was too still. Her phone wasn't moving. No one called or messaged her with an update. She had been gone from the hospital and in the safe confines of UA for almost 24 hours now and she still had not gotten word about anyone. Was Midoriya awake? Was he okay?

What about Todoroki?

He didn't look like he wanted to talk at the hospital so she didn't pursue it but she knew he must be feeling some type of way with Bakugo being taken right in front of him.

Neon took a deep breath and then looked at her reflection in a mirror in the girl's locker room. She straightened up her uniform and waited. A drippy faucet in the sink next to her was the only thing making noise and the hollow sounds of water droplets hitting hard porcelain punctuated the otherwise stale air.

It was much too quiet.

Finally, her reprieve came when Midnight entered through the door. "Ready, Nagano-chan?" she asked.

Neon nodded but then waved a hand across her outfit and rasped out a simple, "Why?"

Midnight smiled and gestured to the still opened door. "Principal Nezu and Eraser Head will explain it all to you. Come on. Let's go back to the teacher's lounge."

Neon nodded again and grabbed her crutches. She quietly followed Midnight and Cementoss back to the teacher's lounge where they had all stayed when she arrived from the hospital. The armed policemen that came with her guarded the front gates of the school but it was mostly for formality. The campus had upped their security measures even more than usual but even without the principal's assurance, Neon already knew she was safe. After all, the League of Villains had always waited for the students to be outside of school grounds to make their move. There had to be a reason for that.

When they entered the lounge, the principal sat on one of the couches with the homeroom teachers of class 1-A and 1-B sitting on either side of him. All three wore black suits and Aizawa even had his hair mostly combed back. Only Principal Nezu smiled upon Neon entering the room while Eraser Head solemnly gestured for her to take a seat on the empty couch opposite them.

"Who died?" Neon croaked, half-joking but also partially worried that was indeed what their attire was for.

"No one...We are dressed this way and have asked you to do so because...unfortunately, we have to appear in front of the media...and issue a press conference" her homeroom teacher said. Neon grimaced and Eraser Head nodded, "Our feelings on the matter are mutual. However, there is no way around it. The public is demanding answers and-"

"Why can't we wait until we get Nois- I mean, Bakugo back?" Neon asked, "And why do I have to do this too?"

"Have you ever seen a duck swimming in the water, Neon-chan?" Principal Nezu asked back instead but did not wait for an answer, "On the surface, they seem to glide through the water like a hot knife on butter but underneath it all...their legs are paddling strongly and quickly to move them forward."

There was a long pause. Both homeroom teachers shared a look over the principal's head. Blood Hero: Vlad King turned to Neon and opened his mouth but then she raised a hand. "It's okay, Kan Sensei...I've had enough conversations with Principal Nezu to understand. This isn't just to address the public. We're doing this to help get Bakugo back in some way, isn't it? A distraction?"

"Indeed, Neon-chan. We have been asked by Detective Tsukauchi to do this in time for tonight's evening news," Prinicpal Nezu said, "It is so that the League of Villains will watch and be under the impression that we are taking action but not getting as close to them as we actually are."