There And Back Again [Black Clover x BNHA]

Chapter Twenty-One

Putting all the mages into the teacher's lounge had probably not been Nezu's greatest idea. The bear-mouse creature sat in a chair, facing the two new mages who sat on the couch along with Asta and Noelle. Mimosa and Yuno stood off to the side, but remained within reach.

Wait.

Two new mages?

There should be three.

"I'm terribly sorry, but where did the third mage that came with you go." The principal asked, a kind smile on his face although there was slight worry in his eyes.

"Who?" Their leader said. "Oh. You mean Vanessa? No idea." He shrugged, becoming more comfortable on the couch. The other mages all looked at one another, confused as to where the pink-haired woman could've gone.

Before Nezu had a chance to ask again, a voice rang out from the back of the room.

"HEY GUYS! THEY GOT BOOZE BACK HERE I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!!!" Vanessa popped out of a side room, carrying two bottles in each hand. A large grin was on her face as she proudly sauntered towards the group.

"Finral, look at this!" The woman shoved one of the bottles into said mage's face, causing him to reel backa bit. "They definitely don't make this stuff back home! Wanna try it with me?!"

"How did you find my hidden stash?!" Nemuri cried, reaching to take the bottles away from the other woman. "Those are mine!"

Vanessa clutched them to her chest. "Not anymore they aren't!"

Nemuri and the other teachers looked at the mages on the couch, shock on their faces. The leader shrugged once more, uncaring to the situation playing out. When questioning looks were shot his way, he simply arched a brow.

"What? She's got some weird sixth sense for that sorta thing. Not my problem."

"Will everyone please focus on the problem at hand please." Nezu said, his demeanor calm but clearly agitated. The teachers and young mages quickly quieted down, while the newcomers just looked at him blankly.

"Now, let's start again. My name is Nezu and I am the principal of this school. Who are you, if you don't mind me asking." He placed his paws in his lap, hoping to have some cooperation. Sadly, he should've known better.

"Why should I give you my name, fur ball?" The leader said calmly, although his hand inched a bit closer to his katana. The young man next to him quickly looked over, panic in his eyes.

"C-Captain Yami!" He cried, waving his hands back and forth. "Y-You can't just call their leader that!"

"Shut it, Finral. I'll do what I want."

"Eep!"

"I'm Vanessa, and might I say, this is some wonderful tasting booze you got here." The woman answered, already halfway into her first bottle. "Those two idiots already revealed each other's names so that should make things easier, hehee."

Nezu felt his eye slightly twitch once more. Taking a deep breath before he lost his patience, he turned to the four teen mages he already knew.

"Would you four please leave the room for a bit?" Their eyes flashed briefly, and Nezu was quick to reassure them. "Don't worry, nothing is going to happen. I'd just like to speak to them alone for now if that's alright. You can see them again once it's done. Shouldn't take very long, promise."

Wary, the four mages quietly left the room until only the new ones remained. Aizawa stepped forward along with a few of the other mages. The mood in the room instantly became more tense. Yami was the first to speak.

"How the hell did we get here? I don't care what the Vermillion chick said, I want to hear your side of it."

"Only if you tell us what brought you here in the first place as well." Aizawa countered, arms crossed over his chest. "We already know how the children arrived, but I have a feeling that it wasn't the same as you."

Finral sighed before interjecting, wanting to stop Yami from making some cruel remark.

"There was a multitude of portals that appeared around us, flickering in and out of existence. Whenever we approached one, it disappeared. After awhile, the Captain used one of his spells to essentially break a portal, and when we looked through it, we were thrown here." The teacher's nodded, all seeming to be deep in thought.

"We aren't sure yet why you were brought here," Aizawa started, dropping his arms and putting them in his pockets, "But we have been keeping the children safe. I, personally, can promise you that. There's only been one incident with Asta, but even then he won't tell us what went wrong. Everything else has been covered up with a story, which we'll now have to make for you as well."

"What happened to Asta?" Vanessa asked, placing her bottles in her lap. Finral and Yami were also tense at her side.

"Not sure. He avoided most of what I asked, but we'll all be keeping a closer eye on him and the others. They all seem to have something bottled up inside after all." He gave a pointed look at the three mages on the couch, but they kept their silence.

"It doesn't matter where they came from," Yami cooly answered, although his eyes flashed with suppressed anger, "They're Magic Knights and we're taking care of them. That's all you need to know."

"I actually have a question about that." Hizashi asked, noticing the tension rising. "Clearly you're all part of the Black Bulls or whatever, but Mimosa and Yuno aren't. So how do you know them, and we know you won't hurt them?"

"They're children. Do you really think we'd ever hurt our own Magic Knights like that, even if we aren't in the same squad?" Pink thread crept over Vanessa's shoulders, her eyes narrowed.

"Besides, all the squads do occasional joint missions with one another. And Noelle and Mimosa are cousins, while Yuno and Asta grew up together. We wouldn't hurt their family like that." Finral finished, hand flexing at his side, as if making little portals.

Hizashi put his hands up in front of him, surrendering. "I wasn't accusing you of anything. Just have to make sure is all."

"For now, I think this is enough." Nezu said, clapping his paws together. "We'll deal with housing later as we have to figure out where to put you, but I think you should go with the mages back to 1-A's dorms and join them for dinner. We'll swing by and let you know what we plan for tomorrow as well. That is all."

Aizawa headed to the door, the three mages standing up to follow. Once they exited the lounge, the rest of the teachers slumped to the ground.

"That Captain of theirs is terrifying." Hizashi said, throwing an arm over his face.

"That damned woman took my secret stash of alcohol!" Nemuri complained.

"I'm both eager yet scared of seeing them fight." Sekijiro commented, glancing at the door they left through. "Although I do pity poor Aizawa."

There was a hum of agreement around the room, and on the path to the 1-A dorms, the erasure hero sneezed.

Press F for respect for Aizawa.

~Zelinith