MHA: Hands on, Quirks Up!

[Principal Nezu]

Perched neatly on Vlad King's shoulder, Nezu's nose twitched against the wind, his small frame unshaken by the speed of their advance. 

A brisk ride toward chaos and calamity! Ah, how delightfully dramatic.

They were en route to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint—the USJ, as the students so affectionately abbreviated it—though frankly, Nezu preferred the longer version. It had flair. It sang. A simulation of the unpredictable! A facility designed to prepare future heroes for the unknown.

And today, it had lived up to its name a bit too literally.

When Iida Tenya had burst into his office—face pale, limbs stiff with urgency, and stammering through protocol—Nezu had blinked once, then calmly set his tea down.

Was he surprised? No.

Shocked? Not quite.

No, annoyed was the proper word. Yes. Mildly perturbed. He had suspected for some time that the break-in by those pesky reporters had not been a random incident, but rather a trial run. And he had sensed it, noted it, even penned it into his observation log with a tiny frowning face drawn in the corner.

And yet, everything still fell into disarray.

That was the annoying part.

Eventually, their convoy met the Class 1-A bus. Two unconscious teachers and nineteen shaken students. One conspicuously absent. It took less than a second for Nezu to tally the emotional damage.

Pale faces. Twitching fingers. A few were trembling, not just with fear, but with the aftershock of adrenaline.

He waved his paw with urgency, halting their recounting of events. "Later, students! Heroics first, statements after! Midnight, would you do me the favor of escorting these brave students back to Recovery Girl?"

Midnight had offered a playful salute. Heels clicked, whip coiled, but her tone was undeniably gentle. A comforting contradiction. Her reputation often preceded her, but people underestimated how disarming she could be.

And so their journey continued, into the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!

Nezu atop his noble steed, wind in his whiskers. 

But just before entering, they were met with an anomaly. A stray figure, leaning against a wall just outside the USJ.

A student.

Ah.

He turned to the rest of the staff.

"Please go on ahead and support All Might; he's already reached his time limit today." He hopped down from Vlad King's shoulder, landing without a sound. "Our brave student at the end of a battle is likely the one with the most insight to offer."

Nezu approached the lone student calmly while the rest of the heroes moved forward.

"Oh-ho! Look at you!" Nezu called with his usual cheer, tilting his head as he approached. "It's me, Nezu! The one who might be a dog, a mouse, or perhaps even a bear! But far more importantly..." He stopped just short of Henshin and stood up straighter, brushing imaginary dust from his vest. "I'm your principal!"

Henshin blinked. He didn't seem startled, but not quite present, either. His eyes were unfocused, distant, as though still hearing echoes from inside the building. Slowly, he dipped his head in acknowledgment.

"Oh. Hello, Principal. I'm glad the heroes arrived, but… well, it might not be necessary anymore. All Might's already inside."

Nezu supposed that since a student wouldn't know about All Might's condition, it would be natural for them to assume everything would be fine. An innocent assumption, comforting in its simplicity. Misguided, perhaps, but forgivable.

"Ah, yes, the cavalry charges in!" He replied cheerfully. "But I'm not here for the final blow. I'm here for you."

Henshin didn't respond at first.

"Are you okay, Henshin-kun?" He asked, with a softness that cut through the cheer.

Henshin inhaled slowly. His voice was flat, perhaps a little too calm. "Yeah. I am."

Nezu's eyes deliberately flicked down, to the splashes of blood on Kyūta's pants. His gaze lingered for a beat, then rose again without comment.

Henshin caught the glance and gestured vaguely. "Oh, that? It's fine. I picked up a regeneration quirk from one of the villains inside. I might've taken a hit, but I healed it."

"Ah, truly a resourceful student," Nezu mused. "You've demonstrated impressive initiative under fire. I daresay, you may already be well on your way to becoming a fine hero."

Henshin offered a practiced smile. "That's the goal. It's why I'm here, after all."

Nezu's expression softened. "Indeed, you've done well, Henshin-kun. You protected your class and stalled the villains. That's no small feat. But you seem a bit... dazed. If you'd like to talk, I'm quite good at listening."

Henshin was silent for a moment.

"…I guess it was just really close," he said. "If they hadn't played around so much… it would've been over. You know, there was this one absurdly strong villain. I fought it for a while, but I couldn't really do anything. All Might saved me the moment he showed up."

Nezu nodded slowly, filing that information away for later. 

For now, he gave a small, almost fatherly nod. "Then let's not unpack it just yet. You're safe. And most importantly, you're a student of U.A."

He turned toward the building, his ears twitching.

"And like all students… we grow. Especially after falling into the deep end."

He settled beside Henshin, quietly leaning against the same wall, mimicking the young man's posture. It was a little dramatic, yes—but sometimes a student didn't need a lecture. Sometimes they needed silence, shared without judgment.

A short puff of air escaped the boy's nose. Not quite a laugh. Not quite nothing either.

Nezu smiled faintly. 

Kyūta Henshin truly was an interesting student.

A child who had lost a parent young, and with it, much of the luxury of innocence. He matured faster than most, grew sharper edges to keep the world from closing in. 

Nezu read the files, of course. Studied the transcripts, noted the gaps, the behavioral shifts. But those only told part of the story. The rest is yet to be written, in future choices. 

From what he could tell, young Henshin had long since decided he would become a hero. He'd committed early, trained early, and pursued that path with relentless focus.

But altruism?

He didn't believe that was the root. Not at first.

Ambition was a more fitting word. Perhaps even obsession.

But today...

Today was different.

Henshin hadn't stood his ground for glory, or recognition. He hadn't done it to be praised, or seen, or even rewarded. He did it for his classmates. To protect them. To shoulder what they could not.

It seemed like U.A. was already rubbing off on him. The lessons were taking root faster than expected. The right kind of environment, the right kind of pressure… and even the most stubborn students could begin to bloom.

Besides…

He chuckled softly to himself.

A little ambition wasn't so bad.

It might even take him far.

And, if nothing else, it wasn't as though he hadn't dealt with more… colorful students before.

With a last glance toward the boy at his side, he straightened his tiny tie.

"Well then," he murmured, voice brightening again. "Shall we head back? Your classmates were worried for you."