Chapter Text
“Monoma. Stay after class.”
The blond immediately shoots a smug look at his classmates and Vlad sighs.
Being called over by a teacher isn’t always a good thing but instead of wondering whether he’s done something wrong the boy is simply lording the fact he’s being singled out over his… friends? Are they friends? Does Monoma even have friends?
Vlad makes a mental note to pay more attention to who his student spends lunch with. The boy may come off as arrogant and full of himself but Vlad’s been a teacher long enough to know it's merely an act. Monoma had tried for the top spot in the exam, something he doesn’t actually talk about but the teachers had seen on the footage. There’d been 36 available spots for the hero course (not counting recommendations of course) and Monoma had been in the top half, coming in at 11th. But that wasn’t enough for the boy and Vlad hasn’t been able to figure out why.
With the sports festival coming up soon, Vlad sincerely hopes that this new project will help Monoma shake his obsession with besting 1A.
He has high hopes for all of his students of course but he’s especially invested in seeing Monoma succeed.
The bell rings and the rest of the class files out to lunch while Monoma cackles proudly.
Vlad takes a long gulp from his coffee thermos, and wishes it were spiked. Just a little.
Kendou salutes and shuts the door behind her and Monoma finally drops the persona.
He sinks into his seat, almost fully pressed against the back of his chair, and puts his palms together on his desk. “Am I in trouble Sensei?”
Vlad had honestly been taken aback by the shift the first time he’d pulled Monoma aside for a talk.
Without his peers around, the posturing becomes unnecessary and Monoma becomes Neito, a subdued boy with what looks to be very little self-esteem.
Vlad had even tried to set up a meeting with the parents after that first talk but apparently Monoma lives alone with a nanny while his father travels around for business.
Vlad and Monoma Senior have been playing phone tag since the start of the year and the teacher/hero has been getting increasingly annoyed at what is fast starting to feel like avoidance.
Well.
That’s a problem for future Vlad to deal with.
Current Vlad needs to focus on reassuring his student.
“Everything is fine Neito, you're not in trouble. You’ve actually been tapped to join The Rats.”
The boy blinks. “The what?”
Vlad opens up a folder and hands Monoma a flyer and a small pin in the shape of a rat. “It’s a sort of secret society here at UA. The principal handpicks two hero students at a time for… well. I’m not too sure of the specifics myself having never been chosen...”
There are also The Mice and The Bears from business and support and sometimes The Dogs for really promising Gen Ed students, but Monoma doesn’t need to know all that.
“Being tapped isn’t a done deal of course, and you do have to agree to keep it secret and follow the rules but I’m sure the perks of being one of the Principal’s hand picked favorites will greatly outweigh the challenges of keeping this quiet...”
Vlad keeps his tone light but stares his student down just to make sure. Monoma is often prone to boasting and posturing so he needs to make it clear that getting on the bad side of Nedzu while still just a hero student is an all around bad idea.
Blue eyes meet his searchingly before lowering to study the flyer. “Yeah sure.”
Vlad heaves an internal sigh of relief. “Well off you go to lunch then. Stop by the principal’s office at the end of the day.”
Monoma smiles and folds the paper into his pocket. He hesitates for a brief moment before pinning the rat to the bottom half of his tie and tucking it back into his jacket. Vlad beams and watches him leave, wondering briefly who the other rat this year will be.
***
“The R-Rats Sensei?”
Aizawa Shouta glares into his coffee, (no easy feat with a face still wrapped like a mummy). “Yes Problem Child. The Rats.”
Midoriya smiles widely, swiping at suddenly teary eyes. “I’d be honored.”
Shouta blinks.
Forget the fact that the principal has decided to set his sights on 1A’s most nervous member for his personal projects, how does Midoriya even know what that is?
There is palpable excitement shining in bright green eyes as that dreaded rat is pinned to Midoriya’s belt.
Never mind. If his student somehow knows and actually wants to join... Who is Shouta to get in his way?
***
Neito should have known there’d be a catch.
Keeping a lid on his new special status had been surprisingly easy.
Sure he’d smirked a bit more than usual- especially around that cocky blond boy and his table full of simpering lackeys from 1A.
But that had been it.
Honestly just knowing that the principal had gauged the potential from the entirety of the hero course and had chosen Neito had been enough to keep him quietly smug.
But now.
Here he is.
Standing outside Principal Nedzu’s office poised to knock when who should come running up to join him but one of those 1A losers.
It’s the quiet one, the one that got in solely on rescue points if Neito is remembering the results list right. What a pain.
“H-Hello.” The boy says, smile wide and hand outstretched. “I’m M-Midoriya Izuku from Class 1A. Are you here for the meeting too?”
Neito shoots him a condescending look. “Monoma Neito. Class 1B. And I am here for a private matter which the principal is expecting me for.”
The boy, Midoriya, nods eagerly. “Y-Yeah! Me too! That’s cool that we get picked together, I always knew there were two per year but I didn’t think we’d be chosen at the same-”
Neito cuts him off with a raised hand. He looks the boy over with a more careful eye and it’s when Midoriya shuffles his feet that Neito notices the now familiar rat pin on the other boy’s belt. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“S-Sorry?” Midoriya tilts his head and shifts his weight but that just pulls his jacket up which shows the pin off even more.
“You can’t pin it there! It’s supposed to be a secret!” He opens his own jacket to show off his tie. “Why didn’t you put it on your-” He cuts off, eyes widening in horror. “What. Is that hideous thing around your neck?”
Green eyes go slightly cross-eyed as they look down. “Uh… my tie?”
“No.”
Neito’s tone is frigid, each word clipped as if from ice.
“No?”
“This,” and here Neito gestures at himself and his immaculate appearance. “is a tie! That!” his lips pull into a sneer as he spits “That! Is an abomination! An eldritch horror from the worst nightmare realm!”
Midoriya laughs shortly but stops at Neito’s increased glare. “Oh. You’re serious…”
There’s an awkward pause as he bites his lip and shuffles his feet. “I can… I can f-fix it?”
“Please.” Neito barks in the least polite tone he’s ever used for the word.
Midoriya’s hands are a bit shaky for some reason but Neito doesn't have time to question why that would be before the boy’s harsh tugs on the fabric have accidentally choked himself.
Neito gives a deep sigh, lamenting his choice to be a hero student, and he steps forward to- shudder -help a member of Class 1A.
Neito reaches forward, Midoriya staggers back and of course, that’s when Principal Nedzu decides to open the door.
“Oh dear,” the principal laughs, not sounding sympathetic at all. “You boys seem to be busy… I can come back later…” He starts to close the door again and Midoriya finally manages to free himself from the deathtrap of his own making.
“W-Wait!” he chokes out. “W-We’re good!”
The principal's beady eyes twinkle with obvious mirth. “Well then come in boys. This won’t take long.”
Neito grumbles and shoves his hands into his pockets before following.
It’s not the picture of poise he usually projects but considering that 1A asshole just tried to paint him as some kind of attacker in front of the principal, he’s allowing himself some time to be upset.
The boys sit on opposite ends of the couch, Midoriya fiddling with the loose ends of his tie, and Neito tapping his fingers repeatedly on the armrest.
“Well boys I’ll cut right to the chase. In previous years this would have been the time to solve the puzzle leading to your clubhouse in one hour or be deemed unworthy. However, in light of recent events I’ve decided to forgo all that this year in favor of saving time.”
The principal takes a sip of his tea and Midoriya leans forward.
“It was the flyers right? Some kind of map or code? I was thinking that since The Rats are a secret there wouldn’t really be a point to the flyers especially since there wasn’t even that much information on it and when I held it up to the light-” Midoriya suddenly covers his mouth, eyes wide behind his hands.
Principal Nedzu laughs delightedly and Neito shoots the 1A jerk a glare.
“Yes, that’s right!” He takes a more happy sip from his tea before putting his cup back down with a clink. “I’ll get right down to it then.” The principal presses his paws together. “In previous years The Rats were little more than a hobby of mine. The brightest hero candidates of the year were personally mentored by me and I would often provide them with fun little challenges that tested their intelligence.”
Neito breaks out in cold sweat at the thought of becoming Nedzu’s personal student.
“However as I said previously, this year is a bit different.”
Neito breathes an internal sigh of relief.
“The USJ incident…” a brief pause for another sip of tea, and is he just doing that to be dramatic??? “A theory was brought up that there is a possible traitor in UA, someone who told the villains that 1A would be going on a trip, specifically to the USJ and that All Might would be there as well...”
He fixes his beady eyes directly on them. “Now obviously as the Principal of this fine institution who often gets called into meetings with high ranking commission members and may at times be questioned by the press, I clearly do not think this theory has any merit…”
“Clearly,” Neito winks and the Principal laughs amusedly.
“Quite so. I need to be able to truthfully say that I am not looking into it and that I have no part in any digging around, both for legal purposes as well as in case I encounter any nasty little truth quirks.”
“So what you’re saying is, you want us to look into it for you...”
“No,” Midoriya mumbles, finger tapping away at his chin. “He’s specifically not saying it.”
The Principal beams.
“The both of you scored perfect scores on the written exam, and I have high hopes for your intellects. I especially enjoyed both of your essays on quirk analysis so I think you’ll do just fine. The clubhouse is in the library, your flyers are the maps and the pins are the keys. The pins will also act as a boost to your Student ID cards, allowing you to remain on grounds long past closing without setting off the security system, as well as arriving before the gates officially open. Losing the pins, sharing the secret, or abusing the privileges will result in a suspension and a removal from The Rats, am I clear?”
Midoriya’s eyes shine with determination as he nods energetically.
Neito simply smirks in response.
“The clubhouse is equipped with computers that will grant you access to restricted files and security footage, although once again I must warn you that attempting to tamper with anything or to make copies, will flag me and result in your immediate expulsion. I’m putting a lot of trust in you boys... Don’t let me down.”
“Right!”
***
Midoriya had been so pumped he’d wanted to start immediately.
Neito had scoffed and pointed out that the moron’s friends were waiting for him and that if they stayed late together now it would be suspicious.
The little imbecile had beamed at him with literal stars in his eyes and proceeded to ramble on about how amazing Neito was.
Which, flattering, but Neito wasn’t going to fall for that.
Still they had made sure to locate the clubhouse before leaving so they wouldn’t have to keep carrying the flyers around.
Midoriya had then insisted they shred the flyers, gather all the pieces and then flush those down the toilet.
A bit much if you asked Neito but the green haired boy had been so pleased with himself that he’d gone along with it, giving only a token protest.
They’d then exchanged numbers, made up to meet an hour early the next morning and then finally gone their separate ways.
Neito sighs to himself as he unlocks his door and slips off his shoes.
The apartment is dark and silent and Neito heads straight to the kitchen where a plate of sandwiches is sitting on the counter. He ignores the “snack”, opting instead for a glass of cold water.
After a couple of careful sips he finally steels himself enough to pull out his phone and dial.
The ringing seems to go on forever and Neito resists the urge to tap his fingers on the counter.
‘Stay calm.'
Inhale.
Exhale.
‘You know he doesn’t like it when you get too-‘
“Neito?”
He can’t stop the disappointed sigh that escapes him.
“Kuro… Hi. I. Was actually hoping to speak to my father… is he around?”
His tone is stupidly hopeful he knows but he can’t help it. He hasn’t spoken to his father at all since he got into UA and it’s honestly starting to get to him.
Kuro’s voice gentles, the deep voice sounding on the very edge of pitying. “Sorry. You just missed him.”
Neito’s throat works soundlessly for a moment and he takes a quick sip from his glass. “Could you. Tell- Ask him. To call me. When he has a chance? ...please?”
The man sighs. “I shall relay the message.”
Neito can read between the lines just fine.
‘I’ll tell him, but don’t get your hopes up.'
Just like always.
“Thanks Kuro,” he manages, but the call has already ended.
He stands there for long minutes, phone clutched tightly in one hand while his other grips at his new rat pin.
A car horn sounding loudly from outside finally breaks him out of his thoughts.
With one last disdainful glance at the sandwiches he goes to his room to change.
There’s a punching bag downstairs with his name on it.
***
It’s way too early in the morning for this but Neito had agreed to meet up an hour before the school opens and he’s not going to look bad because he got stuck in traffic or some kind of villain attack delayed the trains.
Opening the fridge reveals that his prepared breakfast for today consists of those god awful sandwiches he didn’t eat yesterday.
He makes a face.
One would think that being unable to cook would not extend to sandwich making but apparently even his caretaker’s incompetence goes plus ultra. If there were an award for worst sandwiches ever, she’s already a champion medalist.
He’d been hoping that if he simply, stopped eating them she’d get the message but apparently she’s decided to start saving them for him to eat later.
Waste not, want not and all that shit.
How very thoughtful of her.
He shudders at the thought of actually eating them before closing the fridge once more.
An apple will simply have to do.
***
The trains are perfectly on time for once and he ends up outside UA a full half hour before he’s supposed to be.
His stomach is not happy about the single apple but he silences it through sheer force of will. He can always grab something from the vending machine later before heading to class.
He’s scrolling through his phone and contemplating the pros and cons of trying to reach his father again when the sound of running feet catches his attention.
The green haired 1A boy- Neito knows he gave a name yesterday but it’s completely slipped his mind since then- skids to a stop in front of him, panting for air. “Sorry! Sorry! Have you been waiting long? I-”
Neito raises an eyebrow. “I am. Beyond early. Why are you apologizing?”
“Oh haha, force of habit, sorry.”
The eyebrow raises higher and the boy flushes. “S-sorry- uh I mean-”
Neito rolls his eyes and huffs. “A UA student should have more self esteem than that. Apologizing when you have done no wrong will just invite people to take advantage of you.”
Green eyes look away from him- Green! His name was something like green! Midori? Midori! -as Midori hunches into himself a bit. “Yeah. I’m uh. Working on it…”
Neito takes in the boy’s defeated appearance.
He doesn’t look at all like the picture of arrogance the rest of 1A portrays.
He looks like… like…
“Uh anyway. My mom was really excited that I was meeting a friend before school so she made us food.” Midori opens a lunch box that is absolutely packed with onigiri and Neito scrutinizes him for a moment, wondering if he somehow knows that Neito is starving.
He quickly accepts one though and takes a neat bite.
He’s watched enough anime to know that if he claims to not be hungry his traitorous stomach will choose that exact moment to growl and it will be embarrassing and awkward for both of them.
But mostly for him.
Accepting the offering without fuss is the only logical choice.
Midori is still looking a bit… Sad? Hurt? Awkward? It’s hard to tell exactly since the boy is smiling as he munches on a rice ball of his own but Neito is no stranger to those kinds of smiles. The boy is clearly unhappy about something and the smile is just a mask.
Oh well, not his problem.
He internally sighs as he finishes the food in his hand and resists taking another.
Once was polite.
To ask for another would be conceding defeat.
He shall simply wait for the 1A boy to offer more.
Midori closes the lunchbox.
Neito mourns.
Green eyes flick to his and Neito quickly pulls his lips into a false smile of his own.
“We should head inside,” Midori says. “I’m too worried about making a mess on the street to really enjoy the food out here. Oh! And she made tea too! It’s in a thermos in my bag but I’m definitely not offering that out here!” He laughs sheepishly and scratches at the back of his neck, drawing Neito’s gaze to that excuse for a necktie again.
And well. He sort of owes the boy for the food. And it really isn’t prudent to wear the pin on his belt and expect to keep it a secret. And also-
Neito clears his throat awkwardly. “Midori.”
The boy freezes in place, green eyes widening.
Neito steps closer and with a couple of swift movements undoes the monstrosity before remaking it neatly.
Midori’s face is bright red and Neito quickly turns away to stride towards the gates.
“If we’re going to be seen together, you’ll have to put more of an effort in.”
He makes sure to sneer the words over his shoulder.
But Midori is happily moving his pin from his belt to his tie and buttoning his jacket to cover it.
“Yeah!” He beams in the widest smile Neito has ever seen. “I won’t let you down!”
“G-Good!” Neito calls back. He marches ever onwards and prays that his ears aren’t turning red.
***
Way up in Principal Nedzu’s office, the genius watches the front gate security feed and laughs. “And so it begins.”