Archive of Our Own ^beta

Nezu had been expecting this.

As his favorite and best teacher would say, it is only logical. Truly, the only logical conclusion one could expect.

He knew it was coming. With his Quirk, High Specs, it's even more obvious. He had known it was coming, he had even started preparing for it, and yet it still came to him as a surprise. It shouldn't have, couldn't have, yet it did.

The school board wants to fire Aizawa Shouta, AKA the Erasure Hero: Eraserhead, for his two consecutive failures in protecting the students in a single semester. Never mind that Aizawa nearly lost his life at USJ, nor the fact that he had managed to protect over forty people and bring them back when the League of Villains attacked them at the summer camp. Bakugo's kidnapping was one of the greatest tragedies to strike UA records, but Nezu knows for certain that it is far from the absolute worst. It's not even as though young Katsuki's parents were pressing charges or anything. In fact, according to the reports he got back from the visits to the students' families, all parents expressed a deep trust and belief in the UA staff to keep their children safe.

Nezu knew it was partially that way because of the people he had sent to conduct those visits. Just the presence of the Symbol of Peace put people at ease and reassured them that everything will be alright, even as he was now, his true form revealed for all the world to see. Yagi's presence had put parents at ease and even the most stubborn ones had agreed to leave their children in UA's care as the dormitories were built.

However, what put the children at ease, which is all the more important to Nezu, is Aizawa's presence. Yes, they, too, of course, felt secure in All Might's presence, but Nezu has seen how Class 1-A looks at their homeroom teacher. It was hardly the first time it has happened, though it is the first time children actually managed to get attached to the underground hero. Aizawa had this aura of control about him, always so calm and unflappable, that even the most anxious kids dared to approach him even for the smallest of problems. In a group of kids that has been exposed to villain attacks from their first week of school, well ... It spoke of great trust and respect. It spoke of the belief those kids held in their sensei's abilities. And Aizawa definitely lived up to those expectations.

Aizawa was like a dog with a bone: if he sees potential in a student, then that student will graduate and become a respectable Pro Hero, no matter what anyone else says or believes. He will make sure of it. And his class this year still has all twenty of the students he had begun with. Nezu already knew they were going to be some of the best heroes the world has ever seen, if Eraserhead believed in them.

And Eraserhead was perfect for a teacher. Not just because he was amazingly kind under that gruff exterior or because he truly was very good with children. Not even because of that aura of calm and control that simply made you trust in him and his abilities. No, Aizawa was a great teacher because he didn't have a physical Quirk to rely on. This meant he relied on skill and strategy to defeat his enemies and he knew the meaning of self-preservation, even though he wasn't all that good at implementing it on himself. Aizawa had a different perspective on the world of Pro Heroes. His combat skills were almost unmatched. He was always calm. He had one of the greatest strategic minds Nezu had ever met. And he did not, in any way or form, support reckless self-sacrificial measures being taken to 'save the day'.

Aizawa taught his students a single lesson that he expects them to carry throughout their hero career: You can't save or protect anyone if you can't do so, first, for yourself.

Honestly, had Aizawa been allowed to be in the commission which overviewed and accepted or declined students after the entrance exam, Nezu would never have a full year of students. At least not in the Hero Course. Instead, he let Aizawa test his new students as he saw fit and gave him the power to expel or re-enroll them as he sees fit. He trusts in the man's judgement and, so far, not a single one of his students, even years after they graduated, has received an ill mark from the agencies or police stations they work with. They all have flying recommendations, full of compliments to their skill, their caution and their lack of property damage, not to mention their diligence in fulfilling paperwork. Aizawa is the only teacher in the entire history of Hero Courses who has never lost a student, be it before or after graduation.

Nezu would rather cut off his tail and one of his paws/hands than fire Aizawa.

Especially not after the current Class 1-A got so attached to him, especially after all they have been through. He's not sure if they could continue without Aizawa at this point. He was a source of comfort, because as long as the man was there, they knew everything would eventually be alright. Not to mention that, should he be fired after everything, they would all blame themselves for ruining their teacher's career. Young Bakugo especially won't take it well. Nezu can see it clear as day in the boy's expression, every single day, that he blames himself for All Might's retirement. Heck, Nezu is even tempted to tell Yagi to explain the truth to the explosive boy before the guilt eats him up and he snaps. He could do something he will later regret and it would be too late.

If Aizawa were to get fired because of his failure to stop the kidnapping as well, there would be no salvation for Bakugo.

And that scares the mystery mammal.

So, no, there is no way he was going to let Aizawa get fired.

He'd been ready for this meeting since the underground hero returned with what was left of his students after the training camp incident, when plans were being made on how to track Bakugo and retrieve him. He had prepared solid facts, indisputable arguments. He had even prepared a whole presentation with plenty of graphs to cover all of his points and all twenty signed permission papers that Aizawa and All Might had collected for the dorm system. He had been ready to argue until he was blue in the face, if needs be.

He had not expected, however, that the decision would be made even before it was brought before him.

He had not expected these humans to have the gall to demand, the moment he stepped into the meeting room, that he fire the best teacher he had ever hired. That UA had ever hired. An exemplary hero with an impressive and very long CV, hundreds of successful missions of all kinds under his belt and a teacher who has never once lost a student. A man ready to put his life on the line for the twenty kids in his care even against a monstrosity made to kill All Might, all by himself. A man who would put his whole career as an underground hero in jeopardy by talking live on national television if it meant Bakugo could be retrieved more safely. Who had stared reporters down and dared them to question the heroic credibility of one of his students. A man worried parents of twenty children had decided to support, to put their faith in. To put the fates and lives of their children in his hands.

Not UA's as a whole, but Aizawa's.

And they wanted to fire him, because they needed a scapegoat. They needed someone to take the blame.

Nezu almost wished they had chosen him instead, but he knew that would only mean UA losing both him and Aizawa. The new management would write it off as correcting obvious past mistakes and they'll probably hire someone with a powerful physical Quirk who wouldn't have anything as useful as Aizawa's many strange but necessary lessons to teach the kids. Future generations of heroes would be robbed of Aizawa's unique guidance and Nezu will not allow that.

But the board is set in their decision and he can see that there is nothing he can do to change their minds. He could probably even bring in All Might, ask him to pull strings left and right to try and help him keep Eraserhead's job and the blond man would do it immediately. His two favorite employees have grown closer since USJ and he knew they were sort of friends now, at the very least. And even if they weren't, Yagi respected his fellow senior teacher, especially after USJ and after he saw just how far Eraserhead would go to protect the children. He would help the man in a heartbeat, if not faster.

And if not even the combined might of All Might's and Nezu's influence and connections can change the board's mind, Nezu knows of only one other option, grim and hesitant as he is to resort to it. He'd seen something like this happen before, when Aizawa expelled a student from a rich, influential family with a two generations hero background and the student's parents tried to press charges and get Aizawa fired. The parents had made the mistake of 'cornering' the principal in front of his office, starting their tirade before they even went in and sat down and passing students overheard. Nezu himself was somewhat at fault, possibly, for allowing a grim or displeased visage to cross his face, which the students seem to have taken as displeasure or even agreement of the parents' words, when it had, in fact, been directed at the way the two were acting and just how smug their little pampered brat had been at getting back at his 'hardass' homeroom teacher.

What had followed may as well have been a coup d'etat.

Nezu would be a world-class liar if he were to say he didn't still have nightmares about it.

So you can imagine just how grave the situation is if he's even considering this, let alone already planning on putting it in action.

In the end, he decides to screw careful calculations for once, because the fate of Aizawa's teacher status depends on today, and instead he simply reaches for the microphone connected to the PA system. Without further ado, and hoping Aizawa won't be too annoyed with him or that the school building won't be reduced to rubble, Nezu locked eyes with every single member of the board before turning it on.

"Attention, students. I apologize for interrupting your very important classes, but I feel I am duty-bound to inform you that Aizawa Shouta is to be fired from his teaching position here with us at UA on the request of the members of the school board. I repeat, Aizawa Shouta is to be fired, on the request of the school board. I wish you a pleasant day."

And with that, Nezu fetched his tea set, enough tea to last him the next couple of hours of entertainment and promptly scurried off to lock himself in his office just as the first boom shook the school.

00000

The first boom had, unexpectedly, not come from 1-A.

In fact, it had come straight from 3-C, who only had one short course with the underground hero but they were still incredibly fond of him because he always encouraged them to do their best in whatever they may choose to do with their lives, even to fight to the best of their abilities in the Sports Festival each year. They may be graduating in a couple of months, but they did not want to see the man go.

The earthquake that shook the school next came from a 2-B anxious student who had been relying on Aizawa's Quirk when she has an anxiety attack in the recent months, after an internship that really shook her up. Just the thought of her pillar of support no longer being there sent her into such a panic that one of her classmates had to knock her out immediately.

Then came the yelling from the rest of the third years as they all rose up like an angry mob of avenging angels, Quirks and support gear at the ready and already marching towards the administrative offices. The second years were quick to follow and Power Loader suddenly had his hands full preventing Hatsume Mei from handing out her 'babies' to 'help' the angry students in achieving their anarchy goals.

As for what was happening in 1-A's classroom, well, it was chaos, too. An utter uproar. Bakugo started firing off his own explosions, Todoroki accidentally froze the back of the classroom and Kaminari nearly electrocuted some of his own classmates in their surprise and distress. Midoriya immediately started stress-crying even as he tried desperately to analyze the situation and figure out a way to keep his favorite ever teacher. Ashido practically lunged for the startled homeroom teacher, wrapping herself around him like a pink overgrown koala with cute little horns and clinging on for dear life, as if that alone would be enough to prevent the teacher from being fired. Most of the class was yelling and Iida and Yaoyorozu were trying to calm everyone down but it was difficult with Uraraka accidentally making several of her friends float up to the ceiling when she grabbed them in distress and Shoji almost fell on Hagakure when she was passing by to run to copy Mina when Dark Shadow spooked the big teen. Mineta was raking his hand through his hair, Asui had curled up in on herself some time after Uraraka had made her float, Kirishima was torn between calming his friends down - Bakugo especially - and yelling questions and denials at his sensei at the same time. Sero was trying to get the floating kids down but Uraraka wasn't releasing her Quirk. Sato was stress eating, which can't be good for his Quirk control, Tokoyami was trying to get Dark Shadow to calm down and Aoyama was unbearably subdued. Ojiro could only stare in disbelief at his teacher and Jiro had to cover her sensitive ears to spare herself some of the noise.

Then came an uproar from the teacher's lounge. Or rather, a single, distinctive yell that rattled the building to its foundations and actually managed to crack the bullet-proof, Present Mic-proof and practically All Might-proof windows of UA. Aizawa would have been impressed by his best friend's newfound power if he wasn't a bit too stunned by what was going on.

Yes, he had known something like this could happen. Well, the being fired part. He had never thought Nezu could actually be so cruel as to set the student body of UA on any unfortunate soul.

Because, the fact was, no matter how scary, cold or indifferent he appeared, how hard he pushed his students or how many times he took them apart - only to help them build themselves back up again even stronger and better than before, of course - broke them in training and then demanded more, he was still somehow the students' favorite teacher. Somehow, some way, it always happened. The year or course didn't matter. This year's 1-B would probably be the first exception since he started working at UA but even if he wasn't their favorite favorite teacher, he was still one of the teachers they liked the most. And he knows the only reason he wasn't the favorite with them was because of the insane rivalry that had started up a few days before this year's Sports Festival.

Not that he tried, but it still always happened. Even years after he saw his students graduate, he was the only teacher that occasionally got updated on their lives, invited to weddings, got visited by former students and he was even named godfather for three separate babies! Hell, one of his former students even went as far as naming their cat after him.

(He had honestly never felt more honored.)

Somehow, some way, he was always the favorite.

And the student body was always ready to throw hands if someone tried to remove him from his job.

It had happened more than once, but usually it could be taken care of before the whole school found out and they had another riot on their hands like That One Time We Shall Never Speak Of Again. (The students may or may not have kidnapped him and locked him up in a broom closet to prevent Nezu from seeing and speaking with him, which would be necessary in order for him to receive news that he is fired and therefore has that and that much time to pack up his things and leave. Teenagers, honestly. At least he got to take a nap, though he didn't appreciate the state of the school after they let him out. Or the amount of detentions he had to give out and supervise.)

And yet here Nezu was, openly informing the students of this? Was he trying to burn the whole school down? The Erasure hero honestly wouldn't be surprised at this point.

He is surprised when an overly jittery Midoriya suddenly snatches him up and is immediately surrounded by his classmates as Bakugo leads a charge towards the administration office. Vlad and his students peak their heads out of 1-B when they pass their classroom and not even Monoma dares say anything when he sees them all sporting murderous expressions. Vlad simply gives Shouta's kids an approving nod and a vicious grin and Shout knows he won't be getting any help in this matter this time, either.

It's not just the students who don't want to see Eraserhead go, after all. He's the one who does the final checks of all of their paperwork before it's sent to Nezu, thus sparing them of any infamous 'tea time' with their mouse-bear-dog-whatever principal overlord. And he's the only other person in the whole school who can expel students, a power they often need to deal with certain students who go too far but bringing it to Nezu would take too long to properly deal with the student in question. Aizawa is honestly waiting for the day he can expel Mineta if the kid doesn't get his shit straight. No hero has that attitude.

On their way towards the offices, they run into the Big Three leading the third year Hero Course students and they all pause to exchange nods before they meet up with the second year ones, too and then the whole Hero Course, baring 1-B, leads the march. Todoroki has, apparently, discovered his inner rebel and anarch and is setting fire to the torches Yaoyorozu is making for everyone and passing them along, as well as pitchforks and other cliche mob props. Aizawa feels his soul leave his body at the ridiculousness of these teenagers. Why did he let Midnight rope him into becoming a teacher?

And speaking of Nemuri, there she is, along with Hizashi, Cementoss, Hound Dog, Snipe, Lunch Rush, Ectoplasm and even Recover Girl. Even All Might is there. And none of them were trying to defuse the situation! Oh god, they were actually leading the rebellion. Aizawa felt like he had the mother of all headaches at this point.

Students were one thing, but teachers too!? He was just glad Thirteen was out on a mission, because he knew she would be here, too, probably turning the door and wall leading to the conference room to dust to give the students access to the poor, uninformed school board members who had dared to target Aizawa. Shouta would pity them, honestly, but given that he wants to see this batch of students become some of the greatest heroes their world has ever seen? Yeah, there's a reason he hasn't tried to stop this. Even if things were getting too loud.

"Down with the board! Down with the board! Down with the board!"

"DIE!" Bakugo's distinctive yell was actually not the loudest voice in the hallway.

"COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE! I JUST WANT TO TALK!" Aaaand, there goes Present Mic. People are going to walk out of here with serious hearing impairments at this rate.

Aizawa really needs a nap.

"We're not giving you Eraser!" Mirio Togata yells and a loud "YEAH!" comes from the rest of the third years.

Shinsou is actually leading the none-Hero Course students in booing the board.

"We'll burn the school down!" Someone yells, earning more "YEAH!"s along the way.

He really needs a nap.

Preferably somewhere away from this madness.

"Teachers are people too, you know!"

Wait, what the hell was that supposed to mean? He is so confused right now.

"Aizawa-sensei! Aizawa-sensei! Aizawa-sensei!" It is, most shockingly, Midoriya who starts the chant right from under the underground hero. The Problem Child rises him high over his head like he is some sort of sacred object or some bullshit and continues the chant, Bakugo, even more shockingly, being the first to join in, then followed by the still floating students Sero was leading around like balloons with his tape. Then the whole damn school picks it up and Aizawa's sure they can be heard all the way down to UA's first neighbors, which is saying something.

He looks helplessly at Yagi for help in reigning in his Problem Child - or, well, all of his Problem Children, but All Might and Midoriya were awfully close so he's hoping if Yagi can calm him down, at least some of the wind would be taken out of the others' sails ... hopefully, anyway, though it's more likely to be like adding gasoline to fire when the students inevitably take it as the teachers, or just All Might, agreeing with the decision and the riot becomes an outright civil war - but that traitor just looks approving.

Eraserhead swears to himself that he will strangle him with his own bangs one of these days.

00000

"What do we do!?" A panicked board member asks, looking nervously at the reinforced door that is currently being assaulted by at least six hundred students and, apparently, at least a few of the Pro Heroes that taught here. Even an utter idiot would see that this can't possibly be good. Their futures were grim and very shortsighted.

"Did you try the windows?!"

"They're bolted shut!"

"What!? I'm sure that mouse thing had them open so we can have fresh air while we conduct the meeting!"

"How about the vents!?"

"Too small! And I can't even open the shaft!"

"DIE!" Came again from the other side of the door, followed by a roar of agreement and a series of building-shaking explosions almost made the door fly off its miraculously still intact hinges.

"Oh my god, what have we done?" A member whimpered, hiding under the big table. One was kneeling in the corner of the room and praying for his own soul. The others were still trying to find a way to escape, but found they were trapped like rats.

Only one was smart enough to look for a camera and fall into a seiza the second he found it, all the way down, pleading with the UA rat overlord to spare them and promising they will never try to run his school for him again.

00000

In his own office, Nezu cackled, tea flying everywhere as he watched the uprising and the so-terrified-they-were-pissing-themselves board members on his many screens connected to his many cameras. He had known this would happen and he had decided the risk and repair costs were worth it to get these fools out of his pristine fur once and for all when the management of his school was concerned, especially when it was about his employees.

And especially when the employee in question was none other than Aizawa Shouta, the Erasure Hero: Eraserhead himself.

After all, All Might may have been and will always be the Number One Hero in their hearts but Aizawa-sensei will always be the Number One Teacher of UA.

Plus effing Ultra.

OWARI