Chapter 11: School Days and Festival Prep

[center]<<<Spirit/Himari>>>[/center]

While the sleepover was nice, it did also coincide with the last day away from schooling. Which was acceptable, it wasn’t a particularly strenuous activity for her. It took away some time from tinkering and experimentation, but Monday’s mother had not yet been able to acquire a sample from the Living Metal villain.

That was fine, her refined designs would still work well at the festival.

Festival, such an odd name for it. “Does anyone know why it’s called a ‘Festival’ and not a ‘Competition’ or ‘Event’?” She asked aloud, her internet bandwidth taken up by downloads and so she couldn’t really… look it up.

Who knew that models of the human brain were large in data footprint?

That brought many of the girls, and most of the guys up short. Clearly none of them had ever really given it any thought before.

“Maybe to appeal to viewers?” Monday speculated, followed by a shrug, “I genuinely have no idea though, it’s just… always been called that I believe.”

“I… Well, it’s always been called that. Even before Principal Nezu took over.” Izuku said thoughtfully. 

“Truly, I had never considered that…” Tenya said as he rubbed his chin, “Certainly something to ask grandfather when I return home…”

“Who cares?” Bakugo said with a scoff, “I’m going to win it anyway!”

Spirit observed Monday chewing on her lip but switched her focus to helping Mina and Toru with some Heroes Ethics studies. Since the revelations that Bakugo was a bully, and possibly emotionally abusive to Izuku she hadn’t been as… attentive to the explosive teenager. She didn’t completely estrange herself from Bakugo, but any courting attempts that were in the planning stages had been entirely abandoned.

They still talked, trading cooking tips and recipes (for which Bakugo was a ‘Spicelord’ and her recipes reflect this preference), but their talks now lacked that interest from Monday.

Which Spirit felt was good, having run simulations there was a seventy-five percent chance that any attempted relationship would either collapse early or would be highly dysfunctional due to the various neurological and psychological issues Bakugo and Monday possessed.

“Something to research later then,” Spirit said with a shrug, “Does everyone remember the rules of the tournament? No equipment without your opponent’s permission, standard workout uniforms only, two surprise rounds, one race round?”

She’d helped design some of the obstacles for that last one. It technically gave her an advantage, but she’d have been able to ignore, and subvert, them anyway.

“That’s correct!” Tenya said with that hand chopping motion… and as a robot herself Spirit felt like she should take offense… of course she pushed that unexpected feeling away and spun up a process to analyze it.

“Naturally, we shall be in competition with one another,” She continued, “But the goal is not, by itself, to win. If one gets through the first task, which I’m sure most of you shall manage, you will have already succeeded. The goal is to get eyes on you and impress someone important. Winning comes secondary.”

“I thought I was the teacher?” Aizawa asked as he stepped into the room. “But yes, she is more or less correct. Also of importance is to survive and not cripple yourselves.” She couldn’t help but feel that was aimed at a very specific student in the room. “You will need to complete other classes still. Maths, Japanese, English, Science, and Public Relations classes are still going to be giving you assignments to do. However, Hero coursework will not be given.”

“I’m available to help with English if anyone needs it,” Monday chimed in.

“I am available for any class except Public Relations,” Spirit agreed, with Momo and others following soon after.

“I’m glad to see some of my students are willing to put in the effort required…” Aizawa drawled, “Now, I believe you have classes to get to? Your first workshop class with the Support students. One of you put in a request for this to be your Science course this semester and Principle Nezu… agreed to it. I trust you can follow the signs there?”

“Yes, sir,” Spirit said, standing and beginning to walk there. Of course, halfway through the corridor she began walking backwards and said, “Um… sorry if the coursework becomes too advanced for anyone? They should start you guys off small until they find your skill and knowledge level. Should.”

“Eh, I think we’ll manage,” Monday paused, “Well… some of us anyway…” Monday didn’t name names but Spirit could compile a list of 1-A members that probably wouldn’t do well.

But they wouldn’t have done well in standard Science courses either. They’d get C’s, but she didn’t expect more than that.

The logic of her request was simple: if they used equipment out on the field and it got damaged, they had to learn enough to repair it out on the field as well for emergencies. Simple and elegant. It got her what she wanted while giving others what they would need.

And what did she want? Material and tooling access. Her fabrication systems were advanced, but they were rigid. She had to build new parts for them to get what she was after and the only place she could do that was at UA.

For now anyway.

“Hmm…” Monday’s tail lazily waved through the air, “I’m thinking about getting some training tips from mom and dad.”

“Oh?” Izuku started, “Mind if you share some when you get them?”

“Sure,” Monday said, “Actually I think my dad’s working at one of the local agencies, pretty sure he wouldn’t mind sharing some of his experiences as an American Hero.”

“I can tell you at least one of them,” Mina said with a smirk, “‘Use more violence.’”

“... Not entirely wrong.” Monday admitted, “I mean despite the whole ‘barbarian’ stereotype, violence is actually the last option. Most American Heroes will attempt to try to settle a fight before it even starts by de-escalating the situation. It’s just that when the villain is strung out on Trigger or something else, violence is the only thing they’ll understand.”

“... So don’t get advice from him then,” Toru said, “I don’t think I’m going to do well in the festival anyway though.”

“First of all: Rude!” Monday said with a huff, “Secondly: You did not just say that. You do realize our home room teacher has to fight quirkless for the most part. You can easily learn martial arts to supplement your abilities. Hell, if it’s possible to learn how to extend your invisibility to tools, I mean nobody is expecting an invisible knife to cut their achile’s tendons. Just saying.”

“I don’t think I’m allowed to do that to other students,” She replied.

“Didn’t think you could.” Monday replied, “Just giving examples. And if you’re worried about physical fitness? How bout you and Mina join me during my workouts? And of course anyone else is welcome to join.”

“I can give everyone a general physical boost, if so desired,” Spirit started, “The virus cultivation would, however, take too long to be ready by the festival.”

“Uhh… Pass on that for now,” Momo replied, looking worried, “Virus?”

“Hey I took it and I got these cute cat ears and a tail! Honestly I think it's a win!” Monday said as she blinked over to Momo, “Besides it’s based entirely on your genealogy I think. I didn’t understand the entire process when she explained it to me the first time,” She admitted.

“You got the tail and ears because your mother has them,” Spirit replied, “For others, I will not be awakening hidden quirk factors, simply adding a mutation instead, much safer.”

“... I see,” Momo started, “I’ll wait to see if it’s safe.”

“Understandable,” She replied, “Anyone that desires it simply ask after school.”

Monday shrugged, “I’m fine but you’re right,” She said.

<<<Monday>>>

The class went about the way she’d expected… but there was one thing that surprised her.

“Oh, you made so many interesting babies!” The strange girl said, “Can I see one? I’m Mei.”

Monday blinked curiously, “Babies?” She asked with a raised brow.

Himari raised some of her new tooling systems, “These?” She asked, handing them over to a delighted squeal, “I’m creating a modular addition system for some fabricators I own,” She explained, “My current systems don’t have all of the capabilities I need, and so I’m adding this.”

“So, how can we help you?” Monday asked, though Mei seemed hyper fixated on Himari’s tools and trinkets and didn’t seem to hear her.

Which felt rather peculiar, honestly, as she’d never really been ignored before. She didn’t like it. However, seeing the genuine interest in the girl’s eyes did take some of the sting out of it. Hard to be mad at someone that’s interested in your friend after all.

Mei blinked, “Sorry, I’m in the support course,” She said with a wide smile, “I was asked to help the advanced students in your class but wow Himari, can I call you Himmi?, is just making fascinating babies. Look, this is a miniature electron microscope,” She was pointing at pieces with an extremely small tipped screwdriver, “and right next to it is a nano-scale grinder! The manufacturing tolerances are going to be insane!”

Monday, it had to be said, did not think she was a dumb woman. Indeed, she thought she was quite clever.

But the tangent Himari and Mei proceeded to go down left her feeling like a cartoon character that had been spun around too much.

So, very slowly, she slunk out of the conversation. Around the time they’d started talking about… “The hell is a ‘t-fet’ or ‘molybdenum’?” She muttered to herself before shaking her head. She was, at least, glad that Himari was possibly making a friend that shared her skill set but… it left her feeling a weird, sticky, and unpleasant sensation.

Deciding to wander around while Himari and Mei talked, Monday decided to figure out why she was feeling weird about them talking.

Mina was struggling with one of her projects, which looked to be a clock of some kind, but Momo was working through things at a good pace. Not nearly as quickly as Himari had, but that was to be expected. Monday was surprised to note that she’d actually worked faster than Momo too, but Himari had been tutoring her…

“Maybe Momo will have some advice?” It certainly wouldn’t hurt to ask as she wandered over to her mature classmate, “Hey Momo, you have a bit? I think I need some advice,” She asked.

“Sure!” She replied with a smile, “I think I’m at my limit anyway, I looked over the next… well, puzzle and it’s a bit complicated.” It was complicated… because it just had a lot of pieces.

Mostly just wires though.

“So, what’s up?” Momo looked concerned for her, a soft frown growing on her lips.

That brought Monday up short, how exactly did she explain?

“Well…” Monday scratched her nose, “I… feel kind of strange seeing Himmi and Mei get along so fast. And I just… I don’t know? I feel odd and I don’t like it…”

“The weird girl?” Momo asked, getting a nod in confirmation, “Are… you feeling jealous?” She asked, giggling a bit.

“I… guess?” Monday said, “I mean… Himmi is like my first real friend I’ve ever had… it isn’t strange is it?”

“Of course not,” Momo giggled a bit more before hugging Monday, “Sorry it’s just… you’re usually so much more expressive, the change… made me think something way worse was going on.”

“Huh…” She scratched the side of her nose at that, “It just made me more… spontaneous I suppose… and probably took away what few fucks I have left to give honestly…”

“No, no, I mean now,” Momo corrected, “You look so gloomy and distracted.”

“Ah… well, I guess I just felt… awkward? I mean I like to think I’m pretty smart. But when Himmi and Mei started talking? It might as well have been Greek,” Monday said, “I mean… what the hell is a ‘t-fet’ or ‘molybdenum’ anyway??”

“The second one is a metal,” She replied, “I had to learn chemistry for my quirk. I have no idea what that first one is though.” Then she shrugged, “But… you know she feels like that when we talk about, you know, emotional stuff too. She tries to pay attention but… you can kinda see it in her eyes that she doesn’t really get it.”

“Huh… I never thought about it like that…” Monday admitted, “And I do, I’ve heard her grumble about it often enough. Though she is getting it… very slowly. Nature of the machine I suppose.”

“Yeah,” She said with a nod, “But I think she feels jealous of you sometimes too, she just doesn’t recognize it. Maybe not about you getting along with other people, but about your ability to be expressive.”

“Huh…” Monday just tilted her head as her ears flicked, “Guess we’re two peas in a pod in a sense,” She added with a faint giggle, “Though to be entirely fair, how expressive I am is a combination of me being an extrovert and borderline insane.”

Momo frowned, “I don’t think you’re insane,” She said with a huff as she gave Monday a faint glare at her self-deprecation. “You are, at worst, the worst case of ADHD I’ve ever seen. Not insane.”

“Eh, maybe,” Monday said, “It really depends on how much I push my quirk. I’m sure Mina and Toru told you how loopy I was at first.”

“You were also on drugs right beforehand,” She replied, “And just got out of a fight where most of you was broken. And even then you were just loopy, not insane. Insane is irrational, not knowing reality from figments, holding views that don’t match with facts.”

“Touche.” Monday said, “But there were moments when I was in the Between…” She trailed off before shaking her head, “Er, anyway need any help with that?” She asked, gesturing to her project.

“Oh, uh… sure!” She replied, “I just can’t figure out where this resistor is supposed to go…”