The room was dim, the only light coming from the monitor screen as Aizawa sat in silence, arms loosely folded, eyes scanning the footage in front of him. The replay was paused mid-motion—Kael, his hand outstretched, dark tendrils arcing toward Mina like controlled waves.
Aizawa's eyes narrowed slightly.
He rewound a few seconds and let it play again.
There was no hesitation in the way Kael moved. Every motion served a purpose. He didn't chase, didn't rush. He simply… waited. Controlled. Directed.
Like he knew where they would move before they did.
A few more clicks, and Aizawa skipped to Yumi's part of the fight. Bright, clean energy strikes. Stylish but efficient. She was good—there was no doubt. But Kael…
Kael was measured. Precise in a way Aizawa had seen before.
Equinox.
It was a name buried in closed-case reports and rumor threads. An old vigilante who disappeared two years ago—just as fast as he'd appeared. But Aizawa hadn't forgotten the footage. The style.
Tendrils moving like living wires.
Shadowy bindings that never missed.
Aizawa leaned back in his chair and rubbed at the corner of his tired eyes. He didn't jump to conclusions. But his instincts were rarely wrong.
He made a mental note to watch Kael closely—and not just during combat.
…
"Alright, settle down," Iida's voice rang out above the chatter in the classroom. "We should proceed in an orderly fashion!"
It was the next day, and Class 1-A was as loud as ever.
"Well, I think I'd make a good president," Kaminari said, raising a hand lazily. "I've got leadership vibes."
"You'd electrocute the class by accident," Jirou replied, not even looking up from her notebook.
Kael leaned against his desk, arms crossed, watching the room with quiet interest. Yumi sat nearby, legs crossed, sketching something on a corner of her notebook, humming faintly.
"I think Kael should do it," Mina chimed in. "He's calm under pressure."
Kael blinked. "I never said I wanted to."
"You don't have to," Yumi said casually. "You've got the vibe."
Mina nodded. "Exactly."
"We should vote," Iida interrupted again, raising a hand. "That's how a proper democratic society handles these decisions!"
Bakugo slammed a hand down. "Like hell I'm voting! I'm obviously the right choice!"
"No one's voting for you, man," Kirishima said with a grin.
"All of you, enough," Aizawa said from behind his sleeping bag cocoon. No one had noticed he was even awake. "Just vote already. I don't care who wins. Just keep it down."
Slips of paper were passed around. The class buzzed with quiet scribbles and whispers.
Yumi tore hers in half before writing. "You voting for yourself?" she asked Kael.
He looked down at the slip. "No, Im voting for you actually."
She smiled and didn't say anything else.
Minutes later, Iida counted the papers.
"Five votes for Kael Ishiro," he announced. "Everyone else has one or none."
There was a mix of surprise and chuckling.
"Wait, five?!" Kaminari said, leaning forward. "Who else voted for him?"
Kael didn't react. Yumi looked out the window, sipping her juice.
"He's the president, then," Aizawa muttered, eyes already half-closed again. "Kael, you're in charge. Figure out who your vice president is."
"Hm. Well, alright. I pick Yumi then." Kael said easily.
Aizawa didn't even question it. "Fine."
And just like that, the class had its leaders—though Kael didn't look the least bit excited.
As the others went back to talking, Aizawa watched Kael from beneath half-lidded eyes.
He didn't want the role.
But he never avoids responsibility.
Just like Equinox.
Aizawa said nothing.
Not yet.
…
The clatter of trays and the steady buzz of conversation filled the U.A. cafeteria. Long windows let sunlight pour in across polished floors and rows of tables, where students gathered in groups, laughing, talking, and scarfing down massive portions like they hadn't eaten in days.
At one table near the back, Class 1-A was packed shoulder to shoulder—half of them already halfway through their meals, the other half still in line arguing over sauce options.
Kael sat across from Yumi, sipping quietly on miso soup while poking at a rice bowl. Yumi, by contrast, was energetically cutting through grilled chicken with the tip of her chopsticks, feet bouncing under the table like she was still riding the high of their battle victory.
"Okay, okay, but seriously," Denki said between bites, "is anyone gonna talk about how All Might is our teacher?! Like the actual All Might?!"
"Weren't you there yesterday when he literally ran our test?" Jirou raised an eyebrow.
Denki blinked. "Yeah but—I dunno, I thought it was like a guest appearance! He's All Might! Shouldn't he be off doing, like, world-saving stuff and punching meteors?"
"He probably is doing that," Yumi chimed in, smirking. "Just in the mornings, right before homeroom."
That got a small ripple of laughter. Even Kael let the corner of his mouth twitch upward.
"Still…" said Yaoyorozu, setting her chopsticks down with precision, "it is unusual. The number one hero becoming a teacher—here, of all places? That's not a decision the government would take lightly."
Kael's eyes narrowed faintly. She's not wrong.
Across the table, Iida adjusted his glasses, eyes flashing. "All Might is the Symbol of Peace! His presence at U.A. must serve a deeper purpose—likely connected to the rising tension from recent villain activity. It's a brilliant strategic move! Inspiring to students, and an unspoken deterrent to any who would dare target this institution."
"Are you saying people would try to attack the school?" Mina asked, raising a brow. "I mean, it's U.A."
"It's happened before," Kael said simply, earning a glance from Yumi.
"Wait, seriously?" asked Ashido. "Like, actual villains?"
Kael nodded slowly. "Not during our time. But yeah. If you wanted to shake faith in society, what better way than going after the next generation of heroes?"
The mood shifted.
Chairs creaked as a few people leaned in, eyes uncertain.
"Okay but we've got a fortress of a school and with All Might here as well, who's actually gonna try and break in?" Kirishima said, grinning. "I think we're good."
Yumi gave Kael a side glance, sensing something heavier in his tone. But before she could say anything, a familiar presence walked past their table—All Might, trying (and failing) to look inconspicuous with a lunch tray full of celery and protein gel.
"Holy crap, it really is him!" Denki whispered too loudly.
All Might froze mid-step.
"…Young Denki, I can hear you." He responded, sitting down at their lunch table like it was a regular occurrence as half the table burst into laughter.
"Sir!" Iida stood abruptly, nearly knocking his tray over. "It is an honor to have you instructing us! We are deeply privileged—"
"No need to get up, my boy," All Might waved him off with a sheepish smile. "Just trying to get something to eat. The chef really is amazing!"
"You're, uh… eating goop, Mr. All Might sir! Can it really be that good?" Kirishima said.
All Might laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "You're right, young man! I'm holding myself back when I can eat an entire buffet right now! I shall return!" He got up and left towards the lunch line again, linking up with Izuku on the way.
"Isn't it kinda dangerous for him to be teaching here?" Mina said once he'd gone. "I mean, if villains did wanna invade U.A., they might come because of him."
Yumi poked a dumpling with her chopsticks and shrugged. "Then they'd have to go through us first."
Kael didn't speak, but his eyes followed All Might as he stood in line. His expression unreadable.
…
The noise hit like a jolt of lightning.
A harsh, metallic alarm shrieked through the U.A. cafeteria, piercing through the lunch hour buzz like a knife. Students jolted to their feet, chairs screeching across the floor. Lights flashed red across the ceiling. A moment later, the voice came over the speakers:
"Level Three Security Breach! All students remain where you are! This is not a drill!"
Screams erupted.
"W-What's happening?!" someone shouted. "Are we under attack?!"
"Villains?! Did they get in?!"
The cafeteria exploded into chaos. Students surged toward the exits, trays clattering to the ground. Fear spread like wildfire.
But not everyone moved.
Kael was already standing—but still. Calm. His eyes locked on the doors like he was listening for something. Yumi tensed beside him, her hand tightening around a half-eaten dumpling like she might throw it.
"Yumi," Kael said evenly.
She nodded, abandoning her tray and sliding in beside him. "Got your back."
At a nearby table, Iida was doing his best to stop the rush. "Calm down! We don't even know what the threat is—don't trample each other!"
No one listened.
A few students tripped over chairs or each other, shouting and pushing to escape. Others just froze.
"Everyone, back!" Iida tried again, arms flailing like semaphore signals. "If you panic, you'll only make it worse—!"
Suddenly, Kael stepped forward.
"Everyone stop moving."
His voice wasn't loud—but it cut through the noise like a blade.
In the confusion, several heads turned. The shriek of a chair sliding died down.
"We're safe," Kael continued, his tone steady. "If this was a real villain breach, the teachers would've been here already. Whatever it is… it's outside."
Yumi crossed her arms. "Yeah. If there were villains in the building, we'd know."
For a moment, the fear hanging in the air wavered—then slowly began to dissolve. Some students returned to their seats. Others hovered by the tables, unsure, but no longer sprinting for the exits.
Iida stared, stunned, as his classmates calmed down around Kael's words.
Moments later, Aizawa and a few teachers stormed in.
"Everyone stay put!" Aizawa barked. "It's not a breach. Some reporters managed to get past the gate. No threat. It's being handled."
A collective sigh of relief rolled through the room like a wave.
Kael sat back down. Yumi flopped into her seat beside him and resumed picking at her dumplings like nothing had happened.
"Seriously, what is this school?" Mina muttered, resting her forehead on the table.
"Reporters broke the barrier?" Jirou said in disbelief. "How is that possible?"
"Yeah, I thought this place had like a military-grade lockdown system?" Kaminari asked.
"It does," Kael murmured. "Which means someone let them in. Or something in the system glitched."
Yumi leaned toward him. "You think this was a ruse?"
"Who knows.." Kael's eyes flicked toward the entrance. "But whatever it was, the staff needs to make sure everything and everyone is accounted for."
…