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Is The Name “Hell Class” Even Accurate?

by Yoko Tomura

We all remember how it all started. A new school year, a bunch of overexcited teenagers and among them twenty unique kids who crossed the gates of U.A., hoping to become heroes. Little did they know. They not only became heroes, they became astonishing ones, admired even outside of Japan. And everyone is doing flawlessly in the industry. None of these kids expected to achieve so much. Eighteen years ago they were full of dreams and we can proudly say today - that some of them were fulfilled.

[Gif 1: Hero Deku being awarded and proclaimed the new Symbol of Hope. He is smiling brightly while shedding tears of joy.]

Today, as the fifteenth anniversary of class 3-A graduation is coming, we will talk about the Hell Class’ best accomplishments and if that name is even accurate.

[Gif 2: Class 3-A is throwing in the air their homeroom teacher, who looks like he wants to die. They celebrate their graduation.]

Also, we want to express our gratitude toward our beloved Symbol of Hope who donated his very first school year calendar for our yearly charity auction. More info below.

Yearly Charity Auction

[Image 1: An old All Might themed school calendar with many heroes stickers on it.]

[Image 2: The first page of the calendar with Midoriya Izuku name written. His phone number and email are erased. ]

[Image 3: Calendar opened on a page featuring Sport’s festival date written in bold red with few exclamation marks and information about an essay being due the next week.]

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Current U.A. principal, the retired underground pro hero Eraserhead has finally accepted to talk to us. Aizawa Shota, who had been, according to the rumors, adopted as a second father by twenty problematic kids, was hard to reach, but with the help of Earphone Jack, we’ve managed to get you an interview!

“Some decisions are harder to make than the others. Sorting kids to form a heroic class, trying to anticipate the dynamics and creating a stimulating atmosphere for these teenagers is a challenge every year. Everything could have gone south very quickly. We were concerned at first. There were some tensions between two of my most problematic kids and teenagers tend to be really dramatic sometimes. It could have snowballed very quickly but somehow, they worked it out.” At this point, Aizawa-san has a mix of fondness and exhaustion painted on his face. It’s easy to guess how much he cares for his students. When we tried to ask him who were those problematic kids, he refused to respond. But we have our own guesses.  

When we talked about the nickname he gave to 1-A, a rare smile stretched this taciturn man’s lips. “The Hell Class? Ha...yes...You know, when after only two weeks of school, your kids are already confronted to a bunch of villains, you know you’re in for a ride. And when all of them managed to stay alive and not break under the pressure and the fear, well...My job as their teacher became more interesting but also much more exhausting. I was not being paid enough to deal with them.” A rare laugh escaped Aizawa-san at this moment. , ”After USJ and Kamino Ward, something had changed between them. They were not classmates anymore. It’s sad to say but they were soldiers. Brothers and sisters-in-arms. Every hero is a soldier and these kids had to be confronted with this ugly truth early. Maybe too early. The bonds they have created during their years in U.A. are stronger than you can imagine. They are unstoppable. And they are also the reasons why I have so many grey hairs and so many sleepless nights, even today. No amount of coffee I received from them can redeem for that.  But they’re good kids. They take care of each other. And that’s my best accomplishment as their teacher. And I can honestly say that I’m happy I didn’t expel them on their first day.”

After this, we have to talk about Midoriya Izuku. When we asked Aizawa about the new Symbol of Hope, he huffed but was clearly amused.

“Midoriya, along with Bakugo, is the glue of 1-A, for different reasons. They couldn't be considered as the leaders of the class. They weren't uniting anyone. Quite the opposite. They were rivals - still are - but their unwavering will to get better, to reach the top, actually pushed the rest of their classmates to go beyond, to overcome their limits. Their presence were raising the game for the all class. And that was the reason why they were sticking together. My class quickly realised that together they can achieve so much more. Clever brats.” The fond smile on Aizawa’s face as he lost himself in his memories is touching.  

“And…” The man sighs but continues nonetheless. “Everything had started with Midoriya, when he was just this stubborn kid with a destructive Quirk and enough dreams for two lifetimes. He was my first Problem Child. The best one. And the worst one too.”

Deku @smallmight
@pikatchudenki !!!! >////< @minashido @redistheriot

[ Video: Footage from today's rescue operation led by Pinkie and Red Riot. The two heroes are visible in the center, they have some scratches on them, their hero suits are covered with dirt. They are talking with some paramedics, making sure that everyone is safe. Some reporters are approaching them.

“Pinkie, Red Riot, can we ask you a few questions concerning today's event?”

Heroes look at each others. Pinkie sighs and replies, ”I'm sorry, we are in a bit of hurry… “

The reporter is persistent. “Why you are in such a rush? Something happened?”

Red Riot groans and glances at Pinkie again.

Pinkie shakes her head. “Riot, text them and say that we're going to be late.” She takes a deep breath and continues, “We have an anniversary to celebrate today.”

“Oh, what kind?” Another reporter chimes in, clearly thirsty for a scoop.

The smile on Pinkie's face becomes a bit feral. Red Riot rolls his eyes, he looks like he knows what is coming.

“Ha, ya know. Silly tradition and stuff. That was Deku who started it, right Riot?”

Red Riot snorts. “Ha yeah. I remember. I think it was during our first year. This precious dork was keeping a calendar where he noted our birthdays and all our achievements.”

“Oh right! This ass even wrote down the day I managed to hug Zero without him blasting me into oblivion.”

“You must admit it was worth remembering.”

Pinkie bursts out laughing. “Hell yeah.” She looks at the reporter who tries to follow the exchange. “Sorry, we got carried away. You were saying?”

“Um... yeah, so today is kind of a big event then? Or a birthday maybe?” the reporter asks, eager.

“It’s a special day for my dear friend Chargebolt,” Pinkie answers. There’s a special kind of gleamer in her dark eyes, a gleamer her friends learned to fear. “Twelve years ago, he finally managed to release his highest voltage without frying his brain. So today we celebrate this fateful day.” She winks at the camera. “Love ya, Drooly!”

“Em… That's  great news” the reporter says, visibly disappointed.

Riot is unsuccessfully trying to hold back his laugh. “Deku and Chargebolt are going to kill us.”

“Pffft, I like to see them try! Embarrassing them in front of the world is my privilege and I have every intention to abuse of said privilege.” Pinkie stares directly into the camera. “Hey, Uravity, darling, I won the bet! You owe me a dinner!”

Video ends with the cheerful laugh of Red Riot. ]

Chargebolt @pikatchudenki
replying to @smallmight
Rude @minashido. If we want to embarass @smallmight u should dig this gem *snickers*

[screenshot: Heroes Daily online site. It's an old article. Hero Deku Awarded For Not Breaking Any Bones In Recent Year During The Annual Hero Gala. ]

They have anniversaries for their high school accomplishments, the most important ones.

USJ, when they got a firsthand experience about how fearsome villains were.

The Kamino Ward incident, as a day to move forward.

Their provisional license exams.

Internships.

Their real license exams.

That one unique school trip without being attacked by any villains. Aizawa voted for that occasion to be commemorated. It was one in a lifetime.

They celebrated the day when Mineta Minoru was finally expelled and replaced by Shinso Hitoshi.

They threw the surprise party to celebrate the day Shinso and Eri were officially adopted by Aizawa-sensei. They were very well aware that their new, still unwilling friend hated that kind of social events. Shinso’s face was priceless as the confetti exploded in front of him, red with embarrassment. The secret love child theories Todoroki Shouto had hold on to for months (despite Midoriya Izuku’s best effort to reason with his stubborn boyfriend) were totally destroyed. Someone lost a bet that day.

Some dates were marked to commemorate the stupid but impressive stunts they pulled. Their all-time favorite was definitely the day when they had managed to convince Hawks to take them for a fly. After Tokoyami told his classmates’ about his experience with the Number Two hero (dubbed as Hot Pigeon by Mina), class 2-A decided that they wanted the same treatment. Because fairness and stuff. It didn’t take a lot to convince the Pro Hero (a pack of 20 nuggets, a homemade cake and Todoroki Enji’s old hero suit, courtesy of the youngest Todoroki). The event obviously dragged the media attention. Many wondered if Hawks was starting the recruitment process for his new sidekicks. (He was not but ended up recruiting most of the 2-A kids anyway. Let's be honest, who wouldn't try to snatch away such a good hero material all for themselves? )

And just before they graduate, there was a fight no one would ever be able to forget. Everybody talked about it. This battle had cost Japan many heroes, some of them died, some forcefully retired. It was a final fight with a man called All for One, a man responsible for countless crimes and All Might downfall. And... they won.

Deku, the young high school boy, not even a full-fledged hero at that time, killed that cryptic, defeated Shigaraki Tomura, the leader of League of Villains and helped Endeavor becoming the new favorite internet meme. The poor man got so mauled during that fight that he had landed in a big trash bin. The risk of spine injury was too high for the Number One hero to be moved. Deku took on himself to drag the bin with Endeavor still inside to the paramedics, supporting a stumbling, featherless Hawks with his free arm.

And of course their graduation. There were fireworks Yaoyorozu Momo was allowed to create. Iida Tenya prepared a long and very embarrassing speech. The class was praised by everyone for their long list of accomplishments. During their three years of high school, the Hell Class did more than most Pro-Heroes during their full career. It was a good day and the beginning of their new road.  

Their hero debuts were also something worth celebrating. Midoriya Izuku saved every single video and articles, so proud of his friends. It was his favorite thing when he was in need of a little pick-me up.

The day when Hero Deku officially became the Symbol of Hope had also been a very significant one. Toshinori Yagi, with a face full of tears, congratulated his boy on this achievement. “You showed them,"  he said, hugging the man tightly. “ You showed everyone that you are next.”  Deku becoming the Number One Hero shortly after this was only logical. The Winged Hero Hawks welcomed the news with relief and thanked the new Number One by sponsoring the huge party the Hell Class had thrown. Izuku and Hawks were found in the early hour of the next morning, perched on the M sign of a McDonald’s with empty boxes of Nuggets from KFC and a half-empty bottle of whisky, Tokoyami and Todoroki trying to convince them to come down.

Hawks @Hawks
Japan bestest heroes! @smallmight :bunnyemoji: :birdemoji:

[Image: Hawks and Deku are hugging each other, smiling wildly, a box of  KFC nuggets between them. Both of them look a bit disheveled. They are sitting really high on McDonald's sign.]

Chargebolt @PikatchuDenki
replying to @Hawks
Defrauding two big names.

Tsukuyomi @Lordofthedarkness
replying to @PikatchuDenki
What a mad banquet of darkness.

Uravity @ochavity
replying to @PikatchuDenki
lmao xD ur talking about heroes or fastfoods?

Some events were not really a class thing. It was more about them being a family. Celebrating the anniversary of Toshinori Yagi and Midoriya Inko’s wedding was the best example.

Even if for most of them, it was hard to decide if they celebrated the wedding or the speech that Todoroki Shouto gave. This handsome dork took a microphone and with his best resting bitch face and most deadpan voice, he told everyone about his theory about Midoriya being All Might’s secret love child. He concluded by saying that, in the end, his fiancé and All Might were connected by something stronger than blood and lineage.

Kaminari lost a bet. Again. Izuku cried. Again. Some things would never change.

Since that day, it became a tradition to make the most random, the most embarrassing speech possible during the weddings that followed. It was their ultimate goal to make a speech that would never be forgotten.

Uraraka Ochaco and Iida Tenya experienced Mina Ashido talking eagerly about the creative uses of sex toys. Uraraka was laughing wildly, Iida was not.

Bakugo Katsuki and Kirishima Eijirou had the pleasure to listen to an epic speech about their sculpted pecs and how to use some bondage to emphasize them, courtesy of Sero Hanta. The hero managed to stay alive only because Bakugo was too drunk and too engrossed with his new husband to actually care about what Sero was saying.  

Midoriya Izuku and Todoroki Shouto had to go through a few speeches. It had been a real fight in a subgroup chat about who would have the privilege to embarrass them on their special day. One was from Uraraka, one from Shinso and one, the most golden one, from Shouji Mezo. Midoriya Inko fainted during that. At the mention of the latter, some people were still getting red on the face. Nobody had ever suspected their quiet classmate to be so crude and imaginative.

As a family, they celebrated the Class A’s first kid. Despite being very, very pregnant, Ochaco had been beaten on the finish line by the Bakugos. The two heroes had adopted an angry Pomeranian who looked like Katsuki. Ochaco was not even mad. How could she when the adopted dog kid looked and behaved so much like one of his fathers.

Their birthdays were a big thing too. It quickly became a competition.Of course it became one. Not surprisingly, it didn’t become a competition about who would offer the best gift. Too easy. And giving normal, useful gifts was way too boring.

For once, it was Bakugo Katsuki who started it by buying for Deku his own hero merch. Lame one. Really lame one. One of the first fan-made merchandise he had found during a hero con on a shady stall.  It was a hilarious plushie with very inaccurate hero suit and non-existent details. What started as a joke became quickly a tradition. There was an official competition still running to elect the King or Queen of the Worst Gift Ever. Bakugo had hold on to the crown for years. The only time he lost was when Kaminari managed to find the worst replica of Shouto’s face on a towel. Yaomomo was banned for making things from scratch. It would be cheating.

Annual Hero Gala was always boring. When you have Midoriya as a best friend, nothing can really surprise you anymore. His mad analysis skills were sharper than ever and his prognostics always accurate. The perk of this was they knew when to prepare a speech and when not to bother with it.

Right after their first gala, when they realized how boring and uptight it was, Kaminari and Sero decided that they would throw their own reward ceremony the next year.

The Hell Class’ after-party became quickly the place to be. Being invited to their stupid ceremony was an honor. Their favorite guest was Hawks. Well, to be completely fair, after their group fly during their second year, Hawks had become part of the family. Like a doting big brother. Or the worst enabler for their shenanigans.

It was said that Aizawa had tried to forbid access to Class A’s dorms after he found Hawks in the common room, in his pajamas, having a Mario Kart competition with the rest of the kids. Needless to say that the teacher failed completely. 

The Award Ceremony took more and more importance as the years went by. In the committee were sitting Kaminari Denki, Ochaco Uraraka and Yaoyorozu Momo. They were choosing the most stupid, the most reckless and every unique stuff everyone did during the previous year to award them. Todoroki Shouto received an award for the most broken conspiracy theories ever for the 18th time in a row. The running gag had never got old, even after all these years. Some of the awards were more serious:

• Aoyama's first fashion show.
• Jirou’s first radio show.
• Satou opening his bakery.
• When Kaminari used his highest voltage and not short-circuited.
• The first time Midoriya didn’t break his bones while on hero duty. Media gone wild. Everyone gone wild. It was even mentioned on Annual Hero Gala as a joke.
• The first time Bakugo complimented someone willingly and it wasn’t Kirishima.
• The first time Shouto purposely used a meme and everyone lost it. Kaminari did a meme compilation to celebrate this fateful moment.

On some of these anniversaries, they couldn’t be together. The older they became, the more responsibilities they had. Life as Pro Hero wasn’t an easy one. It required a lot of sacrifices, missed parties and belated birthdays. But those were sacrifices they were all willing to make if it allowed them to save more than one life.

However, there was one celebration none of them would miss for the world. One that had more importance than the others.

They made a vow eight years ago, with tear-swollen eyes, hoarse voices, and broken hearts.

Even if it was hard to get a day off, even if the villains seemed to have picked up that this day was the best day to do their worst, it didn’t matter. Twenty of the best pro-heroes of Japan would gather in a tiny garden, in an anonymous suburb, surrounded by kids, dogs, cats and tons of food cooked by a well-know mom.

Even Deku, as the Symbol of Hope, always managed to join the rest of his classmates, often late, most of the time still in his hero suit, but always here. He was always there. This celebration was important for everyone but even more for him. Some villains learned the hard way that this particular day was the worst day to pick-up a fight with the Symbol of Hope. It appeared that the sweet and gentle man, considered by many as a literal ray of sunshine, could be scarier than Ground Zero.

[...]They often say it is dangerous to meet your heroes.

I was hero fanboy for as long as I can remember and I still am to this day. I can’t stop loving and admiring heroes. How could I? Especially when I got the chance to know the most amazing and impressive ones.

When I first met All Might, I understood the deep meaning of this saying.

Only a few people know this but Bakugo Katsuki had not been the first victim of the Sludge villain that day. I was.

I would probably be dead without All Might’s intervention. All Might saved my life. And crushed my dreams ten minutes later.  

When I asked him if I could ever be a hero, even if I was Quirkless, he said no. He told me that I needed to be realistic. That I should consider another path, like a cop or a doctor, reasoning that not only heroes save people.

Now I know that he told me that because he knew how demanding life as a Pro Hero could be. He was just trying to keep me safe. He was doing his job as a hero.

Now that I’m a Pro Hero, I can understand why he told me those soul-crushing words. The dangers we have to face on a daily basis are huge. Even with a Quirk, it’s sometimes hard to deal with some situations. The career of Pro Hero is a bumpy road. Even people born with excellent Quirks end up injured beyond repair and are forced to retire early.

But I was a stubborn kid. Some say that I still am. They’re probably right.

I didn’t give up on my dream.

Even if I didn’t save anyone that day, I still did something. I moved when others stayed still. My legs acted on their own, running toward danger before my brain realized what my body was doing. I was scared but I couldn’t stop. The itch to do something was just too strong. I was scolded by many heroes for my reckless actions but I was so proud of myself.

All Might told me later that day that what I did that day was the mark of a true hero.

That was the day when our stories interlaced. That was my starting line.[...]

Page 503

[...] I knew I had to get up. To move on. To take a step forward, even if it was a small one. I knew I needed to grit my teeth and swallow my tears. There was no time for grieving, no time for mourning. I didn’t have the right or time to wail and cry in a corner. I needed to stand up and walk on the path my Hero traced for me. This world he left behind, needs to be rescued, to be protected. Every hour of every day. Over and over again.

I know I’m not alone for this task but All Might told me one day that he wanted me, to tell the world that I was here.

I am here. I stand where he had been standing so proudly till the day he died.

I will keep on carrying his mantle until I can’t anymore. Then it will be your turn.

Because as my Hero said, “You are next”.[...]

Page 885

No matter how many years had passed, it still felt like it had happened just a few days ago, not eight years. Eight long years during which some of them needed to learn how to live again. How to keep moving forward without their loving mentor, their good friend, their awkward teacher, and a good father. The best father Izuku ever had.

This. Them. Their story. The bonds,  their emotions, their memories, the past they share together. The future, they will have.

This year, it is a windy Sunday.

The chill in the air is present but the warmth of their family make up for it. They created bonds stronger than blood.

Inko is fussing around Momo and Ochaco, giving them useful tips on how to manage the life of a Pro Hero and a mother.

Denki brawls on the grass with the Bakugo’s adopted daughter and Izuku and Shouto’s twins. Shinso is snapping photos of that to tease his husband later.

Eijirou is taking probably the thousand and third picture of the afternoon trying to catch a good view of the sunset. No one is willing to tell him to change the basic settings to make his job easier.

Kids stopped their heroes-and-villains game when Mina’s son spots Uncle Hawks in the sky. The yelling increases as the Winged Hero lands in the garden, assaulted by an army of children.

“Make us fly, Uncle!!” they are yelling, while pulling on his coat.

Izuku steps outside at this moment, hair still wet from the shower he took when he arrived. He stands there for a while, silent, simply watching over his big family. The days where it was just he and his mom are long forgotten. He smiles fondly when he spots Shouto reading a book with Hanta’s son and Ochaco and Tenya’s youngest one in his lap.

A beer appears suddenly in his hand. “Stop mopping around, shitty nerd.”

He chuckles and bumps slightly in the sturdy shoulder of his childhood-best-friend-turned-bully-turned-rival-turned-best-friend-again. “I’m not mopping.”

“Yes, you are. You can’t bullshit me, I know you too well.”

“That you do, Kacchan.”

They stay silent for a while, watching a bunch of screaming kids flying around, red feathers stuck in their shirts.

“Do you think he would like that?” Izuku asks.

“Like what?”

Izuku tips the head of his bottle toward the busy garden. “This. Us, gathering every year on the day he died?”

“You and your weird questions.”

Izuku shrugs and takes a sip of bitter beer.

“I’m sure he would love this,” Kacchan answers after a while. “After all, he was even sappier than you are.”

“Ey!”

“Come on, Deku. Let’s enjoy this day off.”

“Yes… Let’s enjoy that time,” Izuku says while tickling the kid who runs close to them.

“We need to live on,” Katsuki nods.

“The brighter future… or something.”

“Nerd… It’s brighter, because we still have hope within us. We are living for a brighter future. And... ” Katsuki adds begrudgingly,  “ You are the one who leads us. Don’t mess it up Izuku.”

 “I hope, I won’t, Kacchan. I hope.”