"I'm sorry Eraser Head, but with U.A.'s reputation on the line right now, we can't afford to adopt Arata."
"I understand," Aizawa replied over the phone to Principal Nezu, his feet restlessly pacing back and forth. "I will find another way."
"Eraser Head?"
"Yeah?"
"If you somehow manage to get her out of this, I'll see what I can do for her education."
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Arata is sitting on the edge of a dark green sofa, her back as stiff as a board and her gaze firmly planted on the grey floor. Even without looking, she can sense two pairs of dark eyes scanning her from head to toe, leaving an indescribable itch on her skin. While one of them belongs to Aizawa—whose back is sinking on the backrest next to her—the other one comes from a thick, short man across from them.
"Principal Nezu" is how Aizawa introduces him to her. His paws bring a cup of tea to his muzzle, as his circular black eyes are observing her every move like a bear. There is an odd glint in his gaze that makes her feel like a lab rat, although he is the one bearing the physical characteristics of a mouse.
"You're far more timid than what I expected," Nezu comments with a cheery tone, stretching out his legs on the sofa casually. "I suppose Eraser Head has briefed you on our offer?"
"Um, yeah..." Arata shuffles her feet under the table, trying her best to maintain her voice steady. "The Good Will program, right? Is it... new?"
"Right. It is an experimental charity program, jointly managed by U.A. and the Hero Public Safety Committee. Our target recipients are children from less fortunate circumstances, including but not limited to orphans, villain-related parents, and others. If you accept, you will be our first... to put it harshly, 'test subject'."
"Aizawa-san told me that it comprises my transfer to U.A.'s hero course and a few school supplies."
"Yes, including a laptop, a backpack, uniforms, and other things."
Something doesn't add up. A chance like this is too good to be true for her. With Aizawa, Arata can chalk it up to his kindness and duty as a hero. But, this case is different.
U.A. is an institution and a school—the top hero academy. With their talented students assembled in a single place, they should be cautious. Giving her—a villain's daughter—access can be seen as a security breach. Besides, after the lukewarm support from the police force, she has a hard time believing that they will welcome her with open arms without a hidden agenda.
It is too much of a sacrifice to be an ordinary charity. Don't they have the slightest bit of concern that I will leak information to villains or attack their students?
"Why?" Arata lifts her head a little, letting a partial view of his white fur enter her vision. "I don't understand what you will gain out of this..."
"This is indeed a charity, but I've never said we won't get anything from you in return."
"Huh?"
Nezu slides a brown folder on the desk and motions for her to read it. For a moment, she almost thinks that it is meant for Aizawa, but the black-haired man only nods back at her in silence. She picks it up, going through line by line carefully. Her pupils widen more and more at each page turn.
Regular medical check-up. Training progress. Behavior track record. Achievements. Unfavorable conducts. Academic performance. Every little thing—down to the tiniest detail.
"What are all these for...?"
"As you see, contrary to what you assumed, we are going to ask a lot from you." Nezu smiles kindly. Perhaps it is an attempt not to scare her off, because this exhaustive list is overwhelming enough on its own. "It is for research purposes."
Arata puts the documents down on the table, feeling kind of dizzy and crushed under the weight of the request. "You're— You're turning me into a literal test subject... You're experimenting on me."
"Not the way I would put it, but yes."
With this request, they will be evaluating her every aspect based on quantitative and qualitative measures. They will scrape out numbers after numbers from her performance for three years—or maybe even more. What are they going to do with her results?
"Do you collect these data from other students too?"
"Of course not, it would be unethical. We have only issued this request to you, Arata."
Then, why should I agree with this? Is it because I don't have another choice? Her stomach churns on impulse. "Does it mean that I'm worth less than them—as a human?"
"I'm not going to fill you with lies, so here is the bitter truth," Nezu explains. "While I personally don't think that way, you are indeed from a more 'disposable' part of the society. There will be less protests against it, and as a measure to counter those later, we are asking for your permission right now. Sometimes, a little sacrifice is needed for a brighter future."
"..."
"It's the same as animal experimentation. Why do humans test their experiments on animals first, instead of other humans? Isn't it because they value one sacrifice less than the other?"
Nezu is all smiles and sunshine right now, but there is something in his tone that makes her skin crawl in dread. Is he speaking from personal experience? Arata shifts on her seat uncomfortably, finding herself reluctant to express her hesitation on the matter. Should I change the subject?
"All right, um, what research will my data be used for?"
Oh, damn, Aizawa groans in his own head as he catches a brilliant glint in Nezu's eyes. Arata has just activated lecture-mode Principal Nezu by accident.
"We can't disclose the specifics, but your data can be used for various studies on the ties between heroics and villainy. For instance, what is the determining factor that turns people to villains? Are they being guided, or is there another reason? Can someone with a potential as a villain be guided towards the right path? There have been a lot of controversies among educators regarding this, and well-guided research can point us to the right direction."
"... I didn't realize that my data were valuable enough to be exchanged with a high school program..."
"If done only once, it won't be worth that much." Nezu rubs his paws against each other, eager to share his ideas. "But, if done continuously over several years? It will be very, very valuable. Note that the contract demands for your compulsory compliance until the end of your study. In the right hands—or paws I suppose—your progressive data can yield intriguing knowledge and insights. And if all goes well, perhaps we will be able to offer proven rehabilitative measures and education to other villain-related children like you."
"I see."
"I could share other educators' hypotheses and observations on this with you if you'd like, Arata. You see, I have a stack of them in my office. Should I bring them here?"
"Huh? Wait, now? But, I thought... we're discussing the contract...?"
"Well, you have a point. Too bad, maybe we can save the study discussion for later. Shall we get back on track? Is there anything you'd like to know?"
"Then... why heroics?" Arata mutters, staring at her own hands on her lap with a pensive look. "Why not general education, support, or management?"
Because you are "disposable", like what Principal Nezu has said, Aizawa holds his own tongue, trying not to spit an implicit conclusion.
No matter how we label it, noble motivation or not, we're turning underage children into soldiers. Hell, we send them into battles where they may not return from whole. "Hero" is just a term to cover up all the dark sides.
Yet, ironically, their society relies heavily on heroes for survival. They have no choice but to train these young hero candidates as best they can. And if they want to prove that children with villainous parentage are capable of doing good, what better evidence can they—as an academic institution—provide than by creating a real hero from those unfortunate children?
Aizawa knows that Nezu is also thinking along the same lines as him, but he hopes the principal will give Arata an answer from a milder viewpoint. She is way too young to bear such a heavy burden.
Nezu takes a sip of his tea before replying calmly, "Which do you think is safer for all the people involved, sending an armed person to a group of unarmed amateurs or a unit of trained military defense?"
"Um, the latter..."
"Precisely. Any other objections or questions?"
"... I think no..."
"Well, I do," Aizawa grunts, crossing his arms lazily. "What about the press? You do realize they can blow this thing up if we make it public, right?"
"It's already handled." Nezu waves his paws and wags his orange shoes on the sofa. "For the time being, we will keep this internal among the faculty, the students, and their parents. The public announcement will come in a few months, contingent on Arata's good performance and behavior. By then, the dust will have settled."
"Fine."
"Then, shall we go over the terms and agreements once more before you sign?" Nezu suggests, gesturing to the brown folder on the table. "To ensure there are no disagreements in the future."
Arata wants to say that she's not exactly hero material. She has a lot of flaws and can't even use her quirk properly. But if both Aizawa and Nezu see a scrap of potential in her, if there's a chance she can help others, no matter how small... She will do her best to live up to that expectation. It's the least she can do in exchange for their support.
"I would like that, Principal Nezu," Arata nods slowly, determination shining in her eyes. "Thank you for giving me this chance."
"Go beyond, Arata," Nezu encourages, his voice gentle yet firm. "Now is your chance to shape your own future."