She scowled, poise leaving her for a single moment before she schooled her expression.
“I had leverage over the Commission - they were aware of my contacts and my ability to expose them, and so they didn’t arrest me under the condition I didn’t let the information get out. To my abysmal luck, however, someone not even involved in the Commission assassinated them, and now I have no reliable evidence about the HPSC’s corruption due to a risky deal I made when I was much younger and inexperienced. A sloppy move I’ve been waiting to bite me in the back for years, but even then I didn’t expect this.”
She tightened her bow, pulling a stray strand of hair back into place. Her posture was annoyed, frame tense, even if she tried to relax it. She was usually much better about these types of things, but here she was truly out of her element. Years of work were down the drain. And for what?
“Ysabella, by the way. Ysabella Lafayette - or I suppose the other way around in Japan, but calling by my given name is fine if it’s not too impersonal to you. I haven’t used my family name in a while now, anyway.”
She paused, looking up and down. Dressed in these tedious UA uniforms, from far away he might almost look plain. He had a strong presence, but looked so normal. Irritatingly normal. Just like her, in her plain skirt, top and tie, and shining Mary-Jane heels. Normal. Her new reality.
“How did they force you into this?”
It’s oddly comforting to know he’s not the only one here who slipped up — even when he has to reveal this information moments later. It means that neither of them is better than the other, at the very least.
“You could say it’s more or less the same thing, Ysabella,” he answers the girl’s question, trying the way her name bounces off the tip of his tongue. There’s a different melody to the other villain’s true name, one Izuku is not quite used to imitating, and his pronunciation shows so. Still, he’s going to count it as a success: he didn’t slaughter it and make it incomprehensible. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you,” he then adds quickly, before she can prod him for more details. “It’s not like it matters whether I keep it to myself or not.”
With their future classmates being the ones who captured him, it truly doesn’t, and dishonesty isn’t going to take him anywhere.
“I’m not sure if they were looking for someone to bring here, or if it was just a coincidence, but some of those hero kids and I got into a fight, I bit off more than I could chew, and…” And Izuku leaves it at that, finishing up with a shrug. No cool stories here, sadly. “Speaking of hero kids, they should be here soon. Class’ about to start, so get to your seat.” He then points to the desk towards the right in the middle row, next to his own. “That one’s the only empty desk here, so I’m assuming it’s for you.”