It was just as Fall was starting to turn into Winter, with the temperature dropping every day and the leaves nearly non-existent on each tree, when Class 1-A of UA High School learned of their next big event. Once all the students had filed into the classroom that Friday morning, Aizawa looked out at them all, and waited until Iida had shushed everyone before he started talking. "I have an important announcement." Like every Aizawa speech, it started bland and dull. "Starting next week, we'll be taking part in an academic exchange program with two other hero schools overseas."

The teacher paused there for a few seconds, knowing full well he had the teenagers' attention and wanted to draw it out of a little just to spite the well-rested pains in his ass. "Specifically, Class 1-B will be going to learn at the Manchester School for Gifted Youth, while you all stay here." More than a few members of the class let out annoyed sighs that they'd be missing such an excursion. "At the same time, half the freshman class at Titan Academy will be living here and studying with you all. This way, you can all learn more about different ways of approaching hero work and make connections that could be useful later on." There was a lot of excited muttering from that, but almost immediately one student raised his hand with a question. Aizawa let out a sigh. "Yes, Midoriya?"

At the beginning of the year, Izuku Midoriya was the kind of shy student who raised his hand a lot but always blushed and stammered once everyone was actually looking at him. That still happened from time to time, but his experiences so far had built up enough confidence that he could actually ask his teacher a question without pausing. "Mr. Aizawa, how is that going to work? Titans Academy doesn't teach students individually, but instead places them in five person teams who succeed and fail as a group."

Of course, Aizawa reflected, it would be Midoriya to bring up the very thing he was going to explain next to the class. "You're correct, that is one of the major differences between our teaching styles. This is done because, while here in Japan heroes most often work in agencies, either for them or running them, in America superheroes are on teams more often than they aren't. This is about teaching you all something new, though, so while our guests will be here, you'll all be in teams as well, and you'll be graded in your teams for the next month."

Some of the students looked like they found that idea interesting, but more than a few looked skeptical. "What, so I've gotta do everything carrying a bunch of dead weight?! There's no way I'd ever join a damn hero team! Why would this ever matter to me?!" Of course it would be Bakugo to object so quickly and vocally. But several other students, including Todoroki and Kaminari, seemed to agree with them, as far as Aiawa could tell from their facial expressions.

Giving the bombastic bombshell of a young hero a glare, Aizawa responded, "Don't speak out of turn, Bakugo. But since you asked: even if you don't join a team as a pro hero, you will be forced to work together with other heroes more often than you'd expect. You, perhaps more than anyone else, should know that getting better at socializing is important for your future." Sure, it was a bit hypocritical coming from Aizawa, but it was something Bakugo needed to hear regardless. "Now then, regarding the teams, I bet you'd all like to form team yourselves, pairing up with those you feel you'd work with the best. Am I correct?" Everyone murmured their assent, clearly looking at those they wanted to partner with the most. Giving his best sadistic smile, Aizawa told his class, "Well, that's too bad!"

Pulling out a piece of paper from inside his scarf, Aizawa informed them of their fates. "Instead, your teachers have put together teams, each with a designated leader. Other than that, roles can be determined for any task as you desire. Momo Yayarozu," he started, looking at every student as he read out their names. "You will lead a team comprised of yourself, Mashirao Ojiro, Koji Koda, Fumikage Tokoyami, and Hanta Sero." The members of that first team all looked at their new leader, who already seemed unsure at the task before her.

"Tenya Iida, your team includes Shoto Todoroki, Rikido Sato, Eijiro Kirishima, and Yuga Aoyama. Bakugo, you've got your own team to play with, and your teammates will be Asuya Asui, Minoru Mineta, Toru Hagakure, and Mina Ashido." Iida didn't appear to have any issues with his listed team, though with him it was always hard to tell. Bakugo, on the other hand, was looking like he hated every name read after his own. "That just leaves Midoriya's team: Kyoka Jiro, Mezo Shoji, Ochaco Uraraka, and Denki Kaminari. If any of you want to change teams, tough luck. These teams are permanent for the next month, end of story." It was just about time to actually start class, but then Aizawa remembered one last thing. "Oh, and you'll all be using a buddy system with the out-of-country students. You'll know who you're with when they arrive, and their safety is your responsibility." There was a knock on the door, which meant Present Mic was there for his lesson. Honestly, while Aizawa saw the benefits to the student exchange, considering who it meant he'd be needing to spend time with for the next month, he privately was just as annoyed with what was to come as Bakugo was.

There wasn't a lot that Dick Grayson didn't love about teaching at Titan Academy. Perhaps one of his absolute favorite parts, though, was the yearly student exchange with UA High. Mostly because it allowed him to spend time with one of his favorite overseas heroes. He and the rest of his class had just arrived in Japan less than an hour ago, but the kids had gotten the chance to set themselves up in their new temporary living space in the guest dorm UA was providing for them. That left him and his fellow teacher to meet up with Aizawa and his bunch of newbies at the track field. As soon as he saw that curmudgeonly crabapple, Dick couldn't stop grinning. "Hey, Eraserhead! Miss me?"

The kids were all looking at Dick with either confusion or awe, clearly depending on whether they recognized him or not. True, his hero costume had been redesigned lately after he'd decided to go with a more disco look, with yellow shoulder fringe and a brighter hue of blue, but how could any of the young heroes not know about- "Nightwing," Aizawa intoned. "I've missed you as much as a blow to the head." Then, he turned to look at the woman standing at Dick's side and nodded his head in a gesture of actual respect. "Omen, it's good to see you again."

Lilith was looking as radiant as ever, her bright orange hair contrasting nicely with her costume's mix of green hues. Her dazzling smile was wasted on Aizawa's sleep deprived mug. "It's good to see you too, Shota." Then, her attention focused on the students all standing around in their own hero costumes. "My name is Lilith Clay, and I'm happy to be working with you all." Something in her eyes became even more warm and caring, though how that was possible Dick didn't know, and she added, "If any of you face any interpersonal conflicts in the coming month, please know you can come to me for help. My door will always be open."

[LILITH CLAY/OMEN! HER QUIRK: PREMONITION! THIS PSYCHIC QUIRK LETS HER LOOK INTO POSSIBLE FUTURES, THOUGH THE FARTHER SHE LOOKS, THE MORE POSSIBILITIES THERE ARE! -Present Mic]

Ready and waiting to step into the spotlight, Dick addressed the tykes himself. "My name's Dick Grayson, and I go by the hero name 'Nightwing'. I'm the class's actual homeroom teacher, while Lilith acts as a guidance counselor and therapist for our students." Then, he pointedly looked down at a wrist that didn't have a watch on it, which got a laugh out of a spiky-haired student. "Well, look at the time! My class should be here any minute!" Sure enough, the kids were soon visible approaching the field, all of them dressed in their own tailor-made hero costumes.

"I'm excited to have the chance to teach all of you, and to see what you can teach me and my students. Now then, it's introduction time! First up," Dick started, pointing at the first group of five, in the lead among everyone else. "Is the team Scientific American! Led by Virgil Hawkins, there's also Grant Emerson, Karen Beecher, Mal Duncan, and Antonia Monetti. They're the only one of my teams where everyone has a Quirk!" That got some interesting reactions from the students who weren't aware that not all American heroes had Quirks.

Once they could better see the next group, some actual gasps came out, though Dick didn't think they were trying to be rude. "Up next is In Your Head. Team Leader is M'gann M'orzz with backup from Joseph Wilson, Kole Weathers, Tara Markov, and Cassandra Sandsmark; this team has a wide range of capabilities but as their name implies, you better watch what you think around them.

"In the most suggestive title of the lot is Hard and Fast, coming up third. The one in charge there is Avery Ho, and behind her is Cassandra Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Jaime Reyes, and Traci Thurston. So far, they've managed to beat more than a dozen school records when it comes to practical exams." By this point, most of his class was standing opposite Aizawa's, everyone looking curiously at students on the opposite side. His own kids were still grouped into teams, but the Japanese student heroes were still in a jumbled dispersed group.

Finally the stragglers arrived, looking a little embarrassed by this somewhat late arrival. From the blush on their leader's cheeks, Dick knew he had some kind of explanation for his teacher later. "And, bringing up the back, is the New Teen Titans. That's Tim Drake, the third Robin, in the front, and behind him is the rest of the team: Garfield Logan, Victor Stone, Raven Roth, and Princess Koriand'r of the planet Tamaran." Now that everyone was assembled, Dick explained, "I'll be calling out matching names, and those are the buddy pairs. Try to play nice, since you'll be stuck with each other for the next month." From there, he read out the names, and once everyone was paired up they were sent out to do two-person exercises, starting with stretching before leading to light sparring. Looking at the forty kids gathered together, Dick Grayson was confident that this year was going to be something special.