Chapter 19: USJ: Track 1 - Invasion
- MUSUTAFU STREETS, WEDNESDAY -
It was a clear day over the city of Musutafu. Traveling down the road was a black sedan, making its way to its destination at a steady pace. Behind the wheel was Yagi Toshinori, wearing an oversized, golden-yellow pinstripe suit. He was currently running through today's lesson, 1-A's class with him would be going over rescue training. Something he was excited about. While he wasn't against having to face Villains, he had a deep appreciation for being able to help others in a crisis.
While the destruction of the U.A. Barrier had caused the staff to be on edge, they still decided to move ahead with classes but ensured to add on to their security measures. While 1-A would be far from the main campus, the Unforeseen Simulation Joint was double-checked by Nezu and Power Loader to make sure their sensors weren't faulty. Add that to the fact that he, Aizawa, Thirteen, and even Ms. Kamachi would be overseeing the rescue training, he felt that they would be able to handle anything should something happen.
Still, even he felt something was still amiss.
When he arrived at the campus on Monday for the scheduled press conference to address his role as an instructor at the university, he went through his personal desk. And while he wasn't missing any files, nor was his computer tampered with, he just had the feeling something just wasn't right.
Toshinori shook those thoughts from his head. He needed to focus on getting to U.A. 1-A should be making their way to the USJ anytime now and he wanted to be there to greet them. And so far, things had been quiet.
And then his phone rang.
He patched it through to his car's smart device so he could focus on the road. He smiled when he saw the same on the screen.
"Ah, Tsukauchi! It's been a while. How are you?" He said jovially.
"Sorry Toshinori. I need to make this quick." The tone in the detective's voice was all Toshinori needed to hear to understand how bad it already was. "We have a situation that just popped up. A group of Villains has taken an entire office building over and taken several hostages. We don't have enough Heroes to pull off a rescue of this scale. I already let Nezu know that I needed your help, so get here ASAP."
"I'm on my way! Send me the location and I will meet you there." Toshinori replied.
The emaciated Hero pulled over and parked his car, making sure it would be fine to leave it there for the time being. He dipped into an empty alleyway as soon as he got out of the vehicle and scanned the area. When he saw it was clear, Toshinori felt his Quirk swell up through his body, causing him to bulk up.
And with a single leap, All Might was heading to Tsukauchi's location.
- CLASSROOM 1-A, U.A. UNIVERSITY -
The class of 1-A was currently in their classroom, waiting for their Heroics lesson to begin. While the class was chatting among themselves, Izuku was deep in thought. His mind was going back to that Monday evening, running through his Investigations lesson he shared with Shinso and Monoma.
"Do you two feel like something was off with what happened earlier?" Izuku asked his two classmates.
Both Shinso and Monoma went into deep thought at his question. Monoma was the first to answer. "Yes. While the press doesn't always put themselves in a good light, the fact that they essentially stormed the campus just to talk about All Might, despite knowing there would be a press conference, makes little to no sense."
In Aizawa's words, they were irrational," Shinso added. "All it takes is one person to do something, and the rest will follow. Maybe someone egged them on."
Before they could continue their discussion, Holmes entered the classroom and addressed his three students. "Both are decent deductions, you two. But these are just surface-level observations and guesswork." He turned to face the digital board and began to write on it. Once he finished, he waved the three over to him. He handed a stylus to each of them and spoke to Izuku. "Midoriya. Let's get our first known variable listed. How did the press get onto the campus?"
"The U.A. Barrier must have been broken or destroyed, letting the press in," Izuku stated, writing down his observation.
"Very good. Shinso, what else?"
The indigoette stepped up to the board and wrote down his point, "The alarms start going off, causing a panic."
"Indeed. Monoma, you're next."
"The students vacate the main building and are directed outside," Monoma added. He stepped back in line with Izuku and Shinso.
The three students looked over their notes trying to piece things together. Holmes spoke up, wanting to get them to think about what they may have noticed but forgot. "As I said, these are all surface-level observations. What can we glean from these and expand upon them? Think back, what could you have missed?"
Izuku's eyes widened as he remembered Ectoplasm using his clones to search the campus. "Ectoplasm-sensei was searching for something… or someone. While Aizawa and Mic were handling the press, the students were leaving the building with several other instructors. But Ectoplasm-sensei can be in multiple places at once."
Holmes nodded and added several motives to the board. "A statement. Wanting to show that U.A. isn't untouchable. Infiltration. A strong possibility that someone used the press as a distraction to enter the building elsewhere."
"Sounds like what you did during the 4v4 last week, Izuku," Shinso remarked.
"Right. My team had to infiltrate the enemy base to retrieve intel." Izuku said as he thought about it. "One of my teammates and I entered the building at one point, while my other two teammates entered the other. I then moved to enter from the rooftop to further serve as a distraction."
Monoma brought a hand to his chin. "But what could have been taken? And would they even be able to? I'm sure that Dean Nezu wouldn't just have files lying around for anyone to just look at. And any important documents would be kept under heavy lock and key."
"As far I know, nothing was taken. No computers were accessed, otherwise a failsafe would have been triggered." Holmes answered. "So, if this was an infiltration with the intent to steal information, it possibly failed and the culprit left empty-handed. After all, they were on a timer."
"Why only possibly sensei?" Shinso questioned, unsure of Holmes' meaning.
"Unless you have proof otherwise, always have room for doubt. Just because they may not have been able to access the university's servers, does not mean they didn't learn something from another source."
After that, he sat down with Momo to discuss their ideas with her, making sure nothing was left to chance. The two then addressed their coursemates to make sure they all understood that they handled their days with a hint of caution. When the university felt it prudent to restrict the students by making them stay on campus unless they left in groups of three or more for the rest of the week, the 1-A reps felt it right to stress their concerns even more.
It made Izuku and Momo proud that their coursemates were handling things well though. But now they had to make it through the rest of the week. At least it was time for their Heroics lessons again. Maybe it would help get his mind off of what happened Monday.
"Think we will have combat training again?" Toru asked aloud.
Izuku turned his attention to his coursemates' discussion, happy for the distraction.
"I hope so! I have to redeem myself." Kaminari answered. "Plus, my new gloves should be ready to try out!"
Sero raised a brow at that. "I'm kinda surprised they got it done that fast. I figured the press breaking in would slow things down for the engineer students."
"Maybe they just needed something to take their minds off it, ya know?" Ochaco voiced out.
As everyone else continued their small talk, Shoka shot Izuku a concerned look. She leaned across the aisle and gave him a nudge. The verdette jolted a little before turning to face her. "Hey, Izzy? What's up?" She asked with a small frown.
"Sorry, Shoka. Just thinking about things," He replied, trying not to make her worry.
She didn't buy it. "Yeah. Sure. Let's try that again, Izzy."
Izuku gave her a weak but amused huff as one of the corners of his mouth curled up. "Sorry. Just, still thinking about the press break-in. Something still doesn't sit right with me."
"Well, I would say you're paranoid. But we trained with Aizawa. I still find myself checking corners sometimes." Shoka's right eye twitched at that particular memory. She didn't believe Izuku and Shinso at the start of their training when they said Aizawa had a habit of just popping up. Most of the time he would just drop down from around a corner still in his sleeping bag.
That was not a fun day when she finally understood them.
"Hey, we told everyone our ideas and they've been pretty receptive to them. Let's just keep taking things one day at a time." Shinso said, doing his best to alleviate some of the worry from Izuku's mind.
Momo had turned around in her seat to address the verdette as well, "If something does happen, then we will face it." She gave Shinso and Shoka a quick glance and an extra smile for the ravenette before returning her focus to Izuku, taking one of his hands into hers. "Together."
Aizawa had walked into the classroom then, causing everyone to quiet down and pay attention to their course instructor. The Underground Hero gave them a nod and spoke. "Alright. Today's Heroics lesson will be different. We will be going to a location further away from the main campus and undergoing rescue training. You will be instructed by myself, All Might, and a Hero who specializes in rescue operations. Ms. Kamachi will also be overseeing your training, so be on your best behavior."
At his announcement, several students erupted into excited cheers.
Aizawa grew annoyed at their antics and used his Quirk to get them to refocus. The students immediately quieted down as the oppressive feeling in the air dispersed. "Something to keep in mind, during this training, pay attention to what part of your gear or Hero costume proves to be detrimental to rescue operations. Better to learn that now than out on the field when lives are on the line."
His words struck a chord with 1-A. They all moved to the wall lockers, grabbed their suitcases, and made their way down to the locker rooms to change. It didn't take long for 1-A to arrive at the bus Aizawa was waiting next to. As Aizawa was on the phone discussing something with the person on the other line, Izuku and Momo decided to get their coursemates ready.
"Midoriya, Yaoyorozu. Should we set up seating arrangements?" Iida asked the two.
"Well, I appreciate the extra effort, Iida, I don't think it's that kind of bus," Izuku stated. He walked over to the doors to get a look inside. He was right, it was more like a public transport bus than a school one. He turned to face the bluenette and shook his head. "Sorry Iida. Maybe next time."
He struggled to hold back a laugh when he saw Iida huff out in annoyance. Izuku guessed that he must have already had a plan in mind before even finding out about what kind of bus it was.
Izuku rejoined Momo as Shoka made her way over to them. They chatted among themselves when Aizawa had finished his call and addressed them, "Alright. Everyone on the bus so we can start your training."
1-A quickly boarded the bus to avoid incurring Aizawa's annoyance and grouped up within their own circle of friends. Izuku sat in the middle of the bus with Shoka and Momo taking their usual places on his right and left, while Shinso sat with Kyoka right next to Momo. Across from them sat Iida, Kaminari, Mina, Kirishima, and Toru. Ochaco had sat with Tsuya on the seats right next to everyone else.
Once everyone had sat down, the bus began its journey to where 1-A's rescue training would take place. They had started to make small talk among their group, not really focusing on any one topic until Izuku brought up something that came to mind.
"Hey, Kaminari?" The blonde in question perked up when he was called out. "You said you got those new gloves added to your costume, right? How do they fit?"
"Oh yeah!" Kaminari lifted his hands up to show the group his new additions. He was now wearing a pair of gloves that had thick leather and plastic along the knuckles and backside of his hands, with the first knuckles having a series of metal stubs attached to each one. He flipped his hands over and each finger and thumb had several thin pads at the tips that looked like a thinner, lighter metal to conduct electricity to his fingers.
"I'm surprised they were able to make them so fast! They had me come down yesterday to test them to make sure everything worked out like it should. Now I can use more electricity for punches and stuff. They even reworked my headphone." Kaminari pointed at the singular headphone on his right ear. "It can limit the amount of electricity that can short-circuit my brain if I overcharge myself. Not a full fix, but they are working on a better solution. This was just what they could make in such a short time."
"Still, we're glad you were able to get something to expand your capabilities," Momo remarked, glad for her friend.
"Hey, I gotta thank you, Izuku, and Ochaco for that." The auburnette smiled while rubbing her head, not expecting to be thanked for her small contribution to that discussion last Friday.
"Speaking of our Gravity Girl, were you able to get anything done on your end?" Shoka asked.
Ochaco gave a wide smile and gave the slender ravenette a series of quick nods. "Yep! They were able to add some grapple lines and parts to my wrists and neck to help with my nausea." She huffed when she grumbled about the next part. "They weren't able to get the boots done. Somethin' about needin' me to do tests so I'm still usin' my old ones."
"Still, kero something is better than nothing," Tsuyu remarked
"Jiro. I see that you also got an addition." Iida said as he noticed the pair of white speakers on the punkette's hands.
"Hm? Oh, yeah. Took some inspiration from the think tank here and got these made." Kyoka said as she brought up her hands. Attached to the backside of each of her white gloves was a small, white speaker. She grabbed one of them and took it off, showing that they can be detached and reattached easily. "During our 4v4, I couldn't get a good attack on her with my boot speakers, so I figured that putting some on my hands could help. They aren't as powerful as the speakers in my boots, but will still make you feel bass down to your bones."
"Certainly gives a new meaning to beatdown." Shinso dryly remarked. He didn't even call attention to it, just said it and moved on. It at least got a few chuckles from several members of the group.
"Kero Shoka?" The gray-eyed ravenette turned her head to face the frog girl. "I've been meaning to ask about your Hero costume kero kero."
"Alright. Shoot. What's on your mind, Tsu?"
"Your coat. It's darker than I would ever think could be made kero. Not even the lights are affecting it kero kero." Tsuyu said, drawing everyone's attention to the coat.
"Indeed. It is almost as if I were staring into the abyss." Tokoyami said from his seat further back.
Shoka nodded as she understood why it would be odd. "Well, one of our mentors, "She said as she gestured to herself, Izuku, and Shinso, "got some equipment made for us when we got accepted. My coat was what he got made for me. Apparently, this is as close to a cloth version of Vantablack as they could get. Like the stuff they use for spaceships and spy planes."
The slender ravenette activated her Quirk transformation, her arms and legs covered in the abyssal-black, segmented armor. As her skin faded into a pale white, her coat shifted to a gray that melded into the arms of the segmented armor. "The closer to black anything on me is, the stronger my Quirk. And since my coat is almost pure black, my Quirk is at its strongest."
"I still just find it cute that you and Izuku match with your animal hoods," Mina said, making her opinion known. She turned to Momo and smiled. "When are you gonna match them, Yaomomo? Ooooo what's your animal gonna be?"
As Mina bounced excitedly in her seat, Momo answered the pinkette, "Well, we have narrowed it down to two or three animals, those being a wolf, an owl, and a fox." The ravenette heiress brought a hand to her cheek, turning her head slightly as she went into deep thought. "Though we haven't agreed on which animal works best for me."
"I still say a wolf would work," Izuku remarked.
"Nah. A fox would work best for her." Shoka said.
"But an owl has so much symbolism behind it." Momo countered.
Much to Aizawa's surprise and annoyance, that seemed to trigger a deep debate on which animal would fit Yaoyorozu best. He was saved by their timely arrival at their destination. He stood up from his seat and addressed his students, "That's enough. We're here so stop messing around."
The bus slowed to a crawl before stopping. 1-A filed out of the vehicle and stood in awe at the structure ahead of them. It was a large, domed building that had a light-purple ring of concrete and metal that supported the upper glass dome.
"Dude, this place is massive!"
"I wonder what's inside?"
"I'm glad to see you all are excited today!" A voice called out. It was distorted as if the person was speaking to the group through a helmet radio. 1-A turned their attention to the front door to see another Pro Hero make their way to them.
The Hero was wearing a puffy jacket that resembled a space suit with large gloves on their hands with the fingertips topped off with metal caps. Under the coat was a pair of matching puffy pants that went down to their calves, with a black bodysuit being visible their feet being covered by large, thick yellow sneakers with white soles. To complete the space suit look, they wore a large helmet, with a thick, gray metal brace that connected it to the suit, with the glass of the helmet being pure black with large white, expressive eyes.
Before the Hero could introduce themselves, someone else did it for them.
"TSU! It's Thirteen!" Ochaco said excitedly as she shook her friend.
Not far behind her excitement was Izuku, "We actually get to learn from Thirteen! She's one of the top Rescue Specialists in the world!" Momo giggled at his apparent joy while Shoka rolled her eyes and playfully nudged him. Izuku took a second to look sheepish before calming down.
"Well then," Thirteen said with some mirth, "it seems I already have some fans but let me still introduce myself. I am the Space Hero: Thirteen." Thirteen swept her arm wide as she gestured to the building. "Now then, let's head inside and I will show you my pride and joy!"
The group of students followed the Pro Hero inside the dome and their wonder grew even more as they looked around. The entire building looked like a theme park. The floor was broken up into noticeable sections. One looked like a water park with a ship in the middle of the man-made lake. Two had their own domed sections, each with a different design painted on the dome itself. They could see a ruined city next to them, a landslide past that, followed by a mountain at the other side of the building.
"It looks like a theme park!"
"Each zone was designed with something particular in mind." Thirteen began to explain. "From shipwrecks to landslides, out-of-control fires to windstorms. This training ground will teach each and every one of you future Heroes how to perform rescue operations in even the most unfavorable circumstances. And thus, I call it the 'Unforeseen Simulation Joint'!"
The Space Hero turned to face the group of students with her arms held out wide. "Or the 'USJ' for short!"
While many of the students were making connections to the name of the training grounds to the actual theme park of the same moniker, Shoka couldn't help but make a joke about that. "So, is there a place for us to get souvenirs?"
"Yes, actually!" The group just stared at the Space Hero, unsure of where to go with that. "Though it's only available when you complete your training here today."
"Huh... Go figure," Kyoka remarked, with the rest of the A-Crew nodding along with her.
As the group broke into small talk, Aizawa made his way over to Thirteen. "Thirteen, where is All Might?"
"Unfortunately, he was called to aid in a Hero operation not long ago." The two Heroes turned around to see Ayano make her way over to them as she put away her phone. "Nezu just informed me. If he can make an appearance near the end of 1-A's training, he will try to do so after he has finished aiding the police."
Aizawa huffed out in annoyance. "At least he has a good excuse. We'll just have to make do with the three of us for now."
"Thirteen and I have double-checked the sensors. They are all running and giving the 'All Clear' signal." The dark-haired woman said as she looked over her tablet. "We should be prepared if something happens."
"Good. Then let's begin." Aizawa moved over to the side, giving Thirteen the floor.
"Well then, let's see... Before we begin, let me say one thing... or two." Thirteen said as she held up two fingers. Only to add a third to the count. "Or three... Or four... Maybe five... Possibly six... Definitely seven..." As she continued, she kept holding up more fingers, adding her other hand to the count.
1-A and Ayano just watched on in disbelief at the growing number. Ayano politely coughed into her hand, getting Thirteen's attention and causing her to stop her ever-growing count.
Thirteen got back on track and continued her introduction. "Everyone, I am sure you are aware of my Quirk, Black Hole. With it, I can suck up anything and turn it into dust."
Ochaco nodded along happily, taking in every word while Izuku held himself back. Shoka and Momo saw him visibly shake, his Quirk and Hero knowledge threatening to make him burst.
"And where I mostly use it to save lives by helping clear out debris and other obstacles, it can easily take a life if I am not careful." Thirteen's words had caused the air around them to go cold. As she looked around, she saw several of the students were deep in thought about their own Quirks. "I see some of you have Quirks like that too."
"In our society, our Quirks are kept on file, certified, and stringently regulated, so that is often not a problem many face. We, as Heroes and future Heroes, must learn how to control our Quirks to avoid that." Thirteen's words began to resonate with the class. "Since you have been here, you have learned how to be creative with your Quirk with your instructor. Under All Might's supervision, you have learned how to use them in combat and aggressive situations."
"And now, I want you to consider this as a fresh start. Today, you will learn to use your Quirks to save lives." Everyone's mood began to brighten at the Hero's words. "Your powers are not just for fighting and hurting others. It is my hope that you will learn how to use your powers to help others."
This struck a chord with Izuku. It brought him back to the first time he met with Mr. H.
"And? Quirks just happen to be one aspect of a person, Phones. You can have the greatest Quirk in the world but that doesn't make you a hero. It's how you use that power you are given that makes you one." Mr. H turned fully to face Izuku wanting to make sure the message stuck with him.
"That's it. Thank you for listening." Thirteen said with a bow.
The class erupted into cheers and claps as she finished. When the excitement died down, Aizawa addressed them next. "Alright, with that being said, let's begin."
1-A followed Aizawa, Ayano, and Thirteen down the steps toward the central plaza of the USJ. When the group reached the middle landing on the stairway, the lights lining the middle ring of the dome flickered and shut down as power surged through them. Aizawa's eyes narrow at the occurrence.
As the class looks around in confusion, Izuku notices a purple and black vortex form at the central plaza near the fountain. "Aizawa-sensei, down there."
At his words, everyone looked down the stairs in time to see the vortex erupt. From the misty gate emerge a multitude of people, with a singular person moving at his own pace. They can see several pairs of white hands grabbing his body at different spots, but the most notable was a pair of hands covering his face and the back of his head.
"Everyone, group up and be ready! Thirteen, Kamachi, protect the students!" The Underground Hero barked out orders.
"What's going on? They aren't part of the lesson are they?" Kirishima asked in confusion.
"No," Izuku responded. Kirishima and the rest of 1-A saw the verdette, Shoka, Shinso, and Bakugo tense up and got into combative stances.
"Those are Villains," Aizawa said, picking up where Izuku left off. The Underground Hero pulled up his yellow goggles and put them on. The group of four tensed up further, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice while the rest of 1-A stood in shock.
Their worries only grew when a final body emerged from the mist. It was a large, hulking creature with a beak-like face that had a twisted and demented smile on its face, an exposed brain, and unnaturally black skin. The only clothing it wore was a pair of tan-colored shorts with skull-shaped knee guards, allowing everyone to see its muscular form which was on par with that of All Might.
"I see Thirteen and Eraser Head. I do not recognize that other woman though. I wonder where All Might is? The schedule you found said he should be here. Shigaraki?" The living mist began to speak as he looked at his leader.
The shaggy-haired man covered in hands tilted his head. "Strange. He is supposed to be here. And to think I gathered up a raid group for him specifically."
The group of Villains kept marching forward as he spoke. "Maybe we just need to trigger the boss event. If he is the Symbol of Peace, he will show up if we kill some of these trash mobs, right?"
"Izuku, it seems we were right," Shinso stated as he focused on the group of approaching Villains.
"Yeah." The verdette replied. "Doesn't make me feel any better about it." He began to pull at his pins with Orbit, slotting Blink, Resolute, Rhapsody, and Vitali-Tea into his utility belt.
"Ms. Kamachi, what about the trespasser sensors?" Momo asked the dark-haired woman.
Ayano grits her teeth as she lowers her tablet. "They are being blocked. I cannot turn off the all-clear signal either. Someone must be disrupting them and our wireless options."
Kaminari tapped at his headphones, using his Quirk as best as he could to boost his signal. "I'm not getting through to anything either!"
"It seems that these Villains planned this out. To block our signals, while a class is scheduled to be here, far away from the main campus. It's the perfect time to strike at us." Todoroki concluded. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the man standing beside the hulking beast by the fountain. "They must clearly have a goal in mind."
Aizawa stepped forward, taking in everything being said. "Thirteen, Kamachi, start evacuating the students. Find a way to get a signal out to the main campus if you can."
"Aizawa-sensei, wh-" Izuku began to speak up before Aizawa cut him off.
"Midoriya, you know better than to worry about me. I can handle myself. My job is to make sure you all can escape and call for reinforcements." The tired Hero looked over his shoulder to the verdette. "Your job is to make sure your coursemates are safe and follow orders." He gave Izuku and Shinso a pointed look, knowing that the two of them would be against leaving him alone.
Izuku looked down as he struggled with the order given to him. After a moment he gave Aizawa a nod. "Understood, sensei."
"Good." Aizawa began to address the entirety of 1-A. "As of now, you all have permission to use your Quirks to protect yourselves and your coursemates. That doesn't mean you go looking for a fight, understand?"
"Yes, sensei!" 1-A answered him.
"Then move!" Aizawa yelled out. In a flash, he gripped his capture scarf, ready for battle, and descended the stairs.
Several of the invading Villains saw his charge and were eager to attack.
"Looks like one of them is looking for a fight! Shooting Squad, let's go!"
"I thought our intel said it would just be Thirteen and All Might? Who's this guy?"
"He's a dead man if he thinks he can take us one by charging at us!"
The group of Villains readied themselves for attack, only to find that their Quirks failed to work. The stunned and confused Villains began to panic when Aizawa used his scarf to capture one of them to use them as a makeshift body ram, slamming the larger Villain of the group into the others.
The other Villains watched on in horror as one of them recognized Aizawa.
"Shit! It's Eraser Head! Don't let him look at you!"
While several of the Villains backed up, afraid to engage the Hero, one Villain with a Heteromorphic Quirk that gave him several arms rushed in. "You idiots! His Quirk only works on Emitter types. It can't do shit to my Quirk!" The Villain leaped into the air as he threw a sloppy punch that Aizawa easily avoided. He pressed on, undeterred, with a flurry of attacks, each one failing to hit the Underground Hero.
"You're right. I can't erase those Quirks." Aizawa answered, dodging another punch. He slipped through the Villain's guard and landed a punch straight into the their face, breaking his nose and sending him flying. "But I can more than make up for it in skill!" Aizawa threw his scarf forward, the capture cloth wrapping itself around the Villain's leg. Before Aizawa could reel him in, he shocked the Villain behind him by dodging another punch and countering with a kick that sent the attacking Villain into two more. In one fluid motion, Aizawa pulled his scarf down, yanking the Villain he had captured forward and slamming him into the pile of bodies. "And I'm more than willing to show you the difference between our skill levels," Aizawa said, taking another stance as he stared down the surrounding Villains.
The Shigaraki watched on, studying the Hero easily taking apart his group of invaders. "Skilled in hand-to-hand combat, using that scarf to cover his range weakness. And with those goggles, he is hiding who he targets, causing confusion among the masses." He continued to observe as Aizawa took down two more Villains. "Not only that, where you would think he specializes in 1v1 encounters, he is surprisingly good at crowd control. I hate when Pro Heroes live up to their hype. Our units are gonna get taken out by a mini-boss."
"Everyone! Now's our chance. Make your way to the exit!" Thirteen called out.
1-A complied with their instructor's orders and made their way up the stairs. Izuku and Shinso stayed back for a moment, giving their mentor one last look before catching up with the rest of their group.
Shigaraki looked up at the stairs and noticed that the group of Hero students were attempting to escape. "Kurogiri, make sure they don't get away. This is a forced encounter after all."
Kurogiri tried to follow his leader's command but found himself unable to as Aizawa kept his eyes focused on him every time he tried to move. The misty Villain grew annoyed at the interference, causing his leader to act. "Yo! Don't let those trash Heroes get away!"
Hearing his words, several of the Villains who were near the stairs looked up and rushed after the escaping Hero students. It forced Aizawa to focus on them, giving Kurogiri the chance to disappear from the field. Aizawa clicked his tongue in anger at the sudden turn of events as he had to refocus on the Villains pushing their attack against him.
"Iida! Get to the doors!" Izuku quickly called out. Iida struggled with the order, worrying about leaving his friends behind but understood what needed to be done. Before he reached the doors, the misty Kurogiri appeared before him, cutting off his escape.
"A pleasure to meet you. We are the League of Villains." Kurogiri said with a dramatic flair. "And while it is rather presumptuous of us, we have invited ourselves here, the heart of future Heroics, to have the Symbol of Peace take his last breath."
Kurogiri's voice began to grow more menacing as he spoke, "Unfortunately, it seems as though All Might is not here. I suppose we shall have to make do with you all instead."
Ayano summoned her Quirk. Iris Dancer took up a defensive position between 1-A and the misty Villain as Thirteen uncapped one of her fingers. Before she could act, Bakugo and Kirishima rushed past her, intent on attacking the Villain in front of them.
"Like we're just gonna let you get away with attacking us!"
"You think you can even step up to me!?"
"No! Get back you two!" Thirteen called out but her cries fell on deaf ears.
Bakugo and Kirishima struck the Villain. The explosion created by Bakugo kicked up a large cover of smoke, hiding the Villain from 1-A's sight. "My, my. Quick to act. Foolish to do so recklessly." Kurogiri chided the pair. As the smoke dissipated, the misty Villain reformed his body, a metal brace on his neck visible for all to see.
His form began to enlarge, taking a good look at each of the 1-A students. His eyes fell on Shoka and seemed to linger on her for a moment before speaking. "Perhaps I should leave it to my allies to teach you the meaning of patience." Wisps of purple and black energy erupted from Kurogiri's body and surrounded the group. "So, scatter, all of you. And meet your end!"
Bakugo and Kirishima were the first ones to be taken by the mist, their bodies disappearing before everyone's eyes. Iida had made a dash to grab Ochaco and Momo, using his Quirk to move out of the way. Sato shields Mina with his body as Iris pulls Ayano and Thirteen out of the way. Aoyama, with a quick application of his Quirk, managed to dodge the mist before it neared him.
"Izuku!" The verdette's eyes widened in panic as he saw Shoka reach out for him from the mist. He reached out with Orbit, trying his best to pull her free with his Quirk, only to face the same fate and vanish along with her.
Shinso and Kyoka were next as they were unable to escape the misty Villain's grasp. One by one the class of 1-A disappeared, leaving behind Thirteen, Ayano, Momo, Iida, Ochaco, Mina, Aoyama, and Sato to deal with the Villain.
"So, some of you have escaped your gruesome fates." Kurogiri's words send a chill down the remaining group's spines. "Or perhaps, you are unfortunate enough to suffer a different one."
- MOUNTAIN ZONE -
The first thing Izuku felt was a rush of wind when he emerged from the misty portal. His eyes shot open and saw he was falling towards the mountain zone. Acting quickly, he used Orbit to right himself and continued his descent. Once he neared the ground, he used Orbit to fully stop his body, killing his momentum before releasing it just a foot above the rocky terrain. As he took stock of his surroundings, he heard the sound of small explosions coming towards him.
He looked up and saw Bakugo making his way towards him like a missile, using his explosions to control his flight. He landed next to the verdette, his boots skidding against the ground as he slowed down and kicked up a dust trail behind him.
"Fuck that misty bastard!" The ash-blonde yelled out in anger.
"Bakugo! Did you see if anyone else ended up here with us?" Izuku asked him, his eyes darting back and forth scanning the area.
Bakugo clicked his tongue but he started to calm down a bit. "No. I didn't see any of those other extras. Which means I'm stuck with your useless ass."
"Good to know you have my back. I feelsooooo relieved." Izuku muttered. He ignored the indignant bark Bakugo made when he noticed movement past a small cropping of rocks below them. He readied himself, feeling his energy begin to become active as he warned his reluctant partner. "Bakugo. Movement below us."
Bakugo grunted as he stood back-to-back with Izuku, his Quirk starting to pop off as he spoke. "Some shitty Villains above us too."
Soon enough, the two were beginning to be surrounded by a large group of Villains. The two Hero students never took their eyes off the encroaching horde. As they closed in, one of the Villains spoke up. "Well, well, well. Lookie here boys. Two baby-faced Heroes, exactly what I asked for. Should've asked the Misty-Man to wrap them up in a nice, little bow."
Several of the Villains found his joke funny enough to laugh. Izuku and Bakugo just kept their eyes focused, causing some of the more cocky Villains to take notice.
"Oi oi oi! Look at them acting all big and tough." The Villain leaned forward, his Quirk activating as several bony spikes emerged from his body. "Wonder how long they can keep up the act!"
"Maybe you just aren't intimidating enough." Another chimed in, doing his best at attempting to use scare tactics as his Quirk activated, causing his body to undergo a monstrous transformation.
Izuku and Bakugo weren't even fazed by the Villain and chose to ignore him. The Villain grew irritated at their action and broke into a sprint, charging the pair. He pulled back an arm, ready to throw a punch, only to have it perfectly deflected by Izuku using Resolute. As the Villain was stunned, Bakugo wasted no time launching himself over the verdette and slamming a palm into the Villain's gut. The resulting explosion sent the Villain flying into several of his allies, bowling through them and onto the ground.
The rest of the Villains looked at the two Hero students, stunned by how quickly they took out several of their comrades. Those looks of shock soon shifted to looks of fear at the feral rage displayed on the ash-blonde's face. Several small explosions began to burst from his open palm as he spoke, "Now which one of you shitty Villains said I was baby-faced!?"
Some of the Villains looked at Izuku, hoping that maybe he wasn't as aggressive as Bakugo. The ones closest to him only saw a calm determination within his emerald eyes. The look he gave them made the Villains feel as though they had already lost this fight.
- LANDSLIDE ZONE -
Shinso's body slid down a hill as his body hit the ground. He maneuvered his body so it slid to one of the buildings poking out of the dirt. Once he came to a stop, he quickly scanned the area, hearing a scream from behind him.
He saw Kyoka tumbling down the hill, unable to stabilize herself as she neared him. Shinso acted quickly and used his capture scarf to catch the sliding punkette. He braced himself, allowing Kyoka to slow down so she could pull herself up. He let out a grunt at the sudden stop, feeling like his arms just popped out of their sockets.
"Nice catch, Shinso," Kyoka said as she tried to catch her breath.
Shinso slumped to the ground, his arms slightly strained from the sudden momentum of the catch. "No problem." He tiredly replied.
Kyoka looked at the area around her, getting her thoughts together. "Looks like we're in the Landslide Zone."
"Yeah. That Mist Guy must have warped us and the others around the USJ." The indigoette remarked.
The pair stood up on their perch. They noticed they were pretty far into the Landslide Zone, meaning they had a bit of a walk ahead of them to get out. Before they moved, Shinso stopped Kyoka and gestured to her jacks. "See if you can find out if anyone is near us. That Mist Guy said he would leave it to his allies. Sounds like we might have some unwanted company around to meet us."
Kyoka gave him a nod and extended her jacks to plug them into the ground. Shinso stood still and quiet, making sure not to disturb Kyoka or interfere with her Quirk. Her eyes narrowed as she detached her jacks from the ground, turning to face him. "Yep. A whole bunch of party crashers spread out on the hill. What's the plan?"
Shinso was quiet for a moment. He weighed their options. Escaping would be ideal, but that leaves the risk of the Villains catching up to the pair and forcing them into a fight. On the other hand, they could face the Villains and try to take them out. He turned to face Kyoka and asked her a question.
"Think your beats can shake the earth?"
- WINDSTORM ZONE -
Todoroki stared impassively at the Villains surrounding him and Koda. Even as the artificial rain pelted his face, he didn't show any signs of discomfort or fear at his situation. And the Villains mistook that as fear.
"Well, two little Heroes, cold and all alone." One of the Villains said, mocking the pair.
Koda continued to shake in fear, unable to get a handle on the situation. Todoroki noticed. In a rare moment of consideration, Todoroki spoke to the shy young man, doing his best to alleviate his worries. "Stay behind me and don't get in the way. I will get you through this. I wouldn't be able to call myself a Hero if I didn't."
Despite his voice staying monotone, Koda appreciated Todoroki's version of concern and gave the bicolor-haired young man a short, understanding nod.
The rest of the Villains laughed at the sentiment and began to move. They ignored the chill in the air, believing it to be because of the artificial rain.
They didn't notice the hint of frost building up on Todoroki's body.
- FLOODED ZONE -
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!!!" Kaminari fell from the portal and had expected to land shortly after leaving the misty warp gate.
His hopes were dashed when he noticed he was surrounded by water. His body crashed through the liquid's surface and began to sink into the dark blue underneath.
His hopes were raised when he realized he was alive and well.
They were soon dashed again when he noticed a Villain with a shark mutation swimming through the water like a torpedo, intent to take a bite out of him.
Before Kaminari could even react, Tsuyu dashed in and slammed her feet into the Shark Villain's face, knocking him away from the blonde, and raising his hopes once more. Tsuyu wrapped her tongue around Kaminari and pulled him along as they shot out of the water and onto the boat in the middle of the artificial lake.
Sero saw Tsuyu land with Kaminari in tow. The black-haired Tape user saw a mixture of disbelief and acceptance in the blonde's eyes. He turned to Tsuyu, quirking a brow as he looked at her. "Is he gonna be alright?"
Tsuyu simply shrugged, more than willing to give Kaminari a minute to himself before they had to worry about it. The frog girl and Sero looked around them, noticing a large group of aquatic Villains circling the boat they were on. Before they could try and come up with a plan, Kaminari finally caught up to reality.
"I'M ALIVE!!!"
- FIRE ZONE -
"Shoji, can you hear anything?" Kirishima asked his six-limbed coursemate. He wiped away the sweat that had already begun to form on his brow despite only being in this zone for a minute or so.
Shoji attempted to do what Kirishima asked, finding it difficult to do so due to the roaring fires around them. He shook his head as he spoke, "I can't the fires are too loud. The air is extremely dry as well, not to mention the smoke, so trying to see too far around us would be difficult as well."
Toru started to worry about their situation. "What should we do?" She asked in concern.
Before the trio could figure out a plan, they were interrupted by the sound of Villains approaching them. Shoji turned to look at Toru, giving her instructions. "Hagakure, take off your gloves and hide. We're about to be in for a fight."
Kirishima's eyes widened as he quickly understood the masked student's plan. "They'll be focused on us and not Toru!"
"Exactly. And hopefully, they will only think it is the two of us in here." Shoji added.
Toru pumped her arms. "Got it! They won't know what hit'em!" She tossed her gloves away and went to hide among the rubble and debris on the street.
Soon, they had a dozen near them, looking at them like they were merely prey. One of the Villains approached the two young men. "Listen. I'm going to be a reasonable guy. I would recommend you two just give up. My new friends here," He said, gesturing to the group behind him, "aren't as friendly, let me tell you."
His tone became cockier as he spoke. "I promise that your deaths will be relatively painless if you do. But in all honesty, I hope you fight back." A mad smile formed on his face. "I've been itching to kill something."
Kirishima and Shoji shared a look, knowing that their impromptu plan worked. The Villains hadn't noticed Toru. And that means they have an advantage.
Kirishima gave the Villains a confident smirk. He hardened his arms, the rock-hard skin becoming more jagged and sharp as he slammed his hands together. The resulting contact created a sound loud enough for all to hear over the fire.
"Bring it! I need a workout!"
- RUINS ZONE -
Shoka landed on her feet, using her Quirk to ensure her balance was kept as she did so. She saw Tokoyami and Dark Shadow out of the corner of her eye, the shadowy Sentient Quirk providing its anchor a safe landing as they joined Shoka on the street.
"Nice landing," Shoka commented.
"Thanks." Dark Shadow replied. Tokoyami simply nodded his thanks.
The pair looked around them, taking note of the destroyed buildings and rubble littering the streets.
"It appears we are in the Ruins Zone based on our surroundings," Tokoyami observed.
"Looks like it. We aren't too far from the entrance at least." Shoka added.
Dark Shadow elongated itself in order to get an aerial view of the area. Shoka and Tokoyami waited for Dark Shadow's return, keeping an eye on the area around them in case Villains tried to sneak up on them.
Dark Shadow quickly returned, tilting its head as it spoke, "Sooooo weird thing. There's no one near us."
"Truly?" Dark Shadow gave an affirmative nod at its anchor's question. "That is either a blessing or a curse. Sakurane, how do you think we should proceed?"
"Stick to the buildings and try to stay out of sight as best we can." The ravenette looked at the Sentient Quirk. "Hey Shadow, which way is the entrance?"
"That way." Dark Shadow said as it pointed past Shoka.
Shoka and Tokoyami shared a nod and began to move up the street. Due to the layout and design of the zone, they had to sidestep streets and dip through alleys in order to keep their heading. As they continued down their path, the three all noticed the same thing.
"Sakurane, it's as silent as the grave here." Tokoyami stated.
"Yeah, I noticed that too." Shoka's gray-eyes scanned the area, her body tensing up, ready to act.
"Do you think the Villains are tryin' to ambush us?" Dark Shadow asked.
Before they could comment further, they noticed the knocked-out form of a Villain. Further up the street, they saw another. And then another. On and on they came across more villains who had been knocked out and unconscious, their bodies littered with large bruises and broken bones.
It was then that Shoka noticed the form of a large, muscular man sitting on top of a pile of rubble. Several more Villains laid out unconscious near him. Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized him.
"Big Su?"
"Yo! I was wonderin' when you'd show up." The man jumped off the pile he was perched on, the ground quaking as he landed. "How's it hangin' Shoka? Been a while."