Underground Tunnel — South Sector
"I told you," Sato panted, dust still drifting off his battered shoulders, "I'm not letting anyone die today."
Mineta's wide eyes locked on Sato, who stood between them and the villain, having just burst through the sewer wall like a wrecking ball and landed a devastating blow on Toga. Her body had spun midair before crashing into the far end of the tunnel.
"Sato, where were you!?" Mineta barked, relief masked by the irritation in his voice. "We've been down here fighting for our lives!"
"Sorry for the delay." Sato exhaled hard, flexing his fists. "I got tied up with some flame villain calling himself Dabi. Real piece of work. I think he's a cult member or some pretender."
Mineta's gaze narrowed.
Before Sato could respond, Kota let out a cough, drawing attention to himself.
"What a coincidence," he muttered, his voice dry. "There's more than one of them down here."
Sato turned. "Aquarius, you alright?"
"Other than the fact that you just butchered my name…" Kota groaned, wincing as he leaned against the wall, "...I think I'm alright, Ducklips."
Mineta snorted. "He got you there."
A low growl echoed from the rubble. "No… no, no, no…"
Toga dragged herself out, bloodied and bruised, her eyes wild and unfocused. She muttered incoherently, her voice trembling as she stumbled to her feet. "I told him to stay away… I told him to stay away from my loved ones…"
Her transformation slowly peeled away, her features returning to their original form, her body shaking.
Sato frowned. "What the hell is she rambling about?"
Mineta shrugged, sighing. "Don't look at me. Her brain's like a smoked RGB setup, pretty lights, zero coherence."
You're the last person who should be calling anyone incoherent, Kota thought, just before his eyes rolled back and he slumped unconscious.
"DABI!!" Toga shrieked, clutching her head and yanking her matted hair. "You son of a bitch! Why… why did you come here?!"
Mineta snapped his head toward Sato. "Where is that flame bastard now?!"
"He retreated," Sato replied, not taking his eyes off Toga. "Slipped into one of the upper shafts after I slowed him down. We'll get into that later. Right now..."
"Right now, we're not doing anything," Mineta interrupted, lowering Kota onto his back and kneeling by the water to retrieve a small capsule from the shallow current. "Because she's already down."
THUD.
Toga crumpled like a marionette with its strings cut, her legs giving way.
Sato blinked. "She just collapsed. Did you..?"
"The smoke I released earlier," Mineta said, flicking water off his gloves, "was laced with a neurotoxin. Non-lethal. High potency. Targets motor coordination and perception."
Sato raised an eyebrow. "She lasted this long?"
Mineta nodded grimly. "Either she's tough as hell, or too angry to let her nervous system shut down throughout our fight. Maybe both."
He looked over at Kota's unconscious form. "We don't have time. You carry her. She's got answers we need."
"Huh...? Yeah, okay," Sato said, stepping forward and hoisting Toga over his shoulder with a grunt.
The three began moving—Sato carrying the unconscious Toga, Mineta carrying Kota, making their way through the damp tunnel toward the nearest emergency access point. Their footsteps echoed behind them, water sloshing faintly beneath each step.
Far behind them, at the edge of a cracked sewer pillar, a dark figure stood perfectly still, shrouded by shadow and silence.
"…Class 1-A…" the figure whispered, the voice low, raspy. "…you surprised me. But you're still not strong enough… not for what comes next."
Examination Centre — UA Hall
Tetsuo's legs moved almost against his will as he stepped away from his seat and made his way to the front, toward the central podium. Standing beneath the spotlight was Eri—a former war survivor, now one of UA's top field instructors.
"H-Hello, Miss Eri," Tetsuo said nervously, stopping a meter away from the mic. He could feel heat blooming across his cheeks.
This is bad. This is bad. She looks even more beautiful up close…
Eri gave him a kind, professional smile. "You have a question, student no. 1221?"
Tetsuo swallowed hard. "Umm… y-you see, it's just that I-I, uh…"
Eri tilted her head slightly, still smiling. "Yes?"
"S-So what I-I was trying to say is that…" He was sweating bullets now, heart pounding like a war drum. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.
"HE'S A FAN, MISS ERI!" Aoi's voice rang out from the crowd. She grinned wickedly from the third row, finally releasing all the laughter she'd been holding in. Her usually blank expression was now lit up like a prankster's Christmas tree.
'Aoi, you absolute traitor.' Tetsuo thought, his heart sinking into his shoes. 'She's going to think I'm some creepy fanboy.'
Eri's hand flew to her mouth, a surprised laugh escaping her lips. "Oh… well, if that's the case, I appreciate the support."
She beamed gently at Tetsuo, who stood frozen, unsure whether to breathe or flee the building.
[Bro turned black and white.]
"Uhuh… uuh… OH! It's really nothing much…" Tetsuo stammered, unable to control his nervous babble.
Eri gave him a slightly awkward smile, a polite one, but unsure. The kind of expression someone wears when they're trying to be nice but are wondering whether to alert security.
"Well," she said with a short bow, "since you don't seem to have any actual doubts, I'll take my leave now. I suggest you go and change."
'Well done, jackass,' Tetsuo scolded himself. 'You completely weirded her out.'
As Eri turned and began to walk offstage, something snapped inside Tetsuo. Say it. This is your one chance. Just say it, idiot!
"MISS ERI!" he blurted, voice cracking and louder than intended.
She paused, visibly startled, and turned back. "Uh… y-yes?"
"After the test… can I get your autograph?" he asked, eyes cast slightly downward, a shy yet hopeful smile flickering on his lips.
There was a pause. Then Eri smiled, brighter this time, a little mischievous.
"Hmm, let's see…" she said, raising a finger to her lips. "If you do well enough, I might even give you a treat from my side."
She flashed him a warm, encouraging smile before walking offstage.
Tetsuo stood there, stunned, as the crowd behind him whispered, giggled, and cheered. Aoi slapped her desk and let out a whistle.
Note to self, Tetsuo thought, score like your life depends on it.