Chapter 15: Into the Woods Part 1
With a heavy sigh, Izuku tossed to his side before pulling the covers a bit higher up. His eyes closed for what felt like the thousandth time that night, hoping that sleep would soon come. But the beating of his heart refused to die down even a little. Instead, he opened his eyes to glance over at the smiling All Might alarm clock that sat resting on his nightstand. It read 10:13 PM. Not awfully late as he had stayed up later plenty of times before. It's just he didn't need it right now. Not with what was happening tomorrow. And not after that talk he had with-
It never ceases to amaze me that, after all you have accomplished, you keep inviting doubt into your heart like a stray cat , came Albion's voice within his head while being accompanied by a long, drawn-out yawn. As the dragon did so, Izuku rolled onto his back while taking in the dragon's words before laughing.
Sorry about that, replied Izuku, his mental words causing the dragon to halt his yawn. Then, as Izuku continued to stare at the dark ceiling above him, he continued. I think some issues take more than winning a single Sports Festival to get over.
If you think that is the only notch on your belt then you are blind , commented Albion. You have passed one of the most difficult entrance exams in history in order to get into the school of your dreams. You have saved the lives of not just your classmates but also the entire school. You have befriended a worthy ally in Himiko Toga. And, most importantly, you stood your ground against a foe that brought you much terror in your life. Izuku Midoriya, you have done more than just winning in a simple festival.
You have a point, replied Izuku, averting his eyes for a moment.
Then what is the source of this doubt? demanded Albion, a note of frustration in his voice.
For a moment, Izuku remained silent both physically and mentally as he pondered the subject. It wasn't that he didn't know what the problem was, but rather that he had been afraid to admit it. To say it aloud because then it would feel all the more real. As for relaying it to Albion, could a dragon like him ever understand what he was going through? Sure, the dragon had been a part of him since the day he had been born, but Albion wasn't him. He was just stronger, made of much different stuff than he was. But, then again, he had been around for perhaps thousands of lifetimes so maybe he could offer some insight.
I'm afraid of falling , answered Izuku, sitting up in his bed. Slowly he raised his hands, looking at his palms in the dark while Albion let out a hum that told the teen to continue. When I began, it felt like I was just standing at the foot of the mountain, staring up at my dream. Then, when you appeared in my life and I met the Kendo's, I felt like I was beginning to climb it. It was rough at first, but I made progress. With every win I got, with every new friend I made, I feel like I'm getting closer to the top. But it also means that if something goes wrong I have a long way to fall.
Midoriya then paused for a moment, closing his eyes. I'm sorry Albion. I know I've made riskier plans before. But they've always been in the heat of the moment with no time to second guess myself. When the Nomu's attacked the school, it was do or die. No time to let things really sink in, you know? And in the Sports Festival, when I made my plans, it would only affect a small group of us or just myself. Now, however, I'm actually getting time to think about all the ways this plan can go wrong. And if it does, then everyone in my class will be affected. I know Itsuka, Pony, and even Toga will have my back. But the rest? They may have gone along with my plan because they usually work out, but what if it doesn't this time? What if everything goes sideways and they blame me for it?
Another long moment passed as Izuku sat there, having unloaded his feelings upon the ancient dragon. As he waited, Midoriya began to brace himself for the words he knew were coming. For Albion to call his fears foolish. That as long as he had Divine Dividing that all his fears of losing were idiotic. Or to say that, if they put all the blame on him for something they all agreed to, then they weren't worth having as friends.
Partner, cherish the fear of falling , spoke Albion, his words surprising the green-haired teen greatly. Trust me, you'll never know how important it is until you lose it for good.
I…never expected you to say that , admitted Izuku.
Albion let out a soft chuckle. I was once in the same position you are in now. Back when the world was a much younger place. Like you, I saw a mountain before me, both literal and metaphorical, that I climbed. For so long I moved upwards, facing challenges that made me fear that I would fall. Oh, those battles gave me such a rush. The fear of defeat and the rush it gave me knowing that I was facing off against a powerful opponent! Knowing that one wrong move would knock me back down, either forcing me to lay low and recover or fall to the ground dead. Then came the day when I stood on top, looking down at those who sought to claim my hard-earned victory. It was then that Albion's words grew more solemn. Sadly, far too many became a bore to deal with. My poison was too powerful, sapping them of life far too quickly for me to enjoy anything. And so, I stood there at the top in utter boredom.
Briefly, Izuku thought about this. He had never considered that he and Albion would ever have this sort of connection, that they both tried to scale towards their dream. While Izuku's dream was not to be the number one hero, just to be the type of hero like All Might who could save everyone with a smile on his face, he began to wonder what he would do when he achieved that role. Would he then set his sights higher after a while? To push himself to make others feel more safe? And, if he did that, what would he do when he became number one in Japan? Perhaps even the world? Well, he couldn't do it forever. But, until he retired, what would his life be like once he had achieved all his dreams? What would he have to look forward to?
Is that why you fought Ddraig? asked Izuku eventually.
Heh, if you ever asked him he'd probably say who knows why we fought. That it was for some reason or another, replied Albion fondly. But, for me, he was my last chance at feeling like I could fall. When I first laid eyes on him, I thought him nothing more than a knuckle dragger. Oh, but then when I found out he was immune to the poison I breathed my heart leapt with joy at having a fight that wouldn't be over so quickly. Then when I felt his mighty blows against my scales, his unrelenting barrage! I knew it then that if there was any dragon left who could give me a challenge, to cause me for even a moment to consider that I might lose, it would be him. So I savored our fight as it raged across the world. I didn't want it to end.
Then, the mood changed again as Albion became more serious. Listen here Partner for I shall give you this advice. Heed it well. You are still young and inexperienced with Divine Dividing. More than once, it has failed you. But, you have shown an ability that is impressive all on its own. You're ability to plan, to take in the quirks and abilities of those around you so that they work towards your victory. Like Divine Dividing, that is a skill that you are still growing in. So, when one fails you, lean on the other until you achieve victory. And when both fail, rely on your allies to see you through the storm. Should you fail, then see it as a new challenge to regain the trust of your classmates as well as a chance to improve. Though, I highly doubt that you will be the one they blame. Rather it will be whoever is not pulling their own weight.
Izuku blinked at that. Doesn't that somewhat contradict what you've been telling me up till now?
Ha! Hardly , laughed Albion. Let fear have a place at the table for it is not your enemy. It is a friend that keeps you on edge, alive, and knowing that there are still things in this world that can challenge you. But panic? Keep that stray out of the house. And should it break a window to get in, shoo it away. It serves no purpose.
Cats keep mice and rats out of the house , countered Izuku.
…Yes well… You know what I mean! snapped Albion.
Izuku would have laughed there in the dark, imagining the blush on Albion's face as he was forced to admit he was stumped had his phone not rang. For a moment, Izuku just gave it a curious look as he tried to decide what to do. Should he just dismiss the call, let it ring and go straight to voice mail, or pick it up? It was late after all. Who would be calling this-
Izuku's eyes widened, thinking about the one person he knew who might call him at this hour. A person living in a different time zone that he had called earlier this day. Rolling over, Izuku quickly grabbed the phone with a wide smile on his face. Though that smile did not live long for as he looked at his caller I.D., Izuku saw that it was Tetsutetsu. As his eyes focused on the name, Izuku could feel his heart sinking slightly. Not that he didn't want to talk to his classmate, but…
Holding back a sigh, Izuku laid back in bed while bringing the phone to his ear. "Hello?" he said after accepting the call.
"Hey bro," said Tetsutetsu, sounding a little nervous. "Surprised you picked you. I mean, I'm glad you did but it's just that I was expecting this to go to voice mail or something."
"Yeah well," began Izuku before letting out his sigh. "So, what's up?"
"Oh, ah," began Tetsutetsu, the nervousness in his voice growing. "Wow, now that I'm actually doing this, it feels a little awkward. Geez, I mean…maybe I should have just texted you or something. Might have been less, you know, for both of us."
"Tetsutetsu, is everything ok?" asked Izuku, glancing over at his phone with a worried look. The last time he had heard the Steel quirk user sounding this nervous was at the beginning of the year when he thought he would have trouble with the classes. Only he sounded ten times worse now. Was the exercise tomorrow getting to him too? It was worth a pretty high chunk of their grade after all. Or was he in some sort of trouble? Did he break into a junkyard to get some sort of metal he needed but then got caught? Was he making some sort of backroom deal? Was he being blackmailed? Was-
"I need your advice on asking a girl out!" blurted Tetsutetsu, his words causing Izuku's brain to come to a screeching halt. In fact, he was also pretty sure that the stop was so sudden that everything in the mental vehicle was thrown through the window! There was no way he was having this conversation, right? N-No, there had to be a mistake.
"What?" was all Izuku could say, all his brain would allow him to say.
"It's Hatsume," continued Tetsutetsu. "You remember her, right? Support girl who showed up that one time during class? Helped us fight off the Nomu's?"
"Yeah, kind of hard to forget the girl who calls her inventions her 'babies'," responded Izuku with a blush. "But I don't understand why you're calling me of all people."
"Seriously?" said Tetsutetsu in a tone that caused Izuku to imagine his friend giving him a deadpanned expression. "Out of everyone in class, you're the only guy I know who is nearly always surrounded by girls. I know you and Tsunotori hang out at manga cafes all the time."
"T-That's well…it started as me just teaching her Japanese," stated Izuku, suddenly feeling a little hot under the collar. "It then just sort of, well, evolved into us hanging out."
"Yeah, or how about all that alone time you spend with Toga," continued Tetsutetsu.
"Tetsu, Toga gets a little stir-crazy sometimes," responded Izuku. "I've been trying to help her by putting her phone on a table while we have coffee and tea, watching cat videos, and pretending we're at a cat café. Good news is that we won't have to do that much longer. Nezu sent me a message today saying that as long as I promise to keep an eye on her, I can be her escort and take her off campus."
"That sounds a lot like a date," said Tetsutetsu, his words causing Izuku to cover his face with his hand. "But, none of that compares to how you asked Kendo to I-Island today."
"That's," began Izuku, eyes wide and his face turning a shade of red that seemed to glow in the dark. "Look, we're just going as friends. Two really good friends who happen to be a boy and a girl." Before Tetsutetsu could counter, Izuku let out a sigh as he continued. "Listen, I don't know how to ask a girl out on something romantic, but I do know how to ask a girl to just hang out with me. So the only advice I can give you is just asking if she wants to hang out. See how it goes and get more comfortable with each other. Then, if you think things are going well, tell her how you feel. If she feels the same way then try upping the relationship."
"Hey, that sounds pretty good," said Tetsutetsu, his tone indicating he was grinning broadly. "Dude, I knew I could count on you. I feel a bit easier now."
"At least one of us does," whispered Izuku, speaking so low that me thought that others would assume it was just one of him mumbling sprees. Something barely audible and not worth paying attention to. However, it seems this wasn't the case.
"Hey bro, is everything ok?" asked Tetsutetsu, Izuku managing to hear him shifting on the other end.
"It's," began Izuku before he stopped himself. He then took a breath as he decided to be honest. "It's about the exercise tomorrow. Everyone is putting their trust in my plan, which is great, don't get me wrong. But if we fail because I was too greedy then it's all my fault. It's just weighing on my mind."
"Oh man, Kendo was right," groaned Tetsutetsu followed by a soft clang on the other side of the phone. "We really are putting too much pressure on you to do all the heavy thinking. Look, I know I'm not the smartest in class. But I know that you are way smarter than me. That's why I'm going along with your plan even if I still don't completely understand everything. Though there is one thing that I am smart enough to realize: you're only human dude. There's no way I'm expecting you to be right all the time. Even the manliest heroes make mistakes. And what makes them even more manly is that they own up to them, learn from them, and keep moving on despite what people think."
Izuku blinked at that. "Wow, thanks Tetsu," said Izuku, feeling a few tears beginning to form. "So, does that mean you're not worried about the exercise?"
"Like hell I'm not!" declared Tetsutetsu. "Bro, the school is insane for springing this on us before we head out for our internships! And setting it right after the Sports Festival while also making it so that it counts as a good chunk of our grade? You'd have to be nuts not to be worried. I've been trying my best to keep my mind off of it by doing some manly things and pumping myself up to ask Hatsume out." There was then a pause. "But no bro, I'm not going to be pointing figures at you if we fail. It's not manly to do so when I didn't have any good ideas myself. If anyone does blame you, then they deserve to get a lower grade than the rest of us."
"Thanks Tetsu," said Izuku, using a finger to remove a large tear from the corner of his eye. Between the Steal quirk user's own unease for what was to happen tomorrow and what Alibion said, the teen was feeling better.
-x-
The next day before classes started, Tetsutetsu found himself standing at the doorway of the Support Course…which was currently lacking a door. Though he suspected that the door-shaped piece of metal across the hallway was the missing door.
Peering into the room, he spotted the pink-haired girl working hard on one of her projects. What it was, he had no idea other than it looked messy. Wires were sticking out in all directions along with chunks of metal, some of which looked like they were smoking. Honestly, he didn't know if it was because the girl had just finished wielding them or if it was just part of the aftermath of an explosion. One of several as even he could notice the several scorch marks in the Support Room. All of them looking relatively fresh.
But what stuck out to him the most was how Hatsume was acting. The maniac grin she had on when they first met was nowhere to be seen, a scowl on her face as her hands busied themselves. Then, all of a sudden, she pulled her hands back before letting out a loud curse like she was frustrated. She then waved her hands around and, in doing so, revealed to the Steel quirk user a long stream of smoke coming from the thick gloves she wore.
Just as Hatsume seemed ready to pull them off and fling them to the floor, Tetsu knocked on the doorframe. The reaction he got was instantaneous, Hatsume turning her head towards him in an almost owl-like fashion.
"Who are you?" she asked, head still turned towards him though now tilting it slightly. "If you're here to request some babies, please just fill out the appropriate forms and don't bother me. I only have a short amount of time to get this baby working before Power Loader returns with the rest of the class."
"Ah, I'm Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu," replied the 1-B student. "You remember me, right? We met at the Nomu attack a few weeks ago?"
"Hmmm," hummed Hatsume, looking up at the ceiling briefly. Then she turned back to look at him. "Sorry, don't remember you."
"Oh," sighed Tetsutetsu, shoulders slumping at this. Did he really leave so little an impact that she didn't remember him, even after he had stayed with her to guard her? You'd think that would be enough. But at least she didn't remember him as the guy who jumped down at a Nomu, putting everyone in class in danger.
Just as he was about to mumble an apology, excusing himself to leave and lick his emotional wounds before the big exercise today, a series of sparks erupted from whatever it was that Hatsume was working on. The girl noticed this as well, cursing up a storm as she turned towards her malfunctioning hardware. Scowling the entire time, her hands became a blur trying to fix whatever the problem was. Yet after only a few moments she seemed to give up, moving to a different table to rest her head in her still-gloved hands.
"Hey, are you alright?" asked Tetsu, his legs feeling like Awase had welded them to the spot.
"Hmm, fine I guess," mumbled Hatsume, not bothering to look up at him. "Fingers feel a little numb and I might have a couple of burns, but nothing I'm not used to. Maybe a slight headache from-"
"No, I mean are you doing alright? Like emotionally and stuff," interrupted Tetsutetsu. "You don't seem like yourself." This seemed to perk Hatsume up a bit as she looked up. Tetsu could see parts of her face had grease and oil on it along with several areas that looked slightly burned. No doubt all of that from her gloves. Yet the teen only took those things in for a moment as his attention was shifted towards her eyes. When she had last looked at him, it had been a brief once-over before dismissing him. Now her gaze seemed to be taking him in more fully.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked, sounding very curious now. "How do I normally seem?"
"You're," began Tetsutetsu only to cut himself off before saying the word 'manly'. While he wasn't the greatest expert with girls, he understood that saying something like that, even to Hatsume, was probably not the smartest thing he could do. So, he instead decided on a different approach. "Passionate. When you're working on a project, you get into this zone where everything else just seems to melt away. It's just you and the joy of working on whatever it is you're doing. And you have so much energy while doing it! Like you're feeling more alive than ever. But now, not so much."
"Huh, that sounds a lot better than what everyone else is saying" commented Hatsume, tilting her head to the side without even a hint of a blush at the description. She then let out a tired sigh, one so powerful that it looked like she could slide down to the ground with her back pressed against a table. However, she managed to remain standing. "Guess you have a point. None of the best support companies sent me any requests to do an internship. And the ones that did were aren't that big or well known."
"Oh, sorry," said Tetsutesu unaware of what to say. He didn't know that support students were also trying their best to get internships. Though that was probably why they were allowed to use the gear they invented during the Sports Festival. "But hey, at least you got some offers. That has to count for something, right?"
"I guess," grumbled Hatsume. "But this wasn't how I expected things to go. All the support companies were supposed to take one look at my super cute babies and be in awe of them. Then they would be breaking down my door for an internship, me accepting one from the most prominent one. There they would further see my genius before-"
"Potentially stealing your ideas, claiming them as their own," said Tetsutesu, shocking Hatsume. "I have an aunt and uncle who work at a support company. Pretty big one from what I'm told. But I don't get to see them all that much since the company likes to give them long hours and most of the time they have to work holidays in order to meet deadlines. And when I do see them, they kind of complain a lot about how they made some hero some sort of gear only to get no credit. Plus the company keeps all the rights to said gear." He then looked at Hatsume quizzically. "What companies did give you offers."
Hatsume blinked for a moment. "Ah, let me see," she said before fishing out a couple of pieces of paper from her back pocket. In an instant, Tetsutetsu recognized it as similar sheets as the ones they got their offers from. However, he didn't have time to dwell on it as Hatsume began to read off a list of names. None of which Tetsutetsu recognized so they were most likely small companies or independently owned shops.
By the time she was done, Tetsutetsu had a hand to his chin doing his best to try and figure out what to say. The only issue was he had no idea! He tried to wrack his brain, doing his best to remember all the times his aunt and uncle tried talking shop only to realize that, to his horror, he had always tuned them out. Curse his inability to focus on boring subjects! Feeling sweat forming on his brow, he decided to move his thought process in a different direction: what would Midoriya do? Well, knowing him, he'd probably already know about these companies if they were tied to any well-known heroes. He'd then probably look them up and do…something. But if the heroes were happy and kept coming back that had to be a good thing, right? As for the other shops, well, what sort of clients did they have?
"I think you should do some research on them," said Tetsutetsu at last. "Maybe just looking into seeing who hires them and, ah, how they treat their staff? Or, ah, oh right! If your plan is to start your own company, maybe looking at a smaller operation might be best! You'll be able to see more-"
"But my quirk lets me zoom in on things," said Hatsume, tilting her head in confusion. Though, despite this, there was something new in her eye.
"I mean, you'll probably be working closer to the bosses and stuff," replied Tetsutetsu quickly. "Has to be better than working in the basement of some skyscraper-like building or in some warehouse while the higher-ups are on the top floor."
Hatsume blinked at this before a manic grin appeared on her face. "You know something, you have a point!" she exclaimed before walking over to the still sparking pile of machinery which now had several small flames coming out of it. "Why should I, the great Mei Hatsume, feel dejected that some small-minded higher-ups couldn't see my brilliance? Or realizing that I'm a threat that will one day take over the industry?"
"That's, ah, not what I said," mumbled Tetsutetsu, though he was glad to see that the pink-haired support student was feeling better.
"If they think this is enough to stop me, then they are dead wrong!" she declared, not seeming to have heard him. Instead, her hands were hard at work moving through the various pieces of the machine. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the sparks had vanished as had the flames. "No, I shall make them rue the day they tried to halt my progress to the top! I'll sign up with the best support company that is not completely blind to my amazing talent! During the course of this internship, I shall help them skyrocket to the top crushing everyone else in the process! Then the world will know of my brilliance and the amazing cute babies I can make!"
Tetsutetsu let out a nervous laugh. "Well, ah, if you need a hand getting any materials you can just let me know," he offered. At that, Hatsume spared him a sideways glance.
"U.A. gives me all the supplies I need, most of it delivered right to my workstation," she stated. "Pretty sure that any support company will have something similar." Then, before Tetsutetsu's shoulders could slump, she gave him a small smile. "But for when I'm working at home, well, I could use the extra hand. You look really strong. Probably strong enough to lift some pretty heavy stuff there."
Soon, after that, Tetsutetsu left with Hatsume's number in hand and a large blush on his face.
-x-
The rest of the day seemed to progress normally. At least, that's how it felt on the surface. Yet, just below the surface, there was an underlining tension that was blooming. One that was, perhaps, equal or greater than the one they all felt right before the Sports Festival began. Then, when lunch began, Class 1-A couldn't help but notice that their sister class was nowhere to be found. Perhaps they had already been taken to Omega to begin setting up so as to not waste too much time.
Little did any of the students know that a group of three heroes were now sitting in the same observation room that the staff had been in during the entrance exam.
"This seems like a pretty intense setup for first years," said Death Arms, who was seated in the middle of the group. The muscular hero had in his hands a clipboard which was full of documents that he was currently looking over. "Though I shouldn't be surprised. Given what happened with the League and other challenges, these kids need to be pushed to their limits and beyond."
"True," said Kamui Woods, who was much deeper into his own stack of documents. "Plus it will probably be a good thing for these kids so they know what to pay attention to when they go out on their internships."
"I think I might have missed it, but did the hero team request any documentation on permits and the like?" asked the last, and newest of the little group: Mt. Lady. Said woman was skimming through the pages with a frown on her face as if she had already gone through everything they had provided.
"They didn't," answered Death Arms, pausing at a page and frowning. "According to the school, the dumb kids took a vote to see if it was even worth their time. Big mistake. At least three of them had enough sense to want to check. I say we make a note so that they get a slightly higher grade."
"Agreed," stated Kamui with a nod as Mt. Lady tossed the hero's clipboard to the side before then picking up the villain team's papers. "That's standard procedure. If any construction had been done in this area, it would have greatly helped them narrow down the space they would be searching for. There was also a chance that they could have gotten the names of the people who requested the permit and then used that to check quirk registration to discover what they were dealing with. Even if they did just have the Sports Festival, they might not know what everyone's quirks are. Just because they didn't make it to the final round doesn't mean that they aren't a threat."
"Well," began Death Arms as he put down his clipboard. Once it was out of the way, the man pulled out a cigarette and lit it up while ignoring the disgusted look he was getting from Mt. Lady. "Looks like they're going to be learning that the hard way it seems. Heroes need more than raw, brute force to succeed. Especially when going up against more clever villains. Now, we just need to see if Class 1-B are that clever."
"Ah, have either of you guys read over the villain's plan?" asked Mt. Lady. Both of the men turned to look at her, finding that the horned woman had gotten a few pages into what she had been reading and looked baffled. "Because this seems a little complex."
At first, both Death Arms and Kamui Woods just gave a look before picking up their other clipboards. For the next several minutes, they began reading about the basics of the plan as well as everything that the villains had done in order to protect their big payday. At first, Kamui Woods just stared at the words as if he were looking at a previously undiscovered language that he was having a hard time deciphering. That was until Death Arms leaned back in his seat and began to laugh heartily.
"Oh now, this is rich," stated Death Arms, a hand on his head while the other held onto the clipboard. His laughter hadn't died down but instead had increased to the point where tears were in his eyes. "Hot damn! If all goes according to plan, then the heroes will really regret not checking for permits! And this part right here! Oh, my sides!"
"It's not that funny," commented Mt. Lady with a frown, before looking back at the document. She then pointed to a certain passage that utterly confused her. "Though, it is strange. Most of the plan I get. But this part right here seems more than a little random."
"Oh well," began Death Arms as he took a long drag of his death stick. Then after letting it out, he turned to grin wickedly at the heroine. "Just keep in mind what they are playing at and wait till the very end. Everything will depend on how the hero team reacts when they see it and if they manage to capture any of the villains."
"What are you," began Kamui Woods, his eyes narrowing at the back of the more muscular man. But, before he could finish his own sentence, his eyes widened as if he had finally figured out the missing piece to the puzzle. With wide eyes, he looked at the paper before whipping his head over at one of the screens. "Oh." That was all the wood-based hero could say before slumping in his chair.
-x-
Yaoyorozu stood at the camp the school had provided for them within Omega, hands on her sides with a confident smile on her face. The outer walls of the camp were composed of cement slabs, the kind used on freeways that could deflect semi-trucks, keeping them separated from the wild vegetation. Within the camp was a tent that, if they needed to, could be used to treat the wounded. Though that was more for minor injuries such as small scrapes, cuts, and minor dislocations that could be patched up. If anything serious happened to any of the students from either side, they would be airlifted straight back to school and prevented from continuing with the exercise. Next to the tent was a table that had a few snacks and water bottles, used more for emergency energy busts. Finally, near the back, was a truck used by the police to haul away large groups of villains. That was where all the captured villains would be detained.
"So when are we going to get started?" asked Kirishima, slamming a fist into an open palm as a wild smile crossed his features. "Because I'm ready to get this started!"
"Technically, it started the moment we set foot in the woods," stated Yaoyorozu, though a bit more quietly as she glanced over at the two students she was most worried about. The first, and most obvious, was Bakugo. The ashen blonde teen was pacing around in his hero uniform, grinding his teeth so hard that everyone was surprised that sparks were not erupting from his mouth. It was clear that he wanted to head out as soon as possible to target the one he called Deku. The only reason he hadn't was probably due to fear that, if he did before given permission to start, then he would be disqualified and forced to sit out for the rest of the exercise. Meaning no 'killing the worthless villains' as he would put it.
The other was Todoroki. The half-fire, half-ice user was standing off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest while his gaze focused on the ground. While he appeared calm and in control, everyone knew that wasn't the case. Ever since he had been forced to sit out the rest of the Sports Festival after having his team's headband stolen in the last minute of the cavalry battle, he had seemed off. When Sato had just gone over to speak with him, asking how he was doing, Todoroki had reacted by shooting a glare at the sugar-powered teen before almost freezing him solid! Thankfully, Todoroki managed to get control of himself before any serious harm was done and apologized while seeming horrified by what he had done. Yet, despite this, there was still an air around him that conveyed to all that he wasn't over his loss. This had only been further proven when, once classes started up again, in how he acted during his classes. For two full days, the slightest failure would set him off now, causing either panic to appear on his face or a full-on rage. What's more, he had been seen practicing with his ice more while becoming even more reluctant to use his fire side for anything. Including melting the mountains of ice he was generating.
But one thing was certain, Tokoroki was directing his frozen fury on proving himself today. While Momo didn't know everything, she suspected he had two targets. The first was the most speculative: Tokage. It had been the recommended student who had managed to take him out of the Sports Festival in the simplest of ways. And it had been right after that when he became so much colder than the rest of the class. The second was Midoriya, the person who had come out on top and taken first place. Momo didn't know the exact reason why, but ever since the ending of the Sports Festival Todoroki had been the 1-B student in his sights. Whenever the boy was mentioned, Endeavor's son seemed to lean a bit closer to the conversation and had been caught rereading the articles on the teen more than once in between class. Her best guess was that Todoroki believed that defeating Midorya, the one who had come up on top, would erase the stain of his loss. That or prove something to him. But, whatever it was, she would never find out until he actually said something to them.
"Alright then, let's get," began Kirishima but stopped when Yaoyorozu held up a hand to silence him. She then turned towards the rest of the class.
"If I could get everyone's attention please," she said in a low voice, doing her best to keep from shouting. At first, only a few people heard her, and she had to wait for those people to get the attention of the rest of the class before continuing. "Before we begin checking out the sights we outlined yesterday, I want all of you to have these."
There was a brief pause as everyone watched Momo cupping her hands together. Then, the light of her quirk appeared as her hands were filling with small devices. Each one seemed to have a fleshy color to them and was small enough so that they could easily fit into a person's ear.
"You should all have the communicators provided by the school for this exercise However, I must insist that we use these instead as our main way of communicating with each other," she began while handing them out to everyone. "These are specially designed com-links that I spent the better part of last night looking up and studying. This particular design utilizes your body's electromagnetic field as a power source and will sense the vibrations in your jaw. All you have to do is cup your ear to activate them and we'll be able to hear everything you're saying, even if you are whispering."
"Why the fuck are we even bothering with this shit?" spat Bakugo as he held up the device up to his eyes filled with disgust. Several of the other students there also seemed to express this feeling, though not in the same crude manner as the bomber teen.
"Oh, my dear friend," exclaimed Monoma, throwing an arm around Bakugo causing the explosive teen's hair to somehow become even more spikey as he glared at the offending arm. Nevertheless, Monoma pressed on while holding his own com-link in the air. "It is to further contest against the most villainous member of lesser heroic class: Toga. Should she somehow manage to get the drop on one of us, there is little doubt that she will take our equipment to help further her disguise. But we will know it's her if she tries using the standard communicators or lacks this specially made com-link provided by one of the superior recommended students in our class."
"Well, there is that," conceded Momo, though she winced when Monoma talked about superiority and such. "It's also in case the villain team tries listening in on any communicators they manage to get their hands on."
"I see," said Ida as he brought a hand to his chin. "We can fool them by pretending to talk into our normal communicators while pressing a hand to our ear to activate the ones you gave us. That way they won't be able to listen in on our conversations during the exercise. I am also assuming that the design you picked is unhackable?"
As Momo nodded in delight, Bakugo snarled while pushing Monoma off him. "Fucking damn it," he spat, roughly putting the device in his ear. It was clear that he despised doing this, but if it meant not being fooled by Toga again and having a better chance at winning then he would do so.
"Now then, we should begin heading out to our designated scouting locations," said Momo as she held out a small disk similar to the one most of the students had received when they had gotten their acceptance letters. This time, rather than a hero telling them their scores, it showed a map of the area along with four areas circled. Each area had been assigned a group to investigate the night prior. Group A would head out to the location farthest from their current location. Since this was the most likely place for them to place the bomb the group consisted of their heaviest hitters: Bakugo, Todoroki, Tokoyami, Ida, and Kaminari. Well, Kaminari being there more to shock everything in case something went wrong. Team B would be heading to an area on the opposite side of Omega where their current camp was. This group consisted of Ojiro, Sero, Monoma, Asui, and Aoyama. Team C would be checking out a more rocky area off to the side, located between the areas where groups A and B would be checking. This team included Kirishima, Ashido, Uraraka, and Sato. As for Team D, they would be checking out the rest of the forest just in case. This team included Jiro, Koda, Mineta, Hagakure, and Shoji. As for Yaoyorozu, she would be remaining at the base camp for now in order to conserve her quirk and to help navigate the others.
"Remember, keep in contact at all times," continued Yaoyorozu. "Communication will be the key to this operation. If any of you spot the villains, let the rest of us know. If you have to fight them, defeat them quickly and then bring them back here. Also, don't do anything that can cause a forest fire. Bakugo! And no freezing the entire forest Todoroki."
"Whatever," spat Bakugo as he then took off.
"Bakugo, wait!" cried Ida as he ran after him. "We should move as a team!" This feeling was not shared by the rest of the group as Todoroki shot past him using his ice to propel himself forward. Tokoyami followed suit, using Dark Shadow to grab branches from nearby trees to help him move through the forest. Seeing that it was now useless, Ida sped off leaving behind Kaminari.
"Oh this is bullshit," complained the electrical teen as he tried his best to keep up. However, since his quirk didn't give him a speed boost, there was no way he could catch up.
As the rest of the teams began to head out, none of them realized that something had been watching them this entire time. Or, rather, someone's disembodied eye and ear which had been focused on the heroes for the last several minutes. And it was no surprise that, once they began to leave the body pieces took off into the air to return to their owner.
-x-
Meanwhile, in her location deep within the forest, Izuku Midoriya sat with his back leaning against a massive tree close to the center of Training Ground Omega though leaning a bit more to the west. Around him were several of his classmates. To his right were Pony and Himiko, both talking in whispers to each other about something that the green-haired teen couldn't make out despite the relative closeness. Also nearby was Kaibara who was standing with his back pressed against a tree, eyes closed and arms crossed against his chest.
"Hey all you wonderful guys and gals," came Tokage's voice from over their radio. Everyone in the area paused, before reaching down to take hold of the device which Izuku had charitably called antiquated. Tokage, on the other hand, had said it looked like a discounted piece of crap from a store that went out of business back in the early 2000's when they had first laid eyes on it. Thankfully, despite its blocky appearance, it worked well enough. Everyone in 1-B had one…save for Awase and Shiozaki as having them would ruin their part of the plan.
"Got the low down on the heroes," continued Tokage, her voice clearly heard over the light static. "Midoriya, you were right about two of the locations. Hothead, Icelad, Shadowboy, and that guy who's always hanging around the perverted freak are heading northeast. Tails, Mr. Tape, Loud Mouth Copycat, Froggy, and some dude in a knight suit are moving toward the southeast spot. But no one is heading anywhere in the northwest and are completely ignoring the entire southwest."
"Do they have an issue with the west?" complained Pony as her cheeks began to puff up.
"Interesting," said Izuku as he pulled out a notebook with the label being 'Villain Plan' from somewhere. As Kaibara blinked in confusion upon seeing this, Midoriya began flipping through the pages until he reached the spot he was looking for. "I was certain they would at least investigate the northwest area given all the paperwork we had to fill out. Do they think it was a ruse given that there are no natural strategic advantages there? Or are they planning to check it out later after looking into the more obvious locations?"
"Doesn't look that way," said Tokage in a tone that suggested she was rolling her eyes. Well, most likely one eye unless she had reconnected with all of her missing body parts. "Heck, I'm even beginning to wonder if they even bothered to check any of the permits! Seriously, we took twice as long on the paperwork for the area that Shiozaki and Awase are in than the other two spots combined!"
At that, Midoriya let out a hum. "That actually makes our overall plan easier," he said. "If they don't know about all our spots, then the odds of them finding the bomb are almost non-existent. However, if we want the big plan to succeed, we're going to need to lure them towards the center where Awase and Shiozaki are waiting for them. What are they doing now?"
"Exactly what you told them to do," laughed Kuroiro. "My sides are hurting. Oh wow. Just wow. Don't worry about the heroes. It's dark enough in the forest area for me to move about easily. I can lure them to the spot. Though I might burst out laughing when I see their faces as soon as they get there."
"Please don't," begged Izuku. "That will completely ruin the plan."
At the same time, Pony leaned over to Himiko.
"You know," began the American girl. "I've been thinking about what you said. About how it sounds when Izuku talks all villain-like? Well, now I'm imagining him as a mastermind."
-x-Pony's Fantasy-x-
It was nighttime, a light sheen of water covering the streets and the cars down a mostly silent city road. The only footsteps belonging to a single person. That person being Izuku Midoriya. Only he wasn't dressed in a hero costume, but instead a dark suit and a light green button-up shirt along with his messy tie.
"The rich and powerful take what they want," said Izuku, staring off into the distance. "And we steal it back for you."
All of a sudden, there was a swell of instrumentals playing in the background that had a bit of a spy theme to them. The image then changed to Toga, walking from room to room changing her appearance as she did to fit whatever role she needed to in that setting. Then, after the final room, half of her face melted off to reveal her true form while the word 'Grifter' appeared next to her. The scene then changed again, this time showing Kendo. The orange-haired girl was fighting several thugs, punching and kicking them before the scene changed again to show her walking away from an exploding building while the word 'Hitter' appeared next to her. Then it was Pony's turn. The blonde American could be seen leaping out from an air duct, jumping on top of a pair of horns before touching the floor that had red lines of light shooting from the sides. Easily she glided across the floor as she approached a glass case that her horns were already in the process of cutting out a hole. Her title card said "Thief'. Finally, there was Shishida sitting in front of a computer. His fingers typing away at a code before the title "Hacker' appeared next to him.
"We provide…Leverage," said Izuku after the scene cut back to him, the word "Mastermind' appearing next to his fluffy green hair.
-x-End of Pony's Fantasy-x-
"Instead of us being just villains and them being the heroes, we should just rewrite the script," continued Pony. "Those heroes are either violent thugs, like Bakugo, already corrupted, like Mineta, or just plain incompetent! But the system is just as dirty, protecting them and letting them do whatever they want because it gives them power or because the heroes help those in power in other ways. But us? We know the truth! We follow Midoriya, the great mastermind as he commits acts of villainy in order to better expose and humiliate those who have done wrong to the vulnerable people out there! Doing it in such a way that the very idea of them coming back for revenge is almost laughable as no one will ever take them seriously again! So for today, we are using a fake bomb to lure out all our targets!"
Toga's only response to this was to cup her cheeks as her face began to turn a shade of red. The idea of Izuku, acting like a villain to take down powerful people who abused the system sounded so freaking HOT! It made him both the ultimate bad boy but also a cinnamon roll at the same time. As for Kaibara…
"You know, if they made a show like that, I'd watch it," he said.
"There's one more issue," continued Tokage. "Rocky, Pinky, Gravity Gal, and the guy with the big lips are heading to the mid-east spot. Don't know why they are, but the route they are taking will keep them away from the middle of the zone unless we lead them there. Also, they put something in their ears. Couldn't get a clear view of what it was, but they all have it."
For a moment, no one other than Midoriya spoke. Instead, he set down his radio before pulling out a pen before beginning to write something all while mumbling under his breath. The reactions he got varied though none of them were negative. By this point, 1-B had come to realize that this was just Midoriya getting into the zone with his thinking process. As such, Kaibara just gave his green-haired vice rep a small smirk as he waited. Pony had her fists clenched, pumping them up and down as she eagerly waited to find out what the plan was. As for Toga, she was still somewhere in Pony's fantasy. Currently, she was imagining them all sitting down on a large couch with Midoriya pacing back and forth in front of a large screen going over what they knew about Bakugo. Her sandwiched between Kendo and Pony, listening on how they would completely ruin the remainder of his life before-
"Komori, are you good at your end?" asked Midoriya suddenly, speaking into the radio he had pulled up to his ear.
"Ah, I think so. Shroom," said the mushroom girl, sounding a little confused. "I mean, everything over here will work perfectly without me. So, ah, yeah. I can leave."
"Ok then," said Midoriya over the radio. "I'm going to need you to head over to the mid-eastern section as quickly as you can along with Tsuburaba and Kodai. You all remember that one spot we considered as a possible place to hide the bomb? Let's show the heroes why we decided it was a bad idea. And Komori? Feel free to cut loose."
Somehow, everyone in 1-B who had access to the radio began to imagine the smile that Komori was giving at that moment. The type of smile that sent shivers down the spines of the most hardened criminals.
Oh, the heroes had no idea what they were in for.