Up on the third floor…
Ochaco moved quickly but quietly, sneakers barely whispering against the cold tile floor. The air up here felt still and tense, dust motes floating lazily in the sunlight streaming through cracked windows. Her eyes locked immediately onto her objective—
The bomb.
It stood tall and ominous in the center of the room, red casing gleaming under the harsh lights.
And planted directly in front of it, like an overly dramatic guard ripped straight out of a stage play, was Iida.
He stood perfectly upright, hands clasped behind his back, chin held high. His cape fluttered slightly from the breeze sneaking in through a shattered window, giving him an almost theatrical presence. Every few seconds, his lips moved as he muttered quietly to himself.
"Foolish heroes… you stand no chance…"
Ochaco had to clamp her lips together to keep from giggling.
'He's… actually practicing his villain lines?' she thought, shoulders shaking just a little.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus. The playful amusement faded, replaced by determination.
'Okay… if I fail this,' she told herself seriously, 'I'm starving myself for the next two hours.'
She nodded once, psyching herself up, then stepped out into the open.
Iida's head snapped toward her instantly, glasses flashing.
"Aha! The hero dares to approach!" he declared, pointing straight at her with dramatic flair. His engines began to hum, then roar—
VRRRRMMMM!
Blue exhaust flared from his calves as power surged through them. "Stop right there, Hero!"
Ochaco didn't even hesitate.
She bolted.
Her feet pounded against the floor as she charged straight at him, heart hammering in her chest.
"I will show you how powerful the dark side is!" Iida roared, launching forward in a blur of motion.
He was fast—way faster than she expected.
The air screamed as he rushed past her line of sight, the wind from his sprint brushing her cheek and tugging at her hair. Her pulse spiked.
'He's already that close?!'
Then—
"Crap!"
Ochaco skidded to a sudden stop. Rubber screeched against tile as she realized her mistake.
A dead end.
She'd missed the turn. Her mind screamed Move!—and instinct took over.
At the very last second, just as Iida lunged forward to grab her, Ochaco twisted her body sideways and stepped cleanly out of his path.
Iida's eyes widened.
"Eh?!"
BAM!
He slammed full-force into the wall. The impact rattled the light fixtures overhead, dust raining down as a faint crack spread through the plaster. Iida stumbled back, momentarily stunned, cape flopping awkwardly as his engines sputtered.
Ochaco didn't waste the opening.
Her hands snapped forward.
FWIP! FWIP!
The capture tape shot out in two clean arcs, wrapping tightly around Iida's torso and arms before he could even react.
"Yes!" she thought, adrenaline surging.
'Got him!'
She spun on her heel and sprinted for the bomb, lungs burning as she closed the final distance. One quick reach—
Tap.
The instant her fingers touched it, the speakers crackled to life.
All Might's voice thundered through the building.
"THE HERO TEAM WINS!!!"
Ochaco froze for half a second—then exploded into motion.
She jumped straight into the air, pumping both fists above her head, a bright, triumphant grin lighting up her face.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
'Guess I won't be starving!' she thought happily, landing with a little bounce as relief and pride washed over her.
Downstairs, the aftermath of the fight was… undignified.
Izuku sat casually atop Katsuki's torso, one knee pinning him down with effortless pressure. Katsuki was red-faced, veins bulging as he thrashed beneath him like an angry wildcat caught in a net.
"GET OFF ME!" Katsuki roared, sparks snapping violently from his palms as he struggled.
Izuku glanced down at him, completely relaxed—then leaned forward just enough to make eye contact and delivered the ultimate disrespect.
A flat, expressionless, Bugs Bunny–style—
"Nope."
Katsuki's eye twitched.
Steam might as well have been shooting out of his ears as his teeth ground together hard enough to squeal. The humiliation stung worse than any punch.
Meanwhile, Izuku's thoughts were… elsewhere.
'…I should get a part-time job. I need to buy new games,' he thought idly, still sitting on Katsuki like this was the most normal thing in the world.
Footsteps echoed down the stairwell.
"O–Izuku!"
Ochaco came running toward them, barely slowing before she leapt forward. Izuku reacted instantly, shifting his weight and catching her mid-jump. She wrapped her arms around him without hesitation, laughing breathlessly.
"We won!" she exclaimed, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Izuku laughed and spun her around once, joy bleeding through his usually composed demeanor.
"Yeah—we did!"
The movement stopped.
Ochaco froze.
A second later, her face went bright red as reality caught up with her—where they were, how close they were, and the fact that Katsuki was still pinned underneath Izuku.
Izuku noticed immediately.
He gently set her back on her feet, offering a small, understanding smile that eased her embarrassment.
"Guess we make a really good team," Izuku said casually.
Ochaco nodded, still flustered but smiling back. "Yeah… guess we do."
They headed back to the waiting room together.
The reactions were instant.
Half the class swarmed Izuku, voices overlapping as they praised his fight—how calm he'd been, how clean his movements were, how he'd completely shut Katsuki down.
The other half turned their attention to Ochaco, teasing her relentlessly about her timing, her teamwork, and how well she'd synced up with Izuku.
"Whoa, Uraraka, that combo was smooth!"
"You two practice that or something?"
"Looked pretty close out there~"
Ochaco tried—and failed—not to blush again.
After that, the rest of the class went through their trials one by one. Time passed quickly, the tension giving way to fatigue and excitement in equal measure.
Two hours later, everyone was finally done.
The echoes of explosions, shouts, and hurried footsteps had faded, leaving the training building eerily quiet. The exercise had ended—but the impressions it left behind were only just beginning to sink in. Some students slumped against walls, exhausted. Others whispered excitedly, replaying moments of victory or failure in hushed voices.
Izuku let out a slow sigh, shoulders dropping as the adrenaline finally drained from his system.
'Honestly… I need a job,' he thought grimly.
'My biggest fear might actually come true. Employment.'
A faint shudder ran through him at the thought—late shifts, awkward interviews, responsibility. Truly terrifying.
Then he felt it.
Eyes.
Multiple pairs of them.
Izuku blinked and looked down, only now fully registering the state he was in. The front of his suit was completely ruined—burned, torn, and hanging in blackened tatters.
Most of his chest and abdomen were exposed, faint scorch marks still visible against his skin, wisps of smoke lingering like proof of Katsuki's last desperate blast.
Around him, conversations had… slowed.
A few of the girls weren't even trying to hide it—glances lingering a second too long before snapping away, cheeks warming. Others tried to be subtle and failed miserably. Even the more composed ones looked once, twice, then quickly pretended they hadn't.
Izuku sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck.
'…Guess this is how women feel at the beach,' he thought dryly.
The realization only made it worse when he noticed someone quickly looking away again.
He stood there awkwardly, half-dressed, half-burnt, and completely unprepared for the sudden attention—calm in battle, helpless in the aftermath.
'Next time,' he decided, straightening his posture despite himself, 'I'm investing in a better suit.'
TO BE CONTINUED