Chapter 184 - 7

Chapter 7

"No plan survives first contact with the enemy. What matters is how quickly the leader is able to adapt."

- Tim Harford

Musutafu, Japan - April 2197

Nighttime. A natural slotted time for rest and recovery. Even the mightiest of warriors needed their sleep to function properly. However, sleep didn't always come easy for everyone.

Midoriya Izuku tossed and turned in his full-sized bed, his brows and facial expression contorting in distress.

Flashes of the past played through his head like a broken movie clip.

Gunfire.

Explosions.

Blood.

Dead bodies.

Midoriya groaned as his breathing increased; sweat began to accumulate on his brow; an unpleasant scene vaguely replayed in his sleep.

"It's not gonna hold…"

"We'll find another way. Just hang on!"

"I'm sorry… but the world needs Captain America…"

"NO! Don't - "

"Keep going Plus Ultra, Cap… Good luck…"

"No! Please… don't!"

Midoriya's emerald eyes shot open and he immediately sat up from his bed. Instinctively reaching for a combat knife he kept nearby, he frantically looked around the dark room for any danger with the weapon ready in hand.

Seeing that he was alone in his apartment, he lowered the knife and felt his body relax ever so slightly. His breathing was hectic as sweat poured down his face. The super-soldier placed the knife back on his bed stand and glanced over at his alarm clock, groaning at the time the blocky red numbers displayed: 04:00 (4 AM).

'Not again… same nightmare…' Midoriya sighed deeply.

Midoriya sat on the edge of his bed, resting his head in his hands. He remained in that position for several moments until he felt that he had finally calmed himself down.

He deeply exhaled. "Maybe I should look into getting a futon? Bed is too soft… oh well, might as well get today started."

With no chance of returning to sleep, Midoriya started on his morning training an hour early… again. After taking a long swig of water from a thermos sitting by his bed, he quickly put on a set of jogging pants and a t-shirt.

'A little running on the beach usually helps clear my head…' Midoriya mused. 'Should also practice those new moves I've been learning too.'

Midoriya spent the next two and a half hours training at Takoba Beach. It was a longer session than usual, but he had extra stress he needed to work off. He returned to his apartment to shower afterwards, ate a hearty breakfast, and got changed into the Hero Department uniform. Fully dressed and fed, the verdette proceeded to exit until a couple knocks on the door caught him by surprise. He tensed up, still on edge from his nightmare.

"Midori-kun! Are you awake?" Recognizing Uraraka-chan's cheery voice, he quickly relaxed his muscles. "Oh wait, what am I saying? Of course you are." He smiled and rolled his eyes at her remark before opening the door.

Uraraka was dressed in her uniform with her school bag strapped to her back, looking at him with those warm auburn eyes. "Good morning, Midori-kun!"

"Good morning, Uraraka-chan. You're up earlier today. It's," he paused to check his watch, "07:15."

Uraraka grinned. "Well, we are UA Hero Course students. We need to set a good example, right?"

Midoriya grinned at his brunette companion who was repeating his words from yesterday. "Right you are." He nodded.

"Also, Yaomomo suggested we meet up at that tea place we were at yesterday before class today. Did you not read the text?" She asked curiously.

"Oh… uh, sorry." He smiled sheepishly. "I was so focused on training this morning and then getting ready for the day that I didn't check my phone."

"That's okay." Uraraka waved off. "But would you like to come with us? It's still early and isn't far from campus. So," she winked, "we can still get to class early like you want."

"It's not early. It's on time." Midoriya coyly retorted. "And yeah, that sounds good. I could use some green tea, actually."

"Sweet! Let's head off then!" She cheerily exclaimed.

In that moment, Midoriya felt the stress from his latest nightmare melt away from her enthusiasm and bright smile. Uraraka sure had a knack for brightening his mood, he thought.

Making casual small talk, the pair walked to the station and hopped on a train to the nearest station by UA's campus. However, Uraraka noticed that something seemed slightly off about Midoriya. He wasn't as engaging in their conversations as he normally was and was sometimes looking off in the distance with a troubled expression.

As the pair disembarked from the train and navigated their way out of the station, Uraraka decided to address the issue while no one was around them.

"Hey, Midori-kun?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Are you feeling okay today?" She looked concerned.

Midoriya blinked, caught off guard by her question. "Y-yeah… why do you ask?"

"I dunno," she shrugged, "you just seem… out of it this morning. Like something's bothering you."

'Right… I haven't been talking much.' Midoriya realized. 'Stupid nightmare still on my mind… Well, like Bucky said, I need to 'buck up!'. Can't let her worry about me.'

Midoriya turned to her with a soft, reassuring smile. "Oh, I'm alright, Uraraka-chan. It's just… I had one of those nights where you can't fall asleep no matter how much you try, so I'm just a little drained this morning. I'll be okay though."

'I mean… it's not a total lie.'

"Oh! I see…" Uraraka nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I hate those kinds of nights too. They're the worst, huh?"

Midoriya nodded, sighing. "Tell me about it."

Uraraka discreetly glanced back at Midoriya with mild concern. She didn't believe her friend was lying per say, but it was clear that something else was bugging him. She wouldn't pry unless he got worse. He'd talk about it when he was ready, she thought.

Eventually the pair arrived at a small pink building nestled on a small plot of land. Outside the establishment was a familiar black limousine that several passing pedestrians stared at. However, it had become a common sight these days for the verdette and brunette pair.

As soon as Midoriya and Uraraka stepped into view, Yaoyorozu opened the door and stepped out with a bright smile to greet them. Thanking her driver and waving him off, she walked alongside her best friends down a small pathway into the establishment. A few bystanders, some even being UA students, were dumbfounded by the unusual trio.

Moments later, the trio walked out of the building with lidded cups in hand and down the sidewalk towards UA University's campus.

"A quaint little setup they have." Midoriya commented. "How'd you find out about that place, Yaomomo?" He took a sip of his green tea and felt his nerves calm ever so slightly.

"Well, this establishment is one of the few that carry my favorite brand of tea. Gold Tips Imperial." Yaoyorozu replied. "So, I like to keep tabs on them."

"Sounds fancy." Uraraka commented while taking a sip of her green tea, deciding to get the same order as Midoriya. After all, some studies showed that green tea did help calm nerves, improve memory retention, and comprehension.

Yaoyorozu smiled sheepishly. "Yes, well, I suppose it is." She then frowned. "I hope you both don't think I'm flaunting money or anything of the sort. That was certainly not my intent."

"Relax, Yaomomo," Midoriya patted her shoulder in reassurance, "we know."

"Yeah! We know you're not like that. So, don't worry." Uraraka chimed in. "You were just showing us a nice place to get drinks. The fact that it's only a few minutes' walk from campus is a big plus."

The word 'plus' suddenly triggered a memory from last night before Midoriya had turned into bed. Out of curiosity, he had searched online for the history of UA University's school motto.

"Something on your mind, Midori-kun?" Yaoyorozu inquired, noticing his thoughtful visage.

"Actually, yeah… Last night, I was doing some research on UA University's history; specifically, the school motto's origin." Midoriya answered. "All the articles sort of contradicted each other; none of them really gave me a clear answer."

"That's a pretty specific thing to search for. Why the sudden interest?" Uraraka asked curiously.

"Well, Plus Ultra was a saying that sometimes Captain America used, right? So, I was curious if they adopted it from him or something." the verdette replied.

"Oh, I can answer that." Yaoyorozu perked up. "You're right that 'Plus Ultra' was a saying originally coined by Captain America. History records and old posters prove that much. During the Captain's time in Japan, many of the meta-humans he helped rescue used the phrase as part of their equal rights rallies.

"Morino Hiroshi, one of UA University's founders, was one of the many people liberated from the concentration camps by the Captain, and he established 'Plus Ultra' as the school's official motto in reverence of the Captain years after his disappearance."

Midoriya and Uraraka both blinked at Yaoyorozu's detailed reply. "I, uh…" she stammered, blushing slightly, "... have done a lot of research on the Captain."

Uraraka grinned at her. "I'll say, Yaomomo. Heck, even I didn't know all that. You're definitely the Queen of Captain America-otakus."

Yaoyorozu looked away as her blush intensified. 'Well, a lot of my research was necessary for my story too.'

Midoriya couldn't suppress a smile. He never would've dreamed such a simple saying that he used to push himself further in times of crisis would have such an effect on people. Processing Yaoyorozu's explanation further, he wondered why the articles he found were inconclusive on the matter.

"I see. Still, I can't help but wonder why this isn't common knowledge. There seems to be a lot of disagreement on the internet." He noted.

"Well, a lot of history from that time period was sadly lost, so there's not much conclusive evidence for it." Yaoyorozu answered. "Also, it's likely due to the fact that UA has been around for a long time, and the motto essentially became synonymous with the institution and the great Pro Heroes it has helped produce. That's where the confusion comes from."

"That makes sense." Uraraka nodded. "I mean, when you hear 'Plus Ultra' your first thought always goes to UA, after all."

'Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. I mean, it's not like I trademarked the saying anyway.' He internally chuckled. 'Otherwise, UA would have some royalties they'd have to pay.'

"Let's see, we have Algebra this morning at 9 being taught by Ectoplasm-sensei. Then, we'll have our first Heroics Field class at 15:30." Uraraka recalled. "We'll have lots of free time on Tuesdays and Thursdays then, huh?"

"Yeah, no kidding. A 5-hour intermission is pretty generous of the schedule makers." Midoriya remarked.

"It does make things flexible for us." Yaoyorozu pointed out.

"Got a feeling we'll likely be spending that time studying, completing assignments, using the training grounds, and lunch of course." Midoriya stated. "Got to stay ahead of the curve, right?"

Both girls nodded in agreement. The trio walked past UA's main gateway and down the pathway that led to the main buildings.

"So, are you guys excited for our first day of Heroic Field class?" Uraraka finished her tea and disposed of the cup in a nearby trash can. "I wonder if the rumors of All Might being our instructor are true?" She sounded excited.

"Well, the syllabus didn't say who the instructor was going to be, so who can say? Maybe it will be him…" Midoriya already knew that Yagi would be their instructor, but that didn't mean he had to spoil the surprise for his friends.

"Yes, I'm very keen to get started." Yaoyorozu smiled. "It'll be our first steps into becoming Heroes."

"Ooh, I can't wait!" Uraraka's shoulders slumped as she sighed heavily. "First, we just have to get through boring math today…"

"You shouldn't overlook mathematics, Uraraka-chan." Yaoyorozu lightly admonished. "It's still a crucial part of our education."

"Plus, with your Quirk, having a good understanding of math and physics could go a long way in the Hero field." Midoriya reasoned.

"Huh…?" Uraraka blinked twice. "I never considered that." A thought occurred to her. "Wait, my Quirk removes an object's gravitational pull though, so, wouldn't that mean I'd have to study reverse-physics or something?"

"Hmm…" Yaoyorozu cutely tapped her chin in contemplation, "Yes… I suppose you would."

"Uraraka Ochako. Evil Doctor of Anti-Physics." Midoriya playfully commented.

"The sworn enemy to Sir Isaac Newton and Nicolaus Copernicus alike." Yaoyorozu added, smiling slyly. "Truly, a nefarious and dastardly villain of the cosmos. In accordance with the Laws of Physics, she must be brought down effective immediately for the universe to continue."

"Pfft!" The brunette couldn't contain her laughter, and playfully shoved them. "You both are dorks! Ha-ha-ha!" While standing in-between them, she placed her hands on their shoulders, careful to lift up her pinky fingers. "But I guess you're my dorks. Heh-heh!"

Midoriya glanced at her with a smirk. "Don't act like you're above us, professor. You're just as bad as we are… but in a good way though!"

The auburn-haired girl chuckled bashfully. "Yeah, I guess you're right, oh Great King of Captain America-otakus."

"Please, I'm not deserving of such a title." Midoriya rubbed his neck sheepishly. 'Especially when guys like All Might and Coulson are duking it out for that dubious honor… oh brother…'

Yaoyorozu, meanwhile, couldn't contain her beautiful, elated smile. Her life had changed for the better since Uraraka and Midoriya both became her best friends, a stark contrast to the extravagant yet dull life she had been living before with mostly training and constant studying. She was looking forward to spending even more time together with them and her fellow classmates in their shared pursuit of becoming Pro Heroes.

A realization then occurred to the heiress and her eyes widened. 'My word! We've been friends for a while now and I have yet to invite Midori-kun or Uraraka-chan to my house. I have to correct this! I'll ask them if they'd like to come over soon… Hopefully they'll say yes.'

Meanwhile, as the trio proceeded to the main doors, another Hero Course student was nearby and noticed them; particularly, how close they seemed to be getting to a certain green-haired young man.

"Errgh!" Mineta seethed as he clenched his teeth in envy. "That lucky bastard!"

Fort Erskine, CA - July 2042

Eight days had passed since Izuku's start of SSR training, and each one was longer and more arduous than the last. Izuku had already expected to struggle in his first few days of bootcamp, but he had been confident that he would eventually adapt and the training would become easier; if only slightly.

That was not the case, however, as Corporal Yamamoto was a relentless drill instructor. If he thought Day 1 had been grueling, the following days only got progressively worse. She increased all of the exercise repetitions with each passing day; not enough to injure them, but enough to make their entire bodies very sore and worn out. She had even introduced drills from standard Army Basic Training, such as wall scaling, army-crawling under barbed wire, and finally traversing rope bridges and ladders.

In the midst of the pained exhaustion, Izuku sometimes couldn't prevent pessimistic thoughts from arising. But those thoughts would always be pushed away when he recalled Bucky's words from Day 1.

"Don't you dare at any point try to quit on me, no matter how hard it gets, yah hear? 'Cause I won't be quitting on you! Ever."

With that, his determination was always reignited, and he found the strength to press on.

Izuku sometimes couldn't help but wonder if Peggy was actively trying to make him quit. He had noticed that out of all the recruits she always seemed to target him the most whenever she could, calling him out for the smallest of mistakes or demanding he go faster in the drills. In addition, she had been avoiding him during times outside of training.

However, he pushed those leery thoughts aside and opted to give his friend the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps this was her way of motivating him? Maybe she was just too busy to talk with him in the evenings, or didn't want to risk a misunderstanding of their relationship with the other recruits? All of that made sense, he thought.

Izuku didn't have time to ruminate on the subject, though. It was the start of Day 9 and the recruits were currently in the middle of their morning conditioning drills. The sun was rising higher in the sky and the heat was steadily increasing. But, at this point, Izuku had become numb to it all. He followed orders and completed the exercises–when he wasn't passing out or stopping to puke–at the pace his frail body allowed.

On the bright side, his new combat uniform had arrived yesterday, and it was appropriately sized to fit his smaller body. He felt a little better knowing that he at least didn't look like a dork while training anymore. He could only take so much teasing from his pals for wearing such a baggy uniform.

"That's enough warmups!" Corporal Yamamoto shouted. "Everyone fall back into formation!"

The recruits immediately complied and stood 'At Attention' in line, with Izuku lagging behind only slightly. Peggy's eyes briefly focused on Izuku to search for any mistake in his stance but found none; it was textbook perfect.

She inwardly growled at that fact, but quickly decided to move on. "We're going to switch things up today by starting with pugil stick drills. We'll work off all that pent up stress and frustration from the last few days. All of you head there and await instruction."

"Yes ma'am!" The group complied.

"Cadet Midoriya, a word…" Corporal Yamamoto called out.

Izuku left the formation and ran up to the ravenette marine. He tried to maintain a neutral, straight-face but the confusion was present in his brown eyes. "Y-yes ma'am?"

"I see that Private Barnes has been officially recognized as your Battle Buddy." She stated.

"Yes ma'am."

"How has he been treating you?" She inquired.

"He's been very supportive." Izuku resisted the urge to smile. "He's been teaching me how to march properly and the formation movements in our free time."

He still didn't understand why Bucky wanted to be his Battle Buddy following Day 1 when he literally could've chosen anyone else; someone more physically fit and closer to his age even. Nevertheless, he was grateful for the brunet's support as well as the encouragement he had received from his other friends in Sharon, Namor, James, and Nick.

It felt surreal to him knowing that he had friends outside of Peggy now. If there was one silver lining in this training camp from Hell, he had met those five amazing people. The other recruits didn't seem like bad people either, he just didn't get much opportunity to converse with them like he did his circle of friends.

"I see…" Peggy replied. 'So that's how he's gotten better in formations recently…'

"Well, I'm glad you both are getting along, and he's taken you under his wing. But I'll cut to the chase of why I called you over here," she narrowed her gaze. "In the upcoming pugil stick match, you need to win at least one round. Everyone gets three rounds each. If you fail to win one, then not only will you have to do extra exercises for punishment this evening, but Private Barnes will as well."

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. "I… I don't–"

"You both come as a pair now." She tersely explained. "Meaning you'll not only enjoy victory together… but suffer in defeat together as well."

The short teen considered Peggy's words. "I… understand, ma'am."

Corporal Yamamoto nodded. "Good. Don't discuss what we talked about with anyone else. Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Dismissed." With that said, Izuku turned and sprinted toward the pugil drill setup across the training field.

'Aside from Teruko, Barnes has been the most supportive of Izu-kun. He's likely one of the reasons now why he hasn't quit yet. Well… we'll see how far that support goes when he has to suffer with Izu-kun too…'

Peggy felt very awful with herself in going through with this plan, but she was out of options. Increasing the physical workload wasn't working like she thought it would. Izuku, albeit slowly, just kept getting back up and pushing on. His perseverance earned him the respect and support of his peers, which only pushed him further.

He truly was the personification of 'mind over matter', she thought.

So, if physical hardship wouldn't make Izuku quit, then perhaps targeting Izuku's newfound friendship with Barnes would. If she could make Barnes even slightly annoyed with Izuku over his shortcomings, maybe it would be discouraging enough to prompt Izuku to reconsider his place in the military.

Peggy lowered her head, knitting her brows together. 'I feel like such b*tch doing this… but this is my last chance! There's only one more day left before the 10 days are up.'

Pugil sticks, a heavily padded pole-like weapon, had been used in the US Army since the 1940s. It was a part of hand-to-hand combat training for simulating rifle and bayonet combat. Pugil bouts were usually conducted with hard contact while wearing protective gear, padded gloves, and football helmets.

The matches were divided by weight class and monitored by 3 judges who would use the "10 point must system" to determine winners. The goal was to use the pugil stick to knock an opponent to the ground, inflict the most disabling blows, and/or force them to submit. A judge would step in and call the match whenever necessary.

Roughly half-an-hour had passed since the pugil stick drill began, and Izuku had already lost two matches. Wielding a pugil stick that was as big as he was proved to be very challenging. It didn't help that these kinds of drills required a considerable amount of physical strength, something Izuku was considerably lacking.

"Final matchup: Howlett and Midoriya! Let's go!" the instructor shouted.

With his name called, Izuku stepped into a sandpit with James standing at the other end. Both were equipped with the proper protective gear and a pugil stick.

"C'mon! You got this, 'Zuku!" Sharon clapped.

"Give it your best, bud!" Bucky shouted.

Izuku gave a thumbs-up before inserting his mouthguard. 'This is it. My last chance to get a win. If I don't… Bucky and I both will have to do punishment drills.' Izuku worriedly thought.

James grinned roguishly. "Not going easy on yah, Shorty! Better come at me with all you got!" He beat his buff chest to pump himself up.

Izuku wordlessly nodded with a straight-face expression.

So far, he had only been pitted against James or Sharon since they were the closest to his weight class. He was the only Lightweight in the group with James and Sharon being Middleweight; both had defeated him rather easily.

'Okay… James is faster, stronger, and more experienced than me. I'm at a huge disadvantage here.' Izuku contemplated.

He considered the rules of pugil stick matches and what was allowed. One hand needed to be on the stick at all times while punches, elbows, kicks, and knees were allowed as long as they were not aimed for the head nor if the opponent was already grounded.

'There's no way he'll submit, and I won't be able to get enough solid blows to his vital areas before he takes me down first. I'll have to knock him down fast… That's my only chance.'

"Fighters, ready!" The instructor ordered.

'I have to win this.' Izuku's grip on the pugil stick tightened. 'I won't make Bucky suffer with me.'

The rowdy cheers from the other recruits were drowned out as James and Izuku stared at each other with determined expressions. Both were aiming to win!

"Start!" an instructor shouted, staying close by to intervene if needed.

Neither combatant wasted time in charging forward at full speed. Izuku knew he couldn't outmuscle James; his opponent was stronger and heavier, so he opted for the only option he could think of to give himself a chance of winning. At the last second, Izuku juked to the right while extending the end of his pugil stick to poke at James' feet.

"WHOA!" James stumbled forward and swiftly extended his stick out toward the ground to break his fall.

Izuku followed up with swinging his stick's upper end at the back of James' legs–attempting to knock his opponent to his knees. However, James was quick to react by kicking himself out of the way using his stick to hold himself upright.

James pulled his pugil stick off the ground and turned to face his opponent. "Cheap shot, Shorty!"

He charged and swung at Izuku's head, forcing him to hold up his pole to block the attack. James pressed forward with his assault, forcing Izuku to backtrack. Izuku felt the force behind each strike and knew he wouldn't last much longer.

'Plan A failed… time for Plan B!' Izuku ascertained.

The frail teen quickly ducked off to the side to avoid a strike and used his pole to swipe up sand at the burly young man's face.

"AAHH!" James was forced to shut his eyes, giving Izuku the opening he needed to swing his stick at his opponent's helmet as hard as he could. "OOF!"

'A hit! I finally got a hit!' Izuku momentarily paused, unable to suppress an excited grin.

"Keep pressing!" Bucky shouted out.

"You have to finish, 'Zuku!" Sharon followed up.

'Right!' Izuku snapped out of his stupor, extending his stick to jab James in the chest—causing James to stagger back. 'The fight's not over till it's over!'

Izuku stepped forward to press his attack and swung at James' head again. But much to his surprise, James brought up his pugil stick to perfectly block the strike even with his eyes still shut from the sand.

'How'd he–' James instantly recovered and pushed forward, increasing the speed and strength behind his blows. Whatever momentum Izuku had gained was promptly lost as he was put back on the defensive. One blow was strong enough to cause Izuku to stagger back. He didn't get the chance to recover as James used his pole to sweep his legs out from underneath him, sending the skinny teen falling to the sand. 'Dammit! Should've gone for his legs, got too cocky!'

"Alright, enough!" an instructor called out.

Izuku sighed deeply and picked himself up. 'Crap… I lost the match. That means–'

The instructor stepped in between Izuku and James and held up the latter's arm. "Midoriya failed to maintain a fighter's stance. Winner… Howlett!"

The recruits clapped and cheered in response.

"Nice recovery, Howlett!" Nick cheered enthusiastically. "Good effort by you though, Flagman!"

"Keep your chin up." Namor added blandly. "You did well."

Izuku and James both nodded in acknowledgement for their efforts and walked out of the sandpit, pulling the protective gear and helmet off and handing them back to the various fort personnel.

"Alright, alright, recruits! Get in formation." Corporal Yamamoto stepped in after watching the pugil stick exercises.

Everyone complied with her order, breathing heavily and sweaty from the intense matches.

"It's 5 minutes till lunchtime. Head back to the dining facility and we'll pick up at 12:30. Dismissed."

"Yes ma'am!" With that, the recruits proceeded in the direction of the dining facility.

While they were jogging, Bucky noticed Izuku looked quite despondent. Was he disappointed that he lost all of his matches?

"Hey, don't worry about it, bud. Just shake it off!" Bucky patted his shoulder reassuringly. "You'll get 'em in the next match."

"Y-yeah… thanks." Izuku murmured, not looking at him. How could he? Because of his shortcomings, his new friend would be punished later too.

"Don't be too disappointed, 'Zuku." Sharon jogged up to the pair. "You did much better in that match than all of your previous ones."

"Yeah!" Bucky agreed. "Using the stick to kick sand into Howlett's face? A little dirty, but hey…good thinking on your part! Never seen anyone do that in a pugil match, actually."

"It was a good effort, but don't expect that dirty trick to work again, Shorty!" James called out from ahead, overhearing their conversation.

Izuku couldn't help but smile a little from the praise and encouragement. He wasn't used to receiving it from anyone else outside Peggy… or his mother. He quickly pushed that lamenting thought aside.

"Don't stress about it. Tell ya what, how about I give you some pointers on fighting with a pugil stick tonight?" Bucky grinned. "But first, let's hurry up and get something to eat already."

"O-Okay…" Izuku nodded.

"Race yah guys!" Sharon rushed forward.

"Carter!" Bucky couldn't resist the challenge and pursued after her.

Izuku increased his pace to try and keep up, but his heart wasn't into the impromptu race. 'I wonder though…' He frowned morosely. '...will you even want to talk with me anymore after today?'

Musutafu, Japan - April 2197

'So far, it's pretty normal for university life.' Midoriya thought.

After yesterday's sudden Quirk Assessment Test in Foundational Heroics, Midoriya had wondered if all of the Hero Course classes would be unconventional. So far, that was not the case.

The morning's Algebra class has been conducted in a professional, conventional manner by the Pro Hero, Ectoplasm. Hopefully the other non-Heroic classes for tomorrow will be the same, he thought. After the class period ended, most of the class broke off to do their own things - taking advantage of the free time provided to them.

Midoriya and a group consisting of Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, Tsunotori, Tokage, and Iida met up in the university library at a table to quietly discuss plans on what to do for their 5-hour intermission for the rest of the semester. After all, it was valuable time, and they didn't want to waste it by fooling around when they should/could be improving themselves academically and physically.

They agreed to reserve Tuesdays for studying and catching up on assignments together while Thursdays would be dedicated to moderate training at the designated training grounds. While there, the verdette successfully exchanged contact information with Iida and he was added to the group chat.

Then lunchtime rolled around, and the super-soldier enjoyed eating alongside his friends and classmates. At a single table, the group sat together with the additions of Sero, Jiro, and Asui. All three of them seemed to have a casual and relaxed aura about them, but in different ways.

To Midoriya, it felt good casually conversing with people his age again as it reminded him of the good times in the Army. Uraraka and Yaoyorozu sat on his right and left side respectively while Tokage and Tsunotori sat across from him with the others filling the other spots.

"Gotta say, Lunch Rush's food is impressive." Midoriya commented.

The Pro Hero, Lunch Rush, was a Disaster Relief Hero. A type of Support Hero that made food for people displaced by natural disasters or powerful Villain Incidents. His Quirk allowed him to cook high-quality food with the same speed and efficiency of a team of thirty chefs. Midoriya imagined that the university saved quite a few paychecks by only having a few other cafeteria staff needed to keep the place clean.

"I know, right?" Uraraka beamed, taking a bite from her rice bowl.

"It is good stuff." Sero nodded with a smile. "Surprised it doesn't cost extra."

"It is very tasty." Yaoyorozu smiled as she enjoyed her lunch.

"As expected of a Pro like Lunch Rush." Iida nodded, taking a sip from his drink.

Midoriya had quite an assortment of different foods on his tray, the main dish being katsudon. He'd been excited to see his favorite food offered. It wasn't as good as his mom's used to be, in his personal opinion, but it was still great, nonetheless.

He almost teared up at the thought of his mother, but he composed himself before anyone noticed—not wanting to cause a scene.

"What do you guys think the Field class will be like?" Jiro questioned a few moments later.

"Probably just some introductions and basics, that makes the most sense, kero." Asui replied as she looked towards the purplette.

"That does sound reasonable." Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement. "I can't imagine them giving us an intense assignment on what's technically our first day since all we did was pick up our syllabuses yesterday."

"Keep in mind that this is UA." Iida pointed out. "If our Field instructor is anything like Aizawa-sensei, then…" He trailed off and everyone's faces took on a thoughtful or worried expression.

"Yes, I suppose that is true." Yaoyorozu admitted.

"So… hope for the best but prepare for the worst?" Sero shrugged, half-smiling.

"Yes, that may be for the best." Iida nodded.

'I'm sure it'll be fine with Toshinori teaching.' Midoriya thought as he continued to eat.

"No worries, guys! We got this in the bag." Tokage confidently said, trying to break the tense mood.

"We'll just have to do our best." Tsunotori nodded determinedly.

"I just hope we won't be threatened with expulsion again." Uraraka murmured worriedly, nibbling on her rice. "That was super-stressful yesterday."

"Tell me about it." Jiro sighed heavily. 'I was second to last, after all…'

"I can only imagine how you felt, Midoriya-san." Asui mentioned, looking at her fellow greenette curiously. "Any reason why Aizawa-sensei singled you out yesterday? You got first on the practical, so I was confused by that."

"Yes, I was curious about that myself, actually." Iida admitted.

Sero and Jiro also looked at him curiously.

"Right… you guys had already left by then." Midoriya recalled. "Well, I explained to Yaomomo, Uraraka-chan, Pony, and Tokage-san yesterday that Aizawa-sensei was likely just testing me to make sure I wasn't too reliant on my shield."

"Your shield?" Jiro questioned.

"I thought your Quirk was an enhancement type, kero." Asui said, touching her chin in confusion.

Iida perked up in recollection. "Ah, yes! That support item you were carrying around during the Practical Exam. The silver disk?"

"The very same." Midoriya nodded, and then looked back at his classmates. "I used it to take out practically all of my targets in the exam in case you were both wondering."

"Wait… how?" Sero looked confused. "It's just a shield, right?"

"Far from it!" Tsunotori spoke up excitedly. "I only got to see him briefly use it during the exam, but Midoriya's shield is so cool! It tore through those robots like nothing. And the way he was throwing it was awesome too! It was like a boomerang the way it kept coming back to him!"

That declaration caught Uraraka and Yaoyorozu's attention. From the way Tsunotori described Midoriya's shield, it operated similarly to a certain historical figure's support item they both looked up to. Was their friend holding out on them?

"Curious," Yaoyorozu looked at Midoriya pointedly, "he showed his shield to me and Uraraka-chan one time. Yet we never got to see him use it." She sounded mildly annoyed.

"Even though we kept pestering him to show us." Uraraka added, equally peeved.

'Please stop giving me those looks.' Midoriya sweat-dropped. He then chuckled awkwardly. "I just want to surprise you both with it. I should have the opportunity soon since we have Field class every weekday."

"Huh… didn't know shields could be used that way." Sero said offhandedly.

Uraraka chuckled. "What? Never heard of Captain America?"

"Sounds familiar, I think… wasn't he just an old American hero or something?" Sero cocked a brow.

"He was the world's first officially recognized Pro Hero, Sero-san." Asui answered plainly. "You should really brush up on your history. That's common knowledge, kero."

"Heh-heh, yeah, sorry." He rubbed his head awkwardly. "Didn't pay much attention in history classes, I guess. Didn't think it was really important."

"Knowing history is important, even for Pro Heroes." Iida seriously added, adjusting his glasses. "After all, those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

"And those who do learn from history are doomed to watch others repeat it…" Midoriya murmured to himself.

Yaoyorozu and Uraraka, however, overheard him and glanced at him curiously. An odd thing for him to say, they both thought.

Tokage laughed and slapped Iida on the back, flustering the taller student. "Geez… you need to loosen up a little, yah know, Iida-san. It's not healthy to stay so stiff all the time."

"I-I'm not stiff!" Iida spluttered.

"Yeah, you kind of are, man." Sero countered. "Stiff as a rod, actually."

"Yep." Jiro nodded.

"And it's only our second day knowing you too." Asui added.

Iida seemed to be flabbergasted by this revelation.

"I wouldn't stress about it, Iida-san." Midoriya spoke up. "You're just earnest and deliberate. Nothing wrong with that. Still," he smiled slyly, "you could stand to ease up a little. This isn't the military, after all."

The table chuckled at that remark while Iida hung his head as if he were seriously contemplating his new friends' advice. To him, it sounded oddly similar to what his older brother Tensei kept telling him.

'I say that, but…' Midoriya glanced around the table at his classmates, 'we're in the Hero Course, and we are essentially being trained to one day fight Villains, and how to handle disaster and rescue operations. So, in a way, it is similar to military training in a sense.'

After the intermission concluded, Class 101-A went to their final class of the day, the practical portion of the Foundational Heroics class. The class met up in the same classroom as their regular Heroics room for brief introductions to the day's activities. Officially, nearly any Pro Hero employed by UA could teach the class, since one of them could be called for a crisis elsewhere, and the schedules had to be flexible.

"When is the instructor going to show up?" Uraraka whispered to Midoriya as they took their adjacent seats.

Midoriya glanced at the clock. "It should be any minute now."

'C'mon, Toshinori. It's 15:29 (3:29 PM). You'd already be late by military standards.' Midoriya inwardly remarked. 'Maybe I jumped the gun on comparing this place to the military...'

The moment the clock shifted to 15:30 (3:30 PM), the classroom door suddenly slammed open.

"I AM HERE!" A familiar voice rang out. "COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"

Midoriya playfully rolled his eyes. 'He has to make an entrance, doesn't he?'

"No way!" Kaminari exclaimed with a huge grin.

"All Might is really our teacher?!" Kirishima yelled excitedly.

"Sweet!" Tokage smirked. "This is gonna be so rad!"

Midoriya feigned a look of surprise at All Might's appearance, not wanting to act too discreet to possibly arouse suspicion from others. He was amused at the mostly awed and surprised reactions from his classmates, including Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and Pony's. Uraraka was grinning widely, Pony stared in astonishment, and Yaoyorozu—though outwardly subdued—had a glimmer in her gray eyes from seeing the Number One Hero in person.

"Oh wow… he's wearing his Silver Age costume…" Tsunotori murmured in awe.

"I know… so retro." Uraraka whispered, equally amazed.

Midoriya chuckled to himself; he couldn't blame them for their reactions. All Might was the greatest hero in Japan — and arguably the world — so, the fact that they'd be learning from him was incredible. Midoriya internally compared it to learning heroics from Superman since that was essentially All Might's role in this world.

Also, the verdette inwardly admitted that he had been awestruck (to a degree) as well when he had first met All Might last year. However, with all the training and time they spent together, he had come to see Yagi as a friend rather than a celebrity.

All Might, wearing his older Silver Age costume—complete with flowing cape, despite there not being any wind—marched dramatically to the front of the class and turned to face the students, fists on his hips.

"Remember, students—a flashy entrance is a great way to display confidence and reassure people that everything is going to be okay!" All Might gave his trademark smile at the class. "Now, then—Welcome to the practical portion for Foundational Heroics 101. This is the class that gives you a taste of what being a Hero in the field is like. Today, we'll be getting right into the thick of things with this!" He proclaimed while pulling a card out from nowhere, which had the word 'Battle' on it in bright, red letters.

"Fight training!" Bakugo grinned viciously.

More than a few students got particularly excited.

'Looks like my hunch was right. UA doesn't mess around. Still, we're really doing combat training right off the bat?' Midoriya felt uncertain.

"Yes, a Battle Trial!" All Might grinned. "But if you're going to train to be Heroes, you need to look the part!" He pressed a button on a remote, and then several long panels slid out from the wall with large metal briefcases numbered from one to twenty. "For that, you'll need these!"

"COSTUMES!" Most of the class exclaimed with a cheer.

"Exactly!" All Might smiled. "In accordance with the Quirk Registry and Equipment Request forms that you filled out before school started!"

Even the students less enthusiastic about fighting began to get excited; after all, they'd all had at least some input in how their costumes were made, so these outfits were theirs.

Uraraka and Yaoyorozu were especially thrilled. Not only did they get to show Midoriya their own costumes after his invaluable input into their designs, but they would finally see what he had done for his costume after he had kept them both in the dark for the last few weeks.

"All right!" All Might clapped his hands together; despite the casual gesture, there was still a small shockwave that sent everyone rocking back in their seats. "Grab your costumes, and head to Ground Beta when you're all suited up!"

"Yes sir!" The class responded.

"This is so awesome!" Kirishima cheered loudly.

"I know, right!" Ashido bounced up to him, unable to contain her giddiness. "I can't wait!"

There was a mad dash as everyone headed to the suitcases; though each had a large number, there was also a small tag with names attached. Much to Bakugo's anger, Midoriya's case had the number one on it.

Unlike the others, behind Midoriya's silver case against the compartment wall was a black circular bag with the number one imprinted on it too.

He smiled, knowing exactly what was inside. 'Well, old girl, let's show 'em our new look.'

At Ground Beta, one of the mock cityscapes used during the Practical Exam, All Might stood outside a tunnel as the 101-A students started to emerge from it. His smile grew wider as they stepped out into daylight. "They say the clothes make the Pros, young ladies and gentlemen, and behold, you are the proof!"

The class trotted out in their respective Hero Costumes, some commenting on the others' suits while some maintained a quiet, focused attitude.

All Might nodded in approval. Everyone looked so cool! He had a good feeling about this year's group of freshmen.

He then noticed a certain student was missing from the crowd. 'Odd. What's holding up young Midoriya? He's been keeping me in suspense about his new costume for weeks now. Not even Coulson would give me a hint. Damn secret agent…'

Meanwhile, the men's locker room door slammed open as Midoriya bolted out. It had taken him slightly longer to finish putting on his uniform than the other guys, much to his chagrin.

'SHIELD doesn't disappoint. The uniform feels sturdy yet flexible in all the right places. It's pretty breathable too.' Midoriya internally noted. 'They could've made getting into it easier though…' He'd just have to be faster suiting up in the future.

As he ran, he quickly glanced down at his uniform. 'I'll always be attached to red, white, and blue… but I really like how this came out in the end.'

He then recalled a scene from several weeks ago during his design process.

Midoriya sat at his work desk sketching away in one of his notebooks. Designing a new uniform for the UA Hero Course was more challenging than he thought. He wanted to initially base it off of his Front Lines suit, but quickly realized two potential issues with that. One, wearing anything star-spangled related could risk blowing his cover. Two, even if his cover wasn't blown, it may be seen as cheap and uncreative on his part to copy Captain America's look, fanboy or not.

Midoriya wasn't one to give up though as he pushed his enhanced mind further to brainstorm ideas, and even searched online for inspiration. Finally, after several hours of consideration, he believed he had a design ready.

"Let's see… Muted colors? Check? Utility belt? Check. Combat boots and gloves? Check." Midoriya put his pencil down and keenly examined his drawing and smiled. "Yeah… I think this looks good. A cool alternative to what I would've worn. The darker colors make it perfect for stealth-related operations." His eyes widened at that thought. "A stealth suit!"

He quickly took his pencil and wrote "Stealth Suit" in English at the top of the page.

"Nice. I think I might have–" Midoriya paused as Yaoyorozu and Uraraka's words from yesterday's lunch echoed through his mind.

"...even as a tribute, basing any costume design off the Captain's is not something to take lightly."

"Most Heroes try to stay away from anything too similar to his costume to avoid the comparisons…"

"Hmm…" Midoriya held his chin contemplatively as he reevaluated his design. "Now that I think about it… this may still be too similar to my old suit. I should avoid having American colors in it – just to play it safe. But what can I replace them with?"

The verdette glanced around his room for any possible alternatives. In his closet, he caught a glimpse of one of his dress shirts; specifically, its coloring. At that moment, his eyes lit up in inspiration.

"That's it!" Flipping over to a blank page, Midoriya quickly began sketching. "I can keep the same basic look from the Stealth Suit… just change up the main colors… add this touch here… and here…" He moved to his computer and pulled up an online color-picker and, after finding the exact color codes he had in mind, he filled out his design with the appropriate descriptions and specs.

Moments later, the verdette placed his pencil down and looked over the page with a satisfied smile. "I think we have a winner. Hopefully Toshinori, Yaomomo, and Uraraka-chan will like it too."

After finishing recalling the scene, he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. 'This is it. My first real uniform in this era…'

The 21st century super-soldier finally dashed into daylight.

'...or, as they call it these days, my Hero Costume.'

He had adorned a full-body utilitarian-looking suit that was mostly dark green with black stitching and blackish-green angular patterns on his thighs and torso. The suit's material was a Kevlar-based ballistic component (with possibly other unknown components) that gave the suit the appearance and function of a military black-ops uniform.

He wore a pair of thick, dark red combat boots that ended just under his knees with three straps and black soles. Built into the suit were knee pads and elbow guards that matched the rest of his suit. A thin white stripe with a red outline stretched along the outside of his legs up to his waist, which sported a dark red leather utility belt with several pouches and loops with a few carabiners, followed by a pair of matching red leather tactical gloves on his hands. Attached to the right side of his belt was a dark green, Kevlar-based helmet that matched his suit.

In the middle of his chest was a 3D 5-pointed white star with a thin red outline and red segmented lines that connected to a red circle in the center. Running horizontally across his chest were three big white stripes, and the top two stripes lead to a small white ring on both shoulders that had a 5-pointed star within them. Strapped to his shoulders was a red leather harness connected to a magnetic alloy on his back, with the newly painted shield attached to it.

The shield's new look shared the same basic design as the original with the colors and star design altered to match the new uniform. The outer ring was a muted dark green (shades lighter than his uniform), the middle ring was white, and the third ring was cyan. At the center was the same star design that was on his chest; primarily white with a red outline and red segments to give it a 3D look that connected to a red circle in the center. The star was contained within a dark green circle that matched the main color of his suit.

Midoriya smiled confidently; overall, he was pleased with how his new uniform turned out.

All Might's grin somehow grew even wider. 'So cool!' He inwardly gushed. 'Paying homage to his past while embracing a new future. The greens will also help maintain his cover. Great work, Captain!'

Yaoyorozu and Uraraka were standing together when Midoriya exited the tunnel and were blown away by his uniform, both gasping in amazement.

"Now that we're all present, follow me to the observation room, and we can get to the lesson." All Might began leading the class down the roadway toward a main building center.

"Wow, Midori-kun!" Uraraka smiled brightly.

Uraraka's costume was a black and pink bodysuit that did nothing to hide her curves, with large pink boots and pink wrist guards with thick circle handles. Around her curvy waist was a two-piece pale pink belt with a dark-pink disk in the center. On various areas of her boots and wrist guards were dark-pink circular nozzles. Her head was protected by a pink helmet that had a darkened visor curving downward with a thin pink choker around the base of her throat and neck. Only her hands were completely exposed.

She practically bounced up to him, and Midoriya wondered if she added springs to her costume's boots but was distracted as other parts of her were bouncing too.

'Stop it, soldier!' He chided himself. 'Control yourself!'

"I love your costume!" Uraraka beamed at him – her boots brought her eyes level with his chin. "It looks so cool…and practical too!"

"T-thank you…" he stammered. 'So skintight! Still… she looks really good in it.' He felt the heat rising in his cheeks.

"So, this is the costume you were designing?" Yaoyorozu stepped up beside the brunette, keenly analyzing his suit from top-to-bottom.

As she did so, Midoriya's inappropriate thoughts regarding Uraraka's costume were immediately replaced by Yaoyorozu. The ravenette was obviously gorgeous, and though her costume wasn't as revealing as her initial design, it still showcased her curves and a fair amount of skin; the display was enough to turn his face a deeper shade of red.

Her costume consisted of a modified red and black sports bra that covered her breasts, neck, and shoulders, which included a zipper to hold it closed and left the majority of her back exposed. Her stomach was fully exposed from under the top down to her hips. She had donned a pair of tight, red shorts that went down just above her mid-thigh and had a yellow utility belt stitched into them that allowed her to carry various items. Red armor covered the top of her hands and forearms and were connected to elbow pads. On her left forearm's armor was a built-in touchscreen device that held all the information Yaoyorozu currently had in her dictionary on elements and compounds. On her feet was a pair of red standard sole boots that went just up to her knees, as well as red shin and knee guards for added protection.

'Wow… her costume came out great!' Midoriya quickly averted his eyes so he wouldn't be caught staring.

Yaoyorozu then smiled brightly, her gray eyes sparkling. "I love it! It's practical and has a militaristic look and pays proper tribute to the Captain without fully copying his look." She tapped the 3D star symbol on his chest. "The red circle inside the star was a nice touch – paying homage to both your Japanese heritage and American upbringing. The shades of green suit you quite well, too. Excellent work, Midori-kun!"

"T-thanks, you two. I think both of your costumes look great." Midoriya smiled, barely able to keep himself from stuttering. He wouldn't be surprised if his head was emitting steam right now.

Yaoyorozu blushed cutely. "You completely redesigned mine, so I have you to thank for that."

"I really appreciate your input into my costume too. Although," Uraraka bashfully rubbed her head, "I should have been a bit more specific. It ended up being a little tooskintight. Not really my style."

"Nah, I think it looks great on you, Uraraka-san!" Tokage grinned as she walked up to the trio. "In fact, all three of you look awesome!"

Her costume consisted of a purple, scaly mask over her eyes in addition to a simple bodysuit with a matching design and black knee-high boots. She wore finger gloves with orange, three-piece wrist-guards, and a belt around her waist with what looked to be a jewel embedded into the center. It did very little to hide her curvy feminine figure and, at that moment, Midoriya wished he included a mask to his uniform to cover his reddening face.

Why did his female friends have to be so attractive?

Before he could respond, another familiar voice called out. "Hey, guys!"

Midoriya smiled when he saw Tsunotori running up to them. "Your costumes look great!"

Tsunotori's hero costume resembled a jockey uniform, consisting of a pale orange skin-tight shirt with paler markings around her chest and stomach with matching-colored pants, along with a pair of fingerless gloves. Around her head was a horse halter with a lead rope dangling from the back. She wore belts secured around her collarbone, biceps, and lower torso, and boots that not only guarded her hooves but also had stirrups attached on either side.

Thankfully for Midoriya's sake, her costume was more conservative compared to his other female friends, but he'd admit Pony still looked cute in it.

"Thanks, Tsunotori-san." Tokage grinned. "You're not looking bad yourself."

"Yeah," Midoriya nodded with a smile. "It really matches your Quirk and appearance. I love it!"

"T-Thanks." The blonde pony-girl smiled bashfully.

'Although is the halter purely for aesthetics… or is it actually functional?' Midoriya offhandedly wondered.

Meanwhile, Mineta had been watching as the four girls gathered around Midoriya and, needless to say, he was fuming with envy. "That bastard's already forming his own harem…" He then lashed out. "Hey, jerk! Save some for the rest of us– OW!"

Without warning, one of Jiro's earlobes jammed into Mineta's ear and unleashed soundwaves that reverberated throughout his body, temporarily stunning him.

"Shut up." She growled.

Finally, the class walked into a dimly lit monitoring room with screens lining a wall.

"Alright, it's time to get started yah bunch of newbies! Gather around and listen up!" Everyone gathered in front of the Number One Hero, giving him their undivided attention.

Then, much to Midoriya's amusement, All Might pulled out a notebook to read from. 'Is he seriously reading from a script?' He tried to suppress a laugh.

"Before we begin, a little wisdom for when you're in the field—while the more sensationalized Hero events happen in the open, the truly dangerous Villains will actually be indoors. This is because a home base gives them ample time to carry out their nefarious deeds, and they know the layout, while the Heroes generally don't."

Midoriya nodded in agreement. 'Very true. Most wouldn't ever consider that fact.'

"The scenario is this," All Might explained, "Villains are hiding a nuclear weapon in a building; the Heroes have located the base and must either subdue the Villains or disarm the weapon within 15 minutes."

'Sounds like a classic action movie setup.' Midoriya realized something. '... wait, how are action movies done these days with Quirks added to the mix? Are they essentially superhero movies without saying they're superhero movies?'

"How will teams be chosen?" Iida asked quickly.

"Are there any other conditions for victory?" Yaoyorozu inquired next.

"Can I just blow them up?" Bakugo demanded irritably.

"Do we have to worry about expulsion like yesterday?" Uraraka worriedly asked.

"Doesn't my cape look magnifique?" Aoyama flamboyantly inquired.

"Hold on, hold on!" All Might raised up his hands towards the students. "I wasn't finished talking yet!" The Number One Hero proceeded to pull out a box from off to the side. "We'll be determining teams through lots! You'll all be divided into teams of two; half of you will be Heroes, the other half will be Villains."

Iida raised his hand as All Might pulled out a box. "All Might-sensei, is such a randomization really the best way to do this?"

"Actually, that makes sense," Midoriya spoke up. "In a crisis, many Heroes team up with whoever is available, and they usually don't have very long to plan."

His thoughts suddenly drifted to the Sludge Villain incident; specifically, the Pro Heroes who were present then. 'Or they'll just hang back till someone comes and does their job for them.'

"Exactly, young Midoriya!" All Might gave him a thumbs-up. "Drawing lots is a good way to simulate the fluid nature of a dangerous scenario."

"Ah, I understand." Iida bowed. "Thank you both for the explanation."

"Not at all! That's why…" All Might chuckled to himself. "I am here!"

Some of the class laughed at his play on his famous phrase, while others groaned.

"As for conditions of victory; the Heroes win if they can touch the weapon or if they can wrap this Capture Tape around the Villains." The large blonde man informed as he showed the class a roll of capture tape. "The Villains win by maintaining control of the weapon or using their own Capture Tape on the Heroes.

"Do know that this is still a training exercise. If I say the match is over, it is over." He left no room for argument. "Any use of force that could severely injure or potentially kill another student will be an immediate disqualification and a disciplinary write up! If you get two of those in a semester, that's grounds for removal from the Hero Course. Three will see you expelled from UA University altogether, so follow instructions!"

The crowd nodded in understanding while Bakugo was trying to suppress an annoyed groan.

"That being said, I do ask you to treat this as a real battle. We do have the best healer in the country via Recovery Girl on standby, so don't worry too much about inflicting injuries. Also, you don't have to worry about failure. You won't get expelled or anything like that."

The class breathed a sigh of relief.

He then followed up. "That being said, these matches will be recorded and sent to your Foundational Heroics instructor, so I'd advise you not to slack off."

The class promptly stiffened again. No one had planned on slacking but knowing that Aizawa was going to see their matches was enough to light a fire under everyone.

"With that, let's draw!" He declared.

'What about my cape?' Aoyama sweat-dropped, feeling left out.

One by one the students came up to the box.

Team A: Tokage and Asui

Team B: Uraraka and Yaoyorozu

Team C: Kaminari and Jiro

Team D: Tokoyami and Mineta

Team E: Aoyama and Ashido

Team F: Sato and Koda

Team G: Kirishima and Sero

Team H: Todoroki and Shoji

Team I: Midoriya and Tsunotori

Team J: Bakugo and Iida

"Alright!" Uraraka grinned widely, walking beside her taller ravenette friend. "Looks like you and I are partners, Yaomomo."

Yaoyorozu nodded, smiling happily. "Yes, this will certainly be a fun learning experience."

Tsunotori jumped over toward Midoriya excitedly. "We're on the same team, Izuku! What are the chances?"

"I know. Crazy, right?" Midoriya lightly chortled. "Glad to be working with you, Pony."

"Same here!" The pony-girl adopted an excited, determined smile. "What do you say we kick some butt out there?" She eagerly held out her fist. "American style!"

Midoriya confidently grinned and fist-bumped her back. "Right!"

Both Uraraka and Yaoyorozu observed this exchange and looked away, crossing their arms over their chests and puffing their cheeks out in frustration at how cordial they were being with one another. 'Why does that bother me so much?' They simultaneously thought.

All Might spoke up. "Now, normally, I'd have the matches be randomized as well, but you all took a bit too long getting changed, so we have less time than I'd like—let that be a lesson for the future! Anyway, the Heroes will be teams A, C, E, G, and I, while the Villains will be teams B, D, F, H, and J.

"We'll be starting in order, so teams A and B, head on out to your assigned building!" The blonde titan paused to look at his notebook. "Uh, your building will have the Villains' letter on the side. Remember, no inflicting serious injury to your opponents, but keep in mind that this is supposed to imitate a real crisis, so I encourage the Villain teams to act the part! Speaking of which, I should mention that the Villain team will have 10 minutes to get used to their 'base' and to place their bomb, and then both sides will get 5 minutes to create a plan. After that, you have 15 minutes before the bomb goes off. Good luck!"

Meanwhile, Bakugo turned his gaze to a certain verdette across the room when he realized that he'd be fighting him in the final match.

'Perfect! This will be my chance to prove who's truly number one.' He sneered. 'I'm gonna enjoy roasting you, stealth gaijin.'

Teams A and B promptly left the monitoring room and entered Ground Beta, one of UA's mock cityscapes for training purposes. Outside the entrance was a table where both teams picked up blueprints for the building, earbud communicators, and rolls of Capture Tape.

Yaoyorozu and Uraraka walked into a multi-story office building with the letter B painted on the front, and quickly made their way up to the room that had their faux bomb. While they had been reassured that their time limit wouldn't start until they reacted, they didn't want to take too much advantage of the small window they had. That didn't stop them from opening a few doors along the way and taking stock of the items skewed about.

"Lots of nice heavy office furniture in some of these rooms," Uraraka pointed out, "and some construction equipment too."

Yaoyorozu nodded. "Yes. We should have plenty of items to work with," she said while examining the overall layout of the building compared to the blueprints she held. "Meaning I won't have to waste as many of my lipids on creating obstacles."

'With how narrow these halls are, there are plenty of choke points we could exploit if we set up barricades and traps.' Yaoyorozu paused, considering the idea further. 'But… would that even be effective on Tokage and Asui?'

"Speaking of plenty to work with, we should probably go over what gear our costumes have, Yaomomo." Uraraka motioned to the numerous pouches on Yaoyorozu's yellow utility belt around her shorts.

"Oh, yes! I didn't consider that. Well, I'm not carrying anything too fancy. Mainly basic first aid supplies such as bandages, painkillers, cut ointment, and sutures. I have capture tools as well: a net, nylon cord, folding cuffs, and marbles to throw on the floor to trip up opponents. Additionally, I also have a compact satellite phone for communication, but that's not relevant in this scenario. These are items I'd prefer to have on me in case I'm running low on lipids."

Uraraka nodded. "Sounds like a good field setup."

"What about you, Uraraka-chan?"

"Well, I added all the stuff Midori-kun recommended. These," Uraraka motioned to the nozzles on her boots and wrist guards, "will shoot pressurized air to give me thrust when I use my Quirk on myself. I can control it from my helmet." She then tapped the wrist guards, "There are gyroscopes in here and my boots to give me better control in the air. It should work in theory at least. Still haven't tested it out yet."

Yaoyorozu smiled at this information. "You've certainly opened yourself up to many possibilities, Uraraka-chan."

"Couldn't have done without you guys." Uraraka chuckled. "It's funny, yah know! This morning you and Midori-kun were joking about me as an evil doctor, and now we're both on the Villain team today."

Yaoyorozu giggled. "Yes. Crazy coincidence, I must say."

"So… stupid question probably, do you think the bomb is real?" Uraraka asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

Yaoyorozu shook her head. "No, I highly doubt UA would endanger students by placing them near an armed bomb."

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Uraraka replied hesitantly. "Although, we did have to fight dangerous robots in the entrance exam. And don't forget about how crazy the All-Star Games were last year."

Yaoyorozu paused and, after a moment, realized that Uraraka made two valid points. Her confident demeanor began to falter slightly. "I… I'm almost positive it's fake. It has to be!" She exclaimed, unsure. 'UA wouldn't do something so reckless, right?'

The ravenette and brunette finally reached the room with the faux bomb, which was a 3-meter-tall (~10 feet) black rocket with red pinstripes.

Yaoyorozu carefully approached the object and tapped her knuckles against it and smiled. "It's fine, Uraraka-chan. It's just paper-mache."

Uraraka sighed in relief. "That's good… Guess I got too paranoid there. It would've made things even more stressful if we actually had to worry about guarding a real bomb. Heh-heh…"

"Yes, it would–" With that, Yaoyorozu was suddenly struck by inspiration. She looked down while holding her chin in contemplation. "Asui-san and Tokage are both incredibly mobile and flexible. If they're both in the same room as the weapon, it'll be nigh-impossible to guard it…. especially against Tokage's Quirk." She looked up at the weapon. "Maybe if we…. hmm."

Looking back, Uraraka waited a few seconds before asking, "Yaomomo? Do you have a plan?"

A short moment later, Yaoyorozu nodded and looked up with a small grin. "Yes, I believe I do. But we need to prepare quickly."

Earlier, as soon as the teams left the room, All Might pressed a button on the keyboard behind him that revealed camera footage from both inside and outside Team B's fake hideout.

"I'm about to start the match soon. All of you pay close attention," All Might instructed. "You'll be learning by observing as well."

Midoriya already had a notebook pulled out from a pouch on his belt and was scribbling furiously. This was a great opportunity to catalog how his friends and classmates used their Quirks in combat scenarios. It also put him in the right mindset to strategize against Bakugo and Iida in the final round.

He could feel the blonde drilling holes into his head from the back of the room. Seriously, what was his problem?

"So," Kirishima broke the sudden silence, "who do you think will win this match?"

"Well, Tokage-san is very mobile when she splits herself up, and has many options for attacking," Midoriya said to himself while writing. "Asui-san is perfect for scaling walls and her jumping ability is impressive. Overall, they're a quick, mobile team. On the other hand, Yaomomo's Quirk is incredibly versatile as she can make practically anything, meaning she can adapt to almost any situation. Uraraka-chan can make herself float or anything else around her she can touch and could maneuver items around as makeshift barricades or use them as ammunition."

Midoriya raised an eyebrow as he thought. "The Villains will want to keep the Hero team as far away from the bomb as possible. If either Tokage-san and or Asui-san are in the same room with the bomb, it'll be practically impossible to defend given how mobile the Heroes are. This matchup is honestly going to come down to how well the Villain team can play defense, and I would say they certainly have the advantage in this scenario."

It took Midoriya a moment to realize that everyone, even All Might, was staring at him. "Uh… what?"

'Your analytical mind is as impressive as always, Captain.' All Might mused.

"Izuku," Pony looked at him, wide-eyed, "did you really come up with all that off the top of your head?"

"Oh… uh, yeah." He replied, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It's a hobby of mine. S-sorry."

"No need for apologies, young Midoriya!" All Might walked over to clap him on the shoulder. "On-the-fly analysis of someone's abilities is good for gauging how to fight against a Villain, or alongside a Hero." He turned back to the screen. "With that analysis in mind, what odds would you put on the Heroes winning?"

"Hmm… not good, All Might-sensei." He shrugged. "This type of scenario favors whoever's playing defense, and that's something the Villain team can do very well between Yaomomo and Uraraka-chan. The Heroes will have to be fast and hope they get past whatever barriers and traps the Villains have set up before the clock runs down… or getting captured."

"Where do you think the bomb will be?" Asui asked while looking over the building's blueprints.

"Well, the top floor seems like the most logical place." Tokage replied. "But Yaomomo is too smart to do that; also, they already know I can fly, and you can jump and stick to walls, Asui-san, so it'd be pointless to put it up there."

"Please, call me Tsuyu." Asui requested. "And I agree. They'll likely put the bomb somewhere else. Probably the 3rd or 4th floor, kero."

Asui's hero costume reflected her appearance and Quirk, Frog, very well. It was a green bodysuit with black and yellow stripes, and the shoes had been designed to look like a frog's feet. She also had large white gloves, and large goggles on her forehead reminiscent of a frog's eyes. She might have had a blank expression and hunched posture, but with her costume, it was kind of cute.

"That's assuming they could even move it to begin with." Tokage mentioned.

"With Uraraka's Quirk, I think they could easily."

"If it's not too big to fit through the doors."

That was a good point, Asui admitted. "So, what do you think we should do?" She looked up at the building, tapping a finger against her chin.

Tokage crossed her arms over her chest, adopting a thoughtful expression. "Yaomomo can create any inorganic material as long as she knows its molecular properties AND has the lipids to make it. Uraraka can remove an object's gravity, but she has to touch said object. With all that in mind, it's likely they'll barricade themselves in whatever room the bomb's in. And since we don't how big the bomb is, it could potentially be in any of the other smaller rooms too."

"You don't think they'll come after us?" Asui inquired curiously.

Tokage shook her head. "Coming after us would open them up to getting captured. Staying with the bomb and running out the clock is the best strategy on their part."

Asui considered Tokage's logic and nodded in agreement. With Yaoyorozu's Quirk, close-range combat wasn't necessary on the Villains' part when she could just create practically any weapon or material for a trap. Also, with her and Tokage's respective Quirks, they'd want to keep them as far away from the bomb as possible.

"Makes sense. You could fly to the top floor and work your way down, while I work my way up. That could cut our time searching in half, kero." Asui suggested.

"Hmm," Tokage briefly considered the idea, then shook her head. "No, I'd rather not risk one of us falling into any potential traps Yaomomo may have set up…or a two-on-one fight. We're already at a disadvantage as it is."

"If that's the case, searching could drain more time off the clock." Asui pointed out.

"That's right. So," Tokage grinned, "we go in fast and hot! Cross off each floor one at a time. Once we find them guarding the bomb, we attack immediately. Don't give them a chance to counter or regroup. Yaomomo needs time to create objects, and the more complex they are, the more she'll need. I'll surround her with most of my body pieces and overwhelm her. If I see a chance, I'll touch the bomb with one of them, securing us the victory."

"Kero. Uraraka has to touch what she wants to make float. So, if I stick to the walls and keep jumping around her, she won't be able to use her Quirk on me." Asui nodded, and looked over at her fellow greenette, all the basics of the plan seemed solid enough. "If I get a chance, I'll touch the bomb too."

Tokage nodded, smirking confidently. "Looks like we got ourselves a plan then, Tsuyu!"

"Team A. You are free to enter the building. Your time starts now!" All Might's voice rang through the PA system.

"Let's go!" Tokage eagerly yelled.

"Kero!"

As planned, the greenette duo entered the building through the first floor. Tokage took the lead by splitting her arms, legs, and torso apart and levitating in the air. Asui wasn't far behind as she clung to the walls. In a very short time, they were able to find and clear the rooms. There was no evidence that Yaoyorozu or Uraraka were lying in wait for them or had even been on the floor.

The two proceeded up the stairway to the second floor, with Tokage flying and Asui jumping between the walls of the stairwell in case the stairs themselves were booby trapped in some way. They continued their search pattern while remaining cautious of any surprise attacks. Like the first floor, they found no signs of the bomb or the "Villains".

Though they were quick and methodical, several minutes had already passed and there were still three more floors to check.

"We'll need to pick up the pace, kero." Asui said as she jumped out of an empty office. "Otherwise, we'll run out the clock before we reach the top floor."

Tokage nodded. "Right. Can't afford to be too cautious now."

'Maybe I should just check the top floor and work my way down to meet Tsuyu in the middle?' Tokage briefly pondered, but then shook her head. 'No. We have a plan and can't abandon it at the drop of a hat. We'll find the bomb soon!'

They continued up the stairwell and opened the door to the third floor and immediately spotted Yaoyorozu and Uraraka standing down the hallway. However, unlike the previous two floors, the corridor was littered with construction equipment, office desks, chairs, and miscellaneous supplies from the adjacent office rooms.

'Did they set all of this up?' Tokage wondered.

Yaoyorozu looked up from the touchscreen on her forearm, shooting the pair a condescending smirk. "It's about time you showed up, Heroes. It's impolite to keep a lady waiting."

"They're not hiding in the room with the bomb?" Asui questioned.

"Hiding? In our own lair? Preposterous!" Yaoyorozu chuckled smugly, resting a hand on her hip. "Why would we ever hide when our victory is assured?"

Uraraka looked away, trying to contain her giggles. 'She's really getting into it!'

Tokage rejoined her body parts in order to reset her Quirk's timer, looking at the pair oddly. 'Wait… why wouldn't they barricade themselves with the bomb? It makes no sense.'

Yaoyorozu continued. "I wish to destroy the world and recreate it in my image." She pointed at the other team. "I won't let foolish Heroes such as you foil my plans for a better tomorrow!"

"PFFT!" Uraraka broke out into a giggling fit. 'She's so serious!'

"Tokage, look past them!" Asui pointed ahead.

Tokage looked where Asui was directing her attention toward. Past Yaoyorozu and Uraraka, there was much more debris strewn about the floor that got denser and more compact the closer it got to a large double door.

'They're making an effort to block off that door.' Tokage inwardly noted. 'That door leads to an interior room, if I recall the layout correctly. No other way to get inside it…'

Her eyes widened in realization. "You think…?"

Noticing that their opponents' attention had shifted, Uraraka and Yaoyorozu both closed ranks and blocked the door from their view.

Tokage smirked roguishly. "Good eye, Tsuyu. That door's the only way into that room. The bomb's definitely in there."

Asui nodded. "How do we get past them?"

"Bullrush them, obviously." Tokage split her arms and legs from her torso and levitated. "If even one of us gets past them, we can get to the bomb and win."

"Not exactly the cleverest solution."

"No time to be clever. Let's just win this!" Tokage's voice carried down the hallway as her body parts shot forward.

Uraraka touched her fingers together, making herself weightless. "You ready, Yaomomo?"

"Yes." The ravenette nodded. "Just remember the plan. Don't let anyone get past you!"

With Tokage's declaration, Asui jumped onto the wall and began to bounce from one side of the corridor to the other, crisscrossing the blocked floor. Uraraka watched her closely, timing how quickly she was jumping around. Using her visor's heads-up display, pressurized air discharged from Uraraka's boots and sent her flying forward. She swung her feet up, the gyroscopes spinning hard, reorienting upward to the ceiling. She had timed her jump so that her feet collided directly with Asui, sending the greenette tumbling back. The frog girl stuck herself onto the ceiling to prevent herself from falling.

Uraraka's landing was not much better as she was forced to tuck and roll after getting thrown off-kilter from the collision. "They work like a charm. Still," she said to herself, "gonna need to practice some more with them."

Regaining her bearings, Uraraka launched herself at Asui, but was smacked hard across the head by the frog girl's tongue. "OOF!"

Asui didn't let up and struck Uraraka two more times before the brunette successfully dodged the third strike. When Asui tried to go for a fourth, Uraraka brushed four of her fingers against the long appendage–her pinky barely missing it. The greenette immediately retracted her tongue and changed her tactics by wrapping it around a filing cabinet and throwing it at Uraraka.

"Shoot!" Uraraka narrowly jumped out of the way, giving Asui an opening to get past her. However, the gravity girl quickly closed it by landing on the floor and floating two desks. "So, you want to throw things, huh!?"

"Kero!?"

Asui jumped back as the first desk cut off her path, and then went to the other wall as the second desk hit where she had been, shattering a window and floating outside before slamming into a building across the street.

Uraraka backpedaled and picked up more items within her reach, chucking them at Asui who either jumped around to avoid them or was able to kick or catch it with her tongue to launch it back.

"Dangit, Asui-san! Stay still, will you?!"

"Call me Tsuyu!"

"Oh, right! Sorry!"

Asui watched as Uraraka stopped her bombardment and shot air from her boots to launch herself forward at Asui. As she did, the keen frog girl noticed that a sizable amount of clutter that had been previously blocking the far end of the hall was gone.

'Uraraka opened up the hallway. We'll have a clear shot to the room if we can get past them!' Asui realized.

Uraraka was halfway towards Asui when someone cried out from below. "Uraraka-chan! Stop her!"

The brunette stopped in midair and turned to look down. Yaoyorozu was lying on the floor as Tokage's head, torso, and leg parts went sailing toward the opening in the hall that Uraraka had opened up.

"Oh crap!" Uraraka blasted herself toward Tokage, but Asui was quick to react by wrapping her tongue around Uraraka's waist. Asui twisted and tossed her right into Yaoyorozu, sending both tumbling to the floor.

With Yaoyorozu and Uraraka out of the way, Asui joined up with Tokage and rushed toward the double door.

Moments earlier…

As Uraraka launched herself toward Asui, Yaoyorozu focused her attention squarely on Tokage.

"Sorry, Yaomomo!" Tokage shouted as she flew over the debris littering the corridor. "But I'm winning this one!"

Yaoyorozu smiled confidently. "We'll see about that, won't we?" Her abdomen flashed with multi-colored light as she pulled out a net gun. Pulling the trigger, a large net shot out and unfurled in midair.

Tokage's main torso managed to narrowly avoid the net, but one leg and arm were caught inside it. She tried to wiggle them out, but they were securely wrapped around the net's cords.

'Crap!' She internally cursed, realizing she wouldn't be getting those appendages back anytime soon. 'I'll have to regenerate them later, but that'll take a toll on my stamina. Have to end this fast!'

Yaoyorozu's right leg briefly shone as she formed a black airsoft gun this time. Pulling it up, she aimed at her opponent and fired several rounds. The airborne greenette was quick to dodge in-between the rounds, which splattered on the far end of the hallway.

"Really? Trying to shoot me with paintballs?" Tokage jeered.

Yaoyorozu smirked. "Not paintballs."

She fired a few more rounds and managed to hit Tokage's other arm. The appendage fell to the floor as a yellowish-white paste instantly hardened around it.

"Huh?" Tokage glanced back, confused by her other arm being stuck. "What'd you–"

"An instant-drying adhesive paste." Yaoyorozu quickly answered. "I learned the formula for that particular compound ages ago." A hint of pride was present in her voice.

"Yeah, well," Tokage split her torso and remaining leg into several more pieces, "I still got plenty of parts to spare. You can't trap all of me!" She shot forward, fully intending on getting past Yaoyorozu.

"Maybe, but I wonder though…" The ravenette genius swiped her right arm forward, instantly creating a black spherical object and tossing it forward. The object then discharged a small rust-colored haze. Tokage's head passed through it and she immediately felt her eyes start to burn.

"AAARGHH!" She painfully cried out. "What is–OOF!" Yaoyorozu formed a staff and struck Tokage's main body with her head attached, sending her crashing into the wall.

"Apologies. That was a canister filled with oleoresin capsicum," Yaoyorozu calmly explained, "or to use the common term, pepper spray."

"Cheap shot!" She spat, her eyes burning like hell.

"Maybe so. But it is something a Villain would do. No hard feelings I hope." Yaoyorozu used one hand to reach for her Capture Tape on her belt, intending to eliminate her opponent from the match; however, Tokage had other ideas.

She grinned mischievously. "None at all."