As Yaoyorozu approached her, Tokage's foot flew out of nowhere and kicked the tape out of her hands. Taken aback by the surprise move, Yaoyorozu's staff was forcefully pulled from her grasp by one of Tokage's hands.
'Where'd that hand come from?! I was sure I–' Her eyes widened when she noticed the arm that she had trapped in adhesive on the floor was missing its hand. 'How careless of me!'
Tokage's remaining leg swept Yaoyorozu off her feet, causing her to fall on her back.
"I can still control my body parts. Blinded or not." Tokage stated.
Fighting through the flaring pain, Tokage squinted her eyes open to look around. Though her vision was blurry, she was able to make out the relatively clear path toward the double doors.
This was their chance!
Without saying a word, Tokage soared toward the doors.
"Uraraka-chan! Stop her!" Yaoyorozu cried out from behind her.
Tokage turned her head, trying to find where Uraraka would attack her from. She found the brunette just as Asui pulled her out of the air and threw her behind them. Landing beside her, Asui joined her as they rushed for the door.
"We need to hurry! Kero." Asui warned. "They won't stay down for long."
"Doesn't matter!" Tokage sharply replied. "This match is ours!"
Reaching the doors, Asui and (using her one hand) Tokage yanked them open and rushed into the room. They rushed halfway inside the large space before noticing a 2-meter-long (~6 feet) and 1-meter-wide (~3 feet) silver, high-tech container lying on the floor.
"Kero. Is that the bomb?" Asui blinked twice. 'It looks so real. I thought it'd be just a prop.'
"It has to be. C'mon! Let's win this thing!" Tokage and Asui approached the device, neither noticing a red light on the side was blinking faster the closer they got.
Through squinted, reddened eyes, Tokage grinned widely as she touched the device with her hand. 'I win this one, Yaoyorozu. Now we're even ste–'
Nothing happened. Both were confused as to why All Might wasn't declaring their victory over the PA system. Then…
Click.
SWWOOOSH!
Before they could react, the device in front of them exploded into a giant plume of yellowish-white foam that instantly expanded outward and caught Asui and all of Tokage's remaining body parts in it, filling nearly half of the large room in the process. The foam instantly hardened and trapped both greenettes in it.
"W-what the?!" Tokage tried to move any of her parts, but they wouldn't budge. "What is this?!"
"Kero!" Asui tried to pull herself out, but to no avail as she had no leverage. "Can't move…"
"Your struggles are pointless."
Both turned to see Yaoyorozu and Uraraka saunter into the room with proud grins on their faces.
"It's packaging foam. You have no leverage trapped inside of it." Yaoyorozu smirked victoriously. "I believe this is checkmate."
Tokage furrowed her brows together as she realized what had happened. 'Dammit! I knew it was strange that they were both in the hallway seemingly waiting for us. I was so focused on finding the bomb, I never even consider this was just a ploy.'
"The Hero team is trapped… the Villain team wins!" All Might's voice shouted through the speakers.
Following the match, Yaoyorozu created a solvent to free Asui and Tokage from the packaging foam and helped the latter reclaim her body parts so she wouldn't have to regenerate them, avoiding the significant drain to her stamina. Both teams were then given quick examinations by several medical robots. After getting treated for minor bruises in addition to washing out and treating Tokage's eyes from the pepper spray, both teams were given the all clear before rejoining their classmates in the monitoring room.
"You guys killed it out there!" Ashido exclaimed excitedly. "Yaoyorozu, what was all the stuff that trapped Tokage and Asui?"
"Spray foam." Yaoyorozu answered. "It's created by mixing two materials, isocyanate and polyol resin. It's commonly used in packaging or thermal insulation."
"Heh," Ashido rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "you lost me after 'spray foam', but it sounded cool."
"That was a really creative idea. Great thinking, Yaomomo!" Midoriya commented, making the heiress lightly blush. 'To think she knows how to make a bomb that deploys spray foam off the top of her head. Yaomomo really is amazing.'
"First of all, I want to congratulate both teams," All Might said. "You both performed admirably and had good plans, but it's time to review the match. Win or lose, it is important to look back on your actions and learn from them. Now then, before the next teams go out, I'd like to hear any questions or feedback from the rest of the class. Let's start with any questions or comments for Team A first."
Midoriya raised his hand and, after getting acknowledged by All Might, asked, "What was your plan of attack? We didn't have audio and the video feed only started once the match had begun."
Tokage answered, "The plan was to do a full sweep of the building. We didn't know anything about the bomb, so that left too many places it could've been hiding for us to just run in and pick at random."
"Actually, we never even saw the bomb." Asui turned to Yaoyorozu and Uraraka. "How big was it? Kero."
"Approximately 3-meters-tall." Yaoyorozu replied.
"Ugh…" Tokage groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That would've been nice to know. Could've crossed some rooms off the list…"
"Between you and Asui-san, you both had the mobility advantage. Why not split up to cut down your search time?" Tenya inquired.
"I didn't want to risk us falling into a trap, or a two-on-one fight if it could be helped." Tokage replied and then shrugged. "In hindsight, that was probably the wrong decision."
"Not exactly." All Might interjected. "As with most things in life, there is no cut and dry answer. If you had split your team up, it is likely you would have both fallen prey to a possible ambush or a trap. Then again, you could have pinpointed the bomb's location much faster and devised a plan to secure it before the timer ran down. The truth is, you never know the right answer until the end, or even if there was a right answer."
After a few moments as everyone in the class thought it over, Ashido raised her hand. "Well, I don't know if this is really feedback or a question, but Midoriya was right. This whole thing gives an advantage to whoever is playing defense."
"Hold on," Tokage turned to Midoriya with a cocked eyebrow. "You knew we would lose?"
Midoriya immediately shook his head before he elaborated. "Not exactly. I just pointed out that the Villain team had really good defensive options, and they had more time to prepare. Your team's strategy wasn't bad given the situation, Tokage-san, but… like most plans, it just didn't survive first contact with the enemy."
Most of the class shared similar sentiments with the verdette's assessment.
"Excellent points, everyone!" All Might stated. "Now, are there any questions or comments for Team B?"
Several hands went up around the room, and All Might was left to decide who went first. "Young Tokoyami?"
"From the video feed, it looked like you were waiting for the Hero team on the third floor." Tokoyami mentioned. "It was as if you knew they'd be coming from the stairs…"
"How'd you know all that?" Dark Shadow, Tokoyami's living Quirk, asked.
Midoriya already had a page dedicated to Tokoyami in his notebook. The idea of a sentient Quirk was absolutely fascinating to him! He looked forward to learning more about his brooding classmate's Quirk in the future. 'Dr. Hatsume would have a field day studying Dark Shadow and all the other meta-abilities in this era…' He thought.
Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu smiled as her right forearm briefly glowed, creating a little gray ball with a black lens on it. "I created a few of these little cameras and had Uraraka-chan place them in strategic areas on every floor. I was able to view the live feed from my costume's tablet."
Most of the class was surprised by this news, especially Tokage and Asui.
"Wait…" Jiro's eyes went wide. "You mean, you know how to create a working camera off the top of your head?"
"Um… yes?"
Uraraka grinned and stood by her friend. "Yaomomo is a genius, so figuring out how to make cameras and stuff is a piece of cake!"
"Not gonna lie," Tokage smiled, "that is pretty cool."
"And a little unfair…" Kaminari sheepishly added.
"The Hero team had no element of surprise then." Shoji stated.
Tsunotori raised her hand. "If the bomb wasn't on the third floor, where was it?"
Uraraka answered this time. "We placed it in an interior room on the fourth floor."
Midoriya raised his hand. "If that's the case, what was your plan if the Heroes had entered the building from the upper floors, or had decided to split up and work their way to the middle of the building?"
The class listened to what Team B's answer would be, especially Team A.
"Well," Uraraka chuckled bashfully, "to be fair, this was all Yaomomo's plan. I just followed her lead."
"You did well, Uraraka-chan. Give yourself credit." Yaoyorozu smiled. "We actually had another Spray Foam bomb set up behind a barricaded room on the top floor. Uraraka-chan and I would've run up the stairs in a panic to make the other team believe we were taken off guard by their decision to enter from the roof, making them believe it was the real bomb."
"Oh, I see. And if they touched it, they would've gotten trapped like earlier too." Tsunotori pieced together.
"And if they had split up," Uraraka spoke up, "I would've gone up to engage whoever was coming from the top floor and lead them towards that floor's Spray Foam bomb, tricking them into believing I was guarding the real one."
"Meanwhile," Yaoyorozu picked up, "I would've stayed on the third floor and carried out the same tactic for our other opponent. However, I'll admit our chances of victory would've been significantly reduced if we were forced to fight on a two-way front as the risk of being captured would've been higher."
Tokage visibly winced at that statement. 'Crap… I was too cautious. I should've gone with Tsuyu's suggestion, or just changed up our strategy after clearing the 2nd floor. We fell right into their trap.'
Asui noticed her partner's distress and patted her shoulder reassuringly. "It's alright, Tokage-san. We both agreed on the plan. We live and learn."
"Indeed! That is the point of training. As long as you are willing, you can grow and learn from it; win or lose." All Might declared. "Now, before we move on, I'd like to say that young Yaoyorozu was the MVP of this match. She had the ingenious plan to successfully fool and capture two mobile opponents. Well done!"
Yaoyorozu blushed and bowed from the praise as the rest of the class–minus Bakugo–politely applauded.
"All right, time for the next teams, C and D, to get ready!"
Tokoyami and Mineta were the Villains, so they left first; a few minutes later, Kaminari and Jiro left to make their own plan. While that happened, Tokage noticed Midoriya scribbling in his notebook; Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, and Tsunotori were standing close by him. It made sense for Tsunotori to be near Midoriya since she was his teammate, but she was a little curious as to why the other two were always close to him. A question for later, she supposed.
"Hey, Midoriya." Tokage walked over to him. "Were you taking notes during the first match?"
"Yeah," Tsunotori answered, smirking, "he was taking a lot, actually."
"Y-yeah," he sheepishly admitted, "I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that I love learning about Quirks and their applications. It's a hobby of mine."
"Relax, my fellow greenie." Tokage waved off, grinning. "I don't mind, really."
"That's good. Um, while we're waiting, do you mind if I ask you something? I saw that your costume splits apart with your body, yet it doesn't look segmented or anything. How does that work?"
"Oh, that? It's because my costume is made of my own cells." Tokage casually replied. "It can regenerate alongside my parts, even if they get destroyed."
Midoriya's eyes widened slightly. "Wait… that's possible?"
Tokage shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah. That kind of stuff has been around for a while now."
"That's pretty fascinating." Midoriya commented, making note of that on Tokage's section in his notebook.
Yaoyorozu stopped to ponder on Tokage's reply. 'Hold on… If that's the case, then why didn't the design company our family hire suggest something like Tokage's costume? That would've been perfect for my costume before Midoriya re-designed it. I don't understand…'
"Anything in those notes of yours on our team's performance? Anything we could've done better?" Tokage inquired curiously.
He flipped a few pages in his book. "You and Asui-san fought well, actually. Yaomomo and Uraraka-chan just had a pretty solid defense and a clever trap laid out. There's no shame in falling for it. Still," he looked up at her, "I would've split up to search for the bomb given how mobile your team was. Like Yaomomo said, your chances of winning would've increased if you forced them to fight on a two-way front. No offense to Yaomomo and Uraraka-chan's combat skills, but between you and Asui, you likely would have captured them in most cases."
"Makes sense." Tokage lowered her head, frowning. "I actually thought of doing that after Tsuyu and I finished checking the second floor. Our time was running out… but I was too committed to the original plan, and I ended up not noticing the trap we were walking into until it was too late."
Yaoyorozu stepped in. "Like All Might-sensei said, there's no way of knowing if your decision was right until the end. But I'd recommend being a little more flexible in your tactics going forward, Tokage." She suggested earnestly.
"How's the saying go… if Plan A fails, go to Plan B." Midoriya lightheartedly added.
"And if Plan B fails?" Tokage raised an eyebrow.
Midoriya grinned. "You flee… or improvise, depending on the situation."
Tokage was left to ponder on that thought before she nodded in agreement.
"By the way," Yaoyorozu continued, "I apologize for the pepper spray, Tokage. I hope you can forgive me." She bowed apologetically.
"Don't sweat it." The greenette beauty patted the heiress's shoulder reassuringly. "I know it was nothing personal. You were just getting into character."
"Yeah," Uraraka struggled to contain her spluttering giggles, remembering Yaoyorozu's Villain acting, "she really was."
Yaoyorozu blushed in embarrassment and looked away.
Feeling less depressed about her match, Tokage glanced at Asui who gave her a reassuring thumbs-up and nod. She wasn't down about what happened, and she certainly wasn't upset with her. However, Tokage decided she would need to do better next time; of course, if she had to face off against her classmates again, she'd have to be more prepared.
Tokage briefly glanced at Midoriya's notes before looking back to Yaoyorozu. "Hey, if it's not too much trouble, could you make me a notebook and pencil, Yaomomo? I'd like to take some notes too."
"Not a problem." Her classmate kindly replied.
After creating the requested items, Tokage took them and turned her full attention to the screens. She figured that she'd take a page out of Midoriya's book and take down as many notes and observations regarding her classmates' abilities as she possibly could. She had some catching up to do, after all.
All of the matches went by rather quickly.
The second matchup featured Kaminari and Jiro as the Heroes against Tokoyami and Mineta as the Villains. Jiro used her living earjacks to scout for their opponents and sensed they were on the same floor even from the minuscule sounds they involuntarily produced. Just as the Heroes were about to engage, they were taken off guard by Dark Shadow soaring in and throwing several pieces of office furniture at them, forcing them to go on the defensive. In the midst of the ambush, Mineta pulled his sticky purple balls off his head and anchored the Heroes to the floor–allowing Dark Shadow to swiftly wrap Capture Tape around Jiro. Kaminari panicked and unleashed a massive surge of electricity that not only electrocuted Tokoyami but forced Dark Shadow to retreat back within his host. Mineta was out of Kaminari's range due to using his balls to stick to a dark corner on the ceiling before he tossed more balls at Kaminari to nullify his electricity. With Kaminari subdued, Mineta wrapped Capture Tape around the electric blonde and claimed victory for the Villain team.
In the end, Mineta had received the award of MVP for the match due to his ability to trap the Heroes and stay hidden, much to the girls' chagrin. Jiro had bowed apologetically to her female classmates for her failure while Kaminari was still feeling light-headed from using his Quirk, some of Mineta's purple balls still stuck to him.
Mineta had tried to brag about the victory but was promptly ignored by his female classmates, much to his displeasure. Tokoyami, however, remained humble and was simply pleased he could help ascertain victory for his team.
The next match pitted Aoyama and Ashido as the Heroes against Sato and Koda as the Villains. Going in, the Hero team certainly held the advantage in terms of long-range capabilities and the overall destructive prowess of their Quirks; however, the Villain team unleashed a surprise attack that no one had seen coming. Courtesy of Koda, hordes of rats and spiders that lived throughout Ground Beta gathered inside the building and immediately swarmed the Heroes, much to everyone's shock. While they were distracted, Sato ate sugar to boost his strength and punched the ground hard enough to create a small shockwave that knocked both Ashido and Aoyama off their feet and into a wall, semi-conscious. In the end, the Villain team had won, and Koda was declared the match's MVP.
The penultimate match featuring Kirishima and Sero as the Heroes with Todoroki and Shoji as the Villains was by far the quickest and most one-sided. Sero used his tape to lift him and Kirishima up to the roof and enter from the top floor, but Shoji had immediately sensed them by producing extra ears. With Shoji pointing in their opponents' direction, Todoroki encased the entire top half of the building in ice and instantly trapped the Hero team. Even Bakugo was visibly affected by the display of power. After unfreezing his opponents and the building, Todoroki was named the MVP while maintaining his stoic expression.
Throughout all the matches, Midoriya provided running commentary. He pointed out how certain Quirks had specific weaknesses that other Quirks could take advantage of, but it still fell to the users in question to recognize those advantages. He also made a point of complimenting both sides after every match, praising what they did right, and pointing out how they could do better next time. Even some of the students who were less gracious in defeat were aware that Midoriya was actually giving sound advice.
Though, in his excitement, he would occasionally enter his infamous mutter-storms. Yaoyorozu and/or Uraraka would have to snap him out of it, much to his embarrassment.
By the time the final match had arrived, everyone noticed that Midoriya ceased his mutterings and straightened up–adopting a stern, steel-eyed expression. Even Yaoyorozu and Uraraka were taken aback by his sudden shift in demeanor.
"Umm… Midori-kun, you okay?" Uraraka asked.
Midoriya first rolled up his notebook and returned it to a pouch on his belt before he turned to her and wordlessly nodded, not easing the brunette's concern. Uraraka looked back to Yaoyorozu, who was equally concerned by this sudden shift.
"All right," All Might said out loud, getting the class's attention. "Team J, head on out and make your plan. Team I, you know the drill by now, so just wait before entering your designated zone. Good luck to both teams!"
Bakugo shot Midoriya an intense glare before stalking off, Iida hot on his heels. The verdette remained unaffected as he watched Team J leave the room.
"He seems to have a problem with you." Tsunotori mentioned as she saw the ash-blonde glare at her teammate. "Do you two know each other or something?"
"No. Whatever problem he has with me doesn't matter though." Midoriya flatly replied. "Let's head downstairs. I already have a plan in mind."
"O-okay," Tsunotori replied, surprised by how serious her partner sounded.
After Team I exited the room, a moment of silence passed before Kaminari broke it. "So… did anyone feel the intensity around Midoriya go from zero to twelve in 2 seconds flat?"
Most of the class nodded in agreement.
"Geez… and I thought Iida was the tense one." Sero remarked. "What was that about?"
"He's probably just focusing on the match." Kirishima shrugged. "They're going up against Bakugo and Iida. Those two are no slouches."
Uraraka leaned closer to Yaoyorozu to converse quietly. "You think that's what it is? Bakugo's been glaring hard at Midori-kun for nearly the entire class…"
"Possibly…" she whispered back, and then adopted a thoughtful look. "Remember though, Midori-kun did tell us he was in the US Army. Perhaps this is his soldier training coming to light? Like it did in the alley back then…"
Uraraka's brown eyes widened while recalling their first meeting with their friend. The same kind of look Midoriya had when he took down those highschool delinquents matched the expression he had moments earlier.
"That's true… I didn't think about that." Uraraka replied.
Ashido's eyes widened when she realized something. "Hey, has anyone noticed that none of the Hero teams have won today?"
Most of the class perked up, realizing their pink classmate had made a good observation.
"Kero." Asui touched her chin cutely. "I didn't realize that till now. So far, this whole scenario really has been in the Villain team's favor."
"And this is precisely the point of this exercise, my dear students." All Might asserted. "Real Pros have to outwit Villains on a daily basis… but that's life. Even when the odds are not in our favor, we fight!"
Most of the class smiled at All Might's statement and enthusiasm.
He smiled widely and held up a clenched fist. "All together. Let's hear a–"
"Plus Ultra!" The entire class shouted, some more enthusiastic than others.
"With all that said, students, what odds would you give Team I?" the hulking blonde asked. "Please don't be afraid to speak your mind. This is an open forum."
Everyone paused and considered All Might's question.
"Not good." Sero shrugged. "Honestly, I'd have to pick the Villain team."
"Same." Kaminari agreed, "Bakugo's super strong, and Iida-san's really fast. "
"Yeah… Team J's got some strong Quirks on their side." Sato nodded.
"I don't wanna say the Heroes will lose… but it does seem like the Villains have a strong advantage." Kirishima admitted.
"So the Villain will win all of the matchups today." Jiro offhandedly noted.
"Hmm…" Tokoyami lowered his head contemplatively, shutting his eyes, "... a possible bad omen? A dark cloud on the horizon?"
"Ease up there, edge lord." Dark Shadow sardonically remarked.
Uraraka and Yaoyorozu, meanwhile, didn't appreciate how quickly the class had seemingly written off Midoriya and Tsunotori.
"Well, I think the Hero team will win." Uraraka strongly affirmed, gaining everyone's attention. "Midori-kun's pretty strong and fast too; plus, Tsunotori-san can fly when she wants and can use her horns as weapons."
"Hehe," Mineta grinned. "You could say Tsunotori's a bit horny–OW!"
Nobody cared enough to intervene when Asui extended her long, powerful tongue and slapped Mineta across the face.
"I wouldn't write them off just yet either." Tokage chimed in. "Midoriya and Tsunotori have the mobility advantage since I doubt Iida-san can get up to full speed while confined in that building."
"There's one other thing all of you are also not considering." Yaoyorozu added. "Team cohesion."
Ashido deduced what Yaoyorozu was implying. "I see what you're saying. It comes down to if Bakugo-san can actually work together with Iida-san, right?"
"An excellent observation!" All Might commented. "Cohesion and communication are important factors for any team's success, Heroes or Villains. Teams that bicker amongst themselves or fail to communicate are inefficient and run the risk of suffering devastating losses."
After a short moment of silence for the class to mull this information over, All Might returned his attention to the screens and brought up footage of inside and outside Team J's hideout.
"I'm about to start the match soon, so everyone pay close attention. Don't be dozing off just because it's the final battle for the day." All Might firmly said. "Be respectful to your fellow classmates."
"Yes sir!" The class collectively replied.
'I don't know if this was fate or sheer coincidence, but the best has been saved for last. All of you are about to watch a Pro at work.' Yagi giddily mused, trying to remain outwardly collected. 'As a teacher, I can't play favorites. I'll be fair in my grading… but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to see the Captain in action; even if it's just training.'
Uraraka and Yaoyorozu looked at the monitors expectantly.
'You got this, Midori-kun!' Uraraka inwardly declared as she clenched her fists. 'Show that jerk who's boss.'
'You're strong and very capable. I know you'll find a way to win this.' Yaoyorozu felt confident in her friend's victory. She briefly recalled how he had saved her and Uraraka that day in the alley and smiled determinedly. 'Show everyone what you can do.'
Tokage flipped to a new page in her notebook, her pencil ready to note her observations on the upcoming match. 'Let's see what you got, Number One.' She grinned.
Todoroki remained at the back of the crowd. His full attention was focused squarely on the screen that displayed Midoriya and Tsunotori waiting outside the Villain's hideout, talking. This match would prove whether or not the verdette foreigner was an obstacle to his goal.
Earlier…
"Okay, what's your plan, Izuku?" Tsunotori asked in English, placing an earbud in her ear. "Iida seems strong, and so does Bakugo… but we have you, right? You got first on the Practical Exam, and on the test yesterday."
"That's irrelevant." Midoriya retorted in English, making Tsunotori deflate slightly.
"Besides," he continued while collecting a blueprint to the Villain's hideout, "you shouldn't rely on me to do everything. We can still lose if we're not careful. Bakugo has shown that he's strong and fast. Iida is faster, and I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his kicks."
"But you have a plan, right?" Tsunotori said.
Midoriya nodded. "Yeah."
Equipped with their earbuds and Capture Tape rolls, the pair proceeded down the street toward the designated hideout. Midoriya quickly memorized the building's blueprint and handed it to Pony.
"I noticed yesterday that Iida runs faster when he has more time and space to run." He pointed out. "If we keep him from any long hallways or big open areas, he likely won't be able to run too fast. As for Bakugo… he'll be coming for me."
"Huh?" Tsunotori looked up from the blueprints, blinking in confusion. "How do you know that?"
Fair question. He'd admitted that he didn't know Bakugo very well, if at all. Nevertheless, based on their limited interactions, Midoriya felt he had a strong enough gauge of Bakugo's personality to be certain of his assessment.
He sighed in exasperation. "For whatever reason, he has it out for me. Whether it's because I beat his Practical Exam score, ranked first in the test yesterday, or something else entirely… it doesn't matter. He's a very prideful guy who can't stand losing… that's what I'm getting at."
Tsunotori, remembering the blonde's declaration to the class yesterday, nodded at that valid assessment.
'Plus, the guy has been practically drilling holes into my head since these matches started…' He dryly noted.
"With all that said, I doubt that Bakugo will work with Iida on anything. He'll come after us instead of waiting, but he's not stupid; he'll probably have Iida guarding the bomb. So, here's our plan of attack," Midoriya laid out, "I'll draw his attention. While he's focused on me, you fly outside and locate the weapon. Best case scenario, you fly past Iida and touch the bomb."
"And… if it's not that simple?" Tsunotori hesitantly asked.
"Don't let Iida build up speed." Midoriya instructed. "Use your horns to trip him up or ideally trap him against the floor or wall. Aim to subdue him unless you see an opening for the bomb–that's the objective."
Tsunotori nodded in understanding and considered Midoriya's plan. As they arrived at the building, the American pony-girl noticed something. "There sure are a lot of windows to check. Should I start on the ground and work my way up?"
Midoriya shook his head. "No, top-to-bottom. Neither Iida nor Bakugo would leave the bomb on the first floor. They'd want to keep it far enough away that we'd have to come get it by going up the stairs." He rationalized and Tsunotori agreed with that logic.
"One more thing," Midoriya momentarily paused, "even though this is training, Pony, we need to treat this like a real scenario like All Might said. Let's not be reckless around the bomb and try to limit property damage as much as we can. Wouldn't be surprised if that's factored into our score."
Tsunotori nodded, folding up the blueprint and putting it away. "Okay, that makes sense."
Midoriya unclipped his helmet off of his belt and placed it on his head. "There are thousands of people in this city, and their lives are in danger. People that are just trying to live happy lives. I don't know what drove these Villains to do this, but right now that doesn't matter." Clipping his chin strap together, he looked at Tsunotori with determined eyes. "Let's be heroes by saving people and winning."
Tsunotori stared at her fellow American with big, fascinated eyes. 'Wow… he's really taking this seriously. I…' She clenched her fists and adopted a determined look. '... I have to do the same; even if it's just training.'
"Right!" She grinned and extended her fist. "I got your back, Izuku!"
Smiling, he nodded and returned the fist-bump. "And I'll have yours."
"Team I. You are free to enter the building. Your time starts now!" All Might's voice came through the speakers.
"Stay safe, Izuku." Tsunotori nodded to him as her horns disconnected from her head. Jumping on top of them, she flew around the building towards the fifth floor to start checking for the weapon.
Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Midoriya entered the office building and headed for the stairway. He didn't waste time checking the first floor, knowing the bomb most likely wouldn't be there anyway. He pulled the shield off his back and slipped his left arm through the straps before quietly proceeding up the stairs. Reaching the second floor, he swiftly checked each room he passed–keeping the bomb's description and size in mind.
The super-soldier kept his head on a swivel and his ears open, staying on high alert. So far it was quiet.
"Izuku, fifth floor is all clear." Tsunotori's voice informed him through the earpiece. "I'm going to the fourth floor now."
He tapped the earbud. "Copy that. Second floor check is still in progress."
"Gotcha."
As Midoriya approached a corner, he suddenly stopped when he heard the sounds of footsteps. Bakugo suddenly launched himself around the corner with a snarl, a few meters in the air.
"There you are!" He roared and came down with an explosion in hand.
Already anticipating the attack, Midoriya jumped and rolled out of the way as the ash blonde blasted the wall next to where he had been standing. The verdette immediately stood back up in a boxer-based stance, his shield at the ready.
His outfit was made of blacks and greens, with a hint of orange; it was mostly simple and sturdy, with two notable exceptions. The first was the mask on his face, which wrapped around his head and ended in what looked like tiny explosions. The second were the two massive gauntlets on his forearms that looked like oversized hand grenades.
"Nice dodge," Bakugo turned to face him, grinning ferally, "but I won't miss again!"
"Hands in the air and come quietly, Villain. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to." Midoriya stated, falling into character.
Bakugo rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Like you could ever hurt me! Now, DIE!"
'Guess he's playing the role too… or this is just who he is.' Midoriya sardonically thought.
Bakugo launched himself at Midoriya with his right arm cocked back, the super-soldier's green eyes closely following his movements. At the right moment, he stepped into Bakugo's guard to block his attack and promptly delivered a sharp right elbow to his face, knocking his head to the side and dazing him. Midoriya then grabbed Bakugo's outstretched arm and ducked under it, maneuvering behind him to deliver a strong left kick into the back of his opponent's head.
Sharp pain shot throughout Bakugo's head from not just the kick, but from his face being slammed into concrete. 'The hell was that move?!'
'He left himself so wide open...' Midoriya mused. 'Does he not know how to fight properly, or was he just overconfident?'
"Pony, Bakugo found me." He informed his partner. "I'm currently engaging him."
"Okay, I'm still checking the fourth floor. Do you need help?" She sounded concerned.
"Negative. Keep searching for the bomb, I can handle this."
"Okay, got it. I'll let you know when I find the bomb."
"Copy that."
He watched Bakugo pick himself off the floor, still grimacing; bruises were noticeable on his face.
"Last warning, Villain. Surrender, or I'll be forced to take you down hard." Midoriya sternly said.
Bakugo turned to him, growling angrily as blood trickled from his nose. "Don't look down on me, stealth gaijin!"
He blasted himself forward and twisted his body to deliver a powerful left kick aimed at Midoriya's head, which he immediately ducked under.
'He started with a kick this time…' Midoriya internally noted. 'He's changing things up, huh?'
While still in midair, Bakugo turned himself around to extend both hands at his opponent and unleashed an explosion. Midoriya brought up his shield in time to successfully block it, his ears ringing from the loud blast. He narrowed his eyes as the smoke temporarily clouded his vision. The floor around him was scorched and cracked, but the shield and his uniform protected him from the brunt of the explosion.
"You think you're better than me?" Bakugo's sneer was visible as the smoke dissipated.
He shot forward again to deliver a glowing right hook. Midoriya held up the shield to block the attack until, at the last moment, Bakugo suddenly aimed his hand down to fire an explosion to send him flying over Midoriya. Bakugo turned in midair to release a blast from his left palm at Midoriya's right side. The verdette was knocked off his feet before he tumbled down the hallway.
"You're not! Nowhere close!" Bakugo furiously exclaimed. "I'm the strongest one here!"
Midoriya painfully groaned as he picked himself up; though the suit protected him from the heat, he still felt the force behind the blast. '… Impressive feint. He even aimed for my right side where I couldn't easily block the attack.' He thought. 'He's much smarter than he lets on. Still, that pride of his… I can use that against him.' He resumed his stance leading with his left side where he could easily use the shield.
"Tch," Bakugo clicked his tongue, and spat, "Yah know only weaklings bring shields into battle." He crouched low, his arms curled and ready to unleash more explosions.
Midoriya raised a brow. "Think so?"
He suddenly spun around to throw the shield vertically with impressive force. Bakugo was too slow to dodge as the indestructible disk slammed into his chest. The force behind the hit sent Bakugo careening back and crashing through a corner; meanwhile, the shield bounced off the ceiling and back to Midoriya's waiting grasp.
The ash blonde coughed up a little blood and could've sworn he heard a sickening crack when the shield hit his sternum.
"SH*T!" He shouted out in pain.
"Are you sure you want to continue?" Midoriya placed the shield back on his left arm. "Give up and we'll get you immediate medical attention, Villain."
Bakugo snarled savagely. How dare he look down on him?! Did this fumbling moron really think he was superior to him?! The memory of Midoriya pulling him out of the Sludge Villain and standing in front of him suddenly flashed through his mind, causing to clench his teeth together.
"Are you seriously taking pity on me!? Don't you dare pity me!" Fighting through the searing pain filling his chest, he pulled himself out of the wall and rushed forward.
'Hard way it is then…'
Midoriya reacted immediately by dashing forward in a burst of speed that Bakugo wasn't expecting. The Explosion user suddenly felt a sharp crunch in his face as Midoriya swung the edge of the shield at him–breaking Bakugo's jaw and sending blood flying out of his mouth. With his opponent stunned, Midoriya immediately followed up with hard right and left gut punches before finishing with a devastating right uppercut that sent Bakugo crashing through another nearby wall.
The explosive blonde didn't get back up after that.
Midoriya rushed over to Bakugo's position, ready for a surprise counterattack. He eased up when he saw that the blonde was completely knocked out. The veteran couldn't help but flinch when he noticed the red swollen bruises on Bakugo's face and the blood leaking out from his mouth and nose.
'Probably should've held back a little more….' He internally chided. ''Thank God this school has Recovery Girl on staff.'
"I warned you, Villain," he said, still playing his role. "I'll make sure you receive the best care, though. Not just for your hospital stay, but also that you can maybe rejoin society one day."
Midoriya pulled out the Capture Tape roll from his belt and wrapped it around his opponent's leg, eliminating him from the match.
"Bakugo Katsuki has been captured." All Might called over the radios.
Midoriya looked around and spotted one of the cameras on the ceiling. Knowing Yagi couldn't hear him, he waved at it and then pointed at Bakugo.
"Don't worry, young Midoriya." All Might understood the message. "I'll send one of the med-bots to pick up Bakugo and take him to Recovery Girl. Please, continue with the exercise."
Midoriya nodded, moving around the corner and toward the stairs. If Bakugo was willing to fight here then that meant the weapon wasn't on the second floor at all.
He reached the third floor as Tsunotori contacted him over the radio. "Izuku, I found the weapon; it's on the fourth floor, fifth room from the stairwell. Also, great job on taking down Bakugo!"
"Copy that. Can you get to the weapon?" He inquired, continuing up the stairs to the fourth floor.
"I think so. But it'd be easier with a distraction." Tsunotori replied.
Midoriya grinned slyly. "I can be distracting." Reaching the fourth floor and going down the corridor, he spotted the fifth door that Tsunotori had informed him about. "Alright, here's what we'll do…"
The observation room was silent as everyone watched the monitors with various levels of shock after Midoriya took down Bakugo.
"Holy crap…" Sato breathed out.
"That was insane! Did you see how he KO'ed Bakugo!?" Kirishima shouted excitedly. "That was so freakin' manly!"
"Those moves were so cool!" Ashido joined in.
"Wow, he freakin' owned him!" Kaminari grinned. "Midoriya-san ended the fight in barely a minute!"
"He certainly didn't waste time." Tokoyami subduedly remarked.
"Heroes should always be trying to avoid a prolonged battle with Villains if it can be helped, especially in a timed scenario such as this. If you can end the fight quickly, you should do so." All Might sagely stated. "Keep in mind, though, you should never be actively trying to kill your opponent. We are Heroes, after all. Understand, students?"
"Yes sir!"
Todoroki's eyes narrowed at the screen displaying Midoriya. 'Midoriya… the way he fights, the way he moves… he's been trained.'
Uraraka and Yaoyorozu were speechless as they watched the screens in amazement at how quickly and efficiently Midoriya had defeated Bakugo. They both knew he was a skilled fighter but seeing how he had tossed his shield at Bakugo and easily caught it gave them the same vibes when they watched old videos and movies of their favorite old Pro Hero.
'That was so cool!' Uraraka internally squealed. 'Wow… I'd love to be able to fight like that someday!'
Yaoyorozu eyed the footage of Midoriya keenly. 'That shield… the way it bounced off Bakugo and the wall… it operates just like the Captain's shield. Is this what Midori-kun wanted to surprise us with? Still… where could he have gotten a support item like that?'
The door was smashed clean off its hinges as Midoriya rushed into the room with his shield out in front. Iida, who had been standing near the faux bomb, immediately focused on the green-clad super-soldier.
Iida's hero costume looked like a cross between a robot and a medieval knight. The white plates were sleek but sturdy, as was the black mesh between the plates. The boosters popping out of his legs—and his general attitude—gave even more credence to the robot warrior look.
"You've done well, Hero!" Iida held his arms out to his sides and laughed as maniacally as he could. "But you will not be stopping my nefarious plans today!"
Midoriya maintained a straight face, although it was hard for him at that moment. Iida was many things, but a good actor wasn't one of them.
"You're right. I won't." Midoriya agreed; and even with Iida's helmet on he could see the confusion on his face.
"Come again?" Iida asked, confused.
"She is."
Iida suddenly felt something hit him from behind in both knees and shoulders, slamming him face-first into the concrete floor.
"What just–" He turned his head to see lyre-shaped horns pinning him to the floor by his shoulders and could feel two more around his knees. His eyes widened in realization. "Tsunotori-san!?"
"Present!" The blonde girl jumped down from a nearby window to touch the bomb. She'd only had to open the window while Iida was distracted to complete her part of the plan. "Weapon secured."
"NO! The weapon!?" Iida cried out in shocked despair at his inability to protect the mock weapon.
"The bomb has been disabled!" All Might shouted. "The Hero team… wins!"
As soon as the buzzer went off, Tsunotori remotely removed the horns that were pinning Iida down, allowing him to return to his feet.
"Great plan, Izuku!" Tsunotori smiled at her partner.
"Thanks. You did good yourself, Pony." Midoriya smiled, letting himself ease up now that the mission had been accomplished. He unclipped his helmet before fastening it to a loop on his belt. "Good job, Iida! If Bakugo had been more cooperative, I'm sure you both would have done better."
"Thank you, Midoriya, but I'm not so sure." Iida replied as the trio walked out of the room towards the stairwell. "Your plan was smart and made use of both of your Quirks! Well done!"
Midoriya and Tsunotori accepted the stiff teen's praise as they walked down the stairway together.
Later, after both teams rejoined their classmates in the observation room–sans Bakugo, who was rushed to Recovery Girl's office-the class turned to collectively stare at Midoriya and Tsunotori.
"Well then, now that that's all settled, let's discuss what happened!" All Might declared. "Any questions or comments for Team I?"
Tokage held up her hand. "You both split up to search the building, but you didn't really check the first floor, Midoriya. Why is that?"
"Well, I suspected that neither Bakugo-san nor Iida would put the bomb on the first floor, so I didn't want to waste time searching there." Midoriya answered. "But Tsunotori was checking the building from top-to-bottom, so–if I was off in my assessment–she would've located it with time to spare given her speed while she's flying."
Tokage nodded in understanding.
Yaoyorozu raised her hand. "Were you expecting Bakugo-san to come for you?"
Midoriya nodded. "I was. Let's just say… I had a strong hunch he would."
Kirishima spoke up. "Speaking of Bakugo, that finishing move you used against him was killer!"
"... If a bit brutal." Asui followed up.
"Yeah…" Midoriya rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I should've held back a little bit more. Got too into my role, I suppose."
Todoroki surprisingly raised his hand, and asked point-blank, "Who trained you? It's obvious you've received training based on the way you move and fight."
That observation caught most of the class's attention as they turned to Midoriya curiously. Todoroki had brought up a good point, after all.
All Might knew Midoriya already had his cover story, but hearing Todoroki go straight for the jugular, so to speak, made him feel mildly anxious. He was thankful that the room's dim lighting helped conceal his uneasy expression.
'Be careful in how you respond, Captain. One wrong move and—'
"The US Army." Midoriya simply replied.
'Or you could just tell them that…' All Might sweat-dropped.
The class–sans Uraraka and Yaoyorozu–looked at him with mixed levels of surprise.
"Wait, seriously?" Kaminari's eyes widened like plates.
"You're a soldier?" Shoji was equally surprised.
Midoriya chuckled bashfully. "Yeah… I learned quite a lot during my time of service in America. I wanted to take what I learned and apply it to becoming a Pro Hero."
That wasn't untrue.
"That's so manly!" Kirishima walked up to pat Midoriya on the back. "We have an actual soldier in our class!"
"A soldier boy!" Ashido smiled cheekily.
"It's not a big deal…really," Midoriya scratched his cheek from the sudden attention.
All Might laughed. "Being humble is a good heroic trait to have. Overall, I'd say Team I performed admirably with their strategy, cooperation, and use of Quirks!" All Might stated. "Now, any questions or comments for Iida over Team J's performance?"
Shoji raised a hand. "Why were you guarding the bomb, Iida-san? Since you're the faster one, wouldn't it have made more sense for Bakugo-san to guard it while you search for the Heroes?"
Iida exhaled deeply and slumped his shoulders. "Bakugo-san was determined to find and beat Midoriya on his own. He refused to cooperate, and I was left to guard the weapon."
Tokage then spoke up. "I believe it's obvious then that Bakugo-san's decision to go after Midoriya cost the Villain team the match. Had he remained with Iida-san to guard the weapon or even sent Iida to face the Hero team–as Shoji-san suggested–they would've stood a better chance. Instead, Bakugo-san was beaten and that left Iida-san to fight a two-on-one battle. Not smart."
Kaminari lifted his hand. "Yeah, also…couldn't Bakugo-san have blasted up the entrances? Even if he had done that on his way to face Midoriya-san alone, that would have slowed Midoriya-san down a bit."
"Kero, and Iida-san could have just picked up the bomb and ran around with it," Asui noted before she tapped her cheek with her gloved hand. "Come to think of it, none of the Villain teams did that, and there was no rule saying they couldn't."
Thanks to the darkness, there was no way to see the nervous sweat on All Might's brow—if there was, it would have been obvious that he had never considered that option either.
"Yes, well, those are all very good points." All Might acknowledged. "Moving on, who can tell me the MVP of this match?"
"Sir, I can tell you." Yaoyorozu raised her hand once more. "The MVP was Midoriya. He quickly determined his opponent's actions and created a plan to take advantage of them. He made excellent use of not only his own Quirk but his partner's as well. Instead of engaging Bakugo-san in a long drawn-out fight, like Bakugo-san wanted him to, he subdued him quickly and moved to assist his teammate to complete their objective."
"Correct. Excellent analysis, young Yaoyorozu!" All Might smiled.
Yaoyorozu, in response, bowed slightly with her arms at her side.
"Midori-kun, that was amazing!" Uraraka beamed as she bounced over to him, Midoriya doing his best to look away from her chest area. "You and Tsunotori both did great!"
"Thanks, Uraraka-san." Tsunotori smiled. "Izuku came up with a great plan! He was totally in the zone during the match."
"You give me too much credit. I just had a strong suspicion for how Bakugo would react. That's all." Midoriya waved off the praise, flustered by two admittedly pretty girls complimenting him.
"Good work today, all of you!" All Might congratulated. "Your final scores will be ready outside in a moment; please, take them and then head to the locker room to change, and you're free to go. Anyone else who feels like their injuries may hamper them are also encouraged to see Recovery Girl. Dismissed!"
"Yes sir!" Everyone responded.
The students filed out of the room and left All Might alone. He then reverted back to his skinny form in a puff of smoke. "These kids," he murmured as he began typing grades into a computer, "they almost gave me a heart attack a few times. Was I that reckless when I was that age?"
Fort Erskine, CA - July 2042
Evening had arrived and the SSR recruits had finally finished their last drill for the day: an obstacle course that involved military crawling under barbed wire and through concrete drainage tunnels.
"Alright, lineup! Get in formation!" Corporal Yamamoto ordered.
The thirteen recruits complied, most were out of breath and very sweaty.
"Good work today. I mean it." The ravenette acknowledged. "Cadet Midoriya and Private Barnes…"
"Yes ma'am." Both responded.
"Both of you remain here." She looked at the rest of the group. "Everyone else can head to the dining facility. Dismissed."
"Yes ma'am!" The recruits–sans Bucky and Izuku–left in an orderly fashion in the direction of the main facility.
Yamamoto turned back to the pair; although they maintained neutral faces, she could see the emotion in their eyes. Bucky was curious while Izuku was disappointed.
'I'm sorry, Izu-kun. But I'm doing this because I care…' Peggy tried to convince herself, but still felt terrible deep down.
"Private Barnes." She addressed the brunet.
"Yes ma'am?"
"This morning, I told Cadet Midoriya that he needed to win one round of pugil sticks. If he failed, then not only would he be punished, but you–as his Battle Buddy–would be as well." Corporal Yamamoto informed him. "Do you understand?"
Bucky didn't respond immediately. "Y… yes ma'am…"
Izuku couldn't suppress a frown.
"Both of you will do 3 sets of 10 military pushups, situps, squats, and burpees. After that, you'll do one full lap around the flagpole trail." She motioned to the dirt trail that cut into the woods. "Is that understood?"
"Yes ma'am!" Both acknowledged her orders.
"Then get to it! The sooner you finish, the sooner you can eat." She ordered.
Over half-an-hour later, Izuku and Bucky were finally on the last exercise of their 'punishment', running down the trail back to the main gate where Corporal Yamamoto was waiting for them.
"Keep it up… Almost done, man," Bucky said in-between breaths.
Izuku couldn't respond as he focused on sucking in air; his body burning from exhaustion.
"One more push… Finish line is up ahead…" Bucky pointed ahead.
Izuku wordlessly nodded and, despite his body screaming for him to stop, he pressed on with Bucky running alongside him. Moments later, the pair finally crossed the gate and immediately stopped. Bucky leaned over to rest his hands on his knees while Izuku simply fell to his hands and knees, panting heavily.
Corporal Yamamoto walked up to them with her hands behind her back, her expression neutral. Taking note of the pair's exhausted states, she nodded. "There's still ten minutes left for dinnertime. If you head to the dining hall now, you can still get something to eat before they stop serving. You're dismissed."
"Yes ma'am…" Bucky subduedly replied.
Peggy glanced down at Izuku on the ground. "Cadet Midoriya…?"
"Y-yes…ma'am…" Izuku breathed out, giving a shaky salute.
The ravenette nodded and sauntered away, leaving the pair alone.
Bucky kneeled by Izuku's side, resting a hand on his left shoulder. "Need a medic? Or a new set of lungs?" He jokingly asked though he was concerned that Izuku may possibly need medical attention.
"I'm… fine…" He panted and coughed. "... just need… a minute…"
"Well, we don't want to miss dinner, so lemme help you out." Bucky helped Izuku stand, placing his left arm over his shoulder to let him lean against him. The pair steadily continued in the general direction of the dining hall. "I think we're both gonna sleep soundly tonight, my man." He chuckled to himself. "So we may need to hold off on your pugil stick lessons till–"
He paused as Izuku began to suddenly cry. "Hey… what's wrong?" He worriedly asked. Was he hurt? Did he push himself too far?
"I'm sorry… It's my fault…"
Bucky cocked a brow, confused. "What are you–"
"I lost all three rounds… It's because of me you had to be punished too…" He sniffled.
'Oh, so that's what's bothering him…' Bucky smiled and squeezed the shorter teen's shoulder. "Relax, man. I'm not mad at you."
"But–"
"But nothing." He cut in. "You did good, all things considered. More importantly, you never gave up–no matter how many times you got knocked down, you kept getting back up like a real soldier. I respect the hell outta that."
"I still lost though… and you have to be punished with me too." Izuku weakly mentioned. "Maybe if you hadn't been my Battle Buddy you–"
"I'm gonna stop you right there." Bucky interjected. "Don't you dare go down that self-pity road, Izuku. Seriously, believe me when I say that you did nothing wrong."
Izuku wasn't entirely convinced as he looked away. After years of being either ignored or bullied by his peers–primarily Zak–it was difficult not to have a self-deprecating mindset at times.
Bucky momentarily paused to run his hand through his short brown hair and sighed. "Look, I'm not good with all this emotional stuff. I've made a lot of dumb mistakes in my life… but choosing you as my friend isn't one of them."
The scrawny kid looked up at the taller, muscular teen with wide brown eyes, his mouth slightly agape. Did he really mean that?
Bucky grinned earnestly. "So please, get off the pity pot, will yah?"
Izuku couldn't suppress a few sobs, a smile taking shape on his face for the first time today. "Okay… thank you, Bucky."
Bucky chuckled lightheartedly and shook his head. "You need to work on that crying of yours, man… I get that real men aren't afraid to show their emotions and all, but you need a tighter lid on it while you're in uniform."
Izuku nodded in understanding. 'So this is what it's like… to have a guy as a real friend…' He mused wistfully. 'If Zak hadn't developed a meta-ability, would we have been good friends?' The Japanese-American briefly pondered that thought and came to an easy conclusion. 'No… not a real friend anyways.'
"Besides," Bucky went on as they approached the dining hall, "you were at a huge disadvantage in those pugil matches anyway. Everyone in the program aside from you has completed Basic Training, so pugil matches are nothing new to us. To expect you to win once against James or Sharon–who are both ruthless, I might add–isn't realistic… and the Corporal knew that."
Izuku turned to Bucky somewhat surprised. "Wait… you mean…Peg-chan knew I'd lose?"
Bucky rolled his eyes. "Obviously. What, you haven't figured it out yet?"
"Figured out what?" He questioned, confused.
The brunet groaned and used his free arm to pinch the bridge of his nose. "How could someone so smart…? Ugh, she's trying to make you quit, dude."
Izuku's eyes briefly widened before he lowered his head, frowning.
"You already knew… didn't you?" Bucky read his friend's expression.
Izuku nodded, downcast. "I… I wanted to believe Peg-chan was just trying to motivate me harder since I'm so far behind everyone else… but after today, I can't ignore it anymore."
"Really p*sses me off." Bucky growled, furrowing his brows. "She's supposed to be your friend, right? She should have your back more than anyone else here."
"Yeah… but I can't be too mad with her. She's my friend… and even though she is trying to get me to quit, I know she's only doing it because she cares." Izuku advocated.
"Running you into the dirt and punishing those who try to help you is her way of showing that?" Bucky retorted. "You made your choice. Corporal should respect it whether she likes it or not."
Izuku knew Bucky was right but couldn't bring himself to verbally agree.
As the pair approached the dining hall's main doors, Bucky allowed Izuku to stand on his own. "We have 9 more weeks of this training camp from Hell. Just so you know, I got your back no matter what." He jerked his thumb toward the door. "And the others are rooting for you too. So even if Peg-chandoesn't support you, we do, my brother!"
Izuku smiled at that statement. He understood his mother and Peggy's objections to him joining the military, but it was honestly quite refreshing to be around people who actually supported his dream and wanted him to achieve it.
"Thank you, Buck. You're a great friend." He said sincerely.
Bucky grinned. "I want to see you become a full-fledged soldier too. If you can achieve that dream," he looked away wistfully, "then maybe one day I can achieve my dream too."
Izuku looked at his friend curiously. "Oh? What is your dream, Bucky?"
"Heh, I'll tell you some other time." Bucky laughed. "First, let's go in already. I'm starving!"
With that, the kid from Fresno and the Brooklynite walked into the building. Meanwhile, around the corner, Corporal Yamamoto had been eavesdropping on the majority of the pair's conversation. Needless to say, she was quite distraught as she clenched her fists.
"No… of all places… Izuku had to make a true friend here. Dammit!" She gritted her teeth in frustration.
The Marine woman was left feeling very conflicted. On one hand, it was a wholesome and touching sight to see Izuku making friends with people that liked and respected him. On the other, it completely foiled her plan on trying to make him quit before the 10-day deadline. With Izuku's steadfast convictions and the full support from the other SSR recruits, she had come to a terrifying realization.
"He's not going to give up…" Her voice quivered. "He'll keep going… until he dies…"
'There's only one more day left. I have to stop this now while I still can!' She closed her eyes and breathed deeply to recompose herself.
A short moment later, she reopened her gray eyes with a sharp, focused expression. She then proceeded in the direction of the science facility with swift, determined strides. There was a certain eccentric scientist she needed to have a talk with.
Musutafu, Japan - April 2197
Midoriya walked out of the men's locker room with both his costume briefcase and the bag containing his shield in hand. Walking alongside him were Iida and Sero, all three having changed back into their UA Hero Department uniforms.
"You guys didn't have to wait for me." Midoriya told them. "Although, I do appreciate it."
"It's not trouble at all, Midoriya." Iida adjusted his glasses. "It's what friends do, after all."
Midoriya smiled at that proclamation. Only the second day of school and Iida already considered them friends. That was nice.
"Yeah… also," Sero frowned, "I wanted to apologize to you."
"Huh?" Midoriya looked at him, confused. "Apologize for what?"
"Well," Sero rubbed his neck uncomfortably, "after your team left the room, we were making predictions on who'd win the match. I thought Bakugo and Iida's team would win pretty convincingly. I'm sorry for doubting you and all…"
"Oh… You don't need to apologize." Midoriya waved it off, unfazed. "Besides, I can see why you'd think that. I mean, if Bakugo-san had worked together with Iida, Tsunotori and I would've had our work cut out for us."
"So… we're cool?" the Tape user asked.
Midoriya smiled and nodded. "We're cool."
"Speaking of Bakugo-san, I never saw him return to the locker room." Iida pointed out. "I wonder if we should check up on him in the medical ward?"
Midoriya shrugged. "It couldn't hurt. We should return our equipment first."
Iida nodded in agreement.
Arriving at their Foundational Heroics classroom, Midoriya pulled the door open to see that they were not alone. Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Ashido, Asui, Tokage, and Tsunotori were grouped near the wall panels where their briefcases were stored.
"There you guys are." Ashido's smile dropped slightly when she noticed one less person with them. "Hey, have you seen Kirishima-kun? He never came back to return his costume…"
"I think Kirishima-san mentioned something about going to visit Bakugo-san in the medical ward… make sure he was recovering well and all." Sero mentioned offhandedly.
'That's good. Maybe Bakugo will start to lighten up a little bit after today?' Midoriya thought. Although, he was doubtful something like that would happen overnight.
Ashido, meanwhile, sighed in exasperation as if she had been expecting that answer. "Of course he is… big lug can't help but try to be friends with everyone."
"Well… I'm glad he's at least making an effort." Midoriya stepped to the adjacent wall. "Although, that will be one tough nut to crack."
"No kidding…" Uraraka remarked under her breath.
"By the way," Tokage looked at the trio, "what took you guys so long? Everyone else has already got dressed and put away their costume cases."
"That was because of me." Midoriya sheepishly replied, placing his shield bag and briefcase back into its compartment. "Takes me longer than I'd like to fully suit up… and slightly more to undress, apparently."
At the word 'undress', Uraraka couldn't stop the image of her friend removing his costume from popping up in her mind. She immediately looked away and started patting her reddening cheeks. 'Stop it! Stop it! Bad thoughts!'
Yaoyorozu looked at Midoriya's face momentarily before her gaze drifted lower. She could only imagine what those clothes and his costume earlier were concealing. She then shook her head. 'My word! Control yourself, Momo!' She chided herself, a small blush forming on her face. 'He's your friend! Not some object for you to ogle…'
While everyone else remained oblivious to the two girls' embarrassment, a certain pinkette had noticed and she couldn't help but grin mischievously. As a once hopeless romantic herself, she recognized those looks anywhere. 'Oh, this is gonna be so much fun!' She inwardly cackled.
"Maybe you should talk to the Support Department about that and have them readjust it for you? Kero." Asui suggested.
Sero looked at the frog girl, cocking a brow. "No offense meant, but do you end every sentence with a 'kero', Asui-san?"
"Not every sentence." Asui replied. "And please, call me Tsuyu. All my friends call me that."
Sero smiled widely, giving a thumb-up. "Sure thing."
"Kero."
Sero blinked twice. "You did that one on purpose just now, didn't you?"
Asui looked away; her face was blank yet portrayed feigned innocence at the same time, somehow. "Maybe… or maybe not." She shrugged.
The group couldn't help but laugh at that reaction; even Iida couldn't suppress a smile.
After putting his equipment away, Midoriya walked to his desk to pick up his yellow satchel. "Well, to answer your question, Asui-san," he said, "I don't think I can go to the Support Department since a support company not affiliated with the school made my costume. I'll have to contact them later about it."
"Oh?" Once she composed herself, Uraraka looked at Midoriya curiously. "You were able to contract a support company, Midori-kun? That must've been very expensive, right?"
Midoriya shook his head. "A friend of mine works at a support company in America. When he found out I was attending UA, he was pretty insistent on making my costume free of charge." He sheepishly shrugged. "I tried to say no… but I couldn't turn him down."
That was half-true. While SHIELD wasn't exactly a heroic support company, Coulson was pretty insistent on SHIELD making his hero costume. The adult fanboy had even drawn up a costume design for him; however, much to Midoriya's embarrassment, it was based too much on that dreaded "stage suit" he wore in those shows. Midoriya, while appreciative, had to gently turn down Coulson's suit idea.
"That was awfully generous of him." Iida commented, placing his briefcase back in its slot.
"No kidding." Tokage chimed in. "Wish my family had connections like that. Could've saved a lot of money on getting my costume made."
Yaoyorozu looked in Tokage's direction. "Tokage, would you mind if I ask you later what support company your family contracted?"
"Sure," Tokage shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't see why not."
"Seriously, how many people in our class were able to hire support companies to make their costumes?" Sero remarked as he put his briefcase away.
"Kero, I think it was just Tokage, Yaomomo, and now Midoriya." Asui replied, and then touched her chin thoughtfully. "Well, maybe Todoroki-san? But I don't think he'd care to tell us."
"That dude does seem pretty cold." Tokage commented. "No pun intended."
"Sero would know firsthand how cold Todoroki is, kero." Asui mentioned.
"Yeah…" Sero sweat-dropped, recalling his lackluster match against the icy powerhouse. "...real cold."
"You guys talking about Todoroki-san?" The group turned to see Kirishima standing at the door in his uniform with his briefcase in hand. "Not my best moment," he laughed awkwardly while rubbing his neck, "I didn't even get a chance to show my stuff."
"You're blocking the door, Sh*tty Hair."
Bakugo walked up behind the redhead dressed in his uniform with his usual scowl etched on his face. Though he had bandages on his face and gauze wrapped around his head, he looked much better than he did after the match. Recovery Girl's healing Quirk truly was remarkable, Midoriya thought.
"Oh, sorry, man." Kirishima stepped aside, letting the explosive blonde walk in to put away his costume briefcase as the tension in the room kept rising.
"Bakugo-san's gonna be okay, by the way." Kirishima continued. "Recovery Girl was able to heal his face and everything… although her Quirk drained his stamina, so he was out cold for a little while."
"Ah," Iida nodded in satisfaction, "well that's good to hear you're doing better, Bakugo-san."
"Shaddup, Four Eyes." The blonde rolled his eyes, gathering his belongings at his desk.
"So rude?!" Iida shouted, appalled. "We were partners, you know!?"
Bakugo merely huffed as he walked away, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
"Hey, Bakugo-san," Midoriya called out, walking up to him.
Bakugo stopped at the doorway but didn't turn around.
"Look, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot or something. I'm new here and there's a lot that I'm still learning." Midoriya rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I don't want us to be enemies, but, if you don't want to be friends that's fine too. Can we at least be tolerant of each other going forward this semester? No need for strife, right?"
Bakugo remained still and didn't respond. Everyone watched the scene with bated breath, curious to see how it played out.
"Midoriya…" Bakugo finally said.
Midoriya's eyes widened slightly. 'He called me by name…'
"Yeah…?"
Bakugo turned his head and shot him a bored glare. "F**k you."
With that said, the ash blonde stomped away down the corridor in silence with a pensive expression. 'So that guy's a soldier, huh?'
After waking up in the medical ward, Sh*tty Hair was there to give him a rundown of what happened after he lost unconscious, sporting that dumb, friendly grin of his all the while. Bakugo could hardly believe he had been beaten so easily. Him?! The one born with an amazing Quirk and destined to become the next Number One Hero! Just as he had been told by everyone growing up.
But all that stealth gaijin had to do was hit him a few times and that was it?! Lights out!? Was he really that far behind the stealth gaijin? To make matters worse, the Ice Guy–after seeing how he had single-handedly won his match–Bakugo had realized there was no way he could beat him in a straight fight. There were now TWO people ahead of him in the class: not counting those cheaters Ponytail and Round Face.
It was unacceptable! Just as he was on the verge of a panic attack, in the midst of Sh*tty Hair's babbling, he had offhandedly mentioned that stealth gaijin was in the American military. Bakugo paused when he had heard this information, and that's when it all clicked.
Midoriya Izuku. He wasn't at some unobtainable level. Despite being a flustered and bumbling mess, he was still a trained professional in the right circumstances. That fact had been made abundantly clear in the exercise today.
Bakugo clicked his tongue and rubbed his jaw, which had been fully healed but was still aching. His chest also hurt from where that shield had struck him. Damn, that had hurt like Hell!
The Explosion user realized all he needed was more training, and experience to add onto it. Then he would overtake him! He'd pass that Ice Bastard along the way too. They would both be mere stepping stones in his ascension to greatness. He'd write about it in a book one day and/or talk about it in a documentary, covering his rise to becoming Japan's newest undisputed Number One Hero.
But until that day…
'Enjoy that win today… Midoriya.' Bakugo sneered, clenching his right fist in determination. 'You won't get another. I'm just getting started!'
Meanwhile, the classroom had been left in silence after Bakugo's exit until Iida finally broke it.
"H-HOW RUDE!?" He was aghast. "How could he be so uncouth after Midoriya extended an olive branch!?"
"So vulgar." Yaoyorozu placed a hand over her mouth in disgust.
"Tch." Uraraka clenched her fists angrily, glaring at the doorway where Bakugo stood moments prior. "A**hole." She murmured. 'Though he did refer to Midori-kun by his name instead of that stupid nickname. Maybe that's progress?'
"Can't say I didn't see that one coming." Tokage rolled her eyes.
Ashido looked at Kirishima with half-lidded, bored eyes. "Still think you can be friends with him, babe?"
"Well…" Kirishima chuckled awkwardly, "... at least he called Midoriya-san by his name? That's something, right?"
Midoriya turned to the spiky redhead with a sheepish half-smile. "Yeah… I guess it is." He sweat-dropped.
Tsunotori sighed heavily. "Bakugo-san just seems like a bully. I don't get why UA allowed him here."
Asui and Sero nodded in agreement.
"Well, like most things in life," Midoriya turned to the group, "it's not always so black and white. There's plenty of gray areas."
"Right." Kirishima added, grinning. "Sure, Bakugo-san may seem like a jerk–"
"That's because he is." Uraraka cut in.
"T-that he is," Kirishima admitted and continued, "but I think there might be more to him than that, yah know?"
Midoriya shrugged. "Like Optimus Prime once said, 'There's more than meets the eye'." He said absentmindedly.
The group looked at him in bemusement.
"Who?" Tokage asked.
Midoriya's expression faltered, realizing he had slipped up. "Uh… he's just a cartoon character… from a show in America. I used to watch it when I was younger."
"Huh?" Tsunotori tilted her head. "I don't think I've heard of him, Izuku. What show is he in?"
"Just some old show. It's not important." Midoriya waved him off before he glanced at his watch. "We should probably get going now. It's already past 18:30 (6:30 PM)."
Iida nodded in agreement. "Yes. For those who use trains, we don't want to miss ours."
The group gathered their belongings and exited the room.
"By the way, Midoriya-san," Asui walked up to her fellow verdette, "would you like to exchange numbers? I got the others while we were waiting in the classroom for you guys."
"Same." Sero popped in. "I didn't get a chance to get yours yesterday. If that's cool, I mean."
Midoriya was flustered from the sudden requests. "Y-yeah, sure. That sounds great!" He pulled out his phone and handed it to them.
"By the way, you can call me Tsuyu." Asui said as she entered her contact information. "All my friends call me that."
"And you can just drop the honorifics with me." Sero smiled laxly, and then entered his info after Asui handed him the phone. "Maybe you can teach me some of those sweet moves of yours sometime soon?"
Midoriya nodded excitedly. "Yeah, it'd be my pleasure."
Later, most of the group gave their farewells and headed for their respective stations, while Midoriya, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu remained near the campus's main gate. Yaoyorozu's black limousine had just arrived, and she was preparing to get in until she remembered her request from earlier in the morning.
"By the way," the heiress looked at her two best friends, "I was wondering… if neither of you are busy this Saturday, perhaps we could have a get-together at my place? It occurred to me recently that you've never been to my house…" she lowered her head in shame, "... even though we've been friends for a while now."
"Don't be upset, Yaomomo." Uraraka patted her shoulder reassuringly as she beamed brightly. "And yeah! I'd love to come over. I've been wondering what your house looks like. Midori-kun?" She looked at the verdette excitedly.
Midoriya smiled and nodded. "Absolutely! I'd love to come over. It's been long overdue, honestly."
Yaoyorozu smiled brightly at their acceptance. "Alright! I'll talk with the staff and have them set aside some rooms for us. There'll be plenty of tea and food."
'Staff? How rich is she?' Both the super-soldier and gravity-girl thought.
She opened the limo door and stepped inside. "I'll send you my home address soon. Until then, goodnight! I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Bye Yaomomo!" Midoriya and Uraraka waved goodbye to their heiress friend as she drove off in the limo.
'This is perfect!' Yaoyorozu thought happily. 'We'll get to hang out like best friends do in all of the novels I've read. Also,' her thoughts drifted to a certain verdette, 'maybe I can get a chance to ask Midori-kun some questions too…'
Meanwhile, Uraraka and Midoriya began walking down the sidewalk to the nearest station.
"Yaomomo is adorable sometimes. Isn't she?" Uraraka smiled.
Midoriya nodded. "Yeah, she is." He then sported a thoughtful visage. "But… I can understand where she's coming from. Me and you are likely the first real friends she's ever had not related to her family or people who work for them. Of course she's excited."
He pulled out his phone and looked at his growing contact list wistfully. After his blunder in the Practical Exam's orientation, he had been concerned that he'd have a hard time making friends. He was grateful that wasn't the case.
Uraraka glanced at Midoriya's phone before she looked at him fondly. "For someone who says they barely had any friends growing up, you sure are good at making them, Midori-kun."
Midoriya blushed lightly. "You think so?"
Uraraka nodded. "I know so. Now c'mon," She gently pulled the taller boy's arm, "let's go home already. We have math homework that I may or may not need help on. Heh-heh…" She chuckled bashfully.
Midoriya smiled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I get the hint. I'll help you."
"Thank you, Midori-kun." She placed her hands together, careful not to accidentally activate her Quirk.
"Not a problem, Uraraka-chan. Really."
The pair continued towards the station.
'I'm making so many friends. More than I ever thought I could. Maybe… maybe I can find my place in this time period?' He mused.