[Third person POV]
Tony and Melissa soon arrived at the front of the school, where several buses waited. Class 1-A and Class 1-B were already gathered outside in their school uniforms, chatting in small clusters while waiting for the last arrivals.
The two drew almost immediate attention—not because they were late, but because of how Melissa clung to Tony. Her forehead was pressed against his back, arms wrapped around him like a lifeline. Every step he took, she followed in perfect sync, practically glued to him.
"Sup, everyone. It's been a while," Tony greeted casually, lifting a hand.
"What are you talking about?" Asui asked, tilting her head in that slow, deliberate way of hers. "We literally saw each other yesterday."
Tony blinked at her. "We did?"
"Did you forget about the shopping trip?" Kaminari asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That was yesterday?!" Tony's expression snapped into surprise.
The group stared at him, trying to decide if he was messing with them or actually serious.
Jirou glanced at Melissa, gesturing toward her with her earjacks. "Uh… what's with her?"
Tony let out a small sigh. "She had a nightmare and now doesn't want to leave my sight."
Momo frowned in concern. "Just how bad was that nightmare?"
Melissa's only answer was to squeeze her arms tighter around Tony's torso, pressing herself even closer.
"That bad, huh…" Momo murmured quietly.
Meanwhile, Mineta was… being Mineta. His eyes had locked onto the girls in Class 1-B, and a line of drool was already forming. "Whoa… who knew the next class had such an arsenal of babes?"
Kirishima groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You need serious help, dude."
Tony patted Iida on the shoulder. "Since you're the most organized one here, I'm leaving all the… well, organization stuff to you."
"Aren't you the class president?" Sero asked, smirking. "Isn't that supposed to be your job?"
"Hey, I'm the boss," Tony replied with a perfectly straight face. "And as the boss, it's my job to delegate work and make sure everyone is using their potential to the best of their abilities."
Uraraka deadpanned, "In other words, you're too lazy to do it yourself and is making poor Iida handle it."
Tony grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. "Exactly! You get it."
They chuckled as Iida straightened his posture like a soldier accepting orders. "I don't mind. If the class president deems I am the best fit for the task, then I will not let him down."
Tony put a hand over his mouth in mock emotion. "I just love being the boss. It makes life so much easier."
Iida marched to the front of the bus line, chopping his hands like a traffic director. "Single file, everyone! Single file! We are to board in an orderly fashion!"
---
Tony ended up in the back row of the bus, Melissa still curled up on his lap, her head resting against the curve of his neck. Her breathing was slow and steady, but she still kept her arms looped around him as if she feared he might vanish. Momo sat beside him at the corner window seat, while Asui and Uraraka claimed the seats in front of them.
Without looking, Tony slid his hand between the seats until it found Momo's. She looked down in surprise, only to soften into a small smile as he gently interlaced their fingers. She opened her hand slightly to give him better access, their palms fitting together naturally.
For most of the hour-long ride to their summer camp, Momo kept glancing at their joined hands. Every time she did, her smile returned, subtle but warm.
When the bus finally rolled to a stop, the students spilled out, stretching their arms and groaning after sitting for so long.
"Pee. I gotta pee!" Mineta whined, wiggling in place and crossing his legs.
"What kind of weird rest stop is this?" Kirishima muttered, scanning their surroundings. "And where's the rest of Class 1-B?"
The view stretched out from the cliffside, revealing an endless expanse of forest-covered mountains. Mist rolled lazily over the treetops, and the air smelled faintly of pine and rain-soaked soil.
Aizawa stepped forward, hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the wilderness ahead. "Just know," he said flatly, "that we didn't stop here for no reason."
Suddenly, a lively female voice rang out behind them. "Heya, Eraser! Been a while since we last saw each other, huh?"
Everyone turned to see two women dressed in matching hero costumes—complete with cat ears, furry gloves, and a little kid beside them staring at them indifferently.
They both suddenly started doing their mantra as they struck a pose and introduced themselves, "We're the wild, wild, Pussy Cats!!"
Deku of course instantly knew who they were and explained how they were veterans heroes that work mostly in mountain rescue operations.
Aizawa, looking like he regretted every life choice that had led to this moment, said flatly, "They're the pro-heroes who will be assisting us during our training."
Something in his tone made everyone's stomachs sink.
Mandalay—short brown hair bouncing with every movement—gestured to the sprawling landscape. "This whole area is our territory. Your lodging? Way out there." She pointed with her clawed glove, the sun glinting off its polished tips.
"…You know what, I think I've stretched enough for one evening."
"Why is this happening to us, man?"
"I seriously need to pee,"
Mandalay checked her watch. "It's 9:30 a.m. I'm thinking… noon at the earliest."
"EVERYONE RUN!!!"
"Kitties who don't make it back by 12:30 will be punished… without lunch," Mandalay said cheerfully.
Before anyone could respond, the ground trembled. A massive shadow swept over the group, growing darker and darker. They looked up just in time to see a tidal wave of dirt and sand spilling down from the mountain like an avalanche.
Aizawa turned to Tony and Melissa—both already in armor. "You two are forbidden from using your suits. This is training."
Tony groaned as his armor retreated back into his body. "Gosh darn it…"
The tidal wave hit with crushing force, sweeping the entire class off the cliff in a chaotic spray of dirt.
As they plummeted, Tony's voice rang out over the rushing wind: "Deku! Prioritize those who can't fly—use your tendrils! Momo, shield!"
Deku twisted midair, arms crossing, and black whips erupted from his body, snapping outward and wrapping around multiple classmates.
Momo ripped open her school jacket, revealing her hero costume beneath, and materialized a circular shield emblazoned with a star. She hurled it toward Tony, who caught it mid-fall with Melissa clinging tightly to his back.
He slid the shield under them like a sled, riding the dirt wave down the mountainside. Momo followed suit, creating a wide board and surfing down in perfect balance.
At the base of the cliff, Deku landed hard enough to crack the ground, setting his classmates down gently from the safety of his whips. Moments later, Tony and Momo arrived side by side, Melissa hopping off with a relieved sigh.
Tony kicked the shield into the air, caught it on his arm, and turned just in time to hear Mandalay's voice echo from above.
"This is our private training ground! You can use your quirks as much as you like! You've got three hours to make it through the Beast's Forest—on foot!"
Melissa frowned. "The Beast's Forest? That's not ominous at all…"
Groans spread through the group—except for Mineta, who was sprinting ahead. "I've held it long enough! I really need to pee!"
He froze mid-step. Ahead of him, a hulking, four-legged creature stood blocking the path. It had no eyes, only a maw full of jagged teeth.
Mineta's knees knocked together as he relieved himself. "Uh-oh…"
"AN ACTUAL BEAST!!" Kaminari and Kirishima shouted at once.
The forest erupted into chaos. Tony's shield flew through the air, Deku vanished in a crackling green blur, Iida leapt high, Bakugo blasted forward, and Todoroki unleashed a wave of ice.
Their combined assault tore the monster apart—only for it to crumble into chunks of dirt.
Tony's shield clanged back onto his arm. But then, dozens of eyes blinked open in the treeline, glowing faintly as they locked onto the students.
Without hesitation, Tony strode forward, passing Deku and the others.
"Class 1-A!!" he shouted, Melissa smirked instantly, recognizing the setup, "Assemble!!" Tony roared, voice echoing through the forest.
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