"Good. Now, we need to decide who takes the decoys and who keeps the real thing." I looked between the two idiots.
"Hmph. What do you mean decide?"
Bakugo's lip curled, sparks snapping from his palms. "Obviously, I'm holding the real one."
I frowned. "No offense, but that's a terrible idea."
"Newsflash, Ken. I wasn't asking." His hands flared like firecrackers, itching for an excuse. "Now hand it over."
"I disagree." Todoroki finally spoke, voice flat as ever. "You're not suited for it. I'll take the weapon."
"Like hell you will!" Bakugo shot back instantly. "You think I'm letting some knockoff guard the win condition while I'm out there doing the heavy lifting? Screw that!"
Todoroki's eyes narrowed. "If you're holding it, you'll attract every hero on purpose just to show off. That recklessness will lose us the match. I'll keep it safe."
Bakugo barked a laugh, stepping closer. "You think I'm trusting my fate to you? Not a chance. If either of you screw up, I fail too. And I don't fail."
He swung an arm, anger twisting across his face. "Nobody decides my fate. Got it?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. "Both of you—shut up."
They both turned toward me.
"I swear Takumi, you tell me that one more time and I'll ...."
"There are two ways this goes," I cut him off. My patience was fraying. "Option one: we pick the most suitable to hold the real thing. Option two: we hide it somewhere neutral."
I glanced at them both. "If we're going by the first criteria, then I'm the one holding the bomb."
The look on their faces could've rivaled All Might telling them he was quitting.
"What the hell makes you think that?" Bakugo snarled.
"Because my power makes me practically untouchable," I said calmly, stretching an arm. "You know it, Bakugo. Your explosions can't crack my barrier. And you saw the assessment results—I'm faster, stronger, more agile than either of you. My senses are enhanced too. No one's sneaking up on me."
That just pissed him off more. "Don't think beating me once makes you better! It's been ten months. I'm not the same damn guy you fought back then! Regardless, it still doesn't change the fact that I don't trust anyone but myself to hold the lifeline."
I cut him off again. "Which is why… we're going with option two."
Being referee for these two was the last thing I wanted, but if I didn't, this whole exam would implode. Sure, I could pass alone—but that'd tank my teamwork score and make me look like an uncooperative asshole.
"Since no one's comfortable, we hide the real weapon somewhere none of us will be. Somewhere defensible, but not obvious. Then we split up, run separate distractions, and whoever finishes their hero team first gets to claim the prize."
I paused.
"Is that doable?"
"Agreed." Todoroki nodded.
"Perfect. It means I don't have to wait around for you extras to maybe win," Bakugo added with a savage grin. "I like it. First one done gets the bragging rights."
Finally. A solution that stroked both their egos.
We bent over the map. I tapped a finger on an underground maintenance tunnel branching off the central plaza. "Here. Out of sight, multiple choke points, not near the entry gates. Easy to guard if one of us needs to intercept."
No objections. Miraculous.
Then, we moved the real bomb into the shadows of the tunnel, disguising it under debris I created myself by shattering one of the underground pillars myself.
'That's a pretty strong quirk!'
I heard Todoroki's thoughts.
"Alright then. Let's split the decoys."
The rest of the devices we split between ourselves to scatter. Just as we finished, All Might's voice boomed over the comms:
"FIVE MINUTES REMAINING, VILLAINS!"
"Perfect timing." I shut the case with a click and straightened.
Todoroki adjusted his gloves. "Then we need to decide our positions."
I pointed at the map. "I'll take the shopping complex near the south entry. It's wide, lots of cover, and multiple chokepoints. Perfect for stalling a team."
Bakugo snorted. "Tch. Fine. I'll take the east. More open space. Gives me room to blow them sky-high."
"Then I'll handle the north," Todoroki said evenly.
Bakugo turned toward the tunnel exit, sparks dancing across his palms. "Just stay out of my way, extras. I'll finish mine first and come back before either of you losers even get started."
He stormed off without waiting for an answer.
Todoroki gave me a look, unreadable as ever, before heading his own way.
I rubbed my temples. "…Yeah. This'll go smoothly." Total lie.
---
Meanwhile,
At the southern gate, Class 1-A's "hero team" clustered together, nerves buzzing like static.
Iida gave orders with multiple gestures. "Remember—this is a search-and-secure mission. Coordination comes first. We cannot charge in blindly."
"Right!" Uraraka pumped her fist, trying to inject some energy into the group.
Midoriya nodded quickly, but his muttering had already started up. "Indeed. Three villains. Eighteen heroes. The odds are stacked but if they're smart, they won't stay together. Which means… no, more likely they'll split the bombs, maybe create diversions—no, that's exactly what they'll do. Each of them is strong enough to anchor an area. Bakugo would probably go off on his own to eliminate the hero teams …"
Asui tilted her head. "You know a lot about Bakugo."
Midoriya blinked. "Ah, w-well, we grew up together. I've seen him fight plenty of times. Not so sure about Todoroki though. We know his abilities involve manipulating ice but we can't tell to what extent."
"What about Ken?" Ochaco asked. "From Aizawa-sensei's assessment yesterday, it looked like some kind of physical enhancement. He's strong and fast, right?"
Midoriya hesitated. His eyes dropped. "…Not exactly. It's more than that."
"How do you mean Midoriya?"
The others glanced at him. Even Koda tilted his head.
Midoriya swallowed "When the sludge villain attacked… he saved me. Saved Kacchan too. His quirk does boost his body, yeah, but that's not all. He has a barrier. Stops attacks outright. And those rods he makes…" He shivered at the memory. "If they touch you, you can't move. Like your nerves just… shut off. At least that's how he explained it back then ..."
His words surprised everyone.
"Paralyzing rods and barriers?"
"He can do that too?"
Koda let out a tiny noise. Sato muttered, "That's… messed up."
"Is all that really one quirk?" Ochaco asked, eyes wide.
Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I've been trying to figure that out, but—"
"So basically," Iida cut in, tone grim, "he's offense, defense, and crowd control rolled into one."
Midoriya nodded reluctantly. "From what I've seen… yeah. Honestly, he might be the strongest of the three. If we run into him, we can't just treat him like a brawler. He'll predict our moves, counter them, and—"
BOOM!
The ground trembled, cutting him off. Dust plumed from the east, rattling the gate hinges.
All Might's voice boomed overhead:
"PREPARATION TIME IS OVER! BEGIN!"
The gates groaned open.
For a heartbeat, no one moved. The mock city loomed, silent and watchful. Every rooftop could hide a villain. Every shadow could spring a trap.
Iida's engines roared as he stepped forward, determination hardening his voice. "Information first! We must not blunder into an ambush!"
"R-Right!" Uraraka said, nerves tightening her smile.
"Stay calm. Work together," Tsuyu added, tongue flicking briefly.
Midoriya's chest tightened. Kacchan, Todoroki, Ken… each one of them was dangerous on their own. Together? This isn't going to be like the entrance exam.
He clenched his fists. "We can do this," he whispered, half to himself. "We just have to be smart."
Sato cracked his knuckles. "Then let's move. Time to show what teamwork can do."
"Y-yeah,"
And with that, Team A charged through the gates.
The instant they crossed the threshold, the air changed—thicker, heavier. The city wasn't just a training ground anymore. It was a battlefield.
"Alright. If we're going to find the bombs, we need to find the villains first. Koda, can you ..."
BOOM!
___
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