All Might pulled a stack of papers from somewhere. Izuku had no idea where. The man's costume didn't have pockets. Maybe he'd just manifested them through sheer force of heroic willpower.
"Now then! The scenario is this!" All Might announced, consulting the papers with a dramatic flourish. "The villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout! The heroes must stop them! The heroes win by capturing the villains with these capture tapes or by touching the weapon core! The villains win by capturing the heroes or if time runs out!"
Momo raised her hand.
"Excuse me, All Might-sensei. What is the time limit for each match?"
All Might's smile flickered.
"Ah! Yes! That would be... fifteen minutes!"
He'd clearly just made that up.
Iida's hand shot up next.
"What determines how teams are selected? Will it be based on complementary Quirks? Combat statistics? Academic performance?"
"Teams will be selected by lottery!" All Might held up a box that definitely hadn't been there a second ago. "Drawing lots!"
"Is it possible for a team to be all villains or all heroes by chance?"
"No! I've arranged the lots to ensure proper matchups!"
"Then it's not truly random—"
"MOVING ON!"
Kaminari raised his hand.
"Can we use our Quirks to their full extent? Like, no holding back?"
"You should avoid causing serious injury to your opponents! But otherwise, yes! Go beyond!"
"What counts as serious injury?"
All Might's eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
"Use your judgment!"
Tsuyu spoke up without raising her hand.
"Kero. What if someone gets injured anyway? Is there a medic on standby?"
"Recovery Girl is monitoring from the nurse's office!"
"What's the building layout?" Momo asked.
"You'll receive building maps before your match!"
"How much time do villains get to prepare?" Kirishima chimed in.
"Five minutes!"
"Can the villains move the weapon?"
All Might's grip on his papers tightened.
"No! The weapon must remain in place!"
Izuku watched the exchange with growing amusement. All Might was drowning. Every question revealed another gap in his preparation. The man was the greatest hero alive, capable of leveling city blocks with a punch, able to inspire millions with a single smile.
Teaching teenagers?
That was apparently his kryptonite.
Bakugo hadn't asked any questions. He stood apart from the group, arms crossed, massive gauntlets gleaming. His red eyes were fixed on Izuku with the intensity of a predator watching prey.
Except Izuku wasn't prey.
Not anymore.
Their eyes met across the crowd.
Bakugo's lip curled.
Izuku smiled pleasantly.
The air between them could have spontaneously combusted.
"ENOUGH QUESTIONS!" All Might finally declared, his voice carrying a hint of desperation beneath the bravado. "Let's determine the teams!"
He thrust his hand into the lottery box.
"Team A! Midoriya and..."
The paper crinkled.
"Yaoyorozu!"
Momo stepped forward, her expression composed. Professional. Her costume caught the sunlight, the red material stark against her pale skin.
Izuku allowed himself exactly one second to appreciate the view before refocusing.
Teammate. Not distraction.
Focus.
"Team B! Todoroki and Shoji!"
Hitomi's heterochromatic eyes remained fixed forward. Shoji's multiple arms shifted.
"Team C! Asui and Tokoyami!"
Tsuyu hopped slightly. Tokoyami nodded once, his dark shadow rustling.
"Team D! Bakugo and Iida!"
Bakugo's scowl deepened.
Iida began chopping his arms in some kind of celebratory gesture.
The contrast was almost painful.
All Might continued through the remaining teams. Kirishima ended up with Sero. Kaminari got Jiro, which prompted an audible groan from her direction. Toru was paired with Ochaco, which meant Izuku would have to watch two of his favorite people compete without him.
Interesting.
"Now! The first match!"
All Might reached into another box.
"Heroes will be... Team A!"
Izuku felt the words land like a physical weight.
First match.
Of course.
"Villains will be... Team D!"
Bakugo's head snapped toward him.
That familiar smile spread across the explosive boy's face. The one that promised violence. The one that had haunted Izuku's childhood.
The one that meant absolutely nothing now.
"Well." Izuku's voice carried across the training ground. "Isn't this convenient."
"DEKU."
Bakugo stalked toward him. Students parted like water before a shark. His gauntlets sparked with barely contained explosions.
"I've been waiting for this."
"Have you?" Izuku didn't move. Didn't flinch. "I've mostly been thinking about lunch. The katsudon was excellent."
"You think you're funny?"
"I think I'm hilarious."
"I'm going to destroy you."
"You've been saying that for ten years, Kacchan." Izuku let the childhood nickname drip with condescension. "Still waiting."
Bakugo's entire body trembled. Smoke rose from his palms. His jaw clenched so hard the muscles in his neck stood out.
"This isn't middle school anymore. This isn't whatever trash heap you've been training at. This is U.A. And I'm going to prove, once and for all, that you're nothing."
Izuku stepped closer.
The height difference became immediately apparent. He had a good two inches on Bakugo now. Funny how time changed things.
"Remember our last real fight?" Izuku asked quietly. "When we were ten?"
Bakugo's eye twitched.
"What's your point?"
Izuku leaned down slightly. His voice dropped to a whisper that only Bakugo could hear.
"This time there won't be a tie."
He straightened.
Smiled.
Walked away.
Bakugo stood frozen for three full seconds before exploding.
"GET BACK HERE, DEKU!"
"Young Bakugo!" All Might's hand landed on the boy's shoulder. "Save that energy for the match!"
Izuku didn't look back.
He had a strategy to plan.
The waiting room was sparse. Metal walls. Fluorescent lighting. A table with building blueprints spread across it.
Momo stood on the other side, studying the layouts with intense concentration.
"The weapon is most likely on the fifth floor," she said without looking up. "Two primary access points. Stairwell A on the east side. Stairwell B on the west. There's also an elevator shaft, but it's likely been disabled for the exercise."
"You've been studying."
"I always study." Her eyes finally lifted to meet his. "Bakugo is volatile. Aggressive. He'll want to confront us directly rather than guard the weapon. Iida is more disciplined. He'll likely stay with the objective while Bakugo hunts."
Smart girl.
Izuku appreciated that.
"You've done your homework on our classmates too."
"Information is as valuable as any Quirk, Midoriya-san."
Izuku moved to stand beside her. Their shoulders nearly touched. He could smell her shampoo. Something expensive. Subtle.
Focus.
"Call me Izuku."
Momo's composure flickered.
"That would be... inappropriate. We've only just met."
"We're partners now. Might as well be comfortable with each other."
Her cheeks colored slightly.
"Midoriya-san."
"Izuku."
"Midoriya."
"Izu—"
"What is your strategy?"
Izuku laughed.
She was adorable when she was flustered. All that poise and intelligence crumbling at the edges because a boy stood too close and asked her to use his first name.
"Bakugo will come for me," Izuku said, turning his attention back to the blueprints. "You're right about that. He can't help himself. He's been waiting years to prove he's better than me."
"And you want to fight him."
It wasn't a question.
Izuku considered lying.
Decided against it.
"Yeah. I do."
"That's not strategically optimal. If we avoid him and reach the weapon directly—"
"Momo."
She stopped.
"I know it's not optimal. I know the smart play is to sneak past him. Let him rage around the lower floors while we secure the objective."
He turned to face her fully.
"But some things matter more than winning smart. This is something I need to do."
Momo's eyes searched his face. Looking for something. Understanding, maybe. Or weakness.
She found neither.
"You're asking me to trust you."
"I'm asking you to let me handle Bakugo while you go for the weapon. Iida's fast, but he's not creative. You can outthink him."
"That's a significant risk."
"It is."
Silence stretched between them.
Momo's expression shifted. The analytical mask cracked just slightly, revealing something curious beneath. Something interested.
"You're strange, Midoriya-san."
"Izuku."
"Midoriya." She gathered the blueprints. "I'll engage Iida. You handle Bakugo. But if this goes wrong—"
"It won't."
"If it does," she continued firmly, "I expect a thorough explanation afterward."
"You'll have one."
Momo nodded once.
Professional.
Except for the lingering glance she shot at his arms as she walked toward the door.
Izuku noticed.
She noticed him notice.
Her face went pink.
She walked faster.
Adorable.
The building loomed before them. Five stories of concrete and steel. Somewhere inside, Bakugo was waiting. Probably pacing. Definitely furious.
Good.
Angry opponents made mistakes.
"Heroes! Villain team! Your match begins in sixty seconds!" All Might's voice boomed through hidden speakers. "Villain team may begin preparations!"
Izuku stretched his arms. Rolled his shoulders. The bodysuit moved with him, unrestricted. The gauntlets felt comfortable on his forearms. The escrima sticks waited in their holsters.
Everything was ready.
"Nervous?"
Momo stood beside him. Her costume left very little to imagination. The exposure was necessary for her Quirk. She'd explained as much during their brief strategy session. The more skin available, the larger the objects she could create.
Still.
That was a lot of skin.
"No," Izuku answered.
"You should be. Bakugo is dangerous. His Quirk is combat-oriented. Yours is..."
"Nonexistent."
Momo's expression softened.
"I didn't mean—"
"I know what you meant." Izuku smiled. It was genuine. "And you're not wrong. He's got firepower I can't match. Speed that rivals mine. Experience using his Quirk in combat that I'll never have."
"Then why aren't you nervous?"
"Because none of that matters."
Momo tilted her head.
"I don't understand."
"Quirks are tools, Momo. Powerful tools. But tools don't win fights. People win fights. And I've spent ten years learning how to win against people with better tools."
The timer counted down.
Thirty seconds.
"You're confident."
"I am."
"That could be arrogance."
"Probably is." Izuku grinned. "Doesn't make me wrong."
Momo stared at him for a long moment.
Then she laughed.
"You're definitely strange, Midoriya-san."
"Izuku."
"Absolutely not."
"Worth a shot."
"BEGIN!"