The next day, Mr. Aizawa announced that they would be going to the USJ to perform the rescue missions they weren't able to accomplish last time. It made Mallory nervous to return to the place of the villain attack, but she knew that security had been increased, so there was no need for worry. Still, it was reassuring to know that she wasn't the only one that was apprehensive about going back.

"I know we can't just avoid the USJ, but…." Ochaco trailed off, fidgeting while sitting next to Mallory on the bus. She nodded empathetically; she was fiddling with the tubes and gauges on her wrist to avoid scratching her hands.

"I know what you mean," Mallory sighed. She wanted to reassure her friend, so she put a hand on her shoulder and said, "But you know, there's a saying back home: lightning never strikes the same place twice."

Ochaco paused, seeming to consider the expression while looking up thoughtfully. She turned her eyes to the side. "Um, I'm not sure that's true."

Not that she didn't think Ochaco wasn't intelligent, but Mallory was kind of hoping she wouldn't think too hard about it. She brushed some stray strawberry blonde curls away from her face and replied, "Er, well, no, it's not true. But I don't think something like that will happen again, you know? U.A. beefed up the security, so we should be fine."

Ochaco turned to her and smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Mallory-chan!"

Mallory smiled in return. She still didn't feel entirely comforted herself, but she liked making others feel better.

When they arrived, she was shocked to see Thirteen inside the massive dome. She had been told that his injuries were extensive, and judging by everyone's reaction, she wasn't the only one surprised.

"Thirteen-sensei!" Ochaco cried. "Is it okay for you to be up and around?"

Thirteen opened his arms, showing off his good condition. "My back hurts a little, but I'm fine now! I'm excited to formally teach rescue training to all of you. Let's go." He then turned and walked away unceremoniously.

She was still somewhat concerned, but Mallory was glad that it seemed everyone involved in the villain attack was okay now. Well, Mr. Aizawa wasn't totally healed, but it was a relief to know that he wasn't incapacitated. Besides that, she couldn't help but be a little excited! She had done a lot of independent studying about search and rescue; it was the aspect of heroism that appealed to her the most.

They arrived at the landslide area, where Thirteen explained that three people would be at the bottom of a deep chasm that yawned before them. One person would be unconscious, one would have a broken leg, and the third one would be panicked. Using a stretcher and rope, it would be up to the rescuers to assess the situation and save the distressed persons. On paper it seemed simple enough, and Mallory was already thinking about what she'd do.

However, she wasn't the first to go. That designation went to Ochaco, Izuku, and Tenya as the injured, and Shoto, Katsuki, Momo, and Fumikage as the rescuers. The rest of the class stepped back, and in no time at all, Katsuki was angry at the prospect of working at any capacity with Izuku.

Mallory could only scratch her head, sorely befuddled by his personality. He had all the makings of a great hero except for attitude - why was he like that to begin with? Was he even aware of how he acted, or did he just not care? She didn't get it, especially when he proposed blowing up the mountain to get to the trio. Maybe he was as dumb as he was aggressive?

Shoto ignored him completely, instead coming up with a much more reasonable plan. Katsuki wasn't letting up, though, and just when Mallory started to think nothing would get done, Momo took control. She yelled down to the group in distress, reassuring them first before preparing a pulley to lower Fumikage.

"She's really good," Eijiro marveled, and Mallory nodded in agreement beside him. She knew what she was doing, and she admired that about her.

But I know what to do, too, Mallory thought. Momo was smart, polite, and their Quirks were similar in a lot of ways; they had been regularly talking during lunch, and Mallory had begun to feel close to her, if only a little. Even if it was superficial - it wasn't as though they knew much about each other's personal lives - she really liked her, and wanted to be as confident as her. If she could find a way to one up Momo here, just once, she thought she would feel better about her own potential to be a hero.

It didn't take too long for all of the students to take turns, and soon she was placed in the final group of rescuers with Mashirao, Izuku, and Ochaco. Tsuyu played the role as the one with the broken leg, Koji was unconscious, and Kyoka was the one in distress.

"Alright you four, go ahead and start!" Thirteen said.

Mallory let her excitement take over as she stepped to the edge of the cavern, calling over her shoulder, "Um, so, I think there's something everyone's forgotten to do."

"Huh?" Katsuki was on the defensive right away, raising his eyebrows and pulling his lips back like a mad dog.

Momo shot a distasteful glance at him before turning a puzzled expression to her, holding a hand to her cheek. "I did?" she asked.

Mallory nodded. "Well, er, I think so."

She turned back to the people below and cupped her hands around her mask. "Don't worry!" she yelled. "We're heroes; we're here to help you!"

"Thank goodness!" Kyoka replied. "We're saved!" She didn't sound the most enthusiastic, but that was okay.

"Is anyone hurt?"

"I'm fine, but one guy is unconscious, and there's a girl with an injured leg!"

"Is the unconscious person breathing?"

"Yes!"

"Are there any noticeable injuries? Is anyone bleeding anywhere?"

"Uh, no! Please hurry; I'm so scared!"

Mallory smiled, glad that Kyoka was playing along so well. "Don't worry, we'll be down there in a minute!"

Mallory looked over at her team; Ochaco was already in the gear and ready to propel down. "Oh! Uh, actually, I think I should go down first."

Everyone looked at her quizzically. "Why's that?" Izuku asked.

"If this is the real deal, then we should send someone with medical knowledge down first to assess the situation. That'd be me, in this case."

Thirteen interjected now. "Very good!" He nodded in approval, then turned to everyone. "Tinker-san has made several good points. What everyone failed to do was ask questions. Knowing what's down there beforehand is vital when you're preparing for extraction, and getting an able person to help before you reach them can mean the difference between life and death.

"It also distracts the panicked individual. In some instances, people are so distressed that they'll impede a hero's work, so it's important to find something for them to do. Or in Tinker-san's case, her Quirk would allow her to sedate people, calming them down or slowing down their body's processes in case someone is hurt. It's good to not only understand your Quirk's weaknesses, but it's strengths as well. It looks like you know all about your own capabilities. Very insightful, Tinker-san!"

Everyone was looking at her, and although that would normally embarrass her, she was beaming. Praised by a professional hero! It gave her a new burst of energy. "I'm CPR certified, too, which was another reason why I wanted to go down there."

It was hard to read his face, but Mallory thought Thirteen was smiling at her. "Perfect! Go ahead and proceed."

There was a murmur among the students as she helped Ochaco out of the harness and put it on herself. "She's right; I didn't think about asking questions like that. I guess I got caught up in knowing it's fake," she heard Momo say.

"She's good at this kind of thing, too!" Denki agreed. The compliments made her positively ecstatic. She didn't realize recognition could feel so good.

"Be careful," Mashirao warned as she braced herself at the edge. She nodded, happy that he cared about her, and began to descend the side of the cliff.

She finally made it to the bottom and regarded the trio in need. "Alright, I'm here to assess your injuries!"

Well, she knew no one was really hurt, so instead she reiterated what both she and Thirteen had just talked about. By the time she had finished, Ochaco was at the bottom as well.

Feeling playful, Mallory saluted to her. "Reporting! Everyone here is accounted for and stable. We can begin extraction!"

The four girls laughed and Koji smiled, peering at the group with one eye open. "Alright, then. I can take it from here. You're relieved from duties!" Ochaco teased, tapping Mallory on the shoulder. She felt like her stomach flipped over, and suddenly she was rising into the air.

"Whoa!" She knew about Ochaco's Quirk, of course, but actually experiencing it was completely new. She felt dizzy and nauseous for a moment as she watched everyone shrink below her, but when she looked up, she thought it was kind of fun. But most importantly, she was glad she was wearing knee-length leggings under her skirt.

"Hey!" When she reached the lip of the ledge, she instinctively stuck her arms out in front of her. Both Mashirao and Izuku grabbed her hands and pulled her closer towards the ground.

"Uraraka-san, she's good!" Mashirao shouted.

Suddenly her weight returned, and she landed hard on her feet. She would have liked to linger on that weightless sensation for a moment longer, but she supposed that wasn't totally appropriate. Mashirao released her, and she nodded her thanks. However, Izuku wasn't quite so fast on the uptake.

When she looked over at him, wondering why on earth he was still holding her hand, she noticed that he was intensely staring at it. The realization made her flinch. She wondered what he was thinking as he regarded her flesh. A grim and permanent reminder of how dangerous she was, even to herself.

But more pressing, people were going to stare, and she couldn't bear drawing attention to herself in that way. "Um...Midoriya-kun?"

That snapped him out of it. He gasped and dropped her hand, his face turning red. "Ah! S-Sorry, it's nothing!"

Fortunately, it didn't look like anyone else had witnessed their awkward exchange. She stepped back as the remaining students were brought out of the cavern by Ochaco, clasping her hands behind her and trying not to scratch. In the same way her Quirk responded to extreme emotional distress, the skin on her hands always seemed to get itchy even when she was mildly discomforted. She knew it was psychological, but she just never seemed able to kick that feeling.

Once Ochaco had reached the top with the rest of the class, Thirteen clapped his hands together. "Everyone did a remarkable job! I'm very impressed. Now it's time for our second drill! This way, class."

AN: I just want to say, THANK YOU to everyone for your favorites, follows, kudos, and comments! They always make my day. I am so happy that I can entertain you! Please always let me know if you have any criticism to offer as well. I worry a lot about Mallory's characterization, because I keep thinking I'm not keeping her consistent. If anyone agrees or disagrees with me, I'd love to know that. If you have any tips, that's even better.

I've kind of drifted away from my previous formula of sticking to the events of each episode per chapter, but I figured that's a good thing in order to flesh out Mallory's relationships, and she won't be a prominent figure in arcs to come. But I do have plenty of more content (including original!) to write, and I hope that excites you.

Again, thank you so much for reading! I hope you will continue to look forward to the chapters to come.

Go beyond!

PLUS ULTRA!