The villains stood in front of the lake like an imposing army, awaiting orders. Towards the front were what seemed to be the three generals: the man of black mist, a thin young man covered in hands, and a large black creature with a beak-like mouth and an exposed brain, which was protected by a transparent casing.

"We are here to kill All Might. Perhaps some dead kids will get his attention. Either way, the 'Symbol of Peace' will die today."

Aizawa readied his scarf and took a battle-ready stance. For a man only in his 30s, he had the body language of a seasoned veteran. This is what it was to be a pro-hero.

"Thirteen, evacuate the students and try calling for backup. The sensors aren't working apparently and neither are most communications channels. Must be an electric villain. Kaminari, back Thirteen up by trying to reach the school. I'm going in." Flipping his scarf over his shoulder, the scruffy homeroom teacher prepared for battle.

Izuku objected, fearing for his teacher. One person alone could not handle that many villains at once, especially someone whose quirk relied on eye contact.

As such, the One-for-All holder started to info dump his objections but was stopped courtly.

"No pro hero worth their salt is a one-trick Pony," Aizawa spoke gruffly before pulling his goggles down and jumping into battle. "Get going!"

Izuku nodded reluctantly, hesitating before he ran towards the exit with his classmates. He watched nervously for a second as Aizawa seemed outgunned. However, the season's pro soon proved to his pupil that he was more than capable.

Watching from a distance, the lead villain sighed while scratching his neck. "What a pain. Kurogiri, take the exit."

"Gladly, young master" the misty gentleman bowed and got to work, soon appearing in front of the main door.

"I am afraid we can't have that, my dear children. I cannot permit anyone to leave."

"Stand down, pal. We don't want trouble." Kirishima punched the palm of his hand, trying to bluff out the misty villain. Ibara similarly stepped up, growing out her vines in a defensive stance.

"Agreed. Be gone, foul specter!" She hissed

They might have been students, but he couldn't just sit still and allow themselves and their classmates to be hostages of this humanoid void, or any other villain for that matter.

"I think not" the void spoke back. This prompted both Ibara and Kirishima to attack. Alas, they were absorbed by the mist and had disappeared.

A swirling ebony vortex grew from the villain and surrounded the class, swallowing all but a few. Tenya had managed to grab Sato while Shoji shielded Ochako and Mina. Izuku, Tsuyu, Kirishima, and the rest, however, had been sucked into the mist and scattered elsewhere.

Mina could see from the corner of her eye as her friends and boyfriend vanished before her very eyes.

Izuku appeared in the air high above the massive lake within the USJ and could feel his heart squeeze as he plunged into the water below.

His eyes barely adjusted to the water as the bubbles cleared. He could see a menacing shape dart towards him.

"Sorry kid. Nothin' personal, but say goodbye!"

Izuku wanted to scream but water filled his mouth and lungs as he did so. Was this really how it was going to end?

"Hang on tight." A voice called out from underwater before it's owner kicked the Sharkman with full force. It was Tsuyu, and she had Mineta under her right arm

The frog girl wrapped her long tongue around her friend and rocketed out of the water.

"GOODBYE!"

Izuku gasped for air as he was dropped onto the deck of a simulated ship.

"I can't do this! We're just first years! We have to face supervillains!?" Mineta sobbed uncontrollably, suiting his stature and the diaper he wore. It was meant to be a bowl but it didn't look like one to most people.

Izuku tried taking stock of the situation but he couldn't blame his classmate. It was almost symbolic that they had been warped to the shipwreck zone, as the three students were in too deep and their chances of getting out were sinking.

"What do ya think, Midoriya?"

"You...You can call me Izuku, Tsuyu. You just did in fact." the green-haired boy sighed thoughtfully as he assessed the situation.

The frog girl croaked contentedly, taking a spot next to her friend, watching him intently.

"Just making sure we're on the same page still. Kind of weird not having to correct you anymore. So what's the plan, Izuku?" Tsuyu asked.

"We get back to our friends and stick together. I have no idea what everyone else is doing. Yaoyorozu should have a plan but I don't know where she ended up or with whom. All I know is that we have to get off here."

"HOW!? WE'RE DOOMED! WE ONLY HAVE TWO TEACHERS HERE AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'RE ALIVE! GAH, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M GOING TO DIE A VIRGIN!"

Izuku thought to himself, racking his brain trying to think why the villains were doing this. There were obvious reasons for them to want to eliminate the top hero. And yet it wasn't adding up still.

"We're outnumbered, outclassed...but if they want a fight...we're going to have to give it to them."

"I think I figured it out but things still don't add up. They knew we would be here. Or specifically that All Might was supposed to chaperone. They even organized villains with quirks suited for USJ. Maybe they got the info somehow when the school was put into lockdown."

"Who cares though! We're goners! Gone-" the erratic Mineta was silenced by Tsuyu.

"So what is standing out to you, ribbit?"

"You are...they zapped you into the flood zone. So that means they don't know our quirks. They thought that by dividing and scattering us that they could win. But not knowing what we can do? If anything, that gives us an advantage here."

Tsuyu nodded, understanding where her friend was coming from. "So we should share what we can do with each other, right? Come up with a plan from there, ribbit?"

"Yeah. I know your quirk is that you can do pretty much whatever a frog can do. Mine…" Izuku paused, taking a moment to explain how his quirk worked without giving away how All Might was connected.

"That's right. I can also secrete poisonous mucus from my body and regurgitate my stomach if I need to. Neither of those are very useful here, gero," Tsuyu chimed in as she listened intently.

"I still think they're cool, Tsu...if a bit gross. Mine… is closer to a distant relative's, I suppose. I can increase the output of my body strength but at the cost of whatever body part I use. Pretty much a double-edged sword of super strength but not without really messing me up. How about you, Mineta?"

Izuku and Tsuyu turned to face their miniscule classmate, who grabbed a sticky glob from atop his head.

"My hair is pretty much just sticky balls. If I use too many, I start to bleed but they grow back. The better I feel that day, the stickier they are, but they bounce off me like rubber," the short boy explained. A pause filled the air and he started to panic. "How can sticky balls, breaking your own bones, and vomiting your stomach going to help us? I mean, the rest of what you guys can do is useful, but... We need help! What if help never comes? WE'RE BONED! BOOOOOOONED, I SAY!"

Izuku was not violent. He hated the thought of it. He wouldn't call himself a pacifist. If he was, his quirk would suit him even less than it did now. Still, his life history made him flinch at the thought of hitting someone else.

So even he was shocked when he slapped Mineta.

"Sorry. I-I shouldn't have, but we have to pull ourselves together. You have a good quirk. I just don't know how we can use it yet."

Just then, the ship they were on cracked him half from a villain attack, shocking the trio out of their conversation.

"God, can you brats stop yappin'? It's boring just swimming around here. Be good little casualties and get down here." A fish-like villain shouted angrily. The shark villain from before spoke up as well.

"Yeah. Yer all chum in five minutes."

Izuku cursed himself that life wasn't like one of Kirishima's shonen anime. Then those five minutes would be approximately an hour or so. Alas, this was reality.

"WAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The green-haired boy turned to see Mineta screaming in panic while throwing a flurry of sticky balls.

"What the heck, Mineta? You gave away your tactical advantage. Now they know what you can do."

"Mineta, did you really come here to be a hero?" Tsuyu asked calmly, her placid demeanor holding a mild hint of disappointment.

"Both of you shut up! You're crazy if you're not freaking out right now! We were just middle schoolers not that long ago. How are we supposed to face freaking villains!?"

Before Izuku could respond with "I mean, Hawks…", he noticed that the villains in the water were avoiding the sticky balls that Mineta had thrown towards them. He rescinded his planned retort anyway, realizing that they weren't all prodigies and that the situation was pretty terrifying

"Huh. I guess they still don't know exactly what they can do, gero," Tsuyu observed.

Izuku stood steadfast and clenched his fist, teeth gritting together as he mustered up the nerve. With a deep breath, He spoke from the heart.

"Listen. 'The moment the enemy thinks they've won is your best chance at victory.'

I remember that vividly from an old interview All Might conducted years ago. I used to watch it on repeat, sometimes when I felt hopeless and was ready to cry myself to sleep.

My mom often had to pick me up and take me away from the computer. I never really got a tablet until middle school… but the point is...this is our best shot at getting out of here alive. We have to take it!"

Bakugou's wild yet refined instincts flashed in Izuku's mind like a montage. The thoughts stung, as if they shared a quirk with the One-for-All holder's greatest tormentor. What hurt more was that there was still some level of admiration there.

However, someone else had taken the blonde boy's place. Someone with a powerful quirk but a sunnier disposition. He thought of them all: Bakugou, All Might, Tsuyu, Kirishima, and Mina. His Mina. He didn't know where she was thrown to, if anywhere, but he was determined to see her again. It was in that moment that he channeled the greatest friend he ever had in his young life.

"Okay! LEEEEEET'S PAAAAARTYYYYYYY!" he screamed, leaping off the boat with a feral grin. His stomach was in knots and his body was running on adrenaline, but Izuku wasn't ready to go down like this. If there was a way, he would need the will. "Welcome to USJ!"

His mind slowed down and analyzed the situation. He would be heading into greater danger, even if he did escape. What's more, he would be down an arm after this gambit, or at the very least his pointer finger and thumb. But heroes did what they had to for a brighter day. "I can't hit all of those villains below, but I might be able to make a good enough splash to escape with. I just hope this shockwave is enough. It will have to be…"

"Man, this is too much. First that one crybaby kid starts panicking, now this one has a death wish."

"Shigaraki told us to be on guard, but I dunno. We might not know what they can do, but this is our element. The only one who might be a threat is that frog girl, and we have her outnumbered." The lead villain ruminated with a toothy smirk.

The smile was short lived, however, as Izuku flicked his finger. He visualized the egg in the microwave and hissed through his teeth before releasing a primal yell. "DELAWARE SMAAAAAASH!"

A massive whirlpool formed as a violent wave of air pressure dented the surface of the water.

"What the SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

"MINETA, TSUYU! GRAB ON, NOW!" Izuku screamed as the pain shot through his fingers and up his arm, two of extremities dangling pimply like battered flags.

"Dammit, Midoriya. How are you so cool?" Mineta cried as he clung to his classmates. He flung more sticky balls at the villains, watching as they hit their mark

X

Iida was at a loss. He came from a successful lineage of heroes, the latest in a proud line of speedsters whose proud hearts roared like the engines sprouting from their limbs. He had wished to do UA proud; to do his family proud. They were one of the chief reasons it was "UA or nothing" for him.

And yet for all his seriousness and drive and pride, the bespectacled boy was stuck. His mind was racing. This wasn't a training exercise or some scheduled sparring match. This was the very thing his family trained for for years and he was reminded in That instant how much he paled in comparison.

"Hey Iida, do you have a plan? You're kind of our de facto student government right now, with Yaomomo and Izu missing" Mina asked with worry on her face. Ochako appeared beside her with a similar expression.

"Yeah, plus you are super serious and all about thinking ahead."

"The girls said it, dude. You're our best option for a plan, so what's it going to be?" Sero spoke out as well, arms behind his head as he looked to the ceiling before switching his gaze to the speedster.

The blue-haired boy felt overwhelmed. He didn't feel qualified. Why were his classmates looking towards him? What had he done to inspire such a response?

"You're class president correct?" Thirteen turned to Tenya and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your classmates seem to be looking to you at this moment."

"I am afraid not. That position went to Yaoyorozu. Unfortunately, she was swallowed by that fiend's quirk, alongside Midoriya, our vice president…" he froze, teeth clenched out of frustration. To think he was even mildly jealous. What would he have done now if he were class president. What would he even do now?

"Hey! You said you wanted leadership, right, Iida? This is a perfect opportunity. You're the fastest here and our best chance of getting help." Ochako spoke steadfastly.

"She's right, dude. You seem super dedicated. Kinda scary in a way. I admire it, though and I know for a fact Izu does too. So buck up, Mr. Roboto! We'll cover you!" Mina smiled and gave a thumbs up.

Your classmates are right. You are our best hope right now. Please, young Iida. Use your quirk to save us." Thirteen pleaded calmly, eyes staring intensely yet kindly from beneath their helmet visor.

"I am afraid I can hear you all and, suffice it to say, I have no intention of making it easy. You children show promise. I will give you that. All the more reason not to let you out of my sights." The black mist villain spread out, blocking the exit. "Seriously though, discussing strategy loudly in front of the enemy? Beyond foolhardy!"

Thirteen stepped in and started using their quirk to suck up the black mist. They pointed at the mysterious villain, fingertips unlatching as a black hole sucked the enemy in.

"Go! Now! Your position in your class is irrelevant. You are the best equipped for this situation. Go get help. I will deal with this villain! As for you, it doesn't matter if you heard our plans. We will stop you!" The space hero glared at the villain known as Kuroguri.

"Will you? I admit your quirk is strong. Alas, the biggest weak points are exposed when a strong power is turned on itself. Observe!"

On cue, a portal opened up behind Thirteen and their quirk came out the otherside, sucking violently at the astronaut hero. Ochako and Mina cried out in shock as their teacher was torn apart by their own quirk, a huge gash ripped into their costume by the force of "Black hole".

"It seems that a mere disaster relief hero is not much better than the man on the street. A pity that we were too big a disaster for you. And now with the shepherd disposed of, I shall tend to the flock. I think I will start with you." Yellow eyes narrows within the formless fog as it shot out at Tenya. The tall boy winced, but stood strong until his vision was obfuscated.

Sato and Sero stepped in, shielding their classmate. The former shot out Tape in order to form a barrier. It was haphazard and rudimentary, getting torn down in seconds. And yet, he persisted while Sato provided backup.

"There are alarms on the outside. That means these guys are only causing trouble here. If you can get outside, you should be clear!" the yellow-clad hero student interjected.

"C'mon, man. Did you hear Thirteen? You're our best bet. Get out of here. We'll cover you!"

Tenya ran, face painted with panic as the image of his disfigured teacher stabbed into his fragile young psyche. Shoji tried tackling and containing some of the black mist as well, doing his part to clear Tenya's way out.

"This is becoming tiresome, four eyes. You keep underestimating me. Vanish!" A black void opened up like a hungry maw, ready to devour Tenya.

It was at that moment that Ochako noticed something. Mina saw a glint of determination in her eye. "What are you doing, Ochako?" the pink girl shouted.

"He was wearing a silver thing...like a neck brace." the brunette said quietly to her friend. It clicked into place for the pink girl.

"That thing has a neck? ...Of course! That means-" Mina cut herself off as she kneeled down by Thirteen's injured body. "I'll keep an eye on Thirteen. Kick his butt!"

Nodding with a fierce smile, the brunette flung herself towards the glint of metal. "Hey you! Don't underestimate us!" she screamed as she lunged at the bracer and activated her quirk on it, sending Kurogiri skyward.

"What the-" the misty gentleman exclaimed. He felt his body solidify and jerk as a leash of tape caught onto him, courtesy of Sero.

The raven-haired boy swung with all his might and let go, sending Kuroguri off into the distance. "So long, gas bastard!" he cried out with a triumphant smile.

Looking at the catapulted villains, then back to his class, an awestruck Tenya nodded and smiled before running through the door. "Thank you, my friends. We have fought valiantly so far, but our battle will soon be over. I will get help. I swear!"

Everyone exhaled as their classmate made it through, deciding to focus on caring for Thirteen and staying out of the action for now.

"Phew. Iida made it out. Maybe we can get some help." Mina thought, standing up in triumph before slumping to her knees once more. She was still terrified, out of her depth.

One villain was scary but she managed to get that monster away during her middle school days. A whole army though? It was too much. It wasn't like she could point them all to a hero agency And hope the problem went away. Not this time, anyway. And yet he was out there: Izuku.

He might have had All Might's quirk but he barely had a handle on it or experience with it. Besides, he was in over his head too, regardless of how much smarter he was. At least he had Tsu with him but Mina was getting antsy. She didn't want to die here. She didn't want to be reckless and burn anybody with her acid.

But if she lost Izuku? She didn't want to think about it. Tenya's exit created an opening, a small window of time. The pink girl steeled herself, trying to keep herself from shaking. Every movement counted and she needed to be sure of herself.

"Leap of faith, Izu-bean. I'll be there soon."

"Mina!? Where are you going!?" The pink girl turned around to see a very concerned Ochako, alongside other classmates of theirs standing around the downed Thirteen.

"I'll be back, I promise! Izuku needs me!" Mina spouted frantically, trying to appear more in control than she was.

"I understand that, but think! Do you even know where he is?" Sero chimed in.

Just then, in the distance, a huge splash and accompanying sound manifested from the direction of the shipwreck zone. Mina smiled and turned to Ochako with a thumbs up. At this moment, both girls were unsure of themselves. The entire situation was unforeseen (fitting, given the venue) and they were still green in the skills department..

But there was a fire in Mina's black and gold eyes, one filled with worry, purpose, and longing.

"You looked so cool and fierce today, Ocha! Now it's my turn! See ya when I get back!"

Every video game, every roller derby she attended, had prepared her for this. Turn right. Turn left. Jump over this guy and slide under her. Mina's life flashed before her eyes.

It was young and fragile but filled with seemingly meaningless moments that she could apply to this situation. Tears streamed behind her as she pushed through the fear. Images of her and Izuku filled her head as she flew towards him, like a moth towards light.

He always described her as his light in the darkness. It was cheesy but cute. The truth was, however, he was her light. Her mom had always referred to her as her little moth princess, and like a moth, Mina would fly for her boy every time.

X

Landslide zone…

A horde of villains stood frozen as ice shot out from Todoroki's feet. He stood stoically at the edge of the landslide zone.

"W-What the hell!? No way this is just some punk kid. As s-s-soon as he warped here-" one of the villains shivered as he spoke stiffly from within a prison of ice.

"Divide and conquer, huh? I get the feeling you are nothing more than a bunch of low-level thugs with quirks they can't use properly" the young prodigy spoke, tone as cold as the tundra but hiding a fire deep down inside.

"Y-You little-" The spiky haired villain from before tried in vain to threaten the icy student, but it was futile.

"Shut up. Don't speak too much. You can't have expected to seriously overwhelm All Might, even with your numbers. Seems like you were meant for us. This level of cold should result in skin rot, but that wouldn't be very heroic of me. So tell me: what's the plan?"

In the distance, two classmates, Aoyama and Tooru watched, unsure of what to do. Aoyama grabbed his stomach in discomfort as Tooru held on.

"It seems that boy is as strong as he is handsome. Maybe we should have called out to him, dontcha think?" Aoyama winked, trying to look his best, even when winded and nursing a tummy ache.

"Man, why didn't we think of that sooner? I was too busy freaking out to come up with a plan!" The invisible girl claimed and pouted before relaxing. "We should probably go say hi now. Surprised he didn't notice us."

"Perhaps not, mon ami~. He is quite stoic, that one." Aoyama sat on the ground, finding a flat surface that wouldn't hurt his "little tushy" as he called it.

Suddenly, the two students heard approaching footsteps as a mysterious figure made himself known. The man looked vaguely reptilian and had a large build, one that neither child could provide an answer to.

And yet, there was something lavish about his outfit, as if he could buy and pay for half these villains himself. There was something different about him.

"That is quite a show, isn't it. That two-tone kid is really something. I almost thought this was a waste of my time, but you have some strong classmates. Tell me: what can you kids do?" The man said with a smile.

Mountain zone…

Momo stood her ground, expertly wielding a bo staff as she, Kyouka, and Kaminari fought off a swath of villains.

"Whoah, Jeez! Talk about a near death experience. My entire life just flashed before my eyes" Kaminari yelped as he dodged. "Just who the hell are these guys and why are they here?"

"Worry about the why and who later. We should concentrate on getting out of here. You're a lightning guy, right? Zap 'em already!"

"Did you not pay attention during training? We were teamed up! I can only cover myself in electricity. Besides, too strong of a discharge and my brain gets fried!" Kaminari protested.

"Fine," Kyouka kicked the boy suddenly and swiftly towards some villains with a deadpan look. "Be a human taser then."

It was hard to maintain such an expression though when her heart was racing so fast. This was dangerous. Actually dangerous. This wasn't a mosh pit at a show or some pitched combat exercise. They could die here. She cursed under her breath.

"Seriously?!" Kaminari squealed as he bumped into a villain, his quirk activating on reflex. However, it worked out better than the boy expected as he shocked. "Oh wow. It works. I'm stronger than I thought. Leave it to me!"

"You damn punk!" A pig-masked villain lunged for the boy with twin knives, while another punched him in the face.

Suddenly one of the villains was hit by a net courtesy of Momo while the other was shocked on contact with Kaminari.

"Focus, both of you!" Momo barked as She continued fighting off villains. Kyouka apologized and plugged her jacks into her boots, letting loose sonic reverberation towards the impending mob.

Unplugging her jacks again, she thought about the modifications to her costume and how she had requested a method of directing her sound attacks. She wielded her sword in self defense, bringing it up to block several blows. "I had a plan. Aside from using Kaminari's quirk to help. I tried but it kinda fell apart. Guess strategy isn't my strong suit." She admitted to her pony-tailed compatriot.

"If it helps, I can tutor you. My plan is taking some time. We just have to hold them off for a few minutes longer"' Momo exhaled.

The class 1-A president performed a complex combo technique with her staff and released another net from her elbow.

Kyouka couldn't help but stare and blush. She shook her head and focused up again

"Dammit. Rich girl's got moves and can make swords. I'm impressed. Guess I'll have to keep up."

"It's ready. Jirou, get behind me!" Momo knelt down and stretched her arms out. Her back glowed and stretched slightly. The sound of tearing fabric filled Kyouka's ears as a giant sheet of insulation covered her and her class president.

"Correct. A 100mm thick sheet of insulation. Kaminari, Now!" Momo shouted as she hid underneath the shock-proof blanket.

"YES, MADAME PRESIDENT, MA'AM!" the shocking blonde grinned as he let loose on the villains around him.

Momo peeked her head of the blanket in triumph. She wasn't exactly leading her fellow students or showing just what the terms "recommended student" and "class president" meant, but she would do her best and make her way back to the exit with her impromptu partners in tow.

"Holy shit, she's stacked!" Kyouka's blush grew deeper as her jacks stiffened and vibrated with her increasing heartbeat.

"I can make new clothes. We should hurry and regroup though. I am worried about the others. By the way, you handlebar sword pretty well. Have you been trained?" The pony-tailed girl turned towards her punk rock classmate and smiled.

Between the warmth of Momo's demeanor, her tactical mind, and her exposed body, Kyouka could feel any semblance of heterosexuality leaking from her ears and into the ground. Her heart rate increased as her jacks vibrated.

"Y-yeah. Lead the way, class pres." Kyouka smiled back as her and Momo exited the blanket. She couldn't help but hold in a laugh at Kaminari's goofy behavior, but decided to grab him along with Momo, so that they could reunite with the rest of their class together.

Conflagration zone…

Fire roared in the domed-in area. Controlled flames roared just strong enough to simulate an inferno but weak enough not to burn the place down. Sweat evaporated on the ground as it dripped off of Kirishima and Ibara

The two fought valiantly. Ibara didn't take much pride in the violence, preferring more peaceful means. On top of that, the intense heat had her feeling weak, on the cusp of fainting. However, the young student proved herself a valuable asset, wrapping several villains in her vines and dumping them in a pile, even when succumbing to her greatest weakness.

Kirishima took out as many of his own as he could while assisting his impromptu ally.

"That's the last of them, Shiozaki. Hot damn, you kick a lot of ass for a shrine maiden, though I guess you're more like a vine maiden!" the redhead smiled after exhaling from his nose. "We should get out of here and meet up with the others. You doing alright?"

"I am fine, I suppose. Thank you, though I do not know if the obscenities were necessary," Ibara frowned slightly, smoothing out the robes of her hero costume and trying not to trip over any broken-off debris. She winced as her feet burned and her vines cooked.

"Right, sorry. I forget how innocent and gentle you can be when you aren't scary strong." Kirishima stretched his arms and loosened up for what would likely be another fight. "Looks like you need some help though."

Ibara frowned deeper, looking to the ground. She gently folded her hands. "I am deeply sorry. I do not mean to be scary, nor do I wish to be a burden. I wish to be a hero who puts hearts at ease and leads through kindness. My quirk is a blessing...and I wish not to inspire fear or pity."

The hardening hero looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. Insecurities about his quirk and how he was perceived were issues he was all too familiar with. He wasn't great at speeches but he hoped he could give his classmate some manly words of inspiration.

Out of the blue, a chameleon villain revealed himself and leapt at the two teens, eager to attack. In an instant, Ibara's eyes locked onto the enemy and her demeanor changed from gentle to unforgiving. She wrapped a vine around the lizard man and slammed him to the floor with a cold scowl. "Repent, sinner…"

Her classmate looked at her awkwardly and offered another smile while she blushed slightly. Or maybe it was heat stroke. She didn't know anymore

"Yeah… Maybe inspiring a little fear in the bad guys isn't a bad idea for now. Come on. Let's mosey before you become a roasted salad." the boy flashed a toothy grin and cradled the weakened Ibara. A slight smile formed on her face as she let the teen boy pick her up and carry her out, ready to escape this nightmare.

"Right. Let's reunite our flock."

X

The water held the flood zone trio in its wet embrace. They had gotten this far but still needed to be on guard. From their soggy sanctuary, the three could see their homeroom teacher taking on what they assumed was the villain leader. Izuku couldn't help but mutter about both how risky their own plan was and how seasoned Aizawa's combat style was.

"Cut it out, Izuku. You're scaring me," Tsuyu stated bluntly. It was as close to a teasing tone as she could get. It was strange behavior, but she accepted her friend for his fanboyish eccentricities.

Below the surface however, it wasn't just a hobby or even a tool to tap into, but a coping mechanism. Izuku was still very much worried, and his friend could sense that, placing a firm, yet gentle hand on his shoulder. The green-haired boy nodded, then went back to his thoughts.

He thought back to how life was before Mina. Perhaps he would have survived, hanging onto his dream in a hopeless cycle of denial, maybe he would have even taken that swan dive that Bakugou suggested.

But meeting this funny, hyperactive pink girl had meant the world. She was his first friend in a long time. He met more friends through her. He was surprised she didn't call the cops on the explosive blonde bully. He wasn't sure why he never let her. Maybe there was still a small part that refused to let go or that saw himself unworthy of being defended.

Everything Mina did for him, he wanted to repay 1000 times, thank her 1000 more.

Time stood still as the chaos went on around them. Just when he seemed to have the advantage, Aizawa was on the ground in a heap.

The hand villain apparently had a disintegration quirk, using it to decay the clothing and skin off the Erasure hero's elbow. Finding an opening, the villain had Aizawa on the ground. Several other villains tried to attack but he narrowly dodged. Neither Izuku, Tsuyu, nor Mineta could make out the hand villain's words, but a large mass soon showed up, treating 1-A's homeroom teacher like a rag doll.

"W-Wha-?" Izuku was in shock. They all we're. Things had seemed dour but were starting to look up, only for the gravity of the situation to really set in. It was then that he heard the hand-villain speak clear as day with words that sent shivers down his spine. "This is our answer to All-Might… Our symbol of despair and violence: Nomu!"

In the distance, a pink dot approached and the green-haired boy's heart clenched, first in fearful anticipation, then in anxious relief and back again.

Mina was right there, running towards him. He saw her. He wanted so badly to dart towards her, to reach for her hand. But there were villains between them. The black mist villain had joined his leader. If he was there, had he killed everyone? No. That couldn't be it. Mina was there. Dispersed them further? No. It was then that he was able to make out the words of the two villains in front of him.

"...failed to disperse...one managed to escape…"

Iida must have escaped. He was the fastest of the group after all.

Mina and Izuku reached out for each other but before they could get close, a boot caught Izuku in the ribs, sending him back into the water.

"We should go. We can't handle an entire staff's worth of heroes. What a pain. Time to quit this game, Kurogiri.

Mina yelped as she was sucked into a black portal, only to tumble out on the ground near Tsu.

"Don't want to make this a total waste…" the hand faced man reached out towards the two girls, much to Izuku's horror as he resurfaced. The hands grabbed the two girls and… nothing happened.

Mina closed her eyes in fear and screamed, but opened them again when she realized she was still alive. Tsuyu just exhaled, quaking silently as the shock set in.

"Pretty sneaky, Eraserhead. Looks like you still have some HP. Guess my new toy will have to fix that."

The Nomu appeared in a flash, faster than its bulky appearance let on. The beast's face was frozen in a braindead grin as it slammed the underground hero into the dirt.

Mina started crying as everything overwhelmed her. Her teacher was being beaten severely, her boyfriend got bodied, they were all at the mercy of villains, and she was nearly murdered.

She felt a wave of water hit her as Izuku rushed out of the water, teeth bared.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH THEM! DETROIT SMAAAAAAAAASH!"

Izuku was shocked when he felt his arm connect with flesh but his bones didn't explode. Was his quirk finally under control? How and why was that the case.

He was even more shocked when he looked up and saw the large buff bird zombie that was previously ragdolling his teacher.

Then it hit him. The villains had to have a plan for standing up to All Might, some ace in the hole against the greatest hero in the world.

Izuku was standing face to pecs with that very Trump card. This was the villains' plan on how to kill All Might. And it was horrifying.

"Smash, huh? Are you an All Might fanboy? Maybe I should kill you. Might send more of a message."

Before the Nomu could strike again, Tsuyu shot out her tongue and pulled Izuku towards her and Mina, who caught her boyfriend in a bearhug as he flew towards her.

Things were amping up, with the scattered students trying to reunite. Several had made it towards the main plaza and were hoping to catch up but had paused as they saw the chaos emerge. Kuroguri had landed nearby and reappeared near his young master after composing himself once more.

Suddenly, the door exploded with a mighty force, kicking up dust as it fell to the wayside.

The USJ became silent. Everything grinded to a screeching halt. The only sound that could be heard was the rhythm of footsteps slowly approaching.

A stark figure appeared in a mustard-yellow pinstripe suit with the jacket in his arms. His tie was crooked as if put on in a hurry. The form was unmistakable

"Sorry I kept you waiting, but fear not. I am here!"

All Might had entered the stage.

Boy howdy, did this take me a while. Sorry about that. Been busy lately. Was focused on work, felt burnt out from Covid and just life in general, got a new job (full time this time), so my output has slowed down a lot. It might high-speed up anytime soon.

However, I am slowly getting my motivation back and I hope I can continue to grow as a writer. It is still something I very much enjoy and hope to continue working on. Eventually I want to actually work on Shanty again, as well as my Titans fic. I am working on some other projects too though. In fact, I will be in another zine soon, so look forward to that.

There was so much to juggle here and I hope the pacing is to everyone's liking. I put a lot off work into this. I fit half an arch into this chapter so I will try to fit the other half into chapter 5. Who knows? I might have room for filler/ buts of other arcs.

I really want to showcase everyone but in particular, Mina. I care a lot about characterization and also agency. Like with every character I write in ship fics, I don't want her to feel like just "the love interest". I want to show her as what she is in this fic and last: another protagonist, with Kirishima and Tsuyu as deuteragonists

Anyway, thanks to Ancho and DrZenkai for beta reading. They helped a bunch. See you in three months :P

(I kid.)

Take it easy, cool cats and dogs 3

Btw, it's Mina's birthday tomorrow! Celebrate!