Rule #33: Underhanded tricks are far from necessary when confronting an opponent. Rather, what you need is superbly precise skill and speed.
"Your indoor combat training is over, the hero team...WINS!" All Might decreed over the intercom. Not that there was much celebrating going on. Those within the monitoring room still stood frozen in varying stages of shock and awe whilst those out on the field were still trying to collect themselves.
"What a weird way for this to end, the losers are practically untouched and the winners are both on the ground" Kaminari said, his gaze switching from a live and well Bakugo & Iida to an injured and sick Ochako and Midoriya.
"How does the old saying go? They may have lost the battle, but they won the war" Tokoyami replied.
"This class is intense, ribbit" Asui added.
With Midoriya shipped off to the nurse courtesy of the two medical bots that he was becoming well acquainted with, the rest of the combatants were rounded up and returned to the monitor room for their battle review.
"...Well, despite these results the MVP of this exercise is young Iidya" Said All Might.
"Huh?" Iida exclaimed.
"Shouldn't it be someone from the Hero team, since they're the winners, ribbit?" Asui asked.
"Hm, valid question, why didn't I choose one of those two?" Replied All Might, "Who has a guess?"
"Sir! I can tell you why" Yaoyorozu raised her hand, "Iida embraced this challenge, he was the only one who truly adapted to his assigned role. I'll explain, Bakugo's judgement was clouded by a personal grudge against Midoriya; as pointed out earlier by launching a full-scale attack indoors was a foolish move and it could have been disastrous.
Similarly, Midoriya's plan was also poorly planned out considering how much damage he received. He rendered himself helpless, which wasn't smart and as for Uraraka? She let her guard down mid-battle and her final attack was far too reckless given the hypothetical stakes. If she had treated the fake weapon as though it was real, she never would have used such an imprecise move.
Iida was fully prepared for his opponent's arrival. He had a strategy and never lost sight of his mission to protect the dummy weapon, even if he was foiled in the end. Technically the hero team won, yes, but they took advantage of the fact this was training and didn't respect the spirit of the trial"
Oh, you are so a teacher's pet! Toru groused, crossing her arms as All Might stumbled for something else to say. "Yes...well, you overlooked a few things...Young Iida could have relaxed a little bit in the exercise, but otherwise you nailed it!"
"One should always start with the basics and devote themselves wholeheartedly to learning! That's the only real way to become a top hero" Yaoyorozu replied.
"Now then, let's move onto the next match! Think about everything we saw and discussed as you tackle this training for yourself" All Might instructed.
"Yessir!" Chorused 1-A.
The next building chosen for the second match appeared to be an old office building that sat just a block over from where the first match had taken place. This was the playground for Team I (Toru & Oijiro) and Team B's (Todoroki & Shoji) battle.
"Match 2: Team B will be our heroes and Team I will be the villains" All Might's omnipotent voice floated through the earpieces each person wore. While both Todoroki and Shoji patiently waited outside the building, inside Oijiro and Toru were getting ready to put the plans into motion.
With what little information the 'villains' had been able to gather about the 'heroes', a shaky plan was formed. Apparently Shoji had been in the same exam as Oijiro and so he had seen him use his Quirk to scan for information before he pounced. Plus with the Quirk tests they had performed on the first day, the pair knew that despite Shoji's appearance, the boy was rather strong.
On the other hand, Todoroki was one of the few who had gotten in on recommendation and so they had even less to go on for him. However the Quirk tests from the other day revealed that he preferred to use large amounts of ice-driven power with his Quirk (as seen by the ice already covering one half of his body).
Not to mention in the world of heroes, the name 'Todoroki' carried quite some weight with it, so it was only natural to assume that he came from some kind of hero-orientated family. In those regards, both she and Oijiro were outweighed in terms of pure power. However, what they lacked in power they more than made up for in speed and skill. She was sure of it.
"Hey, Oijiro!" Toru turned to the blonde as she began to pull off her gloves, shoes and goggles, "Let's get serious. I'm gonna take off my clothes and totally disappear!"
"Yeah, cool!" Oijiro agreed, blushing slightly at the thought that she was probably standing naked right next to him. If only he knew!
"Uh, here" Toru handed him her goggles after having rolled up her gloves and shoved them in her shoes, before placing them next to the door.
"What are these for?" Oijiro asked, taking the goggles.
"Uh, part of my Quirk is powerful enough to blind someone forever. So I thought, y'know, better safe than sorry..."
"Uh, thanks, but won't you need them?"
"Ah no, I'll be okay. It doesn't affect me as much"
That was all the reassurance Oijiro seemed to need as he pulled the goggles on after lengthening the band enough to fit over his head, "How do I look?" Toru giggled at the image he presented, the sleek white gi lined with bits of fluffy fur around the collar and her pair of black steampunk goggles that made his eyes completely disappear from sight.
Then again it's not like she would have painted a better picture, what with being garbed in only her two piece suit and earpiece. Though it would only be the earpiece and the burner phone she had moved from her shoes to her bra, floating in the air that would be seen by the naked eye.
"Now what? Any ideas?" Oijiro asked, turning to face the floating items in the air.
"Hm" Toru hummed as she looked around the room trying to think of something. Eventually her gaze landed on the speaker system mounted along the back wall behind the dummy weapon, before drifting to the large metallic double doors that led into the room. "Maybe"
"Care to share?"
"You said Shoji prefers to search for information before attacks, right?" Toru replied, pulling over the lone wheelie chair in the room to stand underneath the sound system.
"Yeah..."
"Well, I noticed a similar set-up of speakers on the way in, probably an intercom or PA system" Toru gestured to the system above her as she heaved herself up onto one of the rafters so as to reach the system.
"So if we can get it working..."
"Then we can effectively block out Shoji's Quirk...or part of it anyway" It took a few minutes, but Toru was eventually able to sync her burner phone into the sound system, effectively creating a radio.
"That's great and all, but what about Todoroki? That won't affect him the same" Oijiro questioned as Toru clambered back to the ground.
"Uh...I guess I could weld the door shut so at least he'd have a bit of trouble getting in" Toru mused.
"But then we'd be trapped in here"
"Yeah..."
"...What if I stayed here and you went after Todoroki?"
"Really? Do you think that's a good idea?"
"Yeah! With your invisibility, you'd be able to sneak up on him!"
"I guess that could work..."
"LOOK ALIVE KIDS! SHOW YOU'RE THE EMBODIMENT OF GOOD OR EVIL! LET'S GO!" All Might called through the earpieces. Any further plans were cut short by All Might's announcement and the accompanying ring of the timer as it signalled the beginning of their fifteen minutes.
"Right! Let's do this!"
"Good luck!"
Down at the entrance to the building, Shoji spread his dupli-arms and morphed multiple ears on the tips of his tentacles as he searched for their opponents. There! Two faint heartbeats could be heard. "One's in the hall on the north side of the fourth floor" A mouth formed and spoke to Todoroki who joined him in the hallway, "And I think the other's on the same level somewhere; both are barefoot. I bet the invisible one plans to sneak up and surprise us"
Before either Todoroki could reply or Shoji could report anymore, the sound of the building's intercom crackled to life all around them. "What was that?" Todoroki asked, searching for the noise.
"I think it's the PA system" Shoji replied warily, honing in on where the crackling noise was coming from.
"What good do they think that will be?" No sooner had Todoroki said those words, did the sound of a punchy pop song came blaring out of the speakers at full blast.
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Shoji, who still had his Quirk activated, fell to the floor with a shout of pain as he clutched to his hyper-sensitive ears as the ones on his tentacles quickly disappeared.
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Is you taking notes?
Three-Two-Work
Todoroki spun on his heel as he tried to find the source of the noise, clearly it was coming out of the PA system secured within every corner of the building, but that still didn't tell him where the source of the noise was coming from. With any luck, it would be coming from where the 'weapon' was.
We about to go off-off-off
When the speakers go blow-blow-blow
Everybody turn up-up-up
It's about to go down-down-down
Make the whole room spin-spin-spin
Turn the bass up loud-loud-loud
We about to go in-in-in
And we can't stop now-now-now
"For your own safety, go outside. I'm sure our opponents intend to fight a defensive battle" Todoroki helped haul the taller boy to his feet before pushing him towards the door behind them. Once he was sure that Shoji was outside, Todoroki headed further inwards with frosty mist gathering around his fingertips.
Fuck it up! Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Do I have your attention?
"But we've already won" Todoroki placed his misty hand on the wall beside him and watched in satisfaction as the ice spread out from beneath his fingertips in rapid succession, quickly enveloping the entire building in ice and drowning out the blaring speakers.
Fuck it up! Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Do I have your attention?
Meanwhile, Toru quickly found herself in a predicament that she was sure Oijiro could relate to. "Ow! Ow! My feet are stuck!" She whined when her bare feet suddenly became incased in ice. When it became clear that she wasn't going to be able to wiggle her feet free, Toru instead focused her solar power to her feet.
I was chillin' in the club lookin' cute all by myself,
I saw my ex lookin' a mess and pressed upon somebody else
So I strutted up to the dance floor
And took off my earrings
I did a kick into a split
And showed him what he was missing
Although thankful for the sudden warmth that flooded her cold feet, Toru closed her eyes and shoved her fingers in her ears when a piercing whistle and bright light started to emit from the ice around her feet.
Like do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
She kept going until her icy shackles burst apart in a shower of shards and icy debris. "Ah! Cold! Cold! Cold! So cold!" Toru muttered under her breath as she precariously picked her way over the frozen wasteland that was now the office building.
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Do I have your attention?
Raising a hand to her earpiece, Toru made to contact Oijiro when the sound of ice crunching underfoot passed by. She froze in place (excuse the pun) as she watched Todoroki trek passed the side hallway where she had been hidden, the only evidence of her presence was the broken ice on the floor.
Fuck it up! Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Do I have your attention?
Oijiro put his trust in me! I can do this! Toru thought as she carefully followed after Todoroki as quietly as she could, slipping and sliding across the new terrain much to her chagrin. By the time they had reached the hallway leading to the 'lair', Toru was sure that Todoroki knew she was following him as he stopped and turned to face in her general direction.
I was treading in the gym
Lookin' like an effin' ten
When I saw my ex again
His new babe was a seven
So I twirled up to those weights
Put these cakes in his face
I did a squat, my butt said femme
And his new man said "Girl Goddamn!"
"I know you're there, there's no use in hiding" Todoroki stated dully. There was something in the way he had addressed her that just ticked her off. Acting all high and mighty, huh? Well, we'll see about that! Toru thought as she purposefully cleared her throat, catching his full attention.
This shit jelly ain't jam
They thick, I say yes ma'am
Then I serve a shablam
Where my phone? Get my cam!
Post this body on the gram,
Like that's how bad a bitch I am!
When his eyes were solely focused on where she was standing, Toru raised her hands up, palms outwards and flashed a bright flare of the solar lights in his direction. Not enough to physically hurt him mind you, but just enough to blind him temporarily.
Now do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Do I have your attention? (Hey!)
Todoroki couldn't help but shove his hands over his eyes as he rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyelids in order to try to regain he ability to see. Thankfully, his eyes didn't hurt too much, but it did remind him of when he was younger and he'd accidentally look at the sun or something similar.
This is a fuckboy PSA
Talk to the left hand,
Talk to the left hand,
Cuz you ain't right
Which one are you?
Motherfuckers imma fuck tonight
You starin', you starin'
My bootie know you see 'em
However, it was in that moment of blindness that Toru moved. Striding over towards the blinded boy, Toru latched her hands onto his shoulders and pushed him downwards at the same time that she shoved her knee up into his groin. Hard.
Todoroki hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, curling up into a tight ball as he let out a low groan of pain. The results were just as she was hoping for, not only was the over-powerful Todoroki incapacitated, but it was unlikely that he was going to move anytime soon.
And tell your boyfriend to stay out of my DM's
You heard me, stay out of my DM's (You so nasty)
Stay outta my DM's
Stay outta my DM's
My DM's, my DM's
Stay outta my DM's
Tell your new boyfriend to stay out of my DM's
It was only once she patted herself down in search for the capture tape, that she remembered that Oijiro was the one who still had it. "Damn! Well, then what can I...?" Toru trailed off as she searched for something to use as bindings.
As it turned out, the only things that appeared unharmed by the ice was a rather empty roll of duct tape hidden within the bowels of one of the filing cabinets. If I can just...find the...end! Toru huffed spinning the roll round and round in her hands as she tried in vain to find the end of the tape.
Fuck it up! Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Do I have your attention?
Eventually, Toru was able to find the end of the tape and thanked her lucky stars that there was just enough of it to bind Todoroki's wrists and ankles at least once. When she was done, she couldn't help the grin that spread across her lips as she looked down upon the dual-haired boy at her feet. He looked like a pissy cat tangled in tape!
With a wicked grin on her lips, she turned away from him as she raised a hand to her earpiece. "Hey Oijiro?" She asked.
"Yeah?" Oijiro's voice crackled through the earpiece.
"I've captured Todoroki"
"What? Really?"
"Why the tone of surprise? Anyway, what do ya what me to do with him? I mean, I think you've still got the capture tape"
"Ah yeah, I've got it here. Uh, I guess, just bring him here so we can tie him up?"
"Sounds good! We'll see you soon!"
"Wait Hagakure!"
"Yeah?
"Have you seen any sign of Shoji?"
"...No"
"Be careful!"
"You too!" Toru ended the conversation before pouting, "Geez! We sound like an old married couple, don't we?" She turned to Todoroki who looked liked he agreed, but refused to say.
Fuck it up! Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Dance!
Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!
Do I have your attention?
Biting back the giggles that threatened to rise, Toru began to make the arduous journey down the hallway to the 'lair' with her bound cargo in tow. "Well, c'me on then!" Toru grabbed ahold of Todoroki's collar and began to drag him down the icy corridor, muttering curses and swears when she slipped and fell over every now and then.
Meanwhile, back in the monitoring room where the rest of the class watched on as they stood huddled together, trying to protect themselves from the freezing cold. "Young Todoroki incapacitated them without compromising the weapon or his teammate! Take close note of his technique, students!" Complimented All Might.
A multitude of comments rose from the class as they watched the battle play out before their eyes. It was clear even to those who were watching, that Team B easily outmatched Team I in terms of power, but even then Team I seemed to be using this to their advantage. This time, the 'villains' took more of a stealthy approach in their attack.
"Whoa! He's so strong!"
"That Quirk is insane!"
"What happened to Shoji?"
"Look! Hagakure took Todoroki down without even breaking a sweat!"
"Ooh! What did she do?"
"I think she kicked him in the nuts! Ha!"
"Whoa! That's gotta be cheating, innit?"
"But it worked, didn't it?"
"That's why you don't piss off short people! They go for your kneecaps and the low-hanging fruit!"
"Hey, look! There's Oijiro!"
And indeed he was. 1-A watched on as Toru eventually managed to drag a rapidly blinking and bound Todoroki back to the room where Team I was keeping the weapon, and consequently, Oijiro was still frozen in place.
Toru dropped her hold on Todoroki when she reached a step or two inside the door before she fell over next to her shoes, for the umpteenth time. The only evidence of her fall being the small crack in the ice where she stood and the look of concern on Oijiro's face as he, no doubt, heard her mutter a curse as she fell.
Shiro bit back a grin as he watched the tiny little earpiece jerk to the right when the roll of capture tape obviously connected with Toru's head and the apologetic look adorning Oijiro's face. Subsequently, the duct tape binding Todoroki was replaced with the capture tape and the shoes by the door, were placed on cold feet as Toru chose to slide on her ass over to where Oijiro was still stuck.
"Is he okay?" Oijiro asked, looking down at the small ball of heat concentrated on the ice around his feet where Toru sat. It was an odd feeling, not being to physically see his partner, but still able to feel her and her Quirk.
"I think so" Toru paused in her actions, glanced over her shoulder at the boy in question. He seemed to be doing better, sitting up against the wall by the door and looked to be in less pain than he was before. She wasn't really sure though, how long did it take to recover from a kick to the groin anyway? Was it really as painful as they made it out to be?
"Are you sure? He looks a little pale"
"Really? I don't think I hit him that hard" Toru returned to melting the ice around Oijiro's ankles.
"What did you do to him anyway?"
"Hm? Oh I kneed him in the nuts"
"...W-what?"
"What?"
"W-why...why would you do that?"
"Well, it worked, didn't it?"
Oijiro went to say more when All Might's voice rang through their earpieces. "THAT'S IT! THE HERO TEAM WINS!"
"Huh?" Oijiro's head snapped up and around to see that Shoji had returned and had his hand placed on the dummy weapon.
"...What? What?" Toru kept looking up at a surprised Oijiro, over at a bright-eyed Todoroki and back at a smirking Shoji who had somehow managed to sneak passed them all and reach the dummy weapon without any of them noticing. "How the hell...?"
