Training Interrupted
"Rescue training." Terra hummed as she rocked back on her heels. The afternoon sun warmed her skin as clouds floated lazily overhead. "Do you think we'll be rescuing real people or fakes?"
"We'll know soon enough." Todoroki stood beside her with his hands in his pockets.
"Relaxed as always." Terra scanned their class. Everyone was standing around the parking lot, waiting to load up on the bus that's going to take them to their off campus training area. Wherever that was. Aizawa didn't give them much information when he told them of this training session. All he said was to get dressed and meet him outside. Her eyes locked with Midoriya. He had been civil to her all day. Which surprised her a bit. She had expected him to ignore her or cower away after she had threatened him.
"Hey, Terra." Midoriya walked over. "Are you ready for rescue training?"
"I guess." Terra shrugged.
"Deku!" Uraraka rushed over to them. "You're wearing your gym clothes?"
"Yeah," Midoriya said with a nod. "They got ripped up during the combat training. I'm waiting for the support team to fix it." His eyes lifted back to Terra.
Uraraka looked between Midoriya and Terra. "Um, did something happen between you two?"
"What?! Of course not! Nothing at all!" Midoriya waved his hands.
Terra's eyebrows lifted. So he didn't tell his friends about what I said to him. Surprising.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
"Class 1-A!" Iida shouted, using stiff-arm movements as if he were an air traffic controller guiding a plane. All he needed were those long flashlight things then he would really fit the part. "Form two lines by your student numbers in order to make boarding the bus go smoothly!"
"Iida going full throttle," Midoriya said.
"Two lines!" Tenya shouted.
The class lined up. Terra took her place behind Todoroki.
"I wonder what kind of rescue we'll be doing." Hagakure waved her gloved hands in the air. "Do you think we'll be working individually or as teams?!"
"I hope it's a team exercise." Ashido squealed. "I don't know how well my quirk would be by myself. If it were a natural disaster type of scenario, it would be best to be paired with Yaoyorozu for the sake of adaptability. But I also wouldn't mind pairing up Todoroki. He's so cute!"
Terra blew air through her nose. That wasn't the first time she had heard a girl talking about Todoroki like that. Many girls seemed to find Todoroki cute. He got a lot of stares from girls when they walked to and from school. Though she was sure he wouldn't give them the time of day. He was far too focus on becoming a hero and ticking off his dad. She glanced around, hoping to see All Might. But the pro hero was nowhere to be seen. I guess he's meeting us there.
The line started to move, pulling Terra from her thoughts. When Terra stepped onto the bus she found Iida with his head hanging low and surrounded by a depressive aura. It took her a moment to realize why. He had wanted everyone to sit beside the person they were standing beside. The seats wouldn't allow it. The first half of the bus had bench style seating on both sides of the isle while the second half were normal seats.
"Just... sit anywhere you want," Iida mumbled.
Terra chuckled. She couldn't help it. The boy seemed so utterly defeated by bus seats.
"Okay. Everyone sit down," Aizawa said.
Terra took her place beside Todoroki and watched as her classmates as they spoke about each other, mostly Midoriya and Bakugo, before she pulled out one of Birdie's claws and placed it in her ear. Soft music and rainwater flowed into her ear, drowning out everyone's voices. She turned her eyes to the window, watching and memorizing everything they passed.
Half an hour later, the bus pulled up to a dome roof building. Above the door rested the golden letters: USJ. The students exited the bus and followed their teacher where another pro hero was waiting for them. Terra scanned the hero. Whoever they were, they were dressed in a head to toe suit that resembled a space suit. Large black eyes were sitting on the dome shaped helmet.
"Everyone. I have been waiting for you." The pro waved.
"Wow! It really is the Space Hero Thirteen!" Midoriya exclaimed. "The incredible hero who has rescued tons of people from disasters!"
"Oh! I love Thirteen!" Uraraka cheered.
Terra continued to shift and twitch and twiddled her fingers. She had hoped All Might decided to meet them here.
"All right, come on inside." Thirteen waved for them to follow her. They stepped onto a walkway leading to a large staircase. Behind the pro, and down a large staircase, was several areas made of different material. Pushing up on her toes, Terra tried to see each and every area. Unfortunately she was unable it. All she could see were a couple buildings and some trees. She shifted back and forth on her feet and twiddled her fingers, wishing she could get closer so she could examine the space she was in.
"A shipwreck... a landslide... an urban fire... a windstorm... and many other disaster scenarios," Thirteen said as she spread her arms out to her sides. "It is a specialized training ground that I designed with different types of accidents and disasters. Welcome to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint."
"Whoa!" the students gasped as Aizawa walked to the front. He leaned into close to the other pro and exchanged words.
Terra watched them for a moment before moving closer to the edge of the platform. There she stopped fidgeting as she scanned the vastness of the USJ. As Thirteen had said there were multiple disaster areas along with a fountain in the center of the dome. It didn't appear to have people in it, other than themselves. So she assumed they weren't going to be rescuing any real people, at least not yet.
"Okay! Let's see, before we begin, let me say one thing or maybe two. Make that three. Or four?" Thirteen mumbled as she counted off the number of things she wanted to talk about. "Five? Six? Seven?"
"Will you get on with it?" Aizawa asked.
"Oh, right." Thirteen raised her hand. "Everyone, I'm sure you are aware of my quirk, Black Hole. I can suck up anything and turn it to dust."
"Yes," Midoriya said while Ochaco nodded next to him. "You've been able to use that quirk to save people from all kinds of disasters right?"
"Yes, but it is a power that can kill easily," Thirteen said. "Some of you also have quirks like that, right? In today's society, personal quirks have been certified and stringently regulated, so that doesn't seem to be a problem at first glance. However, please do not forget that there are many quirks that can easily kill with one wrong step. With Aizawa physical fitness test, you found out about the possibility of your own hidden powers and with All Might's person-to-person combat training, I think you experienced the danger of using those powers against others. This class is a fresh start. You shall learn how to use your quirks to save people's lives. You do not have powers so you can harm others. I hope you leave here with the understanding that you have powers in order to help others." She bowed. "That is all. Thank you for listening."
"That was inspiring!"
"Bravo! Bravo!"
The students clapped and cheered at her speech.
"All right then... first-" Aizawa started to say.
Suddenly, the long strip of lights that lined the dome ceiling flickered and sizzled with energy. The fountain spurted multiple times before the lights went off, casting a shadow on the large room with only the sun left as a source of light through the frosted glass above them and from windows. The fountain returned back to its normal spray, a dark, black hole emerged in front of the curtain of water. It shifted then the blackness spread out until it became a black wall right in front of the fountain.
Terra tensed when people emerged from the darkness.
"Gather together and don't move!" Aizawa shouted. "Thirteen, protect the students!"
"Is this like the entrance exam where the lesson's already started?" Kirishima asked.
Terra inched her way back. She paused when she heard Aizawa say, "I guess the trespassing the other day was the work of these scumbags."
Terra paused. Did that really mean a villain broke the school gate? Her heart hammered in her chest. Sweat gathered on her palms. But why? Was someone after a student? Maybe one of the pro heroes? Or maybe they were-
"Terra."
Terra jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. She spun to find Todoroki had moved closer to her. His eyes were stone, his body tense.
"It'll be fine. Aizawa is already on it." Todoroki nodded towards their teacher.
Terra's eyes automatically followed. Aizawa's scarf billowed out and his hair waved up into the air. Terra peered back at the villains. Over fifty villains emerged from the black void. Two hung back at the fountain, one of them stood taller than the rest with large muscles and a beak. The void shrank until it formed a smoky black figure with narrow yellow eyes. None of them looked familiar. Which, she hoped, was a good thing. If they weren't known then that meant they were low time villains. Again she hoped. They had a better chance of surviving this if these villains were nothing more than low life thugs. Even with two pro heroes around the seer amount of these villains was enough to over throw the heroes if they executed the right plan. Her eyes locked onto the warp man, especially if that one separated the heroes.
"Villains? How is that possible?! There's no way they could get into a hero school!" Kirishima gripped his fists.
"Let's move." Todoroki put his arm around Terra's waist and pulled her back to the group. "Did they only appear here or around the whole school? Either way, if the alarms are not responding that means they have someone with a quirk that can block or disable them. An isolated area separated from the main campus during a time when a class is supposed to be here. They might be fools but they're not dumb. This infiltration was planned with some sort of goal in mind."
Terra swallowed as Todoroki shoved her behind him. Her head pounded. They had to get out of here.
"Thirteen, evacuate the students and try calling the school," Aizawa said. "These villains must have one with a quirk that has shut off the alarms. It's possible someone with radio-wave-type powers is interfering. Kaminari! You try contacting the school with your quirk, too!"
"Right." Kaminari touched the device on his right ear.
"Terra, use Birdie," Todoroki said. "See if you can get through."
"Right." Terra jumped. "Birdie, code yellow, one three five."
"Error," Birdie chirped. "Code not accepted."
"Looks like whoever disabled the alarm system is effecting Birdie, too," Terra said.
"Mr. Aizawa, with this many people, even if you can erase their quirks a frontal battle would be bad," Midoriya said. "You can't handle it."
"You can't be a hero with just one trick," Aizawa said. "I'm leaving it to you, Thirteen." With that, he jumped down the stairs with his scarf whipping behind him. Several villains charged forward and attacked him. One by one Aizawa erased their quirks then knocked them out, sometimes knocking three or more villains out.
"Come on. Follow me," Thirteen said as she rushed back towards the front door. "Everyone, listen to your teacher. We must evacuate! Now!"
"Y-yes!" Iida said as he and Yaoyorozu jumped into their roles of class reps and started to move the class forward with waves of their hands. "We need to hurry up and take shelter! This is not a time for spectating!"
The students jumped into action and followed without delay. They only got a few feet before the warp from the fountain appeared in front of them, blocking their only close exit. "I won't let you," a deep voice boomed. The warp formed more into a man before he stretched up several feet in the air. "Nice to meet you. We are the League of Villains. It may be presumptuous of us, but we have invited ourselves in to the home of the heroes: UA High School."
Thirteen took a step back and held out her arms to protect the students.
"We were wondering if we might have the opportunity to extinguish him. But it appears that he is not here," the void figure continued.
"What?!" Terra gasped. Lifting her fists she formed thorns from her skin. She took a step forward. "I won't let you touch him!"
"Calm down, Terra." Todoroki held out his arm in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. "Don't attack. You'll get into trouble."
Terra growled but held her place.
"I believe All Might should have been here." The void man looked around. "Has there been some kind of change? Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. He'll be here soon enough. As soon as he learns of all of your deaths."
"You won't touch him!" Terra growled and lurched forward.
"No!" Todoroki wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her back.
"Terra, please, don't," Asui said. "It's not safe for you to attack."
"I don't care! No one is touching All Might!" Terra threw out a vine, but the villain's misty body shifted away from it.
"Enough, Terra. I'll handle this." Thirteen flicked open the fingertip of her glove but just when she was about to take aim at the figure, Bakugo and Kirishima leapt in front of her and charged at the villain.
"Destroy him!" Terra screamed.
The explosion from Bakugo's quirk exploded against the void man as Kirishima swiped at him. A large smoke screen spread out, blocking their view.
"Betcha never thought you'd get beaten before you got to do anything," Kirishima said after he and Bakugo landed. The smoke from Bakugo's attack faded.
The shadowy figure chucked and then re-emerged within the smoke. "That's right. Even if you are students, you are excellent golden eggs waiting to hatch into pros. Such power in those attacks."
"No! Get back, you two!" Thirteen yelled as plumes of black smoke came out of the villain's body and surrounded the group.
"My job is to scatter you all and torture you to death!" the villain shouted as his black smoke wrapped around the class.
"Shoto!" Terra grasped onto Todoroki's hand. Her heart skipped a beat at the unfamiliarity of this villain's quirk. What all did it do exactly? The man was able to appear out of thin air, along with his friends. He said that he was going to scatter them. If so, where? Inside of the USJ? Or outside maybe? Or maybe into a truck that was going to carry them away to another location?
"Terra! Hold on!" Todoroki said as the black smoke tightened around them.
Panic flowed through Terra's body as her best friend disappeared from her sight. Then all she saw was darkness. Todoroki completely disappeared. His hand was no longer in hers. She grappled for him but was met only with air. "Shoto?!"
Silence met her ears before light penetrated her eyes. She squinted. Her body hit the ground, pushing air from her lungs. Heat rushed over her skin. Wood snapped and crackled. Her heart squeezed. She didn't have to look. She already knew where she had been sent.
"Great." Terra sat up and looked around. Fire surrounded her. Buildings and flora were ablaze with orange and red flames. Already she could feel her body's water supply dropping. She wondered if any of these buildings had running water. Surely they did. Some students had water quirks. If they were to save people then they would need access to water, or some of them would.
Then it hit her. No one was around. She was alone, but for Birdie who landed on her shoulder.
Terra jumped to her feet. Cupping her hands to her face she screamed, "Shoto! Shoto, where are you?! Asui?! Yaoyorozu?! Aoyama?! Anyone out there?!"
Only snapping fire answered her.
Panic set in. Terra spun in a circle. Her breathing became short, sharp gasps until the buildings around her swayed.
Terra closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath and released it. "Okay, okay. Calm down. You can handle this. Think. That warp guy separated us. I'm assuming we're all still inside of the USJ. If we weren't then surely we all would be together. Wait. Birdie, code yellow, one three five."
"Error," Birdie chirped. "Code not accepted."
"Well, I'll take that as a confirmation that we're still inside the USJ." Terra looked around again. The buildings were set up as another residential area like in their hero basic training class. And since this was part of the USJ there had to be a door to get in and out of this place. All she had to do was find it then she would be out and could look for Todoroki. Sweat dripped down her forehead. She brushed it away with the back of her arm and started walking. "I have to get out of here before I become dehydrated. I hope Sho-chan is all right. Man, these villains are going to be in so much trouble when Sho-chan notices I'm not with him anymore. Not to mention what All Might is going to do to him when he gets here."
…
Todoroki's heart jumped into his throat when darkness blocked his view from Terra. Then her hand was no longer in his. She vanished into complete darkness. And so did he. Nothing could be seen.
He had no idea how much time passed before the darkness faded from him. Light stabbed his eyes for a second before it cleared. He found he was in the air. Twisting his body he angled himself feet down then shot out his ice. His boots collided with the ice and he slid down to the ground.
Now stable he looked around. He was still inside the USJ so he assumed so was Terra. A small amount of relieve washed through his chest, at least they were still somewhat close by each other.
With another look around he noticed he was in a rocky landslide zone of the USJ. And he was alone. Which, in one way, was a good thing. If he had to fight he didn't have to worry about hurting any of his classmates.
Still he was worried. From were he stood above the stairs when the villains appeared, he couldn't tell if anyone had a plant based quirk. He hoped not.
Several men stepped around rocks and boulders.
So he was going to have to fight after all. Ice crackled around his hand and boot, cooling his skin. Though he wasn't a pro hero yet, Todoroki was ready and itching for a fight. He marched forward. "You morons have two seconds to tell me where Terra is and what your plans are."
The villains chuckled. One said, "Like we're going to tell a brat like you."
"Then you have made your choice." Todoroki's ice shimmered in the light before shooting outward from his boot. The villains instantly locked into place. Boots clunked on the rock at his feet, he moved closer to one of the villains and held up his hand. "I'm only going to ask you one last time. Tell me what you're here for, how that guy's warping quirk works, and where Terra is." Cool air swirled around the villain's face as ice crept up his skin. "Start talking."