Chapter 15: The USJ

Coming in through his window at four o'clock in the morning, Izuku wasted no time dillydallying. Turning on his computer, he hastily pulled off his costume while it booted. His report for All Might was the last bit of homework he had to do and he had been saving it as his after vigilante-ing treat.

After changing into his PJ's, he sat down and started to type his paper. In it he reflected on the importance of communication and weighing the risk of expediency versus being cautious etc. Truth be told even though it was All Might's class and All Might would be reading his work, he still couldn't drum up much enthusiasm. Homework was homework after all.

It was six-thirty by the time he finished. Stretching himself out, he gazed over at his bed longingly. He could either catch maybe an hour's worth of sleep or head in to the workshop early to get his grappling gun ammunition finished. After a moment's deliberation, he reluctantly pulled on his school uniform. They were debuting their creations today and he didn't want to lose any marks for something as trivial as running out of ammo.

Maybe I can catch a few z's at lunch. He thought, yawning.

Shortly after, Izuku - still half-asleep - stumbled through the gates of UA. Practically sleep walking over to the workshop, he used his extra time to complete his grappling gun's hook and line. If everything worked as it should, then his grappling hook should be sufficiently impressive to pass Power Loader's test. Later that morning, he and the rest of class 1-H nervously followed Power Loader along one of the many forest shaded path's that crisscrossed the UA grounds. He led them to a distant megastructure on campus; the massive, domed building known as the USJ.

'Everyone, welcome to the Unforeseen Situations Joint.' Power Loader said to the class as they entered, 'We'll be conducting our equipment tests in here today.'

The class marveled as they looked out from the top of a long stairway and into the massive enclosure before them. The scale of the glass dome was almost impossible to grasp. Its circumference was easily over two kilometres and from base to apex it stretched to almost a kilometer in height. Housed within was a variety of different terrains representing commonly encountered environments where a hero might operate. Everything from urban landscapes to a mock volcano was under the dome.

Izuku blinked in disbelief at what he was seeing. How UA had achieved such an impossible feat of engineering was mind boggling. As he looked over the various environs, he spotted a yacht lazily floating in the middle of a distant artificial lake.

It's a good thing I'm a scholarship student.

As they were taking in the scenery, Thirteen climbed up the staircase towards them. Waving as she drew near, she stopped before the class.

'Hello everyone. Welcome to the USJ! Impressive isn't it?' Thirteen asked in her warbled voice. The class readily agreed.

'Thank you. I designed the USJ primarily for disaster response scenarios. If you continue on in the support department, you'll all become quite familiar with this place.' she said fondly, 'As I understand it, you're doing your equipment trials today, correct?'

'Yes.' chorused the class.

'How exciting! I wish I could see your gear in action.'

'Are you not teaching us today too, Misses, uh, Thirteen?' Mei asked.

'No, I'm afraid not. I'd love to stick around and see how you've developed since the Entrance Exams, but I'm too busy setting up for class 1-A. They've got the USJ booked right after you.'

'Yes, and speaking of, lets go.' called out Power Loader as he started off down the stairs, 'Unfortunately, we have to be in and out today. Mr. Aizawa doesn't want anyone else in the building when he begins his lesson.'

'Why is that?' Bukimi asked, as they hustled after him.

Power Loader merely shrugged.

'That's just how he is.'

Dropping the subject, Power Loader launched into his explanation of their exercise.

'Now, for your project I asked each of you to design something to increase your capabilities in some way. Today I will present you with a series of environments. You must use your equipment in that environment in a way that you feel demonstrates its usefulness. We'll start in the downtown section…'

Izuku gulped as he approached the towering skyscraper. A short distance away, his fellow students and teacher stood watching him intently. Once again, Power Loader had called him up first. Stopping within arms reach of the side of the building, he pointed his arm nearly vertical as he took aim with his grappling gun. His maximum range was twenty-five metres, far too short to reach the top of the skyscraper using the length of his cord alone. Thankfully, he had a trick up his sleeve.

God, I hope this works.

He fired and the steel tipped dart went soaring upwards trailing a thin, nearly invisible wire behind it. The gun shuddered in his hand as the dart buried itself in the side of the building. Taking a deep breath, he released the spooled-up tension in the wire sending him catapulting upwards. To his satisfaction, he heard his class gasp behind him, but the sound was soon lost as the air went rushing past. Squinting ahead, he spotted his dart embedded in the wall.

His speed was such that he would be sent flying far past his spike. Exactly as planned.

Just as he came to within arms reach of his dart, he pushed a button on his gun and retracted the spike. Now soaring freely up the side of the building, he rearmed his gun and took aim again. Just as he was losing speed, he fired up another twenty-five metres. Before he could lose his momentum entirely, the dart found purchase and he was hauled up even higher and faster.

He repeated this action until he had traversed up to the top of the building. Flinging himself over the edge of the roof, he let himself fall to the gravel covered rooftop. Landing nimbly, he took a moment to get his bearings. He was dimly aware of the fact that his feat should leave him at the very least breathless and exhilarated, but he had already climbed so many buildings as Spider-Man that he barely even registered the height. Plus, it had been a long morning. He really couldn't get away with all nighters anymore. Turning, he peered down on the tiny specks that were his classmates.

I wonder how high Mei's boots can go? He thought with a grin as he readjusted the settings on his airgun.

Once he was satisfied with the new parameters of his gun, he took a small breath and lightly hopped off the top of the skyscraper, swan diving down to the street far below.

I may have a simple airgun, but it's all about options! I bet this'll be enough to get me top marks for sure.

Thinking about betting reminded him his fight with Top Spin at the casino last night. Assuming the information he received was accurate, the next time Big Spin was scheduled to meet with Shocker's contact was at the end of April. It was Friday the 6th today, which meant that he'd have plenty of time to chase other leads. After all, Shocker had loads of other "breadwinners" he could rough up for information.

Suddenly he became aware of the alarmed screams of his classmates. Pulling his mind out of the clouds, he focused on the rapidly approaching concrete. Twisting himself around, he waited until he was in range before firing another dart into the wall. This time the wire went taut immediately and he felt his right hand get warm as the energy from his fall was translated into heat in the wire. In an instant he started to rapidly decelerate without straining himself or the gun. Internally, the spool of wire in his gun was, with great resistance, unwinding thereby slowing him down to a gentle fall.

Upon reaching the twenty-five-metre limit of the wire, he disconnected the line from his gun and let himself drop the remaining three or so metres to the pavement. Landing with a dull thump, he holstered his gun and walked back over to his stunned classmates.

'Well, how'd I do?' he asked earnestly.

Power Loader licked his lips. Izuku couldn't see his eyes, but he was sure they were as wide as his classmates.

'Midoriya…'

Izuku quickly stopped smiling. From Power Loader's tone alone, he knew he overdid it.

'Next time you demonstrate some of your technology, please tell me what you plan on doing ahead of time. Please?'

'Oh, uh, yeah s-sure.'

'That aside, your grappling gun is very impressive. Extremely impressive in fact. What I find most remarkable is your skill in using it. How did you manage the timings between your jumps?'

Izuku suddenly felt tongue tied. Everyone was staring at him like he had suddenly grown an extra arm.

'Just-was-lucky-or-something-m-m-m-maybe-I-don't-know-not-as-hard-as-as-it-looks.' Izuku blurted before coughing and looking away. Unfortunately, there was nowhere he could turn. Everyone was standing around him, mouths still agape.

'We will need to discuss your training regime. Also, I never got the chance to review your new costume. This is it correct?'

'Ye-Yes, sir.'

Power Loader slightly cocked his head to the side as he looked him up and down.

'It still looks quite heavy, but as long as you can move around...' Izuku felt his spider sense flare up. 'Hm. Did you have to redesign your grappling gun too?'

Izuku blanked on the question.

'Uh, beg your pardon?'

'When you were doing the calculations for your jumps, I assume you recalibrated your grappling gun to account for your new weight, yes?'

'Oh! Right! Yes, I did.' Izuku coughed before continuing, 'Me losing weight was actually how this was all possible. Yes, I redid the calculations on my gun and…and did…it.'

Power Loader twirled his pen and Izuku felt a bead of sweat form on his brow. Thank God he was wearing a helmet and mask. If they could see his eyes, no doubt they'd know he was lying in a heartbeat.

'We'll talk later.' Power Loader said nodding and Izuku suddenly felt weak in the knees. He didn't like the sound of that.

'Anyway, let's continue with the testing, shall we? Hatsume, if you would be so kind?'

Izuku was taken aback when he noticed that Mei was staring at him dazedly.

'Hatsume?'

'Huh?' she asked vacantly.

'Your rocket boots?'

'Ah!' she said, blinking, 'Right! Everyone stand back and prepare to be amazed.'

The other students quickly obliged her. Scattering away, several members of the class shielded their faces as though she might explode in front of them, but Mei didn't move. Instead she cleared her throat and began speaking loudly.

'Ladies and gentlemen, may I just say how grateful I am that you've all come out today to see my invention.' she placed a hand on her chest and bowed slightly, 'I know what you all must be thinking. Rocket boots aren't anything new. They're old, last season.'

Power Loader frowned as he checked his watch.

'Uh Mei, listen, we're on a bit of a time crunch right now. Can you just-'

'But! That has all changed. Behold! The Air Mei junior!' she said grandly, kicking her legs to show off her shiny metallic boots, 'These boots, patent pending, are the greatest leap in verticality since the ladder! They feature-'

Izuku listened dumbfounded to Mei's presentation before he became aware of the fact that several people had formed up around him. Turning, he was startled to see that he was almost face to face with half the class.

'Hey, Izuku!' Saigo stage whispered, 'That was crazy. When I saw you jump, I thought you were done for. Kasai here just about threw up.'

The pale faced redheaded girl beside him stared at Izuku in shock.

'I never would have jumped off a freaking building. No way. Did you even test your gun beforehand?' Kasai asked.

'Yeah, I tested it.' Izuku said defensively.

I probably should have tested it.

'Hey!'

They all turned, Mei was glaring at them.

'AS I WAS SAYING. The simple integrated raised heel is not only a must have for the fashionably conscious, but also contains my very own gyrostabilizer! These clever little babies enable even the most clumsy-'

'Izuku, I wish I had your grappling gun. My jumper feet suck.' Hiretsuna whispered dejectedly.

'What? No!' Izuku whispered back quickly, 'They look great, I'm sure Power Loader will be impressed. He probably hated mine.'

'Shut up. He LOVED your gun.'

'No, he thinks its suicidal!' Izuku whispered back, but she and the others looked unconvinced. 'Trust me, I'm sure your gadget is way better than you think it is.'

Before anyone else could respond Mei suddenly spoke out.

'YOU KNOW!'

Everyone turned back to her. She had crossed her arms and was tapping her foot impatiently.

'You know-' she repeated in a softer voice, '-there are other pitches for consideration here today! I would ask you all for just a few more moments of your time so I can explain the rationale behind the colour scheme-'

At that Power Loader raised his hand.

'Actually, I'm just going to stop you right there, Hatsume. We can't afford to waste any more time. We have five more stops to make yet and twenty inventions to work through so if you would be so kind as to use the boots…?'

She exhaled tiredly.

'Fine.'

Without any warning the soles of her boots suddenly fired up with a tiny blue flame and she rose up into the air. Contrary to her boots disastrous performance yesterday, her ascent was actually quite slow and graceful. Izuku and the others watched in amazement as she glided overhead.

'Not so bad am I right? Pretty cool even? Yep, I daresay these are a show stealer.' she said laughing while completing a small orbit around them.

'They are certainly stable.' Power Loader noted, 'Very clean too. No messy exhaust or loud roaring. Very nice.'

Mei broke out into a giant, bright smile.

'Th-Thank you.'

'What's your maximum altitude? Think you could fly up one of these skyscrapers?'

'Ummmmm…' Mei glanced up at the imposing structure. Izuku noticed a flash of fear pass over her face.

'Well, you see, the thing is. The crosswinds up there must be pretty strong-'

'Actually, there shouldn't be any. The dome climate is carefully controlled.' Power Loader said.

'Oh.' she said, swallowing, 'Then maybe I'll just…yeah.'

The tiny boosters on Mei's boots fired more intensely for a moment sending her higher. She flew up ten more metres before she suddenly stopped. Floating for a few seconds she shook her head and started descending again. Landing down beside Power Loader she sheepishly approached him.

'So, here's the thing. Hovering around is no problem, but long-distance flight is kind of an issue. The, uh, engines have a pretty high failure rate after they've been firing for a while.'

'Oh? What's the failure rate?' Power Loader asked.

'Like…ninety percent after a minute of use? Per engine. It climbs to a hundred percent after two minutes. I-I don't think its very smart to try and go so high with them.'

Power Loader nodded again. He didn't seem surprised.

'Every rocket-based design for personal flight that I've seen has run into that problem. People have been trying for years to solve it. Unfortunately, nobody has yet. But then again, I'm not aware of anyone building rocket boots at such a young age either. Keep at it, Hatsume. They're very impressive regardless.'

Mei smiled again.

'Next up let's see Moyashi's spring heeled leg augmentation.'

A few hours later class 1-H was gathered back atop the stairs near the exit of the USJ. Although not as memorable as All Might's lesson had been, it had still been quite exciting.

'Well everybody I'm pleased to say that you all met my expectations for your first invention. Congratulations.'

There were a few murmurings of thanks and some smiles, but nobody relaxed just yet. They had been through this before. After Izuku and Mei's presentation things had taken a definite turn for the worse. Several of the powered harnesses went haywire and there had been more than a few electrical fires.

'That being said...' Power Loader continued and the students stiffened, 'I've noticed a familiar trend. The majority of you are building harnesses to accomplish what your bodies should already be capable of doing quite adequately. Even if you were to refine your designs, you would at best have the capability of a strength enhancing quirk, except with the added disadvantage of cumbersome machinery. You must build something to enhance your own unique capabilities, something that works with your quirks.'

Power Loader checked his watch.

'We'll continue this discussion this afternoon. Everyone head back and change then we'll break for lunch.'

Izuku joined his classmates as they exited the building. It was a ten-minute walk from the USJ back to the main campus and he was starving. He had skipped lunch yesterday and besides last evening's dinner, all he had to eat was vending machine junk food and toast.

As he pictured the delicious cafeteria selection waiting for him, he was surprised to find himself walking side by side with Mei. He shot her a pensive glance. She was looking away from him, past the wooded pathway and towards the distant skyline of Musutafu. Her posture was relaxed, with one hand in her pocket and the other gripping her boots laces which she had slung over her shoulder, but her pupils flickered as she gazed over the city. He wondered what she was looking at. With her excellent eyesight, she could probably see right into the boardroom windows of those skyscrapers. After a while she spoke.

'Well Izuku it seems like your grappling gun stole the show today.' she sighed, still looking over the trees, 'Congrats. I suppose I should have tried to fly higher, but these little guys still aren't ready yet.'

Izuku was taken aback. He had never heard Mei speak like this before. To be fair, he had only known her for a week, but even so.

'Thanks.' he replied cautiously.

'My boots are cool. 'she said, nodding as though that were indisputable, 'But what you did with your grappling gun was beyond belief. I'll have to step up my showmanship game.'

In spite of himself he grinned, 'Come on now. I was just falling, but you were flying! If anything, I'd compare what I just did to a circus stunt. I may have climbed a skyscraper, but do you think a reasonable person would try and attempt what I just did?'

Mei turned and looked at him thoughtfully.

'Hm. I suppose that's true.'

'Yeah! I mean think about it. Your rocket boots are very user friendly, comparatively speaking. My grappling gun requires a lot of skill and training to use. And if you screw up, your dead.'

Much to his own surprise, his praise was sincere. He really was impressed with her rocket boots. If they didn't limit ground-based mobility so much he'd even be tempted to build a pair of his own.

'That's…not entirely true.' Mei said, though she looked pleased, 'My boots are prone to malfunction after prolonged use. They might fail in the air and then…splat.'

'I-I guess. But they're still a work in progress, right? You'll fix it.'

'Yeah. I mean, of course I will. It's just a matter of time.'

At that moment a shout echoed through the forest ahead of them and several members of class 1-H glanced ahead in surprise. Izuku's ears perked up. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn that sounded like Bakugo.

'What was that?' Mei asked, focusing on the winding path ahead.

'It must be Class 1-A.' Izuku said, looking in the same direction. The yelling was getting closer, 'I wonder what their lesson in the USJ is going to be like?'

'Probably the same thing we were doing, but instead of equipment they'll be using their quirks.'

'Yeah, that makes sense.' Izuku nodded. He hadn't really been paying much attention to class 1-A or 1-B. There had been no time. He wondered if Bakugo was at the top of the class or not? He heard some of the other kids saying that Endeavour's son was in Class 1-A and he was apparently insanely powerful too. Suddenly he blushed. He could recognize Bakugo's words now, and from the sounds of things, he was in one of those moods.

'How about I shove your ass up your dick, poindexter?!' he heard Bakugo yell.

'That-that is a completely illogical insult, Bakugo! And your attitude will not be tolerated! As class president, I order you to-'

'You can't order me to do jack shit, shit mobile! Here's an idea: Why don't you grab your little stick shifter, jerk it into gear, and go fuck off into a scrapyard!'

'Mr. Aizawa! Sir, may I have your permission to discipline Bakugo, please? He is an unruly, uncouth, unrefined braggart and a bully!'

To Izuku's dismay the rest of the class had become aware of the heated argument and had quieted themselves so they too could eavesdrop on the so-called elite class.

'Sounds like there's trouble in paradise.' Mei said mischievously, arching her eyebrows. 'And here I thought class 1-A would all be goody two shoes.'

Izuku forced himself to laugh. He tried to come off as lighthearted but instead he found himself tittering like a nervous madman.

'I'm sure they're just messing with each other, you know? What's a little friendly ribbing between teammates?' Izuku said, desperately hoping that Bakugo would calm down before they reached each other. However, to his dismay the argument only increased in intensity the closer they became.

'YOU CAN TAKE YOUR DEMERITS AND SHOVE THEM UP YOUR TAIL PIPE, SKID MARK!' Bakugo screamed.

'THAT'S IT! YOU'VE HAD THIS COMING FOR A LONG TIME BAKUGO!' Tenya shouted back just as loud.

'BOTH OF YOU, SETTLE DOWN! NOW!' shouted an unfamiliar voice who Izuku guessed was their teacher. An uneasy silence followed and class 1-H looked at each other with a mixture of amusement and apprehension. From the sounds of things, Class 1-A was just around the corner.

Sure enough, at that moment, class 1-H and 1-A came around a bend in the path and the two groups found themselves walking towards each other.

'Ooooh, drama!' Mei said eagerly upon seeing the uncomfortable faces on the hero program students.

'Hatsume, be nice.' Power Loader called out warningly.

'Yes, sir.' Mei simpered. Izuku glanced at her worriedly. Power Loader couldn't see the little grin twinging at the corners of her mouth.

He considered looking elsewhere, however as the two classes drew nearer his curiosity quickly got the better of him and he couldn't help but check them out. To make it into UA they had to be the top hero candidates in the country after all and he'd only ever seen them at lunch out of costume.

Some of the hero students looked uncomfortable, including the maddeningly familiar brunette girl, but most of them appeared unconcerned with Bakugo's shouting. Evidently, they had become acclimatized to his temperament. Walking beside Class 1-A's long-haired teacher who Izuku knew only by name as Aizawa; the pro hero Eraser Head, he spotted Bakugo himself. From his reddened face Izuku could tell that he was trying his best to keep his mouth shut. Suddenly he flicked his eyes to Izuku and his scowl deepened. Izuku groaned inwardly. He just hoped that Bakugo wouldn't cause a scene.

'Hey Deku, still haven't flunked out of the nerd squad?' Bakugo said brashly as they got close to each other.

Izuku shook his head.

'Nope. How's the hero course?'

'Fan-fucking-tastic. Every day's a real party. Just ask Captain Estrogen over there.' Bakugo said, jutting his chin over at a tall, black haired boy with glasses who had slowed his pace and was glaring at him. 'I swear if he gets any more macho, a baby shower might break out.'

"Captain Estrogen" went red with anger, but he said nothing. Instead he turned around and kept walking with his classmates, his shoulders locked and rigid. Izuku couldn't help but smile slightly. Say what you would about Bakugo, but he really knew how to piss people off.

'Right…well, see ya, Kacchan.' Izuku called out over his shoulder as they passed.

'Fuck off, Deku.'

The two groups passed each other by without any further exchanges. However, as soon as they were out of earshot, class 1-H broke out into excited gossiping.

'Did you see their costumes? Was that guy with the tail literally just wearing a gi with a utility belt? I mean, I'd want some pockets at least.' Kiska said incredulously.

'I know!' Bukimi replied in a scandalized voice, 'And what was with the floating gloves and shoes? I know they have an invisible girl in their squad, but can't she have clothes made out of her hair? It's better than literally nothing.'

'Maybe she does. How would you know?' Hiretsuna said thoughtfully.

'Speaking of revealing, did you see the girl in the red, uh, one-piece swimsuit?' Saigo said dreamily. 'Not that I'm complaining or anything, but I hope she has a plan if she fights someone who shoots acid or something.'

'I'm glad you've noticed their costumes.' Power Loader interjected loudly and they all stopped talking 'They specified what features they wanted to the design agency and that is what was delivered. No more, no less. If you see vulnerabilities, keep them in mind because sooner or later they'll be coming for your help to improve their capabilities. It'll be up to you to address their concerns and make them more effective heroes.'

A ripple of excitement ran through the class at this and they began to quickly list the obvious flaws they had witnessed and how they would fix them. While they debated, Izuku thought about Bakugo's costume. He had been wearing plain, green armour with grenade like gauntlets. No doubt they increased his firepower, but could he bring his hands together with his wrists so obstructed with cumbersome metal?

I wonder if Bakugo would ever ask me for help with his costume? Izuku wondered for a second before he broke out laughing.

As if.

'What's so funny, Izuku?' Mei asked.

'Nothing.'

The idea of Bakugo ever asking for help from him was completely ludicrous. While he was thinking over the Class 1-A costumes his train of thought was suddenly interrupted by Power Loader.

'Midoriya,' Izuku felt his chest tighten and his spider sense tingled. 'Can I have a moment, please?'

Izuku stopped walking and reluctantly turned. Power Loader was at the rear of the group, apparently reviewing his notes. Izuku took a small breath and held it. Trying his best to appear calm, he fell in step beside his teacher and they continued to walk together while the rest of his classmates glanced back at them curiously.

I guess it's my turn to cause a scene. Izuku thought glumly.

Stifling a yawn, he could do nothing but wait for the questioning to begin. As they walked, he tried to think of some plausible excuses for his grappling gun stunt, but he kept drawing a blank. He was just so tired. A minute passed and for a moment he dared to hope that he had somehow been forgotten until Power Loader closed up his binder with a snap and addressed him.

'That was quite a feat you managed in the USJ, Midoriya. I can't remember the last time I witnessed one of my first-year students do something so bold. Bold and reckless.'

'S-Sorry.'

'No harm done. I trust you knew what you were doing.' Izuku swallowed back the sudden wave of laughter that had worked its way into his throat, 'However, I do want to know where you learned to use a grappling hook. To perform the sort of maneuver you just did ought to take years of training and experience.'

Izuku couldn't help but fidget. Raising his hand, he intended to run it through his hair but rubbed his palm against his helmet instead. Darting his hand down to his hip, he tried to appear nonchalant. What could he possibly say?

'How'd you do it?' Power Loader prompted. Clearly, he was expecting an answer. Maybe honesty was the best policy?

'Well I didn't have any special training.' he started slowly, 'And I don't have years of experience either. I just…came up with a plan and executed it.'

Power Loader groaned.

'I knew it. You didn't know what you were doing, did you?'

'No, sir.' Izuku admitted sheepishly.

'And the only thing keeping you from falling to your death was reflexes and pure, dumb luck.'

'Y-Yes, sir.'

Power Loader fell silent as he mumbled to himself indistinctly. Izuku tried to pick up what he was saying but it seemed to just be gibberish. He doubted that was a good sign. Finally, after a few moments Power Loader spoke again.

'I'm glad you're asserting yourself, but…recklessly impulsive heroes don't live very long.'

'Yes, sir.'

To Izuku's shock, Power Loader extended his arm and put it around his shoulder, his spade-like fingers menacingly close to his heart.

'UA attracts all sorts of people with unique talents and capabilities, Midoriya - including yourself. If I may ask, was support your first choice or did you want to join the hero program?'

Eyes still on the claws resting by his chest, Izuku quickly nodded, 'I wanted to be in the hero program, but I knew I wouldn't pass the practical test though.'

'The practical test, yes, it is a troublesome barrier, isn't it? Its implementation has been controversial to say the least. But I must say I think you belong in the support class.'

'Oh.'

'I'm not saying you're not hero material. Far from it.' Power Loader added quickly, 'I just think that you can do a lot of good for people within the support program, and not just by designing gear either. In my opinion, being a support hero offers much more flexibility than a regular hero. If you want to work in the field fighting villains, you can. Or if you want to work in disaster relief, you can do that too. Or if design is your specialty then you can work in a pro workshop. I just don't want you getting discouraged thinking you're wasting your time in hero support. Trust me, your abilities will be put to the test in the support program, you just need to be patient. Climbing a skyscraper, though impressive, is needlessly risky.'

Izuku said nothing. Truth be told, he was struggling to pay close attention. His armour was very hot and he felt dead on his feet. As he stifled another yawn his breath suddenly got caught in his throat and his eyes widened in shock. It felt like a thousand ants were running up his spine. His spider sense was going berserk! The only other time he had felt it this intensely was when he was fighting for his life against Shocker. Extracting himself from Power Loader's arm, he whirled around and faced back the way they had come.

'What's the matter?' Power Loader asked, stopping.

The threat felt distant, but tangible; real. Very real. It seemed to be coming from the USJ. What could it mean? Was class 1-A in trouble or was this a part of their training? Either way, he couldn't just leave to investigate, could he? It would be far to suspicious. But then again, what if there were lives at risk?

'Midoriya?' Power Loader asked, a tinge of concern in his voice.

Izuku shifted his attention back to Power Loader and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

'It's nothing Mr. Maijima. I just remembered I forgot my phone back at the USJ. I'm going to run and go grab it, okay?' Izuku said as he started back down the path.

'Oh. I guess that's alright. Don't miss your lunch!' Power Loader shouted as Izuku began to quicken his pace. 'And don't spy on class 1-A!'

'I won't!' Izuku called back as he took off at his "normal human" pace. However as soon as class 1-H was out of sight, he started to run in earnest. Jumping off the path, he took the more direct route through the woods.

This better not be because Kacchan lost his temper and started blowing everything up. Izuku thought as he whipped past the trees.

After less than a half minute of running, Izuku at last came up to the side of the USJ. The entrance was still quite a way away but didn't plan on entering the USJ if he could avoid it. Jumping as high as he could, he flew above the treeline. While in midair, he fired his grappling gun. The dart latched on to one of the steel support girders that crisscrossed the glass frame of the USJ's domed roof and he was rapidly pulled towards its transparent siding. Impacting against the heavy glass with both legs, he scanned the interior of the USJ below. What he saw baffled him.

Swarming around the various courses were roaming posses of what could only be described as street punks. From their leather and scrap metal outfits, they looked like raiders straight out of an apocalypse movie.

Where did all of these guys come from?! Is this part of class 1-A's exercise? Maybe this is just combat training…

His doubts were cast aside however when he spotted Eraser Head engaged in a fierce battle against dozens of ruffians in a massive melee at the base of the giant staircase. He wouldn't be fighting if this was training, he was sure of it. Searching around for the rest of Class 1-A, he spotted Thirteen lying motionless on the stairs and his heart sank. She wasn't moving and her costume was heavily damaged. Clustered around her, several students were fighting a strange, glowing, purple figure.

He must be a super villain! This just got much more complicated.

The first thing to do was call for backup. Pulling out his old cell phone from his utility belt, he dialed for the police. However, there was no response. He looked at the cracked screen in confusion. It was working, there was just no reception. Growling in frustration, he cancelled the call.

Damn! Whenever you need it most…

Suddenly from the emergency fire response area directly beneath him, he heard muffled shouts through the glass. Down below, a group of thugs were chasing after the tailed boy in the white gi he had seen on the path. From the looks of things, they were hounding him through a series of blackened trees and towards a cluster of burning buildings. He was alone and badly outnumbered.

I don't have time to waste! I need to get in there!

Mustering his strength, he punched the thick glass pane causing it to explode into fragments. Dangling for a moment, he retracted his grappling hook and fell into the arena. With a grunt he landed squarely atop a cracked piece of scorched asphalt on a road that was littered with burnt out cars. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and ashes as several billowing flame covered buildings roared around him. Instantly, he felt himself break out into a sweat as his already hot armour got even hotter. The fire simulation environment was designed to accurately mimic a burning city neighbourhood, and as far as battlegrounds went it was about as dangerous an environment that he could imagine.

I need to build a rebreather into my mask. Heat insulation too. He thought as he blinked back a few tears.

Around one of the buildings, he heard more harsh shouting from the thugs chasing the karate guy and he stood. Sprinting up the middle of the road, he dodged, weaved, and jumped over the cars in his path before stopping beside the scorched wreckage of an overturned semitruck. The boy with the tail had become cornered in a parking lot and he was completely surrounded by ten thugs. Luckily, they hadn't noticed Izuku yet. Crouching down, he watched as they circled around the hero student.

'Nowhere left to run to squirrel boy.' laughed one thug through his gas mask.

'Ten thousand yen to whoever sets his tail on fire.' called out another as his fists began to glow red hot.

Izuku couldn't see the boys face, but he appeared to be calm. He had adopted a fighting stance, his posture relaxed but ready. Still, for all his mute confidence Izuku could tell that he was in a bad situation. He would need to act now to avoid a catastrophe.

Quickly, before they notice me!

While the thugs were taking their time taunting and jeering, Izuku sprang into action. Looking beyond the thug's backs, the hero student immediately noticed him moving, but was otherwise still. This suited Izuku just fine though. He was used to fighting groups solo anyway. Attacking from behind, Izuku quietly dispatched two of the rearmost thugs with a punch apiece. While the thugs were still unaware of his presence, he lunged forward towards a group of four. Before he could close the distance one of the thugs spotted him and let out a cry of alarm, but the warning came too late. With a running kick he sent a crocodile skinned woman flying into a charred tree before jabbing the other two with a single punch across the chin simultaneously. With a crack they fell unconscious and Izuku turned to the fourth thug.

'Get back, freak!' The villain screeched as he raised his large cylindrical arms.

Izuku leapt just as the man fired a blast of searing hot air. Flipping around the cackling thug, Izuku landed behind him.

'Ha! Nobody takes down Heat Wave!'

'Ahem. Mr. Hot Air?' Izuku said, tapping on the man's shoulder.

'Huh?' The thug said, a dumbfounded expression on his face. Before the thug could react, Izuku's gauntleted fist smashed into him, sending the hapless goon flying across the parking lot.

Izuku turned. The hero student didn't waste his chance and was battling the remaining four thugs. He had already dispatched two of them and was working down the remaining two. He seemed to have everything under control but it was better to be safe than sorry. Loading a rubberized lead ball into his gun, Izuku took aim.

Guess I'm testing my nonlethal ammunition today too.

Firing, the round smashed into a thug's elbow. With a cry of pain, he fell to his knees just in time to catch a tail whip to his face. Now alone, the remaining thug tried to flee but he was quickly tackled and subdued by the hero student.

Jogging up to the boy, Izuku raised his hand in greeting.

'Hey. Nice moves back there. Are you alone?' Izuku asked.

The boy finished tying the struggling thug down with some submission tape before rising to his feet. He squinted at Izuku suspiciously.

'Who are you and what are you doing here? Aren't you in the support department?'

'Yes, I'm in support. My name is Midoriya. Are you alone?' Izuku repeated, twirling his finger impatiently. There was no time to spare.

'Why do you want to know?' asked the boy, squaring his shoulders. Izuku groaned in frustration.

'Look dude, I'm just trying to find out if anybody else in the area is in danger. Now come on, are you alone or not? Every moment we waste is another-'

'Yes, yes. I'm alone.' said the boy quickly, raising his hands in deference. 'I just don't know where you-'

Before he could say anything else Izuku cut him off.

'Okay, great!' he said as he started to run away, 'You stay here and secure this area. I'll go see if anybody else needs help.'

'Wait! I'll come with you!' said the boy running after him.

Izuku exhaled sharply and furrowed his brow in annoyance.

I can't fight at my full strength with this guy around. I need to ditch him pronto!

'Sorry, what was that?' Izuku shouted over his shoulder while sliding a new dart into his grappling gun.

The boy slowed slightly, a wave of uncertainty passing over his face.

'I said-'

Izuku didn't wait to hear his response. Firing his grappling hook at the roof edge of a nearby brick building, he launched himself up and away from the perplexed boy. Soaring through the air, he fired another shot into a distant, blackened billboard to build up more speed.

As he swung forward, Izuku spared a glance behind him. The hero in training was nowhere to be seen.

I'm sure he can handle himself until rescue arrives.

After a few more aerial pulls, he flung himself outside the fire course and into a rocky wilderness zone. There were no buildings or ledges in range so he was forced to make a landing at speed. With a huff, he crashed into the ground, rolling and skidding as best he could to kill his momentum. Thankfully his armour prevailed and he was uninjured. Springing back to his feet, he hopped up a rocky embankment of loosely piled stone.

Once he reached the top of the slope, he paused to wipe the sweat and soot from his face and catch his breath. It seemed as though he was now in a mountainous environment. A mixture of steep cliffs and plateaus intermixed with coarsely sorted stone channels and sharp peaks combined to create an imposing landscape. Thankfully, he had his grappling gun to help him navigate the crags.

Just my luck I have to rescue some guy in the fire zone. Why couldn't it have been a girl in the lake that needed my help? Always unlucky.

Pulling out his canteen, he took a long drink of water while he gave himself time to recover from the smoke. As he drank, he picked up the sound of echoing voices bouncing around the cliffs.

'Get em'…dead to rights!'

'The girl! Grab her first!'

Separate from the harsh cries, Izuku suddenly heard a much shriller, younger voice.

'Kaminari! You useless dolt!'

Screwing the cap back on his canteen, he tried to focus in on the sound. It seemed to be coming from one of the clifftops in front of him. Firing his grappling gun up to a distant cliff face, he launched himself through the air. Hoisting himself up the jagged edge of the cliff, he saw three of the hero class students surrounded by over a dozen thugs.

Izuku fought back another yawn as he worked out a plan of attack.

Momo Yaoyorozu, stood side by side with her two classmates Jiro and Kaminari while the leering horde of villains massed before them. She still didn't know how they got in this situation! The last thing she remembered was getting surrounded by a purple mist on the stairs and then next thing she knew she and her two classmates had found themselves on the mountainside, being chased by unknown enemies! She knew from the glass ceiling above that she was still in the USJ, but she had no idea where the rest of her classmates were. Not that she was in any position to help anybody at the moment.

'Here!' Momo said, quickly creating a machete for Jiro and tossing it to the girl before making a staff for herself, 'We need to break through and find an exit!'

Jiro caught the machete and raised it threateningly towards one of the thugs that was trying to creep around their left flank.

'Hey, Pikachu! What are you waiting for? Fry these guys!' Jiro shot over at the yellow and black-haired boy.

Kaminari bit his lip and stepped back.

'I would, but I'd hit you two as well! I can't control the flow of electricity, just release it!' he shouted back.

'Oh, well that's just great!' Jiro growled, glaring over at him.

With a savage yell two of the thugs rushed forward, knives raised high as they charged. Jiro stepped back and swiped at them as best she could. She managed to intercept one of the blades, but the other thug kept coming. With her machete overextended there was nothing she could do to stop the oncoming steel. Just as the glinting metal knife was about to stab into her, Momo lashed out with her staff and smashed the thug's hand. With a yelp he dropped his weapon and fell back.

'What the heck is up with these guys? What's going on?!' Kaminari shouted as the surrounding thugs regrouped.

None of the villains answered. To the hero students dismay, yet more enemies appeared from around a boulder. The situation was getting worse and worse. Upon spotting them, a large man in the rear of the group of newcomers shouted:

'There're just three kids? What are you waiting for? Charge in and- *GACK*!'

Suddenly his words were cut off by a green and white costumed figure that had chopped him in the neck as he leapt over his shoulder. Twisting around while he landed, he fluidly drew a pistol and with a dull thumpf! sound, the thug closest to the trio was knocked down. A bluish-black ball hit the ground next to him, slowly rolling away.

The thugs surrounding the hero students whirled around wildly in disarray to confront this new foe. However, before the villains could get their bearings Momo took the imitative and raised her staff.

'Attack!' she cried. They couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip.

With a roar the three hero students sprang forward. Momo focused on the thug nearest to her, an orange, waxy skinned man in a basketball jersey.

'Wha-' he said stupidly, just as she smacked into his shoulder with her staff before following it up with a thrust to the centre of his chest. The thug collapsed in pain and she looked for her next opponent. Just as she raised her weapon to engage a pair of adversaries, another projectile smashed into the chin of one of the ogreous looking scum, sending him down to the ground in a groaning heap. His comrade looked over in dull surprise before she brought her staff down on his thick skull.

Momo glanced over at the green and white figure. To her amazement, piled around him were a score of motionless villains, all moaning piteously. Whoever he was, he was making short work of their attackers. She returned her attention to the battle but was shocked to see that almost everyone had either fled or was down for the count. Soon there was only one enemy left and, seeing that the numbers were no longer in her favour, the villain threw down her weapon and tried to flee. Her mad flight was cut short however when another ball smacked into her back sending her sliding and rolling down the gravelly hillside.

Adrenaline pumping in her ears, Momo took a moment to recover while Jiro and Kaminari were doubled over beside her, panting. After a few seconds, Kaminari caught his breath and raised his arm in triumph.

'I did it!' he shouted hoarsely.

'Uh, we did it you mean.' Jiro said, rolling her eyes as Kaminari started dancing. Turning away, she looked over at the green and white clad figure. His helmeted head was swiveling from side to side as he surveyed around the defeated villains.

'Hey. Mr. Green-and-White, thanks for the help.' Jiro said.

'Yeah, thanks guy!' Kaminari added, 'Hey, I saw you outside on the way over here! Aren't you in the support department?'

The support hero student quit searching around his feet and looked up. His face was hidden by his mask and helmet so Momo couldn't say whether or not she had seen him before.

'Yeah, I'm in support. Thanks for rescuing me.' the stranger said, 'Say, have you guys seen any rubber ball thingies on the ground? I'm out of ammo.'

'I think there's one over there.' Momo said, pointing at the cliff base next to her. 'How exactly did we save you? Didn't you come here to rescue us?'

The support student's body went stiff for a moment and he licked his lips.

'Uh, no. Definitely not! I would've been toast without you three. Hey I have an idea, how about you guys secure this area and keep a lookout for anymore-'

Before he could say another word a huge muscular man suddenly erupted out of the ground. The man didn't even react as rock debris showered around him as he faced them. He was wearing an eerie skull like mask and past his open vest his torso was covered in scars no doubt earned from countless street fights. Cracking his neck, he loomed over the teens, yellow arcs of electricity coursing around his fingers.

'What's the matter? All out of bullets for your gun? How pathetic. Drop your weapons.' he commanded in a deep, guttural voice.

Momo tightened her grip on her staff and gritted her teeth. The man was a giant and he seemed much more powerful then the fodder they had defeated earlier. Even four on one this looked to be a tough fight. Before either of them could make a move however there was a quiet hiss and a steel tether shot between the man's legs. He looked down at the cord blankly.

'Okay. Catch.' said the support hero student.

With a sudden zipping sound, the gun he was holding shot out of his hands and smacked into the villain's groin. With a cry of pain from both him and Kaminari, the villain fell to his knees clutching his pelvis in agony. While the villain was dealing with his injury, the green and white clad teen sprinted forward and kicked the man full in the face rendering him mercifully unconscious.

'Aw dude! Not cool man!' Kaminari said, wincing.

'What?' said the support hero defensively, 'He was on Trigger! You can't be too careful with those guys.'

'How can you tell?' Jiro asked curiously.

'His tongue was black. See? Here…'

The three watched as the support hero retrieved his gun before reaching into the man's vest pocket. After searching around for a moment, he produced a small, glass vial. The three moved in to get a closer look. The vial was mostly empty except for a faint liquid residue.

'Probably took a hit just before he jumped out of the ground. Explains why he abandoned his ambush too early.' said the support hero student casually.

Momo frowned. She had heard of Trigger but she had never seen it before. Wasn't that an inner-city thing? She didn't have much knowledge or experience with street crime. Hell, she'd never even visited the slums.

'Okay, so we're under attack by…junkies? We should- Hey, where are you going?' Jiro said in alarm. The green guy had started to jog away. Running backward, he turned to face them.

'Um, yeah as I was saying, how about you guys stay here and secure this area while I go off alone and look for help? My grappling gun will let me look for assistance faster.' he said, now some distance away.

'Wait!' Momo shouted, 'Let's go as a group!'

Before either party could say anything else, there was a massive, booming sound that seemed to rattle their teeth. Everyone stopped and turned to watch as a giant section of the dome collapsed in on itself. Broken glass covering acres of the ceiling alongside countless steel girders fell, showering down into the distance. They fell silent.

'What was that?' Kaminari asked, mouth agape.

Suddenly echoing around the cliffs came a booming, familiar voice.

'Heeyyy! All of you villains, surrender now, or get beat up later! To all you class 1-A students out there, the cavalry has arrived! Just sit tight for rescue and we will be with you shortly!'

'Present Mic is here! That must mean the teachers have shown up to fix this mess! We're saved!' Momo said, clapping her hands together. Jiro and Kaminari cheered.

'Yay.' said the support hero unenthusiastically. If she didn't know any better, there was a hint of worry in his voice.