Chapter 2
Rescue! Train Hard!
The students poured out of the classroom, eager to stretch their bodies in the warm weather. Clint and Paul ran off first, they were the fastest and had a friendly rivalry growing. Arthur followed them out, sliding his cell phone back into his pocket. He had made a quick call to the teacher in charge of physical education, and she wasn't happy. She liked her schedule, and Arthur knew he owed her big time. Arthur saw Yoshitoki walking behind as the rest of the class ran ahead. Arthur couldn't imagine what it was like leaving your home country to live somewhere you didn't even speak the language, but he put a reassuring hand on Yoshitoki's shoulder and smiled at him. Yoshitoki returned the smile, but said nothing to Arthur. They reached the domed training field before long, and Yoshitoki took it in slowly. It was larger than the one at U.A., but looked more complicated to navigate. They had a mostly similar layout though, with buildings, rocky formations, a lake, and several other areas for weather based training. Yoshitoki was still amazed the main campus could afford to build a training center so large and diverse, so he was even more surprised the American campus had one as well.
The rest of the class was grouped up by the urban environment, with buildings and streets to help train for search and vertical rescue. The class knew being able to clear floors of a building quickly and safely was paramount to keeping as many people as possible safe in a time of crisis. Yoshitoki joined the rest of the group, and Arthur Harring stood in the back, watching them closely. Arthur knew he was being paranoid, but the League of Villains had recently broken into the main campus training ground during their attacks on U.A., and he wouldn't let the same thing happen here. The class suddenly fell silent, and Arthur looked up to see a woman towering over his students.
Dakshi Basu was the physical education teacher at U.A. America. She stood at six feet, seven inches tall, her long brown hair down past her back, with an equal skin tone to match. Her gaze was sharp and cold, but held no malice. Her Quirk was "Astral Arms", and like the goddess Parvati, she was capable of creating many manifestations of arms to aid in combat and rescue. The arms glittered in the sunlight, and when she summoned as many as she could handle, it was a beautiful sight to behold. This made her the best teacher to handle students, as her Quirk helped deal with more than one at a time. She said nothing to the students, who knew her very well, until she saw Yoshitoki.
"Arthur, you have the new student already? Wasn't he supposed to arrive later…oh it doesn't matter.", she waved gently at Yoshitoki, "Hello, young man, I am Dakshi Basu, your physical education teacher. What is your name?"
Yoshitoki quickly turned his translator on. "My name is Kondou Yoshitoki, ma'am. Flight early, arrive early. Unintentional, but Mr. Harring very easy to accommodate. Pleased to meet with you." Dakshi smiled, she recognized the translator, she had to use one when she first arrived from India. She felt for the boy, she knew how hard his journey would be until he settled into his new life.
Arthur spoke up from the back. "Ms. Basu was gracious enough to join me so we could keep two sets of eyes on you. Today we're going to be doing some intermediate training, rescue under combat conditions. I'm going to divide you up into five teams of three. Two teams for heroes, two teams for villains, and unfortunately three of you will have to sit out for the day and play victims for rescue. I'll pick four captains, and they'll choose their team members. First, do we have any volunteers for being rescued today?"
Isabel's hand shot up immediately. She knew she needed to gain better control of her power before doing any direct combat, and she didn't want to hinder any team members if she didn't have to. She started to tear up at the thought of making class harder for others, and a small raincloud appeared over her head. Chichi's hand went up also, she wasn't built for direct combat, and three on three didn't benefit her style of tactics, she'd be in too much danger. After several moments, Corinna raised her hand. She could easily participate in this style of combat, but it was nice out, and she'd rather watch the sun come in through the windows of the facility.
Arthur nodded, "Alright, wonderful. You three, I want you to go hide in the training field. You can be as easy or hard to find as you want, but I want two of you to play unconscious, and one of you will be injured and requesting aid," The three girls discussed their options as they disappeared behind the buildings, "as for the rest of you, the captains will be…Willow…Clint…Paul…and…Julian. Willow and Clint will be on the hero side, Paul and Julian will be playing villains. Willow, pick your team, then Clint, Paul, finish up with Julian."
Willow didn't hesitate, "Ash is with me, and," she looked through the class, trying to decide who would stay out of their way the best, before laying her eyes on the perfect person, "Dave. I want Dave." Dave looked around in confusion, he was never picked for the first team. He was never picked at all. He wasn't sure about this. He couldn't work with those two, so as he walked up to join the lovebirds, he started thinking about the best way to make this team work.
Clint stepped up next, and he was quick to decide as well. "Sam Diaz. Teo Canseco. You two will work great with me." Clint was thinking a few steps ahead, he could use Sam's Quirk to launch himself like a muscular bullet, and Teo could use spare junk lying around to create distractions for whoever was unlucky enough to face him.
Teo spoke up, "Actually man, my stomach hurts. I dunno if I ate something, but I know one person's gotta sit out, we got one too many, and I think that's gotta be me. You should take Brian, man, he could help you out." Brian Kiley pursed his lips, what was he gonna do to help those two? Regardless, Clint waved him over enthusiastically, and Brian stood up to go stand by his teammates.
Paul Brand grinned, he wasn't used to playing the bad guy, but he would have to think like a villain to win this training. He glanced over the remaining members of class, trying to imagine his Quirk blending with theirs. "I want…Yoshitoki, we could have fun working together. Reed, and Reed! Yeah! The three of us will be unstoppable!" He saw a lot of potential in their abilities working together, but Reed and Yoshitoki stayed quiet as they formed up with the Vice President of their class.
"I guess I'll take Luke and Avana." Julian was not confident in the last two members of class. None of their Quirks could work together well enough without preparation, and it didn't look like they were going to get that. Luke shrugged, it was just training, so it was okay if they lost. Avana couldn't believe she'd been picked last. It was okay to not be first, but last? Absolute last? What was she doing wrong? She frowned as she trudged over to join Luke and Julian.
Dakshi took control once the students were together, "Alright, villain team will go into the training field, and the heroes will attempt two things. First, to win the training, they must return all victims to this point. Second and optionally, you can capture all villains with your capture tape, in order to make search and rescue easier. Remember though, any victims may be injured, and waiting too long may cost them dearly. Villains, your only job is to prevent the heroes from rescuing all victims. Be sure to use your capture tape as well. Is that clear?" The class nodded, and the team of Julian Cooper, Luke Olhauser, and Avana Hughes walked into the field, talking quietly on how they could possibly work together. They would be facing Willow Rhodes, Ash Hargrave, and Dave, who waited patiently for the green light so they could begin their rescue mission.
The whistle sounded. Willow and Ash darted off, the two had been working together since they were very young, and were by far the most coordinated team in the class. Their Quirks were like clockwork, she produced toxins and he was immune to all poisons, gases, and chemicals. Willow would surround them in a cloud of nerve gas, and Ash would dispatch their enemies one by one, like they always did. They had never lost a team fight, and they would make sure this wasn't their first. Dave hadn't moved. He knew their Quirks, if he stood by them, he'd be in as much danger as anyone else. Dave walked off into the maze of buildings and streets, it didn't matter how fast he went. He let a sigh escape his lips, and kicked a rock. The rock skittered across the warm pavement, eventually coming to a stop several feet away. Dave wondered if that rock was like him, ignored by the world, left to his own devices. He walked over, leaned down, and put the rock in his pocket. He wouldn't leave someone like him alone like that.
Julian, Avana, and Luke had chosen to stand in the middle of a courtyard. The easy part of this training was that the entire class knew everyone's Quirks. There was no reason for the three of them to go out of their way to hide, the gas Willow produced could eventually cover them no matter what. Julian had finishing discussing the plan with his classmates, and he had figured out a plan that may actually work. They had the power in their Quirks to separate Willow and Ash, they just had to get a little lucky. Avana lit up, her arms engulfed in flame, and she shot up into the air, looking down for a sign their enemies were approaching. As she began her descent, she saw a cloud of yellow mist coming from the south. That was them, and step one was complete.
"They're coming, should be here in about thirty seconds. I'll get up, like you said, and wait. Are you sure you'll be fine?" Avana was concerned, Julian's plan was risky, but it was their best bet.
"Absolutely. You get up high, land in a window, and when they're close, start blasting. Luke, you as well. I want as much light as you can give me, we have to get them separated or they'll take us apart." Julian ran his hands through his hair, he had let it grow overnight. It was well past his back, and he pulled two fistfuls in front of his mouth, tying it into an improvised mask. It was thick enough that it would help filter any gas Willow produced for a little while, and he had been sure to use the best conditioner for physical combat. If he could get Ash away from Willow, this would be easy. He hoped it would be easy.
Ash and Willow turned the corner and saw Julian Cooper, alone. Willow looked at Ash and nodded, he wouldn't be standing unguarded for no reason. Willow inhaled, and blew out a cloud of noxious mist. This batch wasn't potent, but she was trying to create a smokescreen. She knew they were being watched, she just couldn't see from where. The cloud grew, and Julian began to sweat. He knew this was practice, but training to be a hero meant you had to look good, even in defeat. Julian knew he was facing a well-oiled machine, and he raised two fingers, pointing at the pair in front of him.
At that moment, two things happened. A burst of flames shot out from a nearby window, and two pulses of light erupted from the opposite side of the courtyard. Ash weaved between the attacks, Quirks aside he was most likely the best hand to hand fighter in the class. His Quirk didn't make him strong, smart, or fast, so he had put in training over the years to be at peak physical condition. Still, he couldn't stand out in the open to become target practice, and he knew Avana and Luke wouldn't risk hitting their teammate. Ash rushed at Julian, intent on taking the hair away from his mouth so the nerve gas would sedate him. Julian flung his head forward, and his hair fell over Ash's fist. The blow was absorbed, Julian's hair acting as a cushion. Julian then grasped the hair surrounding Ash's outstretched hand and tore it out, the hair instantly hardening, creating a vice grip that Ash couldn't pull away from. Julian planted his feet and swung Ash out of the cloud of gas. Step two was complete.
Willow was not prepared for the events that took place. The burst of flames disrupted her footing, and one of the beams of light struck her in the shoulder. It seared, like she had been touched with a burning lightbulb. She rolled away from the next pulse, and looked up to see Ash being flung away. Her heart began to beat faster, she couldn't fight without protecting Ash. Willow stood and began to run towards Julian, but was cut off by another burst of flame at her feet. The panic set in deeper, and she pumped a purple toxin out around her, deep as night. She placed her hands in it, the resin sticking to her palms, rolling it into small spheres. Willow waited for the next burst of flame before throwing spheres as fast as possible toward the direction of the fire. Willow screamed as another pulse of light hit her in the chest, knocking her to the ground.
Avana couldn't help but feel relief, Julian's plan was working flawlessly. Ash had been removed from his comfort zone, and Willow was on the defensive. She and Luke were out of harm's way, and they were firmly in control. Avana saw Willow crouch down, and readied another burst of fire, before hearing small splashes hit the outside of the building she was in. As soon as the smell touched her nose, Avana fell to one knee and vomited. This was poison, maybe fatal, Avana didn't have time to find out. Her arms popped and whistled as the fire covered her, and she shot out of the window like a bullet. She needed distance, she needed…Avana's eyes closed as she fainted, and her body crashed to the ground, crumpling into a heap.
Julian didn't know what was happening behind him, he didn't have time to look. Ash Hargrave was tall and lean, and Julian was stocky, but several inches shorter. Julian knew Ash had been trained in martial arts, but the difference in their physical training was made very clear to him. Ash rained down blow after blow into Julian, who whipped his hair around with ferocity to deflect as much damage as possible. A knee strike, then two, caught Julian in the ribs, followed by an elbow to the back of the neck. Julian's hair saved him from a knockout blow, but his ribs were on fire. Julian yanked out another long strip of hair, which hardened into a rod. Julian grasped it in both hands, and brought it crashing into the side of Ash's face. Ash hit the ground with force, a wheeze escaping his lips. Julian raised his weapon in front of him, gasping for breath. He couldn't give Ash time to get his capture tape out, they could still win this.
Luke was a pillar of light, sending out pulse after pulse. His hands ached, but winning was suddenly more important than he believed at first. The fight had only gone on for several minutes, but things had gone from good to terrible very quickly. Avana was out cold, maybe injured, and Julian had his hands full. Luke had to dispatch Willow before she threw whatever that purple goo was at him, Julian couldn't win on his own. Luke crossed his hands in front of his face, he had to do this in one shot. The walls around him vibrated as he focused, his breathing labored and his hands burning. This was all he had, if this didn't work, it was over. Luke lowered his hands to aim, his fingers forming the circle of the cannon barrel for the blast he was about to unleash. In that moment, he saw Willow's eyes, wide, panicked, searching for Ash. Luke closed his, this was about winning. This was about winning.
Dakshi Basu's voice spoke through the intercoms spread out in the training area, "HEROES WIN. ALL VICTIMS HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO THE STARTING POINT. CEASE ACTIVITY AND RETURN TO ENTRANCE." Luke leaned back quickly and a deafening echo tore through the courtyard as a ball of light rocketed into the sky, squealing through the air until it faded into the distance. Luke fell, and began to sweat. Was he really ready to do that…to a classmate? What if nothing had happened…what if he had…this was supposed to be training, this wasn't serious…
Julian dropped his weapon and grabbed Ash's hand, pulling him to his feet. They hugged briefly, a quiet apology for the violence they inflicted on each other. Willow's cloud of gas dispersed quietly, and she rose to her feet shakily. She gritted her teeth and glared at the window Luke was in, before turning around and storming off. Julian picked up Avana's limp body and carried her back, Ash followed, and Luke came from the rear. They approached the entrance, all confused on what exactly had ended the exercise.
Dave stood at the entrance, with Corinna, Chichi, and Isabel successfully rescued from the exercise. He shrugged at his classmates, a wistful smile on his face. He knew there was more than one way to win a fight, and he was glad he chose the way he did. Those guys looked like hell. Dakshi had the two teams stand with Arthur Harring, who called the nurse's office to let them know several students were on their way for medical attention. Arthur took Avana from Julian, and began carrying her back to the school. Julian, Willow and Ash followed, while the uninjured Luke and Dave stayed with the rest of the class. Luke sat away from the class, holding his knees to his chest silently. Dakshi looked at the two remaining teams. She wondered if they were all a little too committed to success, even at the cost of each other.