Shoe scrapes echo as footfalls dodge blowing scraps of parchment. A duo darkened by brick walls that bow with age cut through the garbage strewn space of an alleyway. The lead of the couple comes to a halt first, throwing up a hand to signal the other to stop as well. It doesn't take their shared glances at one another to have their next move be a synchronized swivel so that their backs are pressed to the brick behind them. Hitoshi Shinso tries to stifle his heavy breathing by muffling his mouth with the capture cloth he wears around his neck like a scarf; his partner, Shoto Todoroki, can't help but notice an uncanny resemblance between the boy's appearance and their Sensei.
Todoroki would be inclined to believe Shinso is Aizawa's secret love child if they weren't currently being hunted by the man. Despite this whole thing being a test, mock environment made to mimic an actual city complete with laundry lines hung across the windows above them, it's starting to feel very real. At the start of their final exam's practical portion, the underground hero had been sure to leave a few bruises before Shinso managed to throw down a smoke bomb. The two of them have only managed to get away and avoid Aizawa since then thanks to sheer luck. Todoroki winces, still cradling his side with a self supportive hand to apply pressure against his wound.
Shinso peeks around the alley's corner exit, craning his neck to do so. When he verifies no visual confirmation of Aizawa within their vicinity, he checks back with his partner to signal their next move by giving a curt nod. Todoroki bobs his head back; following that motion, his hand moves up so that his palm can secrete a frosty mildew from the moisture in the air. That reconfirms that their Sensei isn't around them currently. It was an idea they had come up with a while back. Periodically, Todoroki will use either his left or right sides to create ice and fire. Whether or not his quirk functions properly will determine if Aizawa has his eyes on them or not. A way to keep track of Eraserhead's erasure quirk.
Despite that, they don't want to risk drawing their teacher's attention. So Shinso makes sure to keep his voice hushed when he says, "I think the escape gate is right up ahead … we should be able to make it undetected at this rate" Todoroki frowns but hums to express his agreement with that plan anyways. They had originally intended to capture Aizawa but the alternate option for passing the Final Exam is managing to escape from the mock city; after realizing they may be outmatched against Eraserhead, both boys changed their course of action to escaping as their top priority. Shinso waves to gesture they continue going while they still can.
They followed the cable lines strung along electrical poles to this point, imagining the power connection would lead them to the right spot. It turns out that they were right to think that. Shinso leads the rest of the way, Todoroki trailing behind him. Within sight now is the exit. Until, a collection of caltrops clatter across the street between them and the escape gate. Aizawa arrives. He's caught up with them. "I figured I'd find you two here", the underground hero's hair hoists above his head with the activation of his quirk. His capture cloth untangles, landing in his hands as he loops the line like a lasso.
Shinso slides to a stop, eyes wide when he sees his mentor opposing him. Todoroki shares a glance with his partner. Aizawa's goggles typically hide who he's staring at to keep them guessing on who's quirk he's erasing. When Todoroki tries creating fire or ice and nothing happens though, it's no longer much of a guessing game. Shinso swallows his saliva to wet his throat before he tries using his quirk instead, "I doubt you're smart enough to have actually figured that out! I'm willing to bet you got lucky instead, just like luck instead of brains was how you got this teacher gig!"
Aizawa isn't foolish enough to fall for the bait though. He keeps his mouth shut. While also shutting Shinso's. The underground hero's capture cloth loops around before lashing out at an elongated angle, then it wraps itself around the boy's lower face to restrict his speech. Still, Shinso smiles behind the nanofibers. It hadn't been getting his Sensei to respond that had been his goal. Rather, he only needed to get Eraserhead to look at him instead of Todoroki. The dual quirked hero hopeful swings his arm up to unleash a barrage of ice glaciers.
Aizawa's head snaps back in the direction of the attack, stopping it short. The ice is already in motion though. He's forced to backtrack and vault out of reach, landing atop a power pole. Fragments of clear crystalline mineral are halted by his erasure quirk long enough for his capture cloth to redirect itself. Streaking straight and then ensnaring Todoroki, that's Shinso's partner captured. But Shinso is free to move again. The underground hero's mentor makes a break for the escape gate.
Aizawa sighs, keeping his protege in his peripheral vision as he secures Todoroki. "The reason you two were pitted against me is because you're too overly reliant on your quirks", he tosses a couple more caltrops but this time they're to keep his catch from escaping, "Or rather because you're both also somehow not all that confident about your quirks at the same time" Todoroki could have led with his fire rather than his ice, and Shinso's trick once seen through is a futile effort; it takes a little more than a practical exam to help them overcome their psychological limits apparently.
Aizawa is about to jump from his perch to pursue and capture Shinso when he feels something snagging his ankle. "Hm?", he pauses to glance down and see capture cloth made from the same material as his own binding him back, "When did… ?" One more quick look in Shinso's direction confirms the boy is without his weaponized scarf. During Todoroki's attack, he must have made a move then. The ice was a diversion. A distraction. Aizawa can't help but smile, pleased with the results of the exam working afterall. "Not bad, kid…"
Shinso and Todoroki aren't the only students of Class 1-A who have confidence problems. Momo Yaoyorozu and Kyoka Jirou were paired together to fight the epitome of confidence; Aizawa wonders how the two girls are fairing against Present Mic. Yamada walks the streets of the mock city in search of his opponents. Every so often, he'll yell at 110 decibels (the same level as a sonic boom) in an effort to draw them out. "WHERE ARE YOU?!", his wails rumble through the exam field like thunder that cracks at the shrill shriek of his voice.
Even below surface level deep within the tunnels of the city's sewer system, both girls still wince at how loud their teacher is shouting. It was Yaoyorozu's idea that they sneak around out of sight to keep an element of surprise while also increasing the chances of escaping if need be. She just hadn't expected Jirou to still require she create earmuffs from her lipids to ease the strain of her partner's sensitive hearing. That just goes to show how powerful a pro hero's power can be, even when suppressed by a layer of concrete and quirk dampeners.
Nevertheless, with the help of some glowsticks Yaoyorozu continuously creates with her quirk, the girls are able to navigate the underground maze. Not only does it help to see, but it leaves behind a nice trail of 'bread crumbs' so that they don't retrace their steps accidentally. The plan is going smoothly so far. And just in case things go south, Yaoyorozu crafted a special EMP device that should theoretically disable Present Mic's microphone collar. The only caveat is that it'll likely also deactivate Jirou's bass boosting boots. Yaoyorozu hangs her head, disappointed with herself that she couldn't come up with something better that wouldn't jeopardize her ally.
Jirou wades through the sewage a little faster when the duo approach a wall with rungs leading up it. They share a mutual nod before Yaoyorozu regains focus and boosts her partner up. The manhole cover slides away with some effort. Jirou's topknot rises out from below first, followed by the rest of her head. The escape gate isn't anywhere in sight. They'll have to keep going a little further. Jirou makes sure to cover their tracks by sliding the manhole lid back into place on her way down. Yaoyorozu once again chastises herself for not doing something to make this part of the process easier rather than trial and error.
Present Mic patrols the surface level none the wiser though. He's also not aware of the motion sensor that detects his movement when he passes the fake coffee shop he was yet to come by. Yaoyorozu's phone pings with a notification to let her know the hero's location. Well, at the very least, they can keep track of their opponent with the traps she set. They can be sure of how far behind he is or if he's caught on to them. Yaoyorozu allows herself a small smile. She may not have thought of everything. This plan might not be the best one she could come up with. But Jirou's thumbs up is an encouraging sight to see. Maybe this isn't such a bad approach afterall.
Lost in a similar labyrinth of tunnels, the students of Class 1-A aren't the only examinees of the hero course practical. Itsuka Kendo and Ibara Shiozaki of Class 1-B run like mice caught in a maze. Orchestrating their path from the bird's eye view of a crane, U.A's principal enjoys the amount of control he has over them. Kendo believes she's the one charting their course, an illusion of free will, but it's Nezu that navigates their actions. Ibara follows along, reigning in the vines growing from her head rather than stretching them out to seek ahead. It's going all according to what's expected of them play-by-play.
Much like Yaoyorozu of 1-A, Kendo shows promise in her critical thinking. However, that also proves to be her downfall. She's quick to jump to conclusions rather than viewing the broad scope of plausibility. Shiozaki similarly judges things by first glance. Nezu figures there's nobody better suited to teaching them the awareness one needs when looking at the bigger picture of a plan. If only they thought things through. If only they took time to stop and reconsider. Maybe then they would pass the exam. Nezu sips his tea, deeming their failure a shame.
"Are we even heading the right way?", Shiozaki flits her gaze left and right as she runs alongside her partner. The mock construction site is fitted with cement tubes tunneling in a variety of directions. It's difficult to keep track of where each one leads when their opponent keeps maneuvering their placement to change with a crane.
"It's not a matter of where we're going", Kendo grabs Shiozaki by the wrist before pulling back and dragging her to duck down. They fall into a tube opposite to the one they were running for.
"Are you sure?", Shiozaki dusts off her cloths from landing in the dirt. Her hair vines wriggle with a vibrant vigor when she stands back up, "I could scout ahead–"
"No", Kendo cuts off her partner with a hushed hiss. A gesture to indicate they both keep their voices low before she whispers a little quieter makes Shiozaki raise her eyebrows, "That would make it easier for Principal Nezu to spot us."
"I thought we were trying to find the escape gate", Shiozaki startles at the implication that she and Kendo are changing their tactics to challenge Nezu.
"You're too honest that I couldn't risk telling you the actual plan in case he'd find out", Kendo places a hand on her classmate's shoulder in order to apologize, "Besides … It's better that Principal Nezu believes he's got us right where he'd like us to be."
Shiozaki is even further disturbed by these revelations. The girl she'd elected as class president and considers a friend had not only lied, but the hero school's principal is apparently just as devious. "How can you and a cute animal be so sadistic?", she shivers just thinking about it.
At that, Kendo smirks. "You shouldn't be so quick to judge a book by its cover", and then she's sneaking through the retracing of her steps to reach Nezu's crane.
A colorful conflagration covers the mock city's streets, flashes of orange to blue fire burning brightly. Heat wafts over asphalt, smoke hissing from cracking cement; streetlights melt while a fake postal box combusts. Windows blast away while surrounding shops burst open; buildings combust within the surrounding area. At the epicenter of this destruction is the one responsible, none other than Katsuki Bakugo.
He huffs and puffs through ash and soot, chest heaving with every sharp breath. His palms pulsate as they do more than sting, harsh explosions having damaged the boy's hands. It took a lot out of him to create such a violent detonation. When his opponent is fucking All Might though, he'd dare say he has a good reason to let loose. Flames lick a crater clean from where his attack made impact. Not even the nerd's regeneration would be able to recover from this one.
Little does Bakugo know the whole purpose of this exam's exercise is to teach him restraint. He'd been put up against All Might for a reason. A powerful quirk led the boy to be forceful and arrogant, choosing fight over flight. When pitted in a battle with someone who outclasses him, he needs to learn there's an alternative option other than jeopardizing his safety. Same goes for the boy's partner, Eijiro Kirishima; a quirk that can withstand critical hits and a manly personality makes him put himself in the line of attack more often than he should.
So when All Might comes barreling out of the explosion's wake without so much as a scratch, he doesn't let them off with a warning. He needs to pound it into their thick skulls a bit to teach them a lesson. Kirishima's hardening cracks, even with the number one hero pulling his punches. Quirk dampeners do little to slow the hero's speed when he zooms for Bakugo. The brash blonde lashes out with an explosion to All Might's face but it may as well be a pie the way the man eats it head on.
They never stood a chance. They should've ran for the escape gate. No matter how much firepower Bakugo uses, it won't be enough to stop All Might. The hero left his prime years behind a long time ago but he's still unstoppable. With a wound on his side, he favors a feint before blowing Bakugo away. The wind uptake isn't like when he fought at the USJ or anything, but it's still enough to send a miniature earthquake across the mock city environment.
All Might looks at his folded fist, clenching it a bit tighter. He's running on fumes. He's finally passed his power along to a successor. Yet, it seems this generation of prospective heroes still isn't ready for him to step down. He'll have to hang on a little while longer. He'll have to be enough. The symbol of peace maintains his signature smile, despite playing the role of the villain for this exercise. Kirishima ought to think it's a manly expression, at the very least.
Actual villains congregate within an underground base of operations. They don't flaunt their power in broad daylight. Not these kind. These are schemers. What All Might teaches the next generation just may not be enough to stop them. Shigaraki's smile is much more sinister, the thought of destroying everything hero society built making him giddy. Across the way is another legion of evil. The Yakuza. The old gen is conjoining with the new gen of crime.
But they each clearly have an aged preference of manners; Chisaki glares at Shigaraki when the villain props his feet up on the coffee table between them. "Take your filthy shoes off there", the young Yakuza head eyes the scuffed sneakers and the way that they track dirt all over the place.
"That's not a very polite way to treat your guest", Shigaraki scratches at the irritated nerves itching around his frowning face. He returns Chisaki's glower with one of his own.
"I'm not THAT generous of a host", the Yakuza is just as restless with his hands as he tugs at the wrists of his gloves. There's a tension between them as they both recognize those patterns.
"No kidding", Shigaraki scoffs but moves his feet from the coffee table anyways. He'll play along for now. May as well act nice. The latest recruits push his patience enough that this guy is no exception. "I was walking for hours to get here", he's already annoyed from having to navigate his way through an underground tunnel system.
"A precaution we take to elude the heroes", though Chisaki makes a fair point that such a maze would surely make good use with moving under the radar. It's not as cool as hiding in plain sight like the league of villain's bar hideout but the villain can respect it as a decision.
"There, we have a common enemy, and a common goal" Shigaraki focuses on the reason why he bothered going through all this trouble in the first place, pushing aside personal feelings for the fellow villain and instead fixating on his hatred for heroes.
"Yes.. We're looking to expand our influence just the same as you after the hero killer boosted attention to our justifiable causes", Chisaki sets his hands on his knees to assume a more relaxed posture when he sees Shigaraki settling in across from him. They reach a mutual understanding, glares shifting gears.
"That's a nice way of putting it", Shigaraki sneers when thinking of Stain but remembers the benefits he was able to reap from the hero killer. "We both have something to gain here", it's best that he moves their discussion topic towards the league in that regard, "We're both looking to make big moves with big groups."
"The question is whether or not those ideals align", but Chisaki is still hanging onto damned motivations. Shigaraki can hear the hero killer spouting bullshit about convictions in the back of his mind.
"I was thinking we could act together either way", he leans forward to push past those barriers and reiterates that they're after the same goal, "You share some power and I'll share some power."
Chisaki doesn't react the way Shigaraki expects. He doesn't tense up or anything. Rather, the Yakuza looks bored. It's annoying. "Soldiers and funding aren't of short supply for us", he lazily disregards what the league is offering and decides to instead be selfish, "What we want in particular from you is your name."
Shigaraki has half a thought to dust the bastard. But he calms himself down before he acts impulsively. Sensei spins things in his favor. Maybe he can too. "You need some of us as representatives for that so it's all the same", he's pleased with the way he was able to shift things back in his way of negotiation.
"And that–", especially when Chisaki sits up to show his attentiveness, "-that's your representative?" The Yakuza nods to the being behind Shigaraki.
Shigaraki smirks. "That's something new", he's glad that the dear doctor was able to finish Katana Man in time for this meeting.
When the room shakes, dust rattling off from the ceiling, Shigaraki's smile vanishes. Chisaki doesn't seem all that pleased either. "Were you followed here?", the Yakuza stands up with an aura of hostility radiating off of him. Katana Man steps forward, a guard dog trained to defend without orders unlike the other Nomu. But Shigaraki stops his pet before things can get dicey.
"No", Shigaraki dismisses the Yakuza's accusation before also standing up. While he'd typically respond with equal hostility to being threatened, he's starting to think like Sensei that he can use this as an opportunity. "However … This presents a good chance for me to show you how useful we can be to your organization should we partner up", Shigaraki waves Katana Man over to him before addressing the bioengineered version of Stain, "Let's aid our allies a little."
Chisaki watches as the bladed Nomu leaves them, slowly sitting back down. "I'll allow this matter to be left in your hands for now, but should this disruption grow out of proportion, I will have to cut our meeting short."
Shigaraki plops back down onto the couch behind him, no longer caring to prop his feet up. After he does the Yakuza this favor, he figures they'll have zero qualms about his leisureness either. "The only thing being cut short will be the disruption…", the villain's red eyes sparkle with malice.
