Guys, I really want to apologize for such a late update! Truly I am!
School started back up for me, and I'd imagine a lot of other people have started school as well. With Statistics keeping me occupied, work draining my energy, and the mountains near me burning and sending tons of smoke and ash into the air, I haven't found the motivation to truly sit down and dedicate time to this project. But hopefully things will be calming down soon so...there's that.
Also, as of right now, leaks of Ch. 284 was released on Twitter and...well, I want to say I called it, but I have no proof that I did before. And I won't provide said proof since I want it to be my surprise to you guys later. Oh well...Horikoshi really knows how to blow away our expectations. He also knows how to drive us crazy, so that's another plus!
Support Horikoshi and everyone else behind My Hero Academia and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. I should read that manga soon since I need to brush up my knowledge on that stuff. Anywho, I wrote this and the next chapter as one document and since I felt that they would work better separate, I have done just that. Enjoy everyone!
Two days later...
With the sun rising and coffee brewed, Deku smiled as he greeted the day.
The previous days were slow for the Symbol of Peace as Class 2-A completed their written exams in their respective subjects. He supervised each day with Snipe's permission, giving the Western Hero time to relax and prepare for what was coming next.
Deku was quiet in his supervision as he used Enhanced Hearing to ensure the students weren't quietly whispering among each other. Instead of finding cheaters, Deku listened in on a few students as they mumbled to themselves as they tried to understand the exams. A few people he wasn't expecting to curse had done so, including Hagakure, threatening to shove a freshly sharpened pencil up the ass of whoever devised the Pythagorean Theorem as well as other violent acts against whoever thought it was a good idea for heroes to understand it.
The Symbol of Peace kept his distance from her.
When the second day ended, Deku marveled at how well everyone did at first glance. He saw more potential high grades than the previous year. Of course, Iida, Yaoyorozu, Midoriya and Bakugo were at the top of the list.
However, that day had passed, and now the day he had been waiting for had finally arrived. With his list for the final training exam in hand and his hero costume on, the Symbol of Peace instructed everyone to meet at Ground Beta fully dressed and ready for action. He didn't wait for them at the dorms, instead going on ahead to ensure everything was ready for them.
When he arrived, Principal Nezu, Snipe, and Mr. Aizawa were waiting for him at the front gate. The cuddly principal waved at the Symbol and leapt out of Aizawa's scarf. "I can see you're excited for the day to begin Deku," he observed.
Deku smiled and waved the list in front of him. "Oh I definitely am. I'm having the class meet us here at 10:30 so we have some time. I also want them to be fed, showered and prepped before they tear their hair out," he said.
"Of course in a true situation, heroism doesn't follow a serious schedule," Mr. Aizawa said.
"While absolutely true, I'd rather they eat first. The last thing I need is everyone failing because their stomachs begin to mimic Chewbacca from those Old World movies," Deku commented. "A well-fed hero is a happy hero."
Mr. Aizawa rolled his eyes. "So...after initial grading, it looks like Class 2-A definitely improved from last year's exams," he said.
"I'm thankful for Snipe encouraging them. Also thankful that Yaoyorozu and my younger self organized study groups," Deku commented as pocketed the paper. "There was a lot of goofing around but a lot actually happened."
"I bet," Principal Nezu. "The young cannot stay young forever."
"They also can't be quiet most nights," Snipe commented. "Seriously Aizawa, how did you do it?"
The Erasure Hero raised his hair up, exposing his ears. "Ear plugs most of the time. Also having Iida and Yaoyorozu handle the class helps tremendously."
Snipe chuckled. "Well Yaoyorozu and Midoriya have done quite well for them academically. But I swear if I hear anymore Mario music, I'm cutting off their internet privileges," he warned.
Deku laughed. "It could be worse though..."
Aizawa cracked a smile. "It could..."
Principal Nezu smiled. "So...everything inside is all set. Ms. Winters is also on-site for emergency heals and keeping the drones in line," he said. "To be quite honest, I cannot wait to see how everything will turn out."
"It's too bad you won't be participating this time around, Principal Nezu," Snipe said
"As much as I enjoyed it last year, I think it's for the best," he said.
"You had wayyy too much fun," Deku remarked with a smirk.
Principal Nezu smirked. "Maybe a little bit..."
Mr. Aizawa smiled and looked outward. He saw 2-A approaching in their hero costumes and with brave faces on. Midoriya was leading the pack with Yaoyorozu right behind him. The two were conversing among themselves while everyone else simply followed...except for Kaminari, who was showing Shinso something funny on his phone.
Right behind them was a familiar head of blond hair. Mr. Aizawa groaned inward as All Might accompanied the class, talking to some of the kids as they walked. Deku smiled as he watched his former master walk towards him.
But the smile faded the longer he stared at him. His face relaxed and his shoulders dropped as his eyes appeared to water. His sudden change was noticed by Principal Nezu as he looked up at him.
Deku's expression quickly changed as the class finally arrived. "Welcome everyone! I'm so glad you're all here!"
"Well duh! This is for a grade!" Bakugo bellowed out from the back.
A few chuckles rolled through the crowd. Deku smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "O-Of course. Right...I forgot about that little tidbit," he confessed.
Mina was basically jumping in place. "Sooooo...what's the big secret? Will we get to see you in action?"
"Maybe have us fight each other in a mock battle?" Shoji wondered.
"Perhaps you want to see how we've improved with our Quirks," Tokoyami said.
Deku shook his head while wearing a smile on his face. "I'll get to it in a second. Remember when I said it was going to be somewhat similar to your mock battle when you guys first arrived? I'm keeping that promise, but with an extra twist!" He declared.
The Symbol of Peace pulled out his phone and tapped on it a few times. He held his phone in the air soon afterward and pressed one final button. At that moment, 20 phones buzzed or played a tune in front of him. All of Class 2-A checked their phones to see a single message.
"Don't reveal your affiliation, okay? Keep it to yourself at all costs!" Deku commanded. "Now, it's about time you learn something new about being a hero: expect the unexpected!"
Bakugo rolled his eyes. "We've done this already!"
"Perhaps, but this will be different. Now, everyone in the class has been given an affiliation: Heroes or Villains. Heroes will have a specific set of tasks to complete as well as Villains."
Sounds of confused students rolled through the crowd. "Here is the general scenario: a group of villains have kidnapped several high-ranking members of government and are holding them hostage in the city. Police are hard at work at determining their location, however, there are complications. One: the heroes have no idea where the villains are hiding. Two: the heroes don't know exactly how many hostages there are. And three: the heroes have 15 minutes to find the villains before they escape!"
"Oh damn...sounds like the heroes are at a disadvantage..." Hagakure said.
Deku nodded. "The villains are at an advantage by simply being in the situation. They have control of the hostages, they have time to kill, and they have the element of surprise on their side. In real life, it is very much possible that villains will have the upper hand on you all. You cannot expect to win every battle and beat every villain."
Some of the young heroes murmured in agreement. "Now, here is what the heroes can do: They can either a) actively search for the villain base, or b) attempt to take command of cell towers located on the rooftops of some of these buildings. These devices can be used to triangulate the calls that villains are 'making' to negotiate the surrender of their hostages. Secure 3 towers and the heroes will move in to secure the hostages!" Deku explained. "Of course, if you go for the cell towers, the villains will know what you are attempting and can either intercept you or let you come to them."
"You can also attempt to find the villains' hideout without the towers, however, it will be difficult. All the buildings are the same and there will be no distinct markings or clues that will lead you to them. This may be time-consuming but it's also doable."
Tsu raised her hand. "I have a question!"
Deku smiled. "Yes Tsu?"
"What about the hostages? What do we do if we find them? Kero."
"Well...if you do find the base, and you manage to reach the hostages, there is an escape gate you can use. You can do that or escort them to a safe shelter, such as police stations or a hero agency or maybe even a hospital," Deku explained. "The only way heroes can win is if the hostages are safely escorted to either the gate or the shelter."
The class nodded. "Some of you may want to subdue your villains, however, you will not be able to determine the location of the hostages if you do. The objective is to secure the hostages, not win a fight," Deku said.
"Now...for the villains. Time is on your side. The heroes have no idea where you are or how many hostages you have exactly. 15 minutes is how long you have until you 'escape' with your hostages. You can sit and wait out the clock, however, there is a challenge. The cell towers will reveal your location if they are captured by the heroes so it's advisable to not take a nap or do something else that may distract you. The heroes can, if they have the right Quirks, locate you even without it," he said.
"So...here are your objectives: you can stop the heroes from accessing all of the cell towers. You can recapture the hostages if the heroes grab them," Deku explained. "Unlike the heroes, the villains have multiple ways to win here: subdue the heroes, prolong the fight until the timer runs out, or recapture the hostages if they're taken."
Yaoyorozu pondered their test. "So this is as accurate as possible?"
Deku nodded. "These situations can happen. They're delicate operations so you do need to be careful so the hostages aren't harmed," he explained. "In fact, this is the scenario that I have experienced a few years ago with members of the American delegation and the Prime Minister were held hostage by a villain group."
The class all started asking questions about the incident, however, Deku waved them off. "Regardless...this is your test. Hero team and villain teams will be comprised randomly for authenticity. When in the field and multiple heroes are needed, you don't get to choose who charges in with you to battle," he said. "Both teams will be given mobility equipment so the fight can be a little more easier."
The class settled finally. "Now, once the doors open, you'll find two makeshift hallways: one marked Heroes and one marked Villains. You will proceed into your assigned hallway and wait in the common space until you and your teammate are called into action. You will not know who will be in your team and you won't be able to view other teams before you."
"Wait...you mean?" Uraraka asked.
"That's right. You won't be learning from your teammates. They won't be able to share any intel with you. You will only hear me declare a winning team or if a special circumstance has occurred."
"Now...once you're finished with your test, pass or fail, you will enter a new common space where you will monitor the next group. You will also be briefed on how well you did and where you need to improve," Deku explained. "Any questions?"
Silence. Deku smiled as Mr. Aizawa pressed a button on his belt. The large doors that lead to the training grounds opened, and sure enough, two handmade hallways were there and led to two opposing buildings. "Mr. Aizawa will be taking care of the 'Villains' group and I'll be overseeing the 'Heroes'. Best of luck to all of you and I hope you all enjoy this test!" Deku exclaimed.
The class entered the facility with some unexpected faces moving toward the villain building. Yaoyorozu stood by and watched the class become divided, even seeing Uraraka follow Mina Ashido and Kaminari into the 'Villains' building while Midoriya caught up with the Class Rep. Uraraka waved at the duo before disappearing into the hallway.
After a few moments, the duo arrived in a large and mostly empty space. The room was red with gold trimmings, truly something that shouldn't exist in a training center. There were cushions laid out everywhere to sit on, a stack of magazines on a few of the many scattered desks, and a few speakers playing Lo-Fi music in the background. Some of their classmates were already lounging on the chairs while a few others were shadow-boxing while using their Quirks.
"Huh...I didn't know we had rooms like this down here," Yaoyorozu commented. "Talk about a world outside of our own."
"You said it..." Midoriya mused. "Kinda want those cushions for the common space back in the dorms though..."
A hand rested on each other shoulders and lightly squeezed. Deku politely pushed past the duo and approached the middle of the room. He clapped twice, earning everyone's attention. "Everyone listen up!"
Everyone turned to him with undivided attention. "We'll be starting the first round soon! I hope you're all ready to wrap up this term with heads held high!"
Everyone nodded. Deku reached into his pocket and pulled out a red flash drive. "When your team is assembled, you'll be given these flash drives. They'll 'capture' the cell towers you need to locate the villain base! You'll also receive the Hover Soles that Hatsume invented as well as her Wire Arrows. Don't lose your drives, otherwise your job will get a lot more difficult. Keep your heads on straight, trust each other, work on your strengths and weaknesses, and you'll overcome the enemy, understand?"
"YES SIR!" Everyone exclaimed.
The Symbol of Peace smiled. "Excellent...now then, the final exam will begin in a moment. Remember: you'll have no idea what the team before you is doing. The whole purpose of this test is to make due with what you have in that moment, understand?"
Heads nodded. "Now...I gotta debrief the 'Villain' group. Relax for a little bit and I'll call out the first group soon. The announcement will only be broadcasted here so you won't get to know your opponents. Best of luck heroes!"
"THANK YOU SIR!" Everyone called out. Deku nodded and turned away from them and left the room for everyone else to start making plans. He pocketed the flash drive and took out a piece of paper with two names on it and the number 5 written next to them. It read:
Izuku Midoriya
And
Momo Yaoyorozu
I may've accidentally created this chapter and the next one on the same document. I wanted to be a thorough as I could. Hope you guys enjoy the first battle. I have the other teams already organized as well as who would win in each one so I'm wondering if I should showcase them. Mmmmmaybe I will lol