"He's the coolest hero ever!" Izuku exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air as he began to recount his thrilling adventures. It was the start of their second day at UA, and Eraserhead's lectures on punctuality had prompted everyone to show up bright and early. While they waited for the day's lessons to kick off, Izuku's storytelling had everyone perched on the edge of their seats, craving every juicy detail.
"This sludge guy came outta NOWHERE," he continued abruptly, as he threw out a hand, "And Koichi - he said I can use his first name, it's no big deal - Koichi saw him and was like, 'You're about to get Skycrawled.'" With a sudden movement, Izuku started firing off finger guns. "PEW PEW PEW PEW!"
Izuku's closest friends hung on his every word, shocked expressions on their faces. Even some other students couldn't resist the magnetic pull of Izuku's animated storytelling, gravitating toward the impromptu gathering.
Still processing the wild tale, Kirishima blinked in disbelief and shook his head. "Dude, you took down a villain? We've been here for like, a day!"
"Oui! It sounds tres magnifique!" Aoyama exclaimed, doing a twirl for emphasis. "We won't tell a soul about your vigilanté activité~"
Concern flickered in Izuku's eyes as he processed Aoyama's words. "V-vigilante?" he echoed, uncertainty creeping in.
Mina stepped in to clarify for him. "Yeah, man! Didn't you realise? You don't have a licence! It's super cool but, you know, super illegal. Cool, but illegal." she reassured him with a smile.
With his face dropping, and Toru offering a reassuring pat on the back, Izuku put a hand on the nape of nis neck and mumbled "Huh… yeah that would explain why Koichi made me his intern, I guess it's like a loophole or something…"
"HE MADE YOU HIS DAMN INTERN?!" Bakugo suddenly leaped from his seat and tossed the desk to the side, before stomping his way toward Izuku's group. "I'M THE ONE WHO'S GONNA BE THE BEST, AND YOU GET AN INTERNSHIP ON YOUR FIRST DAMN DAY OF SCHOOL?!"
"Yeah!" Izuku replied cheerfully. "Pretty awesome, huh, Kacchan?" He snapped his fingers and shook his head like he'd left his keys at home. "Oh, man, if we'd taken the same train yesterday, you could've met Koichi too. Who knows, he might've given internships to both of us. Oh well, maybe next time."
"RAAARGH!"
"Alright, everyone, back to your seats," Eraserhead declared, his entrance into the classroom going unnoticed during Izuku's gripping narrative. The entire class swiftly returned to their desks as if nothing unusual had been going on.
"It's good to see most of you back here today. Sometimes, we get students who realise they can't handle it and don't show up the next day," he remarked in a monotone.
Every eye in the room gravitated toward the empty desk where Mineta should have been seated. The search party had given up after around two hours, concluding that he was now "One with the forest."
"This afternoon, you'll have your first hero training exercise in City A," Eraserhead announced, eliciting a ripple of excitement throughout the class. Hero training! In City A! That could only mean it was the best city, or the first one they built. Either way, both were cool. Eraserhead loudly slammed a stack of papers onto the front desk to quiet everyone down.
"But FIRST," he bellowed, capturing everyone's attention, "I have a fun surprise for you," he added with an evil grin.
The 'fun surprise', surprisingly, wasn't all that fun. Today was the day the class would finally receive their hero costumes, but there was a catch. Before they could don their new gear, every member of the class had to painstakingly read through the operations manual for their costume and any support gear they'd requested. Following that, they had to complete a quiz based on the manual's contents and write a 500-word explanation detailing why certain safety features were crucial for the proper use of their costumes.
Then they had to do it again. For all nineteen costumes.
It was undeniably demanding work, often delving into intricate quirk theory and analysis. But it was also absolutely fascinating. Even the most basic costumes were meticulously designed, with attention to detail that most folks wouldn't even notice! Take Sato's suit, for example; it had a feature that kept an eye on his blood sugar levels and adjusted its stretchiness to stay comfy, no matter how his muscles changed. Tsuyu's costume could do basic camouflage, Uraraka's helmet tackled nausea with pressure points, Kaminari's jacket was somehow both an insulator and a conductor, and even Koda's costume had pheromones!
The more Izuku wrote and researched, the more his excitement grew. This was going to be so much fun! The hero training exercise couldn't come soon enough. It was one thing to read about all these features, but actually seeing it in action? Roll on this afternoon.
As Izuku slipped into his hero costume, a wave of excitement and reality washed over him. He had envisioned this day for a long time, but to finally stand among his peers, right here at UA, was nothing short of magical.
His costume drew inspiration from his mom, sporting a vibrant green and white colour scheme in the same pattern as Green Magnet, white on the sides and green on the chest and back. He wore a pair of sturdy cargo shorts and a padded top that provided both protection and mobility. Shins and forearms out in the open, perfect for using his quirk, and his shoes had a slick design that could pop open, so he could go barefoot in a snap.
The support crew had gone all out, throwing in a pair of green goggles with red-tinted lenses. These bad boys didn't have any special uses for his quirk, but they did come with a note saying they'd make him look "Super rad."
In a considerate move, given his not-so-graceful entrance exam injury, they reinforced his shoulders, hopefully preventing any more dislocations.
But the cherry on top? The knee pads. Hagakure, his sensei, would definitely notice that upgrade, considering she'd been trying to get him to wear some for the past eight years or so. He mentally bookmarked thanking the support team for their thoughtful additions as soon as he could.
The whole class stood in a line, buzzing with excitement near the city entrance, chatting animatedly about their fresh hero outfits. Eijiro and Izuku had eagerly pointed at each other when they first suited up, yelling, "Check out those guns!" and giving each other a big hug. In particular, nobody could believe how cool Iida's costume looked in person. The blueprints from class didn't do it justice at all. The way all those panels and car parts came together and still ended up streamlined and aerodynamic was just mind-blowing.
There was just one person left to join the class, but she was feeling some trepidation.
"Hagakure. Class is waiting for you." Aizawa rapped lightly on the changing room door before casually leaning against the frame.
Toru had been locked in a deep gaze at her own reflection for the past ten minutes. "I'm... almost ready," she replied hesitantly.
Was her costume too much? It looked amazing, it felt amazing, but could it be too much for an invisible girl? She'd agonised over the design specs, going back and forth on whether to submit them before class began. Eventually, she closed her eyes and hit send, then had to avoid her computer for a few hours to pretend she hadn't done it.
Hagakure's suit was flashy, larger-than-life, and exuded heroism - everything she aspired to be: someone who would save the day with an unseen smile and an attitude that would light up the room... eventually. Right now, the weight of expectations and possible comparisons to 'real' heroes was nothing short of intimidating. She felt like an impostor, questioning whether she had made a mistake by choosing such a bold costume. Maybe she should have designed it based on her quirk, not on an idealised version of herself she might never become. Maybe she should just conform to what everyone always wanted and focus on stealth...
She let out a sigh and shook her head. No, she couldn't let her insecurities stop her pursuit of her passion. She needed to remember all the times her mother had encouraged her to be bold, to make herself seen! She needed to think about how everyone who had ignored her would have no choice but to notice now! She needed to channel her inner MIRKO!
Sure, this costume might not match her personality right now, but someday it would. Someday, she would radiate confidence, power, and heroism. She wasn't pretending to be something she wasn't; she was making a promise to become who she wanted to be.
Toru grinned at her reflection in the mirror and spoke the words aloud. "It's a promise." Finally, she made up her mind to join the class and reveal the future hero within her.
Adjusting her cape, she walked out of the locker room with determination in her invisible stride.
"...Woah," escaped Izuku's lips as Hagakure turned the corner. Suddenly, every eye in the room was fixated on her, and she nervously rubbed her arm.
"Hi, everyone," she managed to say.
Mina's grin stretched even wider as her eyes sparkled with delight. "TORUUUU!" she shrieked. "YOU LOOK INCREDIBLE!"
She wasn't wrong. Toru's costume featured a large white star emblazoned on her chest, with yellow stripes radiating out like a dazzling starburst. The suit covered just up to her biceps and thighs, leaving her invisible skin exposed before transitioning into red bracelets with small built-in flashlights and sturdy ankle length boots. On her face, she wore a white mask designed to resemble rabbit ears.
As she noticed the way everyone was looking at her, Toru felt a surge of confidence. She flexed her muscles, but what really grabbed everyone's attention at that moment was the simultaneous activation of her quirk. Tiny pinpricks of light began to dance across her skin, transforming her into a walking constellation.
At the end of the row of students, their afternoon teacher wiped a tear from his eye, saluted proudly, and proclaimed, "You all look like heroes already!"
Everyone turned, wide eyed, to see the one and only symbol of peace himself, the big dog on campus, chief beef, All Might.
"ALL MIGHT?! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?!" Everyone shouted in unison. To which All Might laughed heartily, before striking a heroic pose so dramatic that it seemed as though a backdrop should have magically appeared behind him.
"That's right students, I'm your new heroics teacher!"
" One of your new heroics teachers." Aizawa clarified.
"Ah right, yes of course! Today I believe we'll be doing two on two combat exercises…?" All Might said, suddenly appearing uncertain. And rightly so, as Eraserhead shook his head in disagreement.
"It's a little early for combat exercises. They need more time to familiarise themselves with their costumes before we have them fight," Aizawa explained. All Might really should have considered this beforehand…
"Quite right! The path to heroism is paved with, uh… Safety protocols! Instead we'll be taking part in… aaaaa..." He scanned the city zone, searching for inspiration for his next words.
Eraserhead stepped in to finish his sentence, saying, "We'll be focusing on hostage situations. Inside each of these buildings, you'll find six humanoid robots programmed to simulate hostage-takers. They'll be positioned strategically throughout the building, and somewhere within, the 'hostage' will be hidden." As he mentioned the word 'hostage,' he gestured toward a crate filled with adorable plushie versions of various UA staff members. The Eraserhead plushie was mysteriously missing from the collection.
"Yes, that's right! Hostage situations! A true hero must be prepared to handle these high-stress scenarios. But fear not, young ones! This will teach you invaluable lessons about teamwork, strategy, and rescue operations!" All Might proclaimed enthusiastically.
Aizawa gave his co-teacher a subtle nod of approval, which the big hero beamed at. "Your objective is to work in pairs, locate the hostage, and safely evacuate them. Remember, this isn't all about brute strength; it's about knowing when to use your quirks wisely and efficiently."
The students, though some were slightly disappointed they wouldn't get to wail on each other, nodded in understanding.
"Excuse me, Sirs!" Tenya Iida thrust his arm into the air, creating a clanking sound in the process. "Are we to be paired up based on how complementary our quirks are? Or perhaps it's based on our scores during the quirk apprehension test? I'm certain that whichever method is employed, it will have been carefully considered and reflect the effort UA puts into its students!"
All Might sheepishly held up a cardboard box with a big question mark on the front. "...Who here likes randomised pairings?!"
One by one, the students approached the hero and picked a marked ball out of the box to determine their partners. The final pairings were:
Todoroki and Iida
Tsuyu and Kaminari
Shoji and Jiro
Ashido and Ojiro
Uraraka and Sero
Kirishima and Sato
Yaoyorozu picked the ball marked with a star, giving her the freedom to choose any classmate as her partner.
Hagakure and Koji
And finally, "NO WAY AM I TEAMING UP WITH THAT STICKY NERD!" Bakugo yelled as he destroyed the ball with his explosion.
"That's the energy we'll need, Kacchan!" Izuku declared with an encouraging double thumbs up. "Now, let's talk strategy." He pressed on, boldly putting an arm around Bakugo's shoulder, choosing to ignore the audible sound of the explosive teen grinding his teeth in fury.
A robot armed with a nerf gun stood sentinel in the main hallway of the building, raising a hand to his earpiece. "Boop?" he inquired into the receiver. An inaudible response from his team member crackled back, and the robot added, "Beep boop," before taking a hit from his vape. Suddenly, Tsuyu Asui's tongue descended from the ceiling, snatching the robot and pulling him into the darkness. After a brief struggle, the robot tumbled to the ground in a broken heap.
Kaminari pushed open the front doors, keeping low to the ground like a ninja. On hearing the noises emanating from the receiver, he picked it up and placed it in his ear.
"Do you think they'll fall for it, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked.
"Only one way to find out," Kaminari replied, putting a finger to his ear. "Uh... Beep?"
For ten agonising seconds, they awaited a response, holding their breath.
"...Boop."
Both of them let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, we're good."
With a confused expression, Kaminari asked "If you were a plushie of Cementoss, where would you go?"
Tsuyu thought about it for a moment, her finger tapping against her chin. "I think we should just find where the most robots are, ribbit. They would probably station more people around the hostage than anywhere else."
"Oh, like a video game! When there are enemies, you know you're going the right direction!" Kaminari declared confidently. Once again, he lowered himself to the ground and began to stealthily traverse the hallway, occasionally pressing up flat against the wall and scanning his surroundings. Tsuyu gracefully leaped back up to the ceiling, and together, they ventured deeper into the building.
Around the next corner they found the stairs leading down to the basement, and two robots keeping watch near the staircase. They were both holding metal bats and sidearms. Upon spotting the robots, Kaminari quickly ducked back around the corner and began making hand gestures to grab Tsuyu's attention.
Tsuyu clung to the ceiling, observing his hand movements as he pointed, clenched his fists, and wiggled his fingers. After a few moments, she crawled down the wall until her head was level with his.
"I don't know what any of that meant, ribbit," she confessed.
"Really? Huh. I was saying we should take out those robots," he whispered in reply. "Okay, here's the plan. I sneak over there and bash their heads in with a pipe. Then we can use their parts to make a disguise. We'll have to spend about thirty minutes gaining the trust of the other robots. I'm willing to take one for the team and getting one of the robots to fall for me, then-"
While Kaminari detailed his foolproof plan, Tsuyu shot her tongue out and stole a sidearm from one of the robots while they were looking the other way. "Beep boop?!" the robot asked in annoyance, looking around for his weapon. "Beep!" He said angrily, pushing his partner in crime. "Beep boop beep beep!"
"Beep beep boopin beep boop!" the other robot said, throwing up his mechanical arms. "Beep beep boop," he put a finger in his partner's face. "Boopin beep beep!"
Whatever the robot said had infuriated the other, because the next thing he knew his head was spinning like a top after a good whack with a metal bat. This really set the two of them off, and Tsuyu and Kaminari watched as the two robots turned each other into scrap metal.
"Or we could do that." Kaminari shrugged as the pair sidestepped the fight, heading down the staircase.
"Our young friends are doing well thus far, eh class?" All Might said, standing with his arms crossed watching the action unfold from the observation room. "Any guesses on what their next move should be?"
"If that staircase is the only way into the basement," Yaoyorozu began, "then it's likely heavily guarded. They should proceed with caution and try to gather information about the situation before making any hasty moves."
Subtly pointing up at the screen, Jiro said "I don't think they heard you."
"So, the basement's right down here, huh? HuUUUWOAH!" Kaminari yelled, stumbling over the wreckage of a guard robot's chassis. Tsuyu winced as she watched him tumble down the stairs, landing in a heap at the bottom.
"...are you okay?" She whispered down the staircase. Kaminari wearily raised a hand and gave a thumbs-up.
"So, the heroes have come to save the hostage!" A sharp metallic voice pierced the air. "I expected something more impressive than these little ones!"
In the dim, flickering light of a lone bulb, a menacing figure emerged before Kaminari. This robot was the biggest and most imposing of the lot, standing arrogantly with its hands on its metallic hips and a bandolier slung over its massive shoulder. It exuded an intimidating presence that could make even the bravest hero question their mettle.
"Kaminari! I see the hostage, ribbit!" Tsuyu's voice echoed from the staircase, her finger pointing towards a wooden stool in the back of the room, upon which sat a toy of Cementoss, bound and gagged.
A grainy recording of Cementoss played, his voice resigned. "You want me to record what? …What for? Okay, fine. Help me. I am a hostage."
"Asui," ( "call me tsu,") "Tsu. You get the hostage. I'll handle this bag of bolts."
With a swift, coordinated motion, Kaminari clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously. Tsuyu gracefully swung over the villains, narrowly dodging the other two robots as they clumsily collided, and snatched the entire stool upon which Cementoss was tied.
Meanwhile, Kaminari planted his hands firmly on the robot's chassis and bellowed, "STUN GUN, TEN MILLION PERCENT!"
BRRRZAPP~~!
The boss robot erupted in a dazzling explosion, hurtling backward at breakneck speed before colliding with the wall, reduced to a pile of scrap metal.
"Tsuyu Asui and Denki Kaminari have successfully rescued the hostage! Come on back, young heroes!"
"Now, who can tell me what they did wrong?" Eraserhead asked with a tired expression.
Sero shrugged, "I thought they did pretty good!"
Hagakure spoke up next, her voice thoughtful. "Well, they didn't really prioritise protecting the hostage. They snatched him up without even checking if he was alright, then jolted him around while he was still tied to that chair. And as for Kaminari, he zapped that robot right in the path where the hostage was sitting, like, barely two seconds before. If Tsuyu hadn't made a quick exit, they both would've ended up... well, you know. Kersmoosh!" She finished, throwing her hands out expressively.
"A colourful way of putting it, but yes." Eraserhead confirmed. "It's one thing to get the hostage out of the dangerous situation, but it's another thing entirely to make sure they stay safe while doing so. Plenty of heroes have had something like that come back to bite them in the ass."
Kaminari scratched his cheek sheepishly and glanced at the plushie Cementoss now resting on the floor. "Yeah, I guess I got a bit carried away there. My bad, Cementoss."
"I'm not recording anything else, I'm busy." Cementoss replied.
"Alright," Eraserhead said, "Bakugo, Midoriya, you're up. Your hostage is being kept somewhere in the record shop, have at it."
"You ready to show them how it's done, Kacchan?"
"NO! I'M GOING TO RESCUE THE HOSTAGE ON MY OWN! STAY OUTTA MY WAY!"
"Yeah, he's ready."