A raging wall of fire greets Izuku, no, Vanguard as he nears, heat rolling off the flames in waves and keeping the nearby people at bay. "What happened? Is anyone injured?" He calls out, eyes scanning the crowd for any.
A chorus of negatives and confusion are his answer, though one person does call out, "I called the Fire Department already!"
"Good. Does anyone know if there's anyone inside? Do any of you have a useful quirk to help?" Vanguard asks while his mind contemplates the few physical mutations he can see. One with a minor canine quirk of some sort changing their fingernails into small blunt claws. Another with unusually glossy skin, but beyond that nothing of note.
One guy raises their hand, "My quirk lets me shoot out some water. It's not strong enough to put out a fire like this though..."
"Really?! How much water can you put out, and how fast... No, focus." Clapping his cheeks, he shakes his head clear, "As the active Hero in this situation, I am granting you permission to use your quirk to help. I've got to make sure there's nobody inside, so I'd like for you to soak me in water then try and keep the entrance extinguished, please."
The person is a bit shocked, but nods before taking a few deep breaths and taking off their glasses. Twin streams of water spray from his eyes, neither one much stronger than a household tap, but enough to start soaking Vanguard. Once he's suitably drenched, the guy stops his quirk and wipes away the water in his eyes while Vanguard puts on a basic respirator.
"Here goes..." Vanguard says, mostly to himself as he faces the flames. The heat hits like a wall as he moves in, but he cannot stop, not when someone could be inside here. Shelves line the walls of the first room, a shop of some kind, it's products ablaze on the walls though mostly untouched in the middle. Pushing through the center, there's nobody on the other side of the cashier counter but a half-open door to rooms beyond sits, the sounds of fire raging on the other side.
With his water coating already nearly gone, his hand is halfway to the doorknob before a fragment of a memory hits, a clip of an old safety video. Instead, he pushes the door open with a reinforced boot and calls out into the stockroom beyond, "Hello, is anyone in here?!" Straining to hear through the roaring flames and crackling objects, his heart jumps as a trio of thuds sound out, too rhythmic to be incidental, and following that, a muffled voice, unclear but there all the same. "I can hear you! Where are you?!"
Any response is drowned out as a shelf collapses with a crash, bottles shattering, wrappers catching, burning and releasing thick black smoke that thickens the already oppressive air. Designs for goggles begin to form in his mind, but he pushes them back, focusing on what he knows. 'A muffled voice, they must be on the other side of a wall, and their pounding, their way out must be blocked...' Another shelf crashes to the ground, bringing with it another wave of heat as more ignites. 'Not on the outer walls... There!' He mentally exclaims, scanning through the burning room and spotting a shelf downed across what might be a door.
The ever-growing smoke leaves his eyes watering as he pushes through, deftly stepping between burning spots before arriving at the door. "Are you still there?!" He calls, banging three times against the wall, getting a trio of bangs in return. 'Gloves aren't made to handle fire so...' Delivering a kick to the shelf, the flame stressed structure gives way, crumpling and causing an explosion of heat and sparks as it falls. A couple more kicks and the door is clear so he bangs on it, calling out, "The door is clear on this side, can you get to it?"
Rough coughs sound from the other side of the wall before a voice replies, "I can! Hurry!"
With little other option, Vanguard grabs the handle and turns, the heated metal causing his gloves to smoke and his hands to heat. Swinging open the door, the flames nearby flare at the change in airflow, the renewed heat pressing down on him. On the other side of the door is a robot dressed in an approximation of a worker uniform, its eye blinking a clear blue. "This way, follow me." He says, gesturing for the robot to follow. The head bobs, before the frame shakes with another cough. Despite a small voice in his head calling it stupid, Vanguard removes his respirator and holds it out to the robot, "Here, you need this more than me right now."
The mechanical blue eye flashes brighter for a moment, before it accepts the respirator and holds it up to its head before following Vanguard through the burning building. They move low and carefully, Vanguard kicking away another shelf that fell over the previous path, and through the omnipresent sound of flames, they can hear sirens in the distance. In the front, the shelves have all collapsed into a massive bonfire raging across the middle of the room, but unlike the rest, the doorway smolders as brief sprays of water splash over any flames that start.
Every step feels like pushing through an oven, bare skin screaming like it's sunburnt, and covered skin not feeling much better. It's barely more than two dozen steps and half a minute, but it seems to drag on with the air itself seeming to fight them. His lungs burn with the heat and tingle with the smoke, but with a final push, they burst free, the cool outside air feeling like jumping in an ice bath compared to being inside.
Traces of smoke are coughed out, replaced by deep gulps of cool clean air as Vanguard straightens up catching sight of the fire truck arriving. "Was there anyone else in there with you?" He asks, turning to the robot, which shakes its head and holds out the respirator to him. "That's good. And you did great as well." He adds, giving the guy with the water quirk a thumbs up.
"Thanks, but are you alright man?" The guy asks back.
Vanguard shoots him another thumbs up before pulling out one of his sport drink bottles, cracking it open and only wincing slightly as he downs most of the unfortunately warm beverage. The bottle is dry by the time he comes up for air and gulps down a few more deep breaths. "Note to self, improve heat resistance or costume and fire preparedness" He mutters quietly, pulling out a small notepad and pen, scribbling down both the note and immediate ideas as they begin to flow. The crowd moves away and a firefighter checks on the robot while the rest start working on the fire while he writes till he looks up, blinking. "Exam. Patrol. Right." Stuffing away his notebook, he moves over to the Firefighter talking to the robot and asks, "Do you guys need me to stay here right now, or can I continue on my patrol?"
"You're fine to go, we just need an address to send the paperwork to." The Firefighter responds.
"Right, I'm..." he pauses, 'Where's my agency? They didn't give me one, so... I guess I'm with Mt Lady, so...' Pulling out his notepad, he flips to a blank page, writes down the name and address before handing it over, "I'm based out of the Mt Lady Agency currently, so send it there, please." The Firefighter accepts the paper, before returning their attention to the robotic victim.
After one last check to make sure everything's under control, Vanguard starts off again, consulting his map and planned routes. Aside from the slowly growing further away fire trucks, the streets are peaceful and quiet. After cooling down from the heat, his exposed skin tingles, sensitive like a mild sunburn. His glove will need replacing after the damage from the heat, and his boots might as well. The costume held up well, though it didn't face any direct exposure, and naturally, all of Mei's babies are completely unbothered by the heat.
With most everything in good shape, his patrol marches on.
How quiet the city is fascinates him, though perhaps not patrolling with a well known Heroine changes that. Nobody rushing up for signatures or pictures or questions, no curious chatter from onlookers. 'Is this what it's like for low ranked heroes?' He ponders to himself, remaining alert but allowing his mind to wander. 'Maybe I should find a low ranked Hero willing to let me shadow them for a day. It'd be a neat experience at least.'
Something out of the corner of his eye draws him out of his thoughts, and he turns just enough to see someone glance around before turning down a back alley. He's turned and about to run across the road when a small voice in his head asks 'Why?' It's enough pause to bring him to a stop and his hand reaches for his chin as he thinks. "Why are they going down the alley? Why am I worried? It's not likely they're a villain, or they wouldn't be so obvious since I'm right here in costume... Unless they want me to see and..." Shaking his head and taking a deep breath, he gives his cheeks a clap before turning back to his route. "I can't just jump to conclusions, and I'll be nearby anyways if something does happen."
Decision made and mind set, he starts off again a little more alert till he moves beyond the block with nothing happening. Minutes pass by into an hour and as he's about to check his map again, an alarm blares on the phone. [Robbery in progress reported at Araki Electronics on Block 13. Three suspects wearing masks.] "Block thirteen, that's... only a couple blocks from here!" He exclaims as he checks his map. After checking both ways, he bolts across the street, making a bee line for Block 13.
Blaring alarms are heard before he can even see the building, but as he rounds the corner, he spots a suspicious masked trio hauling large sacks out the front of the store. Their eyes meet his, and the chase is on as they bolt. Taking off after them, he pulls out the phone briefly to report, "Vanguard reporting, I'm in pursuit of the suspects, currently heading northbound."
The reply of "Acknowledged" is barely audible as the phone is quickly tucked away in a safe pouch.
What little traffic there is on the sidewalk moves to avoid the chase, people and robots alike ducking into doorways and moving into the gaps between buildings to watch and record the events. "Low chance of friendly fire, so..." Flipping open one of Mei's pouches attached to his utility belt, Vanguard draws forth a bulky, boxy looking pistol with a wide barrel and aims it towards the fleeing perpetrators. "Freeze or I will shoot!" He yells.
All three look back and one drops their sack, hands shooting to the sky as they come to a stop before one of the others cuffs them with a smack. "They're a Hero, they can't shoot us with a gun, idiot."
"Oh, right!" As they reach back for the sack, Vanguard aims as best he can while running and fires. Rather than the bangs of a normal firearm, it makes quiet 'thwips' like a paintball gun, each shot a little capsule that zips across the distance near instantly. A brilliant lime green bursts forth where they hit, covering the crook's hand, shoulder and shoe with their contents. "Ow fuck, that hurts!" They exclaim, still grabbing the bag before trying to bolt again to catch up with their rapidly retreating compatriots.
When their shoe doesn't move and their hand freezes up around the bag, the realization of the situation comes crashing down with a "Fuck!"
Firing a couple more potshots at the fleeing duo and only scoring a useless splatter across one's back, Vanguard comes to a stop next to the criminal currently trying to untie his shoe with one hand. Glue gun in one hand, handcuffs in the other, he meets the eyes of the crook as they look up. "You are under arrest, please come quietly." Criminal eyes flicker to the glue gun still pointed in their direction before slowly raising their hands, even with the sack still glued to one. Vanguard's entire demeanor softens almost instantly, a friendly smile taking over his face as he holsters the gun and applies the cuffs.
"Vanguard, reporting in. I have captured one of the suspects, however the other two have continued fleeing north and umm... east past block 4, I think?" He calls in, watching the two other suspects turn off down an alley in the distance.
"Received. Officers are en route." The voice on the other side replies.
Excitement bleeds from him, though he remains alert, both for the captured criminal and the area around them, even as curiosity begins to bloom. A minute ticks by with no sign of the police, followed by another and Izuku's curiosity couldn't be contained. "If it's not against the rules, could I ask what course you're in? I mean, getting attacked by a Hero has to hurt, and oh gosh, sorry, I know they're not bullets, but I helped Mei test the glue gun and I know it hurts and..."
"It's alright, just a few stings." The guy waves off as best he can with cuffed and glued hands, "I'm in the business course, but I'm actually a Hero trainer in training, so this is kind of like my future job. Being a practice villain, criminal, sidekick or civilian for training exercises, managing fitness regimes and all that kind of stuff."
"Whoa, that sounds really cool. Getting to work with all sorts of Heroes in all sorts of capacities!" Izuku replies, eyes gleaming and hands wishing he could pull out his notebook, but he's supposed to be on the job here.
"It's not boring, I'll tell you that."
The distant sound of sirens pull Vanguard back into focus and renews his grip on the criminal while his eyes turn to look for the police car. Not one but two show up, the first zooming past as it follows his prior directions while the second comes to a stop, the two officers inside getting out. Spotting the criminal already cuffed, one officer shoots him a thumbs up, "Nice work, sir. We can take it from here." As the pair move to move the criminal, they realize the issue. "Do you have, ah." They accept the spray bottle Vanguard pulls from his belt, and with a few spritzes, the robber is freed from the ground and his loot. "Thanks. Not to sound ignorant, but who are you, and what agency should I send the paperwork for this to?"
"Oh, right. I'm Vanguard, and I'm currently based out of the Mt Lady agency. Here." Scribbling out the address again, he passes it over to the officer not escorting the criminal into their car. "Thank you for the help, I'm gonna see if I can't catch up and help with the others." A short bow to the officers later, he's on his way again, following the path the other two criminals took.
Despite his efforts and nearly an hour of searching however, he doesn't turn up anything even as the noon hour nears. He can't help but sigh as he gives up, no, leaves the case to the police, before pulling out his notebook to jot down everything he can remember of the situation to pass on later. The self-disappointment is joined by another sensation rising up from his gut, this one equally familiar and far more noisy. "Urgh, and I'm off my route so now I have to figure out where to stop for lunch again..." he mutters to himself, resting a hand on his grumbling stomach, "Glad I've got some snacks at least." Stuffing a snack bar in his mouth, he pulls out the phone to go over the map again.
Eyes flickering from one monitor to the next and High Specs running full tilt to help manage the information, Nedzu observes both Vanguard and the whole testing ground. On each side, the first year Heroics teachers observe a trio of monitors themselves, these providing various angles on the current actions and location of Vanguard. Both Heroes relax a little as the test settles for a short break, Vlad going so far as to lean back and stretch while saying, "For somebody without any proper training yet, the kid's not bad."
"He's sloppy and not taking this seriously enough," Eraserhead replies, still hunched over, several empty jelly packs and a half empty, now lukewarm coffee sitting on his desk, "But he's not hopeless."
"You're not just saying that because he built that prototype Shock Scarf you were testing out the other day, right?" Vlad asks with a chuckle and a grin.
Glowing red eyes cut across the room to glare at him silently for a few seconds before he replies, "That'd be irrational, a students ability to make support gear has little bearing on their ability to be a Hero, and it'd also be irrational to not test out new options to help me be a better Hero."
Vlad lets the topic drop with a shrug, turning back to his screens, "I'd say he's doing about as well as I would expect out of my class, and doing it without a quirk. He's got my vote so far, Nezu." Eraserhead lets out a humph, but doesn't say anything as his own gaze returns to his monitors.
Meanwhile, beady black eyes stare nearly unblinkingly at the monitors, mouth turning up into a small smile as the last pieces of his plan fall into place. He watches as Vanguard's order is made in the little noodle stand being run by one of the third year business course students. While costumed "Villains'' wait in their designated locations, he watches as the dish is served and the chopsticks are split. There's a soft clack as the plastic cover to a button is flipped open. A small, innocuous sound but one that makes both teachers sit up straighter. On a screen, a periwinkle haired girl in an over the top villain outfit gives the camera a thumbs up. Noodles are lifted, dripping with broth and raised towards Vanguard. A small smile grows feral, sharp teeth gleaming in the light of the monitors. A paw hovers over the newly unveiled button.
"Prove yourself, Midoriya."
The paw comes down.
Sitting on the stool at the noodle stand, Izuku can't help but keep glancing around, something in his gut feeling off, aside from hunger. A subtle change that must have started from around the time he started to head here for food. Yet even as his eyes wander, nothing seems truly out of place. A trio of U.A. robots go past, dressed in improvised school girl uniforms, 'chatting' in beeps, boops and other robotic noises. Down the road, one in an apron sweeps their storefront, whistling a faint tune that carries on a light breeze.
A realization sitting at the tip of his tongue, he turns back to the chef robot and has any such thoughts blown away by the hearty scent of the broth pouring into a bowl. His stomach roars, ready and raring for the food as Izuku presses his hands together in thanks. He basks in the scents as he splits the chopsticks before reaching into the bowl with them and coming back out with a load of noodles. And just as they're about to meet his tongue, Izuku's phone shrieks in alarm, joined almost immediately after by what sounds like an air raid siren echoing out across the city. Chopsticks clatter to the table as he whips out the phone and scans the message blaring across the screen.
[Mass Villain attack in progress! All available Heroes please respond!]
Bolting upright from his stool, he calls out, "Get to somewhere safe, sir!" before dashing out from under the canopy of the stall. It's chaos outside, robots running this way and that, store shutters rolling to cover windows and doors and alarms going off everywhere. An explosion goes off in the distance, glass rattling all around as the shockwave hits but he's already on the move. Between the explosion and the flow of pedestrians, it's easy to figure out the right direction, and surprisingly easier to find a culprit.
In the middle of the road, a wolf-headed man laughs evilly, fireballs shooting from a cannon mounted over his arm. "Come on Heroes, try and stop me!" He declares as another building is engulfed in flames thanks to his weapon. Predatory eyes sweep the street before locking with Vanguard's, causing an outright feral grin to spread across their canine face. Vanguard barely has the time to react before the cannon is pointed his way and a fireball races forward.
Diving aside, he has to roll horizontally due to his shield across his back, but back on his feet, he swings the shield around to block the next shot. The villain gives an annoyed 'Tch' as their next shot dissipates against the shield harmlessly before he presses a button on the cannon. His next shot is a continuous stream of flames rather than a fireball, forcing Vanguard to hunker down and slow his charge to a crawl as the heat makes his still tender skin sting. "Is that it, Hero, you're just going to hide behind your little shield like a coward?"
'Glue Gun, no, Short Range Electro-Interference Detector, no, GPS Gear Tracker, no, Micro Turbo Fan, maybe.' Vanguard thinks, his mind running through the gadgets Mei sent him with, "Ooh, the Animorphic Stun Speaker, that might work." Waiting till the villain pauses their attack to let their weapon cool, Vanguard jumps forward the moment they do and turns on the device. A huge array of tones begin to blare from the little machine, most inaudible but even he can feel their effects. Compared to the slight discomfort and dizziness he was experiencing, however, the villain is screaming, hands clamped over his ears as he falls to his knees.
Blocking a haphazard jet of flames as he closes in, Vanguard keeps an eye on the cannon while readying his own arm mounted weapon. More flames sweep over his shield as the disoriented villain tries to line it up while Vanguard keeps stalking closer and closer. With barely a couple meters between them, Vanguard suddenly shuts off the stun speaker causing the villain to reflexively relax, more than enough of an opening for him to fire out his grapple gauntlet. The three stripes of capture cloth shoot out, converging on their target like angry snakes and as they strike, he triggers the coil signal, making the bands seek to constrict the villain. All three bands hold as he yanks back, pulling the unprepared villain off their knees and leaving them open for him to rush in.
Vanguard sprints the last of the gap, dropping his shield to instead pin down the villain and detach their flame cannon while also working his capture bands further around them. It's no Hatsume tech, so the weapon comes off easily enough, letting him shift his focus towards properly restraining them. Reaching for his cuffs, his hands meet empty space as a memory jumps to mind, his previous arrest being cuffed by him then getting carted off without returning the cuffs. The bands will hold for now at least, and digging out his phone with his free hand, it's almost fumbled as another explosion rocks the city, followed by a crash as a tall building suddenly loses a chunk of it's side when a vicious spiral of energy carves through it.
Under him, the villain bucks and struggles while laughing at the destruction while Vanguard mashes in the number for the police. There's barely half a ring before a voice comes through, "All Officers are currently occupied. Please state the nature of your emergency and we will get to you as soon as we can."
"I'm Mi-... Pro Hero Vanguard, and I have a captured criminal and need police pickup. I'm between I believe thirty-four and fourty-one block."
There's a brief relative silence, before they reply, "I'm sorry but we can't spare anyone at the moment. If you can, deliver them to a nearby precinct yourself or lock them up somewhere safe till an officer can be sent."
Another spiral of energy cuts through a building and into the sky, a flicker of familiarity jumping to Izuku's mind. Sports festival, second years, periwinkle, semi finals, a name... "Hado Nejire..."
Instantly, the villain underneath him stills, before demanding, "How do you know the boss' name?!"
About to reply, Vanguard's immediately cut off by a deluge of cotton pouring from a nearby street. Another familiar quirk, but younger, less experienced, Heroes, and yet... Pieces click and he can't help but shudder as anxiety rises and hopelessness seeks every little crack in him it can.
"You've realized it!" The villain cackles, "You realized you stand no chance. You might have stopped me, but the rest of them will crush this city and there's nothing you can do to stop them!"
"I can't..."
"Exactly, you-"
"I can't beat them but..." Making a snap decision, he pulls out his glue gun, fires two shots into the back of the stun speaker before sticking to the villain's head. "I can't just stand by and not try." Retracting his grapple gauntlet bands, he gathers his shield and the flame cannon, strapping both to his back before marching towards the field of fluff still spilling from the street even as his stomach protests with a loud growl. "Even if it's hopeless, I can't just stand by and watch when people need help!"
Despite their role in this, the Villain can't hide a tiny smile, watching the boy walk towards certain defeat, his legs trembling slightly but his shoulders squared and his head held proud. Still, they have a role to play, and with the Hero's back turned, they bolt, letting out a growl when the infernal speaker on their head doesn't come off when pulled.
"Cotton Fluff, the quirk of Fuwa Mawata, second year U.A. student. Allows for the creation and manipulation of small cotton balls, quirk limits on production have increased somewhat since I last saw it, skill and control have probably improved just as much. Stronger in enclosed spaces, but still potent in the open. Weaknesses..." Pulling out Hatsume's Micro Turbo Fan, he affixes it to his left arm as he walks, "Extremely flammable, and easily blown away by strong winds, however they have a lot of practice against both, and fire is too dangerous in the current circumstances..." Letting his lips continue to ramble through thoughts and ideas, Vanguard checks his phone for the map.
His search and muttering are cut short as flames consume the cotton in an instant, filling the street and buildings with a wave of heat. Alarms begin to blare from all over as buildings catch fire, awnings burn or melt and signs sizzle. A car comes flying down the street, tumbling end over end as the robots inside it shriek before going silent as it finally slams down upside down and half buried through a storefront. He's moving before he even notices the red liquid slowly seeping through the damaged car roof, and it only serves to hasten his steps.
Roof crumpled under its own weight, the doors refuse to budge as he slides to his knees and tries to pull them open. Crouching further to look inside, it's bad, the two in the front clearly dead, one a broken neck, the other's head split wide open. A wail from the back seat is promising, the smaller passenger there tangled up in their seatbelt, but only bleeding from superficial wounds. "I'm going to get you out of there, okay?"
"You think you can just ignore us, Hero?!" Someone calls out, trying to get his attention.
'Not Fuwa' Vanguard's mind provides, and he spares half a glance down the road, revealing as expected Fuwa, but also Okikonshu, another second year with a beetle quirk and notable strength. 'Strong enough to flip the car, but not fast. Rescue first?' Cotton begins to flow from Fuwa, so he draws forth his glue gun, aims and fires a trio of shots at a speed that'd make Snipe proud. As expected they're all blocked by compacted cotton, the sticky messes falling to the ground, but it serves its purpose as his aim swings over to dump every remaining shot into Okikonshu. The beetle boy is absolutely splattered by the glue, not enough to stop him but enough to gum up the works.
Dropping the gun, his shield and the flame cannon, he squirms into the shattered car window, drawing the hidden knife from his costume. An absolute necessity when working with capture material, it's durable and more than sharp enough to cut the seatbelt straps holding the injured victim in place. Dragging them out carefully, a huge cloud of cotton bears down on him even with how quickly he acted, forcing him to raise the Micro Turbo Fan and turn it on to repel the worst of it. Fuwa's quirk is nothing if not persistent however, and so with a grimace he shields the young victim while shoving his hand into the flame cannon to ignite the mass with a pull of the trigger.
The flash of heat is short but intense, but his costume protects him and the one beneath him from the flames none the worse for wear. Yet even as the cotton burns away, new masses are being formed from Fuwa, her limit nowhere near reached. Rising clouds of the stuff draw his attention up, but not away enough to miss Okikonshu starting a slow charge forward. Eyes darting between the clouds, the villains and the one below him, there's only one option.
Tossing the flame cannon aside, he scoops up the victim before turning and bolting away. It's clearly unexpected, as Okikonshu yells out, "What?! Hey, get back here Hero!" They quickly fall further and further behind as the glue does its job, though Fuwa doesn't seem to chase him.
Several blocks later he finally decides to slow down, and perhaps not a moment too soon.
Or maybe a moment too late.
A spiral of energy tears across the road ahead of him, leaving scorched furrows in its wake, a second doing the same behind him a moment later. "Aha, I found you Hero!" A bright and cheery voice calls out as it's owner drifts down in front of him, "My little Hench-Kohais said there was one around here!" Coasting on spirals of crackling energy, Hado floats menacingly in what must be a villain version of her Hero costume. Rather than her normal blues, it's deep black leather and latex, bristling with metal spikes and steel skulls and an overall menacing style that doesn't match the cheery-looking smile on her face. "Come on, Hero-kun, let's play!"
Glancing around quickly, Vanguard bolts behind a car not far from his position, Nejire dropping to the ground with a pout. "It's not fun if you only run away, Hero-kun~." She says, raising a hand that begins to glow with her spiraling quirk. He bursts out from the other side, both arms now free as he fires his grapple gauntlet. It's dodged as she releases a quick burst of quirk from her feet, doing a little backflip through the air and firing off the bolt from her hand at him as she lands. It's quick but easily dodged, though it hides her next move. "Tag, Gotcha!" She exclaims, appearing in front of him in a burst of movement from her quirk. A palm loaded with energy touches his chest and sends him tumbling down the road, propelled by a spiral of light.
The spiral practically drags him down half a block before dissipating enough he can tumble aside, and she's right on him before he's finished rolling. "Done already Hero-kun?" She asks, her head tilting to the side as she looks down at him with a sharp spiral curling around her finger thats pointed at his chest. Reaching for his waist, his hand is stopped by a shot blasting through his belt and scattering the contents of the pouch. "Ah ah ah, no... Is that candy?" The moment's distraction is enough for him to raise his other hand, the grapple gauntlet shooting out, only to catch nothing but air as she leaps away.
Rolling to his feet, Vanguard immediately has to roll again as a spiral curls through where he just was. Nejire stands over his snacks, his stomach growling aggressively which prompts her to laugh, "Oh ho, Is the little Hero hungry? Need some candy to fuel up?" Pointing a hand down, a vicious spiral crashes over the candy, shredding it and the concrete below while her other hand sits in front of her mouth and laughs. "Oh hohohoho!"
The momentary respite of her laughter gives him just enough time to get to his feet and glance around, looking for something, anything to help. However, despite U.A.'s attempts to flesh out the training ground, there's nothing of use nearby, even within the prop-filled storefronts. A spiral zips by his face, Nejire pouting at him while pointing. "Hey, don't ignore me, Hero-kun, it's not polite!" One pointed finger turns to ten, spirals revving up from each one.
'She's skilled, I probably won't be able to dodge... Weaken it? Lasers lose power and focus in excess humidity, her quirk is probably similar enough...' Flipping on his Turbo Fan, he grabs his remaining drink bottle and practically rips the cap off as she fires. Grape flavoured sports drink sprays through the fan, becoming a thick purple mist between him and the energy bolts before he raises his arms to block. It's not enough to stop them, but the ones that punch through the cloud are a lot wobblier and impact with reduced enough force that his costume can hold up, even if each one feels like a direct punch.
"Gotcha!" Nejire exclaims, suddenly in his face after having followed her blasts. She grabs both his arms, her quirk active and tearing through his bracers while destroying both the fan and his gauntlet. Dragging her quirk down his arms, she jumps back as he tries to kick her away, right before his gauntlet bursts. All three capture bands explode out like frenzied snakes writhing through the air, causing Vanguard to duck down and away only for Nejire to meet him there with a right hook to the jaw.
His vision swims as he meets the concrete, tumbling over the shattered remains of his support gear. Rolling to get up, something wraps around his hand as he does, coming up with him but before he can even spare a glace for it, a fist slams into his stomach causing him to double over and gag. It switches into an uppercut to his chest backed by a spiral that flings him over onto his back. Left breathless by the impact and still disoriented by the punch to the face, just about all he can do is close his eyes and catch his breath.
'This is the strength of the big three... I can't even touch her, am I really good enough to be a Hero?' he thinks, before a voice cuts through his thoughts.
"If you, who has no quirk can work hard, study, train and become a hero, then anyone can." Yu's voice declares in his head, "Kids will look at you and realize even if their quirk isn't great, or they don't have one at all, they can still be a hero if they work hard." His eyes snap open, but he can see her smile in his mind's eye. "Anyone who watched you compete should be able to see you've got the makings of a great Hero."
The cloth in his hand wriggles as his fist clenches, determination filling him as he fills his lungs. "I'm not done yet." He pants out, pushing himself to sit, then struggling up to standing. "Because a Hero can't just give up, no matter how impossible the odds." A suspiciously timed explosion in the distance doesn't even jolt him as he's fully focused on the villain in front of him.
Nejire's smile grows at his declaration, her eyes sparkling as she stares him down, observing his tattered and battered form. "Then prove it, Hero-kun, I'm right here. Stop me." Raising a hand, a massive spiral begins to form around it, pointed off at a nearby building.
A single, wobbly step gives way to a sprint while the capture cloth in his hand lashes out in a sweep. She leans back almost impossibly far, letting the fabric lash overhead before righting herself with a quirk thrust from an arm pointed back. With his other hand, Vanguard grabs everything he can from his belt and hurls it at her only for it all to be ignored save a small shift of her head to avoid a candy bar heading too close to her eyes. Barely more than half a dozen steps away, she shifts slightly and dashes in with her quirk, aiming a spiral enhanced right hook to bring him down before he can even react.
Whether experience, reflexes or just exhaustion, Vanguard ducks the punch, stepping in low and slipping around her. Wrapping his arms around the surprised Villainess's waist, he heaves up and back in a picture perfect suplex. The impact of Nejire on the pavement seems to linger for a second, shock hanging in the air before a blinding pain comes from Vanguard's side as she slams a quirk boosted jab into his kidney.
From there, it only takes a moment for her to roll off and slap some cuffs on him, ending his exam.