Chapter Eleven – A Rat in a Maze
It wasn't the first time Clay had been ambushed by robots in a tight, enclosed space. Aizawa had a knack for tossing surprise enemies into the mix, as though the act itself brought him some fleeting sense of joy. Everyone knew Class 1-A trained harder than 1-B—at least in terms of sheer robot volume. Simply put, 1-A had 1-B beat.
By now, Clay had deployed at least thirty rats to scout the area, their presence spreading like whispers through the battlefield. But when he pushed himself to send out another thirty, the familiar fog of overextension crept into his mind. He grimaced. The day was far from over, and pacing himself would be key to surviving both the exercise and his Quirk's limits.
"Crawl in, get cozy, and bite a wire or two," he murmured under his breath. His voice was almost soothing, a quiet encouragement to his troops. Taking a measured step back, he watched as his nimble little operatives darted effortlessly through the chaos, weaving between the robots' attacks like living shadows. The rodents slipped through cracks in the metallic armor, scurrying into the inner workings of the machines.
The effects were immediate. Sparks flew as circuits fried. One by one, the robots either powered down completely or staggered, their movements jerky as damaged limbs failed to respond. Clay couldn't help but grin, satisfaction pulling at the corners of his mouth. He was about to press his advantage, stepping forward to finish the job, when something caught his eye.
A broad splash of grey-white liquid arced through the air, splattering across the robots. The sharp hiss of acid eating through steel followed almost instantly.
"My rats are in there, Mina," Clay shouted, breaking into a jog as concern flickered across his face. "You can con me into asking Tsu on a date if you want, but don't hurt my boys."
Mina skidded to a stop, her hands still glowing faintly with acid as she turned toward Clay, her wide, apologetic eyes meeting his. "Sorry, cowboy!" she called out, her voice lilting with a mix of genuine regret and mischief. "Didn't know your little friends were still clocked in!"
Clay groaned, running a hand through his hair as he slowed to a stop near the edge of the acid-coated battleground. "They're clocked in alright…" He watched as a few of his rats scurried out of the affected area, their tiny fur singed but their determination unshaken. Skipper, perched on his shoulder, let out a sharp squeak that sounded suspiciously like disapproval, his beady little eyes locked on Mina.
"I hope Skipper's not mad at me…" Mina said, her voice tinged with nervous humor as she jogged alongside Clay, the wreckage of destroyed robots crunching underfoot. She flashed him an uneasy smile, though her usual energy was dimmed by the tension of the moment.
"If my date goes well tonight, we'll call it even," Clay replied dryly, though the slight smirk tugging at his lips betrayed his attempt at nonchalance.
As they moved deeper into the maze, Clay noticed that Mina wasn't even pretending to be lost. She followed his lead without question, her confident pace a clear sign she'd figured out his plan. With a sigh, he stopped trying to mask his deliberate movements, giving up the act entirely.
"You're lucky I like you," Clay grumbled, casting her a sideways glance. "You should've seen what happened to the last guy who tried copying me."
The weight in his voice made Mina laugh nervously, though it was hard to tell if he was joking or deadly serious. Either way, she kept pace, her eyes darting toward the shadows ahead as if expecting more robots to leap out at any moment. But no more came, and Clay only stopped when he had a tingle in the back of his head. "Stop for a moment," Clay muttered, turning around, and sniffing the air like he was one of his rats.
"Clay, what are you doing?" Mina asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and suspicion as she watched him backtrack.
"Shh," Clay muttered, holding up a hand for silence as he took a few careful steps backward. His eyes scanned the wall with practiced precision until he spotted something... off. Without hesitation, he reached out and poked the suspicious area.
His finger met something soft—flesh, not stone.
"Ribbit," came a familiar, deadpan response.
Clay sighed, shaking his head. "I would've let you follow me, you know. How long have you been tailin' us?"
Tsuyu emerged from the shadows, her calm expression unchanged as she hopped down from her hiding spot in the maze wall. Clay watched, quite impressed when she saw her skin (and her costume, somehow) return to its normal color. "Long enough," she replied, her wide, unblinking eyes fixed on Clay. "You weren't exactly being subtle, ribbit."
"As subtle as we can be while fightin' robots, but I'm more than happy to clear the way for you," Clay drawled, his tone casual as his gaze flicked to Mina's grinning face. "Something to say, Pinky?"
Mina's grin only grew wider as she turned to Tsuyu, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Let me know when it's time to pick out bridesmaids' dresses," she quipped with a short, teasing laugh.
Tsuyu blinked slowly, her calm demeanor unshaken by Mina's jab. "Bridesmaids' dresses might be a little early, ribbit," she replied evenly, her tone measured as her gaze shifted to Clay. "But thanks for clearing the robots. It saved me some trouble."
"Mina said it, not me," Clay shot back, throwing a pointed glance at the grinning pink instigator beside him. He shook his head with exasperation before jerking his thumb down the path ahead. "Now let's get you two to the center so you can get picked for some stupid internship or whatever this is supposed to be."
Tsuyu tilted her head, her large eyes steady on Clay. "You're not worried about making it to the center yourself, ribbit?"
Clay shrugged, keeping his tone light. "Don't need no internship," he said plainly.
With that, the trio moved forward, their pace quickening as they followed Alert through the winding corridors. The maze loomed around them, its shadows deep and imposing, but with each step, the air grew lighter, tinged with the faint sound of the crowd cheering in the distance.
"Think we're close," Clay muttered, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the path ahead. He glanced at Skipper, who twitched his whiskers in agreement. "Keep your guard up. No tellin' what Cementoss threw in here for the finale."
Mina cracked her knuckles, her usual energy returning in full force. "If it's more robots, I've got some acid ready to go."
"What about me?" came the unmistakable, boisterous voice of Present Mic as he rounded the corner, his energy practically reverberating off the walls.
Clay let out a long, exasperated groan, dragging a hand down his face. "Why'd it have to be you, of all people?" he muttered, as though the universe itself had betrayed him.
Present Mic struck a dramatic pose, his signature grin plastered across his face. "Why me? Because I bring volume to any situation, partner!" he boomed, his voice echoing through the narrow maze corridor like a shockwave. "So let's get ready to rock!" She screech echoed off the walls, and immediately any semblance of focus Clay could maintain was gone, and one by one, the rats started to go wild, each scattering off wherever they saw fit.
"Someone blabbed about my weakness to sound," Clay muttered, his voice low and strained. He clutched his hands tightly over his ears, his body trembling as though the ground beneath him were unsteady. Skipper, sensing his distress, hopped from Clay's shoulder to Tsuyu's, chittering softly as if offering reassurance.
Clay's legs bounced erratically, a jittery rhythm betraying the growing chaos inside him.
"He's overstimulated," Tsuyu whispered, her calm voice cutting through the tension. Skipper nodded in response, his small form still and watchful.
Mina quickly stepped between Clay and the instructor, her stance firm as she faced Present Mic. "So, they threw in a few instructors for good measure," she said with a determined grin, acid bubbling ominously on her hands.
Tsuyu moved in a flash, leaping gracefully onto the wall. Before Present Mic could launch another attack—before he could even fully open his mouth—Skipper landed square on his face with a precision strike.
"Hope you don't mind me using Skipper," Tsuyu called coolly from her perch, her tone as steady as ever.
Present Mic stumbled backward, flailing as Skipper clung to his face with fierce determination. The rat's sharp little claws gripped tightly, and his high-pitched squeaks added an almost comical layer to the chaotic scene.
"Get it off! Get it off!" Present Mic boomed, his booming voice muffled by Skipper's presence.
"Get him, Skipper! Show him who's boss!" Mina squeaked. "You good to keep going, cowboy?"
Clay took a deep breath, nodding as he straightened up. "I'm good. Just needed a second. Let's get outta here before he shakes Skipper loose and starts shoutin' again."
With Tsuyu leading the way, the group pressed forward into the still shaking corridor, leaving Present Mic stumbling and trying to pull Skipper off his face. Skipper clung stubbornly, his little form unwavering, buying his human and their friends the time they needed.
"Skipper'll find his way back," Clay muttered, more to himself than anyone else, as he sent another wave of rats ahead to scout the path.
They pressed on, the sound of Present Mic's somewhat embarrassing yelling fading into the distance. With each step Clay took, the noise seemed to weigh on him less, the tension in his shoulders easing bit by bit.
"Are you autistic? Ribbit," Tsuyu asked, her voice calm and matter-of-fact, as if simply piecing together a puzzle.
"That's what the doctor said," Clay muttered, his tone subdued. He glanced back with relief as Skipper skittered toward the group, his tiny companion rejoining them without a scratch.
Tsuyu nodded thoughtfully, her expression as calm and steady as ever. "That explains why you struggled earlier, ribbit," she said gently. There was no pity in her tone, just understanding. "You handle it well, though. Better than some people might."
Clay gave her a sidelong glance, his lips twitching into a faint smile. "Ain't my first rodeo," he replied. "I've had years to figure out what sets me off and what don't. Still… didn't expect U.A. to push me that far this early."
"Pretty badass if you ask me," said Mina.
"Don't go makin' me out to be some kinda saint," Clay muttered, scratching his beard and glancing at Skipper, who perched comfortably on his shoulder. "I'm just doin' what I gotta do to get through this maze."
"I think we're already through it, ribbit," Tsuyu said, her tone steady as she pointed to a small alcove in the wall.
Clay followed her gaze, and there it was—the central room. Brightly lit and bustling with activity, it stood in stark contrast to the shadowy maze they'd been navigating. A handful of students were already gathered inside, their voices echoing faintly.
At the forefront stood Midoriya, grinning like an idiot as he waved enthusiastically in their direction, completely oblivious to how ridiculous he looked.