"Ground Zeta must be south from Ground Beta, which is one of the largest complexes. If we go to the faculty lounge we should be able to find a map of the grounds, so that'll be our first stop." Aoki holds Sae's hand and ensures her right arm is ready to transform at a moment's notice as they run through the track field towards the main building, avoiding the spots populated with absurd amounts of robots and security.

"I can understand being careful and avoiding conflict but to this extent seems quite needless and... boring."

"Yamada-san, I heard five robots plead for their lives today. I do not want to increase that number, even if it kills me."

"Isn't it only fair to have fun while working?"

"Robots shouldn't have the heart to fear death Yamada-san! They aren't programmed to feel fear and yet you-!" Turning the corner, Sae and Aoki find a familiar green-haired, bandana boy. Who is taking off his pants.

"Indecent exposure is a crime. Yamada-san please turn away!"

"Aoki-san, you're the one covering your eyes and aiming your arm. That is a rather concerning combination."

"Yeah, can we keep the barrel away from me? I'm not even exposed, clearly I'm wearing shorts."

"Oh, those are the limited jeanist summer collection men's shorts!" Sae tugs Aoki, who still is keeping her eyes tightly shut, and guides her towards the moss-haired boy.

"Good eye, you must be a fan."

"Are you two really having this conversation now?" Aoki grips Sae's sleeve, finally looking at Shitai.

"Complaints heard and ignored Aoki-san. Those shorts were discontinued because of the overwhelmingly bad public response, how did you manage to get a pair?"

"When they first came out they were cheap as hell, so of course I'd buy them. Anyway, it's Aoki and Yamada then? I'm Shitai Fuujin, just so we can skip introductions. Those always take longer than they should. Quirk is on a need to know basis." Shitai extends his hand towards Aoki but she's a little hesitant.

Sae, on the other hand, doesn't miss a beat, carefully wrapping her gloved hand around his own. Shitai's expression doesn't change, at least in Sae's eyes.

"Eh, I'll take it." Before either can shake, however, Aoki grabs their collars and drags them into nearby bushes.

"The staff room is just on the other side of this wall, so if one of us just sneaks through the front door..."
Sae begins moving through the bushes towards the corner, already almost completely hidden by the foliage. "By one of us I meant anyone but you Yamada-san!"

"Don't worry, I'll be there for just a moment. I can get through without being caught easily and we won't have to trudge through the brush either." She turns the corner before Aoki can get another word in.

"If she calls for help, we're leaving her, debt to her be damned."

Shitai leans against a sturdy section of bushes, "gonna kill her with your sharp shooting skills?"

"Maybe in a year if this is how it's going to be."

"Woah, I could feel the air chill on that one."

"Sorry, sorry. I must be on edge since it's our first day." Aoki shakes her hand in front of her before pausing and pushing Shitai's head down into the bushes when the robotic patrol turn away at once.

"Why are they all heading there? Yamada-san seems capable enough, should we head out while we have the chance?"

"Absolutely not. Yamada-san will have the map we need, I'm not letting more people out of my sight than necessary, and their movements are unnatural. This isn't a fault in security, it's either aimed at something or an attempt to deceive us." Aoki curls a section of her hair between her fingers, keeping her right arm steady.

"If something's there... I was sure Odd Ball would chase after me but I haven't seen him since I left. There was yelling, so maybe he's going after other students now instead."

"Other students... If anyone is an easy target it would be Nakano-san." Sae pushes in between the two.

"Yamada-san? Got the map?"

"Welcome back."

"I really wish the two of you yelped or trembled a bit more, a rather disappointing reward for my efforts." Sighing, Sae pulls out a map of the school from... somewhere, and flattens it out. She then immediately wraps it up again, giving it to Aoki. "I don't know how to read this."

"How can you say that with such a straight face..." Aoki forcefully grabs it and scans the grounds opposite Ground Beta.

"I can't lie so I'll at least save face with refreshing honesty." Sae gives the pair a thumbs up, eyes sparkling with an absurd amount of confidence. Shitai readily returns the gesture, straight-faced.

"You're both hopeless." Aoki traces her finger across the map but Shitai at least doesn't miss the small twitch from the corner of her mouth.

"Alright, if we move carefully we can follow the south west path towards Ground Zeta, but..."

"I haven't seen any buildings outside the main one nearby, so I'm assuming this is gonna be a walk." Shitai looks over Aoki's shoulder, scanning the path her thumb is covering. "Oh we are not walking that."

"So, UA's budget goes to making a half an hour long path to their buildings, great."

"Anything goes for this test, correct?" Sae summons a journal out of thin air, flipping through the pages filled with lists and crossed out sections.

"By the test rules, yes. By my standards, no."

"Aoki-san, your standards don't matter here, unfortunately. Ah, here we go." Stopping on a random page, Aoki can just make out the words 'scooter' and 'side-car'. "Getting a ride shouldn't be too difficult with me here but we should probably move before the security tightens..." Suddenly distracted by a boy with a dark blue rattail dashing past the corner out of breath, Sae quiets down to watch him. He's just barely out of reach from the horde of robots following him. And they have company, all circling around a familiar black cloaked man with an eyepatch.

"Nakano-san... of course he'd be the first one targeted." Nakano Hajime, the lowest scorer and runt of the litter. He only managed to get points from stragglers that other students did most of the damage to, especially the few robots Usagiyama-san let get away. He doesn't show any promise, but even so...

Odd Eye pounces, tightly gripping Nakano's shoulder, causing his knees to give out as he falls to the ground. Shitai begins crawling through the bushes away from the scene. "Let's get going already. This is the perfect opportunity." Aoki nods, tugging on Sae's sleeve: she's just watching, eyes narrowing as Nakano stops struggling.

Odd Eye's voice bellows and echoes through the large field. "Nakano Hajime, the black sheep of my precious flock, do you know why I gave away the rankings for the entrance exam?"

Nakano keeps his head down, letting the hand digging into Odd Eye's sleeve fall to his side. He's trembling, his voice hoarse: "So they'll know who's not worth the effort to drag along..."
"I've changed my mind, we're giving him a chance." Sae drags herself from the bushes, Aoki letting go and staying behind with Shitai.

"What do you mean 'we're'? This is your choice, not ours!" Aoki whispers, forcing herself to lower her voice.

"Oh, so you'll walk?"

"Fair point." Shitai slowly gets off the ground, standing just behind Sae.

"No, not a fair point. We're going." Gripping Sae's collar and lightly pressing against her neck, Aoki sprints away from Odd Eye, pushing Shitai forward with them.

Sae claws at Aoki's fingers brushing against her neck. No no no no! Grab my collar if anything! "Aoki-san, release my throat!"

"I'm barely touching your neck, and the second I give in you'll run off and do whatever!"

"Yes, so let go already!"

"Your honesty actually is kinda refreshing." Shitai notes, lagging a little behind Aoki but she refuses to slow down so he can keep pace.

"That honesty is your only redeeming quality so far, Yamada-san."

"Aoki-san, you're the archetype of a student who will always help your classmates so follow through now for Nakano-san's sake!"

"Don't shove me in a box on the first day! Though that's actually a compliment isn't it?" No matter how much Sae's gloved fingers dig into Aoki's skin, she refuses to release her. Finally relenting to their gap in strength, Sae turns back towards Nakano, who has fully given himself up to Odd Eye's wrath.

He's just relenting? He got here on his own just to give up? That sniveling coward!

"Nakano-san, stop lying there and prove your spot at UA wasn't a fluke! If we took that entrance exam again the outcome wouldn't change, right?!"

"Fluke..." Wide-eyed, Nakano glares at Odd Eye. It's not fierce or powerful or meaningful. It's weak and half-hearted at best. But it is his best.

"Mongrel, did you forget my power? Now relent before your shame consumes you!" Gripping Nakano's head, Odd Eye leans closer and points for the lingering robots to chase after Aoki.

Writhing, Nakano begins foaming at the mouth and desperately flailing his arm at Odd Eye. Odd Eye chuckles but his eyes are downcast, watching a pathetic mouse accept their own death with minimal struggle.

"Nakano-san, if you just admit something his quirk won't hurt you!" Aoki has finally come to a halt, too curious and concerned to leave the poor boy alone. He really is pathetic.

"She's right Nakano Hajime, my power has mercy for those who embrace folly." Yet Nakano continues to claw at Odd Eye's arm and cover his own mouth. Gritting his teeth, Odd Eye snatches the hand covering Nakano's mouth and hoists him up so they're at eye level. "Are you going to sit there and fall for mere pride? Speak Nakano Hajime!"

"No..." Odd Eye's brow is scrunched together and he shakes Nakano, willing him to relent. "Saying it--it means it's true right?" Nakano trembles, whether from pain or sorrow only he and the tears beginning to flow down his cheeks know. "I'm not... I never was... Please, I swear I'm not a mistake..." His words trail off, as his head suddenly falls forward. Odd Eye's arm trembles as he gently hands Nakano off to a nearby robot.

"No, Yamada-san what should we-!" Aoki looks for Sae but she's already prepared a scooter and side-car while their backs were turned. "Wait, aren't we going to help him?"

"No."

"You were the one making a fuss to help out just a minute ago." Shitai heads over to the bike anyway, his complaint nothing more than a passing comment.

Sae just keeps working, "I offered him an opportunity and he squandered it. Pathetic to the very end."

A slap echoes across the field. Sae is holding her cheek as Aoki has long since given up holding in her anger. "Pathetic? He refused to reveal something important for some random test, he struggled through that pain and you call him pathetic?"

Sae just sits on the back of the scooter, unfazed. "Does it not strike you as strange that, in a hero course, our first task is to flee from attackers?"

"Yamada, changing the topic isn't going to calm Aoki-"

"No Shitai-san, I'll hear her out. For now."

She just sighs, messing with the mirrors and refusing to glance at Aoki or Shitai. "You know the most useless type of hero?"

"Maybe one that abandons those in need?"

"No, a dead one."

"A dead hero did their duty."

"And will never do anything of worth again."

"Heroes sign up to die Yamada-san!"

"So-" Out of thin air a knife is floating in front of Aoki's chest. Right above her heart. "-will you die now then? I'll go save Nakano-san if you do."
Aoki trembles, but not from fear or anger. She stares at Sae, gaze fierce and unwavering but beginning to weaken. Sae sighs, matching Aoki's gaze with a glare. "Know the price of your life. You all are people, are you not? Nakano-san valued pride over meaningful results or even the chance to 'survive'. I'm not going to save someone who can't bother to save themselves, he needs to learn the consequences now. If this was a real fight he'd already be six feet under for the sake of that pride." The knife before Aoki vanishes and Shitai silently passes Sae to take the front seat. Aoki watches as the clank of metal feet and voices draw nearer. Know the weight of a life... I...

"Hey Aoki, you don't want to run for half an hour do you? Get on already." Shitai waves her over as he revs the engine. Aoki grabs her right arm, clutching it so hard her nails start to dig in. This arm...

Shaking her head, she silently climbs into the back seat, sparing a glance at the mark staining Sae's cheek. "Yamada-san... sorry."

"What are you apologizing for? This isn't permanent or anything." Aoki clenches and grinds her teeth together. Sae makes the 'smart' choice, again. She ignores the pain of herself and others, again. I can't leave her on her own. She has a screw loose or something.

Shitai revs the engine, "So I'm leaving those bots behind us to you Aoki. Since you're 'armed' and all."

"Shitai-san, have you done anything of note aside from not being captured?"

"I'm driving." He yawns and leans back against Sae who's applying an ointment to her cheek.

"Yamada-san, don't you have a secret you would risk your life to protect? You can't blame Nakano-san for that-"

"I do: everyone has secrets that only they deserve to disclose. And those same secrets are their responsibility to protect and suffer the consequences to protect them."

"You know not everyone has the means to protect their secrets, y'know?" Shitai leans forward again, finally weighing in. Aoki is quiet, aside from her occasional shot towards the distant drones and robots.

"They need to find a way to manage then, it's not up to the world to bend everything for that one secret."

"Well what about-"

"Just drop it Shitai-san, Sae isn't going to change if we discuss it and we have bigger priorities anyway." She never takes her eyes off the enemies following behind, even if they are nothing more than a miniscule blip now.

Sae sighs, watching Aoki's arm jerk back at every shot. "Why did you only care to help Nakano-san after he failed?" She reaches for Aoki's arm, inspecting the base of the gun exiting her elbow.

"Why? That's because..."

"I'm not really interested in your answer. Could you transform your arm back, please?" Sae pokes and prods, each touch causing her arm to jolt and Aoki to futilely hide a wince. Ensuring there's no chance to be caught off guard by the swarm behind them, Aoki sighs and rather painfully returns her arm to normal. The flesh around her elbow is raw and sore; the upper arm is no better, bruised and painful to touch, though Aoki still tries her best to keep her composure. Sae isn't the least bit concerned with pinching and inspecting the skin.

"Nothing appears to be broken, but there are a few mild abrasions and the muscles in your bicep are close to tearing. I'll bandage you up but you won't be able to use your arm for a few days unless you go to recovery girl." Sae notes off her observations while, again, pulling bandages, disinfectant, and ointment out of thin air.

"I'll be fine, without my arm I'd be mostly helpless anyway."

"You can't be helpless with me here, it would ruin my reputation to abandon someone who I owe."

"So you're promising to protect me because I shot a few robots but refuse to help Nakano-san?"

"Yeah, because I like you more, even if you are a little foolish."

Aoki opens her mouth but just watches Sae work. She sighs, allowing a faint but annoyed smile to grace her lips. "Can you just pick between being insufferable and decent already?"

"If you cry, maybe I can manage something."

"Insufferable it is." Aoki chuckles but is silent soon enough, just staring at Sae as Shitai hums to himself.

"You guys done over there, or do you want me to leave the scooter?"

"We are about a kilometer away at most, threats to the scooter are moot at this point." Aoki hops off the sidecar, tightening the new bandage around her arm.

"Ah Shitai-san, make sure you don't get hurt. Your fashion sense isn't enough reason to go out of my way to help you, so keep up or really play up your likability!"

"Sure, I'll need to use my quirk soon enough anyways."

"You gave up on the friendship path rather quickly..." Retying her pink and blue hair, Aoki takes the lead but soon enough stops and waits for Sae to pass her. "We're going to follow the path Yamada-san. That isn't too much for you, is it?"

Grumbling, Sae closes her eyes, smiles and taps her temple. "I'm always running things through my head, so I'm always pre-!" Slamming into the tree in front of her, Sae stumbles back and holds her head. "Always thinking..."

"Right, so I'll let you think as much as you want. Just follow me." Shitai pats Sae's shoulder and pushes past her. Aoki nods, grabbing Sae's arm and dragging her after Shitai.

"Let's hurry, Odd Ball was only momentarily distracted watching over Nakano. He'll probably go after us next, especially if he knows Aoki-san busted her arm." Aoki stares at her bandaged arm for a moment but shakes her head and continues on with Sae.

Sae tugs on Shitai's shirt collar. "Odd Ball-san should know our quirks, so I'm sure he'll have to sneak up on us. Aoki-san is long range: if he isn't aware of her injury he can't risk attacking openly since his quirk is direct contact only."

"But he has those robots, who knows if he has cameras or drones watching us. For all we know he's already aware."

"That's a possibility but that also leaves both of our quirks as well. Mine is more versatile so he'll struggle having robots support him. Yours... it must be skin contact based as well, correct?"

"Huh, how do you figure?"

"The removal of clothing the moment the test began, disappointment when I shook your hand with gloves instead of Aoki-san... I don't know what it is but I assume there is a set limit to its use by how fickle you are with it."

Shitai looks back at her for a moment before stretching and yawns, "Always thinking, huh? Well it is a good combo: if they sneak up on us they'll probably target Aoki-san first if they're in the dark and use robots to take me out. But if he knows, then he'll target-!"

Aoki darts forward, releasing Sae and dragging Shitai back. A metal arm comes down, knocking dirt up where Shitai once stood.

"How unfortunate... My hellhound's claws failed to drag the unknowing into the flames of oblivion. Now we must usher in a eon's long war!" Odd Eye walks through the brush, cackling and pointing aggressively towards Shitai. His aim is off and he ends up pointing to empty space. That eye-patch can't be good for his depth perception.

"Shitai-san, run with Aoki-san
I'll handle the robots." Sae jumps back to gain some distance and soon slightly busted robots appear, orbiting around her. The moment those robots appear the others near Odd Eye begin to vanish.

"Ah, the witch dividing my flock! One who knows all and yet is blind to all!"

"Hmm, a witch is a fair enough claim, cretin. I won't allow you to sully my name by capturing either of my temporary companions, so best you give your all here or move onto greener pastures!"

Odd Eye and Sae laugh, facing off and refusing to move a single step. The remaining robots charge after Shitai, who is currently running hand-in-hand with Aoki. "Those idiots are having fun!" Aoki easily keeps pace with Shitai but winces whenever her right arm hits passing branches.

Shitai suddenly veers off the path, pulling Aoki with. "Hey, touch my leg will you?"

Aoki turns to him. Pure disgust.

"It's not like that, you can't use your quirk so let me use it instead!"

Aoki groans, begrudgingly placing her wrist against Shitai's knee, struggling to keep herself from falling over at the angle.

"You don't need to lean that far-"

"I am not going higher."

After a brief moment a spiral of lines, like living tattoos bursting with energy, moves out from the contact spot. Aoki's shoulder twitches for a moment, an indescribable sensation running through her right arm. Soon enough the tattoo spans Shitai's entire right leg and he moves it away from Aoki, throwing off his jacket to reveal smaller tattoos on both his left and right arm. The left pulses with a mix of black and red targets while the right has cyan flame designs around his hand and wrist.

"Hold on tight, since my aim will probably suck." Lifting his leg off the ground and aiming it at a forty-five degree angle, Shitai's tattoo is almost blinding as it transforms into a flesh-based rifle. Without giving the robots or Aoki a chance to recognize what's happened, he fires off, using the knock back to push the pair forward and through the forest. Their fall is far from elegant, however. Neither catches their footing and both tumble and barely manage to grab nearby branches to keep themselves from collapsing.

"What was that?"

"What was what-"

"Shitai-san, I can shoot you at any moment. Remember that."

"Fine fine, Yamada-san got most of the details down earlier. If I make skin-to-skin contact with someone I can slowly seal their quirk into whatever limb they were touching. I won't go into the details but basically if I can use it the original gets weaker. And now my leg feels ready to fall off, so we're not doing that again."

"Your tattoo has faded slightly, so I take it using a quirk burns up the seal."

"Basically. I've got a bit of that Todoroki kid and Oshigami-san. I saw the number 2's family together once so Todoroki was familiar. Oshigami-san was in the top five and was ready to charge so he must be a physical fighter too. Just a bit though both though, not much."

Sighing, Aoki pulls Shitai's arm over her shoulder. His limp is rather annoying. "Let's get you to Ground Zeta already. Then I'll keep an eye out for Yamada-san."

"You're hurt, how do you expect to help-"

"Directions."

"Well, let's get there fast then." Wrapping his arm tightly around Aoki, Shitai transforms his leg once more, firing back at the pursuing robots and propelling the two forward. Aoki is ready for the fall this time, careful to keep her footing and move with each blast.

"Don't over do it! My arm has trouble with sequential blasts and I've trained its durability!"

Shitai huffs, holding on tighter as his eyes strain. His tattoo is gone, along with the transformation. What remains is just a mangled mess, blood oozing from abrasions and sores, parts of the skin torn open. "Yeah I get that now. Probably broke something, so when you drag Yamada-san here, you mind making sure she helps with it?"

"Fine, but you need to lay low and stop using your quirk. The quirks in your arms might just make it worse."

"Well then it's going to suck for Todoroki and Oshigami-san."

"Oshigami-san is out for the count already, he doesn't count."

"Harsh Aoki-san. Weren't you on Yamada-san's case about not being empathetic..." He trails off, tightening his grasp on Aoki while watching behind them. "So I doubt we need to go looking for Yamada-san. We do need to run though."

Cursing under her breath, Aoki hauls off with Shitai, glancing back to see Sae bolting after them with Odd Eye not far behind. Every time he reaches to grab her a shard of metal or an entire drone launches at him from thin air.

"Your quirk is rather annoying, Yamada Sae!"

"And you're breaking character Odd Ball-san!" Darting around the trees and the collateral damage of Shitai's careless blasts, Sae slowly increases the gap between her and Odd Eye but both her eyes and nose are beginning to bleed.

Sighing, Aoki pushes Shitai towards Ground Zeta and charges to grab Sae's arm, taking aim at Odd Eye and tearing apart the bandage around her arm.

"Aoki Akane, to dig your hellish bullets into mortal flesh is a peak sin!"

"Then dodge." A single bullet tears through the air and her arm, the recoil pushes Aoki and Sae back while Odd Eye summersaults to the right, just barely avoiding the shrapnel that bursts from the impact zone.

Pulling Sae back with her good arm, Aoki groans and barely keeps herself standing. Sae clicks her tongue, wrapping Aoki's arm over her shoulder and dragging them both closer to Ground Zeta. Shitai struggles to stand, giving up and instead waiting for Sae to get close to grab her arm as well.

"Guess Todoroki will get his quirk back sooner rather than later..." Reaching out his arm, Shitai summons a rage of endless blue flames to propel them forward. Odd Eye is warded off, the sudden wall of flames forcing him to bury his mouth within his elbow. He isn't perturbed though, in fact he's smirking when he steps back and heads into the forest. The trio is finally alone.

"Are you kidding me? He leaves after chasing us all this way?" Aoki attempts to pull away from Sae but leans back when pain shoots up her arm again.

Groaning, Sae is barely keeping steady carrying Aoki and Shitai, both fairly heavy in their own ways. "Let's reach our destination before Odd Ball-san decides to come back after us. He most likely is aiming for the slackers, all three of us are too close to bother with. At best he'd get only one or two of us."

"Practical even in the face of death... you'd make a pretty cool villain." Shitai's eyes sparkle. Sae drops him. "Yamada-san, my legs-"

"You have arms: crawl." Giving one last concerning smile, Sae enters the building with Aoki, having enough tact to prop the door open for Shitai who lies on his back facing the sun.

Quite the first day.