"Today is the day UA welcomes 24 new students into their gates. The four recommendation students are already causing quite the stir. Kannouji Kyouichi is the only son of the famous Kannouji hospital director, Aoki Akane is already renowned for her marksmanship, Takami Keigo has had pros keeping a close eye on him for years and this point, and finally Kazeshita Ururu is a dark horse among them having been scouted from the countryside! We also need to look out for the top scorer in the entrance exam: Sesaki Hazumu, who-!"

"Next stop: Musutafu station." Pocketing her phone, Sae turns to grab the shoulder of the person beside her but quickly drops her hand and tightens her grip on the handrail after seeing an unfamiliar face. I know I said we should act like strangers when at school but I didn't think that would include traveling there alone too...

Sae darts through the doors the second they open, avoiding the horde behind her nearly knocking each other over. Already droves of people watch the lucky few wearing those famous grey and blue uniforms. A girl with snow white rabbit ears, a surprisingly timid looking boy with a blue rattail. Of course, there was also that brown haired boy behind her. He has a gentle smile when she looks back but those golden eyes take too much joy seeing her irritated.

Leaving the station just makes the gazes even worse: what should be a leisurely ten minute walk descends into a half an hour of chaos and congestion. The crowd hovered around anyone in uniform and those with recognizable faces had little hope to arrive on time. The boy with crimson wings kept darting around one group just to be stopped by another. The other kid with a golden and elegant braid seemed to enjoy the attention and easily make his way through the crowd.

Even a few blocks away all the students can see the sudden glint in the sky as the sun reflects off their school for the next three years. That silent awe turns into gasps and squeals when the first handful reach the gates and only grow louder when they pass the threshold and it finally hits: they are students of UA's hero course.

Sae has a much more muted response though, never looking up at the towering building before her or to the ground like many of her worried and teary-eyed peers. She wasn't going to waste her time gawking; not when class started in only fifteen minutes and especially not when she's already managed to get lost.

"I've been here before haven't I? Wait, this the second year hallway, did I go upstairs?" Turning back for the nearest staircase, Sae darts down the stairs into an empty hallway. There are only three minutes left. In mazes the best practice is to hug a wall, so I should eventually find room 1-B by that logic. Ah but eventually won't cut it within three minutes!

"Hey, are you alright? You're clinging to the wall pretty tightly..."

A person! Sae smiles and watches the blue and pink haired girl twirl a strand of her ponytail between her fingers. She almost forgets she's hugging a wall out of desperation on her orientation day. A witness! 

She dusts her skirt rapidly and straightens her back, giving her potential savior a meticulous curtsy. "It's a pleasure to meet you nonetheless. I'm Yamada Sae and, judging by your uniform and being on the first floor, you must be a new student here as well, right?"

"Oh, yes! I'm Aoki Akane, I'll be in class 1-B starting today. Do you... need help finding the class? You seemed to be struggling for a sec-"

"Oh don't trouble yourself trying to help, I'm just fine on my own."

"But the wall hug-"

"Absolutely nothing happened, maybe this summer heat is getting to you?"

"It's spring..."

"Let's just move on from your silly talk of spring and I'll be on my way. You should hurry too so you're not late to class." Sae bows slightly and heads back up the stairs. Aoki stutters and flails her hands until she grabs the hem of Sae's shirt.

"You said you're a first year student! Why are you going up?"

A pause. Slowly turning her head back like the hand of a clock, she smiles at Aoki and robotically uncurls her hands from her shirt. "Well if you really want company, should we go to class together? We will be classmates for the next three years if neither of us are murdered on the battlefield! Hahahaha!"

"That's a little grim, isn't it?" Aoki steps back when Sae gracefully returns to the center of the hall but she soon freezes. "Um, what are you waiting for--"

"You want company, right?" Aoki watches Sae for a moment but soon heads towards class while glancing back.

"Well, we don't want to be late." Stiff in expression, walk, and voice but Aoki keeps going nonetheless.

"Now that I think of it, Aoki Akane... you're one of the recommendation students, correct? I've heard you have quite the aim, it's hard for people to train their quirks without money, connections, or hero courses."

Aoki blushes and turns away. "Ah yeah, I have been training pretty hard the past few years with a few instructors."

It was a remarkably short walk to class 1-B, which made Sae's smile ever so slightly twitch.

"So why were you wandering the halls Aoki-san? Trying to scout people out?"

"No!" Aoki jolts back at her own shout and covers her mouth. "Sorry, I'm just a little on edge meeting everyone so I just needed to calm my nerves."

Sae stares but soon smirks and grabs the handle, "guess I'll be quiet about your silly jitters if the wall hugging is never mentioned again."

She seems confused but smiles along with Sae soon enough. "So you admit it then!"

"There is nothing to admit! We both happened to explore and we both happened to meet up. Nothing more, nothing less." Sae slams open the door and walks to her seat without waiting for Aoki's response.

"Guess that's a fair price for my dignity..." Aoki sighs and follows behind, taking her assigned seat to the front right.

Sae on the other hand had her desk in the very opposite corner, furthest from the front. Most students were already seated but a few were introducing themselves and having meaningless small talk. Surprisingly the red winged boy was on time and already surrounded by a handful of other kids: the girl with rabbit ears and white hair, a rather loud guy with slicked back red hair and a few black strands falling just above his eye, and finally an exceptionally plain girl with short brown hair and a large satchel around her shoulder.

Our heroine doesn't seem too interested in them, even when the bird-boy's gaze follows her until she sits down and offers a lazy wave.    

Ignoring him, she scans the room for a specific curly haired traitor. Feeling her burning a hole into him, he forces a smile and begins talking to his neighbor and avoids acknowledging Sae. Atsu, you're enjoying this 'pretend to be strangers' plan far too much! I was almost late and you don't care! No matter how you look at it, ignoring people is...

Freezing, she slowly looks for the bird-boy, sweating while forcing a robotic smile. He's laughing as the red boy makes numerous hand gestures and the girl dramatically points towards his head. His feathers ruffle after a moment and he looks back to see Sae frantically waving.

He hurriedly covers his mouth with his hand as he tries, and fails, to stifle his laughter. 'Rabbit' hits him, rather hard, on the back and laughs along while 'Red' looks quite proud and 'Plain' is rather confused.

Putting her gloved hand down before she draws too much attention to herself, Sae notices the desk to the right of her is empty.

Sighing, Sae checks the clock. Already time for orientation but we only have 11 students here and no teacher. Almost to spite her, the 12th student and her neighbor--a boy with messy snow white hair--throws his bag to the floor beside his desk and rests his head in his arms. Don't acknowledge me, that's fine.

His sudden appearance causes the four students talking in the middle of the room to settle down, most fanning out for their own desks aside for bird-boy and Red taking a seat right where they are in the front.
When Rabbit finally takes her seat the lights shut off.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

"Real funny, turn 'em back on!"

A chorus of students get up or yell or some even whispering to their neighbors. 

"Huh? Is this smoke?" Soon enough, once one girl yells and, presumably, her chair falls to the floor in panic, Sae herself feels a slow wisp of air pass her shoulders. Not that she could see well enough to identify it. Using her quirk, Sae summons a flashlight out of thin air, pointing it to the front of the room.

"Oh sweet, a light quirk!"

"Who the hell's moving up front?" The rabbit girl and 'Red' charge forward towards the dark figure. Wait, isn't this smoke just from a fog machine? So then this is... 

"Everyone, this must be part of the orientation! Don't recklessly attack people!" Atsu beats Sae to the punch, grabbing 'Rabbit's' arm, the faint smoke around them slowly dissipating as Red desperately grabs one of the front desks to slow down. "There was a machine in one of the back vents producing smoke, there must be a few more scattered around the room."

"Then who's the freak in the front?!"

"There were some rumors that UA was hiring a new teacher but they seemed to be a no-name--"

"No Name? What foolishness!" The voice echoes from every corner of the room. Speakers to go along with the smoke machines, A+ for theatrics. We can all see him but he's trying. How did that girl know about the new teacher though? Papa never mentioned it to me and he's the most likely to run his mouth.

"So if you're the teacher, mind going over what all this is?" 'Wings' steps a bit closer to the front but ensures he stays in the light. My hand is cramping but I can't give myself a migraine just to make it float.

"Very well, I shall illuminate the darkness plaguing your minds. But be warned! My knowledge may collapse your petty sense of reality!" With that exclamation, the teacher makes a dramatic motion, all the lights flickering to life. There he stands: clad in a pitch black costume with an exceptionally high collar, an eyepatch partially covered by styled blonde hair that frames his face and covers the gap between his eyes.

"I, the one born from the eternal darkness of mankind, am Odd Eye: The Chuni Hero! The ignorant lack the holy eye to peer into the darkness of my name and power, but know my power serves as shackles keeping the knowledge of damnation in place! Hahaha!" His laugh bounces around the room as the students seem at a loss for words. Not from awe or anything so kind. A mix of pity and confusion is shown in different ratios between most of their eyes. Sae was... except from this disappointment. Such confidence, as expected from a hero!

"You mean to say you have a hand in the Hero Network then, Odd Ball-san?" Sae asks, long having stored her flashlight in her pocket dimension again.

"Haha--huh? Oh, so you are a child of the chosen as well then? Though it is Odd Eye."

"Moving on to things that matter, when will we have a proper orientation?"

"Gah! A viper among my flock! Well, I'll appease your monstrous spirit for now and explain for such mortal fiends."

"Your orientation will start..." He pauses while walking closer to the front row, "When you escape my grasp. I will hunt you all down until you reach Ground Zeta. As long as you can escape you will have a chance, albeit slim."

"Hehe, slim?" Red watches Odd Eye with excitement, pulling both arms back he charges. "If we just take you out then everyone can get by safely!" 
"You idiot, he's a pro!" The plain girl with a satchel desperately tries to grab Red's blazer but he's long out of reach.

"Oshigami Eikyo, you're a spirited mortal--" Odd Eye grabs Oshigami by his forehead and Oshigami freezes, screaming and foaming at the mouth until he finally collapses. "But a mortal nonetheless."

The class is frozen. Before anyone moves to help Oshigami, a screen lights up the front of the class revealing two familiar score boards. The results of the entrance exam.

"To finish my explanation: you all find a way to Ground Zeta before I call upon your heart's darkness. My hidden power digs into the depths of your soul, forcing you to reveal your folly and die from shame or refuse and just die, like Oshigami here."
I knew the names and scores for the first chart but to just reveal everyone's scores. Wait, we have to find our way?

Sae finds Aoki slowly reaching for her hair and outstretching her right arm. She's fast but Odd Eye is faster, reaching for Aoki's arm before she can raise it. Unfortunately for you Odd Ball-san, I need her to get to Ground Zeta.

Summoning two small knives near Aoki, Sae aims them under Aoki's blazer and forcefully drags her back towards the windows.

"What?!"

"We just have to escape first, let's go Aoki-san!" Sae opens the nearest window and jumps out, Aoki unwillingly following after her. When Aoki hurls out the window Sae is nowhere to be seen but after she's dragged to the ground, Sae is right behind her, using a handkerchief to wipe her bleeding nose.

"Where did you go? No, what did you do to me?" 

"I helped. Now let's head out before the backup shows up."

"Back up?"

Part of the wall besides them is blown off as a dozen small robots drive forward.

"Yamada Sae, must capture. Aoki Akane, must capture."

Aoki sighs, tearing off a chunk of hair as her right arm shifts into an ornate and fleshy rifle. "Point taken. I owe it to you to get you there." Filling the 'barrel' of her arm, she fires and hits the largest robot straight through its head, knocking it over along with those behind it. Before Sae can even ask, Aoki is firing again and again, taking out about half the robots before her arm reverts and she lightly cradles it. It's bruised.

"Quite serious aren't you? What happened to the bashful Aoki-san?"
"This is how I usually am! Nevermind, just take down what's left. I need to rest my arm since the kickback has left it a bit..."

Aoki stares as one by one, the six robots closest to Sae all vanish into thin air until only a handful remain.
"Sore... What did you do to them?"
"I think the better question is what I'll do with them next, hehe." Sae laughs and brings her hand to her face, framing the left of her wide, polite, and far too joyous grin.

-------------------------------------------

Kidnapping someone and leaving through a window on the first day, talk about an entrance. As most students watch, shell shocked, as Sae and Aoki flee, Atsuhiro focuses on Odd Eye and Oshigami. Atsuhiro feels a fierce, almost predatory look towards the window after Sae and Aoki are out of sight but can't find the source. Odd Eye is leaning against the door, Oshigami collapsed under his foot. One person with a contact based quirk going against twelve students is too strange, even for a pro.

A girl reaches for the window to check on their missing classmates but before she can even grab the windowsill, a robot launches through the opposite door, ramming through the crowd.

"Hahaha, what god of destruction would enter purgatory without their own fiends? Look upon the carcasses before the gates of hell and here shall be those who rise above those ashes!"

"Can you shut up yet?" A boy with green hair and a bandana covering his forehead rushes towards Odd Eye, pushing back the white-haired latecomer whose arm he was just holding.

"Repeating another's folly isn't heroic!" Odd Eye swings his open hand forward, a thick yellow bracelet grazing the boy's hair when he slides down through Odd Eye's legs. He drags Oshigami out with him into the hall, holding Oshigami's head in his left hand. Oh, someone's trying to be a hero.

"Such a valiant effort to save deadweight but where do you intend to take him?"

Green rises from the floor, leaving Oshigami lying in the hall. "Deadweight, huh?" The two lock eyes, Odd Eye's smiling growing. Green readies himself to charge...and goes in the opposite direction, carefully dodging the robots littering the hall. "Damn right he is, so I'm taking what's useful and bailing!" 

"Oh you dirty coward! This is a hero course!" The 'plain' girl shouts but hides behind 'Snow' hair. Odd Eye sighs and throws Oshigami over his shoulder, signaling for the robots to swarm the doors.

"My hand of god shall be aimed at the foolish sinners that rush ahead. You sheep are unworthy of my will." He waves and is slowly swallowed by the crowd of robots.
 
"Sheep?" A growl and whisper both chime in and soon enough a girl with rabbit ears, the one responsible for the growl no doubt, bounds forward after Odd Eye, a single kick tearing through three robots at once.

"I ain't some side character you can toss aside!"

"No, Usagiyama-san, we need you here!" 'Plain' collapses with her head in her hands, groaning as the remaining robots get closer.

Another boy with a dark blue rattail follows after 'Usagiyama' at a rather...disappointing speed. "I-I am a hero too, so please get me out of here!" Before the robots hit him he flashes forward, dodging them but immediately returns to his slow pace. That kid seems rather unsteady just from that short burst of speed. I couldn't even see him move.

"Hey morons, we're dealing with those robots before worrying about anyone else!" A girl with piercing red eyes and a cap shouts out but Atsuhiro, along with everyone else, are instead drawn to the loud screeching and collapse of metal.

"But they're already taken care of? I dunno what else you expect from me..." A girl wearing an oversized uniform sweater leans against the door, messing with an old-school mechanical puzzle. Around her, the robots spark and shut down and many in the hall desperately move away. A line is almost drawn with where the robots collapse, all the survivors carefully surrounding the edge of this safe zone.

A laugh echoes across the room, the crimson-winged boy hopping onto the edge of the window. "Well it seems this area is covered for now, I'll just fly around to pick off the real troublemakers for you all." With a wave, he's outside, not even waiting for a response.

Less than ten minutes in and the class has already whittled down to just five. How lucky are we? "All right everyone, with those left we need to come up with a plan. Odd Eye should be aiming for those closest to reaching Ground Zeta and, thanks to the miss over there, this seems a safe spot from those robots for now." Atsuhiro steps forward, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the robot killer still playing with her puzzle.

"Well I'm not working with a bunch of no names, so you all need to introduce yourselves first!" The capped girl huffs, sitting down and scanning the four other students. How utterly charming, just keep smiling...

'Plain' coughs, waiting for everyone to look at her before stepping away from the Snow and pulling out a notebook filled with sticky notes. "Well, I probably know the most here so I'll start. I'm Tokuda Tsugiya and I know the names of everyone else in our class, so I can fill in for those that have already left. My quirk is, um, useful enough to mess with the environment but I need time to get it working." 

"Well, let's save the deserters for last then, shall we?" Atsuhiro jumps onto the center most desk, giving a dramatic twirl of the wrist and takes a deep bow. "I am Sako Atsuhiro. Master of sleight of hand and escaping from rather precarious situations. My quirk is, as such, quite handy in those predicaments."

After both Tokuda's and Atsuhiro's introductions, two things set in: first, these were the stragglers and needed to do whatever necessary to cement their position in class and second, these two were unwilling to give away details of their quirks. Who would recklessly throw away their main advantage against each other when they are all, in a sense, competing?

The air was growing heavy, the lack of trust weighing down on everyone's hearts. "You keep avoiding important information! If you're introducing yourself, do it right! Mochizuki Shinku, I got screwed over being in the same test as that robot-killer so technically my score should be higher! Repel is probably a stronger quirk than most of yours anyway."

"Weren't you the one who spent twenty minutes chasing your cap that got taken by the wind?" Tokuda says, digging into her bag and pulling out a photograph.

"This hat is priceless and I was already doing well enough to have plenty of time!"

"But didn't you just complain about having a low score?"

Mochizuki pauses, staring at Tokuda as the clock ticks on. "My score was just fine! It's higher than yours and Sako's, hell even the white haired brat over there is probably lower too!"
She crosses her arms, a smug smile spreading when the four other students are dead silent. Sako disguises his chuckle as a cough but Snow is far less subtle.

"What a dumbass."

"What the hell is your-!"

Atsuhiro claps, dragging everyone's eyes to him. "Well let's avoid any infighting, since Mochizuki-san was kind enough to break our silence." He points at Snow, "can we leave you for last and skip to miss robot killer lying on the floor?" Snow just nods, laying his head back on the desk. "We need to wrap this up quickly since we don't know how much longer this room will be safe."

All eyes are on Sweater, completely motionless on the floor with her completed metal puzzle laying beside her.

"Isowaki Ari...I think? I can create a sorta Faraday Cage that shuts off electrical systems in range..." She doesn't move from her spot on the floor, completely limp.

"You're the fifth top scorer in our grade, so why are you just lying there?" Tokuda kneels down beside her, waving a hand in her face. Isowaki's eyes are dull.

"Ah well... My quirk affects electrical signals and my body kinda needs those to function. So I just can't move if it goes on too long..."

"If it's that bad just stop using it!" Tokuda shakes Isowaki but she just groans and does nothing to stop it.
"Alright, then last but hopefully not least is..."

Snow sighs, half-heartedly pulling himself out of his chair. "Todoroki Touya. Fire quirk and don't bother me about my old man or whatever nonsense you think is unique to ask. Also don't drag me down."

Mochizuki and Tokuda freeze up, watching the curt boy lean against the wall. The number two's son. Many wondered if he even attempted to go to UA since he wasn't in the list of recommended students competing, much less the four that were chosen to attend. 

"And that concludes the straggler introductions. For Isowaki's sake we need to discuss what to do quickly. We need to find Ground Zeta while avoiding those robots."

Tokuda passes Atsuhiro, grabbing chalk and heading towards the section of the board not covered by the two charts. "We should also help Oshigami, right? After all, Odd Ball said 'you all must reach Ground Zeta' or the like? Doesn't that include Oshigami too? Also, what about the teacher? You only mentioned the robots but he's the bigger threat."

"Because he's going to protect Oshigami before anything else, right? We can't all win if he's caught!" Mochizuki dramatically points at Tokuda. How confident.

"Or he'll go after those easy targets that left earlier, dumbass. Why would he rely on protecting one person when that's only a possible rule." Todoroki pushes off the wall, going to the board and crossing out known names from the projection. Nine names out of twelve gone. Nine?

"We know the five of us here along with Oshigami-san, but where did you get the three?" Atsuhiro walks up to the board. Sae-chan, Usagiyama and Nakano. Sae's entrance test had a fire user didn't it?

"Yamada, Nakano and Usagiyama were all in my exam area. Hard to miss two top scorers and the bottom of the barrel that got in by the skin of his teeth." Poor Nakano, but Sae said the same as well. And if he's the boy who was winded from a moment's use of his quirk then... 

"Yamada-san left with Aoki-san. 7th and a recommendation student should be just fine." Tokuda writes out all the names again, crossing out anyone not worth fretting over.

"Shitai-san was the kid with green hair but he seems level-headed and capable enough to get by. Usagiyama-san is 2nd so, as long as she doesn't do anything rash like Oshigami-san, she'll also be alright on her own. Takami-san can fly and is recommended, so yeah. The only people we need to worry about are Nakano-san and Oshigami-san."

Todoroki leans back into his chair. "We shouldn't be worrying about those two anyway. The only reason to help is just an interpretation of Odd Ball's freaky wording anyway. This is a lesson, why is it on us for those two to pass?"

Tokuda slams her palm against the board, wiping away part of the names and sending chalk dust flying. "Todoroki, this is a hero course! A hero who refuses to save someone won't ever be considered genuine... so imagine the amount of extra credit we'll get for helping those two make it to the end!"

"That's a garbage reason!" Mochizuki bites her thumb, heading over towards the door. "Todoroki clearly won't help but we still haven't even heard Isowaki's opinion! So let's ask her-!" Mochizuki lowers her hand, staring at the empty spot on the floor where Isowaki was laying.

"Where did she..." Atsuhiro scans the room but she isn't anywhere inside, so then... 

Todoroki darts past Mochizuki, pushing her to the floor. "In the hall, they got her!" He skids to a halt, aiming his palm to the opposite end of the hall where the robots have crossed the "Faraday Cage Line", surrounding the class. "She's the most useful one here so one of you get her back!" His hand sizzles but only a weak burst of flames billow out.

"What the hell?"

"Todoroki, move out of the way if your quirk is so useless!" Mochizuki runs towards him but before she makes contact a crimson, spherical pulse shoots out of her and slams Todoroki--along with all nearby robots and debris--against the walls and away from her. Repel, that could be useful for defense.

"Sako-san, please go through the other door when I give the signal! Make sure you aren't in my line of sight!" Tokuda faces Isowaki and the horde of robots dragging her away and, in the next moment, her eyes are wide open and almost shift into an open lenses. The flash that follows leaves all the robots and Isowaki frozen, Tokuda's eyes watering and desperately straining to stay open.

"Sako-san, your quirk helps with escaping right? Whatever it is, do it now! I can't buy much more time!"

"That's more than enough!" Charging through the backdoor, Atsuhiro touches the robot before him, transforming it into a small blue sphere. He throws the ball under the robots blocking his path, snapping when it's rolled underneath all the way. With a strange blue glow the ball morphs back into the robot, knocking everything nearby down. Isowaki, unmoving, is finally within sight.

Atsuhiro doesn't miss a beat, touching Isowaki's loose sweater with the tips of his fingers she is compressed down into an easily manageable ball, and Atsuhiro carefully maneuvers back to the classroom.

Atsuhiro tosses Isowaki's capsule to Todoroki, "You're fire seems pretty useless right now, so just protect her!" Todoroki tenses after catching Isowaki's capsule but pockets it and follows after Atsuhiro.

"She's already expended her quirk so we can't stay here. Let's head towards Ground Zeta already!" Todoroki shouts, running towards the stairs with Atsuhiro. Mochizuki's crimson repulse triggers.

"What the hell? No, we're going after Oshigami aren't we!" Mochizuki runs in the opposite direction, Tokuda chasing after her.

"You two head to Ground Zero with Isowaki-san and help out who you can! I'll go with Mochizuki-san to save Oshigami-san!" With that, the team of five is whittled down to three and two. Though these five are not the 'heroes' of this story. So let's return to the two that matter most.

-------------------------------------------

"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.