The next thing I knew, everything was chaos.

The villains' shadowy leader, the one with the disembodied hands, gave a sharp gesture, and the massive Nomu advanced toward Aizawa, who was still fending off wave after wave of enemies. At the same time, the dark, swirling portal of the villain with the misty body expanded rapidly, tendrils of blackness wrapping around everyone in the room. Before I could even react, I felt the cold, pulling sensation as the mist engulfed me.

My stomach flipped as the world around me twisted, and I hit the ground hard. Groaning, I pushed myself to my knees and blinked against the sudden brightness. I wasn't in the center of the dome anymore—this was one of the disaster zones.

I stumbled to my feet, immediately taking stock of my surroundings. A wide expanse of water surrounded the ship I was standing on. This was the flood simulation zone—an artificial lake with a few battered ships and floating debris scattered around. The gentle rocking of the ship beneath me would have been peaceful under normal circumstances, but now it felt unsettling. The calm water seemed deceptive, especially when villains were lurking around.

I spun around quickly, hoping to find someone—anyone—familiar. But there was no one. No classmates. No teachers. Just me, alone on the deck of a rusty old ship surrounded by an ocean-like simulation.

"Great," I muttered to myself, my heart hammering in my chest. I couldn't afford to panic. Aizawa-sensei's instructions echoed in my head. Stay calm, assess the situation, and act accordingly. Easier said than done when you were quirkless and stranded in a villain-infested disaster zone.

I moved to the edge of the ship, peering over the railing into the murky water. It was eerily still, too still. My instincts screamed that I was being watched, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

Sure enough, ripples started to form in the water, growing larger as something—or someone—approached. My pulse quickened as I scanned the surface, searching for the source. Then I saw them—figures wading through the water toward the ship, their heads barely above the surface. Villains.

"Of course," I sighed, stepping back and looking around for an escape route. The ship wasn't large, and there was no way I could swim to safety, especially with the villains closing in. I had to stay ahead of them. Use what you've got, Midoriya, I told myself. My speed, agility, and parkour skills had gotten me through tough spots before. I just had to trust myself.

The villains were climbing the side of the ship now, their wet, clawed hands gripping the railings. I darted toward the center of the deck, my eyes scanning for something I could use as a weapon. My hand brushed against a piece of rusted pipe, and I grabbed it, holding it like a bat. Not ideal, but it was better than nothing.

One of the villains pulled himself onto the deck, his soaking clothes dripping water onto the metal floor. He grinned at me, his sharp teeth glinting in the light. "What's a kid like you doing here all alone?" he sneered.

I tightened my grip on the pipe, forcing myself to stay calm. "You should've stayed in the water," I shot back, surprising even myself with the confidence in my voice. Maybe Bakugo was rubbing off on me after all.

The villain lunged, and I moved on instinct, sidestepping his attack and swinging the pipe. It connected with a loud clang, and the villain stumbled, but he wasn't down yet. Another was already climbing aboard, and I knew I couldn't take them all on directly.

I needed to move.

I turned and sprinted toward the edge of the ship, my feet pounding against the deck. One of the villains shouted something behind me, but I didn't look back. Instead, I jumped, grabbing onto a rope hanging from the ship's mast and pulling myself up. The villains cursed as they tried to follow, but the mast gave me the high ground—and the advantage.

From up here, I could see more villains wading toward the ship. My heart sank. There were too many of them. Even if I could keep dodging and outmaneuvering them, I couldn't keep this up forever.

"Think, think," I muttered under my breath, scanning the area again. My eyes landed on a smaller, abandoned boat tied to the far side of the ship. It wasn't much, but it could be my ticket out of here. The problem was getting to it without being caught.

The villains were starting to climb the mast now, their grins full of malice. I couldn't wait any longer. With a deep breath, I swung off the mast, landing on the deck with a roll to break my fall. The villains were fast, but I was faster. I darted across the deck, vaulting over debris and sliding under low beams as they chased me.

The villains shouted threats, but their voices grew fainter as I put distance between us. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath, my mind racing.

The simulation zone was massive, and I had no idea where the others were—or if they were safe. But one thing was clear: I couldn't stop moving. I had to find my classmates and regroup. Quirkless or not, I wasn't going to let anyone get hurt if I could help it.

My quirkless life had taught me one thing: you don't stop fighting, no matter how impossible the odds seem. And I wasn't about to start now.