(Song: Of The Night - Bastille)

(Y/N's P.O.V.)

"Today's training will be a little different," Aizawa says, looking out upon the classroom with uninterested eyes. "Me, All Might, and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you. At this, murmurs float through the classroom. 

"Sir!" Sero bursts suddenly, throwing his hand into the air, "What kind of training is this??" 

The unkempt man picks a card from the desk in front of him and holds it out for the class to see. Against a white card, the bright blue lettering sticks out like a sore thumb. "Rescue," Aizawa says, prompting another uproar of excited murmurs to burst from the class. "You'll be dealing with natural disasters, shipwrecks, stuff like that."

"Disasters, huh? Sounds like we're in for a big workout..." Kaminari mumbles nervously.

"Totally!!" Ashido replies with a blindingly cheerful smile. She bounces in her seat, and tufts of her fluffy pink hair fall into her grinning face. 

"Real hero stuff... this is what separates the men from the boys!!" Kirishima leans towards Kaminari and flashes a grin, proudly showing off his sharp teeth. "I'm shakin' with excitement!!"

"Finally, I'll get to show off how good I am in water, ribbit." Asui croaks with a smile. 

"It's gonna be lit!" I grin, my tail thumping the floor excitedly. 

"Guys, I'm not finished yet," Aizawa grumbles in annoyance. The class freezes, and quiet apologies arise. "What you wear in this exercise is up to you. I know you're excited about costumes... but keep in mind that you haven't gotten used to them yet, and they might limit your abilities." He pulls out a tiny remote and activates a switch, bringing the costume containers into the open. 

"Hell yeah!" I whisper, my grin widening significantly. 

"This special training's at an off-campus facility, so we'll be taking a bus to get there," Aizawa mumbles, looking out over the class. "That's all, start getting ready."

The class immediately rises to their feet and rushes to grab their costumes, including me. I snatch mine from the wall, and dash from the classroom to make it into the lockers. 

~~~

I pant slightly as I run out onto the grass, straightening my armour. My first reaction is to look for Bakugou, and I immediately find him standing with one hand on his hip. His ash blonde hair sways in the gentle summer breeze. "Oi, Red-Eyes!" I chirp, waving my hand around. His gaze finds mine, and he scoffs. 

"What?" Bakugou asks, raising a brow. I shrug, and turn in a full circle. 

"How do I look?" I ask, grinning. "Badass?"

"Yeah, whatever," He says with a roll of his crimson eyes. He runs a hand through his hair, momentarily brushing it away from his face. The sun shining upon his face gives his smooth tan skin an almost golden glow.

Suddenly, the sound of a whistle rings through the air, piercing my thoughts. 

"Gather 'round Class 1-A!" Iida commands, looking across the students with a stern gaze. "Using your student numbers, form two neat lines so we can load the bus efficiently!!"

"Damn, he's a tight-ass..." I mumble, raising a brow. Bakugou scoffs quietly, and begins walking towards the bus with the other students. He glares daggers at Izuku as he walks by, but the curly-haired boy remains oblivious to this as he chats up a storm with Uraraka. "Be smooth." I say as I pass him, elbowing his forearm.

We board, and make our way to the seats. Iida looks quite disappointed with something, as he leans over and mumbles angrily to himself. "The bus' open layout ruined my boarding strategy!" He grumbles. 

"Iida, you really need to chill," Ashido giggles, looking at the distressed boy.

"If we're pointing out the obvious, then there's something I wanna say, about you actually," Asui says, looking at Midoriya. The boy begins to sweat, and become incredibly nervous-looking.

"About me? W-What is it, Asui??" He asks, looking at her with wide eyes. 

"I told you to call me Tsu!" 

"Oh... yeah, right..."

"That power of yours, isn't it a lot like All Might's?" Asui asks, tilting her head. This query only makes Midoriya freak out even more. His eyes widen, and he begins to stammer.

"R-Really?? You think so, huh??" He yelps, trembling. "I-I never really thought about that. I guess it's kinda similar..." 

"Wait, hold on, Tsu!" Kirishima bursts, raising a brow. "You're forgetting All Might doesn't hurt himself. That makes a huge difference!" 

I tune myself out of the conversation, leaning back to look around. The bus rocks us all back and forth like a soothing cradle. The vehicle is sleek, and it runs over the black tarmac so fast that passing greenery becomes a blur. Inside, we are a mixture of cozy, excited, and bored, all of us itching for the destination that will come eventually. Until then, we sit, waiting patiently, chatting, listening to music. Some of us silently gaze out of the crystal-clear glass windows, watching the outside world go by.

It's only when Bakugou stands up with an indignant yell do I realize I wasn't listening to the conversation around me. I blink a couple of times, snapping myself back into reality. 

"What'd you say?! I'll kick your ass!!" The blonde screeches, cranberry eyes full of hatred. I become incredibly confused, incredibly fast.

"Ya see?" Tsuyu says, pointing to him with a knowing look. 

"You know, we've basically just met you," Kaminari starts, looking Bakugou up and down with a smug expression on his features. "So it's kinda telling that we all know your personality is flaming crap mixed with garbage." He laughs, and leans back in his seat. I look back and forth between Bakugou and Kaminari, my demeanor changing rapidly.

"You're gonna regret the day you applied to this school, you loser!!" Bakugou roars, leaning towards the boy with a growl. He grips the metal bar in front of him so hard his knuckles turn white. 

"Well, the fact that you just contradicted yourself, and the fact that you're bullying another student when we're in highschool makes your personality, and your etiquette, worse than his could ever be, Kaminari." I snap, pointing at him with a nasty glare as I straighten in my seat. My tail stiffens, and begins twitching back and forth angrily.

"Ooh!" Mina churrs loudly, covering her mouth to muffle an obnoxious laugh. "Kami got buuuurned!!" 

"Everyone, please!" Iida begins ranting about 'proper school behavior' and 'what it takes to be heroes', while a bickering fight ensues between Bakugou, Kaminari, and I. 

"Hey, we're here," Aizawa's booming voice cuts into our argument. "Stop messing around." He turns, his back facing us. 

"Yes, sir!"

"Whatever!"

The bus quiets down, the flow of chatter slowing as the three of us pout and turn away from each other. Slowly, the bus jerks to a stop, the brakes hissing loudly as pressure is released. The doors squeak as they open, releasing a warm breeze into the metal cylinder. Row by row, students rise to their feet and exit the vehicle, heading into the fresh air beyond. Before us stands the pro-hero, Thirteen, the same hero I met when I applied. "Hello everyone!!" They chirp, voice altered by their helmet in the same way I remember, "I've been waiting for you."

The class gasps and whispers explode among the crowd as we gaze upon this powerful legend of a modern-day hero. "I remember them!" I laugh excitedly, my heart racing with anticipation.

"I can't wait to show you what's inside," Thirteen says, a hint of excitement in their voice as well.

"This is gonna be awesome!" Students cheer. Thirteen turns and begins to walk, motioning for the group to move along with them. The building before us is a dome, made entirely of glass and surrounded by beautiful trees. The entrance gapes before us, revealing a marvelous scene beyond. Sections of the area are modeled and built to resemble a disaster area, each separated by a theme. So much to do, all packed in one place. This place has it all. 

"Oh my god!!" I laugh, my already-wide smile broadening by the minute. "This looks like some kind of amusement park! It's amazing!"

"A shipwreck, a landslide! A fire, a windstorm," Thirteen gestures to each area separately. "Etcetera. I created this training facility to prepare you to deal with different types of disasters! I call it... The Unforeseen Simulation Joint! But you can call it... USJ!!"

"Just like Universal Studios Japan..." The class mumbles.

"Hey, shouldn't All Might be here already? Let me guess, he booked an interview, instead..." Aizawa says with a roll of his dark, tired eyes. 

"Actually, it's something else." Thirteen says, and begins to talk at a level we can't hear. The only clue to what they're talking about is the number three they hold up on their fingers, which explains nothing to us unaware students. I begin to worry, and my tail twitches back and forth in anticipation. Aizawa rolls his eyes, and pulls out his phone, stepping to the side in order to use it. After a moment, he hangs up and walks back to us. 

"Well, we should be able to make it with just the two of us. The clock's ticking. Let's get started." He looks over the class with a stern, parental gaze.

"Excellent!" Thirteen says. "Before we begin, let me just say one thing. Well, maybe two things. Possibly three, four, or five..."

"We get it!"

"Right... Listen carefully!" They say, raising their hand in front of them. "I'm sure you're aware that I have a powerful Quirk. It's called Black Hole. I can use it to suck up anything and turn it into dust."

"Yeah, you've used Black Hole to save people from all kinds of disasters before, haven't you?" Midoriya asks, grinning wildly. Uraraka nods rapidly, her silky brown hair bouncing up and down with the constant movement of her head.

"That's true. But my Quirk could also very easily be used to kill," Thirteen says sternly. Suddenly, the class freezes, gasping and murmuring. Uraraka stops nodding. "Some of you also have powers that can be dangerous. In our superhuman society, all Quirks are certified and stringently regulated, so we often overlook how unsafe they can actually be. Please don't forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move, your powers can be deadly. Even if you're trying to do something virtuous like rescue someone. Thanks to Aizawa's fitness tests, you have a solid idea of your Quirk's potential, and because of All Might's combat training, you likely experienced how dangerous your powers can be when used against other people. Carry those lessons over to this class. Today, you're going to learn how to use your Quirks to save people's lives! You won't be using your powers to attack enemies, or each other, only to help. After all, that's what being a hero is all about. Ensuring the safety of others."

"Thirteen is so cool...!" I whisper, taking their words into account. 

"That's all I have to say," Thirteen says, bowing. "Thank you so much for listening." 

The class bursts into whoops and cheers. I clap my hands together in applause, smiling broadly. "Right. Now that that's over..." Aizawa begins, pointing to the USJ's interior. 

As if on cue, electricity crackles through the lights above. I look up, and tilt my head in confusion. Is this part of the training...? Why do we need the lights off? The fountain in the middle of the area sputters, and begins to swirl inwards. A purple mist begins floating from the vortex, and making it's way outwards like a carnivorous shadow. It grows larger in size, and my blood runs cold as it suddenly explodes into a huge mass of purple and black. Two sharp, yellow shapes glow from within it's depths. 

A hand slowly emerges from the vortex of darkness, and curls around the edge of the opening. It pulls the shadows back, revealing a single red eye glowing from within. 

"Stay together and don't move!" Aizawa says, a panicked look in his eyes. Worriedly, I step backwards and latch onto Bakugou's arm. He seems frozen in place, his face slightly pale. My tail gently curls around his leg. "Thirteen, protect the students!!" 

"Woah, what is that thing??" Kirishima asks, backing away slightly. I peer over the shoulders of my fellow students to see a thin, lanky figure emerging from the darkness. Strange, hand-shaped objects wrap around his body, clutching his face and arms tightly. Some of them have red tubes leading from them. It's hard to see him, but it seems he can see us perfectly. Other figures, like strange zombies, creep and crawl from the vortex around the first man, gaining in numbers and varying in size as they emerge. In seconds, it seems like there are hundreds of them. "Wait, has the training started already? I thought we were rescuing people...!" Kirishima and a few others begin to inch forwards, but are stopped by a sharp, loud order from Aizawa.

"Stay back!" He snaps, lifting a pair of yellow goggles from beneath his scarf. He places them around his eyes, messy black hair falling into his face.

"This is real. Those are villains."

~~~

Publishing date: 

October 9th, 2019