Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 34

Izuku, perched on his desk, observed the classroom with thinly veiled amusement. His classmates were all giggling and chatting to each other, enthusing over their internships with bright eyes and rekindled determination. Uraraka especially had Izuku's attention.

“You look like you learned a lot,” Izuku said to her. Uraraka was practicing punches in the air.

“I had a great teacher,” Uraraka said seriously. The fire in her eyes was back, flickering, a gorgeous and fragile dream she wore like a second skin that almost seemed to glow - a pink aura the color of her Quirk. “Gunhead Martial Arts is exactly what I need to further develop my offensive skills.”

“Maybe you'll get to knock me on my ass someday,” Izuku smirked. “We haven't had a chance to spar in class, have we?”

“I don't think so,” Uraraka grinned wide. “I'll look forward to the opportunity, whenever it comes at me!” Izuku laughed.

“Likewise.” It really was beautiful how hard she was trying. A Rescue Hero with adequate combat skills… that was one in a million. Many claimed to have been taught, to know more than the basics they learned in school, but so rarely they actually did.

The whole classroom was buzzing. With everyone back from internships they were collectively wondering what everyone had learned, how they'd progressed in the week they were given to experience the outside world under the tutelage of their chosen Hero; Izuku was looking forward to whatever exercise they had planned for Hero Basic Training. Though All Might would unfortunately be present, Eraser was set to teach as well.

“Some of them got to fight Villains,” Shinsou sulked. “We had gym class for a week straight.” He was watching their classmates as well, though with a more jaded attitude.

“Nah, mostly criminals,” said Izuku. “I'm afraid our classmates wouldn't be up to par against the kind of Villains their pros typically encounter on the street.”

“Any fight on the street would be better than hitting that mat over and over.”

“Don't let Aizawa-sensei hear you complaining like that,” Izuku grinned sharply. “He'll send you back out to the course in a heartbeat if you're so sick of sparring.”

“I hate that you're right,” Shinsou groaned. “Don't tell him I said that.”

“He won't hear it from me,” Izuku mimed locking his lips up tight and throwing away the key. Shinsou snickered.

“Midoriya! Shinsou!” Pure sunshine bounded through the door as Kirishima found them. “How was your internship with Aizawa-sensei? Was it as cool as you thought!?”

“We did a lot of strength training,” Izuku grinned. “We didn't do much Quirk work, but I'd say Shinsou's sparring capabilities have doubled.”

“Awesome, man!” Kirishima offered Shinsou a rough high five, earning a tiny smile from the latter. Izuku smirked.

“What did you do?” asked Shinsou wearily. “You didn't get to fight Villains or anything, did you?”

“We did community service work,” Kirishima told them brightly. “Fourth Kind is so manly - he really prioritizes the community and charity work and stuff. He's just so chivalrous!”

“Ah, how unexpected,” Shinsou said, one eyebrow raised. “Imagine the Chivalrous Hero: Fourth Kind being chivalrous.” Izuku choked. Kirishima ignored them both.

“Ah, Todoroki!” Kirishima sounded almost as delighted as Izuku felt. Almost. “How was your internship with your Dad?”

“It was fine,” Shouto said plainly, joining them where they all cluttered around Izuku's desk. "How was yours?"

“Shouto,” Izuku held out a hand and Shouto took it easily, intertwining their fingers. “It wasn't bad, Aizawa-sensei certainly kept us busy.”

“Did you get to fight Villains?” Izuku smiled at the radiating malice in Shinsou's voice. Again with the jealousy…

“Yes, actually,” Shouto said. They all straightened, eyes wide. “I was in Hosu.”

“Hosu?” Izuku blurted, “Didn't the whole city go up in flames?” He vividly remembered Tomura, bleeding from his impaled shoulder, mentioning he was burning Hosu to the ground.

Shouto noticed the way Izuku's jaw clenched. With gentle violence, Shouto pushed a sliver of his fire into Izuku's hand, slotting between their intertwined fingers. Izuku inhaled sharply - heat consumed his every thought as flames licked up his fingers. It traced the outline of his already present frigid burns, only adding to the torture. Izuku squeezed their hands together, adoration dripping off him with every breath.

“Yes, the city burned.” Shouto told them. “My old man was hoping to find and capture Stain after the sightings posted there, but when we got there all hands went towards the Nomu attacking the city. Because of our presence at all, Endeavor was credited for the efforts to stop the attack, despite many other Heroes already on the scene and helping with evacuations.”

“Was it like the creature at the USJ?” Kaminari's hesitant voice brought their attention to the rest of the class - they'd all stopped to listen. “They called that monster Nomu.”

“Similar, yes,” Shouto confirmed. “There were three this time; two of the same unnaturally strong kind, and one with great wings. That leads them to believe the League of Villains is behind the attack.”

Izuku was struck by a flash of heated anger - of course Shouto was far more powerful than a handful of twisted corpses made by Doctor masquerading as people, but the knowledge that his brother released such dangerous adversaries anywhere near his Shouto made Izuku's stomach churn. The fire in his hand soothed him ever so slightly.

“Does that mean Stain is connected to the League?” asked Tsu, eyes wide and calculating. “There was news that Stain was in Hosu at the same time as the attack, and it must hold some truth if Endeavor went to check it out. Todoroki, did your Dad end up finding Stain after he dealt with the Nomu?”

“No,” said Shouto. “My old man was quite upset to find Stain was killed by some Villain associated with the League. With that in mind, I believe the League attempted to recruit Stain, failed, and killed him for it.”

“Stain died?” Kaminari exclaimed. “How? And why isn't it all over the news? He's a major Villain that's been killing Heroes for years - knowing he's off the streets would be a massive comfort to civilians and Heroes alike.”

“Stain was killed by a Villain,” Shouto replied. “If the people find out it took another Villain to take Stain down, not a Hero, they might begin idealizing that new Villain just as a small minority worshiped Stain. They don't want more people to be swayed into supporting Villains who like murdering bad people.”

“So they're just not gonna mention that the Hero Killer is dead?” Kirishima frowned deeply. “That seems wrong, like lying. People are going to find out eventually anyway.”

“Well, I suspect they're using the burning of Hosu as a convenient distraction for it all,” Shouto shrugged delicately. “And with the League of Villains being the prime suspect, any other news shrinks in comparison.”

“It was the League,” Ashido said shakily. She clung to Tsu, dark eyes wide with terror. “Did you see the video on the news? The one of the guys standing on the water tower? It was Shigaraki, I'm sure of it.” Izuku froze.

“What video?” Izuku asked. His voice was flatter than he intended.

“The news ran a program asking for people to identify a couple figures on top of a water tower,” Ashido told him. “Y'know, like they do with criminals and stuff? To identify them? It's obvious to me it's Shigaraki, and I bet Aizawa-sensei recognized him too.”

"Where's the video posted?" Izuku demanded. "Who took the video?"

“Here, I'll pull it up.” Kaminari whipped out his phone, eyeing Izuku as he typed away. “It's everywhere man, but this is the original news footage from the helicopter.” He turned the phone around and everyone leaned in to see.

It was a woman with brown hair, reporting from a helicopter, wearing large headphones. The camera shots were crooked, the aircraft making harsh jerks as moans of Nomu and creaks of fire droned on from below - the woman was speaking into a microphone with urgency. Izuku barely heard the audio as the footage zoomed in, a shaky image of Kurogiri and Shigaraki visible for only a moment before disappearing through a portal. Ashido was right - the video was blurry, but they were easily recognizable. It must've been near the end of the attack - Tomura only left a scene or ‘level’ willingly when he felt he'd come out on top.

“Midoriya, you don't need to watch,” Shinsou muttered to him. “We understand if it might be hard to see him again.” Izuku paused - they thought he was tense because he was reminded of his ‘kidnapping’ at the hands of this villain guy ‘Shigaraki.’ Of course they'd remember it better than Izuku would.

“Whatever,” Izuku said loudly. He crossed his arms and leaned away, letting a little tremble in his hands bleed out for the keen-eyed to see. “He's just another Villain we'll need to get someday. None of our current Top Chart Heroes can do the job, it would seem.”

“Like Endeavor,” Shouto said with a solemn nod.

“Bingo.” Izuku agreed with a nod. Izuku hated the thought of seeming weak in front of the baby Heroes, but a little drama never hurt anybody…

Izuku slid off the desk and took his seat, keeping his arms firmly crossed as he slouched and stared pointedly out the window. He chewed his lip, gnawing anxiously at the flesh, vehemently ignoring the various concerned looks he could see reflected in the large windows. If they wanted to see him squirm, he'd squirm. But only a little - he couldn't risk them thinking he'd grown soft.

“Um–” Yaoyorozu was the first to attempt conversion after the awkward silence. “Iida, weren't you in Hosu too? Did you help with rescue efforts?”

“Oh! Is that how you injured your hand?” Uraraka asked, pausing her air punching. “I noticed you were cradling it funny when you came in this morning.”

Izuku, maintaining his charade, listened closely. Iida wasn't the type to lie, but he was also likely asked not to share details regarding the ‘Drop Off killed Stain and left the Hero student alive’ thing. So, which would it be? Lie to the classmates, or break a promise to the police?

“I assisted Manual in putting out fires and rescuing civilians,” Iida said. His voice was calm, but it lacked his usual rigidity. “My shoulder was injured during the chaos which resulted in damage to the nerves in my hand - the hospital said it would require surgery to fix, but I decided to finish school before accepting the surgery.”

“Oh! Is it a dangerous surgery?” Uraraka asked, fluttering near his seat. “How bad is the injury? Is there nothing Recovery Girl can do?” The fretting began, flustering Iida greatly, and Izuku tuned them out with a sigh.

It wasn't long before Aizawa-sensei arrived, luckily forcing everyone back into their seats. All Might crawled in right behind him, face glued into that ugly smile. People who worshiped that face were sick in Izuku's mind - who could find comfort in such oppressive, false eyes? The courage resting there was as faux as his smile.

“I Am Here to greet you!” All Might declared, earning many smiles from Izuku's classmates. “Welcome back from your internships! I hope you all have learned many valuable lessons and skills during your time under professional tutelage.”

“They're always under professional tutelage,” Eraser drawled. “Though, I'm not sure you count.” Izuku choked, slapping a hand over his mouth.

“Aizawa!” All Might looked scandalized.

“You are not a licensed teacher,” Eraser said blandly. He then turned to the class, ignoring the comical hurt on All Might's face. Izuku could've kissed Eraser for the comment - All Might's expression was priceless!

“Everyone,” Eraser continued. “We will be doing something special today, which will test each of you individually while working in a teamwork focused setting. This will require communication, delegation, reliance on others, and trust. Fail to work as a team, you will fail this class. Rely on others and fail to be valuable as an individual, you fail this class. So what are you doing?” He paused. The class held their breath.

“Escape Rooms!” All Might boomed.

The class exploded.

.

“I am going to enjoy this class immensely,” Izuku declared as they gathered together.

“That's because we're not wearing our Hero costumes, yeah?” Kirishima grinned. “Man, just redesign it if you hate it so much!”

“I wouldn't dare,” Izuku told him. “If I like it too much I'll never take it off.” Shinsou laughed quietly beside them.

Ground Gamma was sectioned off oddly with structures and fences and seemingly impenetrable walls, no doubt separating the areas in which each team would play in. They stood together outside the arena, facing All Might and Eraser as they prepared the class.

“There will be five escape rooms set up within Ground Gamma, and you will complete them in teams of four.” Eraser held up five heavy packets in manilla folders. “The teams and themes are as follows.” A hologram popped up.

Haunted House & Horror
Ashido, Bakugou, Tokoyami, Hagakure

Museum Heist & Espionage
Jirou, Tsu, Koda, Aoyama

Prison Break & Escape
Shinsou, Satou, Kaminari, Sero

Mystery & Detective
Shouto, Iida, Shouji, Kirishima

Zombie Infection & Infestation
Izuku, Yaoyorozu, Ojirou, Uraraka

“Zombies…” Izuku got over the disappointment regarding his teammates quickly after seeing the theme. “How interesting.”

“Looks like we'll be working together!” Uraraka enthused, pumping a fist. “Looks like I'll get to show you what I've learned on those zombies, eh?” Izuku grinned.

“Each theme will have an applicable objective,” Eraser explained. “There will be instructions in the packet, along with clues and items you may use to your benefit. No one will be playing the role of a Hero in these scenarios, hence the lack of your usual gear. And when I say escape rooms, I rather mean escape arenas.” Whispers broke out. All Might cleared his throat, stepping forward dramatically.

“The Haunted House and Horror team will be placed in a large, multistory building resembling a hotel with few to no typical exit points.” All Might boomed, hands proudly on his hips. “The Museum Heist & Espionage will take place on a single blocked off street containing five buildings on either side of the road, one of which will be a large arena resembling a museum. Our Prison Break & Escape team will be inside a prison system that may or may not be on ground level, and the size of the precinct will impact their escape routes. Team Mystery & Detective will be confined within a single manor house, in which they're not allowed to leave through any exit throughout the exercise. Lastly, our Zombie Infection & Infestation team will be walled inside a small portion of the city, roughly 25 square miles.”

“But that's huge!” Uraraka sputtered, “That's so much bigger than everyone else's arena!”

“Then you'll have to try twice as hard!” All Might gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. She didn't seem comforted by this.

“We have cleared the rest of the day for this exercise, so you'll have several hours to complete your assigned tasks to escape,” Eraser told them. “Zombie and Heist teams, follow All Might to your assigned locations. Prison, Detective, and Horror teams, you're with me. Let's get started.”

“Yes sir!” The class chorused.

Izuku sighed. For once, he didn't understand Eraser's angle concerning the teams.

The Quirks and personalities grouped together didn't seem to match up at all, most of the members seemed to contradict the others completely! Placing Ashido, the scaredy cat of the class, inside a horror building with their invisible classmate, the classmate wrapped in darkness, and a literal bomb was really the way to go?? And having three muscle heads plus Shinsou escape a prison quietly? Kaminari and Sero were loud enough but with Satou added to the bunch, poor Shinsou was basically their only shot! Whose idea was that!?

“Aizawa-sensei is testing our teamwork abilities,” Yaoyorozu said softly, almost to herself. Izuku looked over to find her deep in thought as well. “He chose people with conflicting personalities and wildly different strategies and placed them all in a group in suboptimal conditions to see how we will react when under pressure. They appear random, but it all comes back to forcing teamwork on otherwise contrasting and contradictory people.” Izuku paused. She was right.

“I hate that,” Izuku said. He also hated that Shouto was working with anybody but Izuku.

“I promise to do my best as your teammate,” Yaoyorozu said, placing a sincere hand on her chest. “Despite your doubts.” Izuku raised an eyebrow.

“I don't doubt you'll be a good teammate,” Izuku drawled. “I think you're real smart, Yaoyorozu. Maybe a genius, even, with that fancy Quirk of yours. Unfortunately you're plagued by doubt and insecurity, which is your downfall. Confidence would improve your performance exponentially."

“I–” Yaoyorozu's dark eyes were large and wide as she stared at him. “Thank you, I appreciate that. Though I'm not sure I deserve it.”

“You're a recommendation student,” Izuku reminded her blandly. “You had to pass significantly more difficult tests than we did. Recommendation students take a written test, a practical test, have an interview with Nezu, and a mystery individual assessment they don't release the details of to the public. All I did was a written exam and banged up some robots. So which one of us is cooler in that regard?” Yaoyorozu flushed.

“Well when you put it like that…” She muttered. Izuku laughed.

“Uh, hey.” They both turned, finding Ojirou standing beside Uraraka. While Uraraka looked absolutely pumped, Ojirou was hunched in on himself, thick tail swaying low to the ground behind him.

“Welcome to the team,” Izuku offered a sarcastic salute. “I look forward to seeing what everyone's got to offer.” Izuku really didn't know anything about Ojirou, he wasn't one of their forward or particularly memorable classmates.

“This way!” All Might corralled them towards the great wall surrounding Ground Beta. “Zombie and Heist! This way!”

“I'm glad we have you on our team,” Tsu said to Jirou as they walked. “In an espionage setting, your Quirk will be extremely beneficial.”

“Eh, only if they're talking.” Jirou shrugged. She twirled her long earphone jack ear between her fingers, squishing and releasing it. “I can listen in to any conversation and locate people easily, but if they're doing visual stuff or anything silently, my Quirk's usefulness is nullified.”

“Koda, you can help with that,” Tsu pointed out. “I'm sure you could ask small animals to spy for us and report back.”

Koda shrunk in on himself, shaking his head. He pointed to Tsu, raising his hands and miming climbing.

“I can stick to walls, yeah,” Tsu acknowledged. “But I'm a lot bigger and more suspicious than a rat.”

“I don't think sparkles over there will be any help,” Jirou said, eyeing Aoyama following them with his back straight and head high. “Not sure if he knows what subtlety is.”

“I have no need for subtlety," Aoyama declared with a flip of stylish golden hair. “I am as dazzling as anything in that museum.” His team inched away from him slowly, awkward resignation dripping from their faces.

Izuku exchanged glances with Yaoyorozu, who seemed rather amused. The small smile playing at her lips was honest - a rare sight for a girl as tidy and sharp as Yaoyorozu. Izuku wanted to memorize it, snapshot it forever, perhaps twist that smile back onto her face after cutting away every other part of her…

“This will be the arena for the Zombie Infection and Infestation group!” All Might announced, that booming voice cutting through Izuku's no-no thoughts. “You have a small amount of time to prepare, but once the buzzer sounds your exercise begins. Here is your packet!” Izuku stepped forward to accept the thick stack. The manilla folder was heavier than he expected.

“Will there be zombies during the prep time?” Yaoyorozu asked politely, hand in the air. “Must we remain in the area surrounding the start gate or may we explore during the prep time?”

“Yes! Get a lay of the land!” Uraraka pumped her fists excitedly.

“You can explore to your heart's content!” All Might laughed. “During your prep time, no obstacles will hinder you. But once the buzzer sounds, you may want to get out of the open.”

“Why?” Ojirou asked nervously. All Might just grinned, turning away and beckoning the Heist team away to their arena. That did nothing to comfort poor Ojirou. “Guys, what's wrong with the open??”

“Most likely because the arena will be swarmed at the start of the exercise,” Izuku said with a shrug. “It makes sense - overwhelm us right off the bat so it's difficult for us to make much headway.”

“So we can't let that happen,” Ojirou said. “We've got to get into an advantageous position before it all starts!”

“Duh,” Izuku rolled his eyes. “Yaoyorozu, come look at this with me.” He flipped open the folder, tilting it so Yaoyorozu could scoot close to his side and read along. “We've got some work to do, it would seem.”

Izuku smiled. Let the games begin…