The teachers of UA stood in an arc around the destroyed gate. Beyond the school, the sun was setting. All the students had gone home.
Nezu, the animal hybrid that served as principal, stepped forward. He was seething, and every other staff member knew it. They all hung back warily, knowing how the principal could get when his emotions ran high.
"Does everyone understand how this happened?" he asked, quietly.
Midnight gulped. "… The press could have gotten a student ID somehow. That they dropped, or…"
Nezu shook his head. "There were no reports of a lost ID to the office today. And… did anyone have any absences in their classes?"
"Nope," said Eraser Head.
"Nada," Snipe echoed.
"Not me," said Ectoplasm. The other teachers all murmured agreement.
"That means…" Cementoss's eyes widened. "Every student used their ID to enter the building today. There were none the press could have used."
Power Loader was investigating the scanner. "It's been rusted through somehow," he announced. "Probably someone's Quirk."
"No one has a Quirk registered like that," said Midnight, confused. "Certainly no one from the press."
"Then we are dealing with an unregistered Quirk," Eraser Head declared. All the teachers went silent.
***
The next day, Class 1A boarded a bus to go to rescue training. Aizawa told them that All Might and a surprise teacher would be helping out.
Len was pumped. Rescue was what he'd been wanting to do the whole time! There was no way it could possibly become a competition like battle trials. And he felt focused as well, the yellow energy ready to spring in a collaborative way that wouldn't screw him over. He felt confident in his ability. Saving people is where I will shine. People like Bakugo and Todoroki can handle fighting for all I care.
"Lenny," Mina prodded as they sat down on the bus, "you seem really happy. You're smiling!"
"Rescue training is what I've been wanting to do this whole time." No sense in lying about it to her.
"Ohhh, I see. Your Quirk could be super useful in that kind of situation. You can get to trapped people really easily, and move debris, and stuff like that…"
"Hey, you'd be no slouch in moving debris as well. Just burn right through it."
"Hehehehe…" Mina had a glint in her yellow eyes. "We could be a rescue team, like the Wild Wild Pussycats!"
"The who in the what now?"
"Yo, let me in on this," said Sero, sitting on the other side of Len. "I always thought my Quirk would be good for being a rescue hero."
"What's the matter with you guys?" asked Kaminari from across the aisle. "Afraid to fight villains or something?"
Mina rolled her eyes. "We were just joking around, you dummy."
Oh… Len thought. We were?
"Ok, fine, whatever." Kaminari held his hands up in surrender. "Kind of presumptuous to decide what you want your hero career to look like this early, that's all I'm saying."
"What do you mean?" asked Jiro.
"Well… you know. Maybe not everyone here wants to really be a hero when they get out."
"Are you serious?" Yaoyorozu leaned forward incredulously. "After how difficult it was for everyone to get into this school?"
"It wasn't difficult for you," Sero mumbled, but only Len heard him.
"Hey, you never know!" Kaminari exclaimed defensively.
"He does have a point," Sato put in. "If this hero thing doesn't work out I may just become a chef. That would be fine."
"And not everyone becomes a hero just to rescue people." Everyone whirled to look at Uraraka, who didn't usually speak up. She flushed red and squirmed in her seat, mumbling, "some people have other reasons, that's all."
"Well," said Len, "my reason is to rescue people, because my powers work so well for it. Imagine you did become a chef, Sato-san. Think of all the people you COULD be helping with your super strength!"
Sato shrugged. "There's lots of heroes out there. With All Might active, there's a bit more choice in the matter, you know? Villains aren't as bold anymore."
"Speaking of All Might," Tsuyu croaked, "Midoriya. Your Quirk is really similar to his, isn't it?"
The green-haired boy practically jumped out of his seat, freaking out. "I don't know what you're t-t-talking about! They're completely d-d-different!"
"Yeah," Kirishima put in, slightly derisively. "All Might's Quirk doesn't destroy his body when he uses it."
Len watched Midoriya closely. He REALLY didn't like that line of questioning. Or maybe this is just his normal level of jumpy? Tsu certainly did have a way of catching you off guard. It's probably nothing.
"Still, Midoriya, you're lucky," Kirishima sighed, holding up a hardened fist. "Your Quirk is super impressive. You'll be a popular hero. My Hardening isn't really all that flashy."
"Huh? Hey, th-that's not true!" Midoriya declared. "I think your Quirk is super cool and versatile, Kirishima! You'd be a great hero with it! I mean, just off the top of my head, I can think of several uses…"
Len sat up a little straighter. It's like he just… turned on. And his stutter went away, too.
"Still," Hagakure was saying, "as far as flashy and powerful Quirks go, Todoroki and Bakugo take the cake."
"But Bakugo-chan gets too angry, ribbit."
"What the FUCK just came out of that flat mouth, Frog Face?!"
"See?"
Half the class laughed, Len included. He gazed at Tsuyu for a moment. Maybe she does realise what she's saying. There's a method to the bluntness.
"Lenny," Mina mumbled next to him, under the shadow of the larger conversation still happening. "Can I ask you something?"
"Huh? Yeah, sure."
"What do you think of Tsu-chan?" her face was bright and mischievous.
Len blinked. "She's a good friend, so far. It's only been a few days." This kind of shit doesn't work on me, witch! Begone with your foul tricks!
Mina pouted. "It's just… yesterday you just kind of dismissed the idea of dating her… what if that had hurt her feelings? Are you really so against it?"
"I mean… like I said, it's only been a few days. I've never dated anyone before and have never given it much thought. Pushing it off as a joke is just kind of my default response. Why do you ask?"
"I mean, I…" she seemed taken aback, flustered. "Just… wondering, that's all. You know. It seemed w-weird to me."
Len lowered his eyebrows, glancing back at the frog girl. "I seriously doubt I hurt her feelings. But if I did I might talk to her. Maybe. That would just make things awkward, you know! But if that would make you feel better, then…"
"Ugh! Never mind, it's fine!" Mina turned away from him in a huff, crossing her arms.
"What are you guys talking about?" Sero asked, leaning in and noticing.
"NOTHING!" they both exclaimed.
"Everyone shut up," Aizawa announced from the driver's seat. "We're here."
The class got off the bus, and many of them gasped. They had arrived at a huge glass dome, as large as a city.
"This is the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short," Aizawa explained. "The others will be inside. Follow."
USJ? Len raised an eyebrow. "Oh man. Can't wait to ride Flying Dinosaur and Hollywood Dream."
"Shut it," said Mina. "That was the most obvious, easy joke you could have made."
"I liked it," Sero mumbled.
They followed Aizawa into the massive building, finding themselves on an entry bridge of sorts. It was decorated with red carpet and led to downward steps that went into the center of the dome. Surrounding them in a grand ring were various biomes and sets. At a glance, Len saw a mountain, a jungle, a city on fire, a boat on a lake…
Standing at the edge of the steps was a person in a heavy space suit. Who's that?
"Oh my god," said Uraraka. "That's Thirteen!"
"They're a famous rescue hero!" Midoriya added.
Thanks for being my exposition devices, you two. They were really perfect for each other, weren't they.
"Greetings, Aizawa, Class 1A," Thirteen said in a warped, disguised voice. Their face was not visible through the space helmet. "Today we'll be doing rescue training."
"Where's All Might?" Aizawa asked. Thirteen held up three fingers. He nodded.
The fuck was that? Len looked around wildly, to see if any of the other more hero-aware kids knew what that meant. Midoriya in particular had gone pale, but everyone else looked as confused as him.
"In any case," Thirteen announced to the whole class, "you are all aware of what my Quirk is?"
No.
"It's Black Hole!" Uraraka jumped up and down excitedly. "It lets you vacuum up anything with the power of gravity!"
"Very good," they said, nodding approvingly at the brunette and perhaps giving a cursory once-over of her similar space-like costume. "My Quirk is very useful in disasters, but if turned on another person, it could be deadly. I'm sure many of you have similar powers. The goal of today's training, and many other sessions going forward during your time of UA, will be to focus your powers on doing what they're good for. Striking that balance between help and harm, do you understand?"
The class murmured agreement. They understood. Len liked the idea as well. It was similar to his own ideals. Next to him, Mina also seemed excited and interested. That makes sense. Her Quirk can BURN THROUGH people, after all.
"Now," said Thirteen, "if we could begin by…" a sound from down the steps broke her off.
They all turned to look. Len's eyes widened.
A dark purple circle was forming in the plaza. It was opaque and cloudy, swirling like some foul soup. Ummm…
And then, people began to walk out of the circle.
They gasped. There were dozens of them, mutants and people in strange costumes. Leading them from the front was a man in all black, with blue hair and disembodied hands covering his face. To his right was a great hulking monster with an exposed brain.
"Get behind me," said Aizawa, stepping in front of them and sweeping his arm back.
"Is this part of the training?" asked Yaoyorozu.
"No. Those are villains."