My Hero Academia: EMTs

Program Change, Learn Your Place

"I thought I wasn't allowed in formal training", I say back.

"No, you're not allowed to participate in live fire or similarly dangerous training. No one will be allowed to use lethal quirks against you directly today. However, you will be approached like an at least quasi-serious threat. That's what you are- or at least, what you're capable of being, right?"

"I mean, I think so," I reply.

"Well then, let's hit the field."

The rest of the class and I soon follow Vlad King to a vast metal wall.

He walks over next to a door and stops. Even the door and frame are black steel—I'm hyped! It's the first time I'll get to do real hero training!

Vlad spoke up. "Alright, everyone, listen up. Inside these walls is a simulated city. At the center of that city is a simulated person of interest crucial to saving countless lives. For our purposes, that person will be represented by a cardboard cutout. The cutout is in an obvious position, at the bottom of a tower marked in red." He waves at me. "Henry here will try to get to that person before you. If he reaches that cutout before you can take him down, the person of interest will "die", and you will all be marked down a letter grade."

I laugh, "Oh, c'mon teach, how many of them will go up against me at once? I'd say if its the normal rules, where they have to grab me, it might need to be whole teams of these newbs!" I chuckle. I start stretching, getting ready to sprint for my target. It doesn't even sound like the cutout will be hard to find. "Let's get going!"

The teacher laughs. "Of course, kid, but let me finish explaining the rules. Everyone, this is NOT a capture exercise."

I pause mid bend-and-reach stretch. "What?" I ask. Several of my classmates also look confused on that note.

"If an entire city is on the line, heroes won't wear kid gloves, Henry. Lethal force would be authorized in a situation like that, easily."

"But I..." I start, almost stuttering.

"Of course, we won't be using REAL lethal options, kid, each of your classmates will be issued two semi-automatic paintball rifles." He taps his foot twice, and I see small windows open under the ground. Several racks of rifles rise out of the ground. Each is an intimidating-looking black and plastic weapon, much like the American M4 Carbine.

Looking at those things, they look kinda cool. I almost envy everyone else getting to use them. No, I don't care that I'm the target, they're just paintballs- fired from sweet-looking guns!

Then I'm shocked when the teacher hands me one. "Wait- I get a weapon?"

"I mean, why not?" Vlad asks back. You're playing a bloodthirsty killer today; why would you only have your fists and feet?"

I feel the cold steel of the weapon, its weight and rigidity telling of its purpose, to forever serve me as my loyal bringer of destruction- I'm having a moment, don't ruin it!

My teacher shakes his head and pats the side of the wall, laughing too hard to stay upright. "Look- oh hahahahaha- it's a freaking toy. Look, if it makes you that happy, fine. I wager you can make those 30 rounds infinite, too, if you cleverly use your quirk."

He opens the door. "It's a mono-e-mono match. I'm not rigging things by having the entire class face one kid. You get a five-second head start."

I grin and run in.

Then I turn. "Hey, do I get a map?" The door slams in my face. Well... I guess that's fair. I get a quick look around. I see large open roads with no one walking on them. Along those roads are several glass and metal structures, like a city, including shrubs and streetlights.

First thing is first, I need a lay of the land. I see one of the structures looks about ten stories, so that's where I need to check first. I swing my arm and make a clone, both me and it taking off. My eyes and their eyes are now feeding me information as I run to the building. I see shop windows with nothing inside the shops, and near them, I see doors.

The front doors that I'm running to are glass, and my clone is heading for the mostly metal door that, I guess, leads to the stairs.

I grit my teeth. Five seconds isn't long. I need to know the location of my target, and I need to know it now! I wish I had my hoodie instead of my school uniform. A hoodie isn't the most amazing gear, but it covers all of your skin, so if you have to jump through a window or something crazy, you won't get cut up too badly. Plus, I always carried an ax in the old days. I don't have the option of just smashing through today. Oh well.

My clone checks the door in front of him. Locked- but it's to a stairwell. That's where I need to go. Besides, a metal door and a boxed-in stairwell will hide me better than open shop windows when the other student comes in. My clone runs to the corner of the building and waves at me.

I transfer to the clone, snapping my fingers to erase my first body.

I then run to the stairwell door and look through the tiny window into the stairwell, swinging my right arm. A clone appears in the stairwell, and I transfer to him just as I hear a student enter the arena. I swap my consciousness with my clone and snap away the copy of me in the alley just in time. I run to the center of a flight of stairs and start bypassing the stairs, ignoring Pony, who starts yelling my name, trying to find me. That's not how you track a thief, dummy.

Finally, I come to the top of the building. I start surveying the area around me. The metal and glass spires, simulate as they are, bring back memories of my days as a villain. I sling my weapon over my shoulder and look out over the city. I feel so free, the thrill of another chase in my mind. The best part is that I'm no longer doing this out of an obligation to protect Tori; what I'm doing is legitimate. No conscience nagging me, no bittersweet feeling every time I turn a trick. Just the adrenaline and the on-the-spot planning. It's a freedom and thrill I've never felt before.

The area around me is only a simulation of about a ten-by-ten block area, but that's plenty of room to move around. The buildings vary in size, and jumping between them will be impossible since most of them are separated by roads instead of small alleys. I'll be earthbound for most of these bouts against my classmates. I'll go into buildings to hide or use different tricks, but to stay unpredictable, I... wait a second... I pull my hat out of my jacket pocket.

Everyone knows about this perk of doppelganger now. I don't have to hide it. I'm not practiced with it, but still.

I lean down and pick up a small stone from the cement roof I'm standing on. I put it in the seam of my cap to weigh it down.

I look over the city again and note a building with a red metal outline. Well, that's that part figured out.

I pull the cap back and swing my arm forward as hard as possible, aiming to throw it at a building across the street. The cap sails through the air and- changes direction, falling to the ground as a series of paint balls smack it down.

I turn around to see Pony surfing on a pair of her strange, twisted horns. Her rifle is poised from shooting down my escape route.

"Nice try, Bandit. Did you think you would be the only one to think of getting a lay of the land?" She aims the weapon at me. "Now gimmie a freaking challenge!"

I grin.

I was so excited. If only I had understood the point of this training.