Ch.19 - Rescue Trial
The final day of the internships marked Senshi's release from the hospital, though before returning home Senshi did go to Miruko's apartment. The Sunday was pleasant, sunny with a slight breeze, signalling summer's return.
Truth is, Miruko had been feeling some slight guilt. She had known that it was an irresponsible thing to do, yet Miruko reminded herself of the fact that Senshi was fine. Though apart from guilt, Miruko felt extremely proud of Senshi. The girl had really gone above and beyond Miruko's expectations, she handled the situation well, and the best part was that no one was injured.
"I have high hopes for ya kid." Miruko said as Senshi stood on her doorstep. Senshi smiled, slightly soaking up the compliment.
"I- Thanks, I also just want to say thank you for inviting me to intern with you." Senshi thanked.
"Awww it's no problem girlie, I hope to see you doing great things in the future." Miruko continued as she patted Senshi's head.
"I-I'll try."
"Nu-uh girl! You will!"
"Okay okay, I will be doing great things."
"That a girl! Now, of ya go! Greatness doesn't come from standin' around!" Miruko was right, and as Senshi walked away with a small smile as she waved, Miruko couldn't help but feel a sense of repose. Senshi may not have seen it, but Miruko saw just how much the girl had changed in a week. Senshi had become slightly more confident with herself, Senshi's overall physical strength had grown amazingly, and most of all, Senshi had proved to not only Miruko, but most of Shibuya, that she was worthy of being a hero. If that wasn't a success, Miruko didn't know what was!
Though for now, Miruko couldn't help the girl anymore, Senshi had to help herself now.
********
The Monday back from the internships was interesting to say the least. Most of class 1A wanted to make sure Senshi was okay, and that involved a lot of invasion of personal space (hugging) and convincing people that Senshi was in fact okay.
One of the first hero training lessons the students returned back to was a race of sorts. Though unfortunately for Senshi, she couldn't participate due to 'still needing to recover'. Not only that, her hero costume was being re-made as it was definitely torn to shreds.
The class were currently at what looked to be an industrial maze, metal pipes and tanks filling up an extremely large training area.
"I am here! I hope you are all ready to return to all of your lessons. Today it's hero basic training, it feels like I haven't seen you in a while. Welcome back! Now then listen carefully for what's in store, we're going to be conducting a little race. Take everything you've learnt from your internships and apply it to this rescue training." All Might began, most listening attentively.
"If it's rescue training, then shouldn't we be at the USJ instead?!" Iida said while shooting his hand up, ultimately interrupting All Might's instructions.
"Ahh, That facility specializes in disasters. As I said earlier this is a race, so prepare! You're about to step into field Gamma. Inside is an area of factories that form an intricate labyrinth, so good luck trying to find your way around. You'll be competing in groups of five, each person starts at a different location on the outskirts of the model city. I'll send a distress signal and you'll do what you must to rescue me. Whoever finds me first wins, but try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum please. " All Might finished pointing at Bakugo causing Senshi to breathe out a laugh. Senshi was to still watch the activity to 'learn' from her classmates.
"Why are you pointing at me?" Bakugo growled turning his head away in annoyance. Bakugo was actually grateful that Senshi was here, though he didn't know why. There was a reason, feeling somewhat protective was the answer.
All Might began to announce the groups of people who would participate. And the first group consisted of Sero, Midoriya, Ashido, Iida and Ojiro. Those who weren't in the first group were watching those who were racing on an extremely big TV screen.
Is everyone ready? BEGIN!" All Might said as he pressed a button which made a horn sound. e Sero used his tape to fling himself around like a spider, Ashido climbing up a building making hand holds using her acid, Ojiro flying around using his tail, Iida speeding around like a rip-off Sonic and then there was Midoriya flying around the course like a pro.
That was weird, Midoriya not breaking his bones that is. In an improvement sense, he had made more progress than Senshi, most likely more than anyone.
Midoriya took the lead, though his temporary lead was distinguished as his foot slipped on an pipe, and he fell to the floor. Senshi internally flinched, it looked like it hurt.
"AND IT'S OVER! Thanks hero and congratulations." All Might announced while handing Sero a sash that read 'Thanks for saving me!' which he put on.
"All right!"Sero smirked as the rest of the competitors sulked in defeat.
Though the losers weren't the only one's sulking. Bakugo was too. Senshi could feel the intense confusion not only radiating off of Bakugo, but she felt the betrayal. Though betrayal wasn't the only thing Senshi felt, she felt dread. And she could only guess why Bakugo felt that way. I mean, his childhood best friend who seemed like his quirk would always be too powerful for him, is now easily one of the best quirks in the class; and all of that happened in a span of a week.
Senshi looked at his with comforting eyes, seeing Bakugo's slightly shocked face. She wanted to say something, though Senshi also knew that it wasn't her problem.
And so the afternoon continued, and Senshi was at war with herself, debating whether she should day something; in the end she didn't.
********
After all of the remaining groups did their share of the rescue trail, it was time for those who needed to, to change back into their uniform.
"That was fun." Jiro said taking off her costume.
"Yeah it was totally exciting." Mina spazzed.
Senshi could hear a slight commotion from the boys' locker room, though she was more focused on sitting on a bench, being the antithesis of productive.
"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! CREEPING ON THEM LIKE THAT WOULD BE CRIMINAL!" Iida shouted, albeit muffled. All the girls seemed to look at each other with slight worry, what Mineta up to this time.
Though a hole in the wall was all they needed to know. Jiro stuck one of her ear jacks through the hole and then there was a scream of pain, mission success. None of the girls could understand why Mineta was like that, there really was no need.
"Ugh, thanks Kyoka!" Ashido said with disgust lacing her tone.
"Despicable, we'll close up this hole immediately." Yaoyorozu huffed as the rest of the girls continued to change. Hopefully it would teach Mineta a lesson, soon they would realise that it would not.
********
Aizawa-sensei stood at the podium with a look that could only mean something bad. It was the day after the rescue trial and nothing much had changed. "All right, that's it for class today, there's only one week before your final exams begin. I'm sure you're all studying constantly right? Don't forget to keep training, the written is just one element of the exam, you've also got the practical to worry about. Good luck." Aizawa-sensei said while walking out the room.
Then a fiasco began. The actual results of the previous midterms were as follows:
20- Kaminari
19- Ashido
18- Aoyama
17-Sero
16-Kirishima
15-Tokoyami
14- Uraraka
13-Sato
12-Koda
11-Shoji
10-Mineta
9-Ojiro
8-Jiro
7-Asui
6-Todoroki
5-Midoriya
4-Bakugo
3-Iida
2-Tate
1-Yaoyorozu
Senshi was happy with second, she knew what she needed to and there was no need for her to try for first if she already knew something. Well Bakugo was obviously upset about coming in fourth when he could've been in the top three, his mindset very different to Senshi's.
"I'VE BARELY EVEN TAKEN NOTES THIS SEMESTER!" Kaminari and Ashido screeched, laughing slightly worried.
"And with the sports festival and internships I haven't even read through the text book." Kaminari continued, slamming his head into a desk. Senshi was one to never give her home work to others, and also believed that it was a person's own fault if they didn't take notes.
"It's true we haven't had much free time lately." Tokoyami added, sitting on a desk.
"We'd barely learnt anything when we took our midterms so they didn't seem all that difficult but I'm kinda worried about these. We've gone through a lot so they probably wont pull any punched when it comes to testing us." Sato said while Koda nodded in agreement.
"As someone ranked in the top ten I'm not that concerned." Mineta said
"What you were tenth in the midterms!?" Kaminari and Mina spazzed while rambling on about something, was he really in the top ten? He came tenth....
"I don't find it that hard to pay attention in class then I'm fine." Senshi said quietly to Yaoyorozu, who agreed.
People then begged Yaoyorozu to tutor her, to which she bounced in excitement. It was safe to say that Senshi would not have acted like that if someone asked her to tutor them.
"Sounds like I should be studying with her." Kirishima said in a way he knew would aggravate Bakugo.
"You think I don't know enough maybe I should beat the lessons into your skull." Bakugo retorted with a demonic tone.
"Or I could study with Tate, she placed higher than you.." Kirishima continued, Bakugo only getting more angry by the second. Senshi really hoped that Kirishima was joking, she just wanted to study with her cat and her cat only.
At lunch that same day, Senshi, Yaoyorozu, Asui and Jiro began to theorize what the practical could be. "Maybe it's something similar to the entrance exam."
"It could be, though you'd think that UA would spice things up a little."
"I agree, robots can become quite repetitive after a while."
Senshi wasn't really partaking in the conversation, more listening. Though a silence echoing through the cafeteria stopped most conversing all together. It was Monoma from class B being an idiot.... again.
"I apologise for him, I think there's a hole where his heart should be." Kendo apologised while holding Monoma by the back of his shirt, the boy unconscious. "So I was listening, I know your worried what's gonna be on the big final practical, I heard it's gonna be combat against robots like the entrance exam." Kendo told, people listening attentively.
"Really, how do you know that?" Midoriya asked, most people nodding alone with his question as the cafeteria filled back up with chatter.
"One of my friends who's a few grades up filled me in, I know cheating but oh well." Kendo explained while Midoriya went off into a mumbling rant about the 'what if's. Monoma began to get up again and said
"What kind of idiot are you Kendo, you just gave away our whole strategic advantage that was our chance to finally pull ahead from that class full of idiots-" Kendo knocked the blond unconscious again, and good riddance it was.
"They're not the idiots!" Kendo said dragging him along by the shirt.
"I guess that answers your question." Senshi said quietly, as that was her constant noise setting; quiet.
Later on in the class room, the news about the practical spread like a wildfire. Though Senshi felt like something was off about it. Would UA really give the students robots for their final exam? It seemed too repetitive.
"ALL RIGHT! this should be easy if it's just robots!" Kaminari said, relaxing a little.
"Such awesome news." Ashido continued, her face plastered with a smile.
"Why do you sound so excited, you both have trouble controlling your quirks." Shoji stated, he had a point. Some still needed to work on quirk control, everyone actually.
"Yeah, but I can let loose with robots." Kaminari cheered.
"And melting them will be a synch for me!" Ashido spazzed once again.
"Now you just need Yaoyorozu to help you study then you'll be all set for finals." Sero pointed out to which Ashido and Kaminari cheered even more.
"It shouldn't matter if it's robots or actual people, why are you morons so excited?" Bakugo joined in, though his tone was extremely serious. Now, instead of not paying attention, Senshi was actually curious for what he had to say.
"Who are you calling a moron?!" Kaminari accused, Ashido agreeing with the electric boy.
"SHUT UP YOU NEED TO LEARN TO CONTROL YOUR QUIRK GOT IT? Hey Deku, I don't know what's going on with your power, but I saw the way you're using it now and I want you to know, it's seriously pissing me off." Bakugo's sudden outburst caused a murmur of suspicion threw out the classroom.
That explained it, Bakugo was angry at Midoriya for improving. Though unfortunately for Bakugo, Midoriya would never stop improving.
"I wont have another half assed win like the festival, we'll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals, new ranking. So we'll all know where we're standing, I'll show you how much better I am and Todoroki, I'll kill you too." Bakugo finished as he stormed out.
Oh so that's how it was, an inferiority complex. Bakugo needed constant reassurance that he was the best, and so now that Midoriya was becoming better by the day, Bakugo would take this final exam as an opportunity to prove himself further.
Though by the end of the summer, proving himself would be the least of his concerns.