With an expression of pure smugness, their Heroics teacher stretches out his arm and presses a button on some sort of remote control. An enormous black panel, which Izuku has honestly just interpreted as a differently designed part of the wall, slides up smoothly to reveal an ordinary window. Well, what's behind the window is certainly not that ordinary, Izuku realizes with a start, because as it turns out, the city behind the glass isn't real. No cars drive through its streets, no civilians wander around to liven up the space and it's completely tinted in the tell-tale off-white of cement. "Cementoss' work!" he thinks impressed.
"So these are the famous UA training facilities. Just like in the entrance exam..." the Midoriya whispers excitedly, awed at the sheer size of things here at his school. He blends the others out, muttering just as rapidly as he's musing: "The exact measurements aren't known to the general public but I read that there are around eight vastly varying battle simulation grounds. Oh, shit, I'm so hyped (not only thanks to my playlist for once in my life)! I wonder what the exercise's going to be about. I hope it's going to include the architectural structure - oh, for fuck's sake, who am I kidding? Of course sensei's gonna have the structure play an integral part in it! Either it'll probably be a death match or - ah." Someone clears their throat... instantly, Izuku becomes aware of the silence that engulfs him like a heavy blanket. He awkwardly shuffles around, directing his attention back to Vlad King who has his eyebrows raised at him. "...Um. Sorry, sensei."
"Riiiight" the pro says slowly, "as Midoriya explained: This is one of our famous training grounds. Here at UA, we follow the motto of 'Plus Ultra' in every aspect... and it shows in our expenses." the last part is quieter but not enough for them not to pick up on it. Izuku sweat-drops - his teachers don't really mince their words, do they?
The hero continues: "In this city, we are going to have two team fights. The first round with four teams and the second with three. Not quite a death match, Midoriya." he gives Izuku a wink. The boy holds back a small groan. Is this becoming a second Present Mic situation? Luckily, no. Vlad King reads his student's exasperation, thus, goes back to his explanations seconds after the quick jab: "The objective is to incapacitate the other teams. The winning teams of round one and two then compete in a randomized one versus one. There are three winners overall in the end - mainly because we don't have time to drag it out even further. Simple, right?" A couple of hero hopefuls hesitantly agree. "NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT SIMPLE!"
Some - those who are in the front row, to be precise - shrink back at the sudden aggressive exclamation. One even flinches so hard that his sunglasses fall off and he grasps his heart in shock. Vlad King barks out a laugh. "Sorry, that came out louder than I wanted it to." he apologizes. "It isn't as simple as it sounds. You'll have a time limit of thirty minutes and if one of your team is captured, the whole team loses." some murmurs go through the crowd but the teacher ignores them, "Well, let's once again randomly decide which teams will compete against each other."
Izuku takes the time to get a good look at his teammates. A very tall girl with long dark blue hair adorns the palest skin he's ever seen a human have. Black lipstick, black leggings, black boots and a black long sleeve shirt - honestly, this much black makes her seem a bit intimidating. Said intimidation really comes through in the manner in which she stares at their third member - another girl but stockier than the first, in a tomboyish outfit, smaller and with glowing yellow eyes and black, messy, kind of short hair that reminds Izuku a little bit of his own. Shorty meets the first one's glare head-on. Their gaze exchange is loaded with simmering disgust. Cool, totally. It's not as if Izuku would have actually wanted a functioning team or something.
"-and Midoriya, Sorahoshi and Haiken in the first round. You will have fifteen minutes to discuss strategies. Aaaaand - go!"
Okay. Izuku can totally somehow wing this. He heads to the two girls who haven't ceased their visual dagger stabbing. "Hello" he tries and gets an offended growl by the black haired one for his efforts. "Guys, I really think we should-"
"Shut up, Midokiwi or whatever." the short one spits out. That one truly can't stand him, huh? He only then realizes his butchered name. "K-Kiwi?!"
"It's Midoriya, ash bitch." the other one hisses. Ah, at least she knows he isn't a furry fruit. Small victories. Very, very, very small victories.
"I don't fucking care, boyfriend stealing whore!"
"Oh, bloody... That is what it's about?!" the boy internally screams. UA is apparently no sanctuary that prevents him from unwillingly stumbling into the 10th circle of hell - Teenage Relationships.
"I am the boyfriend stealer?! What about your shameless flirting?! What about your pathetic little tries to get him back? He obviously likes me more if he decides to leave your sorry ass for me!" the tall girl - presumably Sorahoshi - roasts Haiken with as much attitude as you'd expect.
Momentarily, the fronted one doesn't move, just grits her teeth in blindingly hot anger and her eyes grow into slits.
"Aizawa-sensei would have kicked both of their asses out" Izuku deadpans internally. (Can you blame him? He just wants peace and quiet for, like, three seconds. How about that, huh?!)
Then, Haiken moves and Izuku has to jump back to avoid the following quirk outburst. As it turns out, the 'eyes turn into slits' thing has to be taken in a more literal context as Haiken's quirk is controlling a gigantic snake made of ash that's slowly drizzling to the ground but nonetheless holds its shape. Good to know - would have definitely helped in their team fight... if, you know, she hadn't just attacked one of her own classmates with it.
Slowly but surely, the green haired boy loses his respect for 1-B too (firstly, Present Mic's abandonment; secondly, the handshake-friendship-start that wasn't the start of a friendship at all and now this.). Well, okay, Izuku's just salty because wherever he looks, he sees teams corresponding with each other just fine. It has to be his team that's the fluke.
Sorahoshi fights back - of course she does. A hail of small, spiky (iron?) stars shoot out of her palm, acting as a shield against the snake.
And Vlad King just watches them go at it.
"Guys." Izuku attempts to break the tension.
Nothing. Naturally, his pleas fall on deaf ears.
"Guys, please." he tries again. This time it's a little bit more forceful and louder. Nope, neither one of the girls show any reaction to him. He's air for them. Their petty fight is more important than their future, than their hero careers. His arms dangle next to his sides uselessly. Haiken and Sorahoshi couldn't care less about the consequences of their bitching. They simply don't give a shit. How did they get into the most prestigious heroics school in the whole country with their lack of care?! Izuku lets out a breath he didn't know he held.
This is fucking unfair is the thought that crosses his mind. How can they?
How dare they?!
Something's stuck in his throat and with a start, he notices it isn't anxiety. It isn't fear. It isn't even despair. No, it's pure, unadulterated wrath.
Izuku remembers then - the daily pains, the insane amount of motivation he had to pull out of nowhere to somehow live through three extracurricular activities, each of which he attends not once but twice a week even now that he is a part of UA. He recalls the disbelieving stares, the whispers followed by giggles they thought he didn't hear, when his middle school homeroom teacher asked him if he really wanted to try out for the Heroics Course.
"I have no doubt you would get into General Education, Management or even Support just fine - but Heroics? You're quirkless, Midoriya." a sneer on his face (a sneer that belongs to Izuku alone; he smiles for the others, encourages their dreams. Not for Izuku - it's always a sneer for him), "It's a stupid idea, boy." Never once had he truly bothered to assess Izuku's strengths - he'd seen the grades and his status that has marked him as someone he thought was not worth his time. As so many had done before.
He honestly compliments himself for not faltering at that critical moment. Everybody else would have internalized it, let the doubts fester and would have finally caved in after years of collected fears and self-worth doubts. But Izuku? Izuku went ahead and replied with a smile on his face (that didn't reach his eyes - why should it? Why should he show genuineness when nobody else does?!): "I'm sure about it, sensei."
And then he'd gone ahead and simply done it. That quirkless, creepily mumbling, anxious, friendless kid from a slightly worse than average middle school had been admitted into UA, the alma mater for students who desire to become heroes.
Midoriya Izuku has always had to fight for his dreams and now it's no different. He didn't oppose others' well-meant but ill advises every single day this hard just to let two girls, who can't put aside their useless drama, trample over his achievements. How are they going to act on their duty? Will they let a helpless citizen die right in front of them just because they're unable to let their differences rest? Izuku has to put his anxiety away too. And that is difficult as hell for somebody who over-thinks like there's no tomorrow.
Steeling himself for what he's about to do, he thinks of a beautiful deer, of two robins, of a inner patch of peace nobody can rob him of before he inhales deeply and-
"SHUT UP AND CONCENTRATE! THIS ISN'T A FREAKING PLAYGROUND, IDIOTS!" s.
Oops, that was a bit too loud - he thinks he made the guy with the sunglasses have a heart attack. At least they're paying him attention now. Everybody is. Wow, alright, is it too late to flee to the toilet again? Yeah? Shit. Izuku swallows down the bubbling hot embarrassment.
"We're going to make a battle plan now. Forget about the boyfriend bullshit - you do want to become respectable heroines, right?" Where does this strength in his voice come from? Izuku sure as hell doesn't have a clue but he's glad for its sudden appearance.
Sorahoshi and Haiken nod... and... do they look a bit shaken?
Izuku can't bring himself to look into their faces for long anyways. "Right. We have used up two thirds of the planning period already. However, I already have a couple of wonky ideas in my head. We can win this. We can do this. If you cooperate. CAN. YOU. COOPERATE?" He lets out his residue anger with this last shouted question.
The girls answer in unison: "YES!"
Izuku will have to know the basics before coming up with more than general ideas. So he asks casually: "What exactly are your quirks?"
Sorahoshi's face scrunches up. "Eh... I can create marble-sized metal stars. They can be used offensively but they also have a really weird side affect - they burn like hell when they touch skin."
The boy doesn't yet say anything, just motions for Haiken to take her turn.
She shrugs. "I can make ash snakes. Maximum is two large ones, three medium ones or ten tiny ones. They lemme feel when they're destroyed. Large ones do a decent amount of damage, small ones not so much."
Izuku's face lights up. "Wait, wait, wait! You can feel when they're destroyed? What does that entail? Are you able to feel their whereabouts and what kind of damage they took when they were killed?"
Her eyes widen at the questions - she looks a bit astonished that her classmate would consider something like that. "Yeah, I know which ones are destroyed and where... also how. I kinda have an overall flashback in my mind of their last few seconds."
"Really? That sounds like there's an ability that should let you... ah, shit, we don't have time for this." Izuku halts, "Ten small snakes, huh?" his grin is covered by the black mask but the girls see how the corners of his eyes crinkle, "I know what we'll do with them."
Conspiringly, the freckled teenager leans in, whisperingly laying his tactics out. The girls thankfully listen attentively and bring in their own two cents.
Before long, a loud "Planning time's up!" is shouted by Vlad-sensei who then motions them closer.
Ugh, Izuku rubs the back of his hooded head; he just hopes they can at least win one team fight. It would be a shame if they lost against the first three random people they come across. Ah, at least they have a solid base.
Each one of them gets a communicator pressed in their hands. They are easy to understand if one paid attention to Vlad King's instructions at the beginning of the lesson - which means Izuku needs to do an impromptu tutorial for Sorahoshi and Haiken. When that's out of the way, their teacher stems his balled fists in his waist and pulls off an intimidating assertion: "For the love of UA's budget and Powerloader's sanity do not destroy them! Or else..." he stops in right in the middle of the threat, leaving it ominously open for interpretation. The students nod in unison.
"Good." He leads them to a long hallway which ends in a massive black garage door that he opens by letting his eyes be scanned on a compact inbuilt computer panel. Izuku's reminded of a couple of sci-fi films he's watched during his childhood - yes, he does do fun stuff every once in a while, thank you very much.
There's a broad metal staircase leading them to the foot of the city. "Now you'll get another five minutes to hide, prepare, whatever. I'll give you a signal when the exercise starts. The rest of us will go to the observers' room back there. Good luck, everyone! And remember: If you're thinking about destroying the equipment - don't!" Vlad King's white-red gloved hand waves them goodbye as he takes a little less than half of the student with him.
Haiken motions for her teammates to go ahead while the others are still looking after their teacher. Izuku nods in comprehension and, to Sorahoshi's credit, she doesn't utter a word against it. As fast as they can, the three of them run through the fake city's streets, zigzagging in case someone tries to keep up with them. After a while, the taller girl finds a nook where they can hide for the moment.
"Right" Izuku whispers, "Which plan do you think we should try?"
"B" Haiken says quietly, her boyish voice sounding a lot softer that way, "'Cause the streets are a bit too narrow for A and the city's too small in general for C. You got anything against it?" Her yellow orbs - pupils now gone back to black dots - fixate challengingly on Sorahoshi whose black tinted lips grow into a snarl. Izuku prepares to intervene... but nothing happens. Sorahoshi shakes her head sharply.
The boy exhales in relief. "Okay, um - B, huh? Fifty metre radius should be enough. We don't wanna be too far from each other."
"True. I'm on it." Haiken replies whilst creating very small ash snakes - exactly ten, to be precise. ("God, they are cute a-and so smol" Izuku thinks in private.) Then they begin their quest. They form a circle with their adorable little heads facing outwards and slither away quickly. Izuku hopes he'll be able to spot them in time if the plan comes to fruition.
"I will start on the production. Midoriya, give us a call when you see someone. Regardless of the snakes, it'll help us prepare ourselves for possible combat." Sorahoshi murmurs just loud enough for them to hear her. Izuku nods, checks his costume once more - goggles on, hood on, facemask in place, baseball bat, knife and rope ready to be drawn, the Velcro strips on his boots are all fastened to give him the optimal security for running. He's ready.
"See you later. Bye!" He doesn't wait for their answers. Instead, he speeds away, jumping easily up a wall that parts two alleyways. Izuku's seen one of the snakes climb it without any problems. It's best to put as many barriers between his teammates and himself to protect them until their respective tasks come into play.
Now he just needs to find someone.
...
Haiken and Sorahoshi kneel next to each other, their previous tryst forgotten in the light of their mission. Midoriya is out there, hopping around like a complete idiot - which is, naturally, part of their plan. Said plan has six steps but is rather simple in nature.
Sorahoshi and Haiken hide in circa the middle of the area and while the former starts producing massive amounts of her stars, the later lets her ten snakes spread in a radius of around fifty metres.
Izuku acts as bait. Despite the rest of 1-B knowing that he achieved first position in the entrance exam, they probably are still likely inclined to underestimate him because he's quirkless.
When the Midoriya catches the attention of a person or even a whole team (leading them to hunting him down), he sprints towards the closest snake and destroys it with a kick, signalizing his whereabouts to the girls.
Haiken dissipates the rest of the snakes too and instead conjures up a large one that has Sorahoshi's premade stars incorporated (something they tried out on a much smaller scale during prep time).
The girls ride on the snake to Izuku's destination (which they're able to do because Haiken can make parts of the snake denser and distribute the weighty mass of metal stars to the bottom section of the snake whilst keeping the top... well, 'clean' is a wrong word as it's still ash but, you know, clean enough to sit on and not being hurt by Sorahoshi's stars.)
When they meet up, Haiken's snake's going to destroy everyone. (Hopefully.)
Sorahoshi hisses, the strain of quirk overuse makes her palms feel heavy like lead. She bites through it. They are counting on her. Midoriya is counting on her - Midoriya, whose eyes were so venomous and at the same time lifeless when he screamed at Haiken and her. Midoriya, who's quirkless and yet took the first place in the exam that led to him becoming a student at UA. Midoriya, who is the only one in their parallel class - something that startles her greatly. Why him? Why not one of the nineteen others? Why is it that it's the one without powers who could secure his position? There's more to Midoriya than meets the eye; more to the plain-faced freckled boy with heavy anxiety issues. And that boy is counting on her.
Sorahoshi Shimiru isn't one to let the people that are counting on her down. Midoriya reminded her of her goal.
So, despite the pain - an uncomfortable ache which numbs her palms, lets her fingers become unbendable and prickles like needles along the entire length of her arms - she endures.
Shimiru remembers.
"My tiny star, you may not have me at your side in the future but I know..."
Shimiru's eyes sting. Haiken's mouth opens. However, before a sour remark can cut through the silence, a single pained sob beats her to the punch. The snake girl averts her gaze.
And Shimiru remembers.
"... you're going to be a great hero! You're my little sister, after all. I hope you will forgive me for leaving you alone."
For what would she have endangered her dream? For a little bit of attention (attention she craves so very much - attention that temporarily fills the void) from a disinterested boyfriend who never writes back anyways? She smiles bitterly while teardrops cloud her vision and her arms are shaking more and more each second.
"Um... I think I spotted someone. Make yourselves ready." Midoriya's voice can be heard through the communicator. She barely notices it.
Three seconds later: "Sorahoshi." Haiken hisses, "It's time."
Shimiru nods. A relieved sigh leaves her lips when she stops the steady stream of stars. Grimly satisfied, she notes that the pile in front of her is nearly as high as she is tall. The other girl's snake incorporates it hungrily. Shimiru's heart beats faster in anticipation when she takes a seat on the ash creature's back, right behind Haiken. "Hold on tight!" the black haired one says with an impish smirk.
Only a moment later, Shimiru understands why. The snake is fast - incredibly fast... in fact: "OH GOD, SLOW DOWN! WE'RE GONNA CRASH!" There's a wall. And they're heading right towards it. At a breakneck speed.
Haiken's shoulders shake but she doesn't answer. Wind blows into Shimiru's light blue eyes, carrying her tears with it. In desperation, she ducks her head into Haiken's neck. And then...
...and then the ash snake wrecks the barrier.
Shimiru gasps in relief, her long dark blue hair flying into her face when she deems it safe to look up again. She still holds onto the other girl's waist.
The tremble in Haiken's shoulders grows stronger and... and she starts cackling madly. Shimiru blinks. Faintly, she realizes they're still moving. However, that doesn't matter. One single thing reaches her senses - her ears, to be precise - and it's Haiken Mamushi's absolutely insane laughter... the way her whole body shudders with it, the way she snorts every once in a while, the way it sounds like a dorky witch's.
Redness blossoms on Shimiru's pale cheeks. She tries to avoid looking at Haiken... instead, what her eyes land on is the red hem of Haiken's jacket.
Oh.
Oh.
Shimiru can't help herself. Maybe it's Haiken's laughter or the Shroud of Turin-akin imprint of Shimiru's foundation and black lipstick that is showing on the bright fabric which is causing her own light giggles to escape. It doesn't matter - what matters is that she laughs. A thing she thought she'd forgotten how to do.
And Haiken Mamushi is the reason for it.
Before she can dwell on this very disturbing realization, their third team member's cry echoes through the street. Not even a moment later, Midoriya frantically runs through their field of sight. Right behind him is another team hot on his heels... and behind it is another team that is chasing the one from before... and it's followed by yet another team. Midoriya has somehow managed to gather every single team on a wild goose chase. What the hell.
"Let's fuck them up, WOOOOOHOOOO!" Haiken bellows, her fist hitting the air triumphantly. The snake obeys immediately, steering sharp to the left. The difference between the others' velocity and the snake's is ridiculous - in no time at all, the grey faux animal reaches its prey. For the effect, Shimiru presumes, it actually lunges for them instead of just letting them vanish into its large body.
Midoriya is the only one standing after the attack. The others are withering on the ground, groaning in pain and discomfort and, in the girls' case, sitting comfortably. The freckled boy pants for air, rips off his facemask and his hood, lets himself sink onto his knees with a long-drawn groan and coughs up a lung afterwards. Nonetheless, his gaze focuses on Haiken and Sorahoshi.
"Other teams incapacitated! Winners are Sorahoshi Shimiru, Haiken Mamushi and Midoriya Izuku!" is declared from the speakers.
And Midoriya - the one who'd berated them so harshly, the one who'd made Sorahoshi remember her goal, the one who'd outrun nine people for who knows how long - gives them a sweet smile... before falling face-first onto the ground, boneless and utterly spent.
Shimiru exchanges a glance with Haiken...
...before bursting out laughing again.