Chapter 60: 60: USJ
After Aizawa finished calling out the last name on the roster, he placed the attendance sheet aside and stood up, his tired gaze sweeping over the class. His voice, as always, was monotone but carried weight.
"Alright, listen up," he began, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Today, we're heading to an offsite training facility. It's a crucial part of your development as heroes. You'll be practising disaster response, quirk utilisation, and teamwork in simulated crisis scenarios."
The class buzzed with excitement at the announcement, a low hum of chatter spreading across the room.
"Settle down," Aizawa said with a sigh. "We'll be heading to the U.S.J., the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. Change into your hero costumes and meet at the bus in ten minutes."
Aiden, Toru, and Celeste exchanged intrigued glances before heading to the changing rooms with the rest of the class. In the locker room, there was an air of anticipation, and the usual banter filled the space as the boys donned their hero suits.
"Man, this sounds intense!" Kirishima said, flexing his arms in his costume. "I'm pumped!"
"Do you think they'll throw villains at us or something?" Kaminari wondered aloud, adjusting his gauntlets.
"Doubt it," Todoroki said coolly. "It's probably focused on natural disasters and rescue scenarios."
Aiden chuckled as he secured his hood and checked the settings on his nanobot-enhanced suit. "Whatever it is, I'm ready. Bring it on."
Once everyone had assembled in their hero suits, the class headed out to the bus waiting near the school gates. The seating arrangements were determined by a mix of availability and preference—or in Toru's case, slight frustration.
Aiden ended up sitting next to Momo Yaoyorozu, whose calm and composed demeanour made her an ideal seatmate. Across the aisle, Toru sat with Mina, who had dragged Celeste into their chatter.
As the bus rolled out of the gates, the conversations picked up.
"So, Momo," Aiden said, glancing at her. "Not to be forward or anything, but your hero costume... It's bold. Very bold."
Momo turned to him, blinking in surprise before her cheeks flushed lightly. "W-Well, the design prioritises functionality! My quirk requires exposed skin to generate objects, so I had to—"
Aiden held up his hands with a grin. "Relax, I get it. You're rocking it. Just... maybe carry a jacket in case you get cold?"
The comment earned a giggle from Mina, who had been eavesdropping. "Aiden, don't tease her too much! Momo's costume is iconic!"
"More like distracting," Toru muttered under her breath, crossing her arms. Mina gave her a knowing nudge, and Celeste hid a smirk.
Bakugo, seated near the back, scowled. "Why don't you all shut up and focus? This isn't a field trip."
"Oh, lighten up, Bakugo," Kirishima said with a grin. "We're allowed to have a little fun, aren't we?"
"Just don't get in my way when we're out there," Bakugo growled.
Midoriya, meanwhile, was chatting animatedly with Iida about rescue strategies, while Todoroki stared out the window, seemingly lost in thought. Tsuyu chimed in occasionally, offering practical insights with her usual calm tone.
"Do you think they'll give us a chance to practise underwater rescues?" she asked.
"Maybe," Jiro replied. "I just hope it's not one of those boring fire drills."
"Fire drills are important!" Iida exclaimed, gesturing emphatically. "They teach us discipline and—"
"Yeah, yeah, we know," Kaminari interrupted with a grin. "No need to write an essay about it."
As the bus neared its destination, the excitement was palpable. Aiden leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, and looked over at Toru. She was talking animatedly with Mina, but he could sense her glances in his direction. He gave her a small smile, which seemed to placate her, if only slightly.
The U.S.J. loomed ahead, an impressive structure shaped like a massive dome with multiple sections visible even from the outside. The bus came to a halt, and the class filed out, their eyes wide with curiosity.
They were greeted by the pro hero Thirteen, clad in their iconic spacesuit-like costume. Thirteen's voice was warm and encouraging as they welcomed the students.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!" Thirteen said, spreading their arms wide. "This facility was designed to help train future heroes like yourselves in disaster response. Each zone simulates a different type of crisis—fires, floods, landslides, and more."
[A/N: Although Thirteen has been confirmed to be a female, her/their pronouns remain they/them]
The class looked around in awe as Thirteen pointed out the various areas: a towering mountain zone, a massive water basin, and even a simulated cityscape.
"This is incredible," Midoriya said, his notebook already out as he scribbled furiously.
"We'll be practising how to use our quirks to save lives while minimising collateral damage," Thirteen continued. "Remember, your quirks are powerful tools, but they can also be dangerous. It's our responsibility as heroes to ensure they're used safely and effectively."
Aiden nodded, already strategising how to utilise his abilities in such varied terrains. Celeste, standing nearby, adjusted her glasses, her mind clearly running through similar calculations.
"Stick together and follow instructions," Aizawa added, his voice firm. "This isn't a competition. It's about learning."
As Thirteen finished their explanation, the class was divided into smaller groups, each assigned to a specific zone for training. The excitement was high, and everyone was eager to prove themselves in this new and challenging environment.
-
-
The serene anticipation of training shattered as a swelling vortex of black and purple mist appeared in the middle of the U.S.J.'s entryway. The ominous portal expanded rapidly, tendrils of darkness lashing out like serpents, and out stepped a group of villains.
Their appearance sent shockwaves through the class, transforming excitement into alarm. At the centre stood Kurogiri, his ethereal form commanding attention, flanked by a chaotic horde of rogues.
Behind them loomed the chilling figure of Tomura Shigaraki, his unsettling grin enough to freeze even the bravest in place.
"Welcome, U.A. students," Kurogiri's deep, resonant voice echoed. "Today's lesson will be survival."
Before anyone could react, Kurogiri raised his misty arms, unleashing a surge of dark energy. Portals opened beneath the students' feet, swallowing them in an instant.
Screams of surprise and panic filled the air as they vanished, scattered across the vast facility.
Aiden landed with a graceful thud in the simulated mountain zone, the rugged terrain stretching out in every direction.
Beside him, Momo stumbled slightly but regained her composure, while Toru crouched low, her instincts sharp.
"Everyone okay?" Aiden asked, his tone calm but serious.
"I'm fine," Momo replied, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "But this... this isn't part of the training, is it?"
"Not even close," Aiden muttered, his gaze narrowing as three villains emerged from behind the rocky outcrops.
The first was a burly man with stone-like skin, his massive fists capable of crushing boulders. The second was a lithe woman with razor-sharp claws and an unnervingly predatory gait. The third was a cloaked figure, his glowing eyes hinting at dangerous energy manipulation.
"Stick together," Aiden instructed, his voice carrying a note of authority that made both girls instinctively nod.
The stone-skinned villain charged first, his thunderous steps shaking the ground. Aiden raised a hand, and reality itself seemed to ripple. A glowing barrier of golden energy erupted between them, halting the charge as if the villain had run into an invisible wall.
"You're not getting through," Aiden said, his voice steady. With a flick of his wrist, the barrier condensed into a compact orb and exploded outward, sending the villain tumbling back.
The clawed woman lunged at Momo, her razor-like fingers poised to strike. Momo reacted quickly, generating a staff from her arm to block the attack. "I've got this one!" she called, expertly deflecting blow after blow.
Meanwhile, Toru used her invisibility to slip behind the energy-wielding villain. She activated her gadget, using a compact EMP device to disrupt his control. "Got you!" she whispered triumphantly as his attack fizzled out.
Aiden turned his attention to the entire battlefield. "Time to wrap this up."
He snapped his fingers, and the ground beneath the stone-skinned villain transformed into quicksand, pulling him in before hardening back into rock, trapping him.
For the clawed woman, Aiden manipulated gravity, causing her to float helplessly into the air before suspending her in a golden cage of light.
Finally, for the cloaked figure, he extended a hand and twisted reality itself, rendering the villain's energy attacks harmless by turning them into harmless streams of butterflies.
"That's impossible!" the villain gasped, his face pale.
Aiden smirked. "Welcome to my world."
Elsewhere in the facility, chaos reigned. In the central plaza, Aizawa was already in the thick of combat, his scarf a blur as he neutralised quirks and incapacitated villains with precision.
His movements were calculated, his tired demeanour replaced by the intensity of a true pro hero.
Tomura Shigaraki observed from a distance, his fingers twitching with a menacing eagerness. "Erase their quirks all you want," he sneered. "But you can't erase destruction."
A massive, hulking figure—a Nomu—lurched forward at Tomura's command, its grotesque form exuding raw power. Aizawa's eyes flickered with determination as he faced this new challenge.
The Nomu charged, its speed and strength defying its massive size. Aizawa dodged narrowly, his scarf latching onto a nearby pillar to pull himself out of range. With a swift motion, he targeted the Nomu's quirk, his Erasure nullifying its regenerative ability.
But the Nomu was relentless, adapting its attacks to counter Aizawa's strategy. Each blow it landed cracked the very foundation of the plaza, sending debris flying. Aizawa fought valiantly, using every trick in his arsenal, but the tide was turning against him.
Tomura cackled from the sidelines. "You're not the only one who can take down quirks, Eraser Head."
Back in the mountain zone, Momo and Toru stared at Aiden, their expressions a mixture of awe and relief.
"That... was incredible," Momo said breathlessly.
Aiden shrugged, his usual grin returning. "Just doing my part. Let's find the others."