UA High School - Early Morning
The sun had barely crested the horizon when Tsubaki arrived at UA's main gate. The morning air was crisp, carrying the last hints of night's chill—a temperature he found comfortable, almost welcoming. He wore his standard UA uniform, the dark blazer and slacks a stark contrast to his white hair.
Yaoyorozu was already waiting by the entrance, also in her school uniform, her posture perfect as always. She waved when she spotted him, a bright smile on her face despite the early hour.
"Good morning, Todoroki-san! Right on time."
"Punctuality is basic professionalism," Tsubaki replied, falling into step beside her as they entered the building. "Did Aizawa-sensei say what this was about?"
"Only that he needed to speak with us before the rest of the class arrived." Yaoyorozu's expression grew more serious. "I assume it's related to our new positions as class representatives."
They found Aizawa in Class 1-A's homeroom, looking somehow even more exhausted than usual. His sleeping bag was conspicuously absent—never a good sign.
"You're here. Good." Aizawa didn't waste time on pleasantries. "Today's field trip is to the USJ. It's a training facility designed for rescue operations."
Tsubaki's mind immediately began cataloging implications. Rescue training meant environmental hazards, civilian casualties, time-sensitive scenarios. Different from the combat-focused exercises they'd done so far.
"As class president and vice president," Aizawa continued, "you're responsible for ensuring the class changes into their hero costumes efficiently and boards the bus in an orderly fashion. Maintain proper behavior during transport. Do a headcount before departure and report any issues directly to me. Understood?"
"Yes, sensei," both students replied in unison.
"Good. Don't mess this up." Aizawa's eye twitched. "I don't have the energy to deal with chaos today."
U.A. Grounds - Locker Rooms
By the time the rest of Class 1-A arrived, Tsubaki and Yaoyorozu had already coordinated the changing process. Students filed into their respective locker rooms with minimal confusion.
Tsubaki changed efficiently, the familiar process of donning his armor taking less than three minutes. The blue and black plates settled into place, the superconductor coils on his chest humming softly as they activated. The snowflake emblem caught the light as he adjusted his tactical collar.
When he emerged, several classmates were already waiting in their hero costumes. Yaoyorozu was there in her red and white costume, clipboard somehow already in hand. Tokoyami's dark cloak made him look imposing in the morning light. Bakugo was practically vibrating with aggressive energy, his gauntlets gleaming.
Midoriya emerged looking uncomfortable. Instead of his hero costume, he wore his gym uniform—the tracksuit that all students used for physical education.
"Midoriya?" Kirishima asked. "Where's your costume, man?"
Midoriya's face flushed. "Ah... it got pretty damaged during the hero vs. villain exercise. The support department is still repairing it."
"That's rough," Kaminari said sympathetically.
"At least the gym uniform is practical, ribbit," Asui offered.
Once everyone was assembled in their hero costumes—or in Midoriya's case, gym clothes—they gathered at the designated bus stop. Tsubaki stood near the entrance with Yaoyorozu.
"Alright everyone!" Yaoyorozu called out, clipboard in hand. "We'll be boarding in an orderly fashion! Please find a seat and remain seated once the bus is moving!"
"Don't block the aisles," Tsubaki added, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Keep your belongings secure. If you need anything, speak up now—we won't be stopping."
The class filed onto the bus with minimal chaos, though several students cast curious glances at their new class president. Tsubaki took a seat near the middle, Yaoyorozu settling beside him with her clipboard to finalize the headcount.
"Everyone's accounted for," she confirmed quietly. "We're ready to depart."
Tsubaki nodded and signaled to the driver.
As the bus pulled away from UA, the initial silence gave way to excited chatter. These were teenagers in hero costumes heading to a specialized training facility—containing their enthusiasm was like trying to bottle lightning.
"Man, I can't wait to see this place!" Kirishima's voice carried from a few rows back. "A whole facility just for rescue training? That's so cool!"
"I wonder what kind of scenarios they'll have us run," Sato mused.
"Ribbit, I hope there's water rescue training," Asui said from across the aisle. "That would suit my abilities well."
Kaminari leaned forward, grinning at Tsubaki. "Hey, Mr. President! What do you think we'll be doing? More team exercises?"
Tsubaki considered the question. "Likely. Rescue operations typically require coordination between multiple heroes with different specializations. Individual power is less important than tactical efficiency."
"There he goes with the tactical analysis again," Jiro said with a slight smile, twirling one of her earphone jacks. "Do you ever turn that off?"
"Why would I?" Tsubaki replied, genuinely confused. "Constant analysis improves response time and decision-making."
"See, this is what I was talking about yesterday," Mina interjected, leaning over the back of her seat. "The whole 'fun doesn't contribute to measurable improvement' thing. You need to relax sometimes!"
"I am relaxed," Tsubaki said flatly.
Several students laughed.
From the back of the bus, Bakugo's voice cut through the chatter. "Oi, Ice Prince. Don't think that class president crap means anything. When we get to actual combat training, I'm still gonna blast you into next week."
Tsubaki turned slightly, meeting Bakugo's aggressive glare with calm indifference. "If you can catch me, Bakugo. Your explosions are powerful but predictable. I doubt you'd be able to land a direct hit."
Bakugo's hands sparked dangerously. "The hell did you just say?!"
"He said you're predictable, ribbit," Asui translated helpfully.
"I KNOW WHAT HE SAID!"
"Bakugo-san, please calm down!" Iida's hand gestures were sharp with concern. "We're in an enclosed vehicle! Your explosions could—"
"Everyone settle down," Aizawa's tired voice emerged from the front of the bus where he'd been attempting to nap. "Save the fighting for when it's sanctioned. Todoroki, stop antagonizing your classmates."
"I was simply stating facts," Tsubaki replied.
"That's called antagonizing." Aizawa stated.
Beside him, Yaoyorozu smiled gently. "You're getting better at talking with everyone, Todoroki-san. Even if it sometimes causes... friction."
"Friction is inevitable when dealing with volatile personalities," Tsubaki said, though something in his tone suggested he'd registered the observation. Getting better at talking with people. Was he?
Near the back, Shoto sat alone by the window, watching the scenery pass but clearly listening to his brother's interactions. His expression remained neutral, but his left hand was slightly warmer than it should be.
"Your brother's pretty different from you, huh Todoroki?" Kirishima said, having noticed Shoto's attention. "Like, you're all cool and analytical, but he's got that whole silent intensity thing going."
Shoto's eyes flicked briefly to Kirishima, then away. "We're different people."
"Well yeah, but you've got the same quirk right? Must be fun training together—"
"We don't train together," Shoto said flatly, in a tone that clearly ended the conversation.
An uncomfortable silence followed before Kaminari broke it with a joke about his own quirk short-circuiting his brain, and the mood lightened again.
Tsubaki had heard the exchange. They didn't train together. They never had. Their father had made sure of that—keeping his masterpiece separate from his failure, ensuring Shoto developed without being "contaminated" by Tsubaki's weakness.
'Away from home, we're just classmates,'Tsubaki thought.
' Maybe that's better. Cleaner. No history, no expectations.'
The bus continued its journey, carrying Class 1-A toward what should have been a routine training exercise.
None of them knew how wrong that assumption would prove to be.
USJ
The bus pulled up to a massive dome-like structure that resembled a futuristic stadium. The building's scale was impressive even by UA's standards, and several students pressed against the windows to get a better look.
"WHOA!" Kaminari's eyes were wide. "This place is huge!"
"It's like a theme park for heroes!" Mina added excitedly.
"Everyone off the bus in an orderly fashion," Tsubaki said, standing and moving toward the exit. "Stay together and wait for instructions."
The class filed out in their hero costumes, their excited chatter echoing across the parking area. Aizawa emerged last, looking marginally more awake than he had at the start of the journey.
Waiting for them at the entrance was a hero in a bulky space suit-like costume with a black and white color scheme. Their helmet's visor reflected the morning light.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Thirteen, the Space Hero!" The hero's voice was warm and welcoming. "Welcome to the USJ! This is a training facility I designed specifically to prepare heroes for rescue operations in various disaster scenarios!"
The class erupted in excited murmurs.
"Thirteen is one of my favorite heroes!" Midoriya said excitedly, his earlier embarrassment about his gym uniform forgotten. "Their rescue record is incredible!"
"Where's All Might?" Aizawa asked quietly, approaching Thirteen. "He was supposed to meet us here."
Thirteen held up three fingers in response.
Aizawa's expression darkened slightly. "He overdid it and used up his time limit. That idiot..."
Thirteen gestured toward the entrance. "Please, come inside! I'll explain everything once we're in the central plaza!"
The interior of the USJ was breathtaking. The massive facility was divided into distinct zones, each simulating a different disaster environment. Tsubaki's analytical mind immediately began cataloging them—a flood zone with partially submerged buildings, a landslide zone with collapsed structures, a conflagration zone with controlled fires, a windstorm zone with debris scattered by powerful fans.
"This is incredible," Yaoyorozu breathed beside him. "The engineering required to maintain all these different environments simultaneously..."
"It's strategically efficient," Tsubaki agreed. "One facility, multiple training scenarios. Optimal resource allocation."
Thirteen led them down the stairs to the central plaza, a large open area with clear sightlines to all the various disaster zones radiating outward. The class gathered in a loose semicircle as Thirteen prepared to address them.
"Before we begin," Thirteen started, their tone growing more serious, "I want to talk about quirks and their nature."
The class quieted, sensing the shift in atmosphere.
"Everyone here has impressive abilities," Thirteen continued. "Powers that can move objects, create matter, control elements, enhance physical capabilities. These quirks are amazing tools that will help you save countless lives as heroes."
Thirteen paused, and something in that silence felt heavy.
"But quirks can also kill."
The weight of those words settled over the students like a physical presence.
"My quirk, Black Hole, can save people by creating a vacuum to remove debris or hazardous materials from disaster sites." Thirteen raised one hand, the suit's reinforced glove a reminder of contained power. "But if I lose control, if I make even one mistake, that same quirk could suck in and obliterate a human being in seconds. It's happened before to heroes who weren't careful."
Several students shifted uncomfortably. This wasn't the glamorous side of hero work they'd been dreaming about.
"Each of you possesses power that, if misused or uncontrolled, could cause serious harm or death. That's why we're here." Thirteen's voice grew warmer, encouraging. "This facility exists to teach you how to use your quirks to save people—not fight villains, not win battles, but to save lives. That is the true essence of being a hero."
Tsubaki stood very still, those words echoing in his mind with unexpected force.
'Save lives. That is the true essence of being a hero.'
Was that his goal? He'd trained to be number one. To surpass All Might. To prove to his father that the "failure" was actually superior to the "masterpiece." To show everyone who'd ignored him that he existed, that he mattered, that he was worthy of recognition.
But saving people...
His mind flashed back unbidden to the entrance exam. The zero-pointer rising like a mechanical titan, its shadow falling across the mock city. That girl—he hadn't even learned her name—trapped beneath debris, her scream of terror cutting through the chaos.
He'd reacted without thinking. No analysis, no tactical consideration, just pure instinct. Ice had erupted from his palms in a massive wave, far larger than anything he'd created before, flash-freezing the robot's joints and bringing it crashing down.
He'd acted to save someone. Not to earn points. Not to prove anything. Just... to save her.
When had he forgotten that feeling? The feeling of wanting to help. To fight to save someone when had that feeling disappeared...
"Todoroki-san?" Yaoyorozu's voice was quiet beside him. "Are you alright?"
Tsubaki realized his hands had clenched into fists. He relaxed them consciously. "I'm fine. Just... thinking."
Before Yaoyorozu could respond, the lights flickered.
Then the fountain in the center of the plaza went dark.
Then, in the space near the fountain, the air began to shimmer and distort like heat waves rising from summer asphalt.
"Stay together!" Aizawa's voice cut through immediately, his tone sharp with alarm.
From the distortion, a portal of swirling darkness opened. And through that portal, figures began emerging.
Dozens of them.
People in mismatched clothing, their faces hidden behind masks or scarves or simple darkness. They moved with predatory confidence, spreading out across the plaza like a dark stain.
And at their center, three figures stood out.
One was made entirely of what looked like purple-black mist, with glowing yellow eyes and a metal collar around their neck area. The other was thin, wearing a black outfit and hands—actual severed hands—covering his body and face like grotesque accessories.
And the last was something he couldn't even call a man his mouth was a beak and his brain was exposed.
"Huddle together!" Aizawa commanded, his capture weapon already unfurling. "Thirteen, protect the students!"
"What is this?" Kirishima's voice was tight with confusion. "Is this part of the training?"
"STAY BACK!" Aizawa's eyes began to glow red, his hair rising as his Erasure quirk activated. "Those are real villains!"
The word hit like a physical blow. Real villains. Not training dummies. Not robots. Not actors playing a role.
Real villains.
The class erupted into panicked murmurs.
The figure covered in hands moved forward, his gait unsettling and childlike. When he spoke, his voice was raspy, irritated, like someone who hadn't slept in days.
"Thirteen... and Eraser Head?" He tilted his head, the hand on his face shifting slightly. "Where is he? We went through all this trouble to bring so many playmates... where's All Might? I thought he was supposed to be here."
'All Might,' Tsubaki's mind processed rapidly. 'They're here for All Might. This is a coordinated attack. They knew we'd be here. They knew All Might was supposed to be here.'
This was planned.
"Greetings," the misty figure said in an oddly polite voice. "We are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity, but today... we've come to kill All Might, the Symbol of Peace."
The casual way he said "kill" made several students gasp.
Aizawa moved before anyone could process what was happening. He launched himself down the stairs, his capture weapon lashing out to bind three villains simultaneously.
"Sensei!" Midoriya shouted. "You can't fight them all! Your fighting style isn't suited for multiple opponents!"
Aizawa didn't look back, already engaged with a group of villains. His voice carried back with absolute authority. "A hero always has more than one trick! Thirteen, get them out of here!"
"Right!" Thirteen moved to usher the students back toward the entrance—
But Kurogiri materialized in front of them, blocking the exit. His misty form expanded, filling the space with swirling darkness.
"I'm afraid I can't let you leave," Kurogiri said, his voice calm and measured. "We've gone to such trouble to prepare this. It would be rude to leave before the party's even started."
"Thirteen, get back!" Kirishima shouted.
"OUT OF THE WAY!" Bakugo roared, launching himself forward with an explosion. "DIE!"
"Bakugo, no!" Kirishima yelled, his body hardening as he followed, trying to help his classmate.
Both attacks struck Kurogiri directly—Bakugo's explosion and Kirishima's hardened fist—but the misty villain's form simply absorbed the impact, reforming instantly.
"How reckless," Kurogiri observed. "Children playing at being heroes. Allow me to scatter you across this facility... and let my comrades tear you apart."
The mist suddenly expanded exponentially, engulfing the entire group of students in swirling darkness.
"NO—!" Thirteen reached out, but the warp gate was too fast.
Tsubaki felt the sensation of being pulled, twisted, reality bending in ways that made his stomach lurch. The world dissolved into darkness and disorienting motion.
Then, suddenly—
SPLASH
Cold water engulfed him. The shock of it was immediate and absolute—not because of the temperature, which his body could easily handle, but because of the tactical implications.
Water. We're in the flood zone.
Tsubaki's eyes snapped open underwater. The facility's artificial lighting filtered through the murky water in pale blue-green shafts. Around him, he could see shapes—other students falling through the water, bubbles rising from their mouths in panicked streams.
His training kicked in immediately. He'd practiced underwater scenarios extensively, knew how to manage his breathing, how to orient himself. But the others—
There. Midoriya, arms flailing, sinking deeper. Not drowning yet, but clearly struggling.
And there. Asui, her frog-like physiology giving her natural advantage in water, already swimming toward Midoriya with powerful kicks.
Tsubaki's mind raced through the tactical situation even as his body moved on instinct. The flood zone. A massive pool with a partially submerged boat in the center.
If that villian had separated them all—
His head broke the surface just as Asui emerged, Midoriya gasping and sputtering in her grip.
"Todoroki-san!" Asui called out, her voice tight with barely controlled fear. "The boat! We need to get to the boat!"
Tsubaki didn't waste breath responding. He created a sheet of ice beneath his feet—not thick, just enough to support his weight—and used it as a platform to propel himself toward the boat. The ice spread outward from each step, creating a path across the water's surface.
He reached the boat in seconds, pulling himself up onto the deck. Asui arrived moments later, depositing Midoriya on the deck where he coughed up water.
"Is everyone—" Tsubaki started, then cut himself off.
Because as he looked around, the situation became devastatingly clear.
They were surrounded.
In the water, dorsal fins cut through the surface like sharks circling prey. But these weren't sharks—they were villains. Tsubaki could see them now, their quirks allowing them to breathe and move through water with predatory efficiency. Dozens of them, forming a loose perimeter around the boat.
On the boat itself: Tsubaki, Midoriya, and Asui. Three students.
No teacher. No backup. No support.
And in the water, at least twenty villains that Tsubaki could count, with more possibly below the surface.
"This is bad," Midoriya wheezed, water still dripping from his gym uniform. His hands were shaking—not from cold, but from fear. "We're completely surrounded. What do we—"
"Ribbit... I..." Asui's voice was small, her large eyes wider than usual, tracking the circling villains. Her fingers trembled against the boat's deck. "There's so many of them..."
Tsubaki looked at them—really looked at them. Midoriya, trying to hide his terror. Asui, her usual calm completely shattered by the reality of facing actual villains.
And he felt it too. That cold knot of fear in his stomach. Not for himself—he'd been trained for combat since he could walk, conditioned to face danger without flinching. But for them. For his classmates who were looking to him, the class president, for answers he wasn't sure he had.
The teachers might not come in time, he realized with crushing clarity. Aizawa is fighting dozens of villains alone. Thirteen is dealing with the warp gate villian and whoever stayed at the entrance. The other students are scattered. We can't rely on being rescued.
We have to win. Or we die.
The weight of that responsibility settled on his shoulders like physical chains. But Tsubaki had spent his entire life carrying weight.This was just another burden. And he would bear it.
Because that's what leaders did.
Tsubaki took a slow, deliberate breath. When he spoke, his voice was steady—not loud, not commanding, but absolutely certain.
"Listen to me." His tone cut through their panic like a blade through water. "Both of you."
Midoriya and Asui looked at him, desperate for an anchor in the chaos.
"I know this is our first time facing real villains," Tsubaki continued, his voice calm, measured, like he was discussing training exercises instead of a life-or-death situation.
"Not robots. Not actors. Real people who want to hurt us. Kill us, maybe."
He met their eyes, one after the other.
"I know you're scared. That's normal. That's smart. Fear keeps you alert." Tsubaki's hands were steady as he gestured at the water around them. "But we don't have the luxury of panic right now. The teachers might not reach us in time. We're on our own."
"But Todoroki-san—" Midoriya started, his voice cracking slightly.
"We have to be strong," Tsubaki interrupted, but his tone wasn't harsh—it was firm, grounding. "Not because we're fearless. But because we don't have another choice. We either fight our way out of this, or we don't make it out at all."
Asui's trembling eased slightly, her analytical mind engaging despite her fear. "Ribbit... you're right. We can't afford to freeze up."
"Exactly." Tsubaki's eyes tracked the villains in the water, his tactical mind processing even as he spoke. "Now listen carefully. They're coordinated, yes. This attack was planned. But look at their movements."
The villains were circling, but there was hesitation in their patterns. They weren't committing to an attack. They were... assessing.
"They don't know what we can do," Tsubaki said, and now his voice carried a edge of cold confidence. "They know we're UA students, but they don't know our specific quirks. That hesitation? That's them trying to figure out if we're dangerous."
"So they separated us randomly," Midoriya realized, his analytical mind cutting through his panic. "They didn't account for our individual capabilities."
"Which means they sent Asui-san and me to the worst possible zone for them," Tsubaki continued. "Water zone. Where Asui-san has full mobility and I can freeze their environment. This isn't a disadvantage for us—it's an advantage we need to exploit."
Asui straightened slightly, her fear morphing into determined focus. "Ribbit. You're right. This is my element."
Tsubaki nodded. His hands began to glow with that familiar cold light, but he kept his voice steady, calm, absolutely assured. "We're going to get through this. All three of us. Together."
He looked at both of them, his expression neither warm nor cold—just absolutely certain.
"I won't let anything happen to you. That's a promise." Tsubaki's jaw tightened. "But I need you both to stay calm and follow my lead. Can you do that?"
Midoriya swallowed hard, then nodded with determination. "Yes."
"Ribbit. I'm with you," Asui said, her trembling finally stopping.
"Good." Tsubaki turned back to face the circling villains, his mind already three steps ahead. "Here's what we're going to do."
The villains were closing in, their patience wearing thin.
But on that boat, three first-year students stood together—scared, yes, but no longer panicking.
Because sometimes, having someone who was absolutely certain, absolutely calm in the face of chaos, was enough to transform fear into determination.
And Tsubaki Todoroki, who'd spent his entire life being invisible, was finally being seen exactly when it mattered most.
'This is what it means to be a hero,' he thought as his armor's coils hummed with building power. Not fearlessness. But strength in spite of fear.
'For their sake, I'll be that strength.'
"First," Tsubaki said, his voice carrying across the water with cold authority, "we control the battlefield."
To Be Continued...
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Author's note:
Hope you enjoyed the chapter
I saw a few comments wondering about the love interest I won't say who I have in mind but comment under this who you guys want and I'll consider it.