Dancing with Danger

Gathering around All Might, the anticipation in the air was palpable. The legendary hero grinned, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he surveyed our group. "Shall we begin, my young heroes? It's time for battle training!"

Momo approached me, her eyes wide with admiration as she took in my costume. "Wow, Midoriya, your hero suit is incredible!" she exclaimed, her gaze lingering on my abdomen.

I chuckled, feeling a slight blush creep onto my cheeks. "Thanks, Yaoyorozu. I'm really happy with how it turned out."

My eyes drifted over Momo's costume, taking in the details. The high-collared, sleeveless crimson leotard with silver lines at her waist and around her arms, open to expose her skin from her neck to just below her navel. Calf-length red boots with heels, dipping sharply down in the center, two gold utility belts around her waist, and another thinner one around the top of her chest, below her shoulders. Damn, she looks good.

"Your costume is great too," I said, smiling. "Did you choose this design to have enough exposed skin for your quirk?"

Momo beamed. "Yes, exactly! How did you figure that out?"

"I noticed you had to take off the jacket to make your cannon. It formed from your skin."

Just as Momo was about to respond, Iida's voice rang out, directed at All Might. "Sensei! This appears to be the same field used in the entrance exam. Will we once again be performing cityscape maneuvers?!"

"Nope! You'll be moving on to step two - indoor anti-personnel battle training!" All Might responded, his voice booming. "Villain battles are most commonly seen outdoors, but statistically, the most heinous villains are more likely to be found indoors. You'll be split into Villain and Hero teams and face off in two-on-two battles!"

Tsuyu raised her hand, her expression curious. "So no basic training?"

All Might grinned. "Practical experience teaches you the basics! The distinction here is that you won't be fighting disposable robots."

A flurry of questions erupted from the class, each student eager for more information.

"What determines victory?" Momo inquired.

"Can I just blast them all away?" Bakugo asked, a fierce grin on his face.

Ochaco's voice was tinged with worry. "Will you threaten to expel us like Aizawa-sensei did?"

Iida's hand shot up. "How do we proceed to divide ourselves into teams?"

Aoyama struck a pose. "How fabulous is my cape?"

All Might's smile became strained, and he held up his hands in a placating gesture. "One question at a time! My quirk isn't super hearing!"

He cleared his throat and pulled out a notecard... guess even symbols of peace need cheat sheets. "Listen up! Here's the deal. The villains will be hiding a nuclear weapon in their hideout. The heroes must go in and take care of it."

Flipping to another notecard, he continued, "The villains must either capture the heroes or protect the weapon until time is up."

I muttered under my breath, "This sounds just like the plot of an American movie."

All Might reached into a box and held it out to the class. "Your partners will be decided by... drawing lots!"

Iida's brow furrowed. "Is that really the best way?!"

I spoke up, "It makes sense. In emergencies, heroes from different agencies might have to team up on the spot."

Iida pondered for a moment before bowing. "I see. I apologize for getting ahead of myself. It was my mistake!"

All Might waved off the apology. "It's fine! Let's just get to it!"

I reached into the lot box, my fingers closing around a ball. Pulling it out, I saw the letter 'A' printed on it.

"I'm in Team A," I announced. "Anyone else?"

Jiro raised her hand, a ball with the same letter clutched in her fingers. I grinned, making my way over to her. "Looks like we're partners."

Jiro smirked, falling into step beside me. "Must be fate."

As the teams formed, All Might reached into the box once more, pulling out two letters. "The first teams to battle will be... Hero Team A! And Villain Team D!"

My eyes scanned the area, searching for our opponents. They landed on Bakugo, who was staring at me with a savage grin on his face. Beside him stood Iida, his expression serious and focused.

Looks like we'd be getting that long awaited fight now. 

All Might handed out maps of the building to each team, along with capture tape and a set of comm units. "Villains, you'll have a five-minute head start to set up. Heroes, you'll start outside the building. Your goal is to either capture the villains or secure the weapon within the time limit."

He turned to the rest of the class. "The rest of you, follow me to the monitoring room. You'll be able to watch the battle unfold and learn from your classmates' strategies and techniques."

[Katsuki Bakugo's POV]

As Iida and I entered the building to make our way towards the bomb, a memory from my childhood flooded my mind. It was back in preschool, and I stood in front of the class, showing off my newly awakened quirk. Little explosions crackled from my hands, and all the preschoolers looked on in amazement.

"Wow!" one exclaimed.

"Awesome!" another chimed in.

Deku's voice rang out above the rest. "You're so cool, Kacchan!"

One of the male preschool teachers nodded, "Impressive! I bet that's gonna grow into one amazing quirk."

The female teacher agreed. "Definitely! A flashy quirk for a future top hero, it's perfect!"

In that moment, I thought to myself, "Yeah, you're right! I am amazing! In fact, I bet there is no one as great as I am!"

The memory fast-forwarded to after class, with Deku and I walking in the woods. As always he trailed behind me, his voice filled with admiration. "Wow! You're so lucky! Your quirk is amazing, Kacchan! When I get my quirk, I hope it's just as cool!" 

I turned back, smirking. "Whatever, Deku. No matter what power you end up with, you'll never be able to beat me."

Suddenly, Iida's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Bakugo, Bakugo! Did you hear me?" He tapped my shoulder.

I glared at him, pushing his hand away. "Don't touch me, Four Eyes. What is it?"

Iida started chopping his hand in that annoying way of his. "Training or not, portraying the role of a villain pains me. So, do you have a plan on how we will protect the bomb?"

I scoffed, my mind still stuck on the memory. "Hey, Four Eyes, who do you think's stronger between me and Deku?"

Iida paused, considering the question. "Deku? If you mean Midoriya, then it's hard to say. I haven't seen you fight, but I was in the same training ground as him. He was very efficient when he defeated the robots. And that strength he showed when defeating that zero-pointer-"

I tuned out the rest of Iida's rambling, my own words from the memory echoing in my head. "No matter what power you get, you'll never be able to defeat me."

A grin twisted my features, and I clenched my fists. Time to make that statement true.

[Izuku Midoriya's POV]

Jiro and I leaned in close, our eyes scanning the building schematics intently. The faint scent of her perfume tickled my nose as we pored over the details, trying to formulate the best strategy for this exercise.

I turned to her, my voice low. "How do you want to go about this?"

As much as I wanted to secure a flawless victory, I didn't want to push Jiro to follow my lead blindly. This was a team effort, and her input mattered just as much as mine.

Jiro pondered for a moment, her brow furrowed. Absentmindedly, she twirled her jacks around her finger, the motion fluid and mesmerizing. "Well, I'd like to get some practice with using my quirk in these types of situations. So I think we should come in from the first floor and work our way up. I can use my quirk to pinpoint their location."

I nodded, "Then let's go for a total victory. If we go with your plan, Bakugo will probably go after us first."

Jiro turned her head, her eyes meeting mine with a curious glint. "What makes you say that?"

"Me and him have some history."

Understanding dawned on Jiro's face, and she nodded. "Is this one of those childhood friends that turned into rivals things?"

A chuckle escaped my lips, the absurdity of the situation not lost on me. "Something like that, I didn't even think about how cliché our relationship is..."

Pushing the thought aside, I continued with the plan. "If he does come after us, I need you to leave him to me. Go to the floor above and do recon to find out where the bomb is. Most likely, Iida will be standing guard next to it so focus on tracking his sound."

Jiro scoffed, her eyebrows raising in disbelief. "You want me to leave you behind? Sorry tiger, not gonna happen."

I tried to convince her. "If his quirk didn't have a wide damage radius, I would agree. But with the versatility he has, it's gonna be hard for you to dodge in close quarters. I'd hate for that cool-ass jacket of yours to get burn marks on it."

Jiro laughed, the sound warm and infectious. "Yeah, yeah, I'll do that. What do you think we should do against Iida?"

I pondered for a moment, mentally reviewing what I had observed of Iida during the entrance exam and the quirk test. "From what I've seen, his speed is very formidable, but he's only good on a straight line. Getting to his side when his momentum is carrying him forward is an easy way to evade his attacks. Once I'm done with Bakugo, handling him will be easy. Especially if one of your jacks can reach his neck and immobilize him."

Jiro nodded along, a grin spreading across her face. "Sounds like a plan. Let's do this!"

Preparing to enter the building, I glanced at Jiro, taking in the determined set of her jaw and the fire in her eyes. At that moment, I knew I couldn't have asked for a better partner.

[All Might's POV]

I stood in the observation room, surrounded by the eager faces of Class 1-A. The large screens before us displayed various camera angles, giving us a comprehensive view of the battle arena. My eyes were drawn to the feed focusing on the hero team, their voices filtering through my earpiece as they discussed their strategy.

Midoriya's voice rang out, his tone brimming with confidence. "If he does come after us, I need you to leave him to me. Go to the floor above and do recon to find out where the bomb is. Most likely, Iida will be standing guard next to it so focus on tracking his sound."

I smiled inwardly. The more I watched this young man, the more certain I became that he was the one worthy of inheriting my power. His quick thinking, strategic mind, and unwavering resolve were exactly what I had been searching for in a successor.

Almost unconsciously, my hand drifted to my side, fingers brushing against the spot where that fateful wound had been inflicted all those years ago. An ache pulsed beneath my skin, a constant reminder of the limited time I had left as the Symbol of Peace.

"Damn it," I cursed inwardly, my jaw clenching. "I need to find a successor soon. This form... I can only maintain it for barely 2 hours at a time now."

The weight of my responsibility bore down on me, the knowledge that the future of heroism rested on my shoulders. But as I watched Midoriya and his partner, Jiro, finalizing their plan, a flicker of hope ignited within me. Perhaps, with the right guidance and training, young Midoriya could become the hero this world so desperately needed.

A soft beep drew my attention, signaling that the five-minute preparation period had come to an end. I turned to face the class, my signature grin stretching across my face.

"Watch closely and learn something, everyone!" I declared.

The students responded in unison, their voices ringing out with determination. "Yes, Sensei!"

As the screens shifted, the cameras zooming in on the hero team as they prepared to enter the building, I felt a thrill of anticipation course through my veins. This was it - the moment where the next generation of heroes would begin to forge their paths.

I leaned forward, my eyes glued to the screens. Every movement, every decision made by Midoriya and Jiro would be a valuable lesson for their classmates. And perhaps, a glimpse into the future of heroism itself.

The seconds ticked by, the tension in the room mounting with each passing moment. And then, with a final nod to each other, the hero team stepped forward, entering the building.

"Go, young Midoriya," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the hum of the equipment. 

[Izuku Midoriya's POV]

As Jiro and I entered the building through a first-floor window, I slowed my movement, causing my footsteps to become nearly silent as we crept along the corridor. The eerie quiet of the empty building sent a shiver down my spine, but I pushed the feeling aside, focusing on the task at hand.

Jiro plugged her earphone jacks into the wall, her brow furrowed in concentration. After a moment, she leaned in close, her voice a barely audible whisper. "I hear them a few floors up, sounds like the fourth floor, but I can't be sure. I can hear someone heading downstairs, though."

I nodded. "That must be Bakugo. It looks like we need to head up then." I paused, glancing around the corridor. "Be sure to check blind spots anyway. It's good to build that habit."

Jiro gave a sharp nod as she followed me up to the second floor. We moved silently, our senses on high alert for any sign of our opponents.

Just as we were about to turn a corner, a sudden chill ran down my spine, my mind kicking into overdrive. Without a second thought, I spun around, grabbing Jiro by the waist and pulling her close to my chest. We rolled out of the way just as Bakugo leaped out of the adjacent hallway, his quirk blasting the spot where we had been standing mere moments before.

The explosion cracked the wall, sending debris flying in all directions. I quickly pulled Jiro to her feet, my eyes never leaving Bakugo's face. "Are you okay?"

Jiro's face was flushed, but she managed to stammer out a response. "Y-yeah, thank you."

"Nice dodging, Deku," Bakugo sneered, his hands crackling with explosive energy.

Jiro took a steadying breath, "You were right, Midoriya. He did come straight for you."

"Yeah, it's time to enact our plan."

Bakugo launched himself forward, his voice a guttural roar. "TIME TO SETTLE THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

As he drew back his right hand for an attack, I stepped forward, grabbing his arm before it could fully extend. Using his own momentum against him, I executed a perfect judo throw, slamming him into the ground.

Bakugo's left hand twitched, ready to unleash a point-blank blast, but I was already moving. I leaped back, the heat of the explosion singeing the air where I had been standing.

"Go, Jiro!" I called out, my eyes locked on Bakugo. "I got this."

As Jiro raced towards the stairs, Bakugo pulled himself to his feet. "How the hell did you do that?" he demanded.

I met his gaze. "You have a nasty habit. When you start an attack, you almost always lead with a right hook."

A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth as I shifted into a fighting stance. "Now come at me. This fight between us has been long overdue."

Bakugo's face twisted into a scowl, his hands sparking with explosive energy. "No matter what power you get, I'll still be better. And I'm gonna prove it, right here, right now." 

I felt my smirk turn to a grin at this provocation. "Enough talk Kacchan, Let's dance."