The Combat Trial Begins!

As the class walked towards Battle Ground Beta, Kai took a look at the everyone and their gear. After all, he had some ideas of how he would equip them and wanted to see how everyone was starting out.

Some had gear that had no apparent bearing on their Quirk and was just for fashion. Shoto Todoroki was one of the simplest, opting to just wear white, and coating his left side in ice. Simple, fashionable, and nothing more than what was needed. The strangest in this category easily went to Mineta and his… whatever it was. He wore a mask, and also something that looked like a diaper. Kai shook his head. So, so much wrong there. Similarly simple and strange was Toru Hagakure, who had stripped. Being invisible, that meant little, but still odd to think about. Surely there were better options for her, whether it be invisible clothes/armor or Quirk evolution. But if UA hadn't provided her with such invisible gear (evidenced by clearly visible gloves and a few overheard lines of conversation with the other girls) it likely wasn't available. Still, something should be done…

Then there were those who had functional fashion, like Aoyama and Iida. They had protective gear at the very least, but still focused on fashion. Even Yaoyorozu, who was wearing relatively little, fell into this category, as her exposure improved her Quirk's options.

Then there were those with weapons or Quirk enhancing gear. It was clear what Kyoka Jiro was going for with the speakers on her wrists and shins. Then there was Bakugo, who had his gauntlets. He wasn't sure on their exact function, but he certainly wasn't the type to ask for such unwieldy things for fashion when he could have more firepower.

Lastly, there was Midoriya- er, Deku. Little fashion, no protection, no bonus gear. Clearly not from the UA support company, the only possibility was that his mom made it. And it would have been according to his aesthetic. Kai shook his head, but he could understand the sentiment. At school, things were supposed to be relatively safe, so he could allow it.

Nobody else particularly stood out for better or worse.

All Might led everyone to a building within Training Ground Beta, which was a cityscape. Once in front of a certain building, All Might turned to the class.

"I'm liking everyone's styles," he chuckled, especially after looking at Deku. "Very cool."

"Sensei," Iida said, raising his hand. "Regarding the performance ground we'll be using, is it the mock-city from the entrance exam?"

"You'll see," All Might replied. "In fact, take two steps and you'll be there! This will be an indoor battle trial! Villain cleanup is usually seen out in the open, but statistically, the better part of it is an indoor job. Most acts of villainy are committed indoors. Imprisonment, house arrest, the black market, in this hero-saturated society, he heh, why, any villain with intelligence is lurking in the shadows!"

Kai nodded silently in agreement. He knew well how this all worked, and All Might was right.

��For this test, you'll separate into 'villain' and 'hero' groups for a two-on-two team battle!!"

"What about the foundational training?" Asui asked.

"This is foundational training! Only this time, there won't be any robots it'd be okay to just destroy!"

The class then bombarded All Might with questions, from how victory was determined (Yaoyorozu), to whether there was an expulsion threat (Uraraka), to if it was okay to just blow everyone away (Bakugo, of course). After calming everyone down, All Might pulled out a piece of paper. Suddenly, Kai's confidence in his teacher plummeted.

"For this training, we'll have some 'villains' guard a nuclear weapon they intend on deploying! The heroes must stop them and their nefarious scheme before it's too late! If the heroes capture the villains or reach the nuclear core before time runs out, they win! If the villains manage to keep the core the whole time or capture the heroes, they win. Your teammates and opponents will be chosen by lottery!" he announced, pulling out a box.

"Is that really how we'll do it?!" Iida asked, incredulous.

"Well," Deku spoke up, "pros are often forced to make impromptu team-ups with other heroes they might not know very well, so this is probably testing that…"

"That's certainly a part of it," Kai said. "But in reality, I think it's just that fighting each other shows everyone's talents in the shortest amount of time."

Suddenly a small part of everyone's excitement died. Kai's bluntness was just too much. He just shrugged it off.

With that, the lottery began. The teams were as follows:

A- Deku and Uraraka

B- Shoto Todoroki and Mezo Shoji

C- Yaoyorozu and Mineta

D- Iida and Bakugo

E- Aoyama and Ashido

F- Kai and Sato

G- Jiro and Kaminari

H- Asui and Tokoyami

I- Toru and Ojiro

J- Kirishima and Sero

Deku and Uraraka were delighted, the former making clearly flustered but thrilled movements (which were only saved by him wearing a mask, and the latter even saying it must be fate. Yaoyorozu was looking around the class, hoping for a trade, as Mineta tried to get close and stick to her like glue. Iida and Bakugo were a little frustrated, as they really didn't want to have to work together. Majime vs. Wampaku at its finest. Everyone else had no complaints, and got together with their partner. But there was no time for strategizing.

"The first two pairs to do combat will be the following!" All Might reached into two boxes and… "Pair A will be heroes and pair D will be villains!"

Deku and Bakugo straightened up in shock. It seemed that fate just kept sticking them together. Kai raised his hand cautiously.

"Is that wise? I have only known Deku and Bakugo for about an hour's worth of time together, and I know that this is a bad idea. No offense, Sparks, but you need anger management classes."

"Sparks?" Bakugo was too shocked to curse at him. But his anger was clear, and Kai just gestured, palm out, with a clear "see what I mean" look on his face.

"Not to worry, I will cut things short if they get out of hand," All Might said in a reassuring tone. But Kai felt none of that.

Experience was a curse, in his case.

"This scenario has the villains inside the building first," All Might continued, which also cut off Bakugo's angry response to Kai. "Then, after five minutes, the heroes will be let in as well! Everyone will be able to watch what unfolds through the surveillance cameras! This will allow young Iida and Bakugo to get into the heads of villainkind! This is a practical training exercise! So go all out without fear of injury!"

Kai sighed. Or just fear injury like a sane person.