[14] Costumes and Calculations

Next day

The energy in the classroom after lunch was electric. We shuffled back in, fidgeting in our seats, a mix of whispered theories and barely contained excitement crackling through the room.

Then, I heard it - heavy footsteps, growing louder with each passing second. My head whipped around just as a massive figure burst through the door, his booming voice filling the room.

"I AM HERE! COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!"

For a moment, there was only stunned silence. Then, the classroom erupted.

"IT'S ALL MIGHT!" Sero's shout echoed what we were all thinking. The Number One Hero, the Symbol of Peace... he was really going to be our teacher?

Tsuyu tilted her head, her wide eyes blinking. "His Silver Age costume... so retro, kero."

All Might struck his signature pose, his grin gleaming. "Welcome to Hero Basic Training! This is where you'll be shaped into the heroes of tomorrow. And we're starting off with a bang - your first battle trial!"

With a dramatic flourish, he hit a button on a remote. The back wall of the classroom slid away, revealing a row of numbered cases. "But first, you'll need the proper gear. Your hero costumes, designed specifically to complement your quirks!"

The cheers that followed were deafening. Amidst the chaos, All Might's smile only grew. "Get changed, then meet me at Ground Beta!"

My hands trembled slightly as I grabbed case 17, following the guys to the locker room. As we changed, I couldn't help but notice Kaminari's wide-eyed stare.

"Damn, Midoriya! You're seriously jacked!" He snickered, elbowing Sero. "Bet the ladies are gonna be all over him now."

I shrugged, feigning modesty. "It's just from training. Nothing special."

I pulled on my costume, piece by piece. The emerald green bodysuit hugged my frame, showcasing the muscles I'd developed. Over it, a white jacket with full sleeves ending at my forearms. The vibrant rising sun emblem on my back caught the light as I zipped up the jacket.

The white gloves felt solid, reassuring. Nejire's advice had been spot on. As I laced up the white boots with their green and red accents, I felt a sense of... rightness. This was it. The first step towards my true goal.

"Whoa, Midoriya!" Kirishima grinned, giving me a thumbs up. "You look like a real pro already!"

I smiled back. "Thanks! Your costume's pretty great too."

As we filed out, heading for Ground Beta, I touched the emerald earrings. A small smile unconsciously on my face.

All Might waited for us, his imposing figure silhouetted against the mock cityscape. As we gathered, I surveyed my classmates' costumes, noting potential advantages and vulnerabilities. Uraraka's skin-tight bodysuit caught my eye first, her rounded helmet an obvious nod to her quirk's spacey nature. Ashido's vibrant purple and turquoise ensemble screamed for attention, while Yaoyorozu's outfit left little to the imagination.

"Midoriya, your costume is so cool!" Uraraka bounced over, eyes wide. "It really suits you!"

"Thanks, Uraraka. Yours looks great too."

Yaoyorozu approached, her analytical gaze fixed on my jacket. "That emblem... what does it mean?"

"It's a rising sun," I explained, turning around. "When people see it, they'll know my light will reach them. A beacon of hope, you could say."

"How inspiring!" Yaoyorozu clasped her hands together, clearly impressed.

Jiro sidled up, eyeing my emerald earrings. "Those are an interesting touch. Any special meaning?"

I fingered one earring, allowing a hint of vulnerability to show. "They were a gift from my mom."

Bakugo muscled his way into our circle, his explosive gauntlets gleaming. "Tch. Still playing dress-up, Deku?"

"Just embracing the hero aesthetic, Kacchan," I replied coolly. "Your costume's quite... explosive."

Kaminari chimed in, desperate to impress. "Hey ladies, check out my gear! I'm like a walking lightning rod!"

Mineta, barely contained excitement in his eyes, bounced around us. "Yeah, and I'm sticky! Wanna feel?"

Jiro's earphone jack lashed out, stopping him in his tracks. "Not a chance, grape boy."

As we bantered, I couldn't help but notice a pattern. Most of the girls' costumes seemed designed with some level of sex appeal, save for Jiro and... Hagakure? I squinted, trying to spot our invisible classmate. God, I hope she isn't actually naked right now.

Sero laughed, elbowing me. "Midoriya! You're staring, man."

I blinked, feigning embarrassment. "Sorry, just... taking it all in. Everyone's costumes are so unique."

Sato nodded sagely. "Yeah, it's like we're real pros now. Well, almost."

All Might's booming voice cut through our chatter. "Alright, young heroes! Time to put those costumes to the test. Let's see what you're made of!"

Iida's hand shot up. "Sensei! Will we be performing cityscape maneuvers like in the entrance exam?"

All Might's grin widened. "Nope! We're taking it indoors for anti-personnel battle training!"

The class erupted with questions. I stayed quiet, analyzing each tidbit of information.

"What determines victory?" Momo asked.

Bakugo's eyes gleamed. "Can I just blast them all away?"

"Will you threaten to expel us?" Uraraka's voice wavered.

All Might held up his hands. "Whoa there! One at a time, folks. Even I can't keep up with all that!"

He fumbled with some notecards. Amateur move, but endearing to the others, I'm sure.

"Here's the deal," he said. "Villains hide a 'nuke'. Heroes try to secure it. Villains win by either capturing the heroes or protecting the weapon until time runs out."

Straight out of Hollywood.

All Might produced a box. "We'll draw lots for teams!"

Iida looked scandalized. "Is that really the best method?"

I spoke up, seeing an opportunity. "It makes sense. Real heroes often team up on the fly."

Iida's expression cleared. "Ah, I see! Thank you, Midoriya!"

I smiled, playing the helpful classmate. Inside, I noted how easily they accepted logical-sounding explanations.

I drew my lot. Team A. As All Might announced the matchups, my eyes locked with Bakugo's. His feral grin promised violence.

Perfect.

All Might handed out gear and explained the rules. As the others headed to the monitoring room, I sized up my partner, Momo. Smart, capable, but unsure of herself.

I could work with that.

"Come on," I said to Momo, leading her away from the others. "Let's talk strategy."

We huddled over the building plans All Might had given us. Five floors, multiple rooms on each level. Plenty of places to hide a fake nuke.

"What do you think?" I asked, watching Momo's face as she studied the layout.

She bit her lip, thinking. "Well, logically, they'd put the weapon on one of the higher floors. More distance for us to cover, more chances for them to intercept us."

I nodded. "Good point. And knowing Bakugo, he'll probably come straight for us. He's not one for sitting back and defending."

"That leaves Iida guarding the weapon," Momo mused. "His speed could be troublesome if we manage to find it."

"True," I said, gears turning in my head. "What can you make with your quirk that might slow him down?"

Momo's eyes lit up. "Oh! I could create caltrops or some kind of adhesive to limit his movement."

I smiled, encouraging. "That's brilliant. Your quirk is incredibly versatile."

She blushed slightly at the praise.

"What about you?" she asked. "How do you think we should use your strength enhancement?"

I pretended to consider for a moment. "Well, I can probably hold my own against Bakugo in a fight. But I'm thinking we might be better off avoiding direct confrontation if possible."

Momo nodded eagerly. "A stealth approach could work. If we can sneak past them and secure the weapon..."

"Exactly," I said, leaning in conspiratorially. "And with your creation quirk, we have a lot of options for distractions or tools we might need."

We spent the next few minutes brainstorming, Momo's excitement growing with each idea. I made sure to praise her contributions, watching as she became more confident in her suggestions.

"You know," I said casually as we wrapped up our planning, "we make a pretty good team. Your intelligence and my... well, brute force," I chuckled self-deprecatingly, "it's a solid combination."

Momo beamed. "I agree! I'm glad we were paired together, Midoriya."

All Might's voice interrupted us. "Hero Team A, your time starts now! Good luck!"

I took a deep breath, meeting Momo's eyes. "Ready?"

She nodded, determination written across her face. "Ready."

We entered the building cautiously, senses on high alert. The first floor was empty, silent except for our footsteps. As we reached the stairs, I held up a hand, signaling Momo to stop.

"Wait," I whispered. "Let's lay some traps here. Bakugo will probably come charging down soon."

Momo nodded, immediately creating a handful of small, spherical objects. "Smoke bombs," she explained quietly. "And some marbles for the steps."

I grinned. "Perfect. You're amazing, you know that?"

She blushed again, clearly pleased by the compliment.

We set our traps quickly and moved up to the second floor. Still no sign of Bakugo or Iida.

"They're being unusually patient," I muttered.

Momo looked worried. "Do you think they're setting up an ambush?"

I shook my head. "Bakugo, maybe. But Iida? He's too straightforward for that. No, I think..."

A massive explosion rocked the building, cutting me off. Smoke billowed up the stairwell.

"Looks like Bakugo found our little surprise," I said, grinning.

Momo's eyes widened. "Should we go back down?"

I considered for a moment, then shook my head. "No, let's keep moving up. Bakugo will be mad now, more likely to make mistakes. We can use that."

She nodded, trusting my judgment. Another small victory.

We made our way up to the third floor, checking rooms as we went. Still no weapon, no Iida.

"It has to be on the top floor," Momo whispered.

I agreed. "Probably. But we need to be careful. Iida's speed gives him the advantage up there."

"What if..." Momo started, then hesitated.

I raised an eyebrow, encouraging. "Go on. Any idea is worth considering."

She took a breath. "What if we split up? One of us could distract Bakugo while the other goes for the weapon."

I pretended to think it over, even though I'd been steering her towards this idea all along. "That could work. And I think I should be the one to take on Bakugo."

Momo's eyes widened. "Are you sure? Bakugo's quirk is incredibly dangerous."

"I'm sure," I said, my voice firm. "I know how he fights. You're better suited to outsmart Iida and secure the weapon."

She looked uncertain but nodded. "I trust your judgement..."

As Momo started outlining her plan for dealing with Iida, my mind raced. Bakugo. This was my chance to set the tone for our entire U.A. career. But how to play it?

A close fight would maintain the rivalry, keep him pushing himself to surpass me. But a decisive victory... that could break him. Demoralize him completely.

I weighed the options. A crushing defeat might be satisfying in the short term, but a rival like Bakugo could be useful in the long run. Keep him close, but always one step behind.

"Midoriya?" Momo's voice snapped me back to the present. "Are you listening?"

I smiled apologetically. "Sorry, just thinking about Bakugo's weaknesses. What were you saying?"

As Momo repeated her plan, I made my decision. I'd give Bakugo a fight to remember, but one he'd think he almost won. Keep him hungry, keep him pushing.

After all, a good rival is hard to find.