Battle Training (2/3)

The rest of us were moved to the Underground Monitoring Room, where screens were set up that showed the feed from many cameras that had been installed beforehand. The array of monitors mostly displayed the interiors of the building Team A and Team D were battling in, mainly its hallways and rooms.

One screen showed Iida and Bakugo in the room with the nuclear weapon on the top floor of the building. They didn't transmit audio

"I hope Iida can keep Bakugo under control, otherwise this might get… messy." I commented to no one in particular.

Momo, his partner, who was next to him nodded, "We all saw how Bakugou tends to flip out when in a competitive setting. Especially when it comes to Midoriya and you. Add to that his explosive quirk and equally explosive temper equals a recipe for disaster."

I glanced at her and smiled, "Couldn't have said it better myself."

"I'm sure Bakugo knows how to control himself… right?" Eijiro hesitantly suggested.

I shrugged and gestured to a screen that displayed All Might giving instructions to the two teams, "Well, we have All Might here with us after all. He should be able to handle it if things start getting out of hand."

"And if not All Might, Yasuo should be able to stop Bakugo too, right?" Denki added half teasingly.

I waved it off and rolled my eyes, treating it like a joke that it was intended to be.

Though I was heartened by his words, I had to check it out for myself to be sure. I sent out my Psychic Sense, and felt it go past the metal walls of the room around us, through the dirt beneath the cityscape and then finally up into the building they were battling in.

Just to see if I could, I tried moving one of the cameras slightly. My efforts were rewarded when the one of the feeds from the monitors similarly shifted slightly.

I retrieved my Psychic Sense. At least it was good to know that I could do something from all the way down here if it came down to it.

Nudging Momo with my elbow, I asked, "So lay it on me, smart girl. Which team do you think is going to win?"

She looked surprised by the question, but had obviously been thinking about it herself, "It's hard to say. If we our assessment solely on the strength of their quirks, then the Villain team might have an advantage. Unlike Midoriya, Bakugo and Iida are actually able to regulate their own quirks' output. Yet, Midoriya has also shown himself capable of pulling out surprises from his sleeves on occasion, so it is hard to give an accurate judgement right now."

I pondered over her words, "I think it might all come down to whether Bakugo can restrain himself and keep in mind his team's objective. A quirk like his would prove very useful in keeping the Heroes away from the nuclear weapon. After all, the best offense is also a good defense, no?"

She chuckled, "I think you have that saying the other way round. It should be, the best defense is a good offense. But, yes, I think your assessment makes sense."

I blinked, slightly embarrassed, but remembering that she liked confidence I persisted, "Well, same holds true the other way round too, no?"

"Mm, I suppose…?" She cutely placed a finger on her lip and looked away, trying to make sense of my rebuttal.

"Although, if I were a betting man, I would wager that Bakugo won't be able to control himself. I'd say he will rush towards the Hero team right from the get-go. That thug has a strange obsession with being the best, especially if it means being able to kick down his competitors in the mean-time. And he also has a weird complex with Izuku."

She folded her arms, once more pushing up her chest that was especially prominent thanks to her revealing costume. Seriously, that has got to be intentional, right? "Oh? Then what kind of man are you, if not a betting one? I assumed you'd be a risk taker."

I quirked an eyebrow at that and smiled, "If you're so interested, you can get to know me more and find out for yourself."

Her eyes glittered, as though intrigued at the thought, "Well, maybe I just might."

Unfortunately, our banter could not continue as All Might entered the Observation Room loudly, "I Am Here!"

The students, who were starting to rapidly get desensitized to All Might's presence responded half-heartedly.

"Watch closely and try to learn something, everyone!" He instructed.

The mood turned serious as we watched from the monitors the battle between Team A and Team D.

When I saw Bakugo readying himself behind a corner on the first floor, I shook my head. Just as I predicted. He then leaped towards the opposing pair who were trying to sneak around, surprising them with an explosive right hook.

Thankfully, they were able to barely avoid the explosion, although the blast still took out half of Isuku's mask.

"That's low, Bakugo! Sneak attacks are unmanly!" Eijiro declared.

"Yet they are a valid strategy! This is why practical experience is the best way to learn!" All Might pointed out.

Momo leaned towards me, "Looks like you were right, non-betting man."

I just smirked and continued watching.

Bakugo then rushed forward with his right arm cocked back, very apparently preparing to launch another one of his explosions. However, this time Izuku surprised all of us as he managed to slip in and grab on to the thug's arm before the explosion went off.

He subsequently lifted Bakugo and threw him over the shoulder, slamming him on the ground. It was a move that had us slightly taken aback, dazed at the short boy's surprising tenacity.

"What're they saying, we can't hear them." Eijiro thought to himself out loud when he saw Izuku screaming something on the screens that none of us could hear.

"They're communicating with micro transceivers that the Villain team were given along with the building blueprints." All Might explained.

"So they've only got 15 minutes, but the heroes don't know the location of the weapon, right?" Mina asked, "The Hero teams are at a real disadvantage, huh? Not only do the Villain team know the layout of the building, but they also have 5 minutes before hand to prepare."

For some odd reason, I recalled the scene of the manbearpig crushing the scumbag manager and only after the deed was over did the police and pro-heroes arrive to subdue the villain.

"That's probably to reflect the realities of hero-work. Villains are always hiding in the dark, with all the time they need to plan their next move, while heroes can only act reactively. And even then, we won't know if they have laid a trap for us. They don't have to play fair while the only thing we can do is trust in ourselves and our comrades and go in with blind faith…" I remarked, looking more solemn than my usual affable demeanour.

All Might stared at me for a moment, as did my classmates who were wrapping their head around my words, before he beamed, "Well put, Young Yasuo! At times you will be faced with overwhelming odds, and you might even think it is unfair. But! That is when the true measure of a Hero is revealed! Even when there's nothing to be gained, rising to the challenge at those times… is surely, the mark of a true hero!"

Nearly everyone in the room including myself went starry-eyed. This… this is the Symbol of Peace! But there was still something bothering me. Thoughts of my helpless self laying on the floor of the restaurant as the manager was crushed while I couldn't do anything to help flashed past my mind.

"All-Might-sensei, have you ever experienced it? A moment when the odds are stacked against you, and you fear that there is nothing you can do to overcome it?" I asked, a hitch in my breath.

He turned solemn before smiling again, "Of course I have, Young Yasuo. I too have felt fear. Afraid not for my own safety, but the fear of failing the people who believe in me. That is why I smile, to show the pressure of the heroes and to trick the fear inside of me."

At his confession that even he, the Symbol of Peace, felt fear too was something else. But hearing his coping mechanism? That was a powerful statement.

Seeing our dour demeanour, he continued, "But do not be discouraged, students! This is why you are here, to learn how to overcome those odds! That is the motto of our school – to go Plus Ultra!" He announced, the charisma of the number 1 ranked hero washing over us and clearing the doubts of the students in the room.

"OHHHH!!! I am fired up now!!" Eijiro enthusiastically screamed, a sentiment that was echoed by a few others.

The atmosphere of the room was electrified as we continued watching the battle between Team A and Team D.

"See, he has completely forgotten about Uraraka." I pointed out, as Bakugo went to chase after Izuku who had ran away from him.

"Splitting up the Hero team is a valid strategy as well." Momo rebutted.

"Not when the Villain can just run out the clock and only if Iida can handle Uraraka alone. Remember, all the heroes have to do is to touch the nuclear weapon and they win." I shot back.

"Which is why Iida prepared for that possibility by removing all the objects and debris in the room so that Uraraka's quirk will be limited. With his speed, all he has to do is move the weapon out of the way before she can touch it." Yaoyorozu contested.

I nodded, "True. So if Ochaco and Iida is stalemated… then Izuku will be the deciding factor whether the Hero team wins or loses?"

"Just as Bakugo will be the deciding factor whether the Villain team wins or loses." She added.

As we watched the battle unfold, Momo and I were having a play-by-play discussion. I had to give it to her that she truly was intelligent, and I wasn't ashamed to admit maybe even more so than me. Just debating the girl showed me that I still had a lot to learn when it came to tactical thinking, though I never really had to rely on something like that in the first place.

The fight between Izuku and Bakugo reached a climax when the latter found Midoriya. They exchanged some words before the Explosion quirk user pointed his grenade-shaped gauntlet at the other.

All Might grabbed the mic, "Bakugo! Stop it now! You trying to kill him?"

I widened my eyes when I heard him and saw the bloodthirsty look on Bakugo's face. Kill? What was Bakugo trying to-

An explosion rocked the building Team A and Team D were battling in as a fiery inferno erupted in the hallway.

I paled at the sight and extended my Psychic Sense towards the pair, hoping to find Izuku still alive.

"Wha, I thought this was just practice!" Eijiro exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the monitors.

Thankfully, as the dust was clearing, my Psychic Sense found Izuku, still breathing and fortunately for the boy he was relatively unscathed aside from some scorch marks on his jumpsuit.

I breathed a sigh of relief while the rest of my classmates were still busy reacting to the massive explosion.

"S-scary! How far is Bakugo willing to go just to win?" Mina remarked, blanching at the thought.

"He… he kind of reminds me of a villain." Toru gulped.

I narrowed my eyes, "Doing whatever it takes, no matter the cost and who gets hurt to get what he wants… isn't that the definition of a villain?"

The rest of the class gasped at my words, but no one could deny the truth in them.

"Sensei, shouldn't you stop him? Bakugo's crazy. He's looking to kill!" Eijiro requested, looking worried for his classmate.

All Might shook his head then spoke into the microphone again, "Bakugo. Use that move again and I will forcibly disqualify you. Using massive attacks like that indoors will not only destroy your own stronghold, but it might even detonate the nuclear weapon if it had been real. Whether Hero or Villain, that's a bad idea!"

Bakugo then continued moving with surprising alacrity, using his explosion to feint and change direction mid-flight, before immediately following up with another explosion at Izuku's back.

"He doesn't seem like a thinker, but that strategy was fairly intricate." Momo remarked.

I agreed, "Yeah, he has already adapted to Izuku's counter attacks. If Izuku had been able to read and predict that delinquent's movements earlier on, now it's the other way round."

Bakugo continued blasting Izuku, tossing him around like a rag doll and slamming him into the ground like he had been before.

It was payback, I realized. His pride had been hurt when Izuku threw him, so he wanted to get even by doing the exact same thing except with double the force. How awfully transparent…

"He's toying with him." I observed.

"This is just torture! He could've already ended it with the capture tape!" Denki cried out, shocked at the unexpected cruelty of Bakugo.

"Like Yasuo said… he's just like a villain." Tsuyu remarked, glancing at me.

As Izuku ran from Bakugo, I could only shake my head helplessly, "Why isn't he using his quirk? Even if his finger gets broken from it, it seems like he will be hurt even worse by that villain-in-training."

"H-he doesn't want to hurt his friend…" Koji, the quietest among us spoke up suddenly.

I chuckled mirthlessly, "His friend, huh… Can that really be considered friendship?"

As Izuku and Bakugo charged at each other, Eijiro shouted, "Sensei! That looks bad!!"

All Might who looked like he had been holding himself back reluctantly grabbed the mic, "Both of you, stop th-"

The two clashed, Bakugo seemingly igniting an explosion right at Izuku's face while the latter threw his arm up instead.

The cameras streaming the live feed to us shook violently, and my jaw went slack as I realized why Izuku hadn't used his quirk in the first place. 'Such destructive power…'

The force from Izuku's punch blew open a hole all the way up to the highest floor of the building, turning the concrete into debris. Ochacho then grabbed onto a broken column that she had turned weightless beforehand and swung it to fire the flying debris at Iida.

Iida dodged, but Ochaco still leapt across after negating the gravity on her body and managed to hug on to the nuclear weapon.

"What just…?" Denki started, before All Might grinned.

"The Hero team wins!" He declared. The class paused for a moment before erupting in cheers. It was always refreshing to see the underdog win.

Momo had on a slight smile, "Looks like Midoriya pulled out another surprise from his sleeves again."

On the screen, Izuku's broken and battered body collapsed, while Bakugo stared on in overwhelming disbelief.

"The losing team is nearly unscathed, while the winning team are down for the count." Tokoyami mused, "They may have lost the battle, but they won the war, so to speak."

"How deep..." Toru commented from beside him.

All Might had rushed out of the Observation Room, and could be seen on screen comforting Bakugo.

I shook my head in disappointment, "That kid is too dangerous for his own good. Explosions may sound like a good quirk, until you realize that all it can be used for is hurting others."

Momo turned to me, "Well, then isn't it fortunate he has three years to learn to how to use his quirk wisely?"

"I suppose… out of all of us, he might be the one who needs hero training the most."

She nodded, "Right. And with his ego, who knows what he will do after losing to the person he once called a 'worthless fucking loser', pardon my language."

I spun my head at her, startled, "Ah that surprised me. I didn't think Momo would be so… vulgar."

Yaoyorozu blushed, "That's not- I was just trying to make a point. I apologize for the use of such vulgar language."

"No, no, it's okay, I was just kidding. But dang it, I wished my phone had been recording that. Wouldn't that be great blackmail material?" I teased.

"Blackmail? How despicable. You are an even bigger villain than Bakugo." She retorted jokingly.

"Kekek, that's right. Infiltrating U.A.'s Hero Course is all part of my master plan!" I cackled like an exaggerated caricature of a Saturday morning cartoon villain.

"Ah, then as a hero-in-training, I must stop you!"

As we continued our banter, ignoring the strange looks we were receiving from our classmates, the participants of the battle training entered the Observation Room with All Might. Only Izuku was missing as he had been carted off by robots to the Nurse's Office.