"Hey, brat, have you found it yet?" Toji asked over the intercom as he climbed the stairs with firm, steady steps.
"Y-yes, Fushiguro-san... It's on the seventh floor," Izuku replied with some hesitation, his trembling voice coming from the other side. "B-but, Iida-san is acting a bit strange... H-have you already finished with Kacchan?"
Toji let out a light laugh as he continued ascending, his gaze fixed on the next flight of stairs.
"Yeah, it was a piece of cake. That pineapple head was too impulsive, and with what you told me, even more predictable." He climbed another step, adjusting his grip on his weapon. "Anyway, I'm almost there."
Toji reached the seventh floor and quickly found Izuku standing in front of the room where the bomb was located.
"Fushiguro-san," Izuku began, straightening up quickly. He let out a sigh of relief, though he still seemed nervous. "The bomb is in there. But Iida-san is acting like a villain, and I'm not sure how he'll react if we try to get close."
"We just have to touch the bomb to win, right?" Toji asked while putting his bracelet into standby mode.
"Exactly," Izuku replied. "But... Iida is incredibly fast, and if he senses we're heading straight for the bomb, he'll try to stop us. If we attack head-on, it could be tough—"
Toji raised a hand to interrupt him. "I don't need a lecture, kid. Just tell me what you have in mind."
Izuku swallowed hard before continuing. "We could divide his attention. I can distract him from one side while you use your skills to get close and touch the bomb. But if something goes wrong, we swap roles. The important thing is that one of us gets there."
Toji glanced at him sideways, a slight smile curving his lips. "Hmph, not bad. Though I'm not thrilled about relying on you."
Izuku clenched his fists, determined. "I'll do my best! If we stick to the plan, we can win."
Toji cracked his neck, loosening his muscles, before placing a hand on the door. "I've got a better plan. Listen up."
Izuku quickly nodded, paying close attention to his partner's idea.
Iida waited patiently in the cleared-out room, with the bomb carefully positioned behind him. His teammate, Bakugo, had stormed off moments earlier without saying much, clearly eager to deal with those "useless fools," or something like that. Iida, for his part, had taken the time to clear the room of any obstacles to avoid unforeseen complications. He'd even fully immersed himself in his role as a villain, adopting a dramatic stance and a textbook villainous demeanor.
From time to time, the distant sound of explosions echoed through the building. He assumed Bakugo had already found someone. All he had to do was wait for things to unfold.
But he didn't have to wait long. The middle door swung open abruptly, surprising him for a moment before his mind began analyzing the situation. Midoriya rushed into the room, his expression one of determination... and fear? Iida narrowed his eyes briefly, scanning the hallway behind Midoriya.
Where was Fushiguro?
Had he stayed behind to face Bakugo? That was a possibility, though a strange one, considering Bakugo's characteristic explosions had subsided. Iida adjusted his stance, fully engrossed in his role.
"You need to be more strategic than that, Hero!" Iida exclaimed, activating his engines and charging at Midoriya with dazzling speed. "Attacking alone, without helping or waiting for your partner, is what rookies do!" He shouted, increasing his boosters' power.
Midoriya showed no signs of retreating. He kept running toward Iida, his gaze fixed on the goal as if nothing else mattered.
Iida frowned. "Does he really think he can surpass me like that?"
But then he realized it. Midoriya wasn't trying to win alone—he was distracting him. Before Iida could adjust, he heard the subtle sound of another door opening.
"Now!" Midoriya shouted, springing the trap.
The farthest door from the bomb swung open. Toji entered like a flash, moving with the precision of a hunter. Though he was farther from the bomb than Iida, his speed was superior.
"He's incredibly fast," Iida thought in awe. "Even with my engines, he's slightly quicker than me..."
But Iida didn't hesitate. He pivoted on his heels, activating his boosters at full power to intercept Toji. His engines roared fiercely, propelling him toward the epicenter between Toji, the bomb, and himself. His gaze was sharp, calculating every move with surgical precision.
Toji didn't slow down. His trained eyes assessed Iida's movements in an instant. He was fast, but Toji trusted his experience to outmatch sheer speed.
"Wow, little motor, is that your top speed?" Toji said mockingly as he braced for the inevitable clash.
The impact came in an instant. Iida appeared before him like a lightning bolt, extending his arm to block him. But Toji skillfully twisted, veering to the side and sliding his chain to wrap around Iida's leg.
"Is that supposed to stop me?" Iida retorted, using his engines' strength to shake the chain loose.
Toji stepped back with a sly grin. "Not bad, but if all you do is run, this is going to get boring."
Without giving Iida time to respond, Toji threw a quick elbow strike toward his torso. Iida, with surprising agility, blocked the blow, though the impact forced him to step back slightly.
"At least you know how to guard. I thought you were all engine noise," Toji teased, twirling his chain as if completely unconcerned.
"Don't underestimate me, Fushiguro-san!" Iida exclaimed, resetting his stance.
"Underestimate you? Nah, I'm being nice. If I weren't giving you a head start, this would already be over," Toji said lazily, stepping forward and launching into the attack again.
The room filled with noise as the two clashed again, exchanging swift and precise movements. Toji used his chain like a whip, forcing Iida to dodge and look for an opening to counter. Their speed was impressive, with Iida trying to cut off Toji's movements at every turn, but Toji always seemed one step ahead.
"You know, I thought this would be more exciting," Toji taunted, effortlessly dodging one of Iida's attacks. "All that noise and speed, but here you are, still unable to touch me."
"You'll see!" Iida shouted, pushing his engines beyond their limits, causing them to roar deafeningly.
"Ah, there's the spirit," Toji replied, his eyes glinting slightly as he adjusted his stance. "Come on, show me something interesting."
What followed was an intense struggle. Iida managed to intercept Toji with a quick tackle, but Toji reacted instantly, using his chain to twist Iida's arm and throw him off balance. They both hit the ground, rolling as they fought to gain the upper hand.
"I thought you were supposed to be some kind of leader, but you're losing your edge," Toji said with a mocking smile as he broke free from Iida's grip and sprang to his feet with agility.
"Shut up and fight!" Iida snapped, frustration evident in his voice.
Toji chuckled softly. "So formal. And here I thought kids your age liked jokes."
Both rose almost simultaneously, ready to continue. Toji lunged forward in a final attempt toward the bomb as Iida reignited his engines to intercept him. Just when it seemed Toji would reach it, Iida appeared in front of him, deflecting him with a calculated shove.
"Fast, but predictable," Toji murmured with feigned boredom, leaping back as Iida followed, leaving the bomb unguarded.
But that had been the plan all along. While Iida focused all his attention on Toji, Midoriya seized the distraction to activate his Quirk and sprint toward the bomb.
"Your turn, rookie!" Toji shouted as Izuku dashed in for the final sprint. Before Iida could react, Midoriya reached out and embraced the bomb.
"Heroes win!" the voice over the speakers announced, illuminating the room with the end-of-test lights.
Toji let out a sigh as he straightened up, glancing at Midoriya. "Well, turns out the brat had some brains after all. Nice work... I guess."
Midoriya smiled sheepishly, panting. "Thanks! It was all because of your plan."
"Sure, sure," Toji replied, rolling his shoulders like he was unwinding after a light workout.
Iida turned off his engines and looked at Toji with a mix of frustration and respect. "I admit, I underestimated you, Fushiguro-san. Your skill is impressive."
Toji glanced at him sideways, smiling with disinterest. "Impressive? Nah. I just do what I know. Next time, maybe try not to overthink. You looked like a robot calculating every move."
Iida gritted his teeth but relaxed upon seeing Toji's smirk. "I'll take your advice into account... though I'd prefer not to resort to such chaotic tactics."
"Whatever you say, motorhead," Toji quipped with a mocking grin as Midoriya chuckled nervously in the background.
"Fushiguro-san, I must admit, I'm impressed. It seemed like you and Midoriya were perfectly in sync, as if you planned every detail."
Toji gave him a bored look, as though the question was too obvious. "Do you really need me to explain? We had a little chat beforehand. It's not that hard if you've got brains… and someone who listens without whining."
Iida blinked, surprised by the blunt response. "So you planned everything in advance?"
"Of course," Toji replied with a smirk. "I gave the kid the basic instructions and left the rest to him. No need to be a genius, just know what to expect from your partner. You, on the other hand..." Toji gestured casually toward Iida, "...were so focused on me that you didn't even consider what the kid was doing."
Iida pressed his lips together, processing Toji's words. "I acknowledge that I underestimated your teamwork. Despite your vastly different personalities, you acted as if you knew exactly what to do."
Toji grinned with a mix of mockery and pride. "It wasn't that complicated. Midoriya followed the plan because he knows how to listen. And me? Well, I'm me. What else do you need? He just paid attention, right, kid?"
Izuku laughed again. Even though Fushiguro seemed so carefree and vague, his plan was quite solid. He remembered how Toji explained everything just moments before.
"Listen carefully. Here's what we're going to do—it's not much different from your idea, I just added a few extra steps," Toji had started, his tone firm yet calm. "I know Iida is fast. His engines give him incredible speed, but I've already done the math. In the physical test, I beat him in the 50-meter dash by just 0.05 seconds. Those five milliseconds are enough to make the difference, even with the extra distance from this door."
"F-five milliseconds?" Midoriya had asked nervously.
Toji nodded. "It might not sound like much, but in a situation like this, it's everything I need. Iida will focus on you the moment he sees you enter through the main door. Don't underestimate him—he's smart, but he trusts his speed too much, thinking he can intercept me. You'll be my distraction."
"Distraction?" Midoriya had repeated, tilting his head.
"Exactly. You go in first, heading straight for him. Run like you're trying to grab the bomb yourself. That'll force him to focus on you and use his Quirk to intercept. Meanwhile, I'll come in through the side door, the one farthest from the bomb. It's a longer route, but my speed and reaction time will let me get close enough before Iida adjusts."
Midoriya had nodded slowly, starting to understand. "But what if Iida blocks you before you reach the bomb?"
Toji had chuckled briefly. "That's where you come in. I might get close, but I can't guarantee I'll reach it. If Iida manages to block me, it'll be your turn. I'll keep him busy and create an opening for you. Then you'll use your Quirk for a final sprint and touch the bomb before Iida can react."
Midoriya had paused to think before looking up, determination shining in his eyes. "Got it. But… what if I crash into the bomb? Sometimes I lose control with my Quirk."
Toji had clapped him on the shoulder, offering a faint smile. "Then don't lose control. Focus, channel the energy into your legs, and land cleanly. If you crash and break the bomb, we lose. But if you stop and touch it, we win. No room for mistakes, kid. Fail, and you'll suffer for a year."
Midoriya had swallowed hard but felt bolstered by Toji's confidence. "I'll do it! I won't let you down."
"Good," Toji had said, turning toward the side door and adjusting his bracelet. "Remember, I'll handle him, but you'll have to finish the job. Don't overthink—just act when the time comes. Got it?"
"Got it!" Midoriya had replied firmly.
"Perfect. Go in when you're ready... but don't take your time."
They had shared a moment of mutual trust before Toji moved into position, leaving Midoriya to prepare for what lay ahead.