The thing about being at U.A. is that there's never really a "quiet" day. Even when the sun rises slowly and the air feels calm, you know something is coming. It's like standing at the edge of a storm, waiting for the first crack of thunder.
That storm arrives bright and early.
"All first-year students to Ground Beta immediately," Aizawa-sensei's voice blares over the speakers, his tone as flat as ever. "Failure to arrive in five minutes will result in additional endurance drills. Move."
I'm already halfway down the dormitory stairs before he finishes. The halls are chaos—classmates scrambling to get their gear and tossing half-eaten breakfasts into the trash. I spot Iida barking orders about punctuality while trying to tie his own shoe mid-sprint. Typical.
"Guess we're not getting a warm-up today," I mutter as I jog outside.
Akari falls in step beside me, her hair still damp from a rushed shower. "Aizawa doesn't do warm-ups. He just throws us into the deep end and hopes we can swim."
"I thought you liked the deep end," I tease, glancing at her.
She smirks. "Oh, I do. Just wondering if you can keep up."
Ground Beta is a sprawling urban simulation zone, complete with fake buildings, narrow alleyways, and even simulated civilians. We gather in the center of the mock city, where Aizawa-sensei and Present Mic wait for us. The latter's energy is in stark contrast to Aizawa's monotony.
"YOOOO, CLASS 1-A!" Present Mic's voice booms, making several of us flinch. "Hope you're ready, because today's exercise is gonna crank the dial to ELEVEN!"
Aizawa sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What he means is, this exercise will test your ability to work in larger teams under unpredictable conditions. Your objectives will be revealed once the simulation begins. No further instructions."
Mina raises her hand, looking concerned. "Wait, so we don't even know what we're doing until we're in it?"
"Exactly," Aizawa replies, his tone suggesting that he expects us to fail spectacularly.
As the teams are assigned, I'm grouped with Akari, Midoriya, and Bakugo. It's a mix of personalities that feels like a recipe for disaster. Midoriya's already mumbling to himself, analyzing every possible scenario. Akari's leaning against a wall, looking relaxed but ready. And Bakugo… well, he's pacing like a caged animal, explosions sparking from his palms.
"This is gonna suck," Bakugo growls, glaring at the rest of us.
"Not if we work together," Midoriya says, a nervous but determined smile on his face.
"Work together? With you?!" Bakugo scoffs. "The only thing I'm working on is blowing this whole damn course to bits!"
I step between them before things escalate. "Save it for the mission. We don't even know what we're up against yet."
Bakugo snarls something under his breath but doesn't argue further.
The simulation starts with a deafening alarm, followed by a computerized voice booming from hidden speakers:
"Warning: Villain attack detected. Civilians in danger. Neutralize threats and evacuate all civilians to safety. Time limit: 20 minutes."
The city comes alive. Robots modeled after villains begin pouring out of alleyways and buildings, while holographic civilians scream for help. The clock is ticking.
"Split up!" Midoriya shouts. "Sora, take the skies and scout for civilians in danger. Akari, cover him from the shadows. Bakugo and I will handle the villains on the ground!"
It's a solid plan, but I don't miss the way Bakugo bristles at taking orders. I'm half-expecting him to rebel, but to my surprise, he just growls and blasts off into the fray.
"Guess we're flying, Angel Boy," Akari says, her tone light despite the chaos erupting around us.
I leap into the air, my wings unfurling in a burst of light. The sensation is as familiar as breathing now—the way the wind rushes past me, the way the sun catches on my feathers. Below, the battlefield unfolds in all its chaotic glory. Villains clash with my classmates, explosions and flashes of Quirks lighting up the streets.
"South side," I call down to Akari, spotting a group of civilians cornered by two hulking robots. "We need to move, now."
She doesn't respond verbally, but I see her slip into the shadows, her form dissolving like smoke as she darts toward the threat. I dive after her, my wings beating hard as I charge up a blast of light.
The first robot turns toward the civilians, its mechanical arms raised to strike. I release the energy in a focused beam that slices through its chest, the machine collapsing in a shower of sparks. The second one swivels toward me, but before it can react, Akari emerges from its shadow, her blade-like claws slashing through its joints with precision.
"You're late," she says, smirking up at me.
"Saved you the big one," I reply, offering her a hand as the civilians cheer.
We guide them to a nearby safe zone, and I feel a flicker of pride at how smoothly we handled it. But there's no time to celebrate—the clock is still ticking.
The next fifteen minutes are a blur of motion. We rescue civilians, neutralize threats, and cover each other's weaknesses. Akari's ability to slip into shadows and strike from unexpected angles pairs perfectly with my aerial attacks and light-based defenses. It's almost… easy.
But then the simulation takes a turn.
"Warning: Villain Leader detected. High-priority threat."
The ground trembles as a massive robot, twice the size of anything we've faced so far, emerges from the city center. Its arms are equipped with flamethrowers, and its chest glows with a power core that looks ready to explode.
"Midoriya! Bakugo!" I shout, swooping down to regroup. "We've got a problem!"
"No shit!" Bakugo snarls, blasting at the robot's legs with everything he's got. But the machine barely staggers, its flames forcing him to retreat.
"We need a plan!" Midoriya yells, dodging a fireball.
"Plan later, hit it now!" Bakugo roars.
I glance at Akari, who's crouched behind cover, her brow furrowed. "Got any bright ideas?" she asks.
"Always," I reply, my wings glowing as I gather energy. "Cover me. I'll go for the core."
She hesitates but nods. "Don't get yourself killed, Angel Boy."
With that, I launch into the sky, light trailing behind me as Akari and the others distract the robot. It's risky—stupid, even—but if I can get close enough to overload its core, we might just have a shot.
The flames lick at my wings as I dive, heat searing through my skin, but I push forward. One shot. That's all I need.
The explosion is deafening.
When the dust settles, I'm on my back, my wings singed but intact. The robot is in pieces, its core a smoldering wreck. Akari stands over me, her hand extended.
"Told you not to get yourself killed," she says, pulling me to my feet.
"Didn't plan to," I reply, managing a grin despite the ache in my chest.
The buzzer sounds, signaling the end of the exercise. Aizawa approaches, his expression unreadable as always.
"Barely passable," he says. "But you survived. That's something."
As we limp back to the dorms, Akari falls into step beside me. "You're crazy, you know that?"
"Maybe," I admit, flexing my wings. "But it worked."
She smiles, small but genuine. "Yeah. It did."