The next day started slow—just another round of lectures, a math quiz nobody finished, and a sleepy lunch hour. But everyone knew what was coming.
Hero Basic Training.
And in strode All Might, grinning from ear to ear.
"I BUSTED IN LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!" he declared.
Half the class screamed. Kaminari almost fell over.
"You call that normal?!" Kirishima shouted, wide-eyed.
All Might laughed it off. "A proper hero must always make an entrance!"
He clapped once, loud enough to rattle the windows.
"Today—we begin Hero Training in earnest!"
He pulled out a stack of folders. "Costumes! Designed based on the Quirk registrations and costume requests you submitted before the semester!"
He held one hand high, the other clenched at his waist. "They say the clothes make the hero, young men and ladies!"
Soon suitcases protruded out the classroom wall
Some students were already buzzing.
"After you change—head straight to Ground Beta!"
"YES, SIR!" a few called out.
All Might grinned wider. "Be fully aware… from this moment on…"
He pointed at them, cape fluttering behind him even though there was no wind.
"…you are HEROES!"
The class erupted into chatter, some pumped, others frozen in place.
——
metal locker doors creaked open one after another. the sound of zippers, boots hitting the floor, and snapping clips echoed through the room. some were nervous. others were way too excited.
"bro, this is gonna be so sick," kirishima said, pulling out his red armored top with jagged shoulder pads. "manliest thing i've ever worn!"
"you're really going with no shirt?" denki asked from the bench, half into his yellow-trimmed suit.
"if you've got it, show it off," kirishima said, flexing. "hero vibes, you know?"
jura unzipped his locker quietly. he didn't say anything. just pulled his costume out and held it up.
it was sleek—mostly matte black with golden segmented lines. clean and sharp. a half-cloak with gold lining hung folded over the shoulder pad. it looked less like a hero costume and more like something built for infiltration or close combat.
he started putting it on, pulling the suit over his legs first.
"yo," sato said, watching him. "that's a serious look. what kind of hero are you supposed to be, again?"
jura didn't look up. "still working on the name."
"looks like something out of a fighting game," kaminari said. "dude's got the silent striker drip."
"or one of those broody vigilantes," sero added. "mysterious past, tragic backstory."
"i don't need a backstory," jura muttered, tightening the gloves.
his hands flexed inside them. the plates at the knuckles clicked into place. lightweight. strong.
he pulled the zipper up to his collarbone and clipped the half-cloak across his back. the inside lining flashed gold as he moved.
the boots were last—mid-shin height, reinforced but slim.
when he stood up fully and glanced at the mirror, even bakugo looked over from the corner of the room.
"…not bad," bakugo muttered, just loud enough for someone to hear.
jura checked his reflection. the gold highlights ran from his ribs to his shoulders like nerve patterns. the cloak didn't drag, just shifted slightly as he walked.
clean lines. nothing wasted.
"yo, mop-head actually looks cool," kaminari said.
jura turned slowly. "careful. i might take that as a compliment."
"we're gonna look like comic book extras next to this guy," kirishima added, laughing. "he looks like a final boss."
"nah," jura said. "final bosses don't show up on day two."
——
They met at the staging area—a wide open lot of reinforced concrete and empty buildings. Jura looked around.
Same layout as the entrance exam.
"Déjà vu," he muttered.
Others arrived in costume one by one. Bakugo's grenade gauntlets gleamed in the light. Todoroki's half-cape shifted as he walked. Tsuyu's suit looked built for agility, Sero's for mobility.
And then came Ochaco.
Izuku was mid-sentence when he saw her.
Her suit clung close—black with pale pink down the center, two black domes across her chest, and heavy gauntlets on her forearms. Pink lines spiraled around her boots and sleeves, and her visor sat on top of her head like a helmet she forgot to put on.
Izuku short-circuited.
"Uh—I mean—it looks good, not like good-good, just—functionally designed—I mean—pink—suit—you know—"
Jura watched from the corner of his eye, amused.
Then Mina snuck up beside him.
"Well? What about mine?"
Jura turned.
Her suit was snug, a mix of purples and turquoise camo, cut just above the chest. A tan vest lay open over her shoulders, white fur at the collar. Her boots were plum and beige, designed for her acid quirk—vented at the soles.
She wore a slim white mask over her eyes, but her grin gave her away.
Jura smirked. "Functional. Flashy. You'll distract every villain before you even throw a punch."
She laughed. "You just like the camo."
"Maybe I like the confidence."
She blinked, surprised. "Huh."
But before she could say anything back—
All Might chuckled. "That's great, everyone. You all look COOL!"
Then, with a dramatic pivot: "Now—shall we begin, you zygotes?!"
the class stood in formation in the center of ground beta. their costumes caught the light. some looked like pros already. others, like they were still figuring it out.
all might stood on a small platform in front of them, arms crossed, cape flaring even though there wasn't wind.
"most of the time," he began, voice booming, "fighting villains takes place outdoors!"
he paused—then raised a finger.
"but if you look at the total numbers… atrocious villains appear indoors at a higher rate."
some students blinked. izuku tilted his head.
"imprisonment. house arrest. backroom deals," all might continued. "in this society filled with heroes…"
he clenched a fist. his voice dropped.
"…truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows."
several students leaned in now.
"so!" he barked, suddenly back to full volume. "for this class, you'll be split into villains and heroes and fight indoor battles!"
ochaco raised her hand. "wait—no basic training first?"
"this is basic training!" all might declared. "a real battle to help you understand those basics!"
"however," he said, pointing toward them, "the key this time is that there's no robot you can just beat up!"
that got a few mutters.
tokoyami's eyes narrowed. "how will wins and losses be determined?"
kaminari raised his hand, already half-laughing. "can we beat them up anyway?"
kirishima grinned. "is there another expulsion waiting?"
sero pointed at all might's cape. "…isn't this thing a little much?"
all might laughed, clearly enjoying the chaos. "great questions!"
he held up a chart.
"the situation is this: villains have hidden a nuclear w*apon somewhere inside their hideout."
"your job—as heroes—is to infiltrate and secure it… or take down the villains."
he paced once, slow.
"the villains win by protecting the device or capturing the heroes. the heroes win by recovering it or neutralizing the villains before time's up."
simple. direct. effective.
the class grew quieter, more serious.
⸻
jura stood near the back, arms loosely folded over his chest. he stared forward but wasn't fully focused.
…so this is the test mineta was supposed to be in.
he looked around the field. mineta wasn't in 1-a anymore. jura's presence had shifted things. he didn't know how far the ripple went.
would i end up on his old team? or does it all reshuffle?
before he could think more, all might checked his paper and called out:
"team g—denki kaminari and kyoka jiro!"
denki gave a small fist bump. "rock on!"
jiro just sighed. "don't hold me back."
"versus…" all might continued.
"team c—momo yaoyorozu… and jura lee!"
jura blinked once.
momo turned toward him, calm as ever. "looks like we're partners."
jura nodded. "let's not lose."
all might gave a thumbs-up. "try not to vaporize each other!"
——
they had five minutes to talk.
momo stood near the map display, scanning the floor plan of the building. her costume looked formal and combat-ready: a crimson leotard with a wide belt that allowed her to pull objects from her skin. her expression was sharp, already calculating.
jura leaned on the table beside her, arms loosely crossed.
"you're calm," he said.
"i studied last year's setup," momo replied. "if the layout's the same, the central chamber has the most coverage and the fewest blind spots."
jura nodded once. "you think they'll go full defense?"
"probably. kaminari's long-range support. jiro's sensory and mid-range. if they play it smart, they'll keep her listening for us and him guarding the objective."
"you want to push from opposite sides?"
"no," momo said. "i can generate flashbangs and cover. if you can get in fast after that—"
"i'll be in their face before they reset."
she looked at him. "are you holding back again?"
jura shrugged. "depends how cocky they get."
⸻
on the way to the bomb
they moved through the narrow hall leading to where denki and jiro were
the walls were bare concrete, flickering lights overhead. a camera rotated slowly above the door.
momo adjusted her wristguard. "this is the part where most students overthink things."
"you're not most students."
"and you?"
jura looked ahead. "i don't think enough to overthink."
the door slid open.
they stepped into the mock facility.
a voice called from above.
"team c—begin!"
⸻
concrete underfoot. metal crates stacked around. narrow stairwells, wide halls. florescent lights buzzed from the ceiling.
jura crouched slightly, scanning the corners.
"one shot," he muttered. "let's make it count."
momo nodded. "i'll draw their attention. you move when they look."
they disappeared into the structure.
———
inside the objective room – team g
the room was wide, with a raised platform in the center. a glowing barrel marked "nuclear device" sat under a soft spotlight. vents hummed overhead. metal support beams made shadows stretch across the floor.
jiro knelt near the far wall, earjacks plugged into a pipe.
"they're not moving fast," she whispered.
kaminari paced nearby, hand hovering over a panel on his gauntlet. "what do you mean 'not fast'? jura's always fast."
"yeah," jiro muttered, listening. "but he's not sprinting. he's waiting."
denki frowned. "that's creepy."
"yaoyorozu's probably calling the shots. she's smart."
he adjusted his visor. "so they're not rushing in?"
"not yet."
jiro's eyes narrowed. "…they're setting up something."
⸻
nearby stairwell – team c
momo pulled a cylindrical flashbang from her side. the glowing material hardened instantly.
"three seconds," she whispered. "that's how long the stun lasts. keep low and fast."
"got it," jura said, crouched behind a support column.
she leaned out, scanned the hallway, then rolled the capsule forward.
it bounced once—
FLASH.
a burst of white light and sound lit up the corridor.
no yelling—just foot scuffs and a fast reaction.
jura moved.
low to the ground, he kicked off the wall, launched off a corner, and broke into a tight hallway at full speed.
his boots barely made sound.
⸻
objective room – seconds later
jiro yanked her jacks out of the pipe.
"flashbang!" she shouted. "left hall!"
kaminari spun. "i got it—"
but jura was already there.
he burst through the side door in a blur. his shoulder hit the frame, cloak sweeping with the motion. his hand chopped forward—
jiro ducked, barely avoiding the strike.
"he's fast!" denki shouted, backing up.
jura didn't answer. he didn't need to.
his eyes locked onto the glowing barrel.
⸻
meanwhile, momo pushed into the second entrance. she had a baton extended—created mid-run—and aimed straight for the fuse box.
"disable lights," she muttered.
crack.
the lights flickered. the room dropped into low red emergency lighting.
kaminari started to charge his palm. "don't make me zap you!"
"you won't hit me in time," jura said calmly, still moving.
jiro swept her earjack forward—
but momo's baton intercepted it.
steel clanged against steel.
"focus on me," momo said firmly.
⸻
jura slipped around the last crate. The bomb in front of him.
"we've got it," he said.
denki clenched his fists. "like hell!"
the shine from the "nuclear device" was steady, dimmed now under emergency lighting. metal creaked slightly under the weight of motion.
jura reached it first—one hand stretched toward the glowing core.
three steps away.
too easy, he thought. they're out of sync—
ZAP.
his boot skidded on the floor as a small jolt of electricity jumped through the air.
not a full blast. but enough.
he stopped, eyes sharp.
denki stood ten feet back, both hands up, small sparks dancing across his knuckles.
"you sure about that?" he asked. voice nervous, but steady.
jura didn't respond. just watched him.
then the floor buzzed again.
pop!
jiro kicked one of the crates hard.
her earjack slammed into the side panel—connected to a structural conduit.
vibrations ripped through the floor.
momo stumbled, bracing herself. "he rewired the ground!"
"not rewired," jiro said, panting. "amplified."
the vibrations surged through the metal supports, rattling the interior. jura's balance slipped for just half a second.
and that was enough.
denki let loose a targeted burst—right between them.
not strong. not lethal. just enough to stop movement.
jura dropped low, grounded himself.
but it bought them space.
momo regrouped beside him. "adjust?"
"adjust."
the floor still hummed faintly from jiro's vibration trick. momo shifted her stance, ready to defend.
jura lowered himself into a wide stance, breath even.
enough.
he shut his eyes.
first gate… open.
the heat surged through his limbs instantly.
red pressure lines pulsed faintly across his forearms and neck. his boots dug into the floor. the cloak shifted from the sudden rush of power.
denki blinked. "wait—what's he—?"
boom.
jura was gone.
he reappeared behind a support beam—then another—then shot straight through the center line toward the core.
jiro spun. "i can't track him—!"
momo threw a flash baton between them and the objective. it exploded in white light, momentarily blinding.
denki panicked. "cover your—!"
too late.
jura slid across the metal floor, bypassed the stunned duo, and planted both hands on the bomb.
"secured."
the timer buzzed from the ceiling.
"heroes win."
red light flickered off.
⸻
aftermath – inside the room
jiro groaned. "my eyes…"
denki sat down, breathing fast. "what the hell was that speed?"
jura stood still, energy slowly pulling back. he released the gate. sweat slid down his temple. not exhaustion—just heat.
momo lowered her baton. "clean finish."
jura nodded once.
⸻
above – control booth
all might grinned wide.
"an excellent combination of strategy and decisive action! textbook teamwork!"
he looked at the class watching from the gallery behind him.
"that—was a hero move."
izuku stared wide-eyed. "he used the gate. that was gate one…"
kaminari groaned from below. "feels like gate ten…"
jiro just waved a hand, still recovering.