MHA: Harder Better Faster Stronger

Wednesday, 12:50 p.m.

Aizawa stood at the front of the room, looking just as half-asleep as usual.

"Today's training is going to be a little different," he said. "We're doing rescue training. I'll be supervising, along with All Might and one more pro hero."

A few students straightened up at that.

"So today's gonna be more intense, huh," Kaminari said.

"Real hero work," Kirishima grinned. "I'm excited."

Of course he was. Anything that promised a fight got him fired up.

Aizawa kept going, ignoring the chatter. "I know some of you were looking forward to wearing your hero costumes. But not everyone's adjusted to theirs yet. So you can wear your PE uniforms if you want."

I didn't need to. My hero costume fit better anyway. The PE gear was fine, but it felt generic. The suit felt like mine.

A few groans went around the room.

"That being said," Aizawa added, "the location's off-campus. We'll be taking a bus. Get changed and meet at the lot."

Inside the bus

The engine hummed under the floor. I sat near the window and kept quiet while the others talked. Some leaned into the aisles. Others sprawled out or joked like it was a field trip.

"Hey," Kaminari said, turning to the row behind him, "you think we'll be fighting robots again? Like during the entrance exam?"

"I doubt it," Jirou said, leaning on her elbow. "It's rescue training, not a combat drill."

Kirishima leaned forward, grinning. "Still, that'd be kind of awesome, right? Fighting villains while saving civilians at the same time? That's real hero stuff."

"You just want to punch something," Ashido said, nudging him.

"Yeah, and?" he grinned. "Tell me that doesn't sound cool."

I let the chatter fade out. Too many of them still treated this like a game. Even the idea of danger made them grin.

Me? I wanted to see what kind of disaster they'd built for us.

We pulled up to the facility, and I got my first look at it up close. From the outside, it looked plain—just a huge circular building with a wide lot and steel fencing around it.

Everyone started gathering.

"This is the U.S.J.," Aizawa said. "Unforeseen Simulation Joint. It's used for rescue training under simulated disaster conditions. You'll get the full breakdown inside. Stay together and keep your heads clear."

The class stepped off the bus.

The wind out here was stronger open space, fewer buildings. I adjusted my collar and glanced up at the dome again.

We walked toward the front entrance as a woman in a silver and black space suit stepped out to greet us.

"I'm hero Thirteen," she said, giving a small wave. "Welcome to the U.S.J.!"

She sounded cheerful, like she was trying to put everyone at ease.

"All Might's running late," Aizawa said, already stepping past her. "We'll start the orientation without him."

As we entered, the inside of the building opened up into something massive far bigger than the outside suggested. The space stretched out under a huge domed ceiling, filled with simulated zones: mountains, ruins, a flood area, and more. Everything was set up like a miniature disaster zone.

I scanned it all as we walked in.

Flood zone. Fires. Rockslides. Collapsed buildings.

The flood zone had low visibility and wide exposure. No elevation. Bad place to get pinned down.

The ruined city would be easier to navigate tight cover, but a risk of collapse. If we ended up there, I'd have more room to maneuver.

Dead center, I spotted the main platform flat, solid, elevated. Good visibility in all directions. Strong position to control the scene.

This is the Perfect stage for rescue training.

We gathered on the platform while Thirteen stepped forward.

"You've all seen how dangerous Quirks can be," she said. "In everyday life, they can cause serious injury or worse if used improperly. That's why rescue work is such an important part of being a hero."

She gestured toward the zones. "We've prepared several disaster areas to train in landslides, building collapses, fires, floods. Today's goal is to learn how to save others without causing harm and to work as a team while doing it."

Thirteen smiled under the mask. "I'm sure many of you have powerful Quirks. But don't forget your role as heroes isn't just to defeat villains. It's to protect people. That's what this training is for."

Aizawa glanced at his watch. "Still no sign of All Might…"

A second passed. Then another.

The lights flickered.

I turned my head at the same time as Iida.

A strange shimmer spread across the far side of the platform, like a ripple in the air. Then a purple circular distortion opens.

A figure stepped through. Or maybe stumbled. Hard to tell. His hands twitched like they didn't know where to rest.

He was tall. Lanky. Draped in black fabric, like he'd crawled out of a garbage fire. But it was the hands that stood out severed, decayed. One on his face. One on his throat. More clinging down his arms like accessories.

I narrowed my eyes.

"I hate fake heroes," the man said, voice low, almost scratchy. "They're all the same. Flashy. Hollow. Pretending to smile while everything rots underneath."

He scanned the group slowly, like he was picking which one of us to crush first.

"I wonder if All Might will smile when I crush the last bit of hope out of his chest."

Kirishima tensed. "Who is this guy?"

The mist beside him thickened, and a second figure emerged its voice low and calm, almost polite.

"My name is Kurogiri. I represent the League of Villains. We have come here today for a single purpose: to kill the Symbol of Peace."

League of Villains.

That name hadn't come up in class before. Which meant it wasn't on the radar of anyone normal.

The portal behind him still shimmered. More footsteps echoed through it.

More villains.

Armed. Masked. Some carrying blades. Others dragging metal pipes behind them.

"What the hell…?" Kirishima said.

"Is this part of the training?" Kaminari asked, already backing up.

Aizawa stepped forward immediately. His scarf unwrapped in one smooth motion. "No. These are real villains."

The whole class went still.

I counted at least two dozen already. And more were still coming.

Whoever set this up knew exactly when to strike. They waited until All Might was absent. Waited until we were all grouped together.

I glanced toward the black mist again. One of them was standing there, giving off a dangerous vibe—and it didn't seem human at all. It wasn't showing any emotion. It looked like an experiment subject, just waiting for its master's command.

Aizawa didn't hesitate.

"Thirteen, protect the students. Get them out of here."

He stepped off the platform and dropped into the center zone below, scarf already moving. One of the villains charged him and was slammed to the ground a second later.

Thirteen turned to the group. "Everyone, stay calm! Head for the entrance move now!"

Iida took point. Yaoyorozu followed close. I hung back. Someone needed to watch the sides.

And sure enough—

Another shimmer. The same ripple in the air. But this time, it opened near the main gate the one that led to the exit.

A tall shape stepped through. A mist-like body, dark and rippling, with glowing yellow eyes and a soft, echoing voice.

"You heroes… cannot be allowed to leave. Not until you meet our master."

[TL:-Hey everyone, Let me know if anything felt off or didn't land right. Open to any thoughts—appreciate the feedback.]