Midnight stopped smiling and straightened up as her expression shifted slightly.
"The League of Villains?" she repeated slowly. "Director, that organization is barely starting to make noise in the criminal world. What would make them think they can attack the most heavily defended hero institution in Japan?"
"Arrogance tends to be a rather common flaw among rookie villains," Nezu replied with a small smile as he carefully opened one of the drawers of his desk. "Many believe that 'first year students' is the same as 'easy prey.'" His eyes gleamed with an unsettling intelligence behind his kind expression. "And of course, there's the small inconvenience of the information we lost during yesterday's security breach. If someone got their hands on data about schedules, facilities, or protocols, then this possibility stops being mere paranoia."
Cementoss crossed his arms over his massive chest.
"Was the infiltration confirmed, or are we still working off a suspicion?"
"The circumstantial evidence is sufficient to act under the principle of maximum caution." Nezu pulled a portable radio out of the drawer and placed it on the desk. "Worst case scenario, we'll have run a remarkably efficient coordination drill. But if I'm right..."
His smile widened.
"...then those villains are about to learn a very painful lesson about what happens when someone threatens U.A.'s students."
"What's the plan?" Aizawa asked.
Nezu brought his paws together as his eyes shone with focus.
"First, I need Toshinori-kun here immediately. Kayama, please contact All Might and tell him to come to my office right now. It's an administrative emergency that requires his immediate presence before any other activity."
Midnight pulled out her cell phone.
"Should I tell him everything?"
"Tell him I need to discuss a matter related to the safety of the students." Nezu paused. "That should be enough to get him here straight away without stopping to rescue cats from trees along the way."
Midnight nodded as she dialed the number.
Nezu continued without waiting.
"Ishiyama-kun, I need you to cancel your afternoon classes and head to the USJ immediately. Your cement control Quirk will be essential for creating defensive positions and ambush points inside the dome before the students arrive."
Cementoss nodded with a serious expression.
"What kind of formations do you need?"
"Fufufu... hidden shelters for the teachers in each disaster zone," Nezu explained as he laced his paws together on the desk. "Flood zone, fire, landslide, mountain, mudslide, and storm. I want every faculty member to have an observation point where they can monitor the situation without being detected, and act with tactical superiority at exactly the right moment."
"Understood."
"Ah, and Hizashi-kun will be going with you as well," Nezu added with a small, sharp smile. "Present Mic's Quirk has an excellent suppression range for crowd combat. If the villains try to split up or surround the students, his ability to neutralize large groups of enemies in one go will be... extremely useful."
Aizawa frowned.
"And what about Thirteen? She was already scheduled to supervise the training."
"Thirteen-kun will keep her original role," Nezu confirmed. "Her presence is expected, so it won't raise any suspicions. But instead of being alone with you, she'll have hidden backup in every zone of the dome."
Midnight put her phone away.
"All Might is on his way. He said he'll be here in fifteen minutes."
"Perfect." Nezu nodded. "That gives us time to coordinate the remaining details. Kayama-kun, your role will be to infiltrate the USJ alongside the rest of the reinforcements. Your Somnambulist Quirk is ideal for neutralizing large groups without causing unnecessary casualties."
Midnight smiled with anticipation.
"Oh my... so you want me to put any villain who dares lay a finger on my students to sleep," she replied with a teasing smile. "How considerate of you. And here I was thinking I'd be bored today."
Aizawa took in the information while rubbing his eyes with exhaustion.
"You're turning the USJ into a mousetrap. The students walk in like normal, the villains attack thinking they've got the numbers, and then we reveal that every combat teacher at U.A. has been waiting in hiding the whole time."
Nezu smiled broadly, resting his chin on his paws.
"A properly designed trap will always beat a static fortress. Fortresses depend on resisting attacks. Traps, on the other hand, exploit the enemy's arrogance and turn their initiative into a fatal disadvantage."
Cementoss cleared his throat softly before speaking.
"Director, with all due respect, this is starting to look more like a tactical containment operation than a simple school safety protocol. Are we sure we want to escalate things to this level?"
Nezu's expression hardened as his eyes lost every trace of warmth.
"Ishiyama-kun, let me be completely clear about something. If these villains had attacked without warning, they would have found only a handful of students and two teachers trying to contain a large scale crisis." He paused briefly. "Some of the students would have ended up seriously injured. And statistically speaking, there's a very real possibility that some of them wouldn't have survived."
"As long as I remain the director of U.A., I will not allow a scenario like that to happen due to lack of preparation. Not when we have the means to prevent it."
Cementoss swallowed and nodded.
"Understood, Director."
Nezu turned back to them with his usual polite courtesy fully restored.
"We need communication channels that can't be intercepted or blocked. Aizawa-kun, make sure every teacher has a shortwave radio before entering the USJ. No cell phones or digital communicators that could be vulnerable to interference from tech based Quirks."
Aizawa nodded.
"And what about the students? Do we warn them about the possible attack?"
"No," Nezu answered immediately. "If the students know there's an ambush waiting, their behavior will shift and the villains could pick up that something's off. They need to act with complete normalcy for the trap to work."
Midnight lost some of her playful smile.
"Then they're going to panic when it all kicks off," she murmured, crossing her arms beneath her chest. "They're kids, Nezu. Even with training, some of them might freeze up out of fear during those first few seconds."
"They're going to be scared for about thirty seconds," Nezu corrected. "Then they're going to realize that every villain around them is being neutralized by professional teachers emerging from hidden positions. The fright will be minimal, and the lesson on teamwork between students and professionals will be invaluable."
BAM.
The office door burst open, revealing All Might in his muscular form walking inside with a worried expression.
"DIRECTOR NEZU! I came the moment I got the call!" he declared in a booming voice as he stepped further inside. "Tell me the situation! Are there injured students? A villain attack? If any of U.A.'s young ones are in danger, then there's no time to waste!"
Nezu looked at him with a smile.
"Toshinori-kun, glad you made it. Please, have a seat. We have a lot to discuss about this afternoon's training."
All Might closed the door behind him while his radiant smile stayed firm, though his blue eyes quickly swept across the tense faces of the teachers gathered there. He walked up to the desk and took the only empty chair across from Nezu.
"Director, the way Nemuri-san described the situation over the phone sounded urgent. What exactly is going on?"
Nezu brought his paws together in front of himself.
"Toshinori-kun, I'm going to be direct because we don't have time for diplomatic detours. We have reason to believe that the League of Villains is planning to attack our rescue training at the USJ this afternoon."
All Might's smile froze on his face.
"The League of Villains? Attacking U.A.?" His voice rose in volume involuntarily. "Director, if there is even the slightest possibility of a real threat against our students, then we have to act immediately! Let's suspend the training and put the police and the pro heroes on alert as soon as possible!"
"I already considered that option and dismissed it," Nezu answered calmly. "Canceling would only postpone the problem. If these villains have the audacity to try to attack U.A., they'll eventually find another opportunity. I'd rather face them in a controlled scenario where we have full tactical advantage."
All Might leaned forward in his chair.
"Tactical advantage? Director, with all due respect, we're talking about first year students! They're young people who are just beginning their path as heroes!" His voice rumbled with growing intensity. "I will not allow the safety of those kids to be risked just to keep a scheduled exercise on the calendar! If there's a real threat, then our priority must be to protect them, not stick to the academic schedule!"
Aizawa spoke up from his position against the wall.
"All Might, quit getting worked up for a second and listen to the whole plan before you turn this into a speech about the heroic spirit." He shifted his gaze slightly toward Nezu. "I hate to admit it, but the director's right. If this really is the League of Villains, using the USJ as a trap could actually work."
All Might looked at Aizawa in disbelief.
"You agree with this?"
"Not entirely," Aizawa admitted. "But I recognize the logic behind the argument."
Midnight walked over and placed a hand on All Might's muscular shoulder.
"Yagi-san, ease up a little. Nezu isn't winging this one," she said with a firm calm, very different from her usual playful tone. "If anyone dares to attack, they're going to run into half of U.A.'s teaching staff waiting to come down on them. And besides..." Her smile widened just a bit. "We'll have the Symbol of Peace himself hidden among the reserve cards. Honestly, I feel worse for the villains."
All Might processed that information as his brow furrowed.
This goes against every instinct I have as a hero. Using students as bait, even indirectly, turns my stomach.
But he also couldn't ignore that Nezu was right about one fundamental point: if there were villains planning to attack, they would eventually find their moment.
"Very well," he said finally with a calmer voice. "Then explain the entire plan to me."
The base of operations had no official name nor any address that could be traced on any map of Japan. It was an abandoned space tucked between disused industrial buildings, with walls stained by moisture and a persistent smell of rust that clung to your clothes after spending more than an hour inside.
Shigaraki Tomura sat on the floor with his legs crossed and his back leaning against a cracked concrete column.
His left hand moved to his neck and started scratching with quick, nervous motions.
"Kurogiri." His voice came out laced with contained anxiety. "How much longer? I'm getting bored sitting here doing nothing."
The purple mist materialized a few meters away, condensing into the humanoid silhouette of Kurogiri. His yellow eyes glowed in the middle of the violet darkness that made up most of his body.
"According to the itinerary obtained during yesterday's infiltration, the first year students will be heading to the USJ in approximately two hours," Kurogiri replied in a polite, formal voice that contrasted completely with Shigaraki's impatience. "U.A. High School's transport will depart at precisely two o'clock. Punctuality is one of that institution's most consistent habits."
Shigaraki scratched harder, leaving red marks on the pale skin of his neck.
"Two hours... two damn hours..." he growled as he kept clawing at his neck in frustration. "It's too long. We could already be inside the USJ waiting for them."
Kurogiri tilted his head slightly.
"Tomura Shigaraki, patience is essential for the success of our operation," he replied in a soft voice. "If we enter too early, the security systems of the Unforeseen Simulation Joint could detect an anomaly before the students arrive. We need to take advantage of the confusion caused by their arrival to mask our entry."
Shigaraki stopped scratching for a moment and raised his eyes toward the cracked ceiling. A sadistic smile appeared beneath the pale hand covering most of his face.
"All Might's going to be there, right?"
"According to our sources, All Might should be accompanying the group," Kurogiri confirmed as he floated over to a makeshift table built from stacked crates. "He would hardly miss a practical training session involving his students. After all, the so called Symbol of Peace feels a particular need to show himself whenever he believes he can inspire others."
Shigaraki's smile widened until it turned maniacal. His fingers moved back to his neck, scratching with compulsive motions that left the skin raw.
"Perfect... perfect, perfect, perfect... we're gonna kill him in front of all those kids, we're gonna disintegrate him right in front of those brats and make them watch the great All Might turn into dust... piece by piece."
He slowly raised a hand toward the ceiling, extending all five fingers.
"And once they understand that their shiny Symbol of Peace can't save them, once they see that even he can die..."
He let out a small, dry, unhinged laugh.
"...then everything will come crashing down. Society as a whole, starting with that stupid hope they place in heroes. Because if All Might can die, then nobody is safe from anything."
Kurogiri observed the outburst with patience. Tomura was still impulsive and short tempered, but his strategic reasoning had improved considerably over the past few days.
"The Nomu at the USJ was designed by the master specifically to face All Might," Kurogiri explained as he slightly adjusted the dark mist that formed his body. "Its shock absorption and regeneration far surpass the capabilities of any ordinary villain."
Shigaraki paused his scratching for a moment and slowly lowered his hand.
"I don't want them to kill everyone. Just enough of them."
His fingers twitched slightly.
"I want All Might to understand that he failed. As a hero and as a teacher. I want to see his face when he realizes he couldn't protect those kids."
A dry laugh escaped his throat.
"Let him watch how his students die because of him. Then maybe that stupid symbol will finally break."
"Izuku-kun, what are you thinking about?" Ochako tilted her head a little as she walked beside him through the hallway, watching him with a small, curious smile. "You've got that face you make when you come up with something again."
I have a specific face for when I'm planning things?
"You do," Momo agreed with a polite smile. "Your eyes narrow slightly and your lips move as if you were organizing your thoughts under your breath. It becomes quite obvious once you recognize the pattern."
So now I'm an open book to anyone who watches me for more than five minutes. Though coming from Momo, she probably ran a full psychological analysis on all my facial tics during the first week of class.
"I was just thinking about the training zones at the USJ." Izuku scratched the back of his neck with a slightly embarrassed smile. "I was wondering if I'm going to be able to use my Quirk effectively in rescue situations when there's nobody around to... ahem, you know."
"Mmm, yeah, you've got a point," Ochako nodded thoughtfully. "If your Quirk needs direct contact, in an emergency like a flood or a fire it would be hard to find the right moment to use it, especially when everything happens so fast."
"Although, in theory..." Momo raised a finger as she shifted into analytical mode. "You could take advantage of today's training to develop rescue skills that don't depend directly on your Quirk. After all, situations in which a hero can't use the full extent of their abilities are precisely the ones that distinguish a complete professional from someone who relies solely on their special powers."
Translation: I need to learn how to be useful without groping breasts. Which is totally fair as critiques go, but it hurts my ego a little as a breast loving Quirk user.
They reached the classroom just as other students were starting to gather around their desks, chatting animatedly about the training. Kirishima and Kaminari were comparing theories about which zones of the USJ would be the most exciting, while Iida tried to organize everyone into a neat line for the departure.
Hey... isn't that supposed to be my job?!
"Attention, fellow classmates!" Iida stood at the front of the room. "We must prepare for transport in an organized and efficient manner. I remind you all that the bus departs at two o'clock sharp, and any delay could negatively affect our training time at the USJ."
"We've still got like twenty minutes," Tsuyu commented from her seat. "I think we have time to chill out a bit before we head out, kero."
"Punctuality is a fundamental virtue of professional heroes, Asui-san! We can't allow ourselves complacency simply because we appear to have an adequate time margin."
Izuku smiled as he watched the scene. There was something comforting about the chaotic routine of Class 1-A, in the way every personality clashed with and complemented the others without anyone really seeming to mind.
He headed to his desk to put away his class materials when he heard a soft voice on his left.
"Hey, Midoriya."
Izuku turned around and found Jiro Kyoka leaning against the desk next to his. She had a casual expression that didn't give much away, but her earphone jacks hung loose around her neck instead of being plugged into her ears, which Izuku had learned meant she was open to a conversation.
"Hi, Jiro-san," Izuku answered with a friendly smile. "Is something up?"
"Nah, nothing special." Jiro shrugged as she shoved her hands into her pockets. "Just thinking the training today sounds pretty interesting. You know, simulated disaster zones and all that." She looked away for a moment before continuing with a half resigned smile. "Though, honestly, I'm not really sure how useful my Quirk is for rescues. It's not like I can use sound waves to pull people out of collapsed buildings."
"Your Quirk has way more applications than you think," Izuku began as his mind started mapping out possibilities. "You could use your earphone jacks to detect victims trapped under rubble by listening for their heartbeats or their breathing. That would be incredibly useful in situations where rescue teams don't know exactly where to look."
"Huh, never thought about it that way." Jiro tilted her head a little, slightly frowning. "I always figured my Quirk was more for combat, since sound waves work pretty well as direct attacks."
"The best Quirks are the ones that have multiple applications depending on the context," Izuku continued, getting more and more excited about the topic. "Take Recovery Girl. Her accelerated healing Quirk seems super specific, but it can actually be used strategically in combat to keep allies in fighting condition, or in rescues to stabilize seriously injured victims until professional medical help arrives."
Ochako, who had been putting away her own materials, overheard the conversation and walked over with a bright smile.
"Jiro-san!" Ochako raised her hand. "Are you gonna sit with us on the bus?" She leaned forward a little, clearly excited. "Izuku-kun and Yaoyorozu-san are super good at explaining Quirk stuff. It's like having a private hero theory class."
Jiro looked at Ochako and then back at Izuku. Her fingers toyed with one of the dangling earphone jacks for a moment before she answered.
"Well... it's not like I've got better plans or anybody else to sit with right now, so... I guess that works. Count me in."
"Yes! It's gonna be so much fun! Plus Momo's in too, so we'll all be together! It's gonna be a blast!"
Momo walked over after finishing organizing her own materials.
"Are we putting together a group for the bus?" she asked as she came to stand next to Ochako. "I think that's an excellent idea. Traveling in company makes the ride considerably more pleasant."
Wait, how did this become an official group so fast? Literally thirty seconds ago Jiro was just asking about her Quirk and now apparently we're a traveling quartet. Female social dynamics operate at a speed my brain can't keep up with.
"Then it's settled," Ochako clapped her hands together excitedly. "The four of us are sitting together on the bus. It's gonna be like a mini study club on the way to the USJ!"
Jiro let out a small laugh, clearly amused by Ochako's overflowing enthusiasm.
"Uraraka, you've got way too much energy for it to be almost two in the afternoon. What did you eat for breakfast, straight sugar?"
"Mochi!" Ochako answered proudly. "Three pieces, because they were on sale at the store near my apartment."
"That explains everything," Jiro commented in a dry but friendly tone.
**********
Power Stones are what keep this story alive — don't hold back, smash that button!
While everyone else is still waiting — Chapter 44 is already live on Patreon.
Over 3,000 words per chapter, cover art with every release, and no sitting on finished content just to hit a schedule date. When it's ready, it's up. Simple as that.
Don't wait for it to show up elsewhere. patreon.com/shurazero