Chapter Text
"I'm glad this uniform still fits. I hope it doesn't look dumb." The red-haired girl looked herself over in the mirror. An old school uniform, worn after being shoved in the back of a closet for who knows how long. "Hard to think back to when I used to wear it all the time," she continued.
"What, you're getting all sentimental on me all of a sudden? When did this happen?" her yellow-haired friend said, with a teasing smile. She smiled on the outside, but she was just as nervous. Who knew how today would go? Perhaps it was the white-haired girl, preparing a fat stack of papers.
"Oh, don't tease her. She's nervous. I think we all are, to tell you the truth. There's a lot at stake here," she went on, all while making her work neat and tidy.
"The stakes have never made you buckle, though, have they?" A black-haired girl, this time. Before, she was zoned out, watching the world go by through the window. Was she thinking about the past, or thinking to the future? All the other girls knew was that she spent a lot of her time like that, lazily watching time pass.
"No, they certainly haven't. No need to let the world get to you," she said, still looking down at her work. "If you take the time to prepare and take precautions, you can take anything life throws at you," she smugly added.
Faint giggling made her turn around. Just as she did, a large pillow hit her in the face and knocked her over. A brief, tense silence was interrupted by a chorus of laughter from the red and yellow-haired girls in response. "Guess those notes can't stop a little pillow!" the yellow-haired girl said, doubled over.
While the white-haired girl scolded her friends, the black-haired girl simply smiled and looked back out of the window. Perhaps this world really was similar to their own, and perhaps the same fortune would find them here.
The classroom was abuzz with conversation; the students were eager to start their day. The usual talk of upcoming tests and what they'd done the previous night spattered the room. One conversation in particular wasn't concerned with that, though.
"A guest speaker? Today? Aizawa didn't tell us about anybody coming, though, did he?" a small, brown-haired girl asked.
"I bumped into him before class! We actually have a few guests. Four, I think?" her friend, a green-haired boy, replied. "What do you think, Iida? More pro heroes?"
The blue-haired one beside them, chin in hand in thought, remained silent for a moment before sighing. "I have no idea. I would have assumed he would have told the class president, but no."
"Wow, that is weird. Maybe a last-minute scheduling? What do you think, Deku?"
"Well, how could we know? Could be anybody, for all we know. Maybe even - ah, look!" the boy pointed to Aizawa tiredly coming in the door, followed by four girls, not far from their own age. In suspense, everyone hurriedly took their seats.
The girls were dressed in matching formal attire, sharing the same emblem, like a school uniform not unlike their own. People from another school, perhaps?
Aizawa took his time walking to the front, before stopping and slowly turning. The girls lined up behind him, forming a line across the room. The red-haired girl stood on the leftmost position, followed by the white, the black, then the yellow-haired girls.
The room was dead quiet. No one knew what they were here for, who they were, or why Aizawa looked so annoyed by the situation. The girls stood firmly, not letting the silence unnerve them. Was this from experience, or was it a false air of confidence they were putting on?
Aizawa coughed before holding his hand out. "Class, say hello to today's...guests," he said, stressing the word.
The awkward air hung until the green-haired boy decided to break it. "Hello! I look forward to what you're doing today! Er, whatever it is," he sheepishly added, realizing how overly optimistic he sounded. Luckily, his words seemed to have cleared the air, as others greeted them as well. A plethora of greetings like "How are you?" and "Nice to meet you!" were sent out by nearly every student. A few others were either too suspicious or didn't care enough to bother.
After the greetings died down, the red-haired girl took a deep breath and started, "Thank you all for the warm welcome! Or, at least, most of you." A few laughs and looks at those who didn't greet the guests followed. "I'm sure you're all really worried about what we're actually doing here; I'll get to the point. We are here...to make you the best heroes you can be!"
Silence was followed by audible confusion and looks for guidance. The white-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Seriously?" She stepped forward, pushing the previous girl back. After she glared at the yellow-haired girl for snickering, she stood tall and began, "Hello, Class 1-A. Me and my associates are here for your benefit; to act as guides, mentors, or just plain friends for the duration of our stay here." Students looked at each other, intrigued by this. "We will be assisting you in every way we can, by lending an ear, a helping hand, or being an ally at your side. Our expertise is thorough-"
"What the fuck do you mean your expertise? That's bullshit, you're the same age as us!" a blonde-haired boy yelled out. He was previously leaned back in his seat, but her tone had broken his disinterest.
"Bakugou, don't be rude to the guests," Aizawa scolded. The boy sat back in his chair, comforted by his outburst.
"No, no, it's fine, sir," the white-haired girl intervened. She smirked and turned to the boy.
"Now he's gonna get it," the yellow-haired girl whispered, receiving a giggle from the red-haired girl.
The white-haired girl stiffens and begins, "You see, even though we here are only seventeen-"
"Hey, some of us are sixteen!" the red-haired girl interjected. A firm glare made her flinch and stand back.
She cleared her throat and started again, "As I was saying, though we are young, our expertise is vast. We've had experiences that the likes of you all will never see, thanks to the circumstances of where we come from. A past of desolation and horror, but let's not the point here. We didn't expect to come here and instantly be part of your lives. In fact, my friend here," she gestured to the yellow-haired girl, "had a genius idea. In order to simultaneously show you our capabilities, demonstrate our experience, and show you our sem-quirks," she said, slipping, which struck the students as odd, given that she was so perfectly articulate before, "we will split you into groups and advise your group-fighting capabilities in a group exercise: you all in your group against each one of us."
"Is that overconfidence or bravado? Maybe both?" Kaminari whispered to those beside him.
The white-haired girl eyed him and continued on, "Don't you worry about us. We can handle it."
The black-haired girl walked forward with a clipboard in hand. "Thanks to the even class number, you're all going to be in groups of five each. First up, Iida Tenya, Asui Tsuyu, Midoriya Izuku, Uraraka Ochako, and Sero Hanta are under Ruby Rose in Group One."
The red-haired girl flashed a smile and held up her fingers in a peace sign. "Looking forward to it, guys!" she said, beaming.
"Group Two will be Ashido Mina, Yaoyorozu Momo, Satou Rikidou, Kirishima Eijirou, and Kaminari Denki under Weiss Schnee."
The white-haired girl bowed. "I look forward to helping you all achieve the furthering of your abilities," she said with a sly smile.
"Group Three will be Tokoyami Fumikage, Todoroki Shouto, Hagakure Tooru, Aoyama Yuuga, and Shouji Mezou under Blake Belladonna. That'd be me," the black-haired girl added with a small wave, eyes still down at the list.
"And finally, Group Four has Ojiro Mashirao, Jirou Kyouka, Bakugou Katsuki, Kouda Kouji, and Mineta Minoru under Yang Xiao Long."
The yellow-haired girl pumped her fist in the air. "Yeah, let's do this!" she boasted.
Aizawa walked forward. "Throughout the week, your normal classes will be replaced by events coordinated by these four. Refer to them for any questions or concerns. It's entirely their job to handle you bunch for the time being."
"And with that note, we're ready for our first day!" Weiss exclaimed.
The students waited in their individual groups, around a fighting ring courtesy of Cementoss.
"I hope you're all ready! Even though you're in your gym clothes and don't have your suits to help you, you do have the advantage in that we don't know any of your quirks," Weiss lectured. "I highly suggest you use that to your advantage."
"Miss Schnee?" Todoroki interrupted.
"Yes, Todoroki, was it? Oh, and just call me Weiss, if you would."
"The way you've been talking, it's almost as if you believe we have no chance against you. Is that true?"
"If your teachers' input have anything to back it up, then I think you have a real chance, but personally, you won't win. But we're not here to judge you for winning or losing, Todoroki."
A few students cast glances at one another before looking back forward.
"We've randomized the order you'll be fighting in today, and it looks like...Group Four is up! Oh, this is going to be interested. Head to the ring, please."
The group made their way to the ring where Yang was waiting. "Oh, this is gonna be fun! Don't worry, I promise I'll go easy on ya," she teased.
Yang was also in the Yuuei gym clothes, but with gloves covering her fingers, curled up in fists as she cracked her knuckles.
Bakugou, who had been fuming since the four had introduced themselves, stomped his way to the front. "If you think I'm letting these weaklings get in the goddamn way of my beating your ass, you're out of your fucking mind, you hear me?"
"Ooh, a feisty one! Can't wait to see what you're capable of, that is if you don't let that hot head get in the way," she bit back.
"Oh, that's it, blondie. Just say the words, Ice Queen. I'm not holding a damn thing back for this," he fumed.
Weiss rolled her eyes and began her timer with a simultaneous, "Begin!"
Bakugou blasted himself forward with a loud, "And don't you fucks interrupt!"
Yang smirked and raised her arms up in preparation. Was he really being this predictable?
Just as Bakugou was nearing, he let loose a last-minute blast that veered him above the target. He blasted one hand again once he passed her, this time launching himself straight toward her unprotected back. With his free arm he slammed his fist into her back and let it explode.
Yang was launched forward but let her momentum carry into a roll and quickly got up. "Oh, look at that! I think I'll call you Blasty. You've got some sick moves, Blasty, I'll give you that," she said with a smirk.
Giggles from the crowd (and one laughing fit from Kirishima) led Bakugou to growl in anger. "Just what are you joking about, huh? You're dead meat!"
Bakugou began to sprint toward her. "Oh, a close-range fight is what you want, is it?" Yang said, putting her arms back up.
Bakugou reached her and let loose a vicious punch with a crackling explosion. Yang took it into her guard and let herself be pushed back before immediately sweeping Bakugou's legs with a swift recovery. Rather than let himself fall, Bakugou created an explosion pointed towards both Yang and the ground; to let himself be picked up and attacking his opponent at the same time. He skidded to a stop, watching his result. The ring was clouded with particles of dust from his blast.
What he saw once it cleared wasn't a beaten opponent, but a laughing girl. "Looks like you do have the ability to back up your shit-talk, Blasty." Obviously roughed up from Bakugou's explosions, she incredibly showed no sign of fatigue. Bakugou snarled and widened his stance.
Outside the ring, Midoriya watched with wide eyes. How this girl managed to take Bakugou head-on was a mystery. He looked to his side to see Ruby sitting on the bench beside him, kicking her legs and enjoying the show with a bright smile.
"You don't look tense at all, Miss Rose. Are you that confident in her skill?" he asked.
"Oh, please. Yang's got this in the bag," she responded with a stretch. "In fact, she's playing your friend like a fiddle. And don't you worry, she has a bit of experience playing with fire, so to speak."
"Like a fiddle...?" Midoriya pondered.
"Yang may look all play, but she's serious about what she does. I'd even say she sees a past version of herself in Bakugou," Ruby said, closing her eyes. "There's no doubt she's setting things up like this for a reason."
"Wait, setting things up? What do you mean?"
"Aw, c'mon! You mean you haven't even noticed she hasn't gone on the offensive once during this fight?"
"That's true, now that you mention it. She's only been blocking and throwing him off. It's making Kacchan even madder as it goes on...and she hasn't even shown off her quirk yet. Or...has she?" Midoriya muttered, looking up at the end.
In the fight, Bakugou was pissed off beyond belief. Panting and exhausted, his opponent still wasn't showing any signs of yielding. "Blondie, just what is your fucking deal? Just what the hell are you playing at?"
"Oh, me? I'm playing a game called 'Let's See How Much Can I Fuck With Bakugou™.' I think I'm winning!"
"If that's your game, then I hope you don't mind if I change the rules a bit," he said, shifting to a smile. He waved toward himself. "Show me what you can actually do."
"Oh, I love that comeback! Don't mind if I do," she laughed back. She began a short walk to Bakugou, where the two stood straight, looking into each other's eyes. After the tense staredown, Yang raised her right arm and prepared to swing after hopping back.
Bakugou interrupted with "Nice try!" before swinging a palm into the swinging arm and making the biggest explosion he could.
Both were knocked back by the explosion onto their backs. The dust mixed with a bit of smoke from some cindered clothing. Once it cleared, Bakugou painfully stood and behold his handiwork. Yang on one knee, with her right arm's sleeve burnt and blackened. She sighed and tore off what remained of the sleeve, and glove, revealing a robotic arm.
Those outside the ring stared with mouths agape, shocked. Most of the arm was silver metal, complete with an accurately designed hand. Bakugou was taken back, but stood on guard.
Yang stood and donned a frustrated frown. "Let's get down to the real business. Game's over." She began another walk toward Bakugou.
"Like hell it is! Game's gonna be over when I win!" he yelled, running forward for another attack. He launched his fist forward in an uppercut, unleashing a blast at the same time. The fist never reached it's target, and as the smoke cleared, Bakugou saw his fist held in place by Yang's left arm.
"The hell...?"
He prepared to slam his other fist into her, but this one was also caught. Yang backed up, raised one leg, and let a swift kick to Bakugou's gut, launching him. On the ground, he coughed and struggled to get up.
Yang began a slow walk towards Bakugou again. Just as she was getting closer, she held her arms out to block a tail whip and a jack whip. Ojiro and Jirou stood in the way, with Mineta attempting to help Bakugou up.
"Finally, guys! It's a shame you get here just a little late, though," she said with a smirk, before returning to her frown. Her hair shimmering, she went on the offensive.
Jirou began a flurry of furious whips that repeatedly fell on Yang, to no effect. "What kind of quirk...?" With a final whip, she was grabbed. Yang quickly kicked her legs from underneath her and grabbed her side and threw her, slamming her into the ground.
With her groan of pain, Weiss yelled, "Jirou Kyouka, out!"
Yang allowed the onlookers to help her out of the ring, before moving back to attack.
Ojiro's tail twitched as he tried to find a solution. As she got close, he ducked and used his tail to sweep both her legs. Rather then let herself off balance, she landed on a hand and let the momentum carry a kick into Ojiro. He landed hard, but he got back up. Yang left him no time to recover as she landed a punch to his arm, sending him flying out of the ring. "Ojiro Mashirao, out!"
By this point, Mineta was panicking trying to get Bakugou up, who'd been watching with wide eyes. Bakugou tenses up and got up, picking Mineta up in the process. He lobbed Mineta at her, hoping to let his quirk do something to distract her. With perfect timing, Yang launched him aside with a roundhouse, landing him outside the ring. "Mineta Minoru, out!"
Bakugou struggled to stay standing as he seethed in anger. "Just what the hell did you hope to teach me, huh? That I'm weak? Not string enough?" He didn't let his status stop him from attempting another attack. A punch was powerfully parried, and he was grabbed by the collar of his suit.
"Where do you want me to start? On how you underestimated me, how you disregarded your teammates, or how you let me play you?" she spat back. "You may have an explosive quirk, but that explosive attitude is only going to bring you to your knees." She looked over to her robotic arm. "I've already seen it happen. That's enough for me." She curled her fingers into a fist and landed a punch to Bakugou's abdomen one last time, rendering him out for the fight.
"Bakugou Katsuki, out! And the winner is Yang Xiao Long!" Weiss shouted, with a victorious wave.
"Woo, go sis!" Ruby called, leaping in joy from her view.
The students were stunned. Not only was Bakugou completely outmatched, he and four others were beat by pure strength and cunning. If this was just one of the four, what were the capable of together? How were four kids their age so utterly experienced and hardened?
What would the rest of their time together be like?