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“Welcome to Ground Beta,” Shota begins after silencing the rowdy class with a sharp glare as usual. “I’m sure you’re all familiar. Today, you will be starting an exercise that’s brand new on the curriculum. The concept is the same as always, heroes versus villains, but there is one major difference that sets this exercise apart from any other you’ve taken part in before. Today, we have an actual villain for you to fight.”
Of course, that raises a riot. Shota sighs. Haven’t they learned by now that all their questions will be answered, if they just shut up and let him finish?
After another glare that threatens detention for the rest of the year, things get quiet again.
“Taskmaster is both hero and villain, in that he has both aided licensed heroes and opposed them. Most famously as a villain, he fought Endeavor head to head and came out the winner, putting Endeavor in the hospital for two months, nearly killing him. As a hero, however, he single-handedly wiped out the Shie Hassaikai and their operation to create a quirk destroying drug by experimenting on a five year old girl and her quirk, delivering her safely to the police. As far as we understand, he works after his own internal moral compass, with no regards to whether his actions appear heroic or villainous. Nezu was able to initiate contact with him some time ago and after some negotiating, Taskmaster agreed to act as villain for us during this exercise.”
God knows why anyone thought any of this was a good idea…
“Taskmaster has had six hours to prep here. You’re going in blind. Each of you has a roll of capture tape, a set of cuffs, and a communications device. Provisions are stashed in logical places around the grounds. If Taskmaster tags you with red paint, you’re dead and out of the exercise. The exercise continues until either all heroes are dead, or Taskmaster is successfully captured and delivered to one of the marked police stations on the grounds. That is all. Any questions?”
#
Izuku folds up his towel and places it parallel to the short side of the dining room table.
Next, he spreads out a blanket taken from the apartment’s fully furnished living room and lays it out on the table as well, similar to a table cloth.
With a few quick snaps and clicks, he has removed his sniper rifle from its carrying case and fully assembled it. He folds out the stands on the front end of the barrel, placing the feet on the towel, and resting the butt on the blanket. He opens the window and uses the zoom function in his helmet to check on one of the flags he posted during his prep phase. He makes a note of the wind direction and speed.
While climbing up to lay on the table on his front and taking the rifle up to his shoulder, he uses the wind direction and speed, combined with the power of his rifle, bullet weight, and shooting distance, to calculate his trajectory and aim position.
Izuku lifts his helmet and places his eye to the scope.
There’s Aizawa and his gaggle of do-gooders. Hm, and Bakugo, of course. Which one to take out first… Hm… Decisions, decisions.
Let’s go for the little perv and save the girls that worry.
Izuku finds the grape boy in the crowd, then adjusts the angle of the gun.
He opens his left eye.
#
With all the necessary questions answered, Shota steps to the side. He pulls a small red flag out of his pocket and holds it up high.
“Exercise starts when the flag hits the ground. Everyone get set.”
#
They all get ready to scatter.
Aizawa lets go of the flag. The fabric slowly sails downwards. The heroes’ eyes are all glued to it. So is Izuku’s.
But he’s a villain.
The rules don’t apply to him.
Izuku squeezes the trigger.
Recoil slams into his shoulder.
As calculated, just as the flag reaches the ground, the perv is splashed with red paint and flung backwards.
Izuku doesn’t watch them scramble. He quickly gets up and starts his clean-up.
Rifle, back into the case.
Towel, back on the shelf in the bathroom.
Blanket, back to being draped over the couch.
Chairs back in place around the table, and all the table settings are swiftly returned to their places, looking as prim and proper as if he never touched them.
He even shuts the window before he heads out.
This is going to be fun…