It had been two weeks since the security breach.
The walls had been rebuilt. The gates reinforced. The teachers acted like nothing serious had happened - like the whole thing had just been an embarrassing mishap with overzealous reporters.
But Souta knew better.
Every day since then, he'd been watching. Listening, and especially waiting.
He hadn't told anyone what he remembered - not even Shoto. What would he say? 'Hey, I think a bunch of villains are about to storm a training facility because I have memories regarding the future and a seemingly different timeline where I do not exist? No one would believe him. Or worse - they would, and he'd lose every little freedom he had.
So he stayed quiet.
He trained harder. Practiced control, endurance. And in the back of his mind, he planned. Because this time, when the villains showed up, he had to do more than just survive.
---
"You'll be heading to the U.S.J. for practical rescue training," Aizawa said that morning, monotone as ever. He looked half-asleep already, zipping up his sleeping bag like he couldn't wait to crawl back in. "You can choose if you want to change into your hero costumes or go in your P.E. Clothes, then meet at the bus."
That was it. No build-up. No dramatic speech.
"Wait, U.S.J.?" Kaminari asked as they headed for the locker rooms. "Is that like, some Universal Studios Japan thing?"
Sero grinned. "I just knew you were gonna say that."
---
On the Bus
The ride to the facility was more relaxed than Souta expected.
Students were scattered across the seats, laughing, chatting. Iida lectured about the importance of disaster preparedness. Tsuyu sat with Uraraka and Midoriya, humming softly.
"So, call me Tsu, okay?" she said cheerfully, after explaining that she didn't like the formal way of being addressed.
"Everyone here is surprisingly normal," Souta heard Uraraka say, her smile soft. "It's kind of nice."
Souta sat in the back beside Shoto, who had leaned his head against the window, eyes half-lidded but alert.
"Are you still worried?" Shoto asked quietly. He had long noticed how tense Souta had been the last few days but hadn't asked.
Souta glanced out at the horizon, the sprawling landscape turning to artificial wilderness as they neared the dome. "Yeah."
"Anything specific?"
"Just a feeling."
Shoto nodded once. That was enough for him.
---
The dome loomed large in front of them, a steel and glass monolith housing multiple simulated disaster zones. The inside was even more impressive - a sprawling artificial landscape made to test the limits of rescue operations. There were burning buildings, a mock landslide, collapsed highways, and even a massive flood zone, complete with boats.
Thirteen greeted them at the front, her suited form practically vibrating with enthusiasm.
"Welcome to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!" she beamed. "Or U.S.J. for short!"
The class followed her voice into the central plaza, where Aizawa stood with arms folded, scanning the group.
"This facility is designed to help you hone your abilities in disaster response," Thirteen continued. "Earthquakes. Fires. Floods. Landslides. The kind of things that heroes face every day."
Her tone softened, full of admiration and caution.
"Rescue work is one of the most important duties a hero performs. But it can be dangerous. Many people lose their lives in these situations, even professionals. So today, I want you to learn how to save others without risking yourself unnecessarily. Use your quirks wisely."
Souta felt a shift in the air then.
Not from Thirteen's words, but something else.
A subtle static crackle across the base of his neck.
A pressure.
A presence.
He turned his head slowly - toward the fountain in the middle of the plaza.
And then, a black mist swirled into existence, expanding outward like ink in water. Students froze. The teachers tensed.
A massive, warped portal opened - and from it, they came.
---
[ALERT: NEW QUEST]
A red prompt flashed across Souta's vision like a glitch in reality.
[ Quest: U.S.J. Incident]
Objective: Stay alive until backup arrives.
Reward: 1 Quirk Slot
Bonus Objective 1: Be the Major Repellent
Reward: Mystery
Bonus Objective 2: Don't let anyone die
Reward: Mystery
Warning: Death is permanent. Quest cannot be abandoned.
Souta staggered slightly, the pressure behind his eyes sharpening.
'It's really happening,' deep down, Souta had wished it wouldn't come to this, but now here it was.
---
From the portal, villains spilled out like a plague - twisted silhouettes, brutish forms, and hooded figures in leather and scars. Some looked unhinged. Others looked like they'd done this a hundred times before.
In front of them, calm and twitching with anticipation, stood a young man with pale blue hair and some kind of hand decorations draped across his face and body.
Tomura Shigaraki.
Beside him, the swirling form of Kurogiri hovered - mist and menace.
And behind them, a monster.
The Nomu stepped forward with a guttural breath. Muscles bulged across its stitched skin. The only good part, it didn't seem to be active right now and therefore looked more like a statue.
"Villains?!" someone shouted.
"This can't be a drill—" Kaminari gasped.
"I'll handle them," Aizawa said instantly, sliding on his goggles. "Thirteen - protect the students!"
Before anyone could move, Kurogiri appeared in the middle of the group of shocked students and spread out his mist.
"Have fun," Shigaraki drawled, voice cracked and gleeful. "Let's see how strong these 'Hero Candidates' really are."
---
The black mist surged forward, enveloping the students.
Souta cursed and lunged for Kirishima who was the closest to him, but it was too late. Darkness swallowed his vision.
---
As the black mist consumed him, Souta felt the tug of teleportation quirk - disorienting and cold, like being yanked through a tunnel underwater. His stomach turned. His vision spun.
And then-
He hit the ground hard, tumbling onto cracked stone.
Dust kicked up around him as he landed in a half-crouch, coughing. The air was dry. Hot. He could feel faint heatwaves rising off the ground.
He looked up - and saw wreckage.
Collapsed buildings, shattered concrete pillars, and twisted metal bars. Fires flickered weakly in the distance, casting long, jagged shadows against crumbling walls. The landslide zone, if he remembered correctly. Mostly debris and narrow gaps - bad visibility, and even worse footing.
And voices.
"—Are you okay?!"
Souta turned toward the sound and saw Kirishima, crouched beside a limping Tokoyami, who clutched at his side but gave a shaky thumbs-up. Mina Ashido stood slightly apart, her acid already fizzing in her palms, eyes wide as she scanned the area for enemies.
Four of them total. Including him.
"Guess we're not alone in here," Souta muttered, pushing himself to his feet.
Mina turned to him with clear relief. "Souta! You alright?"
"Yeah. I've had worse," he said, brushing dust from his sleeves. "Is this the landslide zone?"
"Looks like it," Kirishima confirmed, standing up. "No villains yet. But I doubt it'll stay that way for long."
Tokoyami groaned slightly, flexing his arm. "I'll manage. Just need a second to catch my breath."
Souta's fingers twitched as the [QUEST] prompt flickered faintly at the edge of his vision.
Stay alive.
Be the Major Repellent.
Don't let anyone die.
He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing as he surveyed the broken terrain.