Team 9 exited the mock alley and reached the designated "Station A." A pro hero in an orange jumpsuit stepped forward with a clipboard in hand. He had slicked-back hair, a bandana, and a friendly grin that didn't quite mask the intensity in his eyes.
It was Manual, the water-controlling pro who'd been assigned as one of the supervising instructors for the day.
"Nice job back there, Team 9," he said, checking something off on his clipboard. "You secured the civilian, navigated two hazards, and kept your team intact. Solid teamwork. But that was just your warm-up."
Kael straightened, still calm despite the light sweat glistening at his temple.
Bakugo smirked, adjusting the straps of his supply pack. "So when's the real challenge start?"
Manual gestured toward a larger map spread across the folding table beside him. Several sectors were circled in bright marker, each with bold red Xs and ovals labeled Civ A, Civ B, and Civ C.
"Second phase is time-based. You have ten minutes to locate and rescue two out of three injured civilians spread across this disaster zone. Each is in a different condition. One has a broken arm, one has a 'concussion' and is disoriented, and the third is trapped under rubble."
Midoriya blinked. "W-we can only choose two?"
Manual nodded solemnly. "In real emergencies, you can't always save everyone. Sometimes you have to make the hard calls."
"B-But that's…!" Izuku blurted out, his hands fidgeting and stretching.
Kael side eyed him then looked the map. "Which one is closest?"
Manual tapped a circle labeled Civ B. "The one simulating a concussion. She's wandering the east quadrant and may not respond clearly to your instructions. Next closest is the one with the broken arm—he's stable, but in pain. Trapped civ is the furthest, pinned under debris. He won't move unless you get creative."
"Ten minutes?" Bakugo echoed. "Tch. That's barely anything."
Manual's smile returned. "Better make it the most of out of it."
A horn sounded. A red light blinked above the map board. The second round had begun.
Without hesitation, Kael grabbed the copy of the map and started moving. "We go for the concussion victim first. She's mobile but confused—if she wanders too far, we'll fail her rescue."
Midoriya jogged beside him. "Then the one with the broken arm?"
"That's the plan." Kael said.
Bakugo huffed but followed, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The trio darted through the mock streets. Foam debris and overturned plastic cars littered their path. Speakers embedded in the buildings played ambient noises: distant sirens, crumbling buildings, crackling fire.
They cut through a side street, passing another team helping a "burn victim" dummy. Kael scanned every open doorway, shadow, and alley corner.
"There!" Midoriya pointed.
Across the street stood a teenage girl in a red vest, swaying slightly, her eyes unfocused. She clutched her temple, mumbling to herself as she stumbled between cones and a pile of painted "glass" debris.
"Hey!" Midoriya shouted, jogging over. "Are you okay?"
The girl blinked at him. "Huh? No—no, I have to… I have to find my cat. I left her here in the park…"
"She's really selling the part..," Kael said, shaking his head. "Disorientation. Izuku, talk her down. Katsuki, get behind her in case she bolts away."
Bakugo grunted but obeyed, positioning himself a few meters back.
Kael moved to the side, shadows forming tendrils along his hand just in case.
Midoriya took a deep breath. "Your cat's safe, okay? But you're not. You're hurt, and we need to help you before you hurt yourself even more."
"I'm not hurt," she whispered. "I just need to find—"
"You said your head hurts, right? That's your brain asking you to stop and rest." His voice was soft but urgent. "Please. Let us help. Just sit with me."
Something about Midoriya's tone broke through. The girl blinked again… then nodded and sat.
Kael knelt beside her, unzipping his rescue bag and pulling out a water bottle and cold compression kit. "You're doing great," he murmured.
Midoriya checked the map. "Next closest is two blocks down—broken arm victim."
"Then we move. Katsuki, can you carry her?"
Bakugo bent down, letting her climb onto his back again. Like the girl from before, she was bigger than Bakugo, almost double his height and weight, making her feet drag a little. Bakugo didn't mind the excess weight however since he knew it would make him stronger in the long run.
"This is getting real old."
Kael grinned faintly. "You're good at it."
They moved fast now—two minutes down, eight to go. Midoriya led the way, occasionally checking the map. As they neared the site, the sound of fake sirens grew louder.
The next civilian—a boy with fake blood on his sleeve and a very convincing "pain expression"—was crouched inside a fake storefront.
"I can't move my arm!" he shouted as they approached.
Kael scanned the entrance. "Unstable wall," he muttered. "Too risky to send all of us."
"I'll go," Midoriya said. "I'm smallest."
"Careful," Kael warned, his tendrils curling forward to form a tether to Midoriya's back—just in case.
Midoriya nodded and began crawling inside.
"I'm Izuku. I'm here to help, okay?"
"You have a brace?! Im dying over here, can't you see that?!" the boy said swiftly with a hint of ignorance.
Midoriya quickly applied the foam splint and looped the boy's good arm around his shoulder. "We're gonna crawl out together. Just stay low."
Midoriya tugged on the tendrel, signaling to Kael that the rescue mission was a success. Midoriya guided the "injured" student out of the wrecked entrance and back to safety. Bakugo had just arrived, huffing and puffing, setting down the girl and giving them both a look.
"We're outta time," he said. "Three minutes tops to get back."
Kael nodded. "We cut through the water hazard alley. Shorter, but slippery."
They didn't hesitate. Even the volunteers followed along now, clinging to the team as though they were teammates themselves.
The alley was a shallow trench of slick blue rubber, sprayed with a fine mist. Midoriya nearly slipped twice, and the boy with the "broken arm" groaned as he tried not to laugh.
Kael led, using his tendrils as anchors—wrapping them around support bars to swing the team forward. When Midoriya stumbled again, Kael lashed a tether to his back and yanked him upright.
Bakugo, teeth gritted, was carrying the 'dazed' girl like a sack of rice as she claimed that she was hurting again. An obvious lie as she just didn't feel like running, but they couldn't ignore her request as they were still in the middle of an exercise.
They burst into the final square just as the horn blared a second time.
Manual raised a hand from the finish platform. "That's time!"
Team 9 collapsed into a heap of foam rubble, panting.
Manual walked over, scanning his clipboard. "Let's see… both civilians accounted for. Treated injuries. Navigated unstable terrain and a hazard alley. Used support equipment, teamwork, and situational awareness…"
He looked up and smiled. "Excellent work, all three of you."
Midoriya beamed.
Kael allowed a quiet nod of satisfaction.
Bakugo rolled his shoulders, grumbling, "Should've rescued all three."
The volunteer girl blinked at him. "You would've failed. if you did. Take this win and enjoy it, little boy.." she squeezed his cheeks before leaving, bakugo blushing and speechless.
…
The three boys sat together for a moment, catching their breath as the red lights dimmed and the fake city softened into nothing more than a school exercise again.
"Hard choices," Kael murmured. "Even in training."
Midoriya nodded slowly. "But we didn't give up."
Bakugo just smirked. "You two got lucky that I was here! You wouldn't have been able to help those people without me!"
Kael looked at him and said, "We're a team. That's all that matters."
And for just a moment, despite their differences and their clashing personalities, Bakugo smirked and sighed.
"Yeah, you're right.."
…