A piercing alarm echoed through the mock city, rising over the chatter and rustling wind. The students of the Shizuoka Quirk Safety Commission drill stood frozen for a moment before Kamui Woods' voice came over the speakers, clear and calm despite the rising tension:
"This final stage is a rescue-and-response simulation. Your teams will navigate a collapsed structure, retrieve injured dummies, and coordinate an evacuation. Hazard flags indicate shifting terrain or environmental dangers—treat them as aftershocks or flooding. Prioritize safety and teamwork."
The air buzzed with a mix of nerves and excitement. Team 9—Kael, Bakugo, and Midoriya—stood at the edge of a cracked cement path leading toward a collapsed apartment building replica. Large slabs of faux concrete, broken pipes, and simulated debris had been arranged to form a daunting, multi-level structure.
"This looks awesome," Bakugo said, cracking his knuckles. "Finally something I can blow up."
Midoriya adjusted his backpack straps nervously. "W-we're not blowing anything up. It's a rescue scenario. We're supposed to help people, not—"
"I know that, nerd," Bakugo growled. "It's called clearing rubble, genius. I'm just making it faster."
Kael said nothing, his gaze fixed on the structure ahead.
"Timer starts now!" Mt. Lady's voice boomed from overhead. "Get moving!"
Without hesitation, the trio entered the simulated disaster zone.
…
The building had three designated floors, each more chaotic than the last. The walls leaned in at odd angles. Fake wires sparked harmlessly above them, rigged by the Commission for realism. Broken furniture, overturned shelves, and mannequin "victims" were scattered throughout.
Midoriya crouched beside the first dummy—a child-sized one with a mock injury tag tied to its wrist.
"Sprained ankle," he read aloud. "They can't walk. We'll need to carry them out."
"I'll do it," Kael said, gently hoisting the mannequin onto his back. His tone was calm, not commanding—just efficient.
Bakugo raised an eyebrow. "Didn't think you'd go for the babysitting role."
"Well I just assumed that if you could do it then it must not be that hard."
"The hell did you just say bastard!!" Bakugo ignited sparks in his hands as he gave Kael a condescending look.
Kael didn't answer. He simply adjusted the mannequin's weight and moved forward.
A few steps later, a red flag popped up from the wall with a loud beep!—a simulated aftershock trigger.
The ground vibrated beneath their feet, and structure fell down in front of the doorway, blocking their exit.
Midoriya had stumbled, falling to one knee. Kael shifted his stance, lowering his center of gravity. Bakugo barely flinched.
"Warning: Unstable terrain," came Manual's voice from the intercom.
"Guess we take the long way now," Kael muttered.
"No way," Bakugo snapped. "We go straight through, save time."
"Or we end up triggering another collapse, killing us and the civilian." Kael replied, staring him down.
Midoriya looked between them. "Let's go around. I saw another path to the east wing. We can backtrack and hit the stairs from there."
Bakugo huffed. "Tch. Fine. But if we lose, I'm blaming you two."
They turned, navigating through overturned beams and narrow crawlspaces. Midoriya rattled off mock hazard warnings from the map they'd been given.
Kael moved steadily, the extra weight of the mannequin not slowing him. Bakugo grumbled but followed, occasionally blasting small bits of debris out of their path with careful bursts from his palms.
Eventually, they reached the upper floor—a partially caved-in hallway where another dummy lay half-buried beneath a desk.
"Crushed pelvis," Midoriya read. "We'll need to lift them out without jostling the lower half."
Kael shifted the first dummy off his shoulders and nodded at Bakugo. "You can handle the heavy lifting from here on."
Bakugo snorted. "Damn right I can."
Bakugo then stepped forward, crouched beside the debris, and lifted up a concrete slab with his bare hands, showcasing his strength.
"Go," he barked.
Kael slipped in, carefully cradled the second dummy, and pulled it free while Midoriya stabilized the other side with a piece of cloth they found. Kael backed out, sat the mannequin to the side and used his Quirk.
Kaels tendrins shot out like a rod and bursted through the debrib at the end of the once filled tunnel, creating a path for them to walk through. Tendrels shot out from that rod and into the sides of the rubble, bracing them.
"You guys can let go now." Though he said that, Bakugo and Izuku slowly removed their hands, making sure that it was safe. Once they confirmed it was, they exhaled and sat down for moment.
"Wow. Your quirk sure is versatile. Question, can it attack as well? Or have you not tried that yet." Izuku wiped some sweat off his forehead as be sat back up and brushed his clothes off.
Bakugo himself then shot up and said, "It's so damn strange! With your Quirk, I'd make you my sidekick! How does that sound!"
"Like literal hell. Speaking of Quirks, maybe I'll make you my very own firework. Those things are expensive nowadays."
"Bastard—!"
"And no, I haven't tried using it for attack purposes, not yet atleast. Now let's go. I'm ready to go home.."
Both Bakugo and Izuku nodded and started crawling through the tunnel. Kael wrapped the two mannequins in black tendrils and carried them behind himself as he crawled through. On the other side, there was a broken wall with a slide to the streets.
On the street, Pro Heroes waved at them and motioned them to come on. They did so one by one until finally, they made it out of the destroyed and ruined building.
"Team 9," Manual's voice came again, this time warmer, "excellent cooperative effort. Your evac time is currently the best recorded. Proceed to the rally zone."
Midoriya's eyes lit up. "W-we're in the lead?!"
Bakugo smirked. "Of course we are."
Kael said nothing, but the faintest edge of satisfaction passed over his face.
⸻
Back at the rally zone, students reunited with their teams as the pro heroes addressed the group. Kamui Woods stepped forward again, his voice cutting through the chatter.
"You all did well today. More than anything, this was a test of character. Whether your Quirk is strong, subtle, or hasn't even awakened yet, being a hero starts with heart."
He looked out across the crowd.
"There are pro heroes with flashy Quirks and those with barely any power at all. But they each protect others, because they chose to. That choice is what matters. That choice is what drives them."
Midoriya stared, eyes wide. His hands clenched at his sides.
Mt. Lady stepped in, waving cheerfully. "And don't worry about 'power levels' or comparisons. Everyone starts somewhere. Even All Might was a kid once."
Midoriya took a sharp breath. His voice came out louder than expected. "I—I don't have a Quirk. But I still want to be a hero. I… I want to help people. Just like him!"
Bakugo groaned. "You've been saying that since we were five. It's still pathetic."
Midoriya flinched but didn't back down.
Kael turned slightly toward them. "There's nothing wrong with having dreams. Even I have hopes of being like All Might one day."
Bakugo gave him a sidelong glance. "What's that supposed to mean? You wanna be the next symbol of peace or something? With a freaky ass quirk like yours? Hahaha, good luck."
Kael shrugged. "Better than sparklers."
"Say that again bastard! I dare you!"
Midoriya tried to step in between them. Bakugo whipped around. "So? You wanna say that again, snowhead?! Huh?! Sparklers?! I'll show you sparklers!"
Kamui Woods cleared his throat loudly, and Bakugo snapped to attention.
Midoriya, still looking thoughtful, murmured, "It's inspiring, though. That you awakened so late. That means.. that there's still a chance for me."
Kael gave him a brief nod. "Doesn't matter when or if you do. You have heart Izuku. That alone will get you far."
Midoriya's eyes shone with a quiet fire. Bakugo rolled his shoulders.
"Still beating you both, Quirk or no Quirk."
Kael smirked faintly. "We'll see."
⸻
As the sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the mock city, the students began to pack up. Many would forget the drills. But a few wouldn't.
And among them—one boy with no Quirk, one with explosions in his hands, and one who'd hidden in the shadows for too long—all three carried something new:
A sense of direction. A step forward.
The real tests hadn't even started yet. But the path they taken had.
…