Chapter 2: The U.A. Proposition
The evening meal was, as always, a simple and grounding affair. The group sat on zabuton cushions around a long, low chabudai table in the dojo's main hall. The smell of steamed rice, savory miso soup, and grilled mackerel filled the air. There was no television, no radio. Just the sound of crickets outside and the clatter of chopsticks.
Well, mostly.
Cole was already on his third bowl of rice, eating with a focused, methodical efficiency. Jay, his hair now washed and sticking up in every direction, was recounting the sparring match, his hands gesturing wildly.
"...and then I was like, whoosh, and I dodged left, and he was like fwoom, and I ducked right! I had him! I totally had him on the ropes right before he..."
"You did not have me on the ropes!" Kai snapped, jabbing his chopsticks in Jay's direction. "You were running!"
"It's called 'tactical maneuvering'!"
"It's called 'being a chicken'!"
"Zane, tell him," Jay appealed to the white ninja. "My movements were 40 percent more efficient, right?"
Zane, who was eating with precise, measured bites, paused. "Your evasion tactics were effective. However, Kai's power-to-speed ratio was higher. Statistically, the outcome was inevitable, especially once Quirks were engaged."
"See?" said Kai.
"See?" said Jay. "He said 'evasion tactics'!"
Sensei Wu cleared his throat. The single, quiet sound cut through the bickering instantly. The room fell silent.
Wu set his teacup down. "A new mission has arrived."
The effect was instantaneous. Cole looked up from his rice, his interest piqued. Jay dropped his chopsticks with a clatter.
"Finally!" Jay burst out, vibrating with energy. "Yes! I was dying of boredom. It's been, like, two weeks since we had anything! Two whole weeks of just... training and... trees!"
Kai leaned forward, his earlier sulk forgotten, his eyes bright. "What is it, Sensei? Is it that band of rogues in the foothills? The ones stealing rice shipments?"
Cole swallowed a large mouthful. "Or maybe that herd of wild boars that's been tearing up Farmer Tanaka's fields? I could use a good tussle. Something to really sink my teeth into."
"Ooh! Ooh!" Jay bounced on his cushion. "Maybe it's a rampaging tiger that escaped from a preserve! Or a rival dojo challenging our honor! Or—"
"Statistically," Zane interjected calmly, "our primary functions involve local dispute resolution or wildlife management. A 'rampaging tiger' is an improbability."
"Let a guy dream, Zane!"
Wu raised a hand for silence. "It is more serious than any of those things." His voice was grave, and the lighthearted mood chilled. "This time... you will be entering Hero Society."
Silence. Nya, who had been refilling Wu's tea, paused, the porcelain pot hovering.
Cole was the first to speak, his deep voice hesitant. "The... the city? You mean, the city city? Like, with... skyscrapers and..."
"And Heroes?" Jay finished, his voice a mix of awe and skepticism. "You know, the guys in the spandex? The ones with the flashy, kinda silly costumes?" He glanced down at his own simple blue clothes, a flicker of self-awareness crossing his face.
Nya set the teapot down, her brow furrowed. "Sensei, you can't be serious. You're sending these four"—she gestured to the table—"into a modern city? Alone? Kai almost burned the dojo down today."
"Hey!" Kai slammed his hands on the table, protesting. "I am sensing a definite lack of faith here, sis! We can handle it!"
Wu ignored Kai's outburst. "An old friend has requested my help. He is... an associate... at U.A. High School. The strongest Hero Academy in all of Japan."
Zane's eyes widened slightly. "U.A. High? I have read data files on this institution. It is the pinnacle of Quirk education and Hero training."
"Indeed," Wu continued, his fingers steepling. "My friend believes a... a dark, unseen influence has infiltrated his school. Someone working from the shadows, planting seeds of distrust. He fears a public investigation would cause a panic. He trusts my students—who live and operate in the shadows—to be the only ones who can find this threat discreetly."
A grin split Kai's face. He punched his open palm. "Alright! Infiltrating the number one hero school in the country! Now that sounds like fun! We'll be in and out before they know what hit 'em."
Zane nodded, already processing. "Understood, Sensei. So we will bypass their advanced security systems under cover of night, locate the intruder, and neutralize them?"
"No," Wu said firmly. "That would be far too loud. You will be entering publicly."
This confused them. Jay scratched his head. "Publicly? Like, we walk in the front door and say, 'Hi, we're here to find the bad guy'?"
"You will be entering as students. There is a major event approaching: the U.A. Sports Festival. The entire country will be watching. My friend has already... adjusted... the student rosters. You will be entered as transfer students in the Support Course."
"Support Course?" Jay chirped. "You mean, like... the gadget-makers? The tech guys? I can do that! I've been working on those new energy-shuriken designs—"
"Precisely," Wu cut him off. "It is the perfect cover. No one expects high-level combat prowess or powerful elemental Quirks from the Support Course." He leveled a hard, meaningful gaze at Kai, and then at Jay.
"Which brings me to your primary directive. Your only directive: You are not there to compete. You are not there to win. You are not there to show off."
Kai's grin faltered.
"Your mission is to remain unseen. You will blend into the background. You will be gray. You will observe, you will listen, and you will find the source of this darkness. That is all."
For a moment, the four were quiet, processing the order.
"Blend in," Cole repeated slowly, rubbing his chin. He looked at Kai, who was practically vibrating with fiery energy, and then at Jay, who was already muttering about rocket-powered roller skates. "Us? Blend in?"
"Yeah, yeah, blend in, got it," Kai said, waving his hand, though his inner thoughts were already imagining the crowds, the cameras, and the chance to show those flashy city heroes what real training looked like.
Jay, however, was on a different track. "Guys. Guys! The city! Do you think they have those new 12-layer burgers I read about? Or those arcade games with the full-immersion cockpits?"
"Our objective is infiltration, Jay," Zane said, "not tourism."
"Why can't it be both?"
The four of them erupted into conversation, a chaotic storm of plans, arguments, and excitement, the remnants of their dinner sitting forgotten.
Nya watched them. She looked at Kai's burning enthusiasm, Jay's manic energy, Cole's quiet skepticism, and Zane's logical processing. Then she looked at Wu, who had returned to sipping his tea, his expression completely unreadable in the lamplight.
She remained silent, her hands twisting in her lap.