Yaoyorozu places a hand on her chest, a weak attempt to try and calm her nerves.
At first, when she thought the exam would be fighting robots, she wasn't that stressed. She knows how to make a variety of weapons, most of which would be perfect for piercing through metal and wires.
When Nedzu had announced who they would really be fighting, she felt the stress creep in. Then, when Aizawa-sensei grinned in her direction and said that he would be her opponent…
Beside her, Todoroki stands quietly.
Todoroki must have a plan, she reassures herself, something that will ensure their victory. She'll be a good teammate, one that listens and follows the plan perfectly and—
"You're the top of the class, which means you aren't an idiot. You can either cling to my every instruction or use your knowledge on how to fight, how to plan ahead, and just combine those together and do it in the moment."
The moment Dazai's words come back to her, Yaoyorozu feels a strange sense of calm settle over her.
She did well during the cops and robbers fight, right? While her acting might have been subpar, and that's not to mention how she fell for Shinsou's trick, her idea to duplicate the briefcase had helped them win. If she's being truthful, the vague pieces of a plan have been floating around her head since Aizawa-sensei was announced to be her opponent.
Part of her wants to keep quiet—to go along with whatever plan Todoroki has without question. A different part of her knows that she will not get any better if she never leaves her comfort zone. She has to put herself out there, create plans that fail, and then make new ones.
With that in mind, she allows herself one more moment of uncertainty before taking a deep breath.
"Hey, Todoroki? I have some ideas on how to beat Aizawa-sensei."
-
Jirou holds out her hand, a tiny ant crawling around on her palm. Koda, unable to help himself, jumps back in fright. Bugs… Bugs are just far too scary, too creepy, and gross to be near.
He wants nothing to do with them; that's why he rejects Jirou's plan to use the bugs to win.
He rejects it, then finds himself freezing when a memory comes to mind.
"Y-your Quirk is animal control, and you're scared of spiders?"
Koda remembers how embarrassed he felt back then when Dazai had laughed at him and the others had to come to his defence. Looking back, Dazai was right, wasn't he?
Jirou said it herself: the only way to win is to use the bugs…
Koda made it into UA; he's on track to be a real Pro Hero. A Hero wouldn't be held back by bugs, not when he has a teammate to protect.
-
Shinsou, for all the pretence of being laid back and unbothered, had put a lot of time and effort into preparing for this final exam. As in skipping sleep to make sure he understands and can remember everything.
Sure, he's in the Hero course now, but who knows when that could end. It isn't unheard of for Hero course students to be moved down to general studies or, worse, expelled if they aren't doing well enough. Shinsou worked so hard to get into the Hero course; he can't let a set of exams ruin things.
So, yeah, he studied hard until he was mostly confident he'd pass all the written exams.
The physical exams, on the other hand…
When Shinsou heard he would be expected to fight robots, he felt so helpless and anxious. The last time he had to fight robots was the entrance exam, which was one of the worst moments of Shinsou's life, if he's being honest.
He had known from the very start his Quirk would be useless in that exam, the robots wouldn't be affected, and Shinsou wouldn't feel very heroic using it on the other kids in the exam. Still, he had held out some hope that he might be able to do… Something, anything, to get some points and pass the exam.
It had only taken a few minutes for Shinsou to realise he was being stupid; it only took a few minutes for him to realise his dream of being a Pro Hero was dying at his feet, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Things are different now, sure, but that didn't help to settle Shinsou's nerves. Each time he imagined going up against those stupid robots, it felt like all the training he'd done with Aizawa-sensei just disappeared from his mind. He felt helpless, again.
That's why, unlike his classmates, Shinsou had been happy to hear he'd be fighting one of the teachers. Fighting an actual human being means he can use his Quirk rather than just rely on his subpar hand-to-hand and meagre knowledge of the capture weapon.
But, you see, Shinsou has never had good luck.
Instead of literally anyone else—and really, Shinsou would have been good with anyone else—he had to be up against Nakahara.
Nakahara, the kid who took down the entire class without breaking a sweat.
Maybe if things had been different, if Shinsou had invited Nakahara and Dazai to train sooner, he might have felt even a tad bit more confident going into this match. As it stands, he's only had two training sessions with those two, far too few to know much about Nakahara.
Besides, the whole point of the training sessions was to become friends, to build trust that Shinsou wouldn't use his Quirk out of the blue. In the two sessions they've had so far, Shinsou has spent more time trying to be friendly (while meeting Aizawa-sensei's expectations) than analysing Nakahara's fighting style.
The only upside is the fact that Dazai is on Shinsou's team, which helps alleviate the looming sense of doom Shinsou is currently feeling.
Dazai and Nakahara have worked together for… However long it's been, that means Dazai has to know a weakness or two, right? Surely, he'll be able to share some insight that will keep Shinsou from failing this exam.
That's the motto Shinsou repeats in his head while waiting for their match, anyway.
It makes sense why they had to wait; having Aizawa-sensei on standby is probably one of the conditions for Nakahara even getting to use his Ability at UA, but it's still annoying. Everyone else got to start their exams right away, which means they weren't sitting around stewing in anxiety like Shinsou is.
What makes things worse, which Shinsou didn't think was possible, is the utter lack of conversation between Dazai and Nakahara.
When the match-up was first announced, they both had a lot to say, complaints that quickly turned to taunts. But, since then, things have been quiet, save for the odd teasing. There's a tension in the air, one that makes Shinsou even more anxious.
Shinsou doesn't like being stuck in the middle of this, both metaphorically and physically.
For whatever reason, Dazai and Nakahara had chosen to stand on either side of Shinsou rather than next to each other like usual. Boxed in like this, it would be far too awkward to try and escape, something that Shinsou can't deal with right now.
So, for the better part of thirty minutes, Shinsou stood trapped between both Dazai and Nakahara with a steadily growing sense of doubt and dread in his stomach.
Every so often, he'd spy on his classmates, the ones who had already finished their exams and were heading back to get changed. Some, such as Tsu and Tokoyami, walked with their heads up and smiles on their faces. Shinsou felt glad for them, although he would be lying if he weren't a little jealous. How much longer does he have to wait for his own exam to start?
Others, such as Mina and Kaminari, weren't so lucky. The pair had tried to put on a brave face, but with the tears still streaming down their cheeks, it was obvious how their exam had gone.
After what must have been the longest wait of Shinsou's life, Todoroki and Yaoyorozu finally appeared, with Aizawa-sensei following close behind.
Unsurprisingly, both Todoroki and Aizawa-sensei's faces gave away nothing about the exam. What did stand out, though, was the lack of reaction on Yaoyorozu's face.
Which… doesn't feel like a good sign, if Shinsou is being honest.
Before he can think about it any further, particularly wondering how he's meant to comfort the two of them, Nakahara speaks up, "So? How'd it go?"
Yaoyorozu glances over at Todoroki, her face remaining still for just a second before pulling into a grin, "We passed!"
Todoroki nods, his face thawing from the usual expression just a tad.
Shinsou sighs in relief, "Congrats."
Beside him, Nakahara grins, "I'm glad! You'll have to tell us about it after our exam."
"Yes!" Dazai cuts in, his voice weirdly excited. "I wanna know how bad you beat Aizawa-sensei; was it embarrassing for him?"
Ah, now the excitement makes sense.
Shinsou glances up to see Aizawa-sensei shaking his head, a tired but indulgent expression on his face. The gesture, and especially the expression, is a pretty common sight being part of 1A.
Yaoyorozu smiles, "I don't think it was embarrassing, but… We did use his capture weapon against him."
Shinsou can't help but feel impressed by that. Has anyone ever managed to turn Aizawa-sensei's capture weapon against him? It seems like an impossible task to Shinsou, the sort of thing that you joke about but can never actually pull it off.
Yaoyorozu and Todoroki did, though.
"Alright," Aizawa says, his voice distinctly tired, "Let's get this next exam going."
Shinsou perks up at that, finally he can get this exam over with. The sooner the better, that way he can go back to the dorms and lie in his bed for the rest of the afternoon. Which, now that he's thinking about it, he'd do it regardless of whether he passed this exam or not.
Yaoyorozu and Todoroki leave, both offering their support and promising to speak with them later. Shinsou offers a weak smile back.
Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes to arrive at the training grounds. The building is tall and oval-shaped, it's walls made of a continuous white brick. From what Shinsou can see, there aren't any windows either.
"Nakahara, come with me," Aizawa-sensei says as he begins walking, "You two stay here until you hear the start of the exam announced."
Shinsou nods and, once Aizawa-sensei and Nakahara are inside the building, quickly says, "So, I'm guessing you have a plan." Obviously, they couldn't discuss plans before due to Nakahara being right there; now they should have a few minutes before the exam starts.
Dazai nods, "Yep~"
Shinsou is quiet for a second, hoping that Dazai will take the hint to explain his plan. Which, now that Shinsou is thinking about it, is a stupid thing to do. Dazai is the king of ignoring things like this, obviously he's not going to explain without being specifically asked.
With a sigh, Shinsou asks, "And are you going to tell me what the plan is?"
Dazai doesn't respond, instead shooting Shinsou a loaded look…
It takes a moment for it to click.
"I want to know what the plan is, so you know, I can help." Shinsou rephrases, internally cringing at how rude he sounds. Seriously, it's hard to be polite and avoid asking questions sometimes.
Dazai hums before turning away, "You don't need to worry about that. Just follow behind me and keep quiet, okay?"
Which, Shinsou can admit, stings a little. Sure, he planned to rely on Dazai during this exam, but not to this extent. As surprising as it is, Shinsou actually wants to do something other than follow Dazai like a dog.
This is Shinsou's exam, too, after all.
Maybe he should say something, then? In the past, he never would have—too self-conscious and passive—but things are different now. If he wants to keep his spot in the Hero course, then he needs to be pushy sometimes, even when he really doesn't want to.
Besides… he had gotten on well enough with Dazai during the two training sessions, right? They aren't friends or anything yet, but they shared a few jokes and exasperated looks, which has to count for something.
If Shinsou can just lay out his reasoning, then maybe Dazai will listen.
"Look," Shinsou starts, "I know I don't have much to offer, but you can't do this on your own. If we work as a team-"
Dazai glances at him, his eye full of disregard, "Our little training session was fun and all, but that doesn't mean we're all buddy-buddy. I have a plan and you aren't needed for it, understand?"
The snappish tone of his voice feels weirdly foreign, almost reminding Shinsou of when Dazai and Nakahara first joined UA. Back then, though, Dazai still sounded… Nicer?
It's hard to describe, but back then, it felt like when Dazai was being harsh or just straight-up mean, there was a hint of amusement to it. He was either teasing them or upsetting them and finding joy in it. There have only been a few times when his voice felt… flat. Like there wasn't anything to infer about it.
The way he spoke just then, flat and uncaring, makes it feel like there isn't any room for argument. Shinsou will follow Dazai's plan and that's it. Nothing else to discuss.
Shinsou bites his tongue: the lack of consideration from the other boy is upsetting in a way he wishes it wasn't. It's not like Shinsou expected Dazai to be super kind to him after only two training sessions, but, like he said, it felt like things were alright between them. Without the concern of Shinsou's Quirk, they were able to talk and make a few jokes.
Maybe Shinsou's being a hypocrite about this… After all, he was planning on asking Dazai for his advice and just going along with it. Then again, he had imagined getting to play a role in the plan. Being pushed to the side, not even worth a mention, is the part that gets to him.
Has Shinsou not proven himself enough? Does Dazai think he's incapable? That all he can do is—
No, Shinsou takes a deep breath to cut off those thoughts. For whatever reason, Dazai doesn't want him to help, so Shinsou can either get upset about it now or try his best to help anyway once the exam starts.
Besides, Shinsou knew it would be difficult to build any trust with those two, let alone enough to stop them worrying about his Quirk. Maybe Shinsou had just misjudged how Dazai was acting in the training sessions, or, the more likely option, Dazai wasn't being entirely truthful with his actions.
"Fine," Shinsou finally says. He'll go along with Dazai's plan for the most part, but rest assured, he won't be happy about it.
-
When the exam starts, a mere few minutes after Dazai's refusal to let Shinsou help, it doesn't actually feel like the important exam that Shinsou has been preparing for.
In a way, it feels like any other mock battle. Any moment now, he'll hear Aizawa-sensei or All Might on the comms; they'll be scolding Shinsou for just standing around (Aizawa-sensei) or encouraging him to do his best (All Might).
Then, without warning, a voice echoes down the halls.
"Oi, shitty Dazai, Shinsou! If you come out now, I won't beat you around so much!"
Now, getting threats yelled at him is pretty normal, but having threats yelled at him by Nakahara? Yeah, that's new. That's when things start feeling real, when the importance of the exam weighs down on him.
Shinsou glances at Dazai. How is he going to react to Nakahara's yelling?
Dazai seems to watch him for a second before grinning. "If you're scared, I'm sure we can find a corner for you to hide in."
Shinsou scoffs, "As if."
Not only would that be a blow to his pride, but he's also sure the exams are being graded on participation. At least, by following Dazai around, he can do something, even if it is just to act as a witness for whatever Dazai has planned.
"We all know who's gonna win, so save us all the time and come out!"
Dazai sighs, one filled with the soft amusement Shinsou has already got used to, before moving down the nearest hallway. He sets off without warning, his faster-than-normal pace leaving Shinsou scrambling to catch up.
Jeez, he couldn't have warned Shinsou at the very least?
Shinsou sighs and does his best to push those thoughts out of his head, instead turning his attention to the walls around him. This particular training ground isn't one Shinsou's familiar with, which was likely an intentional choice on Aizawa-sensei's part.
From what he can see so far, the entire place is built out of the same off-white brick. Some parts, mainly the corners, seem to be crumbling away into chunks on the ground. It's a bit of a tripping hazard if Shinsou's being honest, especially since Dazai doesn't seem to care where he's going, which, in turn, forces Shinsou down the same path.
There are hallways upon hallways, new ones sprouting off old ones every few meters. Shinsou notices doorways, too, ones that seem to lead to small, closed-off rooms. There aren't any doors, and, from what he could tell, there isn't anything in the rooms either.
The setup of this place bothers him, almost like he's in a horror game, waiting for a jump scare. It doesn't help that, every few minutes, he hears the echoing sound of what Shinsou assumes to be Nakahara leaping around with his Ability. It's like a constant reminder that, yes, there is a reason to be on edge.
Shinsou feels his hands drift up to his capture weapon, glad for the comforting weight of the item even if he's not the best at using it yet. He's got his Persona Chords on too, although it's doubtful he'll actually get to use it.
Dazai himself is dressed in his usual Mafia get up, seemingly deciding not to bring his capture weapon in for the exam. It's a little confusing considering how good he is with it but Shinsou tries not to question it, it's not like he would get an answer even if he asked.
At some point, Dazai stops and crouches down, again without warning, so Shinsou takes it upon himself to stand guard. Which doesn't actually entail doing much, not with Nakahara still nowhere to be seen.
Shinsou glances back, trying to figure out what Dazai is up to without having to ask, or well, imply through a statement.
It's a little hard to see with this angle, but after a moment of observation, Shinsou can swear that Dazai is building a tower of rocks. For a split second, the second after the idea pops into Shinsou's head, he's so taken aback that he can't think. Dazai knows how important this exam is, right? Now isn't the time for rock towers!
Dazai looks up, perhaps feeling Shinsou's gaze on his back. The movement gives Shinsou just enough space to see that, yes, Dazai is building a rock tower. Without explaining anything, Dazai stands up, idly throwing a rock up and down in his hand, before walking off.
Shinsou follows behind, making sure not to knock the rock tower on his way past. Hell, if he knows why Dazai built it, but there has to be some reason behind it, a reason that would probably end up ruined if the tower got knocked down. He's just hoping it's a legit reason, or that Dazai can make a convincing enough lie up about why he had to.
Dazai leads Shinsou down the hallway, casually taking a left after walking for a few minutes. He hums a little before nodding, then, before Shinsou can catch on, steps back around the corner and pulls back an arm, quickly launching a rock towards the tower he had just created.
The pile of rocks, precariously balanced as they were, tumble down to the ground easily.
Dazai nods once again before walking back around the corner, this time walking further down the hallway.
Shinsou follows him, obviously, but is incredibly confused while doing it, for a few reasons, actually. The big one is, obviously, why Dazai bothered to stack up a bunch of rocks if he was just going to knock them down again. There is something else that's bothering him, though….
"… Why didn't— you didn't use your gun," Shinsou says, only just managing to avoid making it a question.
Dazai glances over at Shinsou, either weary of his Quirk or not expecting to be asked that of all things. Instead of answering, Dazai turns and continues walking—no, running—down the hallway, his hand beckoning Shinsou to follow.
Shinsou does, slightly annoyed at being ignored and having to run again.
Yeah, he hates running and wants to be a Pro Hero. Those two things can coexist. Whatever Aizawa-sensei has to say on the topic is irrelevant.
Dazai stops without warning, his back naturally slipping up against the wall.
Shinsou stumbles a little, which he blames on the lack of warning, before doing the same.
"It would make too much noise," Dazai whispers, and, for a second, Shinsou forgets that he (sort of) asked a question. "Chibi would realise where we really are immediately."
Shinsou feels his face scrunch up at that. Nakahara would figure it out? But how—
As if scripted, a thump rings out from nearby, quickly followed by more yelling, "I know you're here, bastard! Just come out and fight me!"
Without warning, Dazai shoots forward, which leaves Shinsou to rush after him.
They turn a corner, which reveals a large, open space in the middle of the training grounds. From here, Shinsou can see the various other floors and the many, many hallways leading deeper in.
Dazai, after glancing down a few hallways that they pass, ducks into one.
Part of Shinsou wants to ask what he was looking for because, as far as he knows, Dazai has never been here before either. Maybe Dazai realised something Shinsou missed? Like some secret pattern to the hallways or hidden signs to the exit, the type of thing everyone else wouldn't bother looking twice at.
Once again, Shinsou can hear the echoes of Nakahara trying to find them. He tries to gauge whether the sounds are getting closer or not, but to his despair, he can't quite tell.
For a few minutes, they continue making their way through the never-ending maze of hallways. Although maybe a maze isn't quite the right word. A maze typically has a bunch of dead ends, places where the path disappears, and you're forced to turn back. This place, however, seems to go on forever.
The more Shinsou thinks about it, the more disturbed he feels. Hasn't he seen something like this online before? A type of space that doesn't feel real, like you're trapped in forever-repeating hallways. Those types of places don't really exist, but if they did, Shinsou would guarantee this training ground is one of them. Hell, he'd put money on Principal Nedzu intentionally creating a space like that for the fun of it.
In front of him, Dazai walks, his steps confident. Had Dazai figured out the never-ending aspect of this place sooner? Maybe that's why he didn't hesitate to head down different hallways; in the end, it'll all lead to the exit anyway.
Or maybe Dazai's just that confident. He's confident he can find the exit no matter what, confident he can handle anything Nakahara throws his way.
Shinsou wonders what it must be like to have that confidence.
Dazai glances into a doorway before stopping. "Bingo."
Shinsou can't help but take a step closer, his head leaning forward to look through that same doorway. Instead of finding a small, empty room, like with all the other doorways, Shinsou finds a large staircase set right in the centre of the room.
Dimly, Shinsou realises why Dazai had been looking into each doorway they had passed. When the two of them walked along the open path, there were a good few floors above and below them. It only makes sense that there would be a way to get up them.
While neither of them knows where the exit gate is—at least Shinsou doesn't anyway—it's as good a guess as any to assume it's on the top floor.
Dazai glances at him, his eye void of any noticeable emotion, before gesturing, "Follow me."
Surprisingly, Dazai does not lead them up the staircase. Instead, he walks down the hallway and into one of the small rooms nearby.
"Stay here," Dazai instructs, not even sparing a glance to see if Shinsou listened or not.
Shinsou does listen, but whatever. He doesn't leave the room, but he does lean his head outside the doorway, just enough to see what exactly Dazai is up to. Call it his small act of rebellion against Dazai's control.
Dazai, after leaning down and picking up another small rock, ducks into the stairwell he had just been checking out. A moment later, the sound of a rock continuously hitting the ground rings out. Shinsou guesses Dazai must have thrown that rock down the stairs for some reason.
Before he can blink, Shinsou finds himself being shoved aside by Dazai. The other teen wastes no time before tucking himself right up against the wall, perfectly hidden if anyone were to look in through the doorway.
Shinsou is about to complain because, ow, that hurt his shoulder, but stops short when he hears the familiar sound of Nakahara's approach.
He can't quite tell what's going on; the sounds in this place echo like crazy. He can't look either, not unless he wants to risk Nakahara noticing him.
Still, Shinsou makes an effort to listen and try to figure out what Nakahara is doing and, more importantly, where he is.
He hears the sound of Nakahara get closer, too close for comfort, before the sound seems to soften. It's not entirely gone, but not as close as before.
Dazai moves, which jerks Shinsou into doing the same. God, after this, he'll make sure to never work with Dazai again, not if this lack of communication is a common thing with him.
He does his best to continue listening as they run towards the stairwell, this time going all the way into the room and up the stairs. They make it up about two floors before the sound of Nakahara swearing echoes from below them, and, ah, that's where he went.
Dazai rushes forward, easily running into the new floor and hiding away down one of the identical hallways.
Shinsou, as always, follows suit. Although if he were being honest, there was something bothering him.
Sure, he can see the strategic reasons for Dazai's actions so far, but Shinsou struggles to believe that Dazai actually cares about this exam.
Which… Now that Shinsou's putting it into words, it seems rather obvious. Of course Dazai doesn't care, not only does he get to go to the training camp no matter what, he also has zero interest in being a Hero. It doesn't matter to him if he fails every exam because, realistically, UA isn't going to kick him out over something like that.
All of this messing around with rocks is just… It's just for fun, just a way to tease Nakahara. If Dazai wanted, if he cared about this exam as much as Shinsou does, then he probably could have gotten to the exit gate by now. Hell, he probably could have taken Nakahara head-on and figured out some way to beat him.
"Our little training session was fun and all, but that doesn't mean we're all buddy-buddy. I have a plan and you aren't needed for it, understand?"
Right, he has a plan. A plan to fuck around and have some fun, because it doesn't matter what happens to Dazai. A plan that doesn't require Shinsou, you know, the one actual person in this exam who needsto do well and pass.
Shinsou attempts to settle himself, he remembers Aizawa-sensei's words about being logical and not jumping to conclusions.
"You're only doing this to annoy him," Shinsou says, his voice as flat as he can manage at the moment.
"Guilty as charged!" Dazai smiles, which only serves to get on Shinsou's nerves more, "Tch, no need to look so worried. We're still going to win by the end, so your grade is safe."
Somehow, Shinsou isn't all that comforted by that. Maybe, and here's a crazy idea, maybe Shinsou wanted to actually do something in this exam.
Earlier, he was willing to set aside his pride to follow Dazai's plan because, at the time, Shinsou figured that the plan would be somewhat decent. He was willing to follow that stupid plan because he was trying to be nice; he thought that it would be an actual plan, not just an excuse to mess around.
The smile on Dazai's face drops, replaced with a look of boredom. "Fine, how about this? You go to the finish line while I bother Chuuya some more. Just before the exam ends, you can cross it and secure us a win."
Shinsou takes a deep breath. "I want to take this exam seriously; it's important to me." Sure, sitting by the exit gate would be better than being a silent observer of Dazai's tricks, but not by much.
Dazai rolls his eyes, "Don't be such a spoilsport~"
Right, because caring about his grade makes him a spoil sport.
"I'm not, I just want-"
"Look," Dazai cuts him off, his voice cold and hard. "You'd never be able to beat Chuuya anyway. Chuuya won't respond to your questions, and his ability will never lose to your capture weapon. You can barely use the thing. So, just leave it all to me."
Shinsou knows he has no chance against Nakahara—that's the most obvious statement of the century! That doesn't mean he just wants to give up, though! He wants to actually try and then learn from the experience.
Without noticing, Shinsou's voice jumps up a level, "I know I can't use it well, but that doesn't mean I can't try! I want to get better, not just trail after you while you torment Nakahara."
Dazai scoffs, his face reminding Shinsou of all the people who would shoot down his dream of being a Pro. He was too weak, they would say, his Quirk too Villainous.
And now, despite being in class 1A and on his way to being a Hero, Shinsou finds himself facing the same sentiment once again.
Things are different now, he isn't the same kid who would nod along with whatever people said just so they'd leave him alone.
He's Shinsou Hitoshi of class 1A, a student of UA and the mentee of the Erasurehead.
Shinsou opens his mouth, intent on fighting back a bit more.
Then, a blur of black and orange leaps around the corner, and Shinsou feels his heart jump in his chest.
Instantly, Shinsou's hands fly up to his capture weapon. If he can just slow Nakahara down a little, then—
Nakahara dodges, his movements so precise that it looks stupid next to Shinsou's fumbles.
Nakahara is closing in, there isn't time to pull the capture weapon, and Shinsou's Quirk isn't going to work. He'll have to fight hand to hand then, which sucks because Nakahara will most certainly win.
Still, Shinsou puts his hands up just in time to block a blow to his face. He stumbles back a few steps, his mind reeling at just how much that hurt.
He goes to move, to try and maybe get out of the way, but finds his stomach lit up in pain as Nakahara lands a kick right at the centre of it.
This time, without the block, Shinsou is hit back much farther. So far, in fact, that he ends up tumbling into one of the small rooms.
He jumps up, doing his best to ignore the aching in both his arms and stomach (and his shoulder, from when Dazai had shoved him), but it's too late.
Before Shinsou can even register what's going on, Nakahara has blocked the doorway with chunks of rock, likely taken from the surrounding walls.
Nakahara's voice is muffled when he speaks, "Just stay here until time is up, yeah?"
Shinsou immediately slams up against the rocks, which only serves to make his shoulder hurt more. The rocks aren't coming loose; somehow, Nakahara had laced them together like a puzzle in order to keep them from falling.
Well, a puzzle that happens to be missing a piece. It's tight, but Shinsou is just about able to slip a finger between two smaller rocks.
With a bit of effort, the two rocks fall apart, creating a small gap through to the other side.
Through that small gap, Shinsou can see Dazai and Nakahara jumping around, both of them trying to get the upper hand on the other.
Nakahara leaps forward, only to stutter to a stop when a rock is launched at his face— No, not his face, it's too high. If not his face, though, then what?…
Nakahara's hat goes flying to the ground, Dazai's rock landing perfectly on top like a decoration.
"Hey- You bastard!" Nakahara yells.
Dazai grins before turning and sprinting faster than Shinsou has ever seen him move, which, as it turns out, is the right move, as Nakahara is quick to run after him.
They run, and yell a lot, and then…
And then Shinsou is alone.
For a moment, a split second after he realises he has been left in the dust, Shinsou contemplates just sitting down and waiting out the rest of the exam. He's stuck in this room and, like everyone thought, he has no chance of beating Nakahara on his own anyway.
He thinks that for a moment, but then his previous anger and annoyance at Dazai come back, and Shinsou decides he will get out of this room, even if only to be spiteful.
Alright, the first thing he needs to do is find a way out.
The most obvious way is knocking down the rocks and leaving through the doorway, but that does have a few problems. Most notably, Shinsou isn't sure he'll actually be able to knock down the rocks. He gives it a go, slips his hand in the opening he made, and tucks with all his strength and—
Yep, nothing.
Even if he had been able to break down the rocks, the noise alone would have alerted both Dazai and Nakahara to his escape. What's the point of getting out if he immediately gets captured again?
Dazai won't come back for him, so there is no use wishing he would.
So… What else can Shinsou do?
Shinsou takes a deep breath and thinks back to the many training sessions he's had with Aizawa-sensei. The first thing to do in any situation is to take stock of your surroundings and note anything that could be useful.
There's the blocked doorway, a few loose rocks here and there, and…
Shinsou grins. There, on the ceiling, is a vent.
If he uses the capture weapon, then maybe he could get out through that vent. It'll be hard; his control of the capture weapon and upper body strength are still pretty terrible, but it's not impossible.
If Shinsou gets out through that vent —and that's a huge 'if'—he might just be able to win this exam. Both Nakahara and Dazai will assume he's still stuck in this random room; they won't be expecting to see Shinsou at all.
Now, though, Shinsou has a chance to prove himself. He doesn't need Dazai's permission to participate in his own exam, he doesn't need to follow along a plan made by someone else.
Shinsou will get out of here, then he'll show Dazai that he's actually someone worth being on the same team with.
-
To put it simply, Dazai is not very happy with the current state of affairs. More accurately, he's not happy with one thing in particular.
He already knew they wouldn't be fighting robots; Nedzu had all but confirmed that, but Dazai still hadn't definitely proven what they would be fighting. Of course, fighting the teachers was one of his leading theories, although Dazai muses that it turns out that was wrong anyway.
If he and Chuuya had been set up against a teacher, then Dazai would have found the whole thing fun, especially depending on which teacher it was.
If he and Chuuya had been split, it would have been a bit annoying, but nothing they couldn't deal with.
If he and Chuuya had been pitted against each other, that would have been another fun experience. Dazai would get to mess around and taunt Chuuya, or get a good fight out of it.
All it took was one little detail, one variable added in, that turned Dazai's mood upside down.
Of course, out of everyone in the entire class, he just had to be teamed with Shinsou and against that Slug.
While there isn't any proof that Shinsou's Quirk would actually trigger Corruption, both Dazai and Chuuya would rather not risk it. In a place like this, there is no telling what may happen should Corruption be activated.
Would the HPSC come along and snatch Chuuya away for good this time? Would Aizawa and Yamada turn their backs on Chuuya, deciding that he's too dangerous and uncontrollable?
Dazai has plans upon plans on how to get out of UA if needed, how to get out without Chuuya's help in case he's too hurt to do anything. There are various Port Mafia grunts undercover around the Musutafu area just waiting to get the signal to cause some chaos—enough chaos that Dazai and Chuuya would be able to slip off back to Yokohama.
He has all these plans, but he would still prefer to avoid anything happening at all.
That's why he wasn't all that keen on working with Shinsou, especially since he knows just how dedicated the kid is to being a Hero.
At the start of the exam, Dazai had told Shinsou to just be quiet and follow him and, if he was being perfectly real, had expected to be told to shove it. Shinsou had relented, although Dazai could tell he wasn't happy about it.
For a while, things were going fine. Dazai was taunting Chuuya, and Shinsou wasn't as big of a risk as he could have been.
Then, just because Shinsou was too stupid to understand why drawing Chuuya's attention elsewhere was needed, things crashed down.
The only good thing that came out of all that was Shinsou getting locked away in that room. At least now Dazai doesn't have to worry about keeping an eye on him.
Dazai sighs. It's about time he ended this exam. Messing with Chuuya was fun—it always is—but Dazai is over it now—well, over it in this setting. He could never get sick of annoying Chuuya.
Dazai takes a right turn. He's already made his way up to the top floor, where he had assumed the exit gate would be. Now, all he has to do is find the thing and walk through. Oh, maybe he could wait until exactly 29:59 minutes have passed of the exam? That might be fun.
He continues walking, his mind mentally going over just how long he had been messing with Chuuya.
The sound of rocks echoing makes it to his ears. Dazai dismisses it.
The sound of Chuuya yelling is next. Dazai brushes it off. His Dog is such a brute.
The sound of a voice, his own voice to be exact, is the final piece to this puzzle, and Dazai does not ignore it.
"You're falling for that trick again?"
A chill shoots down Dazai's spine. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what just happened. Shinsou, somehow, got out of that room and used Dazai's own tricks to bait Chuuya into responding.
This is exactly what he didn't want to happen.
Dazai whips his head around, mentally begging for Chuuya not to fall into such a trap-
"Oh, shut the hell-"
Things fall eerily silent, a hallmark of Shinsou's Quirk activating. For a moment, time seems to stand still.
Dazai isn't by any means religious, and yet he finds himself praying in that moment. He isn't sure to which god exactly, maybe Arahabaki, but the only thing on his mind is this:
'Please don't let Corruption happen, not here, not now.'
Cackles echo down the hall, ones that prove that no god ever listens to Dazai anyway.
Dazai sprints back down the hall, his mind conjuring various plans on how to get to Chuuya, how to make sure he's okay, how to get both him and Chuuya out of UA before any of the pros get in the way.
He runs around a corner, the hallways taking him out to the central part of the training grounds.
As soon as Dazai catches a glimpse of Chuuya, his breath falls short. This always happens; when he watches Corruption take hold, he finds his mind empty for once. Words could never properly begin to describe the sight that is Corruption, the sight that is Chuuya acting without any restraints.
But this time, things are different. This time, words come to him as easily as panic does.
This is not a Chuuya who has placed his trust in Dazai, who has risked his life, his soul, his everything, knowing that Dazai will be there to bring him back. This is not a Chuuya who decided to lose himself for the greater good, who has been hurt again and again and again, and yet, like an idiot, willingly hurts himself to save others.
This is a Chuuya who has been stripped of control, a Chuuya who most certainly, most definitely, did notwant to become this now. He did not want to gain such strength and power at the cost of his health, he did not want the world outside of Yokohama to know about this cursed talent of his.
Knowing all this, the sight of Chuuya bathed in red and laughing like mad suddenly becomes the ugliest thing in the world.
Dazai hates it. He hates looking at it.
He hates it because he knows that Chuuya, trapped inside his own body, must hate it too.
Dazai manages to pull his eyes away from Chuuya just long enough to catch sight of Shinsou, the idiot who couldn't just stay put and listen to instructions. He wants to go over there and hit him, to grab his head and force him to see what he's done by not listening: the exam was almost over, they were almost in the clear, but no.
Chuuya cackles, the sound almost as abrasive as the sound of bricks smashing against each other.
It's by sheer luck that Dazai is still looking at Shinsou when it appears, when a chunk of brick goes flying off in Shinsou's direction.
For a second, Dazai considers looking away, he considers letting Shinsou get punished for what he's done.
Then, the knowledge of how Chuuya would react, knowing he had hurt Shinsou, possibly even killed him, forces him to move.
Fortunately, Dazai is able to slam his body into Shinsou's just before the rock makes contact. Shinsou groans below him, but Dazai pays it no mind. Instead, he leaps back to his feet and rushes to the railing.
Chuuya is crouched on a floating piece of rock, just a bit lower than the floor Dazai is on. Various other pieces of rock are floating around, some being shot out at invisible enemies.
Dazai hears yelling, his eyes glance over at the same time that Chuuya's head turns.
Aizawa has run into the training grounds, his eyes glowing red and capture tape already in his hands. He's on a much lower floor, although with his acrobatic skills, it wouldn't take long to reach Chuuya.
Fuck, things just keep getting worse.
For a brief second, Dazai considers using Aizawa as bait. He considers leaving Aizawa to take the brunt of Corruption's power while Dazai finds a better way to get to Chuuya.
He knows he can't do that, though.
Chuuya, for whatever reason, actually likes the guy. The other day, when they had left the first training sessions with Shinsou, Chuuya had said it plainly for anyone to hear.
Owls, Aizawa's code name, have been growing on him lately. Chuuya has started to bond with and like these fools at UA. While part of him wanted to scold Chuuya for it, wanted to remind Chuuya that they would be returning to the Port Mafia once the mission was complete, he ultimately let it slide. He knew this would happen; after all, Chuuya is the biggest bleeding heart alive.
If Dazai uses Aizawa as bait and he gets hurt, or worse, killed, Chuuya will be upset.
Dazai tells himself he's just saving himself the trouble later on as he takes a running jump onto the railing.
Dazai tells himself that hearing Chuuya cry about it later on would be too annoying, as he pushes off the railing and shoots towards Chuuya.
Dazai tells himself that this is just the easiest option, that using Aizawa or Shinsou as bait is too much effort, as he slams into Chuuya's floating body and wraps his arms around Chuuya as tightly as he can.
Dazai tells himself that it doesn't hurt that much as he and Chuuya go flying, as they crash onto one of the lower floors and Dazai feels his shoulder pop out of place.
Chuuya, still tucked in Dazai's arms, hisses in pain. Dazai does his best to support Chuuya's head because, fuck, that fall was hard. If Chuuya has a head injury from it, then he needs to stay as still as possible.
The sound of footsteps tears Dazai back to reality, right, he's not out of the woods yet.
Somehow, he needs to get both himself and Chuuya out of here. There are a few plans that could work. He just needs to move before—
Aizawa skids around the corner, his Quirk no longer activated.
Dazai, on instinct alone, raises the paintball gun in his hand and levels it at Aizawa's head. He knows it isn't a real gun, but with his aim, Dazai could easily shoot the man in both eyes before he gets any closer.
With Aizawa unable to see, that capture weapon will be useless, thus giving Dazai the perfect opportunity to slip by if needed.
(Dazai forces his arm to stop shaking; if he had a second, he could pop his shoulder back in place, but no, Aizawa just had to come right away.)
Shinsou isn't a concern either. He's probably still sitting twiddling his thumbs, like all of this wasn't his fault. Even if he does try something, which Dazai seriously doubts, he'll be easy to take down.
Dazai feels his face slip into an expression he hasn't worn in a while, not since they left Yokohama and the Port Mafia. Back home, people had the annoying habit of questioning him; well, they always did at first. After enough violence, after the rumours spread, people started to get the message.
The Demon Prodigy was never meant to make an appearance at UA, but this seems as good a time as any. With his Chuuya hurt and incapacitated, with Chuuya in real danger, there's no reason to act all soft.
Aizawa's face hardens, but interestingly, his hands stay by his side rather than reaching for his capture weapon.
Dazai doesn't think he needs to speak, not when his intention is so very clear. If Aizawa takes another step, then Dazai will shoot. He will not hesitate to blind the man if needed.
For a few seconds, there is silence; for a few seconds, no one moves as the tensions rise.
Then Chuuya's hands tighten from where they're grabbing Dazai's shirt, a weak attempt compared to how much strength Chuuya usually has. It's still enough to draw Dazai's attention, to snap his mind into action.
Aizawa isn't moving, which, while good news for Dazai, doesn't make sense. Dazai has heard about what happened at the USJ—how Aizawa put his own life on the line to take down the villains.
So, why isn't he doing anything? Doesn't he know how dangerous Chuuya was just a moment ago? Isn't it protocol to take down threats to UA students?
Even with the threat of the paintball gun, it just doesn't make sense. Aizawa is a capable man, he wouldn't get scared off by a few paintballs to the eyes.
His face is pulled taut with what Dazai identifies as concern, and yet, despite it all, he stands perfectly still. He doesn't twitch, not even with the intention to move. No unconscious movements give away his plans.
It doesn't make sense, it's frustrating because Dazai doesn't understand why he isn't—
"So, from now on, I don't care what Nedzu or the HPSC say. Making sure you two have someone you can rely on, someone who is in your corner, will be my priority."
Aizawa looks so worried, and yet he's not moving. He's waiting for Dazai to move first. He's… He's here to help, but not close enough that Dazai feels out of control. He's allowing Dazai to make the first move. He's obeying the silent command given by the gun. He's keeping his distance until Dazai lets him closer.
So many things fly through his head, insults, plans, and ideas, and Dazai does his best to parse through them and find the best thing to do in this situation.
Doesn't he know it's stupid to let his guard down? Even if he was genuine about being better, isn't this too much?
Chuuya's hurt; he needs medical attention. How can Dazai get that as soon as possible?
Nedzu's watching—he's always watching. Has he figured them out? Is the plan in danger?
Dazai, in a technique he's mastered by now, shoves all the thoughts in his head into a corner so he can focus. His top priority right now is Chuuya, he needs to make sure he gets some medical attention and isn't at risk of being taken away. Everything else can wait until later.
Aizawa is still waiting, he looks worried and ready to jump into action at any second, ready to listen to any order given by Dazai.
Aizawa wants to help; he's a fool who hasn't raised his weapon on them even now. He wants to help… And Chuuya trusts him, likes him, even.
Chuuya trusts Aizawa, at least a tiny bit more than before, so Dazai will, too. He'll put his faith in this 'Hero' just long enough to get Chuuya in a better state. He'll take advantage of this misplaced trust from Aizawa to make sure Chuuya gets out of here.
Dazai takes a deep breath, lowers the gun, and locks eyes with Aizawa. "You and Recovery Girl, no one else."
Aizawa nods, his face set in grim determination, before rushing off.
-
Shinsou has many regrets in his life. For a long time, he was too anxious about other people calling him a Villain to do anything. He'd hide away, miss out on opportunities and experiences to make things easier for others.
Thinking back on the things that always upset him, he feels a sense of regret for not standing up for himself sooner.
Now, as his chest heaves and his mind tries to catch up with whatever the hell just happened, he feels regret over something he chose to do, rather than something he chose not to.
It's new, and yet the bone-deep feeling of shame, the weight in his chest that refuses to leave, is all too familiar.
Shinsou has a lot of regrets, and this one? This one will forever be his biggest regret.