Hello! I am back with the third chapter for MHA! I hope everybody is enjoying it so far! Now, if your expecting a harem around Izuku, don't be too disappointed since it will be the building blocks of one. I'm not going to be writing lemons with 16 year olds or anything. Mainly, just sowing the concept by the time Erza and the others shift away. Also, I can't remember if the full teacher body knew of All Might's diminishing strength. I'm going to assume they do. If I'm wrong…oh well.

Other than that, I'll write a few No Hope chapters afterwards. But, with summer upon us and myself getting back to work, updates will slow a bit.

Anyway, I don't own any media!

Chapter 16: Academia (Part Three)

May 5th 11:00 a.m. U.A. Teacher's lounge

Principal Nezu walked into the lounge, his short stature immediately drawing the gaze of his faculty. Dressed in a gray suit, the manlike bear smiled warmly to the educators. A quick study of those present reassured him that all were present.

"Ah. Excellent. Your all here"

"Is something wrong, Nezu? Did those four women attack a student? Because I heard that Levy woman was setting off explosives" Present Mic asked, his normal boisterous tone subdued with known murderers in the school.

Nezu chuckled. "No, nothing so serious. And Levy was actually assisting our young Mei with some projects. From what I gather, those two have established quite the rapport already"

"Then what's the issue?" Vlad King asked simply. He remembered meeting Erza and Kagura, the two visiting 1-B and talking with his students the day prior…he found them unnerving. He had seen what they were capable of…how utterly dangerous they could be.

"I received a strange phone call from Mr. Yaoyorozu this morning"

"About what? As far as their daughter's attendance and grades, she's doing quite well" Toshinori pointed out, his face gaunt and angular in the privacy of the other heroes.

"Oh, it's not an issue of their daughter's grades, but of an idea she came up with" Nezu strolled to the nearby window, the overcast sky beyond threatening rain. "Apparently, young Momo and some of her friends went and talked with Erza Scarlet last night. She told them some more of her life and the multiverse…even apologized to Izuku Midoriya for her actions earlier this week"

"I hope you didn't call all of us here to tell us that one of them apologized. I know they're…mentally troubled, but that's hardly a reason to gather us" Aizawa said tiredly, his eyes showing signs of boredom.

"Of course not, but it does give me hope that she acknowledged her mistake" Nezu turned from the window as the first patters of rain struck the glass. "Miss Yaoyorozu suggested to Erza that she hold a class, then called her parents about it. Parents that are very wealthy and have supported of our school with many donations in the past" He raised a furred palm to quell any protests before continuing to speak. "Now it was just a suggestion. Her father made it very clear that having these women here un-nerved him. But…we cannot dismiss their strength, experience, or survival skills against that horrid enemy. Erza and her friends have years of real world experience, and we have them here fore a full month. I believe having them hold some classes with some of our faculty in support would be a vast learning experiences for our students"

"…You can't be serious" Vlad King deadpanned, his tone level with disbelief.

"I am very serious. To disuse this resource would be a folly. And it already appears some of our students are very interested in learning from them. I hate to say it, but the world can be dangerous…especially for heroes. These four could teach them something that could save their lives or the lives of innocents one day"

"But all the murders they committed…" Toshinori murmured, his voice low.

"I know…but the idea has merit. And if we keep them separate during these lessons with one or two of you in support, the risks are diminished"

Nemuri looked down, her face studying the beat down carpet as she thought. "They are all dangerous, there is no doubt about that. But aside from Levy blowing up things on the testing range with Mei yesterday, there hasn't been any new issues. They've been conducting themselves around the students quite well…with the exception of some weird talk of harems from Mira and Erza…"

She lifted her head to speak. "We would have to establish rules of conduct with them. And figure out what types of classes would be the most beneficial to our students"

"Hmmph! You can go with them then. I am not working with those four and their weird, murder melon" Vlad King growled before leaving the room.

"I'll go talk to Erza and the others. If you don't wish to take part in this, let me know when I return" Walking toward the door, Nezu quickly left the faculty inside to ponder this strange idea.

Sighing, Midnight knew that this could be a benefit for the students…but only if the four didn't go overboard.

"I mean…it might help them to work with young adults instead of sitting in their rooms all day?" Toshinori suggested with a tired shrug of his bony shoulders.

"It might help establish any students that aren't cut out for hero work. I suspect any training or lessons would not be easy" Aizawa supported. He didn't trust them…but he could respect them in a way. Anybody to live through all that carnage and bloodshed was no pushover.

"But would it be volunteer or mandatory for our students?" Cementoss asked the tired looking man.

"Mandatory of course. I know some could really use some extra lessons" Aizawa concluded as the rain continued to fall outside like a beating drum.

Mira's Room. Half an hour later…

The first thing Levy had done after waking up from her late night of work was to meet up with her friends. The news had been too exciting not to share as she burst into the dorm with her assistant in tow. Luckily, the other three had already showered, eaten, and dressed for the day as they gathered in the room.

"Levy…did you even sleep at all? Your hair's a damn mess" Kagura pointed out at the unkempt locks of the scientist. They stood up…pointing in random directions as a smudge of motor oil graced her brow. How or when she got It none of them knew.

"Who gives a shit about that! I figured something out!" Levy shouted out as she paced back and forth.

"Well stop pacing and tell us?" Mira asked as her friend halted mid-step near the bed. Turning to the white haired mage, Levy grinned.

"It's about our shifting! I finally came up with something called the Universal Anchor!"

"…You mean you can get us home?" Erza asked hopefully, her eyes daring to show that forlorn desire.

Levy balked, knowing that despite her intellect, she had still failed in that regard. "No. I've explained that trying to remove these quantum particles entwined with our molecules would be basically like killing ourselves. But! The universal anchor will change that…in a way…" she looked away awkwardly, knowing that it really wouldn't change their lives.

"Then what good will this device do us if we can't get home?" Kagura asked with her arms crossed beneath her sizable bust. Leaning against the wall near the bathroom, she cocked her head to the side as Normal face did a random All Might pose.

"BECAUSE! It will anchor us once we get home! I know it's not much, but if we reach our homeworld, We can activate our individual anchor's and we will stay. Even if we have years of particles in our bodies, we won't shift anymore"

"But if that's the case, why not anchor here? Then wait it out? This world really isn't that bad" Mira suggested, but knew immediately by Levy's face that there was a catch.

The scientist ran a hand through her disheveled hair, showing off her tired eyes. "It won't work like that. Basically, it can only anchor us to home…nowhere else. Fuck, it won't even work here even after I finish the damn thing. Its purpose is to match our sub-atomic frequency with our home universe. If it doesn't, then it might as well be a paper weight" She breathed deeply. "I wish it was better news, but it is something to at least prevent us from leaving one thirty seven-C when we make it back"

"Well, that certainly is a piece of good news for your journey" Nezu interrupted, the short principal standing in the doorway.

"AH! BEAR MAN! YOU…ARE ACCEPTED!" Normal face said loudly while doing some karate chops at the empty air near the corner.

"If you can say that…but I just can't figure out how to prevent us from shifting again. The quantum particles and our bodies are too intertwined at this point. The only option is to let them fade of their own accord" Levy stated with annoyance. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Ah yes, please forgive my intrusion, but I understand some students were interested in some lessons from Erza and the others? I happen to think it would be a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn from your years of experience"

"I'm out" Levy stated with a shrug as she walked toward the doorway and passing the rodent-man.

"But you haven't even thought about it? Surely you would enjoy teaching some scientific concepts to the student body" Nezu asked the blue haired woman.

"I won't have time. I literally have to create some elements your world hasn't discovered yet to power this universal anchor…and get started on the exterior casing. Not too mention the other ideas I have too better equip your police officers. Plus, I am fucking starving and need a damn shower right now" Leaving with a wave, Levy strolled down the hall to erase the stink of the day before.

"I see…well what about the rest of you?"

"I would love to teach some outdoor survival and hunting. It would be an excellent skill for Midoriya and the others to toughen them up a bit. Plus…I won't be bored" Erza supported as she stroked her chin. "However…they can't use quirks. It's not a test of their knowledge or skill if they can simply use their powers to build weapons, tools, or to hunt"

"What a novel idea…It would certainly help them understand and appreciate what they have" Nezu commented with a thoughtful tone.

Erza spoke up once more. "This survival course would take a full week. Your students won't learn anything from just a single day in the woods"

Nezu nodded in agreement. "A splendid idea. Of course, precautions will be taken such as one of my teachers accompanying you and emergency communications in case of serious injury"

"That's fair. But we need to be far outside the city. A half our walk into the wilderness won't be much. They have to know they are out in nature"

"Wonderful! What about you two?" The short principal asked Mira and Kagura. The two looked at each other before Mira rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. She had discussed the prospect of this with Erza last night, her rival expressing interest which had got her thinking as well.

"Urban survival. We would need to use one of your emergency disaster training buildings…and some heavy technology for it too work how we envision"

"What would this course entail?"

Mira looked away slowly and awkwardly. "Ummm…an apocalypse? It would show the kids how easy it is to lose their morals in a survival setting like we have numerous times. Being a hero is a very admirable goal, but if you haven't drunk any water in two days? Even the most steadfast hero will be desperate and kill to survive. I would like to teach them that so they can understand desperation…how easy it can be to fall from that moral high ground"

"Hmmm…give me a list of what you will need. I'll look it over and let you know if I approve or not" Turning back to Erza, the bear-man smiled. "Tomorrow is Friday, so I'll break the announcement to the classes. Since there are four total in the entirety of the academy, you will be in charge of one class per week during the next month…can you handle that?"

"I've trained companies of men for military action in the Great War. Handling some high school student's will not be an issue"

Nezu's eyes widened at this fact, knowing that the First World War was ancient history at this point. He wondered how many different battlefields these women had fought on…then decided he probably did not want to know.

"Are you sure you don't want help Erza? Mira's idea wont really need a second pair of hands. Plus, it would be nice to enjoy some time with you away from…the insane one" Kagura reasoned. She distinctly picked up off key singing from Levy's room and showering, and knew she needed to get away from the maddening scientist.

Scarlet nodded, a small smile gracing her normal frowning features. "It would be nice to have your help. Plus, you are one of my oldest friends with just as much skill as myself. Just don't expect me to do all the work"

Kagura just shook her head side to side, knowing that the knight was lightly teasing. Still…she could tell that in just a few days Erza had become less prone to outbursts and violence. The unleashing of emotions and rest seemed to have helped her mental state…even if she still talked to Strawberry.

"Very good. Why don't you two meet up with the faculty and start working with them on this upcoming course? You'll have tomorrow and the weekend to establish what you would want to accomplish. Mira? Come with me and you can explain more of this 'Urban Survival Course' to me"

Mira smirked as the females started to leave the room. "This is going to be so much fun"

"I just hope we don't accidentally break any of these kids" Kagura voiced out, leaving Normal Face in the room as he continued his poses…

The following day.

Izuku walked into the cafeteria of the school with Iida and Ochaco, his two closest friends while they headed toward the food line. Taking a spot at the back to wait his turn, the green haired teenager was deep in thought.

Noticing his stiff stature as the line moved, Ochaco lightly bumped the boy in the back. "Hey, Earth to Izuku? You in there?"

"Oh! Yeah…sorry" he smiled awkwardly before moving up.

"Thinking about the announcement, Midoriya?" Iida asked, the teenager lightly adjusting his glasses. Studying the large room for eating, he saw several of his classmates…and students from the other classes as well. He knew a few from 1-B…but any others he could only recognize from the hallway between courses.

"Yeah. On one hand, learning survival skills from Erza and Kagura will no doubt help us become better heroes. But…"

"Your worried about those two going overboard?" Ochaco asked simply as the line moved again. Her friend nodded.

"It is something to worry about. After all, they did kill dozens of people. However, they are willing to work under some of the teachers for this extra curricular activity. Life sure is weird sometimes…"

"As long as I don't have to eat bugs, I won't care" the gravity girl stated as the line moved toward the lunch ladies.

"AH! IZUKU!"

"H…Himiko? What are you doing back there?" Midoriya lightly stuttered. Studying the smiling blonde behind the food counter, the three students were surprised to see her in a service apron and cap. Her grin grew a little wider, piling on extra food for her crush and giving two drinks to the boy as she shrugged.

"They offered me a rehabilitation program since…you know, I did attack some people in the past. But! Since I'm a minor, they felt prison was way to harsh for my crimes, so your principal offered me a job here to pay back society in a way. And! If I do really well, I could take an actual entrance exam next year so long as there aren't any incidents!"

Izuku smiled, a warm split of his face as he took his tray overloaded with food. "That's great Himiko. Keep up the good work and you'll be a hero in no time"

"Of course! And…" The blonde girl leaned forward, awkwardly close as Ochaco twitched. "We can form a crime fighting couple. Just you and me…"

"Oh…uh…"

"WELL! THANKS FOR THE FOOD! GLAD YOUR DOING BETTER! BYE!"

Grabbing her tray of food, Ochaco practically pushed Midoriya to a distant table as a small dusting of pink graced her cheeks. Glancing back as Iida took his own tray of nourishment, the two females locked glares until they lost each other in the bustle of students.

Sitting down at a table with Mina, Toru Hagakure and Tsuyu, the brown haired girl breathed.

"Jeeze Uraraka, why are your eyes twitching? And your cheeks seem to be a little flushed?" Mina pointed out as she rested her chin on a pink palm. Black eyes jutting left toward Midoriya, the boy seemed a little red as well.

"No reason…none at all"

"Hmmm…hey Midoriya? Anything new?" Mina asked with a slight tease.

"Nope…no weird former villain fangirls at all" Mumbling to himself, the boy started to tackle the mountain of free food he had gotten.

"OH! I GET IT! Ochaco and that Himiko girl are in the middle of a love triangle with Midoriya!" Toru concluded with a fist bump…that nobody saw due to her invisibility.

"Hagakure. Everybody knows that. It's been the talk of the school for days now" Tsuyu mentioned offhandedly as the two teenagers nearby grew redder.

"So, um! What do you all think of this survival training course? Crazy huh…hehehe…" Ochaco input, trying to desperately change the subject.

"Oh no…we have all weekend to talk about our upcoming trip to the woods. We're going to talk about how your going to beat your new rival!" Toru grinned fanatically as she pictured the romance. But once again…nobody could see her movements as the gravity girl just rested her head on the cafeteria table with exasperation.

"Just…kill me now…"

Monday May 9th 10: 18 a.m. The Oyama Forest

The bus ground to a halt, kicking up a plume of dust along the service road. Hemmed in on both sides by heavy forest, several of the students looked out at the unspoiled nature around them as some rabbits scampered away from the disturbance. It was strangely beautiful and serene, something many of the urbanites had never experienced.

Nemuri Kayama stood at the front, her teacher's attire switched to hiking jeans, a white t-shirt, and a light jacket that hung open. Brown boots covered her feet, a steady contrast to the normal shoes she wore. Adjusting the strap of her backpack, she cleared her throat.

"All of you make sure to take your backpacks with you. If you forget it on the bus, you will have no equipment for this exercise for a full week. If that happens, you will instantly fail this extra credit course" Turning, she stepped off the bus with Erza and Kagura following.

The fresh air was crisp…filled with the scent of leaves, wildlife….and that old mildew-like rot that covered the forest floor. Breathing again, Kagura smiled as she lightly adjusted her own backpack of camping equipment. The long-shot rifle on her back was a reassurance…an insistence that one of them remained armed just in case of a large bear or other dangerous wildlife.

The muttering and light complaints of students stretching sore muscles was heard as they climbed off, each one with their own pack and dressed for the occasion. Five minutes later the bus pulled away in a kick of gravel, leaving class 1-A in the middle of nowhere with Midnight, Erza Scarlet, and Kagura Mikazuchi.

Bakugo kicked a small stone, his face a portrait of scowls. "So now what? We pick berries or something?"

Erza slowly turned her gaze toward him, almost like a hunter eyeing young prey. "No. The point of this exercise is to teach you survival skills if you are ever stranded away from civilization. During the coming week, I will teach you to hunt, fish, collect your own water and other skills you will need in order to survive" Stooping low, the red head swung her bed roll and pack to the ground. Opening the soft container, she pulled out a six inch combat blade….then a lighter, matches, a durable bone saw, compass, a water filtration filter, a day worth of rations, bottled water, a mess tin, and a flashlight next to the rolled up sleeping bag. There was also a collapsible shovel, but that was set aside for now.

"I personally double checked all of your packs with Nemuri and Kagura this early morning before we all left. These are all the items you will be using until next Monday. I personally just wanted to give you a combat knife for everything, but your teachers thought that would be too…extreme. So, count yourselves lucky that you have these tools" Attaching the sheathed blade to her belt, the woman made sure to take the compass before repacking her kit.

Some of the student's flinched at that knowledge. Survival with just a knife? How hardcore was this woman?

"It also goes without saying…do not consume your emergency rations or water unless absolutely necessary. The goal is to teach you all how to gather food and drinkable water for yourselves" Kagura input.

Hagakure shifted, her survival attire bobbing while she raised her hand. "We can't use our quirk's right? But what about me? My whole body is invisible all the time"

Erza nodded toward the young woman. "I understand that some of you do have altered bodies because of your abilities. That cannot be helped. But using…for example, Shoto's ice or fire abilities to hunt or cook meals will not be allowed. Same with Yaoyorozu's creation ability or Bakugo's explosion quirk. Those will not be permitted since it would not be a challenge or learning experience otherwise. Does that answer your question?"

"Yup!"

Nemuri stepped forward, her eyes sparkling with a hint of pleasure. While she had some reservations at first, this idea would be extremely beneficial to the teenagers before her. "Okay. First order of business is to find some shelter. Miss Scarlet will lead the way. Follow her instructions or Miss Mikazuchi's. I will be taking up the rear to make sure none of you get separated from the group"

Erza nodded, abruptly turning and starting to walk toward the heavy tree line with compass in hand as Kagura fanned out to the right. Both women were silent, barely making a sound.

Izuku hurried to catch up with the rest of his class, his boots crushing some heavy moss. Momo came up next to him, a strangely happy smile on her face despite being miles from the nearest town. Her heel snapped a twig, a sharp crack mixed in with the low murmur of voices.

"Are you excited, Izuku?"

The green haired boy pondered for a moment, his gaze casting about the group as the forest floor became uneven with gnarled roots, rotting logs, and the scent of moss.

"Actually…yes. When you think about it, we are in a class with two women from another universe…how cool is that?" He grunted, stepping over a log before extending a hand to help Momo over. The girl lightly smiled at the action, another reason why she found the boy so pleasant to be around despite his shyness.

"Be careful where you step. I don't want to deal with a twisted ankle or broken leg on the first day" Erza called out from the front as she paused and narrowed her gaze toward the natural landscape. The Oyama forest had several small mountains that were heavily wooded along with some small rivers and lakes traversing the valleys. Raising a palm to shield an errant beam of sunlight, the mage was aware as Tsuyu came up and stood next to her.

"Do you know where to go?" the raven haired female asked simply. A slow nod was her response as the taller woman pointed toward the right. A small mountain lay that way…a heavy incline of trees and wildlife.

"Tell me, why should we search for shelter over there?"

Tsuyu looked, studying the landscape several miles away as the group temporarily paused. "Well…caves likely formed from water run-off over millions of years. If we want to find some shelter, that would be the best place to look"

"But why not at the banks of a river? We would have easy access to fresh water all the time"

The girl paused…tapping a finger to her lips in contemplation. "The river could flood during a rainstorm…and predators hunt along water sources as well. We would be better to finding a defensible position…hopefully close enough to fresh water, but not too close to warrant attacks by dangerous wildlife"

"Good. You can help me with this" Erza complimented as she stepped forward, bypassing a fallen tree with birds chirping far above. A few animals hollered and hooted, the sounds mixing with the surrounding wildlife.

Strangely, Tsuyu felt a small surge of pride from the soldier as the group continued onward through the heavy forest.

It took until early afternoon to reach the base of the wooded mountain. A difficult slog across uneven terrain and heavy forest that had many of the teenagers feeling the burning in their thighs and legs. A few complained, most of them coming from Mineta or Ojiro as the short boy gasped. He really wasn't made for long hikes.

"Remember Minoru…we will find a lake and the girls will bathe. That's the goal…to witness the awe-inspiring beauty of women!" He almost tripped over a root, but his pervert thoughts only made him smile.

Kyoka Jiro pushed her way through some low brush as a few drops of sweat trickled down her brow. She could hear Mineta talking about…bathing. A tone that made her naturally suspicious. She would have to warn the other women about a possible attempt to peep at them in the future. But that would have to wait as she stepped into a small stream that was running down the hill toward an unknown location. It was barely three feet wide and inches deep, but it flowed continuously from her right. Tracking her eyes further up the incline, the sixteen year old took in the sight of numerous slabs of tumbled shelf rock…and an opening in the mountain-side a dozen feet above.

"Hey! I found some water and a cave!" Jiro called out.

"Good job. Let's investigate" Kagura suggested as she emerged from the undergrowth only a few feet away. Unslinging the bolt action rifle, the soldier became all business as most of the group started to hurry with a wave of crushing noise and talking.

"I didn't hear her at all! Was she behind me the whole time!?" Kyoka asked herself with a low gulp. That fact that her elongated earphone jacks didn't unnerved her immensely.

She followed the Gear, the two exerting more stamina as they climbed up the low grade toward the first slab. Circling around toward the left past the small stream of flowing water, the duo found a trail of weathered rock and packed dirt that led to the cave mouth.

"Easier than climbing those slabs" Mikazuchi commented as the two stood near the entrance. Streaked with lines millions of years old, it was easy to tell that water had flowed through here continuously for eons. Glancing back down the hill, Kyoka studied Erza instructing the students and Miss Kayama on water filtration as the rest of the class took a small break.

"Hey. Pay attention. We need to make sure there isn't anything dangerous in here" Kagura scolded with narrow eyes.

"Oh…sorry. I was just thinking that Erza would make a good teacher…um…without all the violence"

"She probably would" stepping into the mouth of the cave, Kagura kept her longshot pointed downward as the coolness washed over the two. They kept to the left, avoiding the light flow of water as more liquid dripped from condensation.

The two were silent, the only sound coming from light footfalls that echoed along the tunnel. Jiro felt the heavy weight of the sheathed knife on her belt…and was suddenly happy it was there. This cave was too quiet.

"You don't think there are any bears or mountain lions in here…do you?"

"It's possible. But that's why I brought my rifle" Stepping over the small stream, the two continued down the cavernous passageway. Rushing water grew louder along with distant pools of reflective light as the two emerged into a larger cavern that was almost…oval in layout.

An interior waterfall flowed, gushing over smoothed outcroppings of rocks before falling into a shallow pool. Streams of sunlight bore down from a few holes in the upper formation, lighting up the pool as the excess spilled past them to continue its journey down the mountain.

Several large shelves of stone rose above the pond nearby, their mass easily covering half the floor of the cavern like a plateau.

"Well…this will definitely work. A source of water and a place to sleep all in one" Resting a hand on Kyoka's shoulder, Kagura gave a nod.

"This was a great find. Feel proud you helped the group locate a desirable location"

Kyoka smiled shyly, a small dusting of embarrassment from the compliment. "Um…thanks"

"Why not pick a spot for your sleeping bag and kit? I'll go tell the rest of them it's clear" Already leaving, Kagura was gone in seconds as she left Jiro in the cavern.

Looking up, the female could feel a sense of wonderment from the stalactites hanging far above with sparkling minerals dotting the surfaces of many.

"It really is pretty in here…" Shaking her head free of the distraction a minute later, she walked up the soft incline to the plateau on the left side of the geological formation. Unslinging her pack with a weary sigh, she felt lighter than air as she spread out her bed roll ten feet from the edge. The tiny waterfall was close, a pleasant sound of nature as she scooped out her water filter. It was shaped like a thermos…a very simple design with instructions on the side. Unscrewing the top and pulling it apart, she quickly filled the secondary container and pressed down with the filter portion.

Eight seconds later she was enjoying the crisp, cold liquid as the sounds of her classmates loomed closer.

"OH! It's soo pretty!" Yaoyorozu exclaimed as the developing woman stepped inside with the others.

"You can admire it later, Momo. All of you pick a spot on that tiny uprising to store your gear. It's already mid afternoon and we still need to find some food, set up a latrine outside, and gather firewood" Scarlet stated as Bakugo scoffed.

"Why should we have to set up a latrine? Can't we just find some corner of this cave to take care of all that?" he crossed his arms, smirking at his bright idea.

"I dunno…do you want to sleep where you shit?" Erza asked evenly before turning away from the hot-tempered male. "There will be three groups of six led by myself, Kagura, and Nemuri. Mineta and Kaminari will remain behind to guard our belongings. I will take Bakugo, Midoriya, Hakagure, Kirishima, Ashido, and Tsuyu to gather food. Kagrua will take six of you to find a place for our waste while Midnight will gather firewood with her group"

"Really Erza?" Kagura asked with a light glare of annoyance.

Her friend sighed. "I'll do it for the next class, alright?"

"You better…"

Erza dismissed the tone as her group came forward after setting down their bedding.

"Okay! I think we're ready!"

Scarlet blinked once before turning, her tone silent as she waved the teenagers to follow. Leaving the cave, she was walking along the tumbling mountain stream minutes later as the scent of undergrowth filled her nostrils.

It was peaceful. A calming place that reminded her of being with Natsu.

"Why are we following the stream?" Hakagure asked simply.

Erza tried to not be annoyed. She had to remember they were city kids. The closest they've gotten to nature is probably manicured parks or their grandfather's cabin.

"Because…it will hopefully lead to a larger lake or river. Which means a higher chance of hunting. But I'll be teaching you hunting tomorrow. Today will be fish" the mage exclaimed as they continued down the shallow hill. She could distinctly hear a louder flow of water, but the trees impeded her vision for the moment.

"Um…don't we need fishing rods?" Izuku inquired with a light tone of confusion.

"I'll be teaching you to fish without them. I just wish your teachers would've let me give you a harsher course with just a knife. It's highly unlikely you would be carrying this type of gear if you were stranded somewhere"

"So, your saying you could survive out here with just a knife for a whole week? You don't even have a quirk"

Erza paused, her long hair billowing under a light breeze that pushed through the undergrowth. She looked back toward Bakugo with a harsh gaze. "I have. And your reliance on your quirk could spell your death one day. The one thing I've learned with my three friends in the multiverse? Each world has its own natural laws…and magic rarely works on most. The same could happen to your explosion quirk…or some villain could seal it, steal it from you with some horrible power you can't fight against" She turned away, continuing to walk again. "I am doing this to help you all understand that you could be without your abilities one day. If that happens, you need to be self-reliant"

"I guess that makes sense…right Bakugo?" Kirishima asked in the hopes of keeping his friend calm.

"Tch! Whatever…"

After that, they fell mostly into silence as they walked for fifteen minutes toward the increasingly loud sound of water. Finally reaching the source, they found themselves on the bank of a slow moving river. It wasn't large…only twenty feet across and maybe three feet deep in the middle. But it was clear…and the heroes in training could see fish swimming in the crystalline liquid.

"How are you planning on catching the fish, Miss Scarlet. Ribbit"

The red head looked around before settling her gaze on a fallen branch. It was about four feet long, and mostly straight with smaller branches jutting out randomly. Sitting down on a nearby outcropping of root, the soldier pulled her knife and began whittling away.

"You six need to find a sturdy branch like this to make a fishing spear. Whittle away the excess bark and narrow one end to a sharp point. If you have questions or need help, I'll show you how. Now get moving if you want to eat tonight" Slicing more of the bark off, the instructor became engrossed in her task.

"Spear fishing? I thought only ancient humans did that?" Ashido commented as she started to search the nearby area with the other two girls and Midoriya. Bakugo and Kirishima had gone in the opposite direction, but she didn't mind. Katsuki was an asshole.

"I guess we'll be learning" Izuku shrugged as the four continued to search. Luckily, they all found some sizable branches in ten minutes time. Rejoining the redhead along the bank, Midoriya was a little annoyed that Bakugo was already whittling a new spear. Sitting himself down, there was nothing he could do except start on his own.

Erza waited patiently for the students to finish. Keeping herself seated on the log, she gazed out at the forest…then remembered the last forest she had been in. The river turned to blood…a torrent of gore while the trees started to move and sway. Mutated wildlife burst from beyond as the sky opened up a hail of crimson. Her thoughts became clouded with screaming and gunfire…the ripping of flesh and skin…

"Miss Erza? We're done" Toru stated, her invisible hand gripping her spear as the others nodded. Scarlet blinked heavily before she nodded, the daymare fading to the back of her mind in a slow recession. But Toru, Mina and the nearby Tsuyu…they saw that small quiver in her eyes…of something unseen to them all.

"Oh…okay" Slipping off her hiking boots and socks, the woman rolled up her pant legs before wading into the flowing body of water. Grasping the spear, Erza could feel the coolness of the liquid flowing around her lower calves. Taking a small breath, the woman dipped the pointed end of the spear into the water…and waited.

Mina wondered what the dimensional traveler was doing…then the matured woman struck. Jabbing downward in a show of strength, she lifted the pointed shaft upward…and hefted a dying trout. It was about average, maybe a foot in length and weight five pounds as it thrashed to escape…but quickly failed and lay still with the end point through its side.

"Wow! That was amazing! You got one on the first try!" Mina supported with a shout.

"Indeed. Now all of you get in the river and spread out" Placing the now dead fish in her pack, she knew it would probably stink later on…but oh well. After all the times Happy had left fish around her home with Natsu, the smell was almost…welcome as a reminder.

In a few minutes they were ready with spears in hand…then Bakugo stabbed at the water.

"DAMN FISH! I HAD YOU!" Stabbing again, the others watched him futilely try to impale the swimming trout as his anger grew. A large fish swam past his feet, almost tauntingly close. Gritting his teeth in a snarl, the boy tightened his fingers around the pointed stick…and missed once more.

"DAMMMIT!"

Erza cuffed him in the back of the head, her face a scowl.

"You will never catch one like that you fool! All your doing is attacking the water!"

"What did you call me you murderer!?"

Erza leaned in close, her face inches from him as her voice lowered. "I called you a damn fool. And if you want to eat tonight, you will listen because I sure as hell will not be sharing my meals with you"

He ground his teeth, anger washing over him as he contemplated blasting this woman to char.

"Hey, come on man. We should at least watch how she caught one. I really don't want to go hungry tonight" Kirishima reasoned as his friend breathed deep.

"….Fine"

Scarlet stared blankly for a brief second then turned her attention to the narrow river. "Place the tip in the water slowly. If you try to just skewer from above the surface, the light refraction will distort the fish's location and where you strike. You need to have the pointed end near them and make sure not to scare them off. Once you do that…" the beautiful woman skewered another trout, this one slightly larger as its life came to an end.

"I see…" Izuku whispered as he kept his own spear tip in the churning liquid. A fish swam near the point. He struck, stabbing it through the gills as he lifted it up with a smile. "I got one!"

"Good work, Midoriya. Now we just need to catch enough for the class"

"We have to catch enough for everybody?" Mina asked in light surprise. She had missed the first fish, much to her annoyance.

"Yes. It's our task today. When your out in the wilderness, almost all of your energy is dedicated to procuring your next meal. We have shelter, water, and fire to help us through the week. But with the other groups on different tasks, we must provide them with nourishment…for today. Tomorrow, everybody will be responsible in getting their own meals"

"….Your going to make us clean and gut these fish, aren't you?" Hagakure asked in distress. Just the thought of descaling and pulling out fish guts made her feel sick. They were slimy and gross!

"Obviously. Now start spearing those fish!" the woman said with a bit of happiness. After that, the six students and mage spent the next hour failing…then catching the necessary food after many frustrating attempts.

By the time they returned to base camp, many of them could feel the rumblings in their stomachs for the fish as the other two groups waited with tired expressions. Midnight and her followers had found firewood….and had stacked several days worth in the cave entrance. Kagura was dirty with sweat from the coming summer heat…and for digging several latrines with her followers.

Erza spun the pack from her back in one fluid motion. Pulling out the fish, she set them on one of those large granite slabs outside the cave as Midoriya and the others followed suit.

"Food! Finally!" Ochaco voiced out, her legs and muscles aching from digging several pits for them all to use later.

"All of you will learn how to de-scale and properly clean your fish, so grab your knives and watch….unless you want it cooked with all the guts and eyes" She joked lightly. Setting a second fish to the side, Erza pointed it out to her friend with a simple nod of her head.

"I'll go get the cooking fires started" the gravity mage assured simply before walking into the cave.

Momo held her fish and knife nearby, determination in her eyes. Oddly enough, the rich girl was loving all this outdoors stuff. She wanted to learn…to prove she could be self-reliant. "What do we do first?"

Erza smiled lightly, noticing the maturing girl's enthusiasm. Setting down her trout, she raised her knife. "First, we need to remove the head" Slicing through, the blade separated the skin and scales easily. Yaoyorozu followed suit, copying the movements while some of the others still hesitated.

"This is so gross…" Kyoka grimaced from nearby with Kaminari at her left flank. Miss Kayama was to her immediate right, a slight look of disgust on her face as well.

"If you want to eat, you'll get through it. Now for pulling out the offal" Erza sliced the belly open quickly, then reached in and pulled out the guts. Tossing them away, she watched as some of the teenagers turned a little green from the act. Continuing her lesson, she left no detail alone while she began the process of de-scaling her dinner…with the kids finally working past the grisly act.

Shoto felt immense relief as he ate the cooked fish near the large fire set up in the middle of their camp. He had been starving…and based on how rapidly the others were eating, they had been too. Chewing greedily, he noticed the fading light outside as the fire crackled and popped. It was…comforting in a way as the flames danced across the logs.

"I hate to admit it…but there's something satisfying about catching and preparing your own food" Bakugo muttered to the right. Looking up, he saw Izuku smiling and talking with Ochaco and Hagakure. Scowling, he dismissed the classmate before settling his gaze on Erza, Kagura, and Midnight strait across from him. The flames danced, spitting small embers toward the adult women while they ate. Kagura was talking lightly with Midnight, but it was lost among a dozen conversations.

"So Erza…where did you learn all of this? The military?" Taking a bite of his fish, he washed it down with water while the red head finished her meal. Sitting with her legs crossed, the woman leaned her back against the chilled wall of the cave.

"Some. But I actually learned most of this from my boyfriend. He loves to hunt and fish…to spend time in nature. He taught all this to myself, Mira, Levy and all the others in the sisterhood. But…that was before the locust invasion and so many died" Her voice was heavy, a depressed tone.

"I take it you weren't always this way. Ready to kill or incite violence?"

"No. There was once a time in my life where I would try to defeat my enemies in an honorable way…to spare them so they could face the rule of law" She unleashed a small chuckle. "It's kinda funny. When I was your age, I probably would've been considered a prime candidate for your hero training…aside from using magic instead of quirks. And…you should've seen Levy back then. A quiet, peaceful girl that loved to read books. We…were all just kids building friendships and having adventures…"

Some of the students looked at each other, sensing hidden wounds from the hollowness of her voice.

"Did…something happen when you were younger?" Momo asked, her meal finished. She was not expecting a bark of laughter. A single burst of sound that was filled with…anguish.

"That's an understatement" the knight chuckled with a small hint of disturbance in her voice. Seeing that most of the class was watching, the soldier sighed. "You know…your principal let me read your files? Loving families… stable homes and support…your all very, very lucky to have that"

"My mom's a pain in the ass, and my dad is so calm about everything it makes me sick" Bakugo muttered.

The fire popped, a crackle that made Erza's eyes reflect the churning blaze.

"My father wanted to kill me before I was even born. My mom…she fled…ran for her life to escape him and to save me"

"That's…awful" Mina Ashido whispered, not even able to contemplate her own father doing something so horrid.

"Irene did eventually return to kill him after she gave birth to me, but she had to keep me safe. So…she left me in Rosemary Village when I was young. It's actually how I met Kagura"

"You must be great friends to still have your relationship this strong after so many years" Tokoyami observed as the raven haired mage gave a curt nod.

"We are…and I will neve be able to repay Erza for what she did"

"What happened?" the serious teenager asked, his attention rapt and focused.

"Dark cultists raided the village for slaves. Most were taken or killed. I helped Kagura escape…but in doing so I was captured and taken to the Tower of Heaven. I was beaten…humiliated and forced to work every day in their mad bid to resurrect the most vile mage in history" Erza's eyes lowered, staring at the flames as the old memories raced through her mind.

A few of the girls gasped, covering their mouths at this revelation. This woman…who had brought heroes to their knees…who had killed dozens of evil doers…had been a slave? As a child? The mere thought of it made a few ill.

"There was a revolt a few years later…it failed. Nobody pointed out the ringleaders…so they grabbed some at random to punish. They…" her breath hitched. "They cut out my right eye…then put me back to work the next day with even harsher burdens"

Nobody moved or dared to breathe. Mainly because they could not contemplate that…horror or pain. Even Bakugo had to admit…that was evil while the fire pit roared with embers and sparks.

"It was when they executed Elder Bob that my magic manifested in a fit of rage. I broke my shackles and began to escape with some of my friends…but one of them had been…changed. Jellal betrayed me. Said he would kill all of them if I tried to come back. And so…I escaped the tower…alone" Her chocolate orbs rose, a small amount of happiness in them. "Master Makarov found me soon after and gave me a home in his guild of Fairy Tail. That's where I met Natsu, Mira and her siblings, Cana and Levy…some of the others are dead now like Jet and Droy, Romeo and his father…killed by the locust"

She went silent, her gaze unblinking while the fire danced in her irises.

Izuku gulped, his eyes quivering. "Did…did you ever free your other friends?"

"I did…but Jellal had twisted most of them to his needs. He broke their minds…made them indifferent to the suffering he caused" Her fist clenched. "That…filth…sent his followers after me and I slaughtered them floor by floor. I slit their throats…stabbed them…even used Molotov cocktails to set some alight. And that…monster ran my precious Natsu through…planned to rape me and sacrifice me…" Scarlet's voice was like a demon at this point. "I took his head. Decapitated that monster with no remorse"

Remembering where she was suddenly, the Gear abruptly stood up. "I…need some air. I shouldn't have told you that" Leaving, her form disappeared into the darkness as the students remained silent for several minutes.

"She…hasn't had it easy, has she?" Tsuyu inquired softly as the nearby flames warmed her skin and soothed her aching muscles.

"No. Her life has been far more difficult than mine" The mage stood, her black hair swaying. "I know we are killers…that deep down, many of you still have fear of us, But Erza would spill blood to protect you from becoming like her. The things she's seen and done in the multiverse…I pray you will never know"

Kagura stiffened. "You should all try to fall asleep. It's been a long day and gathering food will be a priority once we wake" Gathering her rifle, the woman strode after her friend to leave the class in somber silence and their horrible knew knowledge about the instructor's experiences in the past.

Three days later…

Momo crouched in the undergrowth her eyes studying her prey. Gripping the sharpened spear she made herself, the girl was waiting for the chance to strike. Dirty sweat glistened her brow, strands of unwashed hair like wisps near her eyes.

And she stank. Momo had bathed the night before in a small lake their class had found…but her clothes were filthy with dirt and grime.

Erza and Kagura had not pulled punches. They all had to hunt, clean, and cook their own food. They had to maintain their gear and kit every day. Aoyama had eaten bad berries with disgusting results…and the digging of new latrines which was tiring. A bear sighting the day before had been terrifying, but it had bounded off thankfully. And after that first night…that glimpse into Erza's dark past. It had motivated them. The soldier had come from nothing…hunted, broken and beaten before she even reached the age of twelve while Momo had lived a life of comfort…loving parents and a very useful quirk. It made her feel guilty…unworthy to be taught by such a survivor.

And yet… "I've never felt more alive than here, living off the land without the aid of my quirk. I wonder why Midoriya is so comfortable without using his? Everybody is struggling and he just stepped into it?" Momo scolded herself. She could not afford to let her mind wander at this point.

The weight of her blade was a comfort on her hip. Her stomach rumbled just thinking of this meal. Darting her eyes to the left and right, she was very aware of Todoroki and Jiro in similar positions.

Izuku was further ahead, completing the hunting party as the teenagers eyed the wild hog sniffing and grunting. It was eating some leaves…but those tusks were an issue.

"Remember…avoid it's charge. Wild hogs are perfectly capable of goring a man with their tusks, and this one is a full adult male" Kagura whispered, her voice barely heard by the younger female as she crouched in among the hidden greenery.

The wild pig turned away, concentrating on some moss.

Yaoyorazu moved, her feet light as her form emerged from the brush. Raising the spear, she expelled the effort to sink it into the hog's flank. It squealed in pain, a mad rage crossing the eyes as it turned to face its attacker. The shaft wrenched from her hands, Momo took a defensive stance while pulling her blade.

"Crap"

"GET IT!" Shoto yelled as he burst from his hiding spot. Stabbing downward, he was joined by Jiro as the two skewered the violent beast. It flailed…strength fading from the punctured organs as it tried to flee…but Izuku was there, spear in hand. The green haired teen didn't waste a moment, skewering the pointed end into its eye and puncturing the brain beyond.

It died, falling to the side in silence and a few small spasms. Izuku knelt down, resting a hand forming light callouses on the animal's head with a sad face.

"I'm sorry…but we're hungry. I promise we will use as much of you as we can…thank you"

"Showing respect to this creature…that's a good quality, Midoriya. Never forget it died so you could live"

"I know…but I still feel guilty about it. He didn't do anything wrong…yet we had to kill him"

"Everything eats something. And everything dies in the end…no matter what. Even the multiverse will die according to Levy" kagura voiced as the two males picked up the carcass.

"It's part of life, Izuku. It sucks, but there is nothing to be done about it" Shoto exclaimed as the two began to walk with their prize. The other male remained silent, trying not to think of the small life he just took.

"Jiro…your helping to deskin our lunch. You've shirked that duty since we came out here" Mikazuchi instructed, her gaze holding no room for back talk or protest.

The slender girl gulped, a streak of dried mud across her shirt. She hated how it looked…how bloody it was when she watched Erza skin those dead rabbits the day before. Fish she could handle…they were slimy and scaly. But deskinning that pig?

"O…Okay…"

"I know how it is…how wrong it feels the first few times. But knowing how could be the difference between surviving and starvation. Plus…you only have three more days to learn before we have to meet the next class"

"Aren't you coming back with us?"

"No. Myself and Erza will stay out here…it's…quiet. Besides, there is no point for us to return to the school to just turn around with 1-B. Now follow me, I'll help you with the skinning"

Jiro gulped once more…and breathed deeply. "Just a few more days…then a clean bed and a boiling shower…" the girl whispered as her booted feet crushed moss and undergrowth of the forest…

May 14th U.A. High School…The Engineering Department.

"Come on, Mei! CRANK THAT WRENCH!" Levy encouraged from her right flank. Both women were grasping the tool, standing in the middle of the tiny, particle accelerator that they had built in the room. And by tiny, it was a circular machine taking up half the room that was essentially a small copy of the one in Switzerland.

"I…AM!" Pulling as her biceps bunched, the wrench moved one last time to lock that final bolt into place. Wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, the salmon haired student smiled. "Done! Now let's crank up this bad boy!"

Levy chuckled, ducking under the supported tube that would slam particles together before heading toward the control console with the younger female. Flipping a few switches, Levy gave one last look at this piece of engineering…then flipped the final lever.

It started to pulse, the particles inside flying toward each other as they built up speed. A small observation window was at the front, continuously thrumming white and blue as atoms smashed.

"Wooo! I never thought I'd get to invent new elements!"

"Yeah, well…your world hasn't discovered element one fifty three yet. And for my universal anchor to work, I need about…one ounce" She cast a gaze toward a nearby work bench, eyeing the completed housing of all four devices. They were tiny, each on the size of half dollar coin and will be set into the armor of their left arm gauntlets.

She had finished them that first day, but to power them…for that eventual time…

"How long will it take to accumulate all of what you need?"

"About two weeks…give or take a day. Until then we should totally work on some upgrades! Like, Erza's Gear armor! We can reverse engineer that space suit upgrade she got on that space ship for myself and Mira!"

"You…were on an actual spaceship! That's soo cool!" Mei grinned, her face almost splitting at the engineering requirements.

Levy rubbed the back of her neck. "Eeehh…It was more like a nightmare of alien space zombies, monsters, and barely escaping the horror of screaming, undead spider babies"

"Oh…yeah, that would suck"

"Hey, it's cool. We rescued the three surviving crew and I wasn't the craziest one that time! Now come on, lets get that armor! I even have ideas for your police forces to even the playing field against villains"

"Like new body armors? Or weapons that can shoot quirk cancelling bullets?"

"That's what I was just thinking! Are you a psychic? OR JUST FUCKING AWESOME!?" High-fiving, the two highly intellectual women headed toward the double doors…until Mira and Normal Face pushed them open.

"I see you finished that important project, which means you can finally help me set up that class!" Mira smirked while striding in.

N.F. blinked before raising his gloved hands. "I have not helped at all!"

"Seriously? I just built a machine that will create new elements in less than a week! And invented some crap to anchor us whenever we reach home…and you want me to what? Build you a whole virtual neighborhood or something? Can't you leave me alone to drink in peace!?" Pulling her flask from her hip belt, the busty bluenette drank with extreme satisfaction.

"Man…I wish I was old enough to drink!"

Levy extended her hand, taunting with the flask. "Here, help yourself"

"I predict a sixty three point seven percent chance this will be hilarious"

"McGarden…don't corrupt your little protégé. You, Sam, and Knightwalker already ruined innocent Wendy" Mira scolded with tired exasperation.

"You can't prove any of that! Wendy is perfectly normal!" Levy stopped, looking upward in thought. "I wonder where she ended up? Oh man, what if was some horrible place like Raccoon City and she didn't have magic!? I bet she would kill zombies like a boss!"

"Hmmm…" Mei looked around and saw nobody to scold…and snatched it up. Taking a sip, Mei barely got it past her lips before it started to burn. Hacking and coughing, she spit out the booze with fire in her throat and eyes watering.

This was nothing like the time her grandma let her try a sip of red wine for Christmas last year.

"Ugh..cough…God! What is this! Paint thinner!?"

Levy took it back and drank another gulp before screwing the cap and resettling the flask on her belt.

"Don't be such a baby. It's only eighty-seven percent alcohol"

"That is way too much!"

"No wonder she can beat Cana in drinking…" Mira murmured. Pushing the thought aside, she pulled out a piece of paper. "Can you at least look at what I'm trying to do?"

"Ugh…fine. Mei? Could you go to Erza's room and get her D.S.D? I need it for science and…learning? Yeah…learning you stuff…with large words…"

"Will you be sober when I get back?" Mei pointed, remembering that second morning of finding the woman passed out on a pile of tools.

*Hic* "Of course…I'm not *Hic* "Not even close to drunk"

"Miss Levy! I am detecting elevated blood alcohol in your body! I believe you are trying to lie and failing…MISERABLY!" The watermelon leaned to the side at an angle…and waved his hands like a magician.

"NOT HELPING!" Snatching up the piece of paper, the now annoyed scientist read what Mira was trying to do. Mie left, grumbling about alcoholic mentors and their insane sex stories.

"Well, what do you think?"

The inventor nodded, her right arm lightly brushing her ample chest. "At least it's not a stupid idea using robots. Cause using robots for this would just be easy…and easy is dumb as fuck if you want to horrify these kids" Levy looked up with a groan. "You have the battlefield or whatever?"

"Yup! Full cityscape they use to train the kids. It's already modeled like a disaster zone. Broken shops, burnt houses and abandoned cars…the works. But damn…it's big. Two square miles on each side and a few dozen blocks. It's perfect"

"…Fine. But when we get back home, we are pulling off a red, white and blue with Natsu. No exceptions!"

Mira pumped her fist. She thought it would take more, but a foursome with the man they loved? And the added bonus of making Erza completely submissive to her? Perfect. "Deal"

Normal Face looked at McGarden in confusion…while still wiggling his gloved fingers. "Creator? Did you not say you wanted to use Mira to help you build a brand new lab upon the finishing of the locust war. You knew she would come to you for a favor for her class and now you lost it"

Levy blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. "FUCKING DAMMIT! MIRA, NEW DEAL!"

"Nope. Already agreed" The demon smiled smugly before grasping Levy's hand. "Now come on, you need to see what you're working with"

"But…my future lab…" the woman struggled in sadness and defeat while she was pulled toward the open doors….and left the particle accelerator to compile that much needed element.

May 25th The Disaster Zone of U.A. High.

Class 1-A and 1-B stood amongst each other in the large room as mumbling and light conversation flowed. The walls were blank concrete, displaying nothing except the large, steel door set into the north face. A similar entranceway was to the south, having been the entrance for them all.

Izuku looked up toward the ceiling, his inquisitive gaze trying to figure out the strange machine above. It looked like a…one of those weird ray guns from a children's cartoon complete with purple rings around the metal barrel. It hadn't moved…but the boy felt foreboding…far worse than the survival course in the woods.

Neito Monoma sneered from nearby. "You scared Midoriya? You should be. After all, 1-B preformed with vast superior-ness to your lame class. InfactIHEARDYOUMADESCARLETANGRYYOUSTUP—"

Itsuka Kendo grew her fist and punched the rude classmate in the head, knocking him to the floor as the blonde boy lay still. "Sorry about that. He's an idiot and was actually worse in the class. He couldn't even skin a fish without complaining" The orange haired girl smiled at Izuku and Ochaco, the two grinning back at her friendliness despite the rivalry between the classes.

"It's alright. I'm just glad I finally got to shower and sleep in a clean bed again. I know your class just returned on the twenty first, but those two were really serious about teaching us" the gravity girl replied warmly.

"Didn't you try to use one of the lakes or streams for washing?" Kendo lightly inquired. Ochaco scowled and crossed her arms. "You try doing that with Mineta around…"

"Oh…that short pervert that measures women by breast sizes?"

"That's the one"

"Hmmm…hopefully this course will be easier. But what does urban survival even mean?" Itsuka asked the two students who shrugged. All they knew was that they had to report to this room…and that there were no teachers present at all. Izuku looked around once more, trying to figure out what the whole purpose of them waiting around was for.

A buzzing filled the air…crackling as that strange ray gun powered up. Drawing the gaze of forty students, their eyes filled with fear as the tip sparked and hissed with purple energy…then shot down in a beam of rainbow colored light.

None of them had a chance to escape or scream as they lost consciousness, their bodies falling in a heap.

Mira watched from a monitor, her grin growing wide before she slapped Aizawa on the back. "Let's go grumpy. We only have an hour or two to get them ready for my class before they wake up"

The teacher looked at her with cautious eyes. "Was it necessary to knock them out?"

Strauss nodded. "Yes…yes it was"

One hour later…

Mina Ashido woke with a groan, her pink hand grasping her head. Struggling to stand, she wasn't the only one as her friends woke. Blinking the strange…buzzing sensation from her eyes, she looked around.

They were in a parking lot, the pavement cracked and overgrown. A few old cars were nearby, their frames rusting and dilapidated. Turning a full three hundred sixty degrees, she found them all gathered in the ruins of a city. Trash and refuse littered the nearby roadway at random while broken glass littered the pavement near a looted store. A car had smashed through the front, the tangle of metal dull and rusting while…a corpse sat in the front seat. Decaying flesh crawled with flies, the hollow eye sockets staring at the girl who shuddered.

"Where are we? I don't see an exit anywhere" Todoroki observed from his place nearby.

"Because there won't be one for seven days" Mira spoke as the students turned toward her as one. She was wearing her familiar, gothic attire and purple shirt, but was armed. A holster sat on her right hip, holding a firearm while a backpack hung from her back. A machete scabbard could be seen, but the weapon was out and glistened in the sun with malice.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Bakugo shouted, his palm collecting sweat. Aiming it at Mirajane, he willed his quirk to explode…then nothing happened. Trying again to bomb the woman into submission, his anger grew.

"You'll all find your quirks suppressed in this city. None of them will work…aside from those with different physical traits such as Tokoyami. But aside from that…your all powerless"

"What's the purpose of this exercise?' Tsuyu spoke up, her eyes darting around at the silent city in nervousness.

The instructor spread her arms, grasping her machete while she smiled. "It's simple. Survive for seven days. Find water and food…weapons and ammo. Anything you can do to stay alive in this city scape of two square miles!" Lowering her arms, she used her left hand to shield the glare of sunlight…then promptly turned and started to walk away.

Iida stepped forward with a shout. "Wait! Where are we supposed to go? Aren't you going to help us?"

Strauss turned back, a small impish look gracing her eyes. "Nope! And good luck!" Sprinting down a nearby side road, the silver haired mage was soon gone, leaving the youngsters alone in the abandoned lot.

The students milled around, looking at each other in curiosity as the silent city seemed to hold forbidden horrors.

"This is stupid. What's the point of this whole thing? Teaching us to live in an abandoned city?" Monoma complained as he walked toward the edge of the lot. Looking northeast across the road, a looted bakery loomed with the front pane a jagged mess of shattered glass. Red stains marred the sidewalk as he stood in the middle of the deserted street. Looking further down the road, he studied a tangle of abandoned traffic…and people trapped among the jam of cars before returning his gaze to the looted business.

Kendo joined him, her gaze wary with a few other classmates. "This isn't normal training…not with those women at the helm. Just…why does this place feel so wrong?"

A clattering and crunching of shards from within the building made her jump, pushing her back.

"Who's there?" Monoma said loudly, hints of concern in his voice. Despite him being rude most of the time, he was a fairly smart and hardworking student.

A woman appeared in the bakery's doorway, a large piece of glass sticking out of her stomach. The brown hair was matted…caked with blood while her eyes centered on the young man. Staggering forward in an injured limp on a broken ankle, her throat rasped.

Monoma's hero training kicked in as concern washed over him. Stepping forward, he felt his hand gripped by Kendo.

"No…don't. Somethings not right with her eyes. They…don't look human. We…we should leave her alone" The orange haired teenager warned with a growing sense of dread. This approaching woman…was wrong.

The accident victim walked closer, her limp a wobble as Monoma wrenched his arm away in annoyance. "If you don't want to be a hero, then go join those losers in 1-A. It's obvious this is a rescue class"

Itsuka used pleading eyes as she tried to grab the boy and pull him back. Everything in her body and mind told her to run…to flee. "There is no way Mira and her friends would just set up…a rescue mission. She just said to survive for seven days and this is—"

She didn't get a chance to finish the thought as the blonde haired boy reached the wounded woman with a arrogant grin on his face.

It happened in slow motion for Kendo, Shiozaki, and three others from her class as the horror unfolded before their eyes. The brunette let out a groan of hunger as her mouth opened….then closed around Monoma's neck. Skin ripped as he screamed, the tendrils and sinew snapping with muscle as blood flowed. His scream was like a gurgle, the boy pushed to the pavement as the attacker slowly chewed.

"NO! GET OFF OF HIM!" Tetsutetsu roared as he charged forward. Grabbing the insane attacker, her teeth pulled more of the neck flesh in a horrid arch of crimson. Flinging her to the side, she rolled and tumbled with a snapping leg. Bone jutted out of her shin, the whiteness coated with red as the boy stopped down next to his classmate.

"Hang on, Neito! Hang on!" He turned, snapping at Kendo. "Find some first aid! We have to stop the bleeding!"

"Tetsutetsu…it's too late…" she replied with a pointed finger that shook. Following her gaze, the young male with shark like teeth saw she was right…Monoma was dead. Eyes glassed over, his cheek and neck were awash in red as a puddle grew around his still corpse.

By this time, the remaining students of both classes were…shocked. Stunned by the sudden death of their fellow student.

"No…how could this happen?" Hugakure whispered from the crowd as Neito's friend turned with a look of sheer…rage toward the injured woman. She was trying to stand, the eyes ripe with madness as the bone of her broken leg poked out further and further with a light shredding of flesh. He charged with a raised fist, knocking the female to the ground as flesh met flesh.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? YOU VILLAIN!"

All he got was a groan and rasp in response…which infuriated him more.

Neito Monoma's body twitched, his hand slowly opening and clenching as his torn throat tried to form words.

"HEY! HE'S ALIVE!" Hanta Sero shouted as he raced to the fallen boy's side. Crouching down, he smiled at the miracle as he tried to assess the damage.

Neito lunged with a snarl, his teeth clamping down on Sero's thigh. Grunting as the student screamed, he pulled away a sizable chunk of flesh and skin with the pant fabric.

"AAAAHHHHH! MY LEG! HE BIT MY LEG!" Sero screamed as he fell, trying to stem the raging blood seeping through his fingers. Monoma was on in him the blink of an eye, his bloodied teeth gnashing while ripping into the stomach. The boy screamed once more…but there was nothing the students could do about disembowelment.

"W…what the hell is going on…?" Kendo gulped in horror as her former friend started to rip open the tape user. She wanted to vomit as the stomach tore…the gristle of tearing organs too much to bear as Neito ate…and ate with grim satisfaction.

"GET OFF ME!" Tetsutetsu yelled in angry pain as the woman managed to get a grip…and sink her teeth into his wrist. Crimson flowed between her dirty molars stained with red, her grunts of hunger unheard as Monoma continued to feed on the now deceased Sero.

Izuku gulped, his mind trying to understand the horror. "It's…it's almost like those old movies with dead people…dead people…No…they wouldn't" His attention was grabbed by the shambling of feet behind him and more rasps of hunger. Turning, the green haired hero saw three…no…five emerging from a doorless building past the parking lot. They were staggering like drunks…swaying as one limped along with an arm missing. A woman had only one eye, the other dangling on nerves against her pallid cheek.

He moved without thinking, running toward a fallen pipe in the road. Hefting it, he ran through the crowd…and swung at the cranium of Neito. A sickening crack reverberated up his arms, making him feel nauseous as he pulled back to swing once more. "Please…let me be right about this!"

The undead snarled, grunting as Izuku struck the skull again. Blood sprayed, arching across his clothes as the body fell and twitched. Seeing more of the… "Zombies…these are zombies…oh god…" Shambling toward a still fighting Tetsutetsu, the boy turned toward Kendo.

"RUN! They're not human anymore! They'll kill us!" he shouted as he counted seven…no…ten…no…thirteen of the corpses coming at them from the south, east and west. He sprinted west, unconsciously causing some of his friends and Kendo to follow. Running along the sidewalk as his heart pounded, he climbed over the tangled mess of the hood of the car embedded in the building. Hoping down the other side, he heard the echoing of boots and shoes on metal as his friends climbed over the ruin to escape the infected.

The other students scattered, most heading north as the woman and three more of the dead finally overwhelmed Tetsutetsu in a scream of death and ripping flesh…

Momo ran, breathing hard while she followed Midoriya along the rows of looted and abandoned businesses. Tears ran down her face, the haunting screams of her classmates still echoing in her mind. A few of the monsters were on her left, crouched down over a corpse and feeding in the doorway of an apartment building. The tearing of skin…the awful chewing…the undead heard the group as their attention drew to the living humans.

"Quick! Past this bus!" Izuku yelled as he rounded the collision of the mangled city transport and a garbage truck. A few undead beat against the glass inside, their snarls missed as he ran.

A zombie loomed from behind an overturned police car, the former officer slack jawed and missing half his face with dried gore spread across the uniform.

Izuku swung, the pipe connecting with the diseased head as the body fell. Stepping on its chest, the male swung again…and again to finish the job as brain matter and rot flew in a spatter across his boots.

"Oh god…oh god what have they done? How could they do this to us!?" Ochaco cried out as she stooped over the officer. There was still a gun in the holster…and a single spare magazine which she grabbed in desperation.

"This is a trick right? Like…some sort of hologram?" Mina asked with fear in her voice as she looked around. The dead beat at the windows of the bus…snarling and pressing diseased lips among the glass.

"No…this is too real…Mira and the others…they probably see this as a way to thin the herd between the weak and strong…" Izuku whispered in dread. A rapid grabbing of his shoulder by Tsuyu drew his gaze past the police car.

Dozens…dozens of the corpses were coming. A horror display of decaying bodies and hideous wounds while they snarled and bayed.

A doorway to a walk-up apartment was just past the police car…hanging open like an escape to salvation.

"Hurry! In here!" Momo shouted with rising dread. Running in, the black haired girl pounded up the steps to the second floor loft. The others were behind her in a mad dash, trying to escape the small horde to the apartment. Sprays of dried blood was arched across the partially open door as she kicked it open with a heavy boot, revealing the trashed domicile beyond that stank like death.

A body lay on the floor, a hatchet buried in the back. She yanked it out, ignoring the sensation of where it had just been as the others piled into the small home. Iida slammed the door shut, his stance fearful and chest heaving.

"Help me move that couch!" Four students helped, knowing that those monsters were right on their tail. Hell…they could already hear the sounds of increasing moans as the piece of furniture was pushed into place.

"More furniture! Anything to barricade the door!" Ochaco yelled as she ran into the kitchen with Izuku. Grunting with adrenaline pumping, the two started to move the table toward the entrance.

The corpse moved, a low groan escaping its cracked lips as Momo's eyes widened in panic. She swung the hatchet, knowing that she did not want the same fate to befall her as Sero. The sharp end embedded in the skull with sickening viscosity, the bone cracking and splitting. Pulling it out, she didn't even notice the small patters of gore that came with as the dead began pounding against the door.

"Todoroki! Hagakure! The TV stand!" Mina gasped out as the door shuddered against the couch and increasing pile of furniture. The two moved without question, knowing that death was beyond that barrier. The three pushed it, grunting and exerting muscle that seemed exhausted by the short sprint and death of friends. They piled it into place, adding to the weight of the furniture barricade as Iida moved some chairs and…anything he could think of to prevent the undead entering.

"Yaoyorozu…we need to check the rest of this place" Izuku said softly, his palms covered in fearful sweat as both eyed the hallway past the living room toward the presumable bedrooms.

The female gripped the hatchet with two hands, her brow a sheen of sweat and terror. She inched forward, following Midoriya who still gripped that heavy pipe like it was his lover.

"Did they send us to another world? That strange ray gun before we woke up…just how could this be happening? Are the teacher's dead? Did…Mira kill them and drag us all here to watch us die?" Izuku tried to calm his racing mind. Right now, he could not afford to wander. Reaching the first door on the left, he lightly pushed it open. A bathroom greeted him, the porcelain stained and unused…but no dead people.

The other two bedrooms were empty of threats, thankfully as the two made their way back to the group of students. There were nine in total. Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, Iida, Tsuyu, Mina, Todoroki, Hagakure, Kendo and Ochaco. The gravity girl flinched, the door shuddering lightly as undead fists beat against the wood. But with how much furniture they had piled against the entrance and narrowness of that staircase, the zombies could only bring three to bear at once.

"Christ…what the hell happened? I thought Mira and the others were trying to teach us a survival…course. Oh no…is this it? We have to survive some…undead apocalypse?" Shoto asked the group as the zombies snarled beyond.

"Keep your voice down…maybe they'll forget about us" Hagakure whispered as the sullen students started to come to grips with this nightmare.

"But…this can't be real. There's no way they would let…teenagers fight zombies? And…oh god…Sero. Monoma and Tetsutetsu…they all died, just like that" Itsuku said in a hollow voice, the fresh memory of her friend's death replaying over…and over again.

"What…what should we do?" Mina Ashido asked her friends, a few tears streaking down her pink skinned face. Izuku moved to the window, stepping over the fully dead body. Pushing away the curtain, he lightly peaked down at the street.

There were a few dozen zombies…staggering about, most likely drawn to the noise they had made.

The green haired boy gulped…then steeled his resolve. "We…we need to stay alive for seven days, right? That's what Mira said before she ran off. That means the same thing as the forest. Food, clean water, and weapons. Except this time…we have to fight off the undead" His hand shook, the realization he had smashed in two heads already…just to stay alive.

"How can I be a hero now?"

"I'll…start looking around, see if I can't find anything of use" Todoroki said with a hint of calmness that didn't betray the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"I'll help…this is so scary…" Hagakure barely said, her invisible form only recognized by the floating clothes. Walking into the kitchen, most of the others just…slumped against the bare walls or barricade in relief to just…be alive.

A half hour later saw the students quietly whispering around the finds while the dead beat and moaned beyond the walls. A crowbar and baseball bat. Some kitchen knives and a dozen cans of creamed corn, peaches, and pineapple. A case of water…and a shotgun with eight shells found in the back of a closet.

"This food will barely last us until tomorrow, and we will need to use our ammunition very sparingly. Todoroki…you should take the shotgun. You always aimed with your quirk so you should be able to employ the same method" Izuku suggested.

"Right. I'll try to only use it if absolutely necessary. These things seem to be drawn by noise so we need to be on guard at all times"

The door shuddered again, but it seemed…half-hearted at this point in time.

"The bat is mine" Kendo stated, her vision clouded by drying tears as she tried to hide the quiver in her voice. In the past hour, a friend had just been…killed and there were dead people pounding on the door.

"We need to establish an escape route. We don't know how long those…freaks will be outside the door and like Izuku said…we will not have anything to eat by tomorrow"

"Good idea. I'll look around in a bit" Midoriya tried to smile at his friend…but the situation was so awful, he didn't know how they would even make it to day two…and by all accounts, it was barely noon.

The zombies moaned and clawed, reminding all of them how trapped they were in the city of the necropolis…

Several streets away

"Hurry!" Kyoka Jiro urged in a harsh whisper, her throat scratchy with fear while she gripped the first rung of the ladder. Anchored to the side of a derelict gas station, the normally calm and quiet girl raced up the ladder to escape the encroaching dead. Abandoned cars littered the lot, doors strung open while clothes, belongings, and the random remains of gore lay among the station pavement.

The last hour had been a blur of running…screaming…and the howls of death as the unlucky, slow, or foolish were surrounded and consumed by the drunken corpses. She knew Mineta was dead, the short boy really having no chance to escape the zombies as they…simply gained on him.

He had begged…screamed for her help, but there were too many as they literally ripped him apart. And Kyoka…had ran for her life….and felt like trash for doing so.

Jiro reached the top of the ladder, swinging herself onto the roof as she looked back with panicked eyes. "Hurry! Up here!" she waved toward the others that had followed her. Kaminari was down there, her friend supporting the French student Aoyoma as they barely stayed in front of a dozen of those rotting corpses that snarled with hunger. Fumikage Tokoyami stayed with them, lending a shoulder of support to their classmate while two girls from 1-B surged past. Kyoka recognized them as Ibara Shiozaki and Setsuna Tokage.

The sound of a bolt action from behind her made the teenager freeze, the familiar sound from Kagura's training not soon forgotten.

"Get off my roof girl, I won't ask twice"

Kyoka turned, her heart thumping and hammering as her gaze fell on…a survivor. His beard was haggard, scraggly and unkempt while he stood near a small tent and his meager belongings. A flannel shirt and blue jeans were part of his outfit…but the long rifle pointed at her was taking all her attention.

"Please…we need a place to hide from the monsters" Jiro pleaded…just as the green haired Ibara rose her body into view over the edge of the roof with the others urging her upward to escape the enclosing dead.

The survivor snapped his gun to the girl and fired, blowing a hole through her forehead in a spray of exploding bone and matter. Her corpse fell, a look of surprise still on the face as it tumbled near a dumpster.

"NO!" Kyoka screamed in disbelief and anguish. Snarling in anger, she ran toward the man as he struggled to work the bolt. Grabbing the rifle, the girl and survivor fought for an advantage.

"This is my roof! Get off before I kill you, you dumb bitch!" He roared, spittle flying from an unwashed mouth. Jiro managed to knee him in the crotch, the blow painful for any male anywhere as his form doubled over and staggered close to the western edge.

She pushed him, her anger too great while wrenching the rifle from his hands.

It happened so fast. He lost his balance, tumbling over the side with a scream while Jiro fell onto her butt cheeks in shock. Dropping the rifle, she crawled forward toward the edge…and wished she hadn't. He had fallen in the gap between the building and the car overhang…and his leg was broken with several of the undead quickly homing in.

A man fell on him…then two women as they started to feed on the thrashing victim that screamed in torment.

"Oh god…oh god…what have I done? I'm supposed to…be a hero…" Her voice cracked, shaken to the core as hands gripped her head unconsciously. "I just killed a man…no no no!" Echoing sounds of flesh tearing…slurping and gnashing teeth ran rampant in her head as the monsters fed below.

Jiro didn't even notice the remaining students ascending up the ladder, their faces grim and forlorn. Kaminari set down the belly laser boy against the large Air conditioner, his gaze distant while he eyed the ragged bite along the left side. One of the monsters had bitten the sparkling teen…tearing a chunk of flesh from the abdomen as blood flowed through tired fingers.

"Hold on Aoyama…I'll look for something to treat that wound"

"No…we all saw what happened to Monoma…I'm…not going to be sparkling for much longer…" Yuga said in a pained gasp before gripping his friend's hand. "Please…don't let me become one of them…they have no sparkle…" He coughed, blood seeping past lips caked with flecks of red. He gasped with agony, the virus spreading through his system like wildfire.

"What do we do? This isn't a normal situation at all" Tokoyami asked Denki as more undead gathered around the ladder below. They had seen the food escape…and their hands were slapping…tearing at the building relentlessly as others ate the fresh corpse of Ibara. At least her death was quick.

"What about a hospital? Surely there are some emergency services still available?" Tokage asked as her eyes settled on the still distraught Jiro. Tears flowed, falling down her cheeks…knowing that one of her friends was being…eaten just beyond the edge of the roof. The weight hit her…the nightmare of their plight being felt as she fell to her knees.

"Where? For all we know this whole place is like this…" Tokoyami answered. He stood, his hawklike features damp with perspiration. Looking around the surrounding neighborhood, all he saw were apartment buildings, the nearby road clogged with wrecks…and the dead. Some were distant, milling around without a care…but others were closer and drifting toward them with uneven gaits.

Kyoka finally calmed, the lowering voice of Aoyoma piercing the fog of her mind. "How could this be a class? How could…Mira just leave us to die? How could the teachers allow this? Are…are they even still alive? Did those four purposely start this…disaster to see which of us would live or die? How…how will I make it through a week? Or…is that a lie too?"

The bitten boy coughed loudly, more blood splattering on his chin while his cheeks grew pallid. Jiro grabbed the rifle, its weight…heavy and reassuring at the same time. Its function was similar to Kagura's longshot as she chambered a bullet.

Kaminari saw his friend approach…then looked back at the dying Aoyama. There was nothing he could do. "There has to be something! I'm going to be a hero and…I have to save my friend!" He felt a hand devoid of strength rest upon his shoulder.

"I..it's…okay. At…" Yugo coughed heavily, more blood spraying from his lips as death closed in. "At least…I get to sparkle…till the end" His hand fell limp, the breathing slowed…then stopped.

"Get away from him…we only have a few moments" Jiro warned as she slowly raised the rifle and pressed it to her right shoulder. Her hands trembled, a result of stress and fear while her surviving friends moved behind her.

Yuga Aoyama's body twitched, the hand spasming as his head slowly moved…and a bloodshot coloring filled his dead eyes. A rasp left his lips as the body started to rise.

'BANG!'

The rifle slammed against Kyoka's shoulder, bucking while the slug tore through the reanimated head of her classmate. It snapped back, spraying the nearby A/C unit with gore and bits of viscera. The girl lowered the weapon, tears flowing down her cheeks as more of the undead converged on the gas station with the four survivors…

"Grrr…DIE!" Bakugo roared in anger while he swung the machete into the zombie's skull. It split like a melon, spilling gore as he yanked it back. Kicking the next creature in the stomach, it staggered as he swung again with a decapitating strike. "Kirishima! Hurry the fuck up! Same with you 1-B bastards!" he shouted at the group frantically searching the hardware store for anything of use.

"I know! God, I know!" Eijiro shouted from somewhere in the ransacked store, finding a plumbing wrench, the boy hefted it with a manly grip as the others searched with increasing haste. There were three others, a girl and two boys from the rival class that were almost frantic. The female was silver haired, her normally blank demeanor streaked with panic as Reiko Yanagi gripped the carpenter hammer with both hands.

Another zombie stumbled through the door, almost tripping over the deceased corpses as she let out a sorrowful moan. Bakugo swung again, the machete blade digging into the side of the skull as dead blood sprayed across the threshold. But more were coming…homing in from both sides of the street as they stumbled and twitched with single minded purpose. In less than a minute they would be climbing through the glassless display window or wrecked door and overwhelm them.

"I swear…I'm going to destroy Mira for doing this…"

"HEY MAN! The back door, lets go!" Kirishima shouted out as he ran down the narrow hall past the bathrooms and back storage. Lowering his shoulder, the spiky redhaired hero charged the metal door. The lock must have been weakened, giving way with a snap as Eijiro and Yanagi burst through with the other two men…and Bakugo close behind.

Two lurkers had been behind the door, simply waiting in a stupor as the two undead retail workers gaped at the sky. The emergence of humans had them moving, the zombified woman covered in cuts and missing part of her scalp latching onto one of the 1-B males. Sinking her teeth into his neck, Juzo Honenuki screamed as skin and muscle tore away in horrid spray of crimson that leaked down his shirt. The other infected was there in another second, practically tackling the helpless male while taking a large bite out of his exposed back.

"HELP ME! AUUUGHHH!"

Flesh tore…ripped as the male screamed in agony and pleads of help…but the survivors knew there was nothing to be done. Katsuki raced through the door, blood still dripping from the machete as he stared at the sight with a sickening gaze.

"Go…while they're distracted" He urged…and felt vestiges of shame as the four ran down the back alley strewn with trash and empty bottles. A fire escape loomed ahead, attached to a six story apartment building…and very close to a street with more of the monsters.

"Up. Before they notice us" Yanagi said in a soft urge as she gripped the first rung and pulled upward. Her hair bobbed with each ascent, always covering her left eye. "This can't be a class…this can't be a class" She tried to tell herself…but it was too real…to visceral. Reaching the first landing, the girl raced up the next flight as Bakugo and the others used their strength and haste to pull themselves upward.

Sen Kaibara was the last to reach the fire escape platform, his shoes creating soft echoes of impact. Breathing deeply while gripping the crowbar, he studied the nearby zombies slowly walking down the alley from the street. It appears they hadn't been quiet enough. Running a stressed hand through his black hair damp with sweat, he turned to where Juzo had fallen…and wished he hadn't. There were more of the dead now…just feasting and tearing at his remains like a pack of staving wolves.

"We're heading toward the upper floor. Hopefully we can find a secure place for the night" Kirishima informed as the dead gathered at the base of the ladder below. Looking down, both boys stared with…disbelief at the snarling horde. "This…this is unmanly. Why did Mira leave us? How many of our classmates have died because of that mad woman? This…this is just slaughter. Not even the pro heroes could deal with something like this" Forming a fist, the male wished once more that his quirk was working…but there was nothing. They were all defenseless in that regard.

"Let's go. We need to get inside this building cause I'm sure as hell not going back down there" Bakugo uttered with his normal tone of anger and annoyance from the landing above. Giving a small nod to the quiet girl next to him, his legs started to climb the metallic rungs as they passed darkened windows with the dead below…

Mira's Safehouse May 25th 11:59 p.m.

The take-over mage sighed with contentment as she drank the beer on the long, leather couch. The condo was expensively furnished, all white and chrome finishing for the kitchen and some other décor. An open patio on her right led to the balcony on the sixteenth floor, or the top one to be accurate. Standing up, her hips swayed to the balcony while she took another pull of her drink. Leaning against the metal and glass railing, she peered out at the city.

A few distant gunshots rang out, cracking the night air followed by a short scream. Scanning to the left, her irises reflected an out of control fire consuming a few buildings several streets away.

"I wonder if that was the students or the crazed survivors?" She asked herself offhandedly as she watched the blaze rage out of control.

Light flickered to her immediate right, a staccato of energy that soon formed into the holographic images of Principal Nezu and Midnight.

"Miss Strauss…when you came to me with this idea, I had no clue how…bloody it would be. Already thirteen of them have died in your class. What of their mental health?"

Mira scoffed. "I told you what I was planning, and you accepted. This is the kind of shit I've dealt with along with my friends on other versions of Earth"

Nemuri spread her hands, a look of disturbance across her features. "But what do you even hope to accomplish? I understand the wilderness survival course with Erza and Kagura. That was a great chance for them to learn new skills along with myself. But this…this is just…"

"Apocalyptic? That's the point. I know these kids are working to become good, upstanding heroes, but they need to learn the world can be…very dark" Strauss emphasized as she heard another scream. "They need to see what's it like with no support…to see how desperate people can get for food and supplies. To be powerless…to be hunted" she emphasized.

Nezu sighed heavily. "I can see your point, but the trauma some of them have already experienced by being…eaten"

"They'll be fine tomorrow once they wake up in their V.R. chamber. Well…maybe a few freak outs?" Mira pondered with a pointed finger to her lips.

"But why zombies?" Why not something else like villains?" Midnight asked the white haired woman who finally finished her beer…and threw it off the balcony to strike a zombie in a few moments far below. It grunted, turning to face the attack, but found nothing before bumping against an overturned car in the road.

"Because zombies suck. They are relentless…emotionless and will kill you the first chance they get. Perfect for these kids to test their survival skills they learned with Erza and Kagura"

"And the scavengers?"

"I programmed them in here to show how absolutely desperate humans can get when they're backed into a corner. I know most people in normal society can be decent, law abiding citizens, but if you take away electricity, running water and food? They break…turn on their neighbors and friends to save themselves" Waving her hand after her explanation, the woman walked back into the high rise condo and past the heavy door leading to the hall beyond. The floor was secure, but it's not like it would matter if the dead managed to get in by some miracle. This whole thing was virtual reality anyway. "I'm going to bed. I have to reach the police station tomorrow and announce the evacuation at the end of the week" She paused, standing near the bedroom. "I wonder how many will be alive by then? I Do hope Midoriya makes it with a few ladies to day seven" Mira chuckled with a wave before leaving the holograms of the teachers.

"I suppose it would be interesting to see if any of them survive a full week in here…" Nezu pondered lightly as Midnight massaged her temples.

"I swear…I'm going to write a much better program for this virtual world once those insane females leave. Something that won't give the kids nightmares at least" Her image flickered…then she was gone with the principal as the virtual city burned in the distance…

June 1st 11:13 a.m.

Mirajane's announcement rang through the entire city at noon on the second day. There was going to be an evacuation helicopter at the police station arriving at noon on the seventh day, and anybody still alive better be on it. But the days between had been wrought with carnage and killing…spilling blood and running…scavenging and fighting against desperate humans along with the snarling jaws of the undead. There was no truly safe place…every moment was a stressful hell mixing in the moans of the infected in the street and the stink of unwashed bodies.

By now, most of the students had perished. Their lives snuffed out by zombies or desperate survivors that murdered them for a few canned goods.

Izuku had killed five people yesterday in the check out area of a grocery store. The raid for food had gone bad…and Ochaco had been captured by their leader. He had slit her throat right before Midoriya, the crimson spilling across her dirty clothes as her eyes dimmed. After that…he had killed them all in a blind rage. Her death…had been another trauma, falling in with all the others over the last week.

His fist tightened around the heavy pipe he had modified on day three. Spike's were affixed to it now, some of the gore dried among the brutal points.

"If only I had been faster…better" the boy told himself as he crouched behind a burned out police car near the city's precinct. Empty brass casings and garbage littered the road along with abandoned check points and sandbags. It was obvious the police had made a stand, but had failed by the abandoned weapons laying near the entrance.

Looking past the vehicle, he saw a few undead still wearing their uniforms near the building's doors as they let out light rasps of mourning. One tripped, falling on her own intestines that were spilling from her open chest cavity, but the former human didn't even care as she thrashed about to pick herself up. Looking toward the roof four stories above, Midoriya knew...that's where their escape laid.

"Izuku? What's the plan?" Yaoyorozu asked in a light whisper while gripping the shotgun Todoroki had been using…until his death on day three. Her face was dirty…filthy with sweat and grime while unwashed hair itched. Her clothes were no better with stains of dried blood from kills.

Midoriya turned back, his eyes heavy with exhaustion and grief. Out of the nine in their group, only Momo, Itsuka Kendo, and Toru Hagakure were still alive. The rest…had not survived.

The male looked around cautiously, knowing the dead could creep on them if they let their guard down for a moment…just like what happened to Iida.

"We have less than an hour according to that announcement. All we can really do is fight our way to the roof" He gave one last look to his friends. "Stay in a group and don't get separated"

"We trust you, Izuku. Now let's get out of this place" Hagakure said with a hint of warmth. She was still invisible, which made the floating bat in her hand strange, but something he was used to. Kendo clutched her hatchet tight and close, her eyes constantly darting around for any incoming threats.

The normally shy boy nodded, but frankly, some of that innocence had left him…especially that shyness dealing with the opposite sex. There just wasn't time to stutter and fumble his words. Sprinting from his crouch, Izuku's face was lines of hardness as he swung the spiked pipe at the first corpses head.

It caved with a horrifying crunch of breaking bone and brain matter. His muscles surged, yanking the weapon from the collapsing zombie as the few remaining turned their attention to his fast movements. He veered left, swinging with all his strength at the face of another zombified officer.

Kendo sprinted past Midoriya with Toru, both women tired and sick of this whole nightmare. The invisible girl let out a gasp of effort, her wooden slugger hissing through the air before it connected with another walker.

"I really hate these things" the female complained in a grunt as the body fell. Stepping back, she raised her weapon and swung again in time with Kendo splitting the skull of the last. Necrotic gore flew, spreading across the pavement as Momo ran toward the station doors.

They hung open, stains of blood splashed across the exterior while rancid clumps of flesh sat with flies feasting on the rot. Stepping over the gore, the beautiful brunette swung her shotgun wide in a scan of the lobby, making sure to check her sides first.

The remains of bodies lay near the front reception desk, the hardened glass above splattered with more viscera among the trash and overturned chairs. The security door to the left was open…broken down by the infected in the past.

Izuku moved in first, his scuffed and dirty shoes barely making a sound while keeping his weapon ready. The hallway was filled with gloom and the scent of fear and copper. Walking forward toward the T-junction, his heart raced as the sounds of…eating came from strait ahead and around another corner.

Momo and the others knew what that meant as they stayed silent. Moving toward the junction, she swung wide.

There was an infected ten feet away, guarding the door to the interior fire-escape…and their chance to leave this nightmare. It turned with a hungry rasp, the lower jaw completely missing as rotting tendrils and the remains of the man's tongue hung toward his neck.

Momo fired, the corpse surging forward by a single step while the head exploded into a gore strewn paste against the nearby wall. The distant chewing and grunts halted, signifying the dead had heard the echoing gunblast.

"SHIT!" The girl yelled, knowing that she had just alerted any nearby monsters.

"Forget it! We need to get to the roof!" Midoriya urged as the group of four raced down the adjoining hall to the stairwell. Charging the closed door, it banged open with a resonating clang of sound. Two dead were crouched over a corpse, feeding in the corner with gusto as they tore and fed…but the four ran past toward the stairs.

"Hurry! We don't have much time left!" Toru urged as she pushed past her fatigue. Her legs burned from running…always running and hiding. Reaching the second floor with the others, they moved past the entrance to the floor as more annoyed rasps and moans echoed from beyond.

It took them thirty seconds to reach the roof, but in that time, they had disturbed the monstrous inhabitants of the station with their running and noise. They were following…a wave of bodies numbering in the dozens.

Itsuka pushed the exit door open with a shoulder slam, her body aching as adrenaline raced through her veins. Her orange hair billowed in the sunlight, the unwashed grease and sweat barely felt as her gaze set upon the helicopter twenty feet away. The ramp was lowered, the rotors lightly spinning in an idle as Mirajane stood near the passenger bay.

"GO" Izuku cried out, knowing that dead would be bursting out of the building in seconds. But his words were un-needed as the four sprinted across the tarmac and up that ramp.

"Not bad Midoriya. Not bad at all" Mira nodded with a smirk. She received hateful glares from the four as they joined the other survivors along the seats. The older woman checked her watch…and knew it was time. Striding up the ramp, she hit the switch to close it just as the first walkers burst from the access door like a raging pustule.

"I'm honestly surprised…Midoriya. You actually survived this hell" Bakugo grunted with a very minimal tone of respect from across the aisle of the helicopter. He was filthy…a machete resting across his lap while Reiko Yanagi sat next to him, her hands gripping a revolver while her chest rose and fell.

"Thanks…but I honestly expected you to make it through this…" Izuku replied with a tone devoid of any emotion. Leaning his head back against the rest, he counted the number of survivors…there were very few. Including the six for his and Bakugo's group, there was Tokoyami and Jiro, the normally snarky girl caked with blood and leaning a rifle against her shoulder. There was a bayonet attached…still slick with gore as her hands shook. Past her were three members of class 1-B, each in a state of shock.

"Only eleven of us made it?" Hagakure asked with a hollow voice as she looked at all the empty seats. Her voice cracked…a flow of anguish at her fallen friends as her breath broke.

"You all did very well. You should be proud of yourselves" Mira said from the front of the cabin while the transport started to lift.

"NO THANKS TO YOU! ALL YOU DID WAS ABANDON US! ALL OUR FRIENDS DIED!" Yaoyorozu yelled with rage, her tone almost matching Bakugo's in tone and temperament.

"Heh…but I bet you learned some important life lessons" Mira finished with a smirk…then her body shimmered with light…almost breaking apart in digital cubes.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Bakugo yelled in surprise as the interior of the large transport faded to black. It faded completely as he found himself in some sort of…pod with a plexiglass covering. A strange mask was adorned to his mouth and face, a small tube protruding into his throat. Pulling it free, the boy gasped as he pushed the cover open. He found himself in a room…and mild confusion as Kirishima appeared in his field of vision with a wide grin.

"Damn bro! You were manly since I died from that zombie bite. But I knew you would make it!"

"What…but I had to kill you…" the explosive blonde grumbled as he sat up…and saw Mira standing with a few teachers and all the student's that had died in the past week.

"Ochaco…how? I saw you die. I saw all of you die" Izuku gasped in shock as the brown haired girl hugged him with extreme closeness.

"It was a virtual reality simulation, Izuku! All of it!" The girl re-assured him as he turned to Mira and principal Nezu with shock. "You mean…it wasn't real?"

"Of course not. I'm not so callous to leave a bunch of sixteen year old's in an actual zombie apocalypse. That would just…be evil"

"But why! I…I had to kill Aoyama…" Jiro whispered with horror and trembling lips.

Mira let out a heavy breath while scratching her head. "I had to teach you how bad things can get. How broken people can be when they are starving and afraid. The eleven of you that made it to the end…all of you killed to protect your lives and your friends" Her gaze looked over the group. "I find it very admirable your training and learning to be heroes to protect lives…to save the innocent. But you had to learn that it's okay in extreme situations to take a life…just like I have done when I had to fight zombies for real" She took another pause. "I hope you never have to kill…but now…some of you can understand the reasoning…the desperation" She finished as All Might strode forward with principal Nezu

"I understand that many of you will be having issues with all you have seen and done during this past week! That's why I will suspend my class for the next week for all of you! All Might has spoken!" the large hero bellowed with a laugh.

"All of you…please rest for the weekend. I supported this class knowing full well the implications. If you need to talk with myself or any of the faculty, please, my door is open to all" Nezu informed with a wavering smile. Frankly, he was impressed eleven had made it to the end.

"No! I want an apology from Mira for all this shit! I killed people…fought monsters and it felt…so damn real! Now apologize, you insane woman!" Bakugo pointed with an accusing finger.

Mira pursed her lips, then waved. "Nope! Now I'm going to help Midnight program some different scenarios for the next class! After all, me and my friends only have eight days left here!" Turning with a chuckle, the mage left the room, leaving the traumatized teenagers in her wake…

Eight days later… Ten minutes until shift

The teachers and students were outside, standing in a group around the four women and their strange watermelon as the minutes ticked downward. Honestly…most of them were relieved after their…lessons. Even now, some were still having fitful nightmares of the V.R. simulator and the undead they had fought.

The exception was Mei of course, chatting heavily with Levy as they said their goodbye's.

"Here Mei…My notes and more ideas for hero equipment you can make for your friends" Levy informed as she pressed a USB drive into the engineer's hands.

"Really? Even more stuff I can build!?"

"Yup! Including my dimensional technology! Just…be very careful with that one. I included the warnings if you ever decide to build it" Raising her left wrist, the female eyed the now affixed universal anchor embedded in the armor greave. It was small and circular with a dull metallic color…dim with no light as the center bulb/button lay dark. Frankly, it wouldn't do anything at all until they reached home.

"Well ladies…I have to say it's…been very interesting having you around" All Might commented as he stood tall and muscular with his signature grin.

"OH! That reminds me!" Levy pipped up as she pulled an ampoule shooter from her hip pouch. It glowed blue, the fluid inside swirling with flecks of purple. Walking over to the hero, she stood before him and made the 'get closer' motion with her free hand.

Toshinori cocked his brow, but relented as he stooped down to the scarred bluenette.

"Here…this will heal your…problem. It won't stop your fading quirk, but it will buy you an extra year to prepare the world for your retirement" Levy whispered, handing the small shooter loaded with microscopic healing bots. The hero nodded, taking the device with a murmur of thanks.

Stepping back, the armored girl hit a red button on her right arm greave. Her body armor rippled, plates moving into place as a helmet with three horizontal blue lines covered her face in seconds. They glowed azure, hiding Levy's eyes. Gloves connected with the rest of her suit, sealing off the woman from the outside world as the other travelers did the same.

"Hey Levy? What if we accidentally hit this button in space? Won't we die?" Mira asked with a similar helmet design…except hers had three horizontal lines of silver to match her hair.

"The upgrades in our armor include sensors that assess the exterior environment. If it's vacuum, hard radiation, or un-breathable gases, it won't let you dispel this upgraded armor until we reach a habitable environment. I also increased the oxygen recyclers for up to ten hours of breathing"

"Impressive" Erza commented as her helmeted head turned toward Midoriya. He was standing with his class…Momo, Hagukure and some of the girls crowding his space. "Only a matter of time now…" she inwardly smiled at the future harem. Making sure her lancer was loaded, the woman prepared herself for the upcoming shift while her favorite bat lay magnetized to her back plate.

"I hope you all learned something from us despite our differences" Kagura smiled, but knew Nemuri and the other teachers wouldn't see it behind the sealed helmet.

Midnight chuckled. "I know how to fish and prepare boar and set traps in the wilderness…So yeah, I did learn something" She blinked, her eyes glancing toward Mira. "I still hate that zombie apocalypse course and the one with the killer sausage people you made for 2-A and 2-B"

"Meh" Mira shrugged as she pulled her lancer, knowing it was down to the last minute.

"Dimensional shift immanent! TIME FOR HAT MODE!" Normal face shouted as he climbed onto Levy's helmeted head and gripped the sides with a blank stare.

"I don't think I'll ever trust a watermelon again" Present Mic said, remembering how the creature stole his whole pizza one day for Levy and Mei. Those women had demolished the whole thing…and he had cried.

Blue and yellow particles started to appear, dancing around the women's bodies as their forms started to glow. 'BYE MEI! IT WAS REALLY GREAT BUILDING TECH WITH YOU! AND MAKE SURE TO BE MIDORIYA'S GENIUS QUEEN IN HIS FUTURE HAR-"

McGarden didn't get to finish, her body blinking out of existence with the others, leaving just a dusting of quantum particles.

"BYE LEVY! I'LL MAKE SURE TO BUILD LOTS OF STUFF AND DATE IZUKU!" the salmon haired girl waved to the empty spot.

"Huh…I guess they weren't lying about the dimensional shifting" Aizawa mentioned as the tech girl skipped over to Izuku with a grin as she leaned in far to close. Her chest was practically pressing against the male…and she knew it.

"So Midoriya…" she sang with a warm voice "Wanna go out on a date? I can tell you all about my new upgrade idea's for your hero suit while we discuss how I'll be your queen…."

Izuku spluttered, his face going red as Momo, Ochaco and Himiko closed ranks in a very protective manner.

"Don't answer that my love, she's trying to take my rightful spot at your side" Himiko stated with a threatening glare at the inventor. If she had known Juvia, the tone would've been a complete match.

"THEY ARE ALL RIVALS!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!" several of the teenage girls yelled at the former villain…then gasped at each other.

Feeling himself grabbed by Toga and Ochaco, the boy turned crimson as he felt them pressed against his arms. Those wonderful, soft mounds of flesh through fabric.

"I'm so dead" Were his thoughts as the women started to bicker and argue in the sunshine of the summer day at U.A. Academy…

Phew! That was a long chapter! Almost 20,000 words! And yeah, Mira's class was basically…a horror filled nightmare for the kids that survived, but VR fixes everything! If you have complaints…I'll place them in my complaint box…and set it on fire. These women are all about survival and wanted to impart how that feels so…hench the hunting in the wilderness and undead. I do wish I had more time with Mei and Levy, but this chapter was getting so long already.

And Unknown Legion! If you want to have Mei call up 21-A at anytime, feel free!

Other than that, I will be working on No Hope for a few chapters next!

So read, review, and enjoy!

Mineta: WHY! WHY IS MIDORIYA GETTING ALL THE GIRLS!

Reiko: Actually…Bakugo is kinda cute…

Bakugo: Huh?

Mineta: NOT HIM TOO!

Mei: Izuku…COME BACK HERE! *Chases the poor boy*

Izuku: Forget villains! Its women that will be my undoing!

This is thehappy signing off!