Chapter Text
Intel Phase, Day 14, 4:05 am, 55 minutes until Battle Phase Start
Ochako glanced between Todoroki and Iida nervously, the two stood huddled together, talking in hushed words about plans. She misses Deku, and if she was being honest he would've been a much better leader than Todoroki. She loves her friend, but these past two weeks has been nothing but training and trying to strategize and plan around the quirks of the villain team. It rubbed her the wrong way that the villain team has so many of her own classmates, because who would willingly fight like a villain?
It also rubs her the wrong way that even though she's part of the war council, she knows that she's missing a lot of plans and information already even before the battle phase has started.
They'll finish this fast. They're all capable heroes in training. They're all strong and they have the villains outnumbered.
"We have less than an hour before we're able to enter the city. Gather around dumbasses we have to be ready to move!" Bakugou shouted and it was followed by low grumbling from members of the team, especially those from class 1-B. Ochako locked eyes with Tsuyu and offered her a small smile.
Yeah, they'll be okay.
Intel Phase, Day 0, 12:02 am
Izuku was just about to turn his phone off during the lull in conversation in the small group chat when a new message from Monoma caught his attention.
Blondie: oh yeah I can't believe I forgot, but since we don't have the leaders in our class this rotation so
Purrple: Get to the point
Wild: dramatic hoe
Blondie: this is bullying smh
Blondie: anyways as I was saying, there's a year wide heroes versus villains week long exercise with the two leaders being from class 1-A. Theres two weeks of planning called Intel Phase starting tomorrow.
Blondie: Villains usually lose bc they almost always have the numerical disadvantage since only the two leader roles are locked and people are cowards.
Purrple: so what I'm hearing is a chance to kick hero course ass and take names
Blondie: that would be correct
Wild: We'll all join which ever team Izuku ends up leading
Bush: Why me?
Wild: 5 bucks says Zuku leads a team
Purrple: no bet we all know the rat well enough
Blondie: Better you than any if the 1-A assholes
Bush: Still in 1-A
Blondie: you know what I mean idiot
Wild: I'm surrounded by gays
Blondie: hey boss can you remove her
Bush: No perish I'd rather have her on a hero versus villains
Blondie: you know what? Thats fair
Bush: wait, you said full year?
Wild: oh I am ready for whatever bullshit you're going to pull
Blondie: yeah, you'll have to be the one to approach people though. They'll get extra credit if they agree but they have no obligation to join.
Purrple: dude I would miss a full week of classes to kick ass for free they can keep their extra credit
Wild: well as fun as making my babies for you violent bastards is, i'm always down for extra credit
Bush: don't you have the top marks in your class?
Wild: the rush having a grade higher than 100 gives me is better than crack
Bush: okay
Purrple: why did your teacher tell you early when you can just tell the other classes like this?
Blondie: assuming he didn't think we would
Wild: yeah you were a bastard
Blondie: shut.
Intel Phase, Day 1, 8:30 am
Izuku was shuffling in his seat, nervously waiting for Aizawa sensei to arrive. He had gotten a few more details out of Monoma, but there was probably still a lot left out if only because he didn't know what hero or villain objectives were. Izuku was definitely excited for the chance to get started. After all, the leaders were going to be chosen -or more likely informed because this seems like something they've planned well in advance- and the people will start picking sides which have to be finalized by the end of day 5. He already had a few people in mind he would want on whichever team he was on. Or, leading, if Shinsou was right about his guess. If he wasn't a leader, which he hoped he wasn't, he honestly might go on the villain team since it seemed like it would be an interesting choice and have interesting lessons to learn.
"Alright class listen up, because I'll only be explaining this to you once." Aizawa sensei said from the front of the classroom, looking as bored as ever except for an interesting glint in his eyes.
"Today at 5am, marked the first of fourteen days of preparation for a week long year wide heroes versus villains exercise you will all be participating in. Everyone must pick a side except the two leaders who will have their role assigned and they can not change once they've been decided. This year, the leaders are from this class. Two of you will be receiving a letter detailing in specifics your goals, rules, and other relevant information. You will all be leaving today with a packet containing all the general information, and I highly suggest going separately to your rooms and staying separate for the rest of the day because not everyone is willing to share if they're the hero team leader or the villain team leader. While the hero and villain leader roles are both predetermined, the choice of which side you will be on is up to you to make. Challenge yourself with a new mindset and see how you grow in a different position, or prove your potential as a hero and follow your dreams and morals. At some point after curfew, two students will receive their letters. From that point on, the recruitment game is on. The villain may choose whether or not they publicly announce their position, but the hero leader must do so by the beginning of day 5. Most of your questions should be answered in your packets and if not you may come to me or any other teacher with your questions. Tomorrow everyone will be pulled separately out of class one at a time to discuss the exercise, regardless of whether or not you are a leader."
The second everyone realized he was done talking everyone blew up, talking and shouting excitedly about ideas and potential leaders and team ups. Izuku, for his part, stayed quiet. He already had a guaranteed three people on his team, but everything else was very much up in the air. A lot of the more vocal members of the class were shouting about how they were going to be on the hero team, and Izuku started making a mental list of who already declared loyalties like that and whose was staying quiet about specifics.
Momo didn't say anything about being on the hero team. Thank god he would hate to have to fight against her or fight very hard for her to join. He wasn't going to bet on being part of the hero team, or the leader of either team, if asked. Hopefully if she's in a leadership position, then Izuku isn't and she'd accept four strays, only two of which in the hero course. He has a lot of plans already that hinge on her involvement. Or, at the very least, the lack of her ability being utilized in the same way on the enemy team.
Izuku was going to tear his hair out at this rate, not knowing what his role is or anyone else's.
Intel Phase, Day 1, 11:32 pm
Izuku, phone in hand, walked into his bathroom in nothing but a pair of shorts with a strained smile on his face. He held up the black envelope that was slid under his door, the only deviation from the classic video. "Hi, welcome to Chili's." He said looking directly at the mirror.
He pressed the button and cut the video off, but before he could send it he found himself laughing hysterically in the bathroom, keeping eye contact with his reflection. The only way that the letter could've been more obviously for the villain, was if they used red instead of green. Izuku was half expecting the letter to spontaneously combust or something, and he should probably start recording everything he assumes might be time sensitive.
Izuku sobered up a minute or so later, and sent the video to the groupchat before he walked back over to his desk and threw himself down into his chair. He rubbed a hand down his face and then opened his eyes to stare at the rule book he's read back and forth at least four times, and the previously empty notebook next to it that was nearly half way filled with small script. Hero or villain, Izuku tore this thing so solidly apart looking for any little loophole he or the other team could abuse.
At this rate, two weeks of preparation were looking more and more to him like overkill, and yet he had plans to make the best possible use of every goddamn second of it he got.
Starting with reading and recording everything in his letters, and then burying the identity of the villain leader as deep as possible that no one not a villain would know it was him until at the very least the battle phase started.
He muted the groupchat without looking at the responses yet, and switched to the camera app to record. He set the camera up to be facing him, but either paranoia or a flair for dramatics had made him keep his upper face just out of view. The very authentic wax seal had a wide grin pattern that sat mockingly in the center that had reminded him of All Might and the old super villain Joker in the same breath because of the color scheme. The letter he pulled out of the matte black envelope was written on thick high quality paper. The ink wasn't quite black, it shimmer faintly in his room's lighting with a dark red that would've been a mood setter had Izuku not gone ahead and immediately made a vine reference as an introduction. There was another item behind it, a fairly thick packet that seemed like it should be overkill considering the similar one twice it's thickness laid out on Izuku's desk.
He'd start to take this more seriously when he had to start playing a very careful social game tomorrow.
"Dear Midoriya Izuku, you have been chosen to have the role of the villain leader in this year's Lost City. Along with this letter, there is a packet in which you will find all the information you as the villain team leader will need to have at your disposal as well as all the rules you must adhere to." He paused to smile. This is Nedzu. The wording is likely specific for a reason in this message, and maybe his opponent will not catch it.
"Your main goal for the Intel Phase is to gather students from your year group to train and prepare over the next two weeks to be locked in one of UA's training cities, where you will spend up to a week taking part in the Battle Phase portion of the event. Your objectives are also listed in the included packet. I look forward to this year's event, and the chaos you may bring. Signed, Principal Nedzu." Izuku said and cut the recording after a moment of silence. The smile on his face grew wider. A lot of this, they already knew, but now Izuku had the specifics. Specific things to look for, weapons and materials he could make use of, the works with more detail that the generalized packet could give.
Midoriya Izuku has made a new groupchat
Midoriya Izuku has changed the name to Bouquet
Midoriya Izuku has added 3 users
Midoriya Izuku: Welcome to the villain's team.
Shinsou Hitoshi: You crazy son of a bitch, I'm in.
Hatsume Mei: Bouquet?
Monoma Neito: Hero code names are so last season. We're going to do this and we're going to do this right
Monoma Neito changed their name to Amaryllis
Amaryllis changed Hatsume Mei's name to Belladonna
Amaryllis changed Shinsou Hitoshi's name to Snapdragon
Amaryllis changed Midoriya Izuku's name to Begonia
Snapdragon: You just had these picked out? For how long?
Amaryllis: well if dear old Nia was going to be our leader I wanted to make sure something interesting happened
Begonia: Gee, thanks. I'm going to go read the packet the dear old rat gave me on objectives and other things that might lead to war crimes
Belladonna: The Geneva convention only applies to international conflict not to your own citizens
Snapdragon: You see how that's worse, right?