Earlier that morning...
The media had been circling U.A. like sharks since dawn, cameras and microphones ready to catch any glimpse of All Might or his students. What they hadn't counted on was the school's sophisticated security system—motion sensors, reinforced barriers, and automated defenses that could repel most intrusions.
What they also hadn't counted on was someone on the inside disabling those systems.
A figure in a dark hoodie approached the main gate's control panel, fingers dancing across an interface that should have been impossible to access. Within minutes, the barriers that had kept the press at bay flickered and died.
The reporters surged forward like a tide.
Present time...
The cafeteria was loud with the usual lunch chatter when the alarms started blaring.
"SECURITY LEVEL 3 HAS BEEN BROKEN. ALL STUDENTS PLEASE EVACUATE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION."
Anim had been in the middle of explaining to Kirishima why his morning workout routine needed more cardio when the announcement hit. The effect was immediate and terrifying—hundreds of students shot to their feet, chairs clattering and trays scattering as panic took hold.
"What's Level 3 mean?" Kaminari shouted over the noise, his face pale.
"It means someone broke into the school!" Mineta screamed, already pushing toward the exit. "We're all gonna die!"
The crowd pressed forward with mounting hysteria. Anim could see classmates getting crushed against the doors, the orderly evacuation turning into a stampede.
"Shit," he muttered, standing up to get a better view.
"Language," Jiro said automatically, but her voice was tight with worry.
"This is bad," Kirishima said, his hardening Quirk already activating unconsciously. "People are gonna get hurt."
Anim stretched his torso upward, extending until his head was well above the crowd. From his elevated position, he could see over the mass of panicking students to the windows that looked out on the courtyard.
And there they were—reporters with cameras and microphones, wandering around the school grounds like they owned the place.
"It's just the media!" he called out, his voice carrying across the cafeteria. "The reporters broke the barrier! It's not villains!"
But the crowd was too deep in panic mode to listen. Students continued pushing toward the exits, and he could hear people crying out as they got trampled.
"We have to do something," Uraraka said, using her Quirk to float above the crowd. "Someone's going to get seriously hurt!"
That's when Iida acted.
"URARAKA! LET ME FLOAT!"
The class representative launched himself into the air using Uraraka's anti-gravity, his engines roaring to life as he positioned himself above the exit where everyone could see him.
"EVERYONE!" His voice cut through the chaos with practiced authority. "IT'S OKAY! IT'S JUST THE PRESS! THERE ARE NO VILLAINS! EVERYTHING IS FINE!"
The effect was immediate. Students slowed, then stopped, looking around with embarrassed confusion as they realized they'd been fleeing from people with cameras, not attackers with weapons.
"Please proceed to your classes in an orderly fashion!" Iida continued, his chopping motions visible even from above. "There is no immediate danger!"
"Damn, Iida," Sero said as the crowd began to disperse properly. "That was some real leadership stuff."
"It is my responsibility as class representative to ensure everyone's safety!" Iida replied, though he looked pleased with the praise.
As Anim's body returned to normal height, he found Jiro watching him with that thoughtful expression again.
"Quick thinking," she said. "Though you probably could've just let Iida handle it."
"Someone needed to see what was actually happening," he replied. "Can't solve a problem if you don't know what it is."
"True." She paused, then added quietly, "Still think something's off about this whole thing?"
He'd mentioned his unease earlier, that nagging feeling that something wasn't right about the media invasion. "Yeah. U.A.'s security is supposed to be unbreakable. How'd a bunch of reporters with cameras get past it?"
"Maybe they didn't," Jiro said, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "Maybe someone let them in."
Before he could ask what she meant by that, their homeroom teacher appeared.
"Alright, settle down," Aizawa said, looking more tired than usual. "The situation is contained. Classes will resume as normal." He paused, scanning the room with those sharp eyes. "Though our afternoon Hero Basic Training will be moved off-campus. We're going to the USJ."
"The Unforeseen Simulation Joint?" Midoriya perked up immediately, his notebook already out. "That's where they do disaster rescue training! I've read about their flood simulation and the conflagration zone and—"
"Put the notebook away, Midoriya," Aizawa said dryly. "You'll see it all firsthand soon enough."
The bus ride to USJ was filled with the usual mix of excitement and nervous energy. Anim found himself sitting next to Jiro again, their conversations having become something of a routine.
"So," she said, plugging one of her earphone jacks into the bus's sound system to create a subtle privacy barrier around their seats, "want to tell me more about that energy thing?"
"Getting better at it," he said, flexing his fingers and feeling the faint warmth that preceded his protective aura. "Seems to respond to my emotional state. The more focused I am, the stronger it gets."
"Interesting. Most Quirks have physical triggers, but yours sounds almost psychological."
"Maybe that's why it took so long to develop." He glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "Been thinking about what you said earlier. About someone letting the reporters in."
"Just a theory," Jiro said, but her tone suggested it was more than that. "People don't break through U.A.'s security by accident. Someone had to disable it from the inside or destroy it with a powerful quirk."
"Any idea who?"
"Not really, but the reporters been there for hours, it seems weird they just broke through"
Before he could ask further on the topic, the bus pulled up to their destination. The USJ loomed before them—a massive domed facility that housed every type of disaster scenario imaginable.
"Whoa," Kaminari breathed, pressing his face against the window. "This place is huge!"
"I can't wait to try the earthquake simulator!" Kirishima said, practically bouncing in his seat.
As they filed off the bus, Anim felt that familiar unease returning. The media incident had been a distraction, he was sure of it now. But a distraction from what?
He was about to find out.
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AN: Well, my lazy ass just skipped the representative thingy and left it as lida was decided on it.
Have fun!