Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid (Icarius51)

Chapter 2: Black Moves First

Day 1: 6 hours, 0 minutes: (6:00 am, local time)

Game Start

"Welcome to your mission briefing. Until now, you have not known the precise parameters of your mission." Aizawa-sensei stood before the assembled hero team. They were in their costumes, each with some variant of the UA symbol backed by wings added to represent them being part of the same team.

Katsuki stood at the front, looking over the screens behind Aizawa as he took in what information they had. "That's because, in the real world, you rarely know what your opponent is after. One hour ago, when the villains entered the city, the test began."

Uraraka blinked in surprise, hearing mutters and curses from the other heroes.

"The chosen field for this is a place neither class has ever had a reason to visit before; Training Ground F, known among students as the Downtown District. It is a full ten-by-ten block of skyscrapers and apartments, modeled after the likes of New York and downtown Tokyo." He turned and tapped the computer behind him, pulling up a video feed.

"Three unmarked white trucks entered the city at the start of the hour, the villains using them as an entry vector. One of them had a signal transceiver attached to the top, and we believe that is where the video that was sent to you was live-streamed from. Traffic cameras tracked two of the box trucks, but the third—the one with the transceiver—took a back alley and seemed to disappear."

"At this point in time, we have no idea what exactly their plan is, but most Support analysts agree this has the markings of a hostage situation. There are 'civil-bots' in most public places, simple mannequins with basic motor functions and sensors. Keep them alive and safe. They will run from fights and danger, replicating normal civilian reactions, but the villains can and will take them hostage."

The screen changed once more, the video of the trucks vanishing to show one of the trucks backing up and parking at a loading dock. Four figures in loose black jumpsuits, covered with hooded jackets, got out and began pulling cases from the truck.

"This is the back camera from the bank in the city. Soon after that, all camera feeds to and from the bank stopped."

The screen flickered to another unloading; five equally disguised figures stepped out of another truck. All of them were armed with briefcases and carrying boxes of supplies.

"This is the only camera we have access to at the government building across the district from the bank. It seems the villains have split up, attacking multiple locations at once."

The screens changed, the conference table that the heroes were gathered around lighting up with a hologram of the simulated city.

"Paragon, the mission command is yours. Your objectives are to detain or eliminate all villains, while avoiding civilian casualties or collateral damage to the best of your abilities. Your priority, however, is to bring in the subject 'Kingpin' alive for questioning." With that, Aizawa stepped away and the door opened. Katsuki stood, looking at the map. After a moment of consideration, he began to mark it with entry points.

"We'll start with five teams. Leaders are me, Iida, Todoroki, Shiozaki, and Tsuburaba. Keep in contact. Iida, your team is hunting. Find that third van. I don't trust not knowing where it's gone to," he said. "Todoroki, Tsuburaba, your teams are heading for the district. Set up a forward camp and keep an eye out. My and Shiozaki's teams will head out to the bank. If we work fast, we can stop them before they do any lasting damage. Keep in touch, and keep each other updated. Move out," he called out, surprisingly professional for his normal demeanor.

"Heh. Shitty Deku thinks he's going to outmaneuver me..." He grinned, teeth pulled back in a vicious smile. "I'll show you how worthless and beneath me you are."

7 days before the exam

Aizawa Shouta looked at his student, his exhaustion reaching even deeper than normal as he took in Midoriya's distant expression and strange mood. He had barely said anything, just sat there with a cup of tea in hand, staring into the steam.

Just as Shouta was going to start, he was cut off.

"That selection was rigged, wasn't it?" Midoriya's expression was sharp with the focus that Shouta had only seen when Midoriya or his friends were in danger. The intensity of it said that he was on overdrive, mind racing through mad plans and data. He had seen how Midoriya reacted during the USJ attack. He'd also heard about the Stain incident.

"...Yes." He wasn't going to lie. Not now. Midoriya was already exhibiting what Shouta wanted to see. That drive, but not for another. This time, only for himself.

"Fine." Midoriya held up his rulebook. "Are these all the rules, in their entirety?"

Aizawa nodded, "Yes."

Midoriya lowered the book and with a quick motion drained his teacup. A moment of silence passed, the teen clearly considering something, before he looked up and met Aizawa's eyes once more.

"Please, tell me about the objectives."

'Ah, the meat of the conversation.'

"There will be 15 objectives planted inside the city. To pass the exercise, you must acquire at least five of those objectives and escape with all or most of your team. Extra objectives will 'improve' your final score and even contribute extra credit and help raise your grades," he said.

"Each objective is vaguely based on a different crime. 'Killing' a specific civilian target, or acquiring one object or another. Finding a certain document, perhaps destroying a certain server. Beyond that are the two other win conditions that you can complete. Escape the city on the third day or make the heroes unable to continue and/or force them to retreat. If either of those two conditions are met, you automatically pass, even if it's on a technicality."

Midoriya seemed distracted, lips moving slightly as he processed the new data, before he looked back up. "What about loss conditions?"

"There are three. All villains are taken down and captured. You, the Kingpin, are killed or captured by the hero team. Or, you leave before the third day, which would be considered a forfeit."

Midoriya nodded thoughtfully. Then, almost hesitantly, he asked another question. "Where's the test taking place?"

"Training Ground F, the downtown district."

An incredulous pause broke the conversation, as Midoriya looked at him in realization. Shouta could tell Midoriya saw the faint grimace on Shouta's own face. After that, Midoriya went through a quick flash of various expressions. Aizawa caught both confusion and understanding.

"Sensei... when's the last time the villain team won this exercise?"

A pause stretched out by tension. Eventually, Shouta sighed.

"It was back when I was a first-year. I heard about it through gossip and later from hero course classmates. There was a third-year with an overpowered fire and heat manipulation Quirk. He works with Endeavor now. Endeavor himself is quite proud of being one of the only Kingpins to ever win, and even holds the current record. Even then, no villain team has ever won with full marks."

"But... why?" Midoriya asked hesitantly. If Shouta were a betting man, he'd say that Midoriya already knew the answer.

Pausing, he decided to give the clarification anyways, giving a hard glare towards the cafeteria where the rest of the hero course would be.

"Because no hero wants to play the villain. They don't want to be the bad guy. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, problem child. You're going to be outnumbered. Overpowered. The game is going to be stacked against you. Which is a shame, because that makes this entire ordeal less effective."

He glanced at Midoriya, who was now staring into his empty cup with a thoughtful expression.

Slowly, that expression shifted...

"Thanks, sensei."

Midoriya placed the empty cup in his saucer and grabbed his rulebook before leaving.

Shouta couldn't help the grin that stretched across his lips at the look and stance of his student as he exited the door.

This year's Civil War would be interesting.