Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid (Icarius51)

Chapter 31: Sometimes, You Have to Go Out with a Bang

Day 2: 15 hours, 13 minutes (3:13 pm, local time)

"Moshi moshi, this is the Hero Class Villains, how may I direct your call?" Izuku answered with a smile, getting chuckles and grins from the rest of his tired team.

Now that he had a chance to focus on the phone, Izuku could see the number calling and could hear an automated voice begin to speak. The smiles and laughter faded, replaced by annoyance and pale faces.

And for a few...

Rage.

As the message ended, Izuku slowly tapped the end call button and set the fourteenth objective at his side, before putting his head in his hands.

"Those... those fuckers." Izuku glanced up, hearing the voice of his second-in-command, Hitoshi. "You know, we were warned that this would be unfair - that the villains were at a disadvantage," Shinsou was pacing, arms crossed and an expression of spite on his face, "But this? This is crossing the fucking line."

Izuku could see the villains starting to respond, and he realized that Shinsou was about to go off the edge. So he returned the favor he had asked for at the start it all...

And stopped Shinsou from doing something he would regret.

"We'll do it."

The night before the exam

Izuku stirred, feeling soft padding beneath him and sniffed, smelling a variety of bright, crisp scents in the air.

Wait.

What?

Shifting, he braced and sat up, yawning loudly as he blinked, only to freeze.

He was apparently laying on a couch, in what was possibly the most opulent lobby he had ever seen. Marble tiled floors, and soft bronze and wooden color schemes for the walls, with cream colored couches with tan accents.

"What?"

"Ah, Izuku! You're up." A bright pink flash of skin above him made the teen jerk back. Ashido leaned over the couch and looked down at him. "Come on, up! UP UP UP! We only have a few hours!"

"Wha– wait, where?" Izuku tumbled as Ashido all but dragged him up to where he quickly realized the rest of the villain team was, and then shoved him into the arms of Mezou.

"You guys know what to do!" Jirou called out. "See ya in a bit!"

As the girls crowded through door across the room, Izuku took note of a counter and a smiling older woman who waved and giggled as he was dragged off to the right of the reception desk, through a wide door made with traditional rice paper shoji.

"Okay, someone want to explain what's going on?"

"You need to unwind, Boss!" Awase wrapped an arm around Izuku's shoulders and gestured at the air, as if presenting a grand visage. "We're heading into a hell of a stressful time, we got plenty of things to do, and a time limit to get it working right!"

Sen cut Awase off. "And if you stay stressed, you'll make mistakes. We've got the place booked 'til eight, then we'll all sleep at a hotel near the school, where all our gear's already stashed. We'll get dressed and ready and head out early."

"And where exactly are we?"

Monoma grinned as he turned at the front of the pack and slid a shoji door open at the end of the hall. "Nabor Hot Springs and Massage Parlour. Full service and mixed bathing package."

Izuku blinked and looked out over the calm and steamy clearing, the early afternoon sun already coloring the water shades of gold and reflections of the blue sky.