The dead keep trying

12: Dear Nezu, WHY

Chaos ensued as the security breach alarm blared constantly, and red spotlights washed over the cafeteria. Watching the mindless bunch try to shove their way through the doors, Maria just sighed, seeing as Izuku had run off somewhere, again.

'Hey Maria, we might have a problem.' Hearing that over the voice line, Maria knew it was something important, since Izuku didn't classify things as problems unless something was terribly wrong.

'Do tell.'

After getting confirmation, Izuku began reporting on what he did while Maria was busy watching the school of idiots. 'So a white dude who really, and I mean really needs some chapstick broke into the records room of UA, and after rifling through 5 cabinets, I think he found his folder? He took one out, said something about skipping to the final boss, then started leaving. I'm trailing him now. Should I knock him out?'

'Yeah do it.' Responding to Izuku's request, Maria began to worry and wonder about what exactly they could be there for, and what the folder could mean. Deciding to ask, she sent a question to Izuku. 'So what's the folder about?'

Izuku took a look, folding through the folder as usual. His eyes scanned the pages and ledgers, reading through the detailed, albeit dated schedules. Once he was done, he responded. 'I think it's 1-A's schedule. It was made during June and from what I heard from Nezu, a lot of this is wrong. I think he wants to ambush us eventually. Should I alert Nezu?'

Telling him to do so, Maria wondered why in the world they would ever need such a folder. 'Sure it contained 1-A's schedule, but what part would be useful to such a villain group?' Her mind worked for a while, before reaching a conclusion, quickly alerting Izuku. 'Tell Nezu they are probably aiming for All Might. That's why they targeted 1-A over anything else. Also tell him to prepare heroes to arrest people at the next time All Might's supposed to appear.'

Saluting even though no one could see it, Izuku soon made it to Neu's office, where he gave a rundown of the affairs he just dealt with, including the villain he knocked out, and Maria's thoughts on the motive. Nezu was more than happy for such an alert, and even more so for such a golden opportunity. Too bad Maria couldn't be hearing the dastardly plan Nezu cooked up, which Izuku was in on.

As Izuku and Nezu did their thing, Ilda had been turned weightless, shot himself to the exit sign, and then promptly scream-organized everyone until the orderly line shuffled out of the cafeteria. He spoke of the media which had broken down the front gate to get more interviews, but Maria and Izuku knew what the real alarm set-off was. At request of Izuku though, Maria kept silent.

The rest of the mandatory lockdown procedure soon faded without issue, and without trouble everyone soon returned to their classes. Soon after Maria settled into her seat, Aizawa walked up to the lectern again. Holding another cup of coffee, he sighed before speaking again, exhaustion leaking into his gravelly voice.

"Alright class. We will soon be boarding the busses for the USJ. Bring along any gear you wish to test in a rescue environment. You can also choose not to if you think that your hero gear will slow you down. If you aren't wearing your hero suit, wear a gym suit. Once you're ready, go to the parking lot."

With his side of the class done for now, he walked off as the 20 briefcases all came out of the wall again. Maria chose to wear her hero suit since it was made to allow her to be agile and it also kept her body temperature regulated, so it was a win-win for her to wear it. Izuku sat off to the side giggling to himself, something Maria was slightly worried by, but nonetheless ignored.

'Remember Izuku. These knives are sharp now. You have to be careful with them.'

Reminding Izuku one last time that he shouldn't swing the daggers in Maria's cloak so carelessly, she went to the bus where most of the class was waiting, and soon enough the rest of the class arrived. Most of the people didn't wear their hero gear, some brought bits and bobs, and Maria was amongst the few that wore their full costume.

Ilda, despite not being in a leadership role, tried to have everyone enter the bus in an orderly fashion, but one look from Izuku told Maria all she needed to know.

"Ilda, I'm happy you want to help, but that's my and Momo's job, and even so, the bus is open, so your seating arrangement wouldn't work."

Sputtering and embarrassed, Ilda retreated before Maria consoled him a bit. "Don't try and push yourself to the leadership. Its good to want to be orderly, but make sure it'll work first."

With that, everyone soon stumbled onto the bus, and that let the trip begin, heading off to the USJ, where Maria hoped it would be a normal class. She was tired of fighting villains, dealing with Bakugo, fighting classmates, dealing with Bakugo, getting a headache from everyone yelling, and dealing with Bakugo, not to mention dealing with Bakugo.

Asui wasn't helping, blunt as ever, enraging the incarnation of undeserved ego by calling him rude, which was fair, and unpopular, leading to him yelling how he'd kill her, which only proved her point. Izuku seemed to flinch at any motions Bakugo made, freaking out a bit when his hands started to crackle and spark, forgetting he was incorporeal, and invisible.

With that, the bus ride continued as people did their own things, talking to others, or trying to ignore the still raging Bakugo. Small groups formed with intentions to either discuss personal preferences or how to use specific quirks to rescue people. Kirishima, Momo, and Maria made a small group talking about quirks with Izuku firing ideas at the wall, leading to Momo and Kirishima being slightly left behind in the conversation.

In any case, everyone eventually made it to the USJ building, mostly in one piece.

"Alright class. Let's get this over with. Today we'll be joined by two special guests so treat them nicely." Pointing to a waving space suit, Aizawa looked over and soon walked over, speaking in hushed tones that Izuku went over to eavesdrop on. "Where's the bumbling buffoon? Isn't he supposed to be here?" 

Thirteen shrugged and sighed. "Apparently he got hung up dealing with a villain and ran out of time. It should be fine to move ahead with the schedule, but we won't have the main bait."

Maria, starting to catch on, looked at Izuku who was cackling off to the side. As soon as their Izuku and Maria met eyes, his smile doubled in size and his laughter across their connection was nearly booming.

Maria, wasn't a fan of this, and promised to do something to him later. For now, she grumbled along as Aizawa and Thirteen talked about why All Might couldn't make it. In the corner of her eye, she swore she saw a brown cowboy hat, but dismissed it quickly. So with that, Maria hesitatingly walked into what she knew was a trap to act as the bait.