Operation Ice Prince: Todoroki's Hero Smackdown (UA War Game)

The Villain's Playground

It's finally time!

The city simulation looms ahead, towering skyscrapers casting long shadows over the streets. Fake, sure, but the way they've set it up feels real enough—the perfect battleground. And I'm standing right in the middle of it, ready to play my part.

Here we go. 

Time to see if Midoriya's strategy holds up.

The moment the horn blares, signaling the start of the exercise, I'm already moving. There's no hesitation. The plan's simple: isolate, disorient, overwhelm. One against many? Fine. But I won't let them treat this like an easy win.

Step one, cut off their communication.

I raise my hand, releasing a sharp burst of ice, freezing over the streets and creating towering walls that crisscross the city blocks. My breath fogs in the sudden chill as the icy barriers shoot upward, dividing the area like a giant chessboard. The hero squads are scattered now, their line of sight broken. No more teamwork. No more coordination.

 Let's see how they handle that.

From my position atop one of the simulated buildings, I scan the scene. The heroes are scattered, but not for long. Bakugo's probably already tearing through the ice walls with explosions, and Yaoyorozu's likely coming up with some inventive gadget. But this is where the fun begins.

 Time to heat things up.

Without missing a beat, I switch tactics. 

Fire. 

A wave of scorching heat floods the streets as I send a wall of flame down an alleyway, cutting off another group of heroes before they can regroup. The flames dance and flicker, licking at the edges of the buildings, creating barriers that force them to rethink their movements.

I hear a shout—Kaminari, probably—panicking about the flames. They're already disoriented. Good.

They're scattered, panicked. 

Keep it that way.

I leap from my vantage point, landing softly on an ice ramp I created to slide seamlessly between buildings. This city is mine, every alleyway, every rooftop—it's all a part of the plan. I've already mapped out their weaknesses, thanks to Midoriya's analysis.

Flashback to Midoriya's voice in my head:
"Iida's going to try to use his speed, but he can't make sharp turns on ice. Use that. And Bakugo? He's too aggressive. He'll try to blast through without thinking."

Right. 

Bakugo's predictable. 

Let's see him blow his way out of this one.

From my new vantage point, I can see the hero teams trying to regroup. Yaoyorozu's creating some kind of tracking device, no doubt trying to pinpoint my location. I've got a few seconds, maybe less, before they figure out where I am.

Not happening.

With a flick of my wrist, I summon another massive ice wall, cutting them off again. It stretches high, towering over the streets and blocking any path forward. They're trapped like rats in a maze.

They're not getting out of here without a fight.

Bakugo's close. 

I can hear the explosions.

Sure enough, I spot him barreling through the ice, explosions firing from his hands as he carves a path through the walls. He's fast—too fast. But he's not paying attention to the ground.

Time to slow you down, Bakugo.

With another flick of my hand, the ice beneath his feet slickens into a sheet of black ice. He's not expecting it. His foot slips, and for a second, he's airborne, flailing, caught off guard. The explosion he was about to launch goes wild, blasting into the air instead of at me.

Bakugo: Damn it, Icy-Hot!

 Got him.

I don't stop to gloat. There's no time for that. Instead, I use the moment to reposition, dashing across the rooftops with a combination of ice ramps and fire bursts for speed. From up here, I can see them all scrambling below me. Perfect.

I spot Iida, zooming through the streets like a blur. He's fast, but like Midoriya predicted, he's struggling to maneuver on the slick, icy ground. Every sharp turn sends him skidding, forcing him to slow down just to stay upright.

I'll deal with him later.

I launch another wave of fire toward Kaminari's team, forcing them to scatter. He sends a few bolts of electricity in my direction, but he's not close enough to hit me. Smart move. But not smart enough.

I create an ice pillar beneath me, raising myself higher to avoid his range, then blast a wave of ice toward him. Kaminari ducks, just barely avoiding getting frozen. His team is in disarray, trying to figure out how to get past the ice without getting fried by the flames I've set up around them.

Kaminari: Uh, guys? A little help here?

They're falling apart.

Midoriya's voice echoes in my mind again, reminding me of every little detail he pointed out. He's right about everything. Without him, I wouldn't have been nearly this prepared. But now, I'm running the show, and they're all playing catch-up.

Just as planned.

I pause for a moment, surveying the chaos below me. The city simulation looks like it's been torn apart by a natural disaster. Ice and fire everywhere, heroes stumbling over each other, trying to adapt to the constantly shifting environment. I can feel the weight of their panic, their desperation to regain control.

But control is mine. This is my playground now.

Flashback: Endeavor's Training brought to you by a cat who wants to tear down everything

Endeavor: Power alone won't win a fight, Shoto. You need to control the battlefield. Make it yours. Don't let your opponent dictate the terms.

End of Flashback:  brought to you by a bunny watching the chaos and just laughing and coughing about it.

I used to hate his lessons. Still do, sometimes. But in moments like this, I understand what he was getting at. Control. It's about making your opponent play by your rules, forcing them to react to you. And that's exactly what I'm doing.

it's not about strength. 

It's about control.

Another ice wall shoots up, separating Iida from the rest of his team. He skids to a halt, nearly crashing into it, and I can see the frustration in his eyes. He thought his speed would give him an advantage. But this isn't about speed.

It's about outthinking them. Outmaneuvering them.

I move again, this time setting a fire trap in a narrow alley. Bakugo's team won't be able to avoid it—they'll have to push through or retreat. Either way, they're wasting time, and that's all I need.

 Let's see if they can keep up.