Not dumb but not intelligent either

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Ah, groups. 

Safety in numbers. 

A classic move. 

It made sense, of course. 

When prey senses a predator, they huddle together, thinking it will make them harder to pick off. That's the smart thing to do, right?

I perched myself on a low rooftop, crouched like a gargoyle as I watched the remnants of Class 1-A moving through the streets below. The faint glimmer of moonlight highlighted their cautious movements, and I could practically taste the fear radiating off them.

Fear. It was delicious in its own way, but also... disappointing. They weren't stupid, I had to give them that. These kids weren't just wandering around aimlessly, hoping to stumble into a solution. No, they had a plan. I could see it in the way they moved, in how they glanced at each other and the environment. It was almost admirable. Almost.

But plans were brittle things. All it took was one wrong step, one tiny crack, and the whole structure came crumbling down.

Leaning forward slightly, I rested my chin on my gloved hand. "Smart," I muttered to myself, my voice barely audible over the faint hum of the city. "They're scared, but not scared enough to be reckless. That's good." A smirk tugged at my lips. "Still, not good enough."

I tracked their movements for a while, observing how they coordinated. Uraraka seemed to be taking the lead, as unexpected as it was. She was cautious, analytical, directing her classmates with a precision that was almost impressive. Almost.

Tomura was their shield, his quirk ready to eliminate any incoming threat. He was calm, but I could see the tension in his posture. His shoulders were too stiff, his steps too deliberate. He wasn't at ease—none of them were.

Ojiro and Jiro were both acting as their lookout. 

Good.

They were organized. That would make this more interesting.

I sat back, crossing my legs and tapping my chin thoughtfully. They were clearly adapting to the situation. Learning from the mistakes of their classmates. The chaos I'd sown earlier in the day had left its mark, and now they were trying to cover their weaknesses.

"Not bad," I murmured, chuckling softly. "Not bad at all."

Still, they were missing something. Coordination was important, sure, but it wasn't enough. They had the pieces, but they hadn't figured out how to put them together in the right way. It was like watching a group of kids trying to solve a puzzle without looking at the picture on the box.

And then there was the fear. Oh, they were doing a good job of hiding it, but it was there. It was always there, lurking beneath the surface. Fear was the best weapon, you know. It made people predictable. Desperate. Easy to manipulate.

I stood up, stretching my arms above my head and rolling my shoulders. The leather of my gloves creaked faintly as I flexed my fingers. Watching them was fun, sure, but it wasn't enough.

I wanted to see them break.

They were too smart to fall for anything obvious, too cautious to walk into a trap without thinking it through first. No, I'd have to be patient. I'd have to wait for the right moment, the right opportunity to strike.

For now, though...

I grinned, my golden eyes gleaming in the darkness. "Let's see how long you can keep this up."

Slipping down from the rooftop, I landed silently in the shadows, keeping just out of sight as I continued to trail them. They were headed toward one of the safer zones in the city, probably hoping to regroup and come up with a better plan.

Smart.

But plans didn't mean anything if you didn't have the resolve to follow through with them.

They were scared, yes. But I could see something else in their eyes, too. Determination.

Interesting.

I tilted my head, watching them like a predator watching its prey. Determination was a double-edged sword. It could push you to your limits, sure, but it could also blind you. Make you reckless.

And reckless people were the easiest to break.

As they disappeared around a corner, I stayed where I was, leaning casually against the wall of a crumbling building. No need to follow them too closely. I already knew where they were going.

"Good luck, Class 1-A," I said softly, a smirk playing on my lips. "You're going to need it."

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