Finding Me (Todoroki x Reader)

Chapter 44

"I am here! Hope you are ready to return to our lessons."

My classmates and I were down at another training ground, wearing our costumes and eagerly awaiting All Might's instructions. I just hoped it wouldn't involve a whole lot of violence like last time. 'Although I came out of it pretty unscathed, Midoriya certainly did not. I wonder what All Might has in store today...'

"Today is Hero Basic Training," All Might explained as he stood out in front of us, hands on his hips. "Feels like I haven't seen you in a while. Welcome back!

"Now, listen carefully for what's in store. We're going to be conducting a little race. Take everything you've learned from your internships, and apply it to this rescue training."

"A little race? Rescue training...?" I mumbled, my brows creasing in confusion. "What can he possibly mean by that?"

"Beats me," I heard Shoto mutter back, but kept his eyes on the Number One Hero. "With All Might, who knows, really."

I giggled at that, allowing a soft smile onto my chapped lips. Iida's hand shot up out of nowhere, his arm perfectly parallel to his head.

"If it's rescue training," he started, "then shouldn't we be at the USJ instead?"

'He's got a good point,' I thought, my confusion growing even more. 'Why are we here? '

"Ah, that facility specialises in disasters," All Might answered. His voice suddenly dropped a little, giving off a dangerous vibe, as he continued. "As I said - this is a race. So... prepare!"

A giant screen lit up in front of faces, and all of us gasped at the sight we saw: It was a birds-eye view of the training ground, and boy did it look twisted. Pipelines travelled under each other, forming pathways throughout buildings of various sizes throughout the complex. The way the metal glinted and reflected made it look as though the whole city was made of pure steel. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.

"You're about to step into Field Gamma," All Might declared, motioning to the screen above us. "Inside is an area full of factories that form an intricate labyrinth. Good luck finding your way around. You'll be competing in groups of five.

"Each person starts in a different location inside the model city. I'll send out a distress signal, and you must rescue me. Whoever finds me first, wins! But try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum, please."

"Why are you pointing at me?" Bakugou growled, turning his head away in embarrassment for being called out. I chuckled at the unusual sight; normally Bakugou would've retorted and started a fight, but I guess even he has enough respect not to challenge All Might. 'At least, not today.'

"All right first group, get to your places!"

"Sounds simple enough, I guess," I said as I watched Midoriya, Iida, Mina, Sero and Ojiro go off into the metal maze. "I guess it's all about making quick decisions while keeping yourself on track, right?"

Shoto hummed in agreement, eyes trained on the screen above as the five students took their places. I lifted my gaze to the screen as well, eyeing off my friends as the prepared themselves for the start. I smiled at how determined all of them looked, even Ojiro. 'Ojiro has come a long way since the Sports Festival.' I smiled at how focussed he seemed. 'Whatever he did on his internship must've helped his confidence big time. I'm so proud! '

Mina and Sero also looked ready to fight; the two of them were eager before, but something about them seemed different. It was like - amongst their usual humorous and flippant approach towards most things - a new layer of earnest had appeared. It was great to see.