Level Zero - Villain!Bakugou Rehabilitation

23 || Rebellious Rage

Hagakure Toru's POV

Though she knew no one could see her and prove it, Toru was shaking. It wasn't from anger, concern, worry, or even fear, just overwhelming apprehension. Toru had always had a bad habit of coming up with the worst possible outcomes or scenarios for the situations she found herself stuck in, and this particular trait wasn't helping her deal with this trembling in the slightest.

When she'd walked out of the girl's change rooms, Toru had thought she'd been prepared for anything All Might could throw at her and her class. She'd hyped herself up along with her fellow females, fist pumping the air excitedly as they physically and mentally braced themselves. But this?

Fighting Ground Zero, a well-accomplished Villain with a kill streak of who-knows-how-many? There was nothing at all that Toru could've done to predict that, and from the disbelieving looks stuck on her classmates ashen faces she wasn't alone in feeling that way.

"L/N and Midoriya, you'll be sitting this one out."

With a yawn wide enough to swallow someone whole, Aizawa continued on talking but Toru paid him no attention as her mouth fell agape. What? That wasn't fair! Midoriya and L/N-chan were two of their heaviest hitters, and always came up with the most successful plans! But no, Toru was being unreasonable. They couldn't have all twenty-one of them verse off against Ground Zero, because that would have been unfair.

Yes, there was safety in numbers, Toru assured herself as the shudders shaking her body began to slow. Being overlooked in larger groups so that she could strike when others were at their weakest was her specialty. Although, a treacherous part of Toru's brain whispered in her subconscious, from how unperturbed Ground Zero looked it was possible that might not be the case this time round.

Toru slapped her cheeks, shaking her head violently to rid herself of those thoughts. It was times like these she was glad that nobody could see and ridicule her somewhat over-the-top reaction to things, but it wasn't like they were her fault. Being invisible constantly had its perks, but it also possessed many downfalls at the same time. Toru had gotten so used to over-exaggerating everything she did in order to be noticed and acknowledged that it had become second nature.

However, this was probably one of the key reasons she also possessed such dramatics inside her head. But she might not be entirely wrong this time though; Ground Zero didn't look troubled in the slightest. Especially now that the red light on his shock collar had flicked to green, granting him access to his Quirk. Toru wanted to say that it was simply his overconfident ego, or a mask to cover up nerves, but the way his face remained relaxed and his breaths stayed steady said otherwise.

Toru gulped down her agitation, and followed the rest of her class as they filed into the urban 'town.' Buildings rose into the sky, towering above her and making Toru feel very, very small. The resemblance this place held to a real life city was uncanny, with towering spires and boxy shops squatting between tall apartment complexes or business headquarters.

"Ground Zero," Came Nezu's voice over the loud-speakers hidden all around the city. "You have five minutes to orient yourself and set up anything you'd like such as traps, or to establish a base, secure yourself some higher ground and so forward."

Toru looked at the Villain as he stared straight ahead from his position at the very front of the group. Ground Zero gave no indication that he'd heard, instead branching off abruptly in a Northern direction and disappearing silently through an alleyway between two buildings.

"All members of Class 1-A are permitted to use their Quirks in any ways they see fit. This exercise is strictly a practise routine, which means that while it does not go towards your grades there can be no lethal attacks of any description."