After all the excitement at I-Island, I was able to relax and enjoy about a month of peace before the Summer Training Camp.
By peace, I mean I paced around the house for three days before asking Nezu for a meeting. He thankfully obliged, and once I was face-to-face with him, I paced around his office for another ten minutes.
"I must say, this is probably the most nervous I have ever seen you. Even Ms. Yakovleva doesn't seem to make you this nervous." Nezu teased as I glanced at him. "It's not the same. I can at least be nervous around Sasha because she's pretty, but this is different."
"So you're saying my fur is nasty?" Nezu narrowed his eyes as I stopped pacing. "Of course not, your fur is always very clean and pristine. I'd say you're the cleanest person I've ever met." Nezu preened from the praise as I slumped into the chair beside him.
"I just don't know how to tell you without sounding crazy." I sighed, and he sipped his tea. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've seen a variety of very strange things during my years as U.A's Principal. So anything you tell me shouldn't be that surprising."
"What if I told you All For One is alive and making an army of Nomu, while grooming Nana Shimura's grandson so that once he is powerful enough, he can take over his body and live forever. And take back One For All."
Nezu stared at me with a mixture of shock and horror as I groaned. "See, I knew I'd sound crazy!" He didn't say or do anything for a good minute. I was starting to get worried until Nezu snapped out of it and frantically started typing on his computer as various shutters slammed shut and a strange frequency started to play.
"Now no one can hear this conversation. Tell me everything you know." Nezu said as I started talking. I told him about how AFO had been obsessively killing every user of OFA to try to take back his brother's quirk.
How All Might had failed to kill him years ago, and how Dr. Garaki had kept AFO alive and was using his knowledge to build him a new body in Tomura, as well as an army of Nomu to take over Japan in the coming year.
Then I turned to things more relevant. How there was a spy within class 1-A, and Tomura was planning to attack the summer training camp. How Stain had inspired dozens, if not hundreds, of mutant quirk users across the country to rise.
I told him about Dabi being the lost brother of Shoto, Touya Todoroki, who would do anything to bring his father down. I noted Nezu was particularly alarmed by the truth that Kurogiri was not only a High-Tier Nomu, but also Aizawa and Mic's long-dead friend.
What seemed to freak Nezu out the most was the fact that Destro's son, ReDestro, had taken control of Detnerat, the number supplier of hero equipment in the country, and was rebuilding the Meta Liberation Army in Deika City.
I could tell that little nugget of news disturbed Nezu the most as he tapped away at his computer for a while. He eventually realized I was there and lifted the lockdown. "Go, I have much to think about, and much to prepare for. Do not speak of this to anyone else. I will be in touch later."
That was a good two weeks after I-Island, and three weeks later, it was time for the Summer Training Camp.
Everyone had already packed their things and was loading them onto the bus. As class president, I was able to stow my stuff away first so that I could 'supervise' everyone else with Aizawa.
I could already tell Aizawa was on his A-game. Not only was he not inside his bright yellow sleeping bag, but he was also in his full costume. As we watched everyone pile their stuff in, Aizawa handed me a sleek phone that looked way too expensive.
"This is your new phone. Nezu moved everything from your old one onto this one. With what you know, we can't take any chances that the HPSC will sit around and play nice, so you use this and nothing else from now on."
I nodded as I took the phone and fiddled with it. Just like he'd said, it had everything from my old phone. Pictures, games, contacts, everything. I tried using my old phone, but nothing happened. I tried again, and it turned on, with a message from Nezu.
[You have three seconds to throw this phone as far as you can before it explodes.]
Without a second thought, I hurled it away, and just like he said, it blew to smithereens. A few people noticed what happened, but mostly everyone was worried about putting their things away and getting on the bus.
Eventually, we got everything situated, and we piled in since the Training Camp was quite far. As usual, Sasha and I shared a seat, but now we had a new friend. "I still can't believe they let you bring a cat." Mina pouted across from us as she stared at the bright orange furball in Sasha's lap.
'Can you get them to quiet down? I'm trying to sleep!' Puss' voice rang out in my mind as I grinned. "Yeah, he's recovering right now, so I can't let him out of my sight," I said to Mina as she glared at me before making a pouty face at Kirishima.
I ignored whatever was about to happen as the bus started moving, and I got a text.
[Aizawa] Make sure you keep this with you as much as possible. I've already alerted the other teachers who'll be with us, but you need to keep an eye out for the traitor.
[Micah] Will do. Puss is also going to be wandering around to see if he can hear anything.
[Aizawa] As long as he doesn't blow his cover, I don't care what he does.
I snorted at that. I'm sure Aizawa would have a lot to say if Puss drank all his coffee. I put my phone away and took Sasha's hand as I planned what I would do when the attack happened.
With my flames, I could obviously burn away the toxic mist that forms. Rasaka's Fang would make dealing with any Nomu that shows up much easier. Gaster Blaster would also be very useful, especially to keep Tomura and Moonfish at bay.
There was also that marble guy I had to be careful around. I really didn't want to find out if I could break out of that prison, but with the safety net I'd set up with Nezu at U.A, I should be fine as long as AFO doesn't show up personally.
I shoved all that aside as I enjoyed the rest of the bus ride. Sasha and Puss gave off plenty of warm body heat, so the three of us cuddled for the entire ride there. A few hours later, we were awoken by the lights turning back on as I dragged myself out of my seat to keep everyone organized.
We'd stopped at what looked to be a normal lookout over a forest, though I knew better. The only thing of note was the pair of restrooms that everyone was waiting in line for as others stretched their limbs.
"Are we there yet?" Sasha mumbled as Puss padded behind her. "Maybe, walk around for a bit and wake up. It looks like Aizawa wants to say something. Sure enough, once everyone had woken up and used the bathroom, Aizawa introduced a trio of people whom Sasha recognized.
"Everyone, say hi to your trainers for the summer camp. The-"
"Wild Wild Pussycats!" Sasha screamed with glee as the blonde woman shot forward. "My baby!" She cried as the brunette and the man? Looked on fondly. Aizawa ignored them as he gave the brunette the stage.
"Well, I'm sure you're all ready to get started with your training. Your first exercise is to reach the training camp." She said as Sasha finally separated from the blonde, who introduced herself as Pixie-Bob, with the brunette being Mandalay.
"When does the training start again?" Someone behind me asked as I felt the ground tremble beneath me. "Right now!" Pixie-Bob exclaimed as a chasm opened and swallowed us all. Just as we fell, I noticed Puss use the people closest to him as springboards to reach the top and escape.
We eventually landed in the forest at the base of the lookout we were just on. As we were getting our bearings, Mandalay's voice rang out in our heads. "Hello everyone, again. My quirk lets me connect to all of you and speak inside your heads. Your goal as of now is to reach the training camp within three hours. There are markings in the forest that will guide your way, but that's not all that's down there."
"MONSTER!" Mina and Toru shrieked as we turned to face the threat. It was a massive monster shaped like a lizard, maybe a crocodile? Regardless, we had to deal with it quickly as the ground rumbled from the stampede that was no doubt getting closer.
Being the closest, Bakugo was quick to blow the thing to smithereens as we got into formation. "Bakugo, Shoto, with me! We'll be the spear, Kirishima, Shoji, and Tokoyami bring up the rear. Ida and Ojiro take the flanks. Everyone else, don't fall behind!"
What followed was a full five hours of Nam flashbacks that would haunt me for years. Despite the very bright light provided by Bakugo's explosions and my fire, we didn't always see the earth monsters creeping in the three tops or in the bushes.
The ones we did see were also a problem, since they grew tougher the closer we got to the base camp. What started as something brittle that Bakugo or Izuku could take out solo became tanky beasts that required up to four people to take out.
It was very unfun, and made worse with Mina and Aoyama's constant shrieking whenever some horrifying new thing lunged from the shadows. Asui actually ended up taping their mouths shut with Momo's help after nearly slipping after they distracted her.
Everyone else pulled their weight; however, even Mina and Aoyama did once they calmed down enough to use their quirks. Sasha and Izuku turned out to be great wildcards as they constantly made sure no one was about to be ambushed, or responding before it could slow the group down.
Momo also kept us going with various gadgets she made, one of which was 'not' a flamethrower, something we used to burn through the larger beasts before breaking them apart.
Ochaco and Jiro ended up being the MVPs this time, though. Every time Ochaco tapped a monster, one of us was able to throw it into the air for easy destruction, or into another monster, taking out two at once.
Jiro was just as useful as she helped us avoid at least three ambushes from underground. Even Bakugo had given her a grunt of approval after she kept him from getting dragged underground with an early warning, which, from him, might as well be a love letter.
When we finally burst from the forest, the time limit had long passed, and it was past lunchtime. There waiting for us was Mandalay, Pixie-Bob, Aizawa, and a small child with a strange hat that had spikes on it.
"You didn't make it in time, no lunch for you," Aizawa said bluntly as everyone kept silent, too tired to complain for once as Mandalay took over.
"Although you didn't make it within the three-hour limit, you all still did very well. Those three hours are actually what would be expected of Pro-Heroes. So only going two hours over is better than most can say."
"Such strength and vitality." Pixie-Bob shivered in a way that concerned me as I nudged Sasha. "Is she ok?" "Yeah, she's just looking for a mate. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."
I didn't have to think too hard about what that meant since I could see the blonde eyeing a few of the guys in class. I was both thankful for Sasha's protection and mortified as to what Pixie-Bob might do, and what Sasha might do if she got me alone.
"Leave them alone." Mandalay hissed as she smacked Pixie-Bob, who ran off to do who knows what.
"Anyway, that was Pixie-Bob, the one making the earth monsters you've been fighting. Later on, you'll meet Tiger and Ragdoll, the other two members of our team. For now, take some time to unpack your things and wind down as we finish with dinner."
Puss chose that moment to come out of hiding when he heard the magic word, dinner.