"961, you're up." A hand was in front of his face, and he took it. The strong grip lifted him onto his feet and deposited him none too gently. The owner of said hand stood out of his way, and 961 made his way down the hall.
He was short and scrawny, almost pathetic-looking, but the others in the hallway parted around him.
He didn't notice, too lost in his thoughts.
It took him maybe two minutes to reach his destination, a red door with writing on it. He pressed the little black button on the door, right where a knob would be.
A camera popped out, recording the bowed green hair and shrunk physique. It disappeared as quickly as it came, and the door swung inwards.
He walked in, and once the door was shut behind him it was like he was a different person.
He stopped hunching his shoulders and bowing his head, instead adopting a relaxed yet stiff gait and carry. He stared straight ahead, his hair no longer making his eyes unreadable.
He'd learned They didn't like it much.
As he walked down the hall, he counted steps. Once he'd reached 197, he turned to the left, where another red door stood, this one with a handle. He had passed a blue one not too long ago, but that one wasn't meant for him.
He grabbed the handle and opened the door, the outward swing forcing him to step with it. They were waiting for him, as one of Them gestured to a blue and red jumpsuit folded neatly on a cold metal table.
Deft hands worked on uncooperative buttons and zippers to reveal muscle and skin as he took off his tattered coat and button down shirt, then undershirt and pants. He stopped at his underwear, they never asked him to take that off for these tests, and grabbed the jumpsuit carelessly.
Unfolding it, he put on the one-piece easily.
Once he was done, he turned to the Them person from before, and She gave him a nod before gesturing to something else on the table.
He turned back around to see an elastic band on the table.
He turned back to Her and She gestured to Her hair, then his own.
"Does he not understand how to tie up his own hair?" he heard one of Them say to another, snickering.
He grabbed the band and considered it a second, before nodding in understanding.
They wanted him to keep his hair out of the way so it wouldn't interfere with Their tests.
He gathered his hair at the base of his neck, and looped the band around the gathered strands until he couldn't do any more.
He turned back to Her, and she tutted in disapproval. She set down Her clipboard, then walked over to him, turning him around with manicured hands covered with nylon disposable gloves. She took the band out, then gathered all of his hair and tied it higher.
"Keep doing it this high." She said.
He nodded.
She patted his shoulder, then grabbed Her clipboard again. "Start simulation, Project 961."
He nodded again, and moved to a green door in one corner of the room, silent as a ghost.
He walked through (it was already open), and closed it behind him. He faced the room, where a girl(?) was in a corner, her long dark green hair covering most of her body. Once she heard him, she stiffened, then turned towards him, her forest green eyes widened in fear.
She launched towards him, tongue extending to grab him. She was cut short by a collar and chain fastened to her neck, falling to the ground at the arc of her desperate leap.
"I'm sorry." he whispered.
He launched forwards, releasing a dark membrane from his body. The membrane ripped the side of the jumpsuit, and formed into a knife, and he stabbed her tongue with it, pinning both it and her down. She struggled, but that just cut the knife deeper. He made another knife from the same spot, then stabbed it just above her right knee.
He did the same to her left, then stabbed into each of her hands. Then, sitting on her stomach, he raised another knife up and slammed it into her left shoulder, then her right.
Her eyes widened as the first teardrops hit her cheek.
Even as he stabbed into her, even as he tortured her... he was crying?
"I'm sorry." he whispered again.
"You don't have to be, kero. Just finish me, so I can see my momma." She smiled. "My name's Asui Tsuyu, what's yours?"
Thunk.
The final blade went into her brain, right between her eyes.
"Izuku Midoriya." He wiped the tears from her face, as well as her blood. "Project 961."
He turned, and the door was open. Shakily, he got off of Tsuyu, and left, the blades melting away into nothing.