The hot sun beat down on Izuku's back as he trudged along with his new classmates to the gym where they would be conducting their sudden assessment. He wore the U.A. gym uniform along with his classmates and was currently shaking in fear, already scared of what the results might be. I can't believe we already have to take an assessment! That's the prestigious U.A. for you. Will we have to use Quirks? I'm absolutely done for if we have to use our Quirks…

"Are you alright, Midoriya-san?" Kendo asked. Izuku nodded slowly, but his body was still trembling, and his eyes were wide with fright. "You looked pale back at the classroom as well."

"I-I'm just worried about w-what we'll have to do for our assessment…" Izuku replied softly.

"I know, right!?" Tsuburaba cut into their conversation, his hands behind his head and his face contorted into a pout. "I thought we'd be taking it easy for the first day. Or, well, half-day since today is Sunday. But still, we already have our first assignment!"

"It's better this way!" Tetsutetsu countered, grinning sharply in excitement. "Getting straight to the point is my style after all!"

"I do wonder what the assessment will be testing us for?" Honenuki wondered, also joining the conversation. "We've already proved our worth with official recommendations and the entrance exam. What's the point in doing another one?"

"Alright, everyone!" Vlad King yelled, ceasing all conversations. "We're here at one of our many training facilities and my personal playground: Battlefield Delta!"

Class 1-B stood outside a gated area with barbed wire walls surrounding it. The gate itself had the signature U.A. symbol. Vlad King unlocked the gate and the class followed him into the empty and open field.

"Uh, Vlad-sensei?" Tokage was brave enough to speak up. "...there's nothing here."

"And that's the beauty of technology," Vlad King answered cryptically before fishing out a remote-like device from his pack. He pressed a button and the ground started to shake violently. Alarms blared as a sign of caution. "All right everyone, step back behind me!"

"W-What's happening?!"

"An earthquake?!"

The ground split open into two as an unknown structure started to rise up from the ground. Vlad King smirked at the gaping expressions of the students.

What is this? Izuku wondered as he tried to stabilize his feet against the rumbling surface. He looked at the structure and his eyes widened in recognition.

"If you couldn't already tell, this will be your assessment!" Vlad King swept his hand over to all of them. "The Delta Obstacle Course! Commissioned and designed by yours truly!"

Class 1-B looked on in awe. Tetsutetsu, in particular, had sparkles in his eyes. Vlad King just laughed at their reactions.

"I will be timing each of you," Vlad King explained. "There are four lanes so four students will go at a time. There are also many different sections that will test different abilities."

A hand shot up immediately. "Yes, Honenuki?"

"Will we be allowed to use our Quirks for this, Vlad-sensei?" Honenuki asked. Izuku crossed his fingers behind his back, his face sweating profusely. But it was to no avail.

"Of course you will!" Vlad King answered immediately. "In fact, it will be a requirement. All of you must show at least one creative application of your Quirk in this obstacle course. There are no rules other than you have to stay in your lane. How you deal with the obstacles is up to you."

"Seriously!? We're allowed to use our Quirks!?"

"That's the hero course alright! Awesome!"

"Man, this will be fun!"

A commotion immediately erupted among the class. Izuku crouched down in despair.

No...nonononononono! He clutched his hair in frustration. Kendo looked down at him in worry. This has got to be the worst situation for me! I can only use my Quirk once and then I'll be absolutely useless for the rest of the obstacles! What do I do?!

"Fun...huh?" Izuku stopped whatever he was thinking and looked towards Vlad King. He had his back facing the class. "You think...that using your Quirks as you please...will be fun?"

A heavy presence settled over the area. Izuku wheezed and found that it was hard to even breathe. W-What is this pressure?! I can't even stand back up…

Out of the corner of Izuku's sight, he saw that a few of his classmates fell to their knees like him. Only Kamakiri seemed unphased, though there was a lot of sweat falling down his face.

Vlad King turned around to face them. His whole demeanor changed. His face can only be described as murderous.

"Line up," he said simply, a complete contrast to his previous self. His tone was frigid cold. Everyone scrambled into a line in front of him, standing side by side. Izuku managed to crawl to the very end of the line before Vlad King started pacing across from them.

"So…" he drawled in his icy tone. "When the burning building comes down on top of the civilians…"

He glared at all of them. His footsteps felt ten times louder than they actually were.

"When the villain has hostages held at knife or gunpoint…"

He stopped at the end and stared at Izuku. Izuku himself stared back at Vlad King's eyes unwillingly. He was shaking really badly, and he couldn't turn his head to look away no matter what. Vlad King's gaze demanded absolute obedience. It was like he could pierce into Izuku's soul with just one look. S-Scary!

"When the civilians look at you with tearful eyes in so much pain... when they are depending on your proficiency over your Quirks to save them…"

Vlad King walked back until he was in front of all of them and glared.

"The mindset you will have for those situations...will be that 'it's fun'?"

As quick as it came, the heavy presence disappeared. The class took one collective gasp for air. Izuku clutched his chest as he breathed in the sweet gift of nature.

"Right," Vlad King said, nodding, as if he was reassuring himself. His tone was more subdued now. He started searching through his pack. "I didn't think I would need this, but all of you need to be taught the stakes of being in this position. As a hero, I mean."

He pulled out a red sash. The words "DUNCE" were written on both sides of the sash in white. Three empty boxes were below the capitalized word. "U.A. is commended for its freestyle approach to teaching. Each teacher has their own approach to teaching their students. Mine has this."

He held out the sash to them so that they could get a closer look. Judging by the word on the sash, Izuku already had a good idea what it was for.

"This is what I call the Probation Sash! To put it simply, whoever has performed what I judge to be unproficient will wear this! In this case, whoever has the longest time on the obstacle course. You might not think that's so bad, but here's the catch. You see these boxes here? Each time you wear this sash, one box will be checked off. Once all three boxes are checked...then you will be expelled."

"Expelled?!" the class shouted in perfect unifying disbelief.

"Yes," Vlad King reaffirmed. "Your checks will be carried over so don't think you will get expelled only if you get the sash three times in a row. It raises the stakes even higher!"

~Class~1-B's~Dekiru~

Probation Sash?!

All Might was hiding out behind the bathrooms that were near the chain-linked fence and entrance of Battlefield Delta. He was in his "buff form". He was currently looking at his successor, who was shaking in fright at the moment. Looks like Vlad King is a strict teacher after all. I know it will be hard, young man, but you must persevere! U.A. will not hold your hand at all. But I've seen your tenacity during the ten months of hell, and I know you can do this!

"Hi, All Might."

"Gah!" All Might almost reverted back into his base form in surprise. He looked down to see Nezu staring up at him expectantly, his paws behind his back. "What are you doing here, Nezu?"

"Searching for you," Nezu answered cheerfully. He looked through the fence and saw Class 1-B. "I knew you would be here. You didn't have to lie about it, Toshinori-san."

"S-Sorry. I only wanted to know how well Young Midoriya will do on his assessment."

"Not to worry. I know you're curious about how Midoriya Izuku is coming along," Nezu said easily, waving off All Might's concern. "You only ever saw him use his Quirk during the entrance exam. You'll need more information in order to teach him better, though we all know how that's going to go."

"Please help me, Nezu," All Might pleaded, clapping his hands together. He looked distraught. "One For All came so naturally and easy for me, the complete opposite for Young Midoriya. It's hard coming up with a lesson plan when we are both opposite sides of the same coin."

"Of course. All of us teachers have vowed to support you, Toshinori. That also extends for your secret protege. But-" Nezu raised a paw up before All Might can speak. "You will have to be his main teacher. No exceptions. I know your teaching skills are questionable at best-" At that, All Might hung his head in shame. "-but it is you that holds One For All and Midoriya's complete admiration in the end. You're still the best person for the job."

All Might nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you, Nezu."

"Teaching is a big responsibility," Nezu continued. "It will be a good experience for you. I have a feeling you and Midoriya will teach and learn many lessons together and to each other."

They lapsed in a comfortable silence that only two good friends can experience together.

"Will you be heading back now?" All Might asked after a moment. Nezu shook his head.

"Oh no. I do believe I am quite interested in how Class 1-B conquers their first hurdle, so I'll stick around for a bit. I may be a principal that is shackled with many responsibilities, but I will always be a teacher in my heart! And besides…" Nezu gripped All Might's suit. A dark and demonic aura started to swirl around him, and he smiled sadistically. "Someone has to make sure you go back to your paperwork, you know?"

All Might laughed awkwardly and turned back to watch his successor, his body trembling ever so slightly. He will never let me live that down…

~Class~1-B's~Dekiru~

The class chattered on this new development. Izuku just buried his head in his hands. The situation just became ten times worse!

"Now that that's out of the way, let me explain what you will be facing in this assessment."

Vlad King walked over to the entrance of the course. "Here we have a straight track field. It does exactly what it says so you better get those legs running! Those who have an early start will have more time to deal with the later hurdles!"

He walked over to a very tall, cement wall. It had footholds, but they were sparser and more spaced out than a usual rock-climbing wall. Probably so that others will have to use their Quirks to get to them.

"Here we have our first true obstacle! This wall is completely steep in a 90-degree angle! Though there are some footholds, some are way too far apart for your hand or legs to reach! This will be the first trial where some of your Quirks will come in handy."

He walked over to what appeared to be a low-hanging barbed wire. "This second obstacle will have you crawl under barbed wire! Better be careful or you'll get cut!"

He went over to a pit that was filled with mud. "Unless you don't want to get all dirty then you can use the hanging bars instead." He gestured over to the bars that were hanging over the mud pit. It was very high up with no ladder to get to them and the bars were spaced far apart. Again, for Quirk usage, Izuku theorized. "You'll need to be creative in order to get to those bars in the first place!"

He walked over to the cement blocks and gave a simple explanation. "These cement blocks will be in your lane. Deal with them accordingly. And finally…my favorite obstacle of them all…"

"The Pit of Despair!"

The class saw a huge pit about 50 feet wide before them. It wasn't a deep drop and had mats on the bottom to soften the drop. There was even a stuffed teddy bear in the corner. Everyone sweatdropped. What's so despairing about this?!

"There's a special condition to the Pit of Despair," Vlad King said, raising his finger up. "Anyone who is able to cross this pit without touching the mats below will get 20 seconds removed from your original time!"

At that, Class 1-B perked up. That was almost a godsend, especially to those whose Quirks were perfect for long-distance travel. Izuku looked at the pit, already calculating his chances.

"Now then, warm up everybody!" Vlad King ordered. "You'll have five minutes before we start. Use this time to warm up your body, warm up your Quirk, strategize, whichever helps you. Five minutes start now!"

I've got to think about when to use One For All, Izuku thought to himself. He did some of the stretches that All Might taught him during the ten months of hell. He wanted to do his best, even if he believed his best wouldn't be enough. He remembered the meeting he had with All Might before classes started today. Though the older man tried to give him an inkling of how to control One For All, Izuku was still left clueless. He clenched his fist, his face contorted in concentration. I'm imagining an egg in the microwave...but I just can't put it to practice! The pain from using such a power has put an unconscious fear in me to use it. I can't just overcome it in an instant! This kind of stuff should take time! I should-

"Are you alright, Midoriya-san?" Kendo asked for what was probably the third time today. Izuku snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her. She smiled gently at him. "It's just that, you look really constipated. And your muttering is kind of getting louder and louder by the second…"

I said all of that out loud?! Izuku's face burned in embarrassment. He laughed awkwardly to calm himself down, but it wasn't working.

"Yeah, dude, why so nervous?" Tsuburaba asked. He was smiling as if he had no care in the world, though that notion was immediately blown away by his nervous shaking. "People will think you are a pushover if you keep acting like this."

"As if you're one to talk!" Tokage came over to them with a teasing grin. "You looked like you were ready to piss yourself when Vlad-sensei stared at you. At least Midoriya had the balls to stare directly into his eyes!"

"I'm just saying, with his nervous muttering, he seems like a pushover!"

"So, you're the one that made that distasteful comment during his introduction," Kendo said, frowning a bit. "I'll have you know that Midoriya-san actually destroyed the Zero-Pointer back in the entrance exam so he's more than qualified to be here."

"What?!" Tetsutetsu zoomed to where the group was. "Seriously?! Are we talking about Battle Center B here? That was you, Midoriya?!"

"Zero-Pointer? What are you guys talking about?" Tokage asked, clueless. Honenuki also came over, interested in the entrance exam as well.

"We had to destroy a bunch of robots with point values assigned to them," Kendo explained. "There was this huge robot that towered over all the buildings that the examiners called the Zero-Pointer, which I'm sure you can guess how many points that was worth. Midoriya-san obliterated it in one punch, though he did get badly injured because of it."

"That's metal!" Tetsutetsu said in awe.

"In one punch too…" Tsuburaba muttered. "Damn, Midoriya. Sorry for calling you a pushover. Remind me to not get on your bad side. If you can do that, then what are you so worried about?"

"I-It's f-fine, Tsuburaba-san! A-And the Z-Zero-Pointer isn't a big d-deal anyway," Midoriya reassured, flailing his arms about. More people were crowding around him because of the commotion and his stage fright was acting up. "I-I-I'm j-just w-worried w-when I s-s-should use my Q-Q-Quirk i-is all."

"Hm? Isn't your Quirk super strength? It's like the perfect Quirk for this course! Or any other situation!" Monoma said. "Speaking of Quirks, I'd like to ask you all a favor…"

"M-Monoma-san?"

"Well you all already know about my Quirk, so I just wanted to know if I can copy some," Monoma said, rubbing the back of his head. "Midoriya-san, your super strength would be perfect. The power to destroy the Zero-Pointer itself...will you allow me to copy it?"

"W-Well...That's...U-Um…" Izuku stuttered, trying to find a way to refuse without sending the wrong intention. Monoma's smile soon became a frown, however. "It's n-not like I d-don't want you to copy i-it but…"

"Save it," Monoma cut him off with a cold tone. "You don't have to say anymore. I don't want to deal with your type."

Izuku froze. My type? What does he mean?

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Kendo asked, defending him and voicing out his thoughts at the same time.

"I just don't want to deal with people who think they're better simply because they have better Quirks," Monoma said simply. "He may be a stuttering mess, but I won't let that fool me."

"Now, now, let's not fight…" Honenuki said placatingly, trying to diffuse the situation. It didn't work as Kendo and Monoma had an intense stand-off.

Izuku trembled as he was caught in-between the two daunting glares. Don't just stand there, Izuku. Do something!

Izuku opened his mouth, but Tsuburaba already beat him to the punch. "Have my Quirk dude. It's no problem for me."

"Thank you, Tsuburaba-san," Monoma said, smiling at him. "It's good to know that some people are willing to share." Izuku flinched at the obvious jab at him.

"Doesn't Midoriya have the right idea though?" Tokage said, adding her own two cents in. "Vlad-sensei literally made this a competition for us. Whoever gets last place gets the Probation Sash. Helping out your opponent increases your chances of getting it."

"Well, if that is your attitude…" Monoma raised up his hand with a cocky grin. His index finger split in two, floating in the air in front of him. Tokage looked shocked.

"How did you-?! When did you-?!" She looked all around her body before looking back at Monoma, giving him an unimpressed look. "Dude...not cool."

"Hey, you're the one who gave me that speech about survival of the fittest." Monoma turned his back on them and walked away. He turned back to give Izuku one last glare. "But I wish you luck all the same."

D-Did I just make another enemy? Izuku slumped down, a shadow of despair falling over him. I just can't catch a break today, can't I?

"Don't mind him, Midoriya-san," Kendo said. Izuku looked to her and saw that her hands were clenched. "He talks big about people acting better than him, but he pulls that stunt with Tokage-san. Besides-" She smiled at him, making him look away in embarrassment. "-I'm sure you had a good reason for not allowing him to copy your Quirk."

TWEEEEEEET!

They all looked over at Vlad King, who had a whistle in his hands. "TIME'S UP! The first four who will attempt the course will be Kamakiri, Tsunotori, Bondo, and Shiozaki!"

"Guess you better back up your words back in the classroom, huh?" Tetsutetsu said to Kamakiri. Kamakiri just glared at him harshly, making Tetsutetsu step back in surprise.

"Quit talking shit," Kamakiri growled. "I'm not here to make friends or play around. Vlad-sensei was right. None of you have what it takes to be in the hero course. As for backing up my words...I'll let my actions speak for itself this time."

"You're already talking like that?" Kendo said, approaching him. "I keep on telling you should be nicer to other people."

"I can tolerate you," Kamakiri said, his tone softer. He shoved his hands in his pocket and looked away. "You at least know the true meaning of battle. The others wouldn't even be able to survive a single day of being a hero."

Kamakiri walked over to his lane. Kendo rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "He's still just the same as ever, huh?"

Izuku looked on their interaction in wonder. They must know each other from before.

"What's his problem?" Tetsutetsu asked Kendo.

"He's just another arrogant fool," Monoma scoffed. Kamakiri crouched in his lane. "He's all just talk, I'm sure."

"START!"

Kamakiri exploded across the track field, leaving everyone else in the dust.

Everyone's jaw dropped. Tsuburaba accurately voiced everyone's thoughts. "W-What the fuck?!"

Kamakiri reached the wall first. He grew blades on his palm and dug them into the wall, scaling it while completely disregarding the footholds. He was already through the barbed wire by the time the other three were on top of the wall.

"Guess he wasn't just talking smack after all," Tokage muttered, scratching her chin. Kamakiri already cleared the mud pit by elongating his blades and curving them to hook on to the bars. He climbed over the stacked cement blocks easily enough and reached the Pit of Despair.

"At least there's no way that he can cross that with his Quirk...right?" Needless to say, they were wrong.

Kamakiri grew small blades on both of his feet and flipped himself down. He then ran on the wall to the end of the pit, digging his blades in for more traction. He flipped himself over the edge and dusted himself off.

"With the 20 second reduction, Kamakiri's time is 40.03 seconds!"

"EHHHHHHH!?"

"40 seconds?!"

"Already the bar has been set so high…"

Monoma didn't say anything, but his shock was evident, even when he tried to hide it. Kamakiri walked past him. He had a bloodthirsty grin on his face. "Now do you see the difference between us?"

Izuku was writing in his notebook rapidly, noting all the creative uses of Kamakiri's Quirk while making speculations of his own. Kamakiri-san has such fine control over his Quirk! He's definitely just like Kacchan.

Izuku shivered when he made the comparison. I think I should stay away from him given how my interactions with Kacchan tend to go…

"The mud is icky…" Tsunotori said in disgust, trying to shake the mud from her legs. She and Bondo tried to reach the bars but ended up having to wade through the pit instead. Shiozaki used her vines to get across.

"I'm sure we'll be allowed to use the showers afterward," Honenuki reassured her. "You all should get your scores now."

Once the other three got their scores. Vlad King blew his whistle again, catching everyone's attention. He looked over to Kamakiri, who was standing by lonesome near the chain-linked fence. "Now you all see that?! That's what I'm talking about with creative Quirk application! I expect all of you to do the same! Now, the next participants will be Monoma, Kendo, Yanagi, and Kodai."

"Guess it's my turn then. Wish me luck," Monoma said teasingly, walking over to his lane. Vlad King yelled "START!" and they ran across the field.

"Man, this pisses me off," Tokage said, annoyed, as she watched Monoma separate his body parts to get over the barbed wire. Though, watching him use her Quirk gave her a few new ideas for the obstacle course. "Well, he's cunning. If anything, I gotta respect him for that."

Izuku was writing more notes. Kodai-san just shrunk those cement blocks while Yanagi looked like she was struggling to float them away. And Kendo-san is amazing with her Quirk...

Kendo was doing very well. She had used her Quirk to expand her hands so that she can reach the footholds of the wall and the bars over the mud pit easy enough. The only obstacle she seemed to struggle with was the barbed wire, but she still was ahead of everyone else. At the Pit of Despair, she just jumped in casually.

"I know my limits and there was no way that I can get across that," She said modestly as she received her respectable score of 110.46 seconds. She frowned when Monoma came after and, using Tsuburaba's Quirk, made air platforms that allowed him to get across the pit and get a score of 103.63 seconds.

"Alright! The next four will be Tokage, Tsuburaba, Shoda, and Tetsutetsu!"

There wasn't anything that was particularly interesting in this run to Izuku. Tsuburaba and Tokage ended using their Quirks the same way Monoma did. He cringed as Shoda jumped in the air and then looked as if he got punched in the stomach. He soared over the mud pit and slammed onto the ground, wheezing all the while the others passed him.

"Oohhh…did he just use his Quirk on himself?"

"That's dedication…"

Even with that, Shoda still got the current worst score of 135.89 seconds. Then came the part he was dreading the most: his turn.

"You can do it, Midoriya-san," Kendo said, patting his shoulder. Izuku tried to smile at her, but it ended up looking wobbly.

I only have one shot at using One For All. Izuku lined up at his lane and crouched down. The best place to use it would be at the end at the Pit of Despair. But even with the 20-second reduction, will it be enough? Egg in the microwave...imagine the egg in the microwave!

"START!"

At that, Midoriya ran across the track as fast as he can, hoping that he would get his chance to prove himself.

~Class~1-B's~Dekiru~

"Midoriya isn't doing too well, is he?" Tsuburaba said after a moment. It was true. With each obstacle, Midoriya was stumbling and making simple mistakes. By the time he was on top of the wall, the other three had already left him behind to complete the mud pit. "Are you sure he was the one that destroyed the Zero-Pointer?"

"If this is the best he can do, then I sincerely doubt it," Monoma said. "Look at him. He's so arrogant that he thinks he doesn't even need to use his Quirk. Look where that got him."

"Come on, he's not like that! And he did destroy the Zero-Pointer! I saw it myself!" Itsuka said, frowning as she saw him drop down and clumsily go through the barbed wires. Itsuka knew that Midoriya could do better, but his nervous personality combined with his apparent nonexistent self-confidence was holding him back.

This wasn't the Midoriya she had seen back at the entrance exam. She remembered vividly how he had pushed against her. At first, she thought he was crazy for going towards the Zero-Pointer. Until she saw the girl trapped under the rubble.

Itsuka had seen Midoriya's expression while he was struggling through the crowd. She hadn't seen so much determination in someone's eyes before, despite his scared expression. Itsuka was scared too until the more rational part of her mind calmed her down.

There's no way U.A. will allow anything to happen to her, Itsuka thought during the time. So, she was surprised when Midoriya actually broke free of the crowd and continued running. Her surprise turned to shock when he had jumped and obliterated the Zero-Pointer in one punch. Her shock turned to shame when she didn't act when he did. She remembered thinking that he must've gotten a lot of villain points with that kind of firepower.

Itsuka also recalled being in despair after she got home since she only got 25 Villain Points, which was way below the cut-off for acceptance. She had actually been focused on helping people during the exam rather than getting any points because of her "big sister" instinct, as it was named back in her middle school. She thought she failed until she got her acceptance letter and learned the existence of Rescue Points, which let her place fifth on the exam.

Then, much to her surprise, Itsuka had found the same green-haired boy from the exam standing outside of U.A.'s entrance. Where she expected a confident young student, he was actually a shy and stuttering mess. It had been such a contrast to what she was expecting that she had been caught off guard. She immediately engaged him in conversation and tried to make the atmosphere between them comfortable, which Midoriya seemed to appreciate.

Then they introduced themselves and that was when Itsuka realized. Midoriya Izuku. The person who had placed sixth after her. The person who had solely got by with only 60 Rescue Points and nothing else.

The Rescue Points were only revealed during the acceptance. That meant that Midoriya had essentially thrown his whole exam to just save people.

If that wasn't heroic, then Itsuka was sure that they were all secretly training to be villains.

But now…

Just what kind of life did you live to make you this nervous, Midoriya-san? Itsuka wondered, watching Midoriya fall face first in the mud. He crawled out of the pit to the cement blocks, where he currently tried to scale them to no avail. And why aren't you using your Quirk?

~Class~1-B's~Dekiru~

Oh god, this is bad! This is really bad!

The other three had already finished the course while he just arrived at the Pit of Despair. He looked down at the mats, out of breath and sweating. His whole body was caked in mud, but he ignored that fact for now. He knew he took longer than most to get through the course to this point. Dammit, I can't waste any more time! I have to use One For All here!

He crouched down and felt the familiar rush of power go through his legs. A slight bout of fear went through him when he realized how much pain he would be in afterward, but he pushed it aside. "SMAA-"

Before Izuku can release his power, he felt his legs get tied up. He yelped in surprise, One For All dissipating from his legs, and was dragged through the ground. He was then hanging upside in front of Vlad King.

"Midoriya," Vlad King growled. Izuku let out a little "eep!" in fright. "You were just about to use your Quirk, weren't you?"

At Izuku's fearful nod, Vlad King continued. "I saw your entrance exam and how you destroyed the Zero-Pointer. You got so injured that you couldn't continue after that, is that right? So, if you're using that power now at the very end, that must mean that power injures you every time you use it."

H-He figured it out!

"So, each time you use your Quirk, you end up being useless." Vlad King said. Izuku flinched at being called useless. Vlad King's tone turned frigid like before. "Are you just going to hold down everyone here when you become useless? Aizawa and I don't see eye-to-eye on a few things, but if there is one thing we both hate with a passion, it's useless people. With this kind of power and how you're using it, you can never become a hero."

Izuku froze. He was near tears at this point. I'm...hearing those words...again…

"I'm sorry son, but without a Quirk, you can't become a hero."

"Useless Deku! Your Quirkless self can never be a hero like me!"

"You Midoriya?! You're applying to U.A?! HAHAHA!"

"You have one more chance," Vlad King said, setting Izuku down. "Go back to the start of the course. I paused your time during our conversation, but I'm not resetting it. If you use your powers and become incapacitated again, then I'll just do you a favor and give you the boot to expulsion."

"Expulsion straight off the bat?!"

"Midoriya-san…" Kendo said in worry.

Izuku just nodded solemnly, his hair shadowing his face. He walked off to the start of the lane. Kendo tried to talk to him, but the voice of his own thoughts drowned out the other voices. I have to start all over. My time won't be reset so I'll most likely be in last place and get the Probation Sash. But I have to use my Quirk once without incapacitating myself or else I'll be expelled instead. What should I do?!

Izuku found himself back in his lane and crouched once more. Vlad King is right. If I just use my power like I am right now, I'll just end up being a burden to everyone.

At Vlad King's "START!" Izuku just jogged half-heartedly.

Am I really cut out to be a hero? When so many people told me I couldn't? Maybe I should give up...

Suddenly, a bunch of memories assaulted his mind at once.

"You, young man, can be a hero!"

"That curly-green-haired boy? You know him? He saved my life!"

"I'm so proud of you, Izuku...you look so cool right now, you know?"

"If it means anything to you, I think you're already a hero!"

Izuku started picking up his pace.

No...No NO NO! I won't let it end here!

He broke out into a sprint.

There are people that do believe in me! All Might...the nice girl...Mom...even Kendo-san…

He ran as hard as he can. He could feel his shoes digging into the dirt with each step.

I'm not the useless Deku anymore! I'm Midoriya Izuku!

He jumped into a crouching position when he was a few feet away from the wall. He could feel One For All rushing through his legs. Whatever fear he had before was completely washed away by his newfound determination.

"And I'll save people with a smile! Just like All Might!"

The front soles of his red shoes burst open, revealing that his toes were glowing with red veins of power.

"SMAAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHHHHH!"

And then he jumped.

~Class~1-B's~Dekiru~

Itsuka smiled. She saw it. That determination that was in his eyes back in the entrance exam had returned full force here.

"SMAAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHHHHH!"

KERWHOOSH!

"Holy-" Tokage said in awe, stepping back. The sudden gust of wind ruffled her hair.

"-shit," Tsuburaba finished, his jaw dropped. Everyone looked on in amazement as Midoriya flailed in the air, screaming his head off. Monoma looked positively flabbergasted. Even Kamakiri's eyes were wide.

They weren't focused on what Midoriya was screaming about. They didn't focus on the fact that his landing was probably going to be painful. No, they focused on the fact that Midoriya literally jumped over the whole obstacle course.

"I told you," Kendo said smugly. I knew you could do it, Midoriya-san.

~Class~1-B's~Dekiru~

"HOLY CRAP! AAAAHHHHH!"

Izuku screamed as he flew over the barbed wires, a good distance between him and the ground. He looked back and saw his broken toes flapping in the wind. I flooded all my power to my toes at the last second. It still hurts like hell...but not as much like back in the entrance exam!

He passed the mud pit and cement blocks. He started falling and saw that he would go straight into the Pit of Despair. I don't have enough air to pass the pit! I need to brace myself!

Izuku curled himself into a ball as he slammed into the mats. He cried out in pain as his toes were impacted too. Once he stopped rolling, he slowly picked himself up, minding his injury. Vlad King stood at the edge of the pit, looking down at Izuku expectantly.

"Vlad-sensei!" Izuku didn't know where he got his confidence from, but he was going to use it before it disappeared on him. Izuku wriggled his toes, which screamed in protest, and gave Vlad King a determined grin. "I can still move!"

Vlad King's face scrunched up. Izuku looked up at him in worry as he doubled over, his body shaking.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Everyone looked on, dumbfounded, as Vlad King spilled his guts all over the floor. He was still laughing when he went down into the pit and picked Izuku up, much to his surprise and fear. He carried Izuku out of the pit and gently set him down, minding his toes.

"Now that-" he ruffled Izuku's hair. Izuku did not know what to feel right now. "-is how you prove me wrong! Well done kid! You sure made me look like a fool!"

Izuku blushed under the praise. He walked back to the group where he was promptly assaulted by everyone.

"What the heck man?! Where were you hiding all this power!?"

"Why didn't you use your Quirk like that the first time?"

"SO METAL!"

"Guys! Give him some space!" Kendo shouted. She crouched down and inspected his toes. "Are your feet alright? Should we go to the infirmary?"

"I-I'm fine for now. Thanks f-for worrying," Izuku said, smiling at her shakily. Before he could say anything else, he was interrupted by Vlad-sensei.

"Alright! LINE UP!" At the authoritative tone, the whole class lined up like before. "Now then, I'll have to say that this was a job well done!" Everyone blinked owlishly at the praise. "Don't look at me like that! You all passed the requirements, even if some needed a bit more prodding than others-" Izuku ducked his head at that, embarrassed. "-but that still deserves some commendation for all of you. But I also did say that the worst one here would be getting the Probation Sash…"

That's right… Izuku thought before his eyes widened. Wait! Vlad-sensei didn't give my time! Don't tell me…

"Midoriya. Will you step up here?" Izuku felt dread building up in his stomach. He hated being right sometimes.

Izuku stepped in front of Vlad-sensei, his hands clenched, and his teeth gritted together. Dammit! I knew this would happen since I didn't clear the Pit of Despair. But to hear it now just makes it worse!

"Your time was 159.63 seconds." Izuku trembled in place. His eyes were closed to keep the tears from falling. Even with the 20-second reduction, he wouldn't have made it. He felt the sash go over his shoulder and clasp at his waist. "I'm not a man who goes back on his word, but I won't give you a check because you learned your lesson the second time around. But remember. Villains in the real world don't give you second chances. If this was a real situation, you would already be dead. Don't view this sash as a failure, but as motivation to better yourself. And…"

Vlad King paused and scratched his cheeks awkwardly. "And I also wanted to apologize. I tend to say some very harsh things when I'm in the moment. I said all that to get you motivated, but even I realize I went too far. Disregard my previous statement. You can become a hero, Midoriya."

Izuku opened his eyes and let his tears flow. "Thank you, Vlad-sensei! I'll make sure I'm worthy of that declaration!"

Vlad King nodded awkwardly. "All right. Class is officially dismissed! Go take a shower, change, then leave! Classes officially start tomorrow! Midoriya, go to Recovery Girl to heal your toes. And…" He fished out a slip and quickly wrote his signature on it. "Normally we would do this later, but I'll give you special permission to go to the Support Course to fix your shoes. It's best if you go early in the morning tomorrow."

Izuku looked down at his blown-out shoes and chuckled awkwardly. He took the note gratefully. "Yes, Vlad-sensei!"

Vlad King turned around and walked towards the gate. Kendo looked to him again. "Do you need some help getting to the infirmary?"

"Y-Yes please," Kendo wrapped Izuku's arm around her, making him go red in the process. He then limp-walked to the infirmary, using Kendo as support.

~Class~1-B's~Dekiru~

"That successor of mine almost gave me a heart attack! But then he went and pulled a stunt like that! Since when did you become so cool, Young Midoriya!?"

"I'll admit, we have a good bunch this year," Nezu said with a smile. "How wonderful! I can't wait to see how they will grow as heroes!"

They saw Vlad King walking over to where they watched the class. All Might raised his hand in greeting. "Vlad King!"

Vlad King looked over and noticed the duo. He changed directions and walked over to them. "All Might sir. I didn't have a chance to say it during your orientation, but you were an inspiration for my squad back when I was in the army. It's an honor working with you and I hope you can rely on me for anything you need."

"Don't be so formal! We're all equals here in this profession," All Might said, laughing. "Though I must say, don't you think you were a bit too harsh with Young Midoriya?"

"On the contrary," Nezu said. "That was the softest I've ever seen you, Kan-san. And you even complimented the class! That isn't your usual style."

"I...decided to change some of my teaching methods," Vlad King responded, grimacing. Nezu nodded sympathetically.

"You're still bothered about last year, huh? Sorry to remind you." Vlad King shook his head.

"No. If anything, I should be the one thanking you for this second chance. I won't fail you or this class...not this time…"

All Might scratched his head in confusion. It was obvious that he was out-of-the-loop for whatever happened between them and it seemed like a personal matter so he wouldn't pry. He trusted Nezu had everything under control.

"Well don't let us keep you! Have a nice day!" Nezu waved his paw in goodbye. Vlad King nodded and bowed to them both before taking his leave. "Don't you worry, Toshinori-san. Midoriya is in good hands."

"It brings me relief to hear you say that," All Might said. He felt Nezu grip his hand and he was unceremoniously pulled back to the main building.

"Let's go now, Toshinori-san," Nezu said cheerfully, the dark aura coming back. "We wouldn't want to be swamped in paperwork now, would we?"

All Might had tears flowing from his eyes. Curse his most hated nemesis that laid on his desk!

~Class~1-B's~Dekiru~

"Owww…" Izuku rubbed the bump that was growing on his head. Recovery Girl was angry with Izuku for coming into her office for the second time since the entrance exam so he had an intimate experience with her cane. Afterward, he took a shower and changed into his U.A. uniform before leaving. He yawned and his eyelids drooped, already feeling the effects of Recovery Girl's Quirk. Thank god it's all over…

He remembered that everyone constantly asked him questions back on the walk to the main building. Izuku never thought he would be the center of attention like that ever. It felt nice to him, having everyone praise him instead of bully him like before.

"Midoriya-san!" Izuku blinked and looked back to see Kendo running towards him. "I'm glad I caught up to you! Why didn't you wait for me?"

"H-Huh?" Izuku blinked at the prospect that an actual girl waited for him. He immediately bowed his head, red-faced. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know that you were waiting!"

"It's fine," Kendo said, accepting his apology easily. She looked down towards his busted shoes. "How are your toes?"

"It's good." Izuku wriggled his bandaged toes through the holes in his shoes. He yawned once more. "I-I'm just so tired from today..."

"Yeah, it really was crazy," Kendo agreed. She let out a huge sigh and slumped her shoulders. "I can't believe Vlad King would just single you out like that! That was seriously unfair to you. But then you blew us all away by going over the whole course in one jump! You're seriously amazing, you know that?"

"T-Thanks," Izuku said, flustered from the praise. They walked together afterward. Izuku and Kendo just talked casually about whatever was on their mind. Honestly, Izuku enjoyed it a lot. Is this...what having friends feel like? She's my friend, right?

"Oi, Midoriya-san!"

Again? Izuku turned back. His eyes widened in shock. M-Monoma-san?!

Sure enough, Monoma ran all the way until he was in front of Izuku. He gasped for breath and had his hands on his knees. Kendo immediately stood in front of Izuku defensively. Monoma noticed this and raised his hands placatingly.

"Whoa chill! I'm not here to start any beef!" Monoma said quickly. "Rather, I want to make some amends."

"Amends?" Kendo relaxed her stance. Izuku stepped towards Monoma.

"W-What did you need, Monoma-san?" Izuku asked. Monoma held out a yellow bag. Izuku's eyes widened when he recognized that it was his.

"For starters, you forgot your backpack. I was waiting in the classroom for you until I saw you leaving from the window," He said. Izuku took it and gave him a grateful look. Monoma then scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "And...I wanted to apologize. For letting my prejudice get to me. We all heard Vlad-sensei talking about how your Quirk works. You didn't want me to copy your Quirk because you knew I would get hurt using it, right? For that, I apologize for misjudging you."

"N-No worries, M-Monoma-san!" Izuku said, waving his arms around frantically. Though he was secretly pleased that he didn't make another enemy like he thought. "I-I should apologize f-for not c-clearing up t-the misunderstanding e-earlier!"

"So, no hard feelings?" Monoma asked, holding out his hand. Izuku shook his head and took his hand shakily. They did a brief handshake. "You don't need to worry about me using your Quirk. No offense, but I kinda like my arms too much. Though your Quirk really is weird. What kind of power hurts someone that much after one use?"

"I-It's complicated," Izuku said, a bit of sweat falling down from his face. I can't tell him about One For All! I'm going to have to refine my backstory a bit more.

"Well I'm glad that's cleared up," Kendo said, all smiles now. "Why did you jump to conclusions so fast?"

"Let's just say that not everyone liked my Quirk," Monoma grumbled. Izuku tilted his head in concern and he waved him off. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine now."

"Can you still apologize to Tokage-san?" Kendo asked. "You weren't really nice to her either."

"Seriously? She was the one who wanted to hold me back," Monoma defended himself. He and Kendo had another stand-off, though it was lighter than the one before. Monoma caved first. "Fine, fine. I'll do it tomorrow."

"Great!" Kendo clapped her hands together. "Would you like to walk to the station with us?"

Monoma thought about it for a bit. "Eh? Why not?"

And so, the three went to the station. Izuku pawed at the Probation Sash. Despite the day's hardships, Izuku thought it wasn't so bad. He had secured his place in Class 1-B and proved to himself that he could stand amongst his peers, even with a destructive power. And he even made some new friends! Probably…

All in all, Izuku finally felt like he was taking his first true steps into becoming a hero.

~Class~1-B's~Dekiru~

Disappointment.

That was all Togaru felt while he was riding the train. His hands were on his sides, clenched tightly.

Disappointment. At his class. At the morons that he will have to spend the next three years with.

None of them understand the spirit of battle. I thought it would be different. Instead, it's just like middle school all over again!

An image of Kendo appeared in his head and his hands slackened. She isn't so bad. She understands. Vlad-sensei too, now that I think about it. That's the only silver lining here.

Another image appeared in his mind. Of the person who had caught everyone's attention and whose run in the course was the highlight of the whole assessment.

Midoriya…

Togaru didn't understand him. How such a nervous pushover like him could still find a way to beat the odds into his favor. The teacher effectively cornered him on all sides. Despite the situation, he still managed to win, in a way.

And his eyes...in that moment…

They were like Kendo's. Or his Mom's. Or his.

Or even like his father's.

Togaru entered his house after he left the station. His mother was in the kitchen, but she heard the door open.

"Toga! You're back! How did school go? You find any interesting people?"

Togaru adjusted his backpack and went up to his room. He looked at a family photo where his mom and dad were together with a younger version of him. He stared at his dad in particular. His expression was murderous. "No. Nobody at all."


Holy shit! This chapter is longer than the first! I didn't even mean to make this long! My hands just kept typing and typing with inspiration and ideas! I'll just say as a warning that chapters usually aren't this long. For some reason, it turned out this way, not that I'm complaining. Alright then, let's get to what I wanted to discuss with you all on this chapter.

About my previous "yes and no" answer about changing canon. This chapter is what I mean by that. You got the Quirk assessment, which is the familiar thing that all audiences know and are comfortable with. Only this time I changed it to an obstacle course, which I feel is new and interesting enough for people to want to read it. I know some people don't like reading stories where literally only one thing has changed and that change doesn't really change anything in canon. In short, a rewrite of the actual manga or anime. So that's why I'm trying my best to create the butterfly effect that I promised you that will change how the story goes, but in a believable sense. Now on to the other thing I want to address.

Some people might disagree with how I made One For All work. They may say that the physics in this chapter doesn't work or make sense. And I know that some have actually done some calculations on how One For All should. So here is what I'll say to you. ANIME LOGIC LOLZ

In all seriousness, I'll make sure that Izuku won't get overpowered or anything here. He will struggle just like in the manga and anime. Though you might see a few new moves or styles...I'll just let you think on that.

The reception! I did not expect to receive such a positive reception! As of right now, this story has 710 views. 59 favorites. And 94 followers. All in a week! That is actually mind-blowing to me guys. And the reviews. I'm getting constructive criticism! Thank you so much for that. For those who are on the more critical side, don't be afraid to leave a bad review! I'll take any constructive criticism. This story's purpose is also for me to get better at writing so I'm learning as I write these chapters you know? Now to address some of the review's concerns.

I'm surprised at the amount of comments on if there are going to be romance in the story. I'll just give you a simple answer and say that it will actually be very likely, but that's going to be in the far off future. Izuku's just an awkward boy after all in his teens and I did emphasize that I will be focusing on his social problems as well as his heroic ones. I want to get a realistic progression on both of those since I know the big mistake people make is that they usually rush them. I want avoid that so it will take its time. As for who gets paired with who...well we just have to wait and see. Let me address one specific review I want to answer.

For you fencer29, if you even read this actually. You expressed concern over Vlad King's character. Well I hope this chapter gives hints on his true personality. After all, Class 1-B doesn't have many appearances so this gives me a bit of leeway for their personalities and personal motivations. I did base his thing off of a stereotypical military instructor but of course I will expand upon that. After all, who says that only the students should get character development?

That's all I have for now. Let me know your thoughts, concerns, anything really. If you see any mistakes, PM me or review, I'll be fine with either. I appreciate any constructive criticism you give me so I'll be excited. Thank you again for reading and I'll see you next chapter!