Ch 2 - Sounds Like An Exam I
"And to solve for x, we use the formula here to-"
Bam!
The door to the 3rd year's classroom slammed open by the base of Neon's crutch and she hobbled right over to the middle seat in the front row with her bubbles following behind her in a small cluster. She ignored the gasps from her classmates at the cast on her legs and the scratches and bruises that her black hoodie and jeans couldn't cover. She even ignored the blustering from the teacher behind her. To be honest she wasn't sure if it was her homeroom teacher talking or someone else. She didn't even know what class it was. She never really paid attention to who was really was doing the talking. It was all in the textbooks and she finished those a long time ago.
It didn't matter anyways because she wasn't here to take whatever class this was. There was something else she needed to learn.
"Iida-kun, I'm going to apply to the hero course at UA," Neon said, "And I'm not joking this time."
The room fell into a silence before everyone erupted into laughter while Tenya's eyes narrowed at her.
"Oy! Nishiyama! It's bad enough you come in 4 hours late and not even in uniform but to come in just to tease Iida like that-," the teacher behind started to say but then Neon snapped her fingers without looking back at him and his voice was drowned out by the sound bubble that appeared around his head, which made his natural, shiny spherical head shape stand out even more.
"Gah! So noisy!," Neon said as she stared right into the boy's eyes, "So...will you help me?"
"Nishiyama-san, using your Quirk is not allowed on school-" Tenya started to say but then the solemnity of Neon's expression gave him pause. The boy's frown intensified as he studied her quietly and stonily. The entire class waited for him to tear Neon a new one and lecture her into a comatose state the way they've seen him do thousands of times when she pulled one of her stunts but Neon knew better.
They had been in the same school and same class for almost their entire lives. She had never asked for his help before and he knew that. She would also not come into school like this and tell him this just because she felt like it. He knew that too.
- Flashback: Neon & Tenya at 8 years old -
"And then Nii-san ran out of the burning building just as it was about to collapsed carrying the last of the people left in there. He saved 5 people on his own!" Tenya shouted as he thrusted his hands up into the air while the group of fourth graders gathered around him clapped and cheered.
"Wow. Tenya-kun, that was great storytelling. What a wonderful presentation. It's clear your brother is an amazing hero. No wonder you are so proud of him," the teacher said, a young gentle woman who always managed to get any stains solely on her apron and nowhere else, "Now, then, class...What did you all think of his story?"
"Tenya-kun! Your brother is great! Ingenium for the win!" a little boy said.
"I love hero stories!" another girl said.
The teacher smiled warmly at the center of attention, who seemed to beam with pride at her words. Then the teacher looked down and put a gentle hand on the girl sitting at the back of the group with her headphones on while reading a book. It took a second for the girl to look up at her but when she finally did, the teacher moved her headphones away from her head. "You need to listen to your classmates presentation, Neon-chan. It's-"
"Don't call me Neon-chan!" Neon grumbled, "We're not close! It sounds weird coming from you!"
"Ah...Okay...Well then...Nishiyama-chan..." the teacher tried again, "It's rude not to pay attention especially when everyone listened to your story."
"Yeah but I told a new story that no one has ever heard before..." Neon said and then pointed at the boy in the center of the circle, "I've already heard that story. It was on the news just a couple days ago. Why I do need to hear it again?"
"Eh! So rude!" her classmates chided, "Ugh. Neon. She's so selfish. Sensei! Make her go sit in the time out chair."
Neon wrinkled her nose and covered her ears with her hands. "SO NOISY!" she screamed, "Gah! Why do we have to sit here and listen anyways to everyone speak? What is the point of this assignment?!"
"Nishiyama-chan! Please behave," the teacher protested as she started to move Neon's hands away from her ears.
"Nishiyama-san…"
Suddenly, Tenya was in front of Neon and looked at her patiently until she lowered her hands voluntarily. When she did, he jutted out his hands. "The point of this assignment was not to tell a new story. The point is for us to test our speaking skills in front of a big group of people...and for everyone listening...they need to think about the good and bad points of what they hear for their own improvement."
Everyone waited for Neon to throw another tantrum and to scream back at Tenya but that didn't happen. To everyone's shock, the girl casually placed her headphones at her feet, closed her book, and folded her hands over them to stare expectantly at the boy. "Oh! Got it! Do you want me to be honest then?"
"Yes, please," Tenya said.
"Well, I only heard the first part but I liked the...the...how to say this...the beat?...of how you spoke. It was nice and steady but...your sentences are long. REALLLLY long," Neon said as she stretched out her hands for indication, "It should be like a song. There should be a break every now and then...Sections. Lines..."
Tenya bowed his head. "Thank you for your opinion. I understand."
Neon smiled and gave a firm nod. "Happy to help."
Then she got to her feet. As she left to put the book back in it's space in the bookshelf, Tenya and the teacher caught each other's eye behind her back.
Tenya looked solemnly at the teacher. "Nishiyama-san gets mad when she has to do something without knowing why she has to do it."
"Oh...Now that you mention it…" the teacher said as she stared at the girl in a new light, "She does ask that question a lot in class...Thank you, Tenya-kun for pointing that out to me."
"Actually...Sensei...Could you please not call me Tenya-kun either?"
"Eh? NOT YOU, TOO?!"
-Present Day-
"Why?" Tenya finally asked, which surprised even the teacher into silence.
"Because you have a better understanding of the process and what they will be looking for-," Neon started to say but Tenya shook his head.
"No. I wasn't asking why you needed my help. If you're going to do this, you will definitely need my help," he said, without hesitation and with a swift chop of his hands, "I'm asking you why the sudden change of heart? Why do you want to be a hero? I've told you before to not make a mockery of the hero course. There are thousands of students who see this as their dream and if you are doing it merely out of the whim of a bored heiress, you would be trampling on their determination and dedication."
Snap!
Suddenly, a bubble appeared around Neon and Tenya, muting their voices so that the outside world couldn't hear.
"Okay. I'm going to totally level with you on this one. It's not that I want to be a hero...I really don't," Neon admitted, "But I have to. For Akia."
"Your sister?" Tenya asked and then he almost leapt out of his seat, "Did something happen to her again? Is that why you're in this state?!"
Neon nodded. "Ah. My father called your brother but another hero ended up stepping in and...It's a long story. The point is we both know Akia's Quirk...Right now she can only make tiny diamonds but it's only a matter of time before she gets the hang of it and that's gonna draw a lot of attention. My family is going to use as much money and power as they can do keep her Quirk unknown but there's a chance that word will get out...and then someone big and bad will want to get her. When that day comes, she's going to become an even bigger target and the guys coming after her are only going to get nastier. I don't want that for her. I want her to have a normal life. To be able to go outside instead of protected in the middle of nowhere...And I realized maybe I can do that if I become a hero."
"A hero's job is not just to protect one person," Tenya said sternly, "It is their duty to protect all citizens."
"Yes, I get that and I will take that on," Neon said, "One villain I put away is one less villain I'll have to worry about coming after Akia."
"But Nishiyama-san, being a hero-"
"Iida-kun...Please…," Neon said as she lowered her head, "I can't just stand by and do nothing...Last night was a close call and I watched Akia get taken right before my very eyes. I was too weak…This is the only way."
"...Fine."
Neon straightened up and she blinked at him. "So you'll help?!"
Tenya nodded. "Yes. What do you need to know?"
Snap!
The bubble popped and a genuine smile stretched across Neon's face. "Excellent! Let's begin with the exam process. What will they be testing on?"
"NISHIYAMA NEON! TAKE YOUR SEAT NOW!" the teacher thundered and Neon flinched at the loud noise. She stuck her finger in one of her ear as she turned to him.
"Ah, shit. Guess I popped your bubble too," Neon said, "My mistake."
"Y-Your mistake?!" the teacher blustered, "You mean you meant to keep that thing around me longer?!"
"Well, you have a tendency to drone on and on and on about nothing," Neon said, "I was just sparing the rest of the class."
"I am trying to teach!" the teacher shouted and Neon sighed and tilted her head so she could see the question behind him.
"X is 37. This formula is so basic. Whoever hasn't gotten it by not will never get it...So what's the point of talking about it any more?," she said flatly and then raised her hand, "There. Class dismissed."
Snap! Pop!
"Schooool's out / For the summer!"
The teacher's face went from red to purple. "PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE. NOW!"
-4 Months Later-
"'UA High School Hero Course...Exam Orientation'...Yep...This is it..."
Even though Neon was just reading out loud the signage outside the meeting room, Tenya couldn't help but notice that it had the same inflection as one would read a death sentence. Was this really the same girl who came to him a few months ago and said she was serious as hell about becoming a hero?
He jutted out his hands and gave her a stern look. "Nishiyama-san, if you're having second thoughts, I will not blame you-"
Thwack!
She swung out her hand and lightly backhanded his chest before pushing open one of the doors and waiting for him to enter first. "Shut up. I got to do this for Akia...and I won't waste all the help you and your family provided while I prepped for this either."
A corner of Tenya's lips turned upwards. This was as close to a verbal thank you he would ever get from Neon and he knew it.
Tenya gave a small nod of acknowledgement and then walked into the room.
It was a big tier-styled lecture room with a vast stage and screen at the front. There were over twenty rows of seats that faced the stage like a forum. They were quite early, due to Tenya's insistence, so there were only a handful of seats taken, most of them were near the back. This was why Neon was surprised that Tenya would forgo his usual seat choice of front and center and took a seat right in the middle of the middle row. She raised an eyebrow at him and he pointed at the stage.
"This way we'll be eye level and can see everything clearly and straight on," he said.
"Oh," was all Neon said as she took the seat next to him and leaned back in her chair to see how far it could go. Unfortunately, it wasn't very far so she lifted her feet and rested them on the desk so that she could get comfortable.
"Nishiyama-san! You should show some respect to-," Tenya started to protest but Neon already had her headphones on and her eyes closed while her thumb hovered over the "next" button on her phone screen.
It looked like she was sleeping but Tenya could tell by how her thumb was constantly tapping through her playlist that she was far from relaxed. In fact, she was preparing.
As more and more hero hopefuls entered the room, the noise level rose higher and higher and Neon's feet began to tap together and her brows furrowed. The more people, the faster her feet tapped until finally she had had enough. She swung her legs down and buried her head under her arms, mashing her headphones closer to her ears.
Tenya could hear her mutter "Don't use your Quirk here. Don't use your Quirk here. Don't use your Quirk here," over and over again under her sleeves and he felt a little proud that she was taking his suggestions to heart.
Finally the lights dimmed and a hush fell over the crowd. Tenya put a hand on Neon's shoulder and her head emerged from under her arms. It wasn't until someone came to the stage did Neon remove her headphones. The stage lights and screen flicked on and illuminated the presenter from all angles. A 3D rendering of the UA logo gleamed in gold on the screen while a skinny man with hair slicked straight back and up like a frozen blonde flame stood beneath the logo. He was clad almost entirely in leather and chains.
"For all you examinee listeners tuning in," he started to say and Neon's ears perked up, "Welcome to my show! Everybody say 'hey'!"
Nobody responded and for the first time since Neon had stepped into the room, it was absolutely silent. She raised an eyebrow.
I guess it takes more than just pretty words from the Voice Hero, Present Mic, to amp these people up…But to think that famous hero is an instructor at this school…They're really not messing around here.
"Well then, let me quickly present to you the rundown on the practical exam," Present Mic said with a touch less confidence as before, "Are you ready?!"
Still his question was met with silence and Neon was starting to feel bad for the guy. She moved her finger to her throat but then her hand was grabbed by Tenya. She looked to him and he shook his head.
"Right...Don't use my Quirk here..." she muttered.
"So cool! It's the Voice Hero, Present Mic! I listen to him every week on the radio. I can't believe I get to see him in person. I'm so moved! All the teachers at UA are pro heroes!"
"Shut up, Deku!"
Neon turned to look for the two noisy boys. She spotted a boy with curly dark green hair and freckles dotting his cheekbones and a sullen boy with spiky blonde, almost white, hair and a scowl that seemed permanently etched into his facial structure. Suddenly, Neon found herself being turned around and she looked to see that Tenya had grabbed her chair. When their eyes met, he motioned to keep her eyes forward.
"Pay attention, Nishiyama-san. This is important," he said under his breath.
"Right. Sorry," Neon replied back and settled back in her seat.
"As it says on the application requirements, you listeners will be conducting ten-minute mock urban battles after this!" Present Mic said as the screen changed into a map breakdown of the different battle areas, "You can bring whatever you want with you! After the presentation, you'll head to the specified battle center on your registration card. Got it?"
Both Tenya and Neon nodded to no one in particular. Tenya didn't have to look again at his registration card to remember that he was assigned to Battle Center B and Neon didn't have to look at hers to know that Tenya would know what Battle Center she'd be. In fact, she was sure that he had her registration card because she sure as hell didn't.
"In other words, they won't let you work with your friends?"
"Kacchan! You're right! Even though our examinee numbers are consecutive, we're assigned to different battle centers."
"Don't look or I'll kill you!"
"EH?!"
"Tch! Damn. Now I can't crush you."
Neon clenched her fists and brought them to her lap while Tenya kept a firm hold on her chair.
So noisy. I can't take it. So noisy. So noisy. All this chattering. Can't they see I'm trying to concentrate here. I'm trying to learn the rules. I'm trying to pass this damn exam so I can be a damn hero. I'm trying to- Oh! Crap! I'm not listening.
She blinked and refocused her mind on the presenter when suddenly Tenya shot out of his chair with a handout in his hand.
"Excuse me! May I ask you a question?" he demanded with his other hand holding firmly up in the air.
"Iida-kun?" Neon asked just as a spotlight beamed down on him.
"Okay. What's your question?" Present Mic asked.
"You said there were three different type of villains but on the printout, it clearly shows four types of villains. If this is a misprint, then U.A., the most prominent school in Japan, should be ashamed of that foolish mistake! We examinees are here in this place because we wish to be exemplary heroes! With that said, you-" Iida started to say and as he turned to point at someone in the back, he was interrupted by the girl sitting right next to him.
"Just wanting to add on to that!" Neon shouted as she slammed her hands down on the table to push herself up and glare towards the two chattering monkeys that were making so much noise, "You two! Shut up! If you're here to chit chat and fanboy on heroes and stuff, do it on your own damn time. You guys are too distracting!"
"Fanboy?! Did you just call me a fanboy?! Don't lump me with the likes of Deku! I'll kill you!" the boy with the spiky hair shouted as he stood up to glare at Neon more directly.
"Gah! Just shut up already! You're too loud!" Neon groaned as she clamped her hand over her own ears while the other boy with the curly hair slapped his hand over his mouth and hung his head.
"Okay! Okay! Examinee Number 7111, 7112, and 2233...All three of you take your seats," Present Mic said, "And I will answer Examine Number 7111's question. My! What high energy we have today!"
Neon scowled at the spiky hair boy for one more second before flopping back down on her seat.
"Nishiyama-san...I was going to say something about them talking. You didn't have to do it," Iida said but continued to stand.
Neon shrugged, "Meh. I figured my delivery would be better."
Tenya raised an eyebrow but he bit his tongue. Why rile her up even more?
"As Examinee Number 7111 pointed out, there is indeed a fourth villain but unlike the others, the fourth type is worth zero points. That one is considered an obstacle course," Present Mic explained, "There's one in every battle center...An obstacle that will go crazy in narrow spaces. It's not impossible to defeat but there's no reason to defeat it either. I recommend that you listeners try to avoid it!"
Tenya bowed to the hero. "Thank you very much for answering my question! Please excuse the interruption!"
"That is all I have to say," Present Mic finished, "Finally, I'll give you a present - our school's motto! The hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said, 'A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes'. Go beyond….PLUS ULTRA!"
"Did you get all that? Do you understand all the rules?" Tenya asked under his breath.
"There were rules?" Neon asked back.
Iida sighed and handed her two sheets of paper - her registration card and his copy of the printout. He had highlighted all the key points and added everything the presenter said in neat bullet points. Just read this while on your way to Battle Arena A."
"Oh, whew. I knew you had my card," Neon said as she took the sheet.
"You must read the printout!" Tenya insisted and Neon gave him a small salute.
"Yes, sir!"