Author's note; I know that canonically the written exam takes place after, but to me that's illogical.
Akira Grace POV, Exams (Age 14)
The written exam had been harder than anything I'd ever done, and I knew that I had barely passed it. The practical exam was my only hope at the hero program. While Present Mic explained the parameters, I looked at my student I.D. number and test center carefully. Hopefully, that white haired kid is somewhere else, but maybe I'll be in a testing center with that Kirishima kid, he seemed pretty nice. It helped that I wasn't the only person he'd helped up, it meant he did it to be helpful not because of my leg.
Finally, we're dismissed to go change and go to our training centers. I lag behind the others, as I don't have to change into anything else. With no school to represent, I don't have to change into uniform P.E. clothes, and instead, I opt for my street clothes for this. Making my way across the currently silent grounds, I stare down the gate for my practical exam. Other students around me begin filing up, and I hear some kid harping at others. He passes by me and snaps at me as well.
"DISGRACEFUL! Don't you know you're supposed to wear your school gym uniform? Here you are wearing unkempt street clothes, you dishonor U.A.'s reputation-" Bowing slightly, I smile at him, and brush the wavy red strands that fall into my face away.
"Um, my apologies. I- I'm homeschooled, and well... These are actually some of my best clothes." He gives a shocked look, and falls to his knees, bowing deeply to me.
"MY GREATEST APOLOGIES!" He springs up, "I hope you can forgive my rudeness and assumptions! Please, I am Tenya Iida, if there is anything I can do to make my grave mistake up to you please just let me know miss..." Shaking my head, I hold my hand out.
"Akira Grace, and it's uh- it's alright. I'm sure the apology will do." Nodding firmly he snaps to attention when we're told to begin- in a real battle, there are no countdowns. I wait patiently for the other students to pass through the gates, no need to get caught in the fray. As I enter I uncap my ink and pull it from the containers. It swirls around me in various patterns. Snapping out as I progress through the field calmly, destroying robots efficiently. I see some kid with greenish hair running around like a chicken with his head cut off, and I feel a little bad for him. That's no way to behave, no matter how panicked you are you have to keep it in during a dangerous situation.
When I make it to the area with the most action, I encounter some blond kid with an ego problem. It seems to mask something, but that's for later. For now, I keep destroying robots. That Tenya Iida kid nods in thanks to me when I disengage a robot that was approaching him from behind while he dealt with another bot. Suddenly, there's a huge crashing sound. The zero pointer rises up.
Kids start running away, but I lock my eyes on it. Taking in the scene, I see some brunette pinned under the rubble. Turning to call for someone to help me I see that green haired kid paralyzed in fear as others run past, but I suddenly see his eyes lock on the girl as well. He seems to rush into action. His legs look like the break from the amount of force he uses to jump, and out of worry for any debris, I send some ink overhead of the girl to block anything too dangerous and use some to push the concrete up enough that she wiggles out. The green haired kid shatters his hand on the bot, falling out of control. The brown haired girl is levitating on a stone, and I send out a cushion of ink at the same time she touches him. When she releases, he lands gently in the bed of ink. Recalling it all I rush over, as much as I can rush.
Kneeling down painfully, I check his vitals. I'd gotten my nursing license with my mother's help, but I'm sure Recovery Girl will be here soon. Nonetheless, I check for a neck injury, and pull out my penlight to check his pupils, and when he tries to insist he can keep going I hush him, telling him that he's just going to hurt himself more. I'm relieved when the exam ends and Recovery Girl heals him, she praises me for taking care of him in the meantime, and I mumble a short thanks. Everyone starts to file out, and the green haired kid doesn't even acknowledge me. Reaching for my crutch, I find that in the mayhem it once again has been knocked away from my area of reach. However, I see Tenya Iida still standing there. He picks it up and hands it to me. Unlike Kirishima, he doesn't offer me a hand, he simply allows me to get up myself.
"You... Stopped taking the exam to help those two, why would you do that? What's your motivation?" Blinking briefly I smile.
"I think that- that I got enough points to pass. I'd rather have helped people and fail, than pass and let others have suffered." He says nothing in return, and I make my exit.
That night, I brought home pizza from the discount pizzeria from my siblings. I also stopped and grabbed a bottle of their favorite soda for each of them. They were ecstatic, and when they asked why I wasn't eating with them I waved them off. When I tucked them in they demanded stories about the exams, and I regaled them with tales of the lightning-quick Iida, the levitating girl, and the boy who crushed a massive robot in one hit. They snuggled deep into the covers and fell asleep to dreams of heroes.
My father and mother both came home several hours later, and I let them know the leftover pizza was in the fridge before retiring to the living room floor with my siblings.
I honestly hadn't expected it, but when I got my acceptance letter I was shocked. I watched the holographic All Might with utmost focus.
"CONGRATULATIONS! Young Miss Akira Grace, you have passed! You have been accepted to U.A. High School for the Hero Course! While your written results could have done with improvement, passing by only 2 points, your practical results were top of the class! Watch these few clips we have for your before we go over them!"
The following clips showed Ochako pleading that some of her points should go to Deku and me, since she wasn't sure how well I'd done she wanted to make sure I'd pass too. Then it showed Iida giving me my crutch, and what I'd said to him. Cutting to him telling the teachers that if I didn't pass and he did- that he wanted me to take his place as it was clear to him that I'd be a more worthy hero than he. It cut through all of the scenes of me using my ink to help other students out when they stumbled or were about to take a hit, from Iida to people I hardly remember helping. Then again, when I get going my ink tends to act on instinct and just do what it knows I would want it to. It becomes almost like its own entity because of how deep the psychokinetic connection I have with it is and can become.
"It would seem that you are a model example of future hero! You scored reasonably well in villain points, and crushed the previous record for rescue points! With over double the amount of rescue points as the next highest student, you had 127 rescue points! With 21 villain points, you finished with a total of 148 points! Crushing the competition with the next highest score by almost double as well! We'll see you soon, hero hopeful!"
I was astounded, they were awarding rescue points? I imagine they didn't tell us because they wanted it to be natural, but still. I also couldn't believe that I'd done that well at all. Of course, I only passed the written exam by 2 points. I've always struggled with school work, mostly because I found reading difficult. Oh well, I'm sure the teachers will help me. Having real teachers for the first time is going to be exciting.
Akira POV, First Day of Schoo
I had worked a lot of extra hours to save up the money for a uniform and gym clothes, and my parents surprised me by giving me a set of each also. They wanted to take off the pressure of me doing laundry every night so they picked up extra shifts to save up themselves. While U.A. didn't charge tuition, we did have to pay for our own uniforms. I had known that of course, and now that I was starting school I had to promise my boss I'd take all of the Saturday and Sunday 16 hour shifts since I couldn't work weekdays any longer, and then she surprised me with a train pass. She was a nice woman, of course, I just hadn't thought she'd be so kind as to do that. Of course, she seemed proud of me too. Her own daughter had gone the hero track and lost her life and she feels like she could have done more, and I think sometimes she wishes she could do more for me too.
I had made it to U.A. extra early, and Principal Nezu appeared as I was looking for my locker.
"Ah, young Miss Akira Grace. Please, walk with me." Following him quietly I looked down at my shoes, they weren't new, second hand like everything else, I hoped this wasn't about that at all.
"Now, don't fret, do you mind if I call you just Akira? Right, then let's see. I wanted to talk to you about your written exam results, it seems to me that you may struggle to keep up with your peers if these scores are actually reflective of your intellect. Is there anything, in particular, you have trouble with?"
"I-um, I have trouble with words and numbers when they're on paper. If it's read to me, or I have lots of time, I do okay... But the uh, exam was timed so... yeah..."
"I see, I will let your teachers know this. One of the second or third-year students can read you your exams during their free period, it's a nice extra credit opportunity we've used in the past. I imagine your parents have always done this at home since you are homeschooled. Now, are there any special accommodations you would like with your leg in consideration? I hate to ask as I'm sure it seems we're trying to coddle you- but I assure you we want only your success. Knowing your home situation I would like to do as much as I can for you during school hours to lessen the burdens you face outside of these walls." Flushing I sigh. Principal Nezu had obviously been reported to by the representative from the school that had come to speak with me about my families obvious financial downfalls. I didn't see it as a problem, we were happy and that's all that mattered to me and my siblings.
"I uh, maybe would want to see if someone in the support course would want to design a more practical brace for me. The uniform company, they-they sent me a letter saying they wouldn't make my uniform because of it, but they'll sign off on whatever Mister Power Loader and his students come up with. I um, it's right here." I hand him the letter.
Nodding he leads me down a different hall, "I am displeased they did that, but you are in luck a young woman by the name Mei Hatsume came early as well. She's quite promising and I'm sure she'll be glad to help. Just give this letter to Power Loader, he'll take care of the rest. Now, if you need me you'll find me in my office. Have a wonderful first day of class, I have a few other students to bug as well." With that he walks off, leaving me in front of what I assume is the Hero Support Classroom. Knocking softly, the door is then opened to reveal Power Loader.
"You're not my student, are you lost?"
"No, uh, Principal Nezu said you and... Mei Hatsume may be able to help me. I'm Akira. H-here." I hand him the letter Principal Nezu had given back to me, and I see him give me a once over. Taking in the brace on my leg, and nodding for me to enter.
"Mei! Pay attention here, you're gonna get the opportunity to make a full costume already! Now, Miss Akira, what exactly is wrong with your leg?" Wincing I ignore the once over a very excited Mei Hatsume gives my leg, she's muttering something about 'babies'.
"Uh, when I was eight I was in a bus accident caused by some villains. It's um, it's complicated really. My bones and joints were damaged badly and my muscles and nerves were torn to shreds, so they don't communicate properly anymore and I have pretty poor feeling for anything other than pain." He nods and tells me to have a seat in the chair.
"I imagine you've worn this brace a long time then, it's practically from the stone age. Obviously, Mei are you okay helping with something for daily wear too? It's impractical for her to be wearing this and using a crutch too." Mei claps her hands excitedly.
"I'm all for making new babies! I can't wait, you're going to be a great first challenge for me and my babies Akira!" Nodding slowly I turn to Power Loader.
"Right... Um... How long do you think they'll take?" He thinks a bit and shakes his head.
"Two-three days. I have your costume design here, pretty straight forward. Stupid that the company wouldn't make it because you noted they would have to make sure it didn't compromise your brace. I'll make some modifications so that a brace system won't be a problem. That brace system will be what you wear on a daily basis. Both to help you out and to make changing into your hero costume more practical. Do you have any questions?" I shake my head.
"No sir, and thank you very much." I turn to Mei, "Thank you very much as well, I'm honored that my costume will be made by a teacher and a fellow student." Mei claps and begins pouring over details immediately, and Power Loader dismisses me. He says he send Mei to find me if they need anything before its done.