Anomaly: A Hero's Beginning
"Don't put your feet on the desk!"
Were the first words Shiki Kurobane heard as he opened the door to his new classroom.
A tall teen with short blue hair and glasses was arguing with the blond he sat next to at the entrance exams.
"Don't you think that's rude to the U.A upperclassmen and the people who made the desk?"
"Nope," the blond replied, making the other recoil. "What junior high did you go to, you side character?"
Shiki couldn't help but chuckle. That way of talking was filled with overconfidence.
"At least someone's got some personality," Shiki muttered.
"Oh, it's you Kurobane!"
"Shiki is fine, Uraraka," the teen replied as everybody stared at him.
"Good morning!"
The blue haired teen began to approach Shiki.
"I am from Somei Private Academy. My name is Tenya Iida-"
"That's cool," Shiki said as he walked past. "Shiki Kurobane, just call be either Shiki or Kuro. Nice to meet you."
Without a care in the world, Shiki slumped into the seat behind the blond and looked out the window.
"So, I guess our teachers the gremlin in the sleeping bag?" Shiki asked aloud, pointing at the door.
"It took eight seconds for you to quiet down. Time is limited. You kids are not rational enough."
Shiki rolled his eyes as the adult stepped into the classroom, holding a yellow sleeping bag.
A tall, pale-skinned man with messy shoulder-length hair that was strewn about, nearly covering his black eyes which were flat, Shiki recognized the man instantly in his ragged black outfit and signature scarf.
'Eraser Head, a pro hero whose quirk can erase other people's quirks.'
"I'm your homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa," the man said, his expression tired. "Nice to meet you."
Shiki tilted his head as Aizawa pulled out what appeared to be a gym outfit.
"It's kind of sudden, but put this on and go out onto the field."
'And here I was, getting nice and comfy in my seat,' Shiki complained internally. Letting out a groan of disappointment, the teen stood up with the rest of the class and made his way out.
U.A was already being more effort than he thought.
"A Quirk assessment test?!"
Shiki winced at the sudden outburst from the students.
"What about the entrance ceremony?" Uraraka asked. "The orientation?"
"If you're going to become a hero, you don't have time for such leisurely events,' Aizawa said. "U.A's selling point is how unrestricted its school traditions are. That's also how the teachers run their classes."
The teacher turned around to face them.
"You kids have been doing these since junior high too, right? Physical fitness tests where you weren't allowed to use your quirks."
Aizawa held up his phone to the class.
"The country still uses averages taken from results from students not using their Quirks," the teacher said. "It's not rational. Well, the Ministry of Education is procrastinating."
Aizawa turned to look at Shiki.
"Shiki, you finished at the top of the practical exam, right?"
Shiki's eyes narrowed.
"In junior high, what was your best results for the softball throw?"
"Seventy meters."
"Then try doing it with your Quirk."
Shiki shrugged and made his way towards the circle, taking a softball from Aizawa as he passed.
"You can do whatever you want as long as you stay in the circle. Hurry up. Give it your all."
Shiki rolled his shoulders as he held the ball his hand.
"Well, if I have to, then..."
Taking a pitching stance, Shiki exhaled as his fingers tightened. Using all of his physical strength, the teen threw the ball before smirking.
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSHHHHHHHH!
A might gust of wind pushed back the students as an intense crimson shockwave erupted outwards in a focused point. Instantaneously, the softball hurtled forwards at breakneck speeds, the shockwave ripping apart and slicing into the earth as Shiki straightened up, unfazed by his own display of strength.
Watching the ball travel, he glanced at Aizawa sensei who was staring at his phone intently.
'I only labeled Shockwave as my Quirk, so I can't use my telekinesis freely yet unlike during the entrance exam. I'll save it for emergencies from now on."
"Know your own maximum first. That is the most rational way to form the foundation of a hero."
Aizawa held up his phone, revealing the distance the softball had traveled.
[843.5m]
"Ehhhhh?"
"E-Eight hundred and forty-three meters? Seriously?"
"What's this? It looks fun!"
Shiki sighed.
"We can use our quirks as much as we want! As expected from the hero course!"
"'It looks fun, huh?"
Shiki walked back towards the students as their teacher spoke.
"You have three years to become a hero. Will you have an attitude like that the whole time?"
Aizawa smiled darkly.
"All right. Whoever comes in last place in all eight tests will be judged to have no potential and will be punished with expulsion."
"Huh?!"
"We're free to do what we want about the circumstances of our students," Aizawa said as he lifted his hair, revealing his flat eyes to be wide open. "Welcome to U.A's hero course!"
"Last place will be expelled?" Uraraka said in disbelief. "But it's the first day of school! No, even if it wasn't the first day of school, this is too unfair!"
"Natural disasters, big accidents and selfish villains," Eraser Head said. "Calamities whose time or place can't be predicted; Japan is covered with unfairness. Heroes are the ones who reverse those situations. If you wanted to go talk with your friends at Mickey D's after school, too bad. For the next three years, U.A will do all it can to give you one hardship after another. Go beyond. Plus Ultra."
Aizawa motioned at the students with his finger as he smiled again.
"Overcome it with all you've got," Aizawa finished.
Shiki watched as all the students fidgeted in place.
"All right, demonstration's over. Get ready."
[Test 1: 50-meter dash]
"On your mark..."
"Get set..."
"Go!"
Shiki watched as Lida burst forwards at breakneck speeds.
"3.04 seconds." The robot stated.
Shiki processed the information as all his classmates proceeded with the test.
After seeing Iida's Quirk, Uraraka's Quirk and some blond's stomach laser, it was finally his turn.
"On your mark..."
"Get set..."
"Go!"
Shiki burst forwards as he focused on the soles of his shoes and his hands behind his back. With controlled bursts, pulses of blue shockwaves shot him forwards at extreme speeds as he passed the fifty-meter line in time with his opponent.
"4.13 seconds."
[Test 2: Grip Strength]
Gripping the device as tight as he could, Shiki relaxed when it beeped.
"Five hundred and forty kilograms? What are you, a gorilla? Oh, an octopus?"
"Octopuses are sexy..."
Shiki glanced down at his number.
"Eighty-four isn't too bad, considering forty-four is the general grip strength for people my age. Should I try harder next time...?"
[Test 3: Standing Long Jump]
Shiki propelled himself across the pit with one shockwave.
[Test 4: Repeated Side Steps]
Shiki used his shockwaves to move faster.
[Test 5: Ball Throw]
"Infinity for the ball throw, huh? Uraraka's got a good quirk."
Shiki shook his head as Todoroki stood beside him.
"How come you aren't using your other Quirk?" He asked.
"I didn't list it down," Shiki replied quietly. "I have no intention of using Telekinesis unless it's an emergency."
"Shiki, you're up next."
Shrugging, the teen moved into the white circle again and stretched. Taking a step back, Shiki inhaled and exhaled before glaring at the ground in front of him.
Taking a step forwards, Shiki propelling his arm forwards with a small shockwave before a crimson shockwave blasted the ball off again, focused intensely into a more precise shot as the earth in front of him gained several ugly gashes from the pure destructive force. As the ball hurtled forwards, he sighed and turned around, walking back to the other students.
"Eight-hundred and night-four meters," Aizawa said. "Next, Todoroki."
Stretching, Shiki yawned again, only to stop midway as he caught a glimpse of somebody watching from beside the building. Eyes narrowing, Shiki went to react, only for a hand to land on his shoulder.
"I'm assuming you want something from me, Katsuki Bakugo?"
"I'm gonna kill you!"
Shiki deadpanned and removed Bakugo's hand from his shoulder.
"Do it," Shiki said as he walked off. "Would make my life a lot easier."
The whole class went silent as they watched Shiki slump off.
"That was depressing."
[Test 6: Sit Ups]
Shiki was silent despite Uraraka trying to get him to talk throughout the session.
[Test 7: Seated Toe-Touch]
Shiki helped Uraraka before he attempted himself.
[Test 8: Long Distance Run]
Shiki was at the front with the likes of Todoroki and Bakugo.
[Test End!]
Covered in a light amount of sweat, Shiki sighed as they gathered in front of Aizawa.
"Okay, I'll quickly tell you the results. The total is simply the marks you got from each test, and it's a waste of time explain verbally, so I'll show you the results all at once."
Scanning through the results projected, Shiki found himself in the top three with Bakugo and Todoroki.
"By the way, I was lying about the expulsion," Aizawa said, dispersing the projection "It was a rational deception to draw out the upper limits of your Quirks."
"HUUUHHHHHHHH!"
"Of course that was a lie," a girl said, a single bang reaching her collarbone with a spiky ponytail. "It should've been obvious if you just thought it through."
Shiki rubbed his temples as some of the students visibly relaxed.
"With that, we're done here," Aizawa said as he began to walk away. "There are handouts with the curriculum and such in the classroom, so when you get back, look over them."
Shiki watched as Aizawa walked around the corner and disappeared.
"Shiki, that was so cool! You looked so serious then you threw the ball and it went fwoosh!"
Shiki scratched the back of his head uncomfortably as Uraraka kept pumping her fist, saying 'fwoosh' over and over again.
"Say, Uraraka, is your Quirk to manipulate gravity or something?" Shiki asked. "Just out of curiosity."
"Mm!" Uraraka nodded. "My Quirk is Zero Gravity! Anything I touch I can make weightless, though if I go over capacity then I get nauseous."
"I see," Shiki muttered.
"How about you, Shiki? What's your quirk? I've never seen something as cool as that before!"
"My Quirk's Shockwave," Shiki replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I can create shockwaves from any part of my body and amplify the power and focus it if I wish to."
"How come you can make blue and red shockwaves then?" Uraraka asked.
"Depending on how powerful each shockwave is, the color changes," Shiki answered. "Weaker shockwaves are blue while powerful ones are generally red."
"Doesn't it tire you out or anything?"
Shiki nodded before another yawn ambushed him, making him glare angrily at the ground.
"Yeah, it does. Anyway, let's head back to class."
"Mm!"
Class Dismissed were the two most beautiful words Shiki had ever heard in a long time.
Walking by himself, the teen rubbed his eyes tiredly as students left the grounds to return home.
'I hope tomorrow isn't as tiring...'
. . .
. .
.
"Heeyy! No sleeping my class! Yahoo!"
Shiki growled as Present Mic continued to teach English, his voice pissing him off.
Then there was his salvation, lunch.
"White rice is a great comfort food, right?"
Urarak smiled contently.
"Yeah," she said blissfully.
Thud
"S-Shiki! Are you alright?"
Iida began to panic as Shiki fell asleep, his face buried in his plate of food.
Then, after lunch in the afternoon, was Hero Basic Training.
A yawn forced its way out of Shiki's mouth as he glared at the mountain of muscle in front of him.
"I am..."
Slide
"Coming through the door like a normal person!"
Shiki groaned at the sheer loudness from All Might's voice, but his eyes were filled with admiration as the class began to chatter.
Strolling to the front confidently, All Might placed his fists on his waist as he addressed the class.
"I teach Hero Basic Training," he said. "It is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. You'll take the most units of this subject. So, let's get right into it! This is what we'll do today-." Spinning around, All Might thrust out a card that read 'BATTLE'. "Combat Training!"
"Combat Training," the class murmured.
"And to go with that are these!"
All Might spun and pointed at the wall as it began to come out, holding multiple cases with large green numbers on them.
"Costumes made based on your Quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started."
"Uwah!"
"After you change, everyone gather in Ground Beta!"
"Yes, sir!"
"They say the clothes make the man, young men and ladies," All Might said. "Be aware from now on, that you are heroes!"
Shiki glanced at Todoroki's outfit and frowned before coming to a stop at the back.
"That's great, everyone. You all look cool!"
"Let's just start already," Shiki muttered.
"Now, shall we begin, you zygotes?"
"Yes, sir!"
As everyone chattered excitedly, Shiki glanced at his classmate's costumes before looking at his own.
Black combat pants that weren't tight or baggy with Kevlar lining within and matching boots that had a metal sole so his shockwaves could be more powerful from his feet. A tight, sleeveless black shirt with his arms adorned with two matching gauntlets made of leather but still allowed free movement and a light protective jacket over the top with a collar that reached his jaw. A simple choker was around his neck and a matching mask covered the bottom half of his face, kept loosely in place.
"Don't you think you went overboard with the black?" Todoroki asked.
"I'll add some silver accents when I get the chance," Shiki replied. "Besides, I'm not here for the fame, I'm here to graduate and save people. It doesn't matter if they know me or not."
Todoroki merely shook his head and sighed, though there was the slight sign of a smile on his face.
"Now, it's time for the combat training!
"Sir! This is a battle center from the entrance exam, so will we be conducting urban battles again?"
Shiki glanced at the voice and put voice and costume together.
'So, that's Iida then?'
"No, we're going to move ahead two steps!" All Might declared, holding up two fingers. "Most of the time, fighting villains takes place outside, but if you look at the total numbers, atrocious villains appear indoors at a higher rate."
"Imprisonment, house arrest, backroom deal," All Might listed. "In this society filled with heroes, truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows!"
"Now, for this class, you'll be split into villains and heroes and fight two on two indoor battles."
"Without basic training?" A girl in a striped green and yellow suit asked.
"This is a real battle to understand those basics!" All Might answered, clenching his fist. "However, the key this time is that there's no robot you can just beat up."
"How will wins and losses be determined?" The girl with the spiky ponytail asked.
"Can we beat them up anyway?" Bakugo asked in his usual menacing tone.
"Will the punishment be expulsion like with Mr Aizawa?" Uraraka asked.
"How shall we be split up?"
"Isn't this cape crazy?"
Shiki watched as All Might sweat dropped before answering.
"Hrn! I'll answer all your questions!"
Pulling out a small notebook, All Might began to look through it.
"Now, listen here. The situation is that the villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout. The heroes are trying to dispose of that. The heroes need to catch the villains or get the nuclear weapon back in the allotted time. The villains need to protect the nuclear weapon for the whole time or catch the heroes."
Shiki blinked as All Might suddenly held up a yellow box with 'Lots' on it.
"Teams and opponents will be determined by drawing lots!"
"They're being decided so haphazardly?" Iida exclaimed.
"Pros often team up on the fly with heroes from other agencies" Shiki spoke up. "Even if it wasn't All Might's intentions, its good practice for the future..."
'...is what you should be thinking. I'll become a hero, but before I save people, I have somebody to take care of..."
Iida realized and began muttering to himself.
"Please excuse my rudeness!" Iida said, bowing as he did.
"It's fine," All Might replied, spinning around as he pumped his fist into the sky. "Let's do this quickly!"
Everybody drew lots and stood in their teams, making small talk.
"Wow, it must be fate! I'm counting on you!"
Shiki rubbed his neck in discomfort as he looked away.
"Mm, yeah. Looking forward to working with you."
"The first teams to fight will be... these guys!"
Team A and Team D.
"Team A will be the heroes, and Team D will be the villains. Everyone else, head toward the monitor room."
"Yes, sir!'
Feeling an intense glare directed at him, Shiki looked back at Bakugo lazily unfazed before turning around to talk to Uraraka.
"Villain team, go in first and set up! In five minutes, the hero team will break in, and the battle will start!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Young Iida, Young Bakugo, learn to think from the perspective of the villains. This is pretty close to a real battle."
Shiki tuned out All Might's words and focused on his teammate in her full-body black suit with a pale pink design down the middle of her torso with two black circles on her chest and a black rectangle below her waist. Two pink patches are over her shoulders, both cut off by darker pink armbands, matching the thick choker around her neck. She also has circular wrist guards, wide knee-high boots and a belt around her waist. She also had a helmet with a tinted visor, also a pale pink.
"Is your suit supposed to be skintight?" Shiki asked.
Uraraka visibly deflated as she picked at her suit.
"It wasn't meant to be skintight, though I didn't mention that when I sent the costume request in," Uraraka said depressed. "A-Anyway, lets focus on the game plan."
Shiki nodded as he pulled out the building's floor plan.
"It's a lot of work to memorize the building's floor plan," Uraraka muttered. "But All Might is just the same as when he's on TV. Unlike Mr Aizawa, it looks like there's no punishment, so we can relax and think it through."
"I've got an idea already," Shiki said. "But I'd like to hear your thoughts on it first."
"Sure!"
"Alright, they'll probably position themselves on one of the higher floors," Shiki said, tapping his map. "We should use your quirk to float to the top floor. From there, I can shatter windows to enter through. If I find them, I'll jump in and distract. While that happens, you'll need to wait a bit before sneaking in where I came through. They'll probably suspect that you're sneaking through the actual building to the actual objective. Otherwise, we'll enter from the top and make our way down from there."
Shiki glanced at Uraraka, the girl frozen in place.
"You all good?" Shiki asked.
"You came up with that just now?"
Shiki tilted his head confused.
"Yeah?" He replied. "As a hero, you need to come up with plans quickly and be able to execute them. Besides, this is just a suggestion. I'm open to ideas if you have any."
"I was just gonna say we go through the door and check each floor as we go," Uraraka said weakly. "But I'm fine with your plan..."
Shiki gave Uraraka a small smile as he patted her on the shoulder.
"Relax, we're a team now. Besides, we still have some time to think."
"Yeah!"
