AN: Hi! So sorry for forgetting to post here on Monday! It's been a crazy week with exams and final projects. Thanks for bearing with me if you're still around; don't forget to drop me a review or comment!

Chapter Eleven: Assessment

—Tamashini—

The training room smelled of cleaning products and musty air conditioning. Kaida pulled away the stray strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail, wiping away the sweat on her forehead. She sat upright, and rolled off of the weight bench. "Okay, your turn."

Kaiketsu lifted a bushy eyebrow. "You know, I don't really see how weightlifting is the most effective thing for you, in terms of an exercise regimen."

"I'm tired of just sparring," Kaida flapped her hand. "And I'm always worried that one of these days my blades will end up hurting you."

"Well, you haven't even dented my steel yet. And that stuff is good for me to hone the forging part of my Quirk. I don't get burned as often now, have you noticed?" He said, with a badly-suppressed hint of pride. Kaida laughed.

"Of course. You've been improving in huge strides with your Quirk control lately. And I think you've pretty significantly bulked up since the start of the school year, especially after your internship." She poked Kaiketsu's bicep with one finger.

"Uh," his cheeks reddened a bit, and he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess so. Although Uraraka made so much more progress while we were with Gunhead — I didn't expect so much athleticism from such a small girl."

"What do you mean? I'm 'small,' but plenty athletic," Kaida frowned, pouting.

"Yeah," Kaiketsu chuckled, his jaw squeaking. Kaida punched his shoulder. "Ow."

"Don't 'ow' so patronizingly!" She protested, curling her hand into a fist again.

"Okay, okay!" He lifted his hands in defeat and sat himself down on the weight bench. "Let's finish up here, I want to make sure that we make it back in time to clean up before dinner."

With a sigh, Kaida stood at the head of the bench, bending slightly so she could look down at Kaiketsu. Her ponytail fell over her shoulder, and he blew a puff of air to get it away from his face. "You suck at spotting."

"I could ditch you," Kaida offered. "Shut up and lift, you dork." She loaded another fifty kilograms onto either side of the barbel. Muttering something indistinguishable under his breath, Kaiketsu grunted, and hoisted the bar up.

"So," he said, between lifts, "how did your written exam go?"

"We haven't gotten our grades back yet," Kaida replied. "Aizawa is a bit of an apathetic grader; he takes his time. But I'm not concerned. I studied a lot with my dorm-mates, and the exam itself was almost menial with that preparation. What about you?"

"Eh, good enough to be allowed to go to the summer camp. I can almost guarantee that I'll pull better results on the practical, though."

The time had gone by in what seemed like less and less time each week, after moving into the dorms. Days blurred together in the soothing rhythm of everyday life, and slipping into a new routine had been much easier than she'd expected. Before Kaida knew it, the semester was coming to an end, and exam season had landed with the arrival of summer.

Despite her friends and classmates' concerns for her well-being and emotional state, Kaida was doing surprisingly well. By day, she made a point to spend time out in the common areas, and frequented the training facilities with Kaiketsu. And by night, Shoto would sneak in and out of her dorm room, to chase away the nightmares and keep her company through the sleepless midnight hours.

Kaida felt a warmth in her chest as she thought of Shoto. He'd changed a lot from the cold, stoic boy she met on the first day of school, and Kaida knew that she had played an important role in that change. She could see it in his eyes when he looked up at her across the lunch table, or from the shadows cast by the silvered moonlight that streamed in through her windows at night. There was a soft kindness in his eyes that wasn't there before, a layer behind his typically stoic exterior that unravelled only for her. After she'd gone with him one weekend to meet his mother, Kaida saw that the soft, loving look was undeniably something he'd inherited from Rei — but it reflected in both of his eyes, grey and blue.

'Loving?' Kaida blinked, pausing in her thoughts. How… presumptuous of me, to entertain such a thought. She felt her cheeks redden slightly.

"There's no need to trivialize either of your feelings, simply on the basis of your unfamiliarity with this kind of love."

...Elysium, are you seriously giving me relationship advice?

She heard the dragon's amused, rumbling laughter in her mind, and realised that she was being teased . Mocked, even.

"I do savor the joy of watching the troubled minds of youth. Believe me, child; your ancestors all went through the same sort of—"

I don't want to hear about my ancestors' adolescent misadventures, thank you very much. Kaida grimaced.

"Hellooooooo," a hand waved in front of her face, and she started. Kaiketsu had gotten up, and was standing in front of her. "Knockin on the dragon's door here; earth to Kaida?"

"Ah, sorry, were you saying something?" Kaida shook herself, chasing Elysium to the back of her mind.

"You has this weird face and then you started blushing, and then totally zoned out and got that weird dragon-y look in your eyes," Kaiketsu frowned. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yes, everything's fine," Kaida smiled, a bit embarrassed. "You're finished here, then? Shall we go get ready for dinner?"

Kaiketsu gave her an unconvinced stare, his orange eyes squinting. He opened his mouth to say something, but then clicked it shut loudly.

"Sure. Let's go; I'm getting hungry anyway."

—Midoriya—

Izuku shuffled his feet nervously, his red sneakers squeaking on the tiled floor. Todoroki's eyebrow twitched.

"...Midoriya. Please stop fidgeting."

"Uh, sorry," Izuku crossed his ankles under his seat, ducking his head. "I'm antsy, is all. Why do you think they called the three of us back to the station? We already got chewed out right after Hosu for doing stuff without legal hero status, and it's the middle of exam week, so it seems kind of a strange time to ask us to come out to a meeting on such an impromptu basis." He twiddled his toes in his shoes.

"Whatever it is, we're about to find out," Todoroki tipped his head towards the window of the meeting-room, where four men and one small figure were making their way towards the door. He frowned at the sight of his father amongst them.

When the door opened, Izuku also saw Aizawa and Nezu, who were accompanied by a dreary-looking man with beige hair and tired eyes, wearing an unkempt suit. The fourth man was tall, middle-aged, and dressed in the local police uniform.

The boys stood politely as the adults entered the room, but Nezu waved his paw at them casually. "Good afternoon, young men! There's no need for such formalities. Please, take a seat." Izuku saw Shoto exchange a look with Endeavor, and the boy did not take his eyes off of his father even as they all sat back down.

Principal Nezu was all smiles. "Eraser, would you like to get us started?"

"Eh?" Aizawa twitched slightly, as if he'd been half-asleep. "I don't have much to say, though. You two did well on the written portion of your exams – good job. Don't mess up the practical."

...Surely we weren't called here just to discuss exam scores? Izuku puzzled.

"Well, that's not the main point, though," the principal laughed, patting Aizawa's elbow. Nezu twinged his whiskers. "But the offer that is to be made today is contingent on a passing overall grade for the semester. Here: please take these, if you would!" Hopping up onto a chair so that he could reach across the table, Nezu handed a manilla envelope to each of the boys.

The room filled with the sound of ripping paper as they opened their envelopes. Izuku peered inside, and slid out a single sheet of laminated paper. At the top, it read:

CERTIFICATE OF RECOMMENDATION: IZUKU MIDORIYA

Before Izuku could start reading the several blocks of fine print below the header, Nezu was continuing,

"With these, you will be entitled to take the Provisional Hero License exam, even as first-years. I have procured for you the three necessary signatures: one from a hero-course teacher, a pro-hero, and a valid representative of the community who can vouch for your acts of service." He pointed a paw at Aizawa, Endeavor, and the stranger in the police uniform, each in turn.

The latter bowed his head. "We have not met in person before, but my name is Naomasa Tsukauchi. I am the head detective in the Hero Killer case – and I am aware that Stain's capture is as a result of your actions."

"Hold on a minute..." Izuku furrowed his brow. "I thought that we were in trouble for acting in the Hosu incident while not under the supervision of a pro hero… what changed?"

"As far as I see it," Endeavor grunted, his moustache flickering, "you were merely aiding my son in combat, when you all happened to get mixed up together. And he had my permission to engage the Nomu monsters; what happened with Stain was an unexpected side-quest , but one that you both handled admirably."

But that isn't entirely true... Izuku thought to himself. Todoroki-kun was the one lending his help to Iida and I, not the other way around…

Noting the boys' tension, Tsukauchi spoke up again. "Additionally, the interrogations on Stain himself have been completed. While I cannot disclose the full findings to you as of yet; it is clear that we live in a society where there are far greater evils at work than villains who commit petty crimes. The villain All for One is still at large – but there is evidence that points towards the possibility that he serves an even greater evil, the same evil that Stain worshipped so fervently that it led him to such madness."

The chaos dragon, Erebus. Izuku frowned. He remembered Gran Torino's retelling of All for One's history. But not everything he told me is publicly-known knowledge.

"With the large-scale attacks just this year, these abnormal times call for abnormal measures." Endeavor said solemnly. "In this case, the world needs more heroes. As society's current number-one hero… it was my suggestion that we start grooming the forerunners of each batch of budding heroes, especially from our country's premier institutions, to act on their own judgment."

"And legally, " the principal concluded, "that requires a hero license. Following the results of the practical exam, we will look into allowing other students to take the provisional exam as well, but only if they will be similarly backed by a pro hero and another community member. This will be very much determined by the results of their internships, I imagine."

"I have a request." All eyes turned to Todoroki as the he spoke up, his words filling the silence left at the end of the adults' speech. "Perhaps I'm not in a place to be making such demands… but I think the opportunity ought to be made available to more students rather than an elite few." He met his father's eyes boldly. Sitting to Todoroki's right-hand side, Izuku could see the glint of cold steel in the one grey eye, offering a challenge. "If you truly mean what you said about the world needing more heroes, can you really afford to be denying the opportunity to individuals on a single-recommendation basis?"

Endeavor matched his son's countenance, but nodded in acknowledgement at Shoto's words. "I will consider it. If there are exemplary students who perhaps did not have the best relationship with their internship provider… I will back them."

Izuku looked between the two in surprise. I thought that their relationship was… far from amicable? But Endeavor seemed to really take what Todoroki-kun said to heart, pretty immediately… Peering sideways at his classmate's face, Izuku thought he saw a degree of surprise at Endeavor's response there as well. Izuku wondered at the exchange for a moment, but then pressed his lips into a straight line. He had his own disquieted thoughts to duel with.

Two days later

"Eh?" Katsuki bounced a ball off of Izuku's wall. It was just past the midnight hour, and the two of them were seated on Izuku's bed, the curly-haired boy propped up against the wall while Katsuki leaned on one elbow, half across his partner's lap. "Don't tell me you're still doubting whether or not you want to get that provisional licence… I would've gone for it it for sure if all these damn adults didn't have a massive stick up their asses about my attitude. " He grumbled mockingly. "This is your chance, nerd. What happened to the 'I'm gonna surpass you, Kacchan!' attitude?" His imitation of Izuku was teasing, but not unkind. Nonetheless, Izuku's worried frown remained.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Katsuki kept bouncing the ball. Izuku flinched slightly with each impact. "Aren't… aren't you worried about disturbing Todoroki-kun?"

"Nah," Katsuki caught the ball, rolling it between his fingers. "He's probably… elsewhere right now, anyway."

"Huh?"

"Don't… worry about it," Katsuki muttered. He whipped the ball at the wall again.

"No, what?"

Katsuki glanced sideways, then out the window, then at the ceiling, a bit nonsensically. Then he suddenly sat up, and grabbed Izuku by the front of his shirt. Izuku squeaked in surprise. "Speak a word of this and I'll end ya," he growled. "Cuz our… secret , I guess — is on the line too."

"What are you talking about, Kacchan?"

"Todoroki and Tamashini," the red eyes rolled in disdain. "Fuckin' lovebirds. Probably up to the same no good as we are. I ran into Icy-Hot the other morning on my way back to my room."

"WHAT?" Izuku turned tomato-red. "The same 'no good?'"

Katsuki shrugged, letting go of Izuku's shirt. "I made him promise to shut his mouth, or I'd start slandering both of them." He grinned. "And you and I both know that I'm pretty fuckin' good at dragging someone's name through the dirt." He sat up, sitting cross-legged in front of Izuku. "But what you need right now is some coaching up, not slandering… it ain't even just me. You've got Uraraka bein' your cheerleader too." He narrowed his eyes for a moment. " Speaking of which… I respect the chick, but she was leaning in awfully close during the practical exam…"

"Kacchan," Izuku suppressed a giggle, "we were teammates. We had to talk strategy, that's all. No need to be jealous."

Katsuki scoffed. "Jealous? Pah. I bet she doesn't even know you swing the other way." He suddenly grabbed Izuku by the chin and kissed him roughly, before pulling back and sitting on his heels again, leaving the green-haired boy with blazing red cheeks once more. "I know you're mine, I ain't actually worried," he grumbled. "But anyway… back to my point.

"Don't worry about what happened in Hosu. I know you have your doubts, but I think your old man would be pretty damn proud at how you stepped up to help Half-n'-Half and Glasses. Being a hero is about initiative. And you've got a lot more of that than you give yourself credit for. I usually do the fuckin' work of appreciating it for both of us, but I'm not really all that explicit about it… so start keeping your chin up, and definitely get your goddamn provisional license, ok?" He stared at Izuku piercingly, the emotion behind those red eyes barely veiled under the surface. Showing that he cares in a very Kacchan-manner, Izuku thought. Rarely overt about his feelings, but always to the point. He found a smile surfacing.

"Okay. If you're by my side, I can do it."

"Good enough of an answer," Katsuki said gruffly, and ruffled Izuku's hair. "Now c'mon, let's get some dinner."

—Todoroki—

Shoto drummed his fingers on the table, leaning back on his tatami flooring comfortably. He pushed his textbook and notebook aside, and looked over his shoulder to the digital clock that sat on his bedside table — 8:37 PM . He'd done about an hour of studying after dinner; good enough, he thought. He recalled Kaida chiding him for even studying at all:

"Why, though? We're finished with exams and classes won't start again until after summer break?"

He sighed. I want to make sure I have everything in my head so it doesn't leak out over the summer.

His cell phone buzzed in his hoodie pocket, and he fished it out.

Kaida: Are you coming downstairs?

Oh, right. He remembered that Ashido and Hagakure scheduled game night for their class at 9 PM. Shoto looked longingly at his futon. It's too early to just go to bed… he sighed and shook his head. Kaida's going to chew my head off if I don't show face, though.

With their classmates' many grand gestures of friendship and camaraderie, Kaida had opened up to them, little by little. Shoto was still the one that she wanted by her side during the long and difficult nights, but she'd made a point of trying to get the both of them to engage more often with their peers.

Except Hagane, who never seems to want to do things with all of us… Shoto stood up, dusting off the eraser dust from his pants and straightening his hoodie before heading out the door. Eh, he probably just feels more comfortable around his own classmates.

Focusing on summoning up an attitude that masked his disinterest in socialising, while condemning away the idea of an early bedtime, he trotted down the stairwell and meandered to the gathering area on the ground floor. His classmates were chattering amongst themselves animatedly.

"Video games!" Kirishima was insisting, brandishing his Nintendo console. "I have a lot of great multiplayer games!"

"It's a school night!" Iida chopped his hand up and down. "Video games are too stimulating for the brain and ruin our circadian sleep patterns."

"Risk! " Uraraka shook the massive board game box over her head.

"No one has time for that long-ass shit," Bakugo grumbled.

A few other students were also vouching for their individual suggestions, while Kaida, Tsuyu, Mineta, Kaminari, and Koda sat comfortably on the couches. Shoto made his way towards them, unnoticed by the collection of various game advocates. He caught on to the conversation:

"Ribbit. So you think you did well on your practical, Kaminari?" Tsuyu blinked her big eyes in a friendly manner.

"Ehhhh," the yellow-haired boy shrugged. "I think so? Koda really surprised me with his use of his Quirk, though. If anything, he totally carried us through it!" Koda, silent as ever, gave a tiny, bashful smile.

Koji Koda Quirk: Anivoice
He can speak to, command, and control any creature in the animal kingdom, even insects.

"Speaking of being carried," Mineta chimed in, "I bet you guys all saw me and Kaida. Weren't we cool?"

Tsuyu sighed. "She literally did everything, ribbit."

"Yeah…" Kirishima snickered.

"Oh, shut up," Mineta grumbled. "I bet you're just jealous you didn't get to ride her," he muttered, a bit smugly. Kaida lifted her eyebrows. Tsuyu immediately slapped him across the back of the head with her long tongue, knocking him off the couch and away from Kaida, onto the floor. "Ow! You know what I mean! The dragon thing!"

"So don't say it in such a lewd way, then. Ribbit. " Tsuyu tutted.

Shoto took the opportunity to take Mineta's seat before the short boy could pick himself up off the ground. He purposefully slid over until he was right up against Kaida's side. "Hey." He brushed her hair off her cheek, glancing down at Mineta with a challenging stare.

"You showed up," Kaida smiled, with the sparkle in her eyes she reserved for him. "Hi." Even though Shoto had been the one to sidle up close, he found himself suddenly flushing with embarrassment as she held her gaze.

"Hey now, Todoroki," Mineta scowled. "No need to be all passive-aggressive-possessive…"

"Hmm… Ribbit." Tsuyu looked between Shoto and Kaida, Kaida and Shoto.

"He's standing up for what's his," Kaida shrugged, with a careless laugh. "Mineta was erring on the side of being inappropriate."

What's mine? Shoto stiffened in surprise at her candid statement.

"So you're seriously official, then? Nice." Kirishima nodded approvingly. From behind him, Bakugo slung his head back over his chair.

"...was it seriously not fuckin' obvious to you?"

"Obvious?" Kaida looked genuinely surprised. "What… do you mean?"

"You look at Half-n-Half like he's some kinda male deity," Bakugo snorted. Kaida's eyes widened further, her cheeks tingeing pink.

"I…? Oh," she managed.

Shoto couldn't help but laugh. "You seemed like you were outright owning it for a second there. Was that too much to hope for?" His voice came out with an unintentionally teasing note. But it was kind of endearing…

"Am – Am I supposed to be more… explicit?" Kaida was bright red by then. "What does that even mean?"

"Oh hell," Bakugo groaned. "No one wants to see that PDA shit."

"It's not like I come across as unappreciative, right?" Kaida mumbled, ducking her head and taking a peek at Shoto from behind her ruffled hair. He tucked her unruly bangs behind her ear again, then tipped her chin up with one finger.

"It's alright," he assured her, seeing her troubled look. "You're doing everything right, don't worry." Her eyes softened, and she returned his warmth with a tentative smile. For a split second, he had the fleeting urge to kiss her then and there, right in front of everyone. That small smile was the only thing that mattered to him in the whole room.

But then, suddenly hyper-aware of all his classmates around him, Shoto cleared his throat and sat back on the couch, folding his hands in his lap. He wasn't quite that bold. Not yet, at least.

—Tamashini—

Kaida sat down between Endeavor and Aizawa, tucking her skirt neatly beneath her legs. She surveyed the massive enclosed arena before them, with its various terrain and the giant screens projected above it all, displaying multiple views of the area. There was a craggy field, a run-down building that lay partially on its side, surrounded by rubble, a factory-esque area with many silos and a complicated network of pipes and pathways, and a slimmed-down version of the city terrain present in UA's urban training quads. She folded her hands in her lap, letting out a tiny sigh. Endeavor cocked his eyebrow.

"What's the matter, Tamashini?"

"Oh… nothing much. I'm uncertain on how I feel about my exemption from this testing event."

Kaida had tagged along with her two classmates that qualified for the provisional licensing exam, with her mentor and her homeroom teacher. As always, Aizawa bore his stoic, disinterested expression, while Enji exuded his usual dominating presence. Also invited along, and contrasting with Enji's confident bearing, Inko Midoriya nibbled at her nails, bouncing up and down with anticipation. By the same vein though, Izuku's mother and Enji were both there for the same purpose: to oversee their sons' performance, and in that, Kaida felt strangely comforted. Endeavor could have easily skipped the event out of confidence in Shoto's success, but his presence had an almost supportive message behind it.

"As it stands, you've had enough on your plate within the last few months already," Aizawa muttered. "Perhaps it would have been some satisfaction for you to take the exam alongside your classmates to feel a sense of inclusion; but legally, there is no need for you to possess a license, given the precedent legal accommodations in place for all of your familial heritage of suitable age. In spite of your… somewhat impulsive reactions in the Hosu incident, no action has been taken to redact your privilege to use Elysium's power at your discretion."

Is that truly wise, though? Kaida went quiet, not wanting to start a debate over the matter. Should I really be trusted with that level of autonomy?

"The Tamashini wardens are granted special societal privileges because you are a representation of the true spirit of nobility in your society," Elysium spoke solemnly. " It ought to be something you bear with pride — if you do not feel 'worthy' of such a thing, think of it as something to live up to."

Very well, then. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, unsatisfied with her teacher and the dragon's declarations.

"Bear in mind that your mother did not nearly partake in as many social norms as you have. Her education was overseen by the acolytes as soon as she reached her fifteenth year. She was already an active, contributing member of society before the age of twenty, even bearing you as her heir when she was not much older than you are now..."

Kaida went from unsatisfied to uncomfortable. Let's leave my parents out of this disquieted mood, please. And I certainly would rather not consider how early on my mother was… bearing child.

"Hm. Indeed, there is enough to concern yourself with at the present as is." To her relief, Elysium stopped weaving into her thoughts at that point, its voice falling silent.

"They're about to begin," Enji crossed his arms across his chest, tipping his head to the arena below, where the license candidates were emerging from a tunnel into the main examination area. Amidst the other young adults, the elite chosen from the top hero programs around the country, Kaida caught sight of Izuku's curly green hair and Shoto's distinctive red-and-white.

"Good luck, Izuku!" Inko Midoriya cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, but her voice quavered with excitement, certainly not reaching far enough for Izuku to have heard.

"We will now begin the simulation exam… candidates, please be at the ready."A tired, monotonous voice came through the intercom. Used to Present Mic's overzealous screeching, Kaida almost had a hard time making out the announcer's words.

"What's the format for the exam? I didn't hear them announce it," Kaida said, curious.

"The examinees were debriefed beforehand," Aizawa replied. "But as far as I know, it will be a combination of the final exam practical at UA and a rescue simulation." He pointed at the screens. "Do you see the people scattered about the arena? Those are trained actors who are playing the parts of civilians in the simulated combat situation; the exam candidates will have to assess what level of threat they are facing from the 'villains' and then work together to rescue the 'civilians' while fending off incoming attacks."

"I see." Kaida scanned the arena. Sure enough, she saw the people Aizawa had pointed out, huddled together between buildings or behind piles of rubble. There were men and women, older folks and younger children alike, and looked to be in various states of well-being: some were covered in faux blood, others had an arm or leg, or both, in a cast. Kaida saw the hero students fanning out, ranging around the arena in small groups. The monitors above the stadium flickered between vantage points, through either hidden cameras or footage from the many drones that circled the area.

Kaida kept her eyes on the actual figures of her classmates below, Elysium's assistance boosting her vision. Then in the periphery of her sight, she detected a flurry of movement. Over three dozen black figures were springing up all over the fields, out of puddles of some strange plasma that had gone mostly unnoticed before. The examinees were quick to react, shifting into combat positions. To Kaida's surprise, she recognised the opponents as many copies of her mathematics teacher.

"Eh… didn't know they got Ectoplasm in on this," Aizawa craned his neck. "Makes sense, though. He can cover a wide area and provide overwhelming numbers to force the would-be heroes into a disadvantaged situation."

"They'll have to deal with more than just the clones," Enji pointed across the arena, where a gate was lifting, revealing a tall figure draped in black and white. "Another interesting choice."

Pro Hero: Gang Orca

Quirk: Orcinus
With the build and capabilities of killer whale, he's a superior combatant in the water, but also able to use his enhanced strength and senses on land. He can also use his sonar above water to produce hypersonic waves.

Before the examinees had much of a chance to react to the new opponent, he opened his jaws and let loose a powerful sonic wave. The sound reached Kaida's ears a full second or two after she saw the hero students getting knocked down or freezing in place, and by the magnitude of the noise even at the diminishing distance she was at, it was unsurprising that a close-range blast from the attack would have such an effective paralyzing effect.

Then she saw two figures leap out from behind a pile of rubble. The pair rose up into the air; as they ascended, Kaida made out a girl with spiky black hair, perched on the broad shoulders of a boy wearing a heavily modded hero costume and military hat. The boy was creating a whirlwind below them, lifting them above the prone examinees on the field. He kept one hand on his hat, securing it to his head, and the other anchored the girl's legs. As Gang Orca looked up to assess the new threat, a spiral of multi-colored lights burst from the girl's upper torso, and a huge metal net dropped out of the air, seemingly produced straight from her body. The boy drop-kicked the net onto Gang Orca, slamming him into the ground as they landed, and the girl leapt off, acrobatically tumbling a short distance before skidding to a halt. Her Quirk activated again around her hands and wrists, and she flung four newly-produced stun grenades at Gang Orca. They latched onto the net, and the shock was conducted along the wire frame. The pro hero bellowed ferociously, rendered immobile.

"Incredible display of aptitude and adept handling of their Quirks," Aizawa murmured.

"What do you expect? Shiketsu High would be making a fool of itself if they produced anything but the best," Endeavor huffed. "They stack up to UA in terms of results and notable alumni."

As the two Shiketsu students helped other examinees up, that group started to redouble their efforts in identifying and triaging rescuees. Ectoplasm's clones were being dealt with, but there was little end to them; wherever one or two got struck down, they were replaced not long after. But in spite of the ever-present onslaught, it seemed that the examinees had fallen into a good rhythm of the combat-types covering the area while others focused primarily on rescue.

Scanning the wide-view monitors above the arena, Kaida located Izuku and Shoto again. They were in the urban area, on two separate screens; Izuku was zipping down the narrow alleyways between buildings, scouting out the area, while Shoto was fighting a group of clones on a main street.

"Yo! If it isn't Enji and Shota!"

A new voice caught Kaida's attention. She looked up as a young man vaulted over the bench she and the others were seated on, settling down one row ahead. He had a mop of tousled, ash-blonde hair, and a pair of massive feathered wings on his back. Kaida recognised him instantly.

Hawks Quirk: Fierce Wings

Each of the feathers in his pinions can be telekinetically controlled and shed at will, growing back within a day. He can use his wings for flight, or dispatch his feathers individually to use as blades and other utility.

The current number two hero, and one of Akira's most notable apprentices.

"And you must be Kaida," he grinned, reaching forwards and tipping her chin up boldly with his index finger. "A spitting image of your mom, that's for sure."

"Hawks," Endeavor said sternly, " must you always be so rudely casual…?"

"It's called being friendly, Enji, and you should try it out sometime." Without missing a beat, he rocked onto his feet, ruffling his red feathers. Kaida was struck by his carefree nature. Her mother had spoken highly of Hawks, and from what she knew of him secondhand, Kaida had expected him to be a much more severe character. But he hopped down two more rows, landing with a cheery bob beside Inko. "And this is Toshinori's lovely wife, no?" Inko squeaked in surprise, clapping her hands to her cheeks.

Hm. So Izuku gets that from her, I see, Kaida noted.

"Ah! Hawks-san! I-it's very nice to meet you."

He gave her a polite bow. "Of course, and same goes to you, Ms. Midoriya." Along with the gesture, he gave Enji a meaningful ' see, I can be polite when it's called for' side-eye. Kaida suppressed a laugh.

Hawks leaned against the railing beside Inko. "At any rate, they called me here to help proctor the exam and act as a judge for the practical. Are you all just along for the ride?"

"Something like that," Aizawa replied. "Shouldn't you be paying more attention if you're supposed to be judging?"

"Eh," Hawks shrugged. "I've been watching plenty. These kids… man, they really are something. I'm certainly not worried about their qualifications. Isn't that right, Enji?"

Endeavor jutted his chin. "For some of them, this is simply a matter of formality. Of course they're all highly capable."

"No kidding," Hawks nodded. He walked back up to sit in front of Kaida again. "And you , you're one hell of an Elysium. Almost putting your mom to shame already, haha."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far…" Kaida winced.

"Just take the compliment, child."

She scowled. No one asked for your two cents.

"Hey, I'm just saying," Hawks lifted his hands, throwing her a wink. "It'll be great to work with you in the future."

Kaida blinked. "Y-yeah." He's a bit forward, no?

Luckily, Hawks seemed to be on the move again. "Well then, just thought I'd stop by for some quick introductions. Looks like they're wrapping up; I'll see you guys around."

"Later," Endeavor muttered.

…'Later?' Kaida was bewildered. His casual lingo is rubbing off on Endeavor, too?

A bit later, she sat in the lobby of the testing facility watching the other fledgling heroes stream past with their teachers, the excitable atmosphere buzzing in the air as they looked at their newly-conferred provisional licenses. Eventually, Shoto and Izuku emerged from the office. Izuku was holding his card in the air, right in front of his nose, while Shoto had his hands in his pockets, impassive as ever. Inko ran forwards and threw her arms around her son, sobbing through her smiles.

"Izukuuuu! I'm SO proud of you," she squeezed him tightly, until Kaida thought she'd hear a few bones cracking.

"T-thanks, Mom," Izuku wheezed.

Kaida stood up and went to Shoto's side. Endeavor hovered a little way away, looking on approvingly. Kaida gave Shoto a small smile, but before she could say anything, someone else came running up.

"Todoroki! Is that you?"

They turned to see the girl Kaida had noticed earlier, with her fellow Shiketsu boy right on her heels. Shoto blinked in recognition.

"Yaoyorozu… it's been a while."

Oh, Kaida looked the other girl up and down. So this is that childhood friend he mentioned a while ago.

Momo Yaoyorozu

Quirk: Creation
By manipulating the molecular content of her bodily lipids, she can create any non-living material from her exposed skin, as long as she has a good understanding of the composition of her target object.

"It's so good to see you again," she clasped her hands together, beaming at Shoto. Kaida felt a prick of jealousy. Yaoyorozu was almost ten centimetres taller than her, and beside her broad-shouldered companion, the two towered over Kaida and Shoto. "Oh, but how rude of me," Yaoyorozu turned and put a hand on the boy's chest. "Introductions are in order. This is Inasa, my—"

"Her other half!" The boy puffed out his chest proudly. "The only male at Shiketsu High worthy to stand beside Momo Yaoyorozu."

Inasa Yoarashi

Quirk: Whirlwind
He's able to manipulate the air around him with extremely precise control. This allows him to create incredible gusts of wind for offensive purposes, while using more delicate winds to handle rescue situations, or even allow himself to fly.

He put his hands on her shoulders posessively, and she smiled, a little embarrassed. Shoto shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"And, Tamashini, right?" She offered Kaida a hand, which Kaida shook.

"Nice to meet you," she said, exchanging a rather stiff bow. "It's certainly been a day of many new acquaintances."

"Yes, but of course," Yaoyorozu adjusted her uniform cap. "The best of the best have gathered here today for this exam; a bit of socialisation can do us all nothing but good."

"Mm!" Inasa grunted enthusiastically. "And ideally we shall all be more than acquaintances — friendships make for the strongest bonds, essential for good teamwork!"

"Y… yeah," Kaida did agree, but Inasa's enthusiasm was rather suffocating. "That said—"

"Momo! We must be off!" Inasa suddenly declared, practically lifting Yaoyorozu off of her feet and turning her towards the door. "It would be most unbecoming if we miss our ride back home!"

"All right, let's go," Unfazed, she tucked her hair behind her ear and waved over her shoulder. "Stay in touch, Todoroki!" And just like that, as soon as they had made their appearance, the two zipped off.

"...Wow," Kaida watched the revolving door spinning in their wake as Inasa plowed through. "He makes our Iida seem tame by comparison."

"They're right to make haste," Endeavor said. "We should head out before it gets late and you lot miss your dinner. Come along, now."

Kaida started to follow behind him and the two Midoriya's, who were plastered side-by-side, Inko nuzzling Izuku's shoulder with great affection. Kaida felt a bump on her shoulder. Shoto had come up by her side, keeping pace rather closely. "Hm? What is it?" She asked.

"Remember the other day when you were asking about… being 'explicit?' Should I be more overt like Inasa?" Shoto mumbled. "They were such a… a… power couple."

Kaida burst out laughing. "Oh, please don't," she bumped him back. "That would be incredibly frightening and alarming."

—Midoriya—

Another week passed after the licensing exam, and it was the eve of the students' departure for summer training camp. The mid-afternoon breeze drifted in through Izuku's open balcony door, disturbing the messily-folded piles of clothes on his bed.

"Do you seriously need that many fucking socks?" With a clatter, Katsuki clambered onto the balcony and slid into Izuku's room. "Hurry up, you were so insistent on going with everyone to the pool and you're still dawdling here with your shit," he grumbled. "You can finish packing later."

Izuku looked at his wall-clock, and jumped. "Oh, I didn't realise the time! Let's hurry." Abandoning his overflowing duffel bag, he scooped a drawstring backpack out from under his bed. He pulled out his uniform swimming trunks out of it, and kicked his socks off, getting ready to change. For a moment, he paused, and gave Katsuki a meaningful nod to the door.

"Seriously?" In response, Katsuki rolled his eyes, and marched straight up to Izuku, yanking the other boy's shirt off in one smooth motion. "As if I haven't already seen—"

"K-k-kacchan!" Izuku squeaked in protest, running over to where his shirt had been flung and bundling it into his arms, bright red.

Katsuki snickered, and then shrugged. "Whatever, there's plenty of time for that later. See ya there, nerd."

By the time Izuku got to the pool, many of his classmates were already there. Iida was handing out bottles of orange juice to the boys who were stretching at one end of the pool, preparing for their afternoon training. Izuku could hear the class president's shouting:

"It is important to prioritize hydration before a workout! Please drink these before you jump in the water!"

Izuku saw Katsuki flinging an empty bottle across the way into a recycling bin. "Gimme another," he demanded. Iida held the bottles in his hands high up in the air.

"No! I specifically procured enough that each of us will have one drink! Too much, and we'll be running the risk of indigestion!"

Katsuki jumped up in the air, giving himself a little explosive boost, and snatched another bottle. "Well, then I'll just be drinking Deku's share, then." He grinned, and popped it open before Iida could protest further.

As Izuku made his way around the edge of the pool, he caught on to a conversation coming from one of the lounge chairs under an umbrella. He recognised Kaida's voice.

"It's not that I can't swim," she was laughing, "I just don't really enjoy it. It's a pain to get my hair wet when I don't have to."

"Oh," Todoroki stood up, coming into Izuku's view. "That makes sense."

"KAIDAAAAAA!" From out of nowhere, Uraraka ran up into the scene. "No hiding out in the shade with your boyfriend! Come hang out with us! We're going to play some water-volleyball!"

"I think the word for that would be 'water polo,'" Kaida mumbled, rubbing her arms apprehensively.

"Who cares?" Uraraka quipped cheerfully. She clapped her hands onto Kaida's shoulders with surprising speed and force. Kaida yelped as she started to float up into the air. "Tsu-chan! Get her!" As Uraraka ran off again, Tsuyu's long tongue shot out and nabbed Kaida, flinging her into the water. Todoroki started to go after her, but was stopped by Izuku.

"Nah, don't rescue her," he laughed. Todoroki winced at the resounding shouts from the water.

Uraraka was continuing her rampage around the pool. She skidded to a halt in front of Iida. "And you! " Giving him a righteous slap on the chest, she took away his gravity as well. "Training camp hasn't started yet. Have some fun first!" Yanking on Iida's leg, she whirled him around. He shouted in protest.

"URARAKA-CHAN! PUT ME DOWN AT ONCE!"

"Okay!" Uraraka giggled. She let go, flinging Iida out over the pool.

"Release!"

And with that splash, their summer began.

Next Chapter: Into the Forest