Disclaimer: This is purely a fanwork and I own nothing.
In the following few weeks, Aizawa had Shinsou sit in and observe some of the Hero Training sessions. While some of the students were put off by this, Midoriya always stayed friendly towards the boy, who was at least cordial back. And since they trusted Midoriya, Tsuyu and Uraraka were friendly towards Shinsou as well, which was by far the weirdest thing that had happened since the Brainwasher had started UA.
The two had discussed, not long after the festival, on whether they should have told Aizawa about their encounter with Gentle.
"The time to tell him would have been before we did anything," Shinsou reasoned, "but now, let's not risk it."
"You're right." Midoriya conceded.
Neither Gentle nor La Brava had told the police anything identifying about them, oddly enough. And Midoriya knew that while he had acted restlessly in not deferring the situation to the teachers...he was somewhat addicted to the thrill of heroics.
Which is what made the next class announcement huge for him.
It was an unassuming Tuesday morning when Aizawa announced that the students who did not qualify for remedial exams would be taking the retake exam that upcoming Friday.
"That of course includes our new meat Deku," Aizawa flinched at the Hero name. He thought it was pretty dumb, but the kid had insisted as some sort of tribute to a childhood friend or something. He'd been asleep for the explanation. "And Shinsou."
"But that zombie isn't even IN our class!" Mineta whined; he seemed to have a problem with any new student who didn't have breasts.
"Shut up, Mineta." Sero deadpanned.
Aizawa glared towards Mineta, who cowered in fear, before continuing. "As some of you know, Shinsou has been training to get transferred to the Hero Course, and we have the openings. This course is something of a make-or-break situation for him. If he passes, he'll be a permanent fixture in our class. Now, I have it here that Midoriya, Shinsou, Sero, Kaminari, Ashido, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, and Aoyama will be taking the exams, leaving ten of you to train with class 1-B."
There was a wave of murmurs among the class. Class 1-B had only failure in the Hero Licensing Exam, and he was able to secure his license in Remedial Training. While class 1-A had some infamy for the USJ attacks and their class star winning the Sports Festival (before killing All Might), Class 1-B had been doing their damndest to surpass them. The Licensing Exam had been something of a sore spot for Class 1-A, even to those who had passed.
As they went to lunch, Midoriya approached Kirishima, the only person in the group of people he was taking the exam with that he sort of knew on a friendly basis. "Hey, you got a sec?"
"Sure, what's up?" Kirishima greeted him with as jagged of a smile as ever.
"What can you tell me about the exam?" He asked, in a low voice; Yaoyorozu had already informed him he was not allowed to know, as Aizawa wanted him to go in blind, just like most heroes do when they go out to patrol.
But while he was going to continue doing his best to avoid any unlicensed combat, Midoriya also knew that Pros had very few restrictions about being Heroic. They were to prioritize rescuing citizens over defeating villains, and keep property damage to as minimal as possible, but otherwise were free to operate as they saw fit. And Midoriya saw fit to use all resources available to fight smarter instead of harder.
Kirishima looked around and put his head down, signaling Izuku to lean in closer.
"Last time, they had us doing this weird dodgeball type thing where we have three targets on our bodies. And you had to eliminate two people to pass to the next round, and then it was this weird civilian rescue stuff with professional victims."
Midoriya's mind absorbed all this like the fluffy green sponge it resembled. "I've heard of companies that do that, pro victim stuff... They make good business on these exams."
"Right. So, they judge you on how friendly and effective you can work together to save civilians, and then a villain attack adds to the commotion."
Man, they go whole hog on this thing.
"But worst of all, at the start of every single one...there's this thing called the UA Crush."
Midoriya furrowed his brow. "What...?"
Kirishima's expression turned rather sheepish. "The whole place gangs up on UA to eliminate its students. That's where a lot of us were eliminated."
"Sounds like I've got my work cut out for me." Midoriya pondered, but his expression was anything but deterred. His mind began buzzing like clockwork; this was a challenge, and he already had some ideas for what he could do. "And you guys took this only a few months ago?"
"Yeah, I wonder if they'll have any changes since they're doing a new one on such short notice... oh he's gone." Kirishima realized as he watched Midoriya's retreating backside run back to where he usually sat with his girlfriend. "Nice enough dude. Bit weird."
Midoriya probably didn't pause for a breath once as he rattled off what he learned to Hatsume. "...and the whole thing starts with a UA Crush where all the competition gangs up on UA students!"
Mei took a big bite of her sandwich to finish it and wiped her mouth across her sleeve. "Well, that could be a challenge when you have limited control of your Quirk and limited grenades in your belt."
"Yeah, but I have a plan!" His eyes were lit up, "I just need to get Shinsou on board."
"The purple haired guy who doesn't sleep?"
"Right!" Midoriya was practically shaking with excitement. "Can you meet us outside the Lab after Hero Training. We'll need those defense projects we were working on before I was transferred, and I have an idea for something for him..."
He leaned in and whispered his idea for a baby into her ear, making her face quickly match her boyfriend's. "Oh man Deku Scrub, you better get him on board with this because I AM INTO THIS STUFF!"
"I know!" He beamed, "I'll see you after class."
Shinsou scowled, but his practiced look of annoyance that he had carefully studied while under the tutelage of Eraserhead did absolutely nothing to deter the excited looks of his two acquaintances. "You think anyone would fall for that?"
"What does it hurt, Shinsou?" Midoriya argued. "Once people figured out your Quirk at the Sports Festival, they knew immediately to stay silent around you."
"A voice modifier will throw them off and at least get them to probably say something. And with enough sound bites, I can get you to sound like ANYONE!" Mei added.
Shinsou thought about it. "I guess you're right. It doesn't hurt. But something like that isn't going to help me if this UA Crush thing is real."
"That's where the first part of my plan comes in." Izuku assured him. "Let Mei get some measurements, and I'll get the others in on it." He turned to his girlfriend and smiled. "You got it from here?"
Mei beamed. "This is my wheelhouse, hot lips. You leave him to me."
Shinsou winced. "You guys are gross."
Midoriya sprinted back to 1-A, and he would admit he used about 2% of One for All to do it - enough to be a lot quicker but not enough to arouse suspicion that he wasn't just really fast.
It wasn't until he got to the door, he realized this might not be a good idea. Still, he shook the idea from his head, and knocked on the dormitory door.
"Enter at your own peril, for the darkness is endless."
Oof.
Midoriya opened Tokoyami's door, causing the bird-headed boy to look up from his meditation in surprise. "Oh, hello Midoriya. What can I help you with?"
Dark Shadow was buzzing around the shorter teen and hissed. "It's his fault! Get him out of here!"
Tokoyami glared at his Quirk. "Quiet, you."
Deku faltered for a brief second, not entirely certain if he should acknowledge the dirty look Dark Shadow was giving him, but continued, "I wanted to talk about the Licensing exam on Friday."
Tokoyami closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I have been sworn to secrecy by the class president."
Midoriya gave him a very flat expression. "Come on man. I broke into a hospital to save you from the League of Villains. I found out about the test."
"Your craftiness knows no limitations."
"Probably why Tsuyu dumped you, because of this brainiac," Dark Shadow chirped angrily.
Midoriya stepped back, a bit surprised. "You…think it's my fault?"
Tokoyami looked rather embarrassed by the outburst and looked away. "N-no. Well. Not anymore. I may have vented to Dark Shadow at first though." The angsty bird took a deep breath to compose himself and his Quirk. "I know your nature, Midoriya. You are no lecherous scoundrel. Anyway. What did you want my help with?"
"I have a plan to get us past the UA Crush," he explained, "but I need your help. So long as Dark Shadow doesn't decide to get revenge on me instead."
Tokoyami glared at his Quirk before answering. "I will have it under control. What's the plan?"
After reforming his plan, he managed to get the others in on it; even the class president was on board. After all, Midoriya wanted to get along with his class, and he liked them, for the most part. Friday finally came, and he gathered with his classmates in a rather large room. He was reminded of taking the Support Course entrance exam all those months ago. His determination was steeled. Back then, he and Hatsume had gotten through that together, building the Zero Pointer's flamethrowers and lasers together. Now, he was leading a group of acquaintances by himself. He felt compelled to make her proud of him. He looked down at the two new forearm guards on his hero costume; they were the defensive systems he and Hatsume had talked about. His on the left, hers on the right, each with different capabilities.
He smiled at the two devices. They were perhaps some of their greatest ideas yet.
A very…very sleepy man gave a rehearsed and tired speech, walking everyone through. Apparently, a new test hadn't been thought of since the last; each hero hopeful was given three balls, and three targets that needed to be visible. You had to eliminate two people to make it.
Izuku's eyes shifted around the crowded building. He had his work cut out for him. Still, this was what he had based his plan on, and he looked around to see his classmates faces; they were just as determined as he was, save for Shinsou, who looked perhaps even more nervous.
The walls of the room lowered to reveal the giant arena in which the combat would take place.
If his plan worked the way he wanted it…this phase would be over quickly.
Everyone began spreading around, and Midoriya could see a group of students from Shiketsu High were tailing them, and another group flanking them on either side as class 1-a charged forward.
"It's happening again," Aoyama gulped, "monsieur Deku, are you sure about this?"
"Like on a scale of one to one hundred, how sure are you about this?" Ashido hissed.
Midoriya paused to think. "Fifty-seven."
"That is lower than I'd like to hear..." Momo muttered.
The buzzer sounded, and all the surrounding students turned towards the group of class 1-A
Midoriya channeled his, "inner Bakugou," and yelled, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DAMN NERDS LOOKING AT?!"
That was all the opposing students needed to unleash angered yells and cries of fury towards 1-A as the balls flew. This was, of course, by design, as Shinsou took hold of as many minds as he possibly could.
Class 1-A huddled together as Midoriya slapped a button on his right forearm guard, activating a short-term force-field Hatsume had developed. On the widest setting, it just barely managed to encompass the eight students, the rubber balls of the opposing Hero students bouncing off harmlessly, draining the battery slowly. As this happened, Midoriya handed Tokoyami as many glue grenades as Dark Shadow could carry.
"Get as many of the frozen ones as you can!" Tokoyami commanded his Quirk.
"I will, but greenie's still a prick!" Dark Shadow hissed before zooming off, throwing glue grenades at as many of the students Shinsou had ensnared as it could.
Midoriya and Tokoyami exchanged awkward eye contact. "He'll…he'll get over it." Tokoyami assured, looking away.
"Y-yeah."
In the few seconds this all happened, the balls and dust cleared, leaving a large group of Shiketsu and other students glued to the ground, unarmed and panicking.
"GO!" Midoriya shouted.
And it was a massacre, if massacres ever occurred during modified games of dodgeball. Midoriya charged forward and used one of his balls to hit the targets on two students, apologizing them for their rotten luck. Shinsou, next to him, did the same thing without the apologies, as did the rest of the class.
"Well, would you look at that," the administrator of the test announced from his podium, tiredly. "Looks like the first eight spots go to UA. Much better showing than last time. Please report to the waiting room."
"YEAH!" The students of 1-A cheered, and before Midoriya knew it, he was getting hugged and high-fived from his new acquaintances, all of them gushing to him nonstop about how well his plan had worked. Midoriya even looked up to see Shinsou smiling at him.
From the stands, Aizawa watched, having left the rest of class 1-A with Vlad King to train with class 1-B. He narrowed his eyes. Despite his best efforts, Midoriya must have found out what the test was. And while he thought that might happen, he certainly hadn't expected Midoriya to go ahead and devise a plan for all eight of them.
"At least Joke isn't here to heckle me while I watch."
"Aw, you think I could go without seeing you, sourpuss?"
Aizawa flinched as he heard her voice from a few rows behind him. He turned and glared, which did nothing to deter the look of joy on her face.
"Damn it."
Midoriya and his friends waited and watched as other students began to join them. He looked to Shinsou, who was next to him. Despite the boy's gruff exterior, it was clear he was a bit shy since he was sticking to the only person he actually knew.
"So, you know the plan?" Midoriya asked.
For once, the Brainwasher didn't have a snarky response. "I'll go with you and the others to help with rescue operations and wait for the villain to strike."
"Right!" Midoriya smiled. "We got this."
"You're a great leader!" Ashido crowed from next to him, making both boys jump. "Honestly, me and Yaoyorozu were probably just going to wing it."
The class president gave a grateful nod. "Your tactical abilities are astute for someone new to heroics."
Midoriya and Tokoyami exchanged an awkward, knowing glance, but he gave a cheesy grin. "Th-thanks. I just figured if we could make it through together, we could all help each other in the next part."
"We're with you, dude." Sero grinned. He dropped his voice a bit but spoke more to everyone when he added. "Remember, the pro victims judge you on your ability to stay cheerful and hopeful, to inspire hope even in grim situations."
"My ability to what now?" Shinsou asked, brow furrowed.
"Just smile." Kaminari deadpanned.
"I uh...I'll try."
As the next round began, the students of class 1-A stuck together as they approached a fallen building.
When they met a group of, "victims," with judgmental eyes, Midoriya heard Ashido ask, "What's the plan?"
He turned, expecting that she was asking the Class President. But he was met with seven pairs of eyes, even Yaoyorozu's, looking to him for instructions.
For a minute, he began to panic - he was good at fighting, how was he supposed to...?
Mirio.
For a split second, Midoriya thought he could see oddly shaped ghosts behind his class. An effect of One for All? Anxiety-hallucinations? Probably not a real thing. But he remembered in Mirio's last moments, he smiled and did the best thing he could do to protect Eri...
"Yaoyorozu, use your Quirk to set up First Aid and a Triage station!" He commanded, "Tokoyami, get an aerial view with Dark Shadow to get eyes on the structural integrity of the building, everyone else help me secure the area so we can extract civilians."
What was it Mirio said about me and Tsu...?
He turned to the victims opening his visor to show off a forced, cheesy grin. "WE'RE HERE TO SAVE YOU! IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY!"
"Looks like that group is doing way better than last time," Ms. Joke teased her long-suffering friend. "Did you actually give them some direction this time? Or maybe it's the new blood you have here today? Did my kids give you such a scare that you got competitive?"
"I didn't tell them a thing, Joke."
That part was true. But she wasn't wrong, Aizawa realized. He had long felt something was...missing from Class 1-A. They all had this potential to be Heroes. But ever since Todoroki had fallen from grace, it was like their confidence was taken away. They became complacent in their safe zones. They needed something there to give them that push. He cringed, he could hear All Might's voice telling them to Go Beyond, but he wasn't one for cheesy cheering.
So why were they all following Midoriya's lead so much?
He hated to admit it, despite his feelings about vigilantism, perhaps the real-life experience had given the kid the backbone to lead, to not cower in the face of danger.
But this is where things got tricky...
"Release the kraken," the exam administrator said tiredly into a headset.
"I'm a whale!" Gang Orca yelled back.
"Whatever..."
Leading an army of thugs, Gang Orca stormed the battlefield, causing loud explosions as he began causing as much destruction as possible.
As Midoriya and Shinsou carried two, "injured children," to the triage area, the former vigilante looked to his reluctant friend. "You ready? Time for phase two."
Shinsou's mouth twitched. "As much as I could ever be..."
