The walls to the waiting area collapses. Scattered across the arena are 'civilians' to be rescued. That announcement had been kind of vague. How is this being graded? Number of rescues? No that wouldn't be it. Unlike the first test we're not being asked to fight each other. This one would definitely require teamwork, especially for students like myself who don't have quirks that are good for these types of rescue events. I'll need to take a step back and support the rest of my class and prove my effectiveness that way.
I watch everyone spring to action. They have no hesitation. I see Tsu hopping away in the distance. Mina and Hagakure aren't far behind her. Bakugo, Kirishima and Kaminari are dashing towards a crater. Iida and Midoriya have sprinted away with their quirks. I grit my teeth, I'm taking too long to think. I'm falling behind. I'm about to head on out after the three girls when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look back to see Shindou with a suspicious grin. I glare at him. I don't have time for his taunts.
"What do you want?" I growl.
"Your quirk. We're not enemies this time," He says. I look back. The girls are now some distance away.
I consider my options. At this rate I don't much to choose from. I consider Shindou's offer. He said he wanted my quirk, right? I push my suspicion out of mind. He's a manipulative asshole but I don't think he'd plan to sabotage me in this exam. Unlike the first one there's no benefit to. I reluctantly nod. I guess in a real life rescue I wouldn't have the luxury of choosing who I work with.
"Sure," I reply sharply. Considering I'm now without my class, for the sake of this exam, I'll put my distaste for him aside. I will pass with no exceptions, even if it means utilizing the strange cooperation of Shindou.
"Come with me. We could use some inspiring direction," he says. I don't quite get what he means. I open my mouth to ask for clarification but before I form the words he starts running. I follow him to the near the edge of the arena. There's a picnic area of sorts here.
"Use you quirk to gain attention. We can direct people to bring the injured here to triage them," he says. I raise my eyebrows.
I admit, he has surprised me. I thought he'd immediately be trying some showy save effort but he's actually acting kind of responsible. Of course a part of a heroes job is screening and attending to the injured I just didn't think it would be him of all people organizing it.
"Got it," I reply. I look around us. Everywhere is chaos. Can I bring this together?
I increase my presence. Shindou said I should give some 'inspiring direction' right? I activate a new type of presence, a variation of the total might presence. I want people to feel that I'm assertive and that they're safe in my care. Immediately I feel eyes on me, students and civilian actors alike. I briefly feel self conscious. Even Shindou stares at me, mouth agape.
"Bring the injured here. I need several heroes with first aid knowledge immediately for triaging," I shout. Shindou recovers from his initial shock. He points to his right.
"Bring those requiring assessment here," he shouts. He then points to bus left. "Those with minor injuries will be moved to the left."
I keep my quirk activated. I catch myself smiling. I'd have never thought to use my quirk like this. When I think about it this should have been obvious. After all, heroes like All Might are inspiring even when not in combat. They make people feel safe. All I need to do is manufacture that same impression. I can do this.
It seems to be effective. Students start bringing civilians in straight away. Shindou and I help set up stations for checking the injured. I manage the area, directing arriving students and injured civilians to the stations, also stepping into help triaging when I can. At first I felt a little out of place giving such direct commands to people. Historically I haven't been great at taking charge. I'm abrasive and sharp. I sometimes clash easily with those around me which isn't a quality a good leader should have. However, just as he did in middle school, Shindou has yet again managed to see the potential within me.
"This wasn't a bad idea, Senpai," I say grinning at him, forgetting my anger at him momentarily. He smiles softly but is quickly distracted by more incoming injured civilians.
In the distance I see Midoriya run with a 'boy' in his arms. I notice the boy is bleeding from his head. With my presence increased he sees me straight away.
"There's already so many. Did you organise this?" Midoriya asks. I beamed at him and the boy.
"Too much needless talk, Deku. What's the situation?" I say sternly but my smile betrays me. I take the boys face into my hands, looking at his pupils and wound as if to be seriously checking him for injuries.
"Oh, he's bleeding but the wounds not very deep. He's responsive," Midoriya explains.
"Great. As expected after being in safe hands. Move him to the right please," I instruct. Midoriya nods.
"Of course, thanks Naka... Black Cat!" He says, smiling.
He only takes a few steps though before suddenly there's a huge explosion from the wall of the stadium. I crouch, dodging the debris that flies out.
"What the fuck?" I shout. I look up, there a huge hole right next to the first aid area I'd organised. What the fuck is this?! I stand frozen.
"Haru organise the movement of the first aid area," Shindou instructs. I feel my quirk waver. There's so many civilians to move! How can I do this? My mind races as I look around myself.
"Haru, get moving!" Shindou shouts again. I look at him. His face is uncharacteristically serious. "I'll keep them back."
I pull myself together. I grow my presence as far as I can. I see a bench which I run towards, jumping up so I can be in sight of everyone.
"Those who can run please move this way. Heroes, gather those who can't walk and carry them," I instruct. Immediately people begin moving. I look around to Shindou. He'll need support. Who here has a good offensive quirk? I look for Midoriya but he has already run into the distance with the boy from earlier.
Villains are spilling out. Shindou is keeping them at bay with his earthquakes for now but how long can he last? I could jump in with my total fear but that could hit Shindou not to mention the civilians.
Suddenly from among the villains I see a familiar face... the hero Gang Orca. Fuck this is hardcore. I can't believe they've sent out the number 10 hero to fight us. I guess all these 'villains' are his side kicks. He sends out a powerful sound wave, paralysing Shindou. My stomach drops. He was all we had on the front line. I need someone with a good offensive quirk now.
I look to the distance to see Todoroki, a wave of relief rushes over me.
"Shoto, create an ice barrier now," I shout, pointing in the direction of Gang Orca. He wastes no time. I look around myself. There are still civilians everywhere.
I see Tokoyami, Mina and Shoji approach. Their eyes are glued on me. I call out to them.
"Hey guys, can you on evacuations? We're taking the injured in this direction," I ask gesturing in the direction Midroiya had ran. The three nod and follow the directions. I look back to Shindou who is still laying still on the ground. Once it looks like everyone is being accounted for I activate my presence erasure. I need to get Shindou out of the way before the villains get past Todoroki's ice barrier. I'll try to get in close without being seen.
I watch Todoroki fight the villains. In the distance I see the Shiketsu boy, Inasa jump in to fight as well. It looks like he has a powerful wind quirk. Perfect for attack. I leave him and Todoroki to fight the villains.
I jog over to Shindou while the two boys fight. I reach him, checking over him for injuries.
"Are you alright, Senpai?" I ask. He trembles, still recovering from his paralysis. His movements are sluggish.
"I'm alive," he says. I catch myself grinning. I lift one of his arms over my shoulder and pull him up. He's much taller than me and he doesn't seem to have movement back in his legs. It'll be difficult getting him out of the way. I'll have to drag him. With Todoroki and Inasa suppressing these villains I should have time.
That's what I think at least until I see a flame whip in our direction. My eyes widen. What the fuck? I turn, shielding Shindou with my own body. His costume leaves his torso is mostly uncovered. The flames lick my back, it's hot but I can bear it for the moment. Had Todoroki lost control? I try to look over my shoulder but immediately turn back, the heat is too much for my eyes. Thank fuck I included some fire resistance when I got jacket recreated. I don't know how long I can last in this jacket. What the fuck has happened though? I hear the shouts of Todoroki and Inasa. It sounds like they are fighting each other. What the fuck are they doing?!
I suddenly feel a hand grab me by the collar. I look up to see the green costume of Midoriya. He drags me and Shindou out of the way, pushing hard off the ground with his quirk. We crash land. I pull off my my jacket which is singed leaving me now just in my sleeveless body suit. I frown as I watch it sizzle. I guess the fire resistance only does so much.
In the meantime Midoriya rushes back to Todoroki and Inasa. I hear him uncharacteristically swear at them, asking them what the hell they were doing. I think a silent thanks. Without him that could have been a lot worse. I feel the breeze glide against my arms and neck. I feel a lot more exposed. Without my jacket my arms and neck are on full display, including the red mottled burn across my jugular.
I check for the civilians. It seems most of them have been moved now. I turn to Shindou who is still trembling from the paralyisis as he tries to push himself off the ground.
"Haru..." I hear Shindou say breathlessly. I crouch next to him, checking him for burns.
"You all good, dude?" I ask.
"Yeah," he replies. I look over to Todoroki and Inasa who have apparently just been taken out by Gang Orca's paralysis sound wave as well. In doing so this has allowed the lackeys to break through. I scan the area around us. There's still not many other heroes around. I'm going to have to fight.
"Damn it. My quirks shit for taking out large groups like this but it looks like I don't have a choice," I murmur. To my surprise Shindou manages to stand. He places a firm hand on the ground sending out an earthquake. It knocks back the front line of the villains.
"I'm still feeling kind of numb but I can at least handle this," he says. I watch him amazed.
"Sure..." I say. I see Midoriya diving into the crowd of villains further in. "In that case I'll help Deku."
I spring into action, erasing my presence once again. My gloves and knuckle guards are still equipped so I can use these offensively. I spring into action.
With this number of villains I can't waste any energy. I'll need to take them out swiftly. I weave in and out, punching all their weak points. I hit their throats, stomachs and temples. They're wearing protective head gear so I shouldn't be risking any long term damage. Sure I can't make the same dent that Midoriya is making but I'm not completely useless. My plated fists make me feel powerful. I catch myself grinning once again.
I'm about to land a punch on a villain when suddenly I hear a siren calls.
"The exam is over. All civilians have been evacuated," the announcer says. I plug my feet into the ground, and reach out my hand against the villains chest to brace myself.
"That was a close one," I say, amused. The 'villain' laughs nervously.
"After we tally the results we will present them to you here. In the meantime get changed back into your normal clothes and seek medical attention if required," the announcer says.
I stretch out and head back towards the stadium gate. I find Midoriya ahead of me along the way. I jog to catch up with him, falling into stride.
"Hey, Midoriya-kun," I say. He looks over to me when I catch up.
"Nakashima-chan! I didn't get to ask if you were okay!" He said looking flustered. He frowned noticing my missing jacket.
"All good. I was alright. I'm gonna need a new jacket though," I say exasperated.
"You didn't get burnt?" He asked, glancing over my arms. We entered the hall inside. We see other members of our class including Ojiro, Tokokyami and Mina.
"Nope, it was getting close though. My jacket just about burnt through," I say. I wave to the group.
"Wow, it's rare to see you with your muscles out! What happened?" Mina teased. I laughed and flexed my biceps.
"I was hoping to win through intimidating the villains with my physique," I say sarcastically.
"Are you sure you've never done formal combat training, Nakashima-chan?" Ojiro asked, eyeing my arms suspiciously. I laugh at him. I suppose it's not often I get my arms out at school.
"Yeah, man. I just work out a lot," I reply. That and got into a lot of fights early on in middle school but I keep this to myself.
We go get changed back into our school uniforms. Soon we're called out to the arena where huge screens have been set up to show our results. The announcer stands on stage. He clears his throat getting our attention.
"Hello everyone, thank you for waiting. First of all, I'd like to explain the marking system," He started. I listened closely. I was curious to hear how they did this.
"We used a deduction based system. So you all started with 100 points. Those who dropped below 50 did not pass. Between members of the public safety commission members who observed from the seats and the civilians actors the quality of your actions were assessed and collated for your final score," he explained. Murmurs from the crowd could be heard. People were anxious.
"Those who passed are listed here in alphabetical order," he gestures at the screen behind him which are now showing the results. I scan through.
My breath catches in my throat... I'm there. I let out a sigh of relief. This means I can do hero work now!
I turn to check the faces of my classmates. Most people look happy until my eyes land on Bakugo. He looks furious. I check back at the screen, running my eyes over the names until I get to the 'B's. His name isn't there. I also notice Inasa bowing deeply to Todoroki. With this marking system in mind I'm not surprised to learn they also both failed.
"Now that you've all had a chance to review the results, we'll hand out assessment sheets," the announcer explains. I wait excitedly for mine.
A man in a black suit approaches me. He hands my the paper. I stare at it, mouth agape. My score was 87. It listed some concerns for initial hesitation and one for unprofessional language when the villain breach occurred but overall it said I took great command and instilled confidence in the civilians. I smiled.
Kirishima and Kaminari approach me. Bakugo drifts behind them
"It looks like you're happy with your result?" Kaminari asks. I nod.
"I got 87," I say proudly. Bakugo scowls. He steps up to me and pulls the sheet from my hand. He reads my feedback.
"Hey guys, Haruki-chan got 87!" Kaminari calls out.
"That's not far behind Yao-Momo! She got 94!" Kyoka says back. I glance at Momo who looks proud. Stealing my thunder, huh? Never mind, she probably deserves it. I turn back to Bakugo, taking my assessment sheet from his hands. He's furious. He clenches his fists at his side.
"Bakugo-kun, are you okay?" I ask. I raise my hand to pat him on the shoulder but he shrugs me off, storming away.
"For those who didn't pass, do not despair. After attending a training session if you produce promising results you too will be granted a hero license," the announcer explains. I sigh, hopefully that reduces some of Bakugo's anger.
We get issued our cards and meet out the front near the buses. I hold my card firmly in my hand. It feels surreal. I snap a picture of it and send it to Kenta.
Me: I did it!
I get a response quickly.
Kenta: I knew you'd get it. I'm so proud of you. Oka-san would be as well.
I smile softly as I read his response.
"Eraser!" I hear the voice of Ms Joke approach us, her class behind. She chats with Aizawa. I look for Shindou, jogging up to him once I see him. He smiles even he sees me. I feel a mixture of emotions. I can't decide if I'm grateful for him or if I still hate his guts. I can't deny the fact that I owe much of my success in this exam due to his quick thinking and planning.
"Did you pass, Senpai?" I ask. He pulls a card out of his pocket and hand it to me. I hand him mine.
"Congratulations! Your hero name is Grand? I'll remember that," I say, smiling.
"And likewise, Black Cat. I can't believe you ended up sticking to that. You'd been talking about that name since middle school," he says. I flush, rolling my eyes.
"Shut the fuck up. Hand me your phone," I say. He looks at me surprised but does as I ask. I hear Mina and Toru giggling in somewhere behind me.
I enter in my phone number, saving myself as a contact.
"This is thanks for helping me. I scored 87 on that test but I don't think I'd have done it without you. I'd never thought about using my quirk like that before," I say, handing his phone back. He grins sheepishly.
"Of course, you know me. I'm always planning and scheming. Let me be honest though, I didn't realise you'd learnt how to produce a presence outside of fear. When I said 'inspiring direction' I just meant for us to give a some firm instructions. So thank you but you should know that part was all you," he says. We hand back each other's hero IDs.
"I'll always give credit where it's due," I say. Ms Joke calls her students away. I wave goodbye to Shindou.
I walk back to my class. I stand with Mina and a Toru who are teasing me mercilessly. I roll my eyes.
"I can't believe you, Haruki-chan. You're so confident! Are you guys gonna go on a date?" Toru asks excitedly. I flush.
"No way, it's not like that," I say, crossing my arms.
"Ehh it didn't look like nothing though," Mina teased. I grab her by the horns and shake her head playfully.
"Shut up. Believe me he's not my type," I whine. Aizawa orders us onto the bus.
I take a seat with Mina, sitting behind Kirishima and Bakugo. Bakugo sat quietly, leaning against the window of the bus. He was clearly upset. I think about saying some words of encouragement buy decide that it's probably not worth it. It might just enrage him more.
I am worried about him though. This year has been tough for him. This might be the straw that's broke the camels back.
We arrive back at school. As I step off the bus Bakugo pushes passed me, knocking me forward. I nearly lose my footing. I frown.
"Dude watch out," I shout out after him. He ignores me. No response? Usually there'd be at least a 'fuck off, seaweed head' or something to that effect.
We make our way inside. He storms straight up to his bedroom without saying a word.
He doesn't even come down for dinner that night. I try taking a plate of food to his room but he ignores me when I knock. I try just opening the door but he's locked it from the inside. He must be reeling after the exam. I get his pissed off but this is kind of ridiculous.
I here the lift to the floor open. Out of it comes Kirishima. He looks at me surprised.
"Are you trying to talk to Bakugo-kun?" He asks. I nod.
"Yeah but he's acting like a fucking child," I say loud enough for Bakugo to hear through his door.
"I'm sure he'll come around," Kirishima says. I shrug.
"Yeah. He's just such a drama queen. I'm just trying to be a good friend and he's just outright ignoring me," I mumble. Kirishima grins.
"I'll speak on his behalf and say thank you. He might not put it into words very well but I know he appreciates you. In the very least he respects you," Kirishima says.
"Sure," I scoff. With the way Bakugo normally speaks to me I wouldn't use the word 'respect' to describe what he thinks of me.
"I'm telling the truth," he replies, scratching the back of his neck. I smile softly at the red headed boy.
"Thanks Kirishima-kun," I say. I walk past him back to the lifts, patting his shoulder on the way past. He flashes me a toothy smile.
I make my way downstairs. I find a box to put the food in. I place it in the fridge and take a picture of it to send to Bakugo.
Me: I put food in here for you. Get it when you're hungry.
I hit send.
I hang out with the others from class. Momo makes me a cup of some fancy tea her mother had sent her. I make myself comfortable next to Iida.
"Did you tell your brother about your license?" I ask him quietly. He nodded. He pulled out the card, handing it to me. I see the hero name Ingenium.
"I hope to honour him well," Iida says. I hand it back to him.
"I think you've already have, Iida-kun." I say smiling.
"What about you? Did you tell your brother?" He asks.
"Yeah. He was happy for me. It felt nice to share this news with him. I usually have to celebrate these kinds of things by myself," I say quietly. I sip at the tea Momo gave me.
"Let's both become great heroes, Nakashima-kun. We'll make our brothers proud," he said. I nodded in agreement.
I lean back to talk to Midoriya who is standing behind us.
"Did you show your mother your license Midoriya-kun?" I ask the green haired boy.
"I did!" He exclaimed. The three of us chat for a while. After some time the boys lift opens. Out steps Bakugo. He stalks over to the kitchen, stopping by Midoriya.
"Oi Deku. I want to talk to you later," he says lowly. I continue chatting with Iida but I watch him out of the corner of my eye. I'm kind of curious.
"O-okay," Midoriya responds. Bakugo opens the fridge, pulling out the container I put together for him. I smile to myself.
"It's about your quirk," he says quietly as he walks back to the lift. Midodiya's face pales. Bakugo enters the lift to return to his room. I look over to Midoriya whose now visibly flustered.
"Are you okay?" I ask him.
"Y-yeah," he squeaks. I frown. He doesn't look particularly keen for this conversation.
I have a bad feeling about it.