"Okay...everyone, thanks for all your hard work. Now, I will announce the results, but before that, I will tell you about the scoring system. Between those of us at the Heroes Public Safety Commission and H.U.C, we had a two-fold demerit system we used while watching you. In other words, we were evaluating you on how few mistakes you made in a crisis situation." Mera explained as he currently sat in front of all hundred examinees with a large screen behind him, every student anxiously awaiting the results of the test. "Anyway, the names of those who passed are listed in syllabary order. Please check the list keeping those words in mind."
"Mi...Mi...Mi..." Izuku anxiously searched the screen for his name before suddenly noticing how Hayato stood, his eyes closed and his head held low. "Hayato? Why are you not looking?"
"Because I'm afraid I fucked up."
"When have you ever been afraid of anything? Besides the usual things like clowns and Blitz."
"This is different...I know I must've messed up a lot." Hayato admitted before he felt a hand grab his, opening his eyes to see Momo holding it and pointing up at the screen.
"I think you'll be surprised." Momo smiled and Hayato looked up and there he saw it, only a few names above Izuku's: Kiryuu Hayato.
"I...made it." Hayato whispered as their other classmates cheered, seeing their names on the screen as well, and he knew that wherever Kazuma was watching: he was proud of him. But as they looked further at the list, they noticed that two names were missing from it: Katsuki and Shoto.
"Kacchan and Todoroki didn't pass?" Izuku asked, seeing Katsuki standing nearby with a furious look on his face. And then they turned to see Shoto hiding his eyes behind his dual colored hair.
"Oh boy..." Ochaco sighed while Eijiro crossed his arms and sighed.
"Bakugo was being his usual self and I guess that cost him." Eijiro explained as he and Denki remembered Katsuki constantly yelling, threatening, or ignoring to help any of the H.U.C. workers, leaving it up to them to do so.
"These motherfuckers..." Katsuki growled before stomping away, bumping shoulders with the frozen in place Shoto.
"This is so awesome! We can do actual hero things now!" Mina yelled as all of Class 1-A sat in the common area of their dormitory, except for the two that failed the exam, celebrating getting their licenses.
"Well we still have to resume normal classes tomorrow, so that'll just have to wait." Eijiro said as Momo served him a cup of tea. "Thanks Yaoyorozu!"
"You think Bakugo's still mad?" Hanta asked turning to Denki who simply shrugged and took a sip from his water bottle.
"I mean they did say the people who didn't pass can take a remedial course to earn their license." Hitoshi said serving himself a cup of coffee. "I'd say he's just gonna keep being Bakugo."
"Todoroki looked really disappointed, and on the ride back he was on his phone looking pretty upset." Tsuyu noted remembering how upset Shoto was on the bus to return to campus.
"I mean his dad's number one, he probably felt like he slipped up on trying to surpass him." Mezo said earning an agreeing nod from most of his class.
"Hey, where's Hayato?" Kyoka asked as Momo sat next to her, and her white haired boyfriend was nowhere to be seen.
"He said he had a call to make so he just stepped out." Momo said pointing out the window to see Hayato standing near the entrance on the phone.
"And Midoriya and Uraraka?" Denki asked noticing the other couple of the class missing as well.
"I think Midoriya's telling his mom and Ochaco's telling her parents." Tsuyu said taking a sip of her milk
"You know I've been waiting for your call, I don't see why I had to be the one to call you." Hayato chuckled as he was currently speaking on the phone with the hero he did his work study with.
"Because, it was funny knowing you were waiting for my call since the I-Island incident." Nighteye said making the boy roll his eyes and walk further from the door. "Congratulations."
"I don't feel like I deserve it, I barely passed with 53 points." Hayato said before hearing the sound of something being slammed on the other line. "Sir?"
"Don't be an idiot. You deserved it, you have your moments but you have the spirit of a hero within you. But aside from that, why did you call me?"
"Did you know about my grandpa?" Hayato asked looking up at the sky. He was met with silence making him grip his phone tightly. "Why didn't you warn me?"
"Because I didn't know until it had already happened. Hayato, you know I hold you in high regards. I would never hide something like that from you, you know that as well." Nighteye explained making the boy sigh and rub his eye. "But there was something I'd like to tell you about."
"What is it?"
"I know you're focused on saving Gran Torino right now, but there's an investigation I'd like you to join me on. And I just learned an old friend of ours recently joined who I'm investigating."
"Who?"
"All in time, when they bring it up in class. Come to me. Rest, I know you have it in the morning." Nighteye said before ending the call, leaving Hayato looking at his phone screen frustrated.
"You okay?" He turned around to see Momo standing in the doorway, quietly closing the door behind her.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You don't look fine." Momo said crossing her arms while walking over to him. She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled as she saw him relax once she did.
"It's Sir Nighteye, he's being really cryptic."
"About?"
"That's my point, he's being cryptic about something I don't even know about." Hayato explained before grabbing her hand and holding it in his. "I need to tell you something."
"What is it?"
"My grandpa got kidnapped." Momo's eyes widened at what he just told her.
"Gran Torino? When?"
"This morning, a villain with an ice Quirk killed his entire squad and took him." Hayato explained as the two of them sat down on the steps. "I only found out because Mira called me, practically in tears, because of it."
"So that's why you raised your voice in the anteroom?"
"You heard that?"
"Hard not to, except I didn't want to ask you to avoid keeping you distracted during the exam." Momo explained placing her arms above her legs.
"I told her to stop thinking that he was hurt, or worse. But all I could do was just act like I knew what I was gonna do but in reality...I don't know what to do." Hayato sighed leaning back and looking up at the night sky. "Every fiber of my being knows this was Shigaraki's doing, and I just want to hunt him down and make him pay for it."
"But you can't act so recklessly. From that first day we did Hero Training together, you were always one with a plan looking at every possible option. Even more so, you hold yourself accountable when you feel like you could've done something." Momo objected making her boyfriend close his eyes and nod. "How was someone so planning suddenly so impulsive?"
"Because as far as I know, you have to: make the plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, throw away the plan." Hayato explained raising a finger for each step.
"Wow that is...terrible advice. You should always have a plan, down to the last second, so nothing goes wrong."
"It's how I made it this far. Plus in all fairness time does move differently for me when I use my Quirk, so my brain is really moving at a different rate than everyone else's. The only thing that comes close to it is Izuku when he has one of his moments." Hayato said before letting out a yawn. "Whoops."
"Yeah and you get exhausted a lot easier than us, go to bed."
"Noooo."
"Yes."
"I don't wanna."
"I don't care what you want, you're tired and you need to rest."
"If you're gonna act like my mom, you could at least change your last name to Kiryuu." Hayato teased making Momo blush and push him onto his back.
"W-We're too young for that!"
"I'm just playing." Hayato laughed before jumping onto his feet, extending his hand to her once he was up. She took his hand and stood up before, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his chest. "What?"
"Just don't go back to being that Hayato you were when you were interning under Nighteye. I almost dumped that boy."
"Wow everybody's just trying to kick me down today, aren't they?" Hayato asked shaking his head in disbelief.
"Well, mainly because I love this Hayato more than that one." Momo giggled as they walked to the door.
"You have a funny way of saying that word."
"You have a funny way of avoiding it."
"I am not, I was just ordered by the princess of the land to go to my quarters and rest so I must to avoid having my head chopped off." Hayato said making Momo playfully try to slap him.
"You know, opening your closet is like opening Pandora's Box." Ochaco said as she was currently going through Izuku's closet while the green haired boy was currently going over his hero notes.
"Wh-What?! Why?!"
"I feel like I'm unleashing the evils of being a fanboy to the world with the amount of All Might merchandise you keep hidden here." Ochaco said as she took out a jacket based off All Might's Silver Age costume. "This is so cute, it even has his little hair tuffs on the hood!"
"That's not fair! You know how much I look up to him!"
"Hayato was right, this is an obsession." Ochaco said as she put the jacket on and used her Quirk on herself to float in the air. "I'm a flying All Might! I'm All Mighty Lady!" Ochaco laughed as she moved around the room with her arms extended as if she was flying. But she stopped when she felt something wrap around her and she turned around to see Izuku holding onto her. "D-Deku?! Can't someone just look in and see you floating?"
"That's why I shut the curtains before I did this." Izuku said pointing at his balcony, revealing he had closed the curtains. Ochaco smiled and turned around in his arms, enjoying the warmth she was feeling from her boyfriend more than from the jacket.
"I like this." Ochaco whispered as the two of them closed their eyes, enjoying their moment in the air together. But after a few minutes, Ochaco opened her eyes and looked at Izuku. "Hey, Deku?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you happy?"
"Happy?" Now Izuku opened his eyes and he made eye contact with the girl in his arms. "I don't think I understand the question."
"Like, do I make you happy? I understand that you're currently living the dream that would've been so hard to accomplish before you met All Might and got One for All, and I know that makes you happy...but do I?" No response. "Sometimes I think we rushed into things and you would've been better off just focusing on becoming a hero and-" She was cut off by Izuku pulling her in for a sudden kiss, making the girl blush as she had no other way to respond to him. After what seemed like eternity, the green-haired boy broke the kiss and smiled at her.
"Happy isn't even the right way to describe it. I think I get stronger when I think about you, because I think I found the right person to go towards my dream with."
"Watch your mouth, Hayato might get jealous."
"You and I both know he'd agree. Ochaco, you are the entire world to me and more. You were there from the beginning of my journey here at U.A. and something just tells me you're going to be there at the end. I might not be the most confident, the coolest, or so aloof people find it attractive, but I can say that with more confidence than I've ever had." Ochaco smiled at what he had just said and leaned in for another kiss that Izuku happily returned. The two deactivated their Quirks and landed on the ground. After a moment, the two broke their embrace and Ochaco walked to the door.
"I should be heading to bed now, we have class in the morning."
"Yeah, I guess. See you in the morning?"
"Yeah. Good night, Deku."
"Good night, Ochaco." The two gave each other a small wave and Izuku watched as his girlfriend left his room, before realizing she still had his jacket. But he shrugged and figured it was too late and he could just ask for it the next day.
"So...you're against them taking part in the Work Study?" Nighteye asked as he and Toshinori sat in his office, cups of coffee between them.
"I'm not truly against it, I just think it's too soon for the first years to enter our field...well, your field since I'm officially retired." Toshinori explained as he took a sip of his coffee and resting his head on his free hand. He sighed as the topic of the first year students interning under pro-heroes came up during a staff meeting and wound up coming to a vote: with the students taking part winning by a single vote.
"This generation isn't the same as any other ones, All Mi...forgive me, Toshinori." Nighteye said removing his glasses and wiping them clean with his jacket.
"Do you truly believe that?"
"Well, let's take certain events into consideration. Two highly dangerous and wanted criminals: survived an encounter against them. Training camp was attacked by villains, each student came out well and several different villains were arrested. I-Island was taken hostage and the entire group was defeated. Given the evidence, I can say with every fiber in my being that these kids are something else." Nighteye explained with a smirk on his face as he imagined his white haired apprentice.
"There's more to this generation of heroes besides Young Midoriya and Kiryuu."
"I understand, but think about the way those two are leading everyone else behind them. Those students see them the same way that everyone once saw you, all they can do is reach higher because those two aren't just taking steps forward, those two are taking leaps and I can see them reaching the top hundred within their first years as heroes."
"I know, and that's why it fills me with great pride to know I'm in charge of helping those two grow." Toshinori said as he imagined his green haired successor.
"Those two have the potential to be a greater team than you and I ever were."
"They have more than just the potential, they're almost there."
"I don't like the looks of this." Blitz said as he and Kai made their way to a warehouse after receiving a suspicious invitation. His costume had even gone through a change with his mask now changing to resemble the masks of the Shie Hassaikai, courtesy of his new boss.
"We just pop in, say hi, and see who wants an audience with us." Kai said as they walked inside and once they did, they saw the League of Villains standing in the moonlight shining in from the ceiling.
"Well well, look what the cat dragged in." Tomura said noticing the Speed Hunter standing next to Overhaul, the man he wanted to speak to.
"You two know each other?" Kai asked noticing the glare both villains were giving each other.
"He tried recruiting me into his weird little cult."
"You know how hard it was to get the amount of Trigger you stole from me?"
"Where's Big Sis Mag and Spinner?" Toga asked, earning a nod from those that were on the Vanguard Squad, while also getting Blitz's attention.
"Mag? Spinner?"
"Yeah! The one who could pull and repel and the one who looked like a lizard!" Twice yelled making Blitz think for a moment before it came back to him.
"Oh, Spinner's with Stain." Blitz replied making Toga and Twice let out sighs of relief.
"And Magne?" Mr. Compress asked twirling his cane in relief too.
"I slit the bitch's throat." The moment he said that: Toga, Twice, and Mr. Compress all ran towards him. Blitz chuckled and ran towards them as well, his signature claws ready to tear into the villains running at him. But once he was close to them, a wall of blue fire and ice appeared and made him jump backwards to avoid getting hit.
"You got in my way." Dabi said turning to look at Yuki.
"You got in mine."
"I can see negotiations are headed nowhere." Kai shrugged and began to remove one of his gloves as he walked towards Tomura. "Why did you call us here?"
"I was considering working together, but I can see that certain people in your party would disagree with that." Tomura said standing up and beginning to walk towards Kai as well. The two stood across from each other as Blitz tried avoiding being attacked by the members of the League of Villains.
"I can call him off at any time, but I'd like to hear the terms of this deal. We tried our hardest to avoid being one of All For One's pets, and I would rather burn in hell before I become his brat's."
"I'd watch your tongue if I were you, that's my master you're talking about."
"So what would this be? A team-up or a hostile takeover?"
"I scratch your back and you scratch mine, that's all it would be." Tomura said before both of them raised their hands, stopping their lackeys in their tracks to stop their fighting.
"With All For One locked up, the villain world needs a new leader. Someone to call the shots and put these heroes in their place. In his last act, he managed to bring All Might down and remove the Symbol of Peace from his throne." Kai said as he put his glove back on and crossed his arms.
"I have no intention of replacing my master, I have my own plans and my own dream. So, do we have a deal?" Tomura asked extending a hand to Kai. Kai looked at him and nodded before turning around. "That's it?"
"When you wanna talk specifics, you know where to find me." Kai said as he began to walk out. He turned around seeing Blitz ready to continue fighting. "Blitz. Let's go." Blitz growled and followed Kai out. The two continued walking in silence until they arrived at a black sedan waiting nearby. Before he could open the door, Kai turned to his newest member and crossed his arms. "Do you think we can trust them? You've already interacted with them before."
"I'd say keep an eye out around Shigaraki. I have to avoid his friends from now on."
"Why did you kill their friend?"
"Do I need a reason?" Blitz responded opening the door for his new boss. Kai simply chuckled at Blitz's response and sat down in the car followed by the Speedster.
'I'm gonna find you grandpa...' Hayato sighed as he was swiping through his phone, looking at the several photos he had taken with or of Sorahiko since they had met. He rubbed his eyes, feeling his exhaustion take over, before seeing his most treasured photo: it was a selfie he had taken of the two of them and Mira the day he had finally met his little sister. Then, as if on cue, his phone began to ring and he shook his head seeing it was his little sister. He sat up in his bed and answered the call. "Mira?"
"Hey big brother...did I wake you up?"
"No no no...I was having a rough time sleeping. What is it kiddo?"
"Did you pass your exam?"
"Yeah, yeah I did. Sorry I didn't call you guys to tell you. It's a little too late to let mom and dad know isn't it?"
"I guess. I'm sorry if I messed with your brain telling you about grandpa."
"Don't apologize. I'm glad you told me when you did."
"What are you gonna do?"
"If I'm being honest, I dunno. But I promised you I'm gonna get him back, and I will."
"I know you will. I remember I-Island and I know you and Midoriya are gonna get him back."
"As long as you don't hit on my best friend, I'll gladly ask for his help." Hayato chuckled as he knew he eventually had to tell Izuku about Sorahiko's kidnapping.
"Well..." Hayato raised an eyebrow at the change in pitch in his sister's voice. "Never mind, we should go to bed."
"Mira."
"Hm?"
"You're trying to hide something."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"Nope."
"You are so much worse than Sir." Hayato whispered burying his face into his hand. "Don't tell mom and dad please, I'll call them when I get out of class tomorrow to let them know I passed my exam."
"Y-Yeah, I won't."
"Wait. Why did you wait until nearly midnight to call me and ask if I passed the exam?"
"Because I remembered?"
"Yeah, right. Go to bed." Hayato said hanging up the call and thinking for a moment. "She's hiding something."
