Here it is, the sixty-first full chapter of Miraculous Quirks released at the set time I promised each week. The provisional hero license exam has begun so let's dive right into the first test and see how it is going, not much more to really say about this chapter without giving away any spoilers so that's all I will say right now. Anyway, that is all the administrative stuff I have for now and as there are no review questions to answer or guest reviews to respond to I will end this note here. Do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from y'all. Now, though, it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 61st full chapter of Miraculous Quirks.
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great works of fiction
Chapter 61: Thinning the Herd
"Well, this certainly wasn't something that they showed during the Sports Festival." Shindo said looking at what had stopped all the balls that had been thrown at the U.A. students. "I guess they've improved since then, or at least one of them has, but that should be expected of U.A. students."
"Yo, who the hell created that thing?" Tatami Nakagame, the girl who'd asked Todoroki for his autograph outside asked her classmate and the class's leader Yo Shindo who was also her boyfriend hence her use of his first name when she addressed him. "None of them showed that kind of power back during the Sports Festival. That Creation Quirk girl can't have done this, she creates through her skin so who did that?"
"None of them showed this kind of power back then but there is one in that class with a power that could create it." Shindo said thinking as he looked at the barrier before them. "But this is a lot stronger than I expected from her and it's not a good sign that she can create it now."
"It's not?" Nakagame asked worried at Yo's words.
"No because the only Quirk that U.A. has that theoretically could cause this is a Quirk that is called Lucky Charm." Shindo said seriously. "And with Todoroki and Bakugo leaving already, she's the strongest one remaining in that ground. I didn't underestimate her as one of the strongest the class has but she's known for her offensive and analytical skills, not her defense."
"Oh, it's her power." Nakagame said her eyes wide as she figured out which girl in Class 1-A had stopped all the attacks at once and agreed with Yo, it was bad that she could now do large scale defense in addition to what they already knew she could do. "So, the one who almost beat Todoroki in the semis can defend as well as attack. That's not good indeed. What are we going to do about it?"
"Let's see just how strong this barrier is and go from there, I want to try a few things before we resort to our strongest move." Shindo said turning to one of his classmates, a boy with long black hair. "Toteki, can you still attack?"
"I can attack that thing and use my Quirk to increase the speed of what I throw." Itejiro Toteki, the boy who'd told off Nakagame for fangirling around Todoroki earlier said. "But if I can't see my target I can't hit it precisely where I want to hit it."
"I figured which is why we are going to test its durability." Shindo said. "If I recall, she has a time limit for how long her items can be active but I'm not going to wait it out, we can use this situation to our long-term advantage if it comes to it. Makabe, it's time."
"It won't withstand my Quirk." Makabe, the blue skinned ear and hairless boy said as he used his Stiffening Quirk to harden four balls into something that would crack cement before he tossed them to Toteki. "Toteki, let that thing have it."
"On it." Toteki said as the balls glowed with an eerie purple light and he leapt up and began a fluid motion with his arm in order to throw them just the way he liked. "Don't hate me when I break through it."
Toteki's Quirk was called Boomerang and it allowed him to control the trajectory of anything he threw and thus gave him insane accuracy as anything he threw became a homing missile. So long as he could see the target he could make his projectiles travel through even the ground to their targets so that no one knew their true trajectory until they hit. Alas there were a few weaknesses to it such as it didn't protect his items from being blocked or destroyed but that wasn't a problem this time around.
That was because he was aiming at the large protective barrier that was now blocking the U.A. students from everyone so he couldn't miss it. All he did was focus on a point as he threw the balls into the hair before he changed their trajectories and sent all 4 balls into it as fast as he could manage. The force of the blow let out a loud sound and the balls shattered on impact. At the same time several other students sent attacks at the barrier thing with their Quirks causing several explosions on it. All the students watched as smoke obscured it. It took a moment but finally it cleared.
"What the hell?" Nakagame said her eyes wide as the barrier returned to her vision without so much as a crack on it, though the ground around it was more churned up now. "That thing isn't even scratched. Just how strong is she?"
"So, it's not." Shindo said with a grin. "Well, it looks like that French girl has upped her game. Back in the Sports Festival she showed small items that were precisely what she needed and battle tactics in that Cavalry Battle. She no doubt worked on her defense and was ready for this attack. She's likely giving orders in there as we speak, but that won't save them. I figured we might have to use this but even if we don't get U.A. we can use it to our advantage once the dust settles. It's my turn to attack and there's no way that that thing can handle my Tremoring Earth. We have ultimate moves as well."
"Go Yo." Nakagame said with a cheer.
"Get behind me and protect me." Shindo said as he fell to his knees and placed his hands on the ground ready to unleash the maximum power of his Vibration Quirk into it as he directed the attack at the barrier before them. "Remember that I can't move for a bit after this, but this will break them up and scatter them so that we can pick them off bit by bit. Get ready U.A., you're still going down because I'm going to shatter your defense."
With that Yo Shindo, aka Grand, unleashed his super move at the large dome with a ladybug print that was before him. Time to see if that French girl was able to handle Shindo's full power as he let out a yell and attacked it with his Quirk.
"Every year the test always starts like this." Ms. Joke said not happy with Aizawa's dismissal of her earlier point by talking about how U.A. looks farther ahead than other schools, it was their arrogance showing once again and just one of the many reasons why everyone liked to put them in their place at the start of these tests. "The destruction of…what the hell is that thing?"
"I see she's upped her game again just I'd expect from her, well all my class but her especially." Aizawa said without emotion as there was a flash of pink in the air around his students before a large dome materialized with a red and black polka dot pattern on it and stopped all the balls from getting through. "Larger than anything I've seen her make before and this time it's solely for defense, she's broadening what she can do. The way to pass this is teamwork and right now one of my best has just given the rest, including the best strategist in the class who's with them, the time they need to plan."
"You think really highly of them this year." Ms. Joke said surprised by Eraser's words. "And who created that? None of your class has shown that level of power to produce something like that out of thin air. It looks like you've started teaching ultimate moves."
"Of course, we have." Aizawa said. "But that's not an ultimate move, that's just her Quirk being used for large scale defense rather than to defeat someone the way she usually uses it."
"What?" Ms. Joke exclaimed looking at Eraser and then back at the dome that had just withstood several attacks without a scratch as she tried to process what he'd said about one of his students. "Who the hell has that kind of power? I know you have some strong students; I saw the level of power Todoroki and Bakugo could produce at the Sports Festival, but this is different."
"A future hero." Aizawa said simply. "And this is just the surface of what she can do so keep an eye out, you haven't seen anything yet Joke."
"Well neither have you." Ms. Joke said as she saw Shindo take a position ready to attack the item before her students. "Because this exam is about to be broken wide open."
Aizawa didn't respond as he kept watching. He didn't care what his colleague had to say, he was going to focus on the exam as he watched his 22 students pass it.
Almost as soon as Marinette spoke she created what she needed to protect her classmates. She didn't know what she'd get, all she wanted was something that could protect them and withstand any attack sent at it. What she got was a dome in her ladybug print that appeared right before the first ball reached it and sank a bit into the ground from the weight of it. The rest of class A, even Adrien, looked at this in surprise and shock as they'd never seen her create something this large before.
"Marinette?" Jiro asked looking at the back of her friend. "How? Is this the ultimate move that you spoke of?"
"No and right now we need to plan." Marinette said seriously, her tone brokering no questions as she turned to her class and took charge to avoid any distractions, she'd address any questions later. "We don't have much time and while this charm is simple and will withstand all kinds of attacks it's not infallible. Kyoka, get your jacks in the ground and listen for an underground or surface attack like a vibration or shockwave, that is the biggest weakness right now. If you can also pick up any class discussions from our attackers that is a bonus but not your priority right now"
"On it." Jiro said understanding what she had to do and kneeling down to listen as Marinette was right, it was best to act now and deal with any questions later.
"Right, I can't hold this for long, max 10 minutes I think which is less than the roughly 17 minutes I can hold a normal sized charm after all the training I've had since the start of camp." Marinette said quickly. "And they won't give us 10 before at least one realizes how to get past it so listen to me and listen well. Any plans that we may have had have just gone up in smoke. They were ready for us and attacked en mass. We could have easily survived without my charm, but this at least preserves the rest of your new powers like the fact that Midoriya can fight without breaking himself, and gives us a moment to prepare. Only my growth is shown, and this is nothing compared to what I can do if I unleash my ultimate move."
"Right so what's the plan?" Momo asked trusting Marinette right away, she had shown how good she was at this and once again she was exceeding any expectations.
"First off, the best defenders need to be on the edges of the group." Marinette said. "Capture and destruction experts. Adrien, by me, we work best together and when we get split up I need you by my side. Mina, Sero, Mineta, Momo, that's you 4 and be ready to block or destroy. The attack is coming soon."
"How can this thing withstand their attacks?" Izuku asked curiously as several bangs were heard as things impacted the dome they were under, but nothing made it through it or even shook the dome. "This is some impressive power Ladybug."
"Honestly I'm not sure." Marinette admitted surprising Izuku as he began to reassess just how strong Lucky Charm was yet again. "My charms aren't permanent, it's one of the oddest aspects of my Quirk and people have tried to figure out what these things are made of but there's still no answer to that question. All we know is that Adrien's Cataclysm can destroy it, so it has a molecular structure hence why pure destruction-based Quirks as a weakness for me."
"Guys, I heard that Ketsubutsu guy ordering his classmates to protect him, I think he's going to attack." Jiro interrupted with the bit of intel she'd gotten from listening for an underground attack. "And it sounds like he can break through this somehow."
"Likely an earth or vibration-based Quirk which means that this area is likely going to get destroyed if he has the power to move my charm, which I expect he does." Marinette said as she began to feel the vibrations in her feet and knew that it was the latter. "Ok listen up and listen good. We're about to get separated by a shockwave strong enough to rearrange this area if I had to guess. I'm going to dispel my charm the moment it hits to gives us more space and then we are going to have to scattered to the winds. They're going to force our hands to try and take us out in smaller groups. Regroup, don't be alone, and from there just find where you can fight best and work together. Trust your Quirks and our class and we will pass this, we are U.A."
"Ladybug is right." Ida said as the vibrations began to hit them. "Brace and group up. No one go at this alone."
"Now." Marinette said as the earth beneath their feet shattered and the earthquake hit, and the earth began to rise and fall in places from a powerful tremor that hit them. "Don't fail."
With that Marinette dispelled her charm and the chaos ensued. The Quirk that had hit them, Shindo's according to Jiro, completely destroyed the area sending rocks and examinees all over the place and felling one of the mountain things from it's sheer power. It was so strong that it could be felt throughout the stadium causing many to stop and look to the source of the attack. It didn't stop Mera's commentary on how no one had been defeated yet though, but he said that he'd keep them posted every time a few passed.
All that was irrelevant to Marinette as she and Adrien turned and used the rocks that had risen from the ground to leap away and past any would be attackers who were in positions to use the chaos to take them out, though they were all swept up in the quake that hit them so that was avoided. It wasn't hard for the couple to manage it as they used their training and agility to leap from rock to rock, occasionally using their tools to help cross gaps, as they cleared the area and headed straight for the cityscape at a full sprint over the open ground.
"We need to get to high ground." Marinette said as they ran to their destination and noticed that no one had been sent with them. "Then we can rest and plan what we have to do from there. The rest are on their own I fear."
"Don't worry bugaboo." Adrien said grinning under his mask as a windstorm was created over part of the city before being sent down and into a street there. "You inspired them all with your words, they'll take them to heart and will work hard to pass no matter what. Bakugo and his group and Todoroki are fine as well, we know that they can do it. After that anyone with Midoriya, Ida, and Yaoyorozu will be good. Those 3 alone can lead the rest and I doubt there will be more than that few people to lead per group."
"Agreed." Marinette said as they reached the city just as Mera let out a huge announcement that 120 people had been eliminated in a single attack by one student, a shock so great that it woke up Mera and he was now encouraging them all to hurry up and pass this thing already. "Ignore that, we need to focus on passing this."
"Just someone showing off." Adrien said understanding what that wind was as they reached the cityscape and began to scale a building before anyone could attack them, years of training in Paris making it a piece of cake from them to climb it, much to the gaping surprise of a few examinees who turned the corner of it and saw them begin their ascent. "We need to get up, refresh and plan."
"Yes I'll recharge back to max, and we can sort this out." Marinette said as they reached the roof of a building that was thankfully clear. "Get low just in case and keep those senses sharp kitty."
Adrien just nodded as they ran to the middle of the roof and fell down to rest by a large air conditioning unit though thanks to their enhanced stamina they weren't out of breath or anything despite the quick sprint and climb to this point. Marinette quickly ate some of the protein cubes she had on her while Adrien was on high alert, his senses fully open as he looked around. They needed to regroup as the tremors ended and the utter destruction that had split their class up was now visible to all.
The couple took a moment to mentally rest and recharge. Well Marinette did the latter as she let the food do the work it was made to do. She'd managed to get her Quirk to the point that once it was active she could dismiss it and get something new within her time limit but by eating during it she could reset the limit, maybe even add a few seconds to it, and that was what she was doing.
Everything had just happened so quickly that it had been hard to process exactly what had happened. They'd expected U.A. to be a target from the start and they had been, that Ketsubutsu student who'd greeted them had led the charge, but that had been even more excessive than either Marinette or Adrien had expected. The chaos it had caused was rather spectacular and now they were split up and on their own for the rest of the first test. At least they had each other though and this had always been their backup plan. No matter what happened they'd stick together unless absolutely necessary.
"Picking up anything Cat Noir?" Marinette asked in French using both their native tongues and their hero names to add to their avoidance at being overheard.
"Nothing nearby." Adrien said as he reached up to toggle the hearing on his mask to increase the range just in case. "I'm not hearing or smelling anything that is close enough to be a threat this high up."
"Good." Marinette said. "I should be ready soon. I do feel bad about the others though. I wish we could help them."
"Same but you saw that attack." Adrien said looking out to where they'd been and seeing nothing but broken earth, a lot of dust, and a few scattered dots as examinees cleared the area. "A good portion should have managed to stick together but with how we were, I bet there are at least 3 to 4 groups that got formed and at least one other that won't be able to regroup."
"Alas that seems to be the case." Marinette said. "So, we just have to go at this together and trust that our class will pass. Those Ketsubutsu people were clearly targeting us."
"Bakugo was right there." Adrien said. "That Shindo character was prepared for this from the moment he greeted us. Interestingly Shiketsu aren't around."
"Well, that one kid who's our year likely has his own plan as he's the only first year from there partaking in this I think, at least Aizawa didn't say that anyone else was doing so." Marinette said. "As for the others, I can't say what they are doing though there's something about that girl that is bothering me."
"What do you mean?" Adrien asked.
"I honestly don't know." Marinette admitted. "I just get this feeling that she's dangerous and that I don't want to run into her if I can help it. That's why we need to finish this soon."
"Just a heads up, 36 examinees have currently passed." Mera said giving them an update. "That first pass unleashed a good wave of passes, hurry up so that I can take a break."
"Still some time but we should get going." Marinette said.
"On your lead m'lady." Adrien said. "You have the better power to help right now."
"True so it's time for a little surveillance as I'm recharged enough for this to last long enough to work." Marinette said as she activated her Quirk again. "So, let's see what I get."
Her goal in mind was to get an item that would best allow them to surveil the area around them to find them a good place to strike at enough examinees to pass this test. There was a flash of pink and a telescopic scope in a ladybug print with a lot of buttons on it appeared in the air before Marinette before it fell into her hands. This would more than suffice and was a lot less obvious than a drone was.
With a grin, Marinette leapt up to the top of the air conditioning unit as it gave her the best view in all directions and crouched low trusting Adrien to protect her as she raised the scope to her eye. It was a high-powered scope, the kind one might find on a sniper rifle, but with various features for increasing distance, infra-red, night vision, really the full package. Real useful thing though Marinette didn't need the fancy digs to just look around.
First Marinette looked to where they'd come from and saw the destruction there. She couldn't find any of their class but with the downed mountain and broken earth there was no way to see what was going on there as it would be a while before the dirt settled. She then moved around and scanned the area as best she could. Her focus was on the nearby buildings looking for a place that they could attack.
What they needed was a place where there were enough for them both to pass but not too many that they couldn't handle. It also had to be a place that they could reach from where they currently were and reach in a way that would give them the elements of surprise to overwhelm their opponents. It took a moment but in the end Marinette found it and grinned at the sight that greeted her through her scope.
It was a building across the street from, and about two floors below, them. There was a corridor facing the street with 8 students, 5 boys and 3 girls, in it and clearly laying an ambush for any who entered and chose to climb the building. Two were at the ends monitoring the doors, 3 were patrolling up and down it, one was at the window looking out but clearly not really paying attention as they were pretty high up so an attack from outside likely seemed unlikely to the look out, and two were chatting in the middle of the corridor though closer to one of the doors. Those two were likely the group's leader and strategist.
They had a decent plan and almost certainly some surveillance or similar style Quirks if Marinette had to guess. They were clearly waiting for people to come into the building for whatever reason and as such they'd likely gone there right away to set this up. Then they'd pick off the groups as they arrived and pass that way. It was a good strategy. Shame they weren't counting on running into Ladybug and Cat Noir and what they could do in the concrete jungle.
"Cat Noir, east side, see the building on the other side of the road." Marinette said knowing that Adrien would head to the edge and look out. "Keep low so as to not be spotted, they have a lookout who's not really doing his job but best to be cautious."
"One sec." Adrien said as he went around the air conditioning unit and kept low as he went to the edge to look at the building the building in question.
It was about the same size as this one and made to look like an office suite with floor to ceiling windows on what had to be its face. Thanks to the sunlight and the angle Adrien couldn't see into it without aid like the scope that Marinette was using, but he knew what he was looking at.
"Two floors below us." Marinette said once Adrien was in position. "There are 8 people in the floor length corridor that faces the window. Reckon you can make the leap and get in there. I trust you can handle them until I arrive to back you up."
"No problem bugaboo." Adrien said as he noted the floor and backed up to the air conditioning unit. "I'll clear the way and ensure that we can pass the exam."
"Don't get cocky my love." Marinette said. "I'll be there in a moment to back you up even if you think you can handle it alone. We may be good individually but together we're damn near unbeatable."
"First to pass choses dinner then." Adrien said as he ran to the edge.
Marinette just rolled her eyes but smiled and nodded nonetheless. This was what they were trained for, and those other examinees were about to learn that the hard way. A shame, their idea was good, but the couple had to pass and that meant that four of those kids had to fail.
Adrien for his part just leapt off the roof using his training and strength to easily judge the power he needed to clear the gap. The only issue was the windows as he didn't know how strong they were. To rectify that, and ensure he landed on the right floor, he aimed his staff at one and extended it into the window. The tough, magical, item slammed into the window and went right through it giving Adrien a slide down to where he needed to go and weakening the window to ensure that he could kick through it without the need for Cataclysm thus preserving its surprise for a moment.
The students inside the building, second years at Isamu Academy High School, were preparing their ambush, one of their door monitors had recorded at least 6 students walking into the building with his Quirk so they had a good target pool, when a silvery rod punched through the window and hit the ground hard enough to bury into it. That instantly got all of their attentions and put them on high alert.
One of the three on the patrol up and down hurried to look at it as this was not what they'd planned for. They were a good 15 stories up for a reason and facing the wider road. There shouldn't be an attack from outside, let alone one at a downward angle even if they had a lookout just in case but he'd not notified them of anything and was now looking at the invading item with confusion as well. That was the last thing the student thought for the exam as he turned to the window to see a pair of black booted feet slam into it, shattering it and collapsing the rod back to the attacker's hand.
A second later Adrien's feet hit the student in face, and he rode the kid down to the ground, slamming his unconscious body into it and then leaping off it with a forward flip and a twist in the air to face the area where more opponents were. With an expert kick to the wall that cracked it, Adrien pushed forward and flipped into the middle of the hallway grinning like a Cheshire cat under his mask as he landed on his feet and looked around.
"Howdy folks, you ready to play with this kitty cat." Adrien said in Japanese with a meow at the end for good measure as he took a combat stance, his baton now in a short staff length in his right hand and resting against his back. "Because I sure am, and this kitty doesn't play nice."
"Get him." The leader of the class said as the 7 remaining students turned to face him. "We've got our first catch of the day. Between him and the ones coming you'll all get one each."
At that several balls flew at Adrien all at once. All he did was grin as he raised his right arm behind him and began to spin his staff in his fingers to deflect the balls coming at him from the 3 that he couldn't see there, the window lookout, door monitor and a rover, as he activated Cataclysm in his left hand before extending it all the way to his shoulder just to be safe. With expert swipes of his hand as if he was batting a ball of yarn, he hit the balls with his left hand or forearm, destroying all of them within a second of them touching his Quirk with easy until none where left.
"What, what are you?" The leader said his eyes wide at how the attack had failed. "What Quirk is that?"
"You can call me Cat Noir, the black cat of the night." Adrien said with a grin. "A future hero from U.A.'s infamous Class 1-A. and now it's my turn."
With that Adrien charged forward at the 4 before him. He'd already sensed that one of the 3 behind him was trying to sneak up on him, likely with a close combat Quirk, but that wouldn't work. He had faith in his partner, and she would have his back, so he didn't need to worry about her.
That was true as the moment the girl with the close combat Quirk reached the broken window, Marinette swung in through it. She'd leapt across after Adrien, dismissing her charm in the process, and used her yo-yo to latch onto the roof before landing on the building's face a level above where the attack was taking place and waiting for the right moment to join the fray. That came when the girl was trying to sneak up on Adrien her arms raised to attack, not that that would work but Marinette wasn't going to let her try regardless.
With a leap backwards, Marinette swung away from the building before letting out a bit more of her string and swinging down and through the window just as the girl reached it and her unconscious classmate. She didn't even get a chance to turn before Marinette's feet slammed into her side and sent her flying into, and then through, the wall opposite the window. She crashed to the ground and rolled through that room and into its far wall were she lay still and clearly out of the fight.
Marinette didn't care as she turned to the two on her side and yanked in her yo-yo. It came to her hand just as they recovered from her sudden arrival, both having at least one trigger hit due to Adrien deflecting the balls and spun it as she always did before launching it. It was time to end this.
With a flick of her wrist, Marinette took advantage of the stunned students to launch her yo-yo at the nearest one, the one by a window who was supposed to be their lookout and caught him around the chest and arms with it. She then yanked back and towards her as she leapt forward at the last one who was pulling out what looked like a pair of stun baton that had to be support items as the door person likely had a surveillance or observation-based Quirk.
That didn't matter to Marinette as she clotheslined the one she snagged before he could react, knocking him out as he passed her and retrieving her yo-yo causing his body to spin before it crashed to the ground and lay there motionless. At the same time Marinette landed with a rolled and popped up at a full sprint towards the last guy. He lunged at her with his right-hand prod, the tines sparking, but she twisted away and grabbed his wrist like she did with Toga back in the woods with her left hand.
A twist later and he dropped it with a yelp of pain but thankfully she didn't break his arm. At the same time Marinette reeled her yo-yo in and put it on her belt. She then punched him hard in the chest as she let go of his wrist to finish her smooth sequence she'd just done. The force of the blow sent him staggering back and into the door where he slumped to the ground gasping for air as he sat there. Marinette just kicked up his dropped stun baton into her left hand and activated it with a flick of her thumb as she approached him.
"Whoever you are you won't beat me!" The student roared as he used the last of his strength to lunge at Marinette with the baton that was still in his left hand.
"I'm afraid that's where you're wrong." Marinette said as she grabbed the tines of the baton and grimaced at the pain from it shocked her even with her suit mitigating some of the electricity, but it was still nothing compared to the amount of electricity Kaminari could produce even if this one could stun a non-enhanced human and crushing it. "I can't afford to fail this."
"Who the fuck are you." The guy said his eyes wide at what Marinette had done as she yanked the broken stun baton from his hand and tossed it to the side.
"Ladybug." Marinette said calmly as she slammed the prod in her own left hand into his chest to stun him just as he had tried to stun her. "And with this, I'm one step closer to being back to where I belong in this world."
The boy didn't hear this as he was out could from the shock and slumped sideways to the ground. Marinette just dropped the remaining baton she had, her costume had prevented her hand from getting injured it seemed even if she'd still felt the electricity and could see the marks of it on her right hand and pulled out one of her balls. It was time to pass the first test.
As all this was happening Adrien had charged the leader. His tactician had put herself between them and gone to draw a support item to stop him, but Adrien was on them before that could happen and swiped at it with his left hand, hitting it and sending Cataclysm into it.
At the same time, he'd shrunk his staff into a baton to bring it to his side before he extended it into a staff again as fast as he could so that the end hit the girl in the gut winding her as she looked at her item disintegrating in shock. As she doubled over, Adrien elbowed her in the jaw launching her face first to the side and into the window, which thankfully held, where she slid down to lie unconscious on the floor.
Her sacrifice had allowed the leader to back up and grin at Adrien, his hands out. He was clearly ready for this and a set of what looked like wires shot out of his palms, forearms and chest at Adrien.
Adrien just grinned as he collapsed his staff and put it back where he kept it in the small of his back. As he did this, he caught some of the wires in his left hand while activating Cataclysm in his right hand as well to bat away the other wires and yanked the leader to him with his strength. That caused the leader to gasp in shock at both that and how his wires were now being destroyed showing that they were inorganic. He detached them from his body but by then he'd reached Adrien and it was over for him.
As he was stumbling forward, Adrien had deactivated Cataclysm and stepped forward to shoulder charge the leader in the face stunning him and staggering him back with a bloody nose but not knocking him out. Adrien just stepped forward and grabbed his top in his right hand and right wrist in his left.
Then with a leg sweep, Adrien swept his legs from under him and spun around to increase his momentum before he tossed the guy at the third roving sentry. The girl had used the earlier fights to run a narrow whip thing through her mouth showing she had some saliva-based Quirk that made things sticky given how it glistened. She'd been in the process of whipping it at Adrien when he threw the leader at her.
As such all it did was catch her leader and then herself in it as he crashed into her, and they rolled away a tangle of limbs trapped for the moment thanks to her Quirk on the whip. Adrien ignored it though as he ran at the final person, the other door guardian person. He too likely had a surveillance-based Quirk given the contraption on his left forearm, but he stood his ground to fight for his class as he drew what looked like a studded truncheon and charged at Adrien.
This guy clearly didn't learn from earlier as Adrien reactivated Cataclysm in his left hand, like Marinette he'd realized that he could turn it on and off within the roughly 20-minute window that he now had with it though the more of his body that was covered in it the shorter his time and caught the truncheon in his hand. As it was disintegrating, Adrien raised his foot and slammed it into the guys chest as hard as he could manage without breaking the guy's sternum.
The last standing student that Adrien was facing was blasted back and at the door with a gasp, letting go of his truncheon as Cataclysm consumed it. He then hit and went through the door before slamming into the wall at the far end. Past the door was a stairwell and he was past it and pitched forward to land in a heap on the landing clearly out cold. With that, they'd won.
"Class 1-A you say." The leader growled as he tried to free himself from the situation he and his classmate were in but neither could manage it until her Quirk wore off and given where his face was it was going to be a rather awkward time for both of them. "So, you are as good as they say you are. Those first years weren't lying it seemed. At least eliminate me, I'm the one who planned this, I deserve to fail for being beat by you."
"You're plan wasn't bad, the 6 currently approaching in the stairwell would have likely been taken out by you and your class." Adrien said as he reached the leader and pulled out one of his balls. "But yes, we are that good though if you're referring to a first-year class that knows us I'm going to presume you go to Isamu as they did that training with us a while back. For what it's worth, I am sorry about this, but I can't fail. I will honor your request though, a leader should accept responsibility, but this isn't the end for all of you, remember that and help the others if you can."
With that Adrien quickly and efficiently hit the triggers on the leader and the girl he was stuck to eliminating them just as Marinette finished doing the same to the guy she'd clotheslined so they passed at effectively the same time. Once that was done, Adrien put the ball away and activated Cataclysm in a finger and touched it to the sticky whip. It immediately began to disintegrate, though the saliva part remained as it was organic, but as that was the only thing that he'd touched that was all that was affected. They should be able to sort the rest out now.
"The others are out cold." Adrien said as he stood up. "See to them even though you are out because there are people coming and your classmates are still in so their fair game."
"Right." The guy said clearly angry at failing but accepting of his fate. "You two are something else."
"We always have been." Adrien said as he walked back to the broken window where Marinette was now waiting for him. "And soon Japan will know it."
With that Adrien and Marinette leapt out of the window and to the ground below without a moment's hesitation much to the leader's shock, using their tools to rest their descent and land with ease. Almost as soon as they landed their targets flashed blue before going that color to show that they'd passed.
"Students who have passed should make their way to the antechamber." A cool female voice said to them from the targets.
"Looks like 50 students have passed." Mera's voice said over the intercom confirming the number who'd advanced a moment after Adrien and Marinette had been told where to go. "Halfway there and then I can sleep."
"Let's head to this antechamber." Marinette said. "And see who else has passed."
"Right." Adrien said as they began to walk along the road. "Um, where is it?"
Marinette just shrugged at that as they began to walk. It took a bit, and another announcement with directions from their targets to find it. It was a small, box-like, building on the edge of the arena so away from the combat and behind the wooded area near the water feature so it was easy to miss. With nothing else to do, Adrien and Marinette walked into the room.
It was already buzzing with the talk from the students who had passed, 56 at this point based on the announcement they heard on the way here, as they chatted with each other. A loud, excited, voice was speaking, and they saw the tall Shiketsu student who'd turned down U.A. talking with an examinee who looked like he'd made the wrong choice in talking to the clearly passionate aspiring hero. There was also a full buffet of food, drinks, and first aid for those who needed things like that.
"I was wondering where the others were." A very familiar voice said as Adrien and Marinette made their way to the food as both needed some after the first test and this way they could preserve their protein stocks. "I'm not surprised at you two, but I was starting to wonder if the info the other examinees had on us had done the others in."
"Todoroki, what an expected surprise." Adrien said clapping his friend on the back as Todoroki approached them, no targets on his body now showing that there was a way to remove them which Todoroki had done after he'd arrived though he'd actually passed after the French pair he arrived before them simply due to proximity. "I see you passed with ease despite being on your own."
"Yes it wasn't too hard." Todoroki said a little unfamiliar with the friendly greeting, but he was close with Agreste after all they'd been through and their similar daddy issues, so he wasn't discomforted by it. "I needed to be alone to let loose and it was what helped me win in the end."
"Really, do tell what happened and how do we get these things off?" Adrien said as Marinette went to get some food for them to let the boys have their moment as she knew that Adrien was closer to Todoroki than she was, her interactions with the two-tone boy had been either in passing, them beating the ever-loving shit out of each other, or Todoroki apologizing for injuring her and asking her some questions about said battle. "Because I feel like using Cataclysm to destroy them wouldn't go over well with that Mera dude."
"There's a magnetic key in the back of the room for that." Todoroki said loud enough that Marinette heard so she was going to look for that while the boys chatted. "As for me, I went to the industrial area as that was where I felt I could do the best on my own as it would give me the most cover to let lose. While there I got cornered by about 10 kids from Seijin High."
"Seijin?" Adrien asked. "Not heard of it but then again other than Shiketsu I hadn't heard of any hero schools until that training thing we did with Isamu though of course I knew that there were a lot of them around, there has to be given the number of heroes out there. The kids we beat were from Isamu it seemed."
"Seijin is very old school and traditionalist Japanese high school." Todoroki said. "They don't even allow hero outfits; their students wear ninja outfits in various colors. The variety of colors is the only thing that isn't old school as they range from the expected black to things like pink, yellow, and cyan."
"Interesting, that is old school, like pre-Quirk old if they use ninja outfits." Adrien said. "And if they cornered you they must have known who you were."
"Yup, they may have even targeted me because they were ready for me and called me confident for trying to pass alone seeing as it was 10 on 1." Todoroki said. "Their leader, a dude who wore red, had an object gigantification Quirk where he could enlarge anything he made bigger. Things like nails and nuts that were able to counter my ice. Plus, they were made of tungsten which has an insanely high melting point apparently, so high that my fire didn't leave a mark on it. He was clearly the best of them and the only one not surprised by my skills. He obviously studied the Sports Festival because he was ready for me, but he was overconfident in his numbers. In the end it was his pride that was his downfall, not mine. I went alone because I had to not because I was too prideful to work with the class."
"That does make sense, few of us can counter, control, or keep up with your attacks." Adrien said. "I can easily, so can Bakugo and Midoriya though the later has to break his body to do so as I don't think he has that power at his current maintainable level, and Marinette can with the right item. Ashido and Ida probably as well but that's it."
"Yes true and I will work on it for the future but for this test I needed to let lose." Todoroki said. "The only thing that really threw me was the tungsten, that I wasn't expecting."
"Well yeah, it melts at like 3,400 degrees Celsius so using tools with it makes sense as it means that fire really isn't an issue to deal with." Adrien said. "It has the highest melting point for any metal I believe. I don't even think that villain with the blue flames that I heard about could melt it. It's not the best for some things but for an item gigantification Quirk like that it's pretty perfect. Only thing that could match it would be titanium."
"You know a bit about it then." Todoroki said surprised. "Especially as you don't have the same issue with it that I do. Cataclysm would just destroy it as it's inorganic."
"Well yeah I don't have an issue with it, but I know about it because Marinette's backup navel piercing is made of tungsten." Adrien said with a shrug. "Didn't she say as much when you faced off in the semifinal? She got it because she couldn't have her normal one in for the Sports Festival as it contains her costume the way my ring contains mine, but she wanted one in as she was used to it by that point. However, she figured between you and Bakugo she might as well go with the most fire-resistant metal."
"I think so, I wasn't exactly thinking of the past at the time and while I remember that fight very well, our dialog in it is a bit hard to recall given all the action that went on." Todoroki said recalling that Dupain-Cheng had said that it was tungsten in their match and how it was unmarked after he burned her, but he wasn't going to recall that during a battle like the one he'd just had. "And two of the others had water and sand Quirks to deal with my fire."
"I see so they were fully prepared for both halves of your Quirk." Adrien said thinking on it. "Interesting. Likely the others had Quirks for some of us as well though I wouldn't have had an issue."
"No, the power of pure destruction is useful against that stuff, and I am sure that you have really improved your Quirk just like the rest of us." Todoroki said to which Adrien simply nodded. "But even with their plans they couldn't best me."
"How'd you manage to best them?" Adrien asked.
"A bit of improvisation and crazy ideas that could have really hurt me." Todoroki said. "It was rather reckless, but it worked and wasn't as bad as I was expecting."
"So basically, full Midoriya." Adrien said.
"Pretty much, I have learned a lot from him since our match in the Sports Festival." Todoroki admitted. "I used a high-powered fire attack to cause cover when the two who were assigned to counter my flames quenched them. I used that to give me time to plan, and I saw what I needed to do. First, I set a sign on fire to distract them as I got to high ground and pierced a tank of fuel with my ice. I figured that if the Heroes Public Safety Commission was going for realism then they'd fill it with the real thing which they did though not as much as I was expecting. Still, it blew with my fire when I used it to melt my ice and that sent them flying. In the ensuing aftermath I froze them all in ice and took out the leader and the sand user to pass."
"Clever." Adrien said impressed by the battlefield adjustment and tactics Todoroki had used, he'd grown in that department as well. "Not a bad way to advance and you were right to go at it alone, few of us could have hung with you."
"I'm good for offense like that though my Quirk can be used for defense if needed." Todoroki admitted. "What about the others? How'd you end up with just Dupain-Cheng? Well, I know that if anything had happened you two would be together, but I didn't expect you to get split up from the rest of the class."
"We are trained to be best together, so we were ready if we got split from the class." Adrien said. "And that happened thanks to that Shindo guy's Quirk. He has some shockwave or vibration Quirk and used it to break the ground underneath us thus bypassing our protection."
"Protection?" Todoroki asked.
"Marinette had created an item to protect us the moment the ambush was sprung." Adrien explained. "Basically, it was a large dome charm that kept us safe inside from outside attacks, but a ground-based attack could get past it, so we braced and got split up by the attack."
"Damn, that's still impressive." Todoroki said. "I've seen her make a fair bit but nothing larger than that suit she used in the forest to try and catch up with the villain that took Bakugo and Tokoyami. I've certainly not seen her make something for pure defense."
"Marinette is very good at exceeding expectations, this time even I was impressed." Adrien said which was an understatement as far as Todoroki was concerned seeing as Dupain-Cheng seemed to be constantly exceeding expectations. "Anyway, thanks to Jiro we knew that the attack was coming and just had to go on our own from there once the ground exploded and Marinette dispelled her charm. We are best in a cityscape, so we went there to regroup and plan but alas none of the class were with us for it. From there it was just finding a group of students that was good for us to attack, hitting them with a surprise attack from outside and above, and took them out. Between us we faced 8 in close combat when we did find that group."
"8?" Todoroki asked knowing that number was nowhere near enough to take out the French pair if they were working together given what he'd seen from both of them. "And how many are still conscious?"
"2 when we left." Adrien admitted. "They were no match for us and at least one had an emitter class Quirk that allowed him to create wires from his body. They weren't organic and as such were no match for Cataclysm even if he was their leader. He and one of the others with some sticky spit Quirk were tangled up thanks to a move by me and were the only ones not knocked out. I freed them after eliminating both while Marinette dealt with a few others and got her targets as well."
"3 for me, 5 for Adrien but they were thrown by us coming in through a 15th floor window and from above." Marinette said returning with a plate full of food and a key in her other hand that she handed to Adrien and surprising Todoroki with how they'd attacked, he'd have to see them in a city environment to really see how good they were in one if they could do that. "Here eat up kitty, you need it more than me as I got to recharge during the exam though I will eat as well as I used Lucky Charm twice. I'll take your targets to the box for you and make a round to see if anyone else from the class has passed."
"Thanks bugaboo." Adrien said with a smile as he removed his targets and handed them and the key back to Marinette before taking the plate from her. "Smells good."
"I went with some heavy protein, meat based, foods." Marinette said taking one of the dumpling things from the plate for herself, her costume still looking singed on her right palm. "Though I'll help you finish."
"Um Dupain-Cheng." Todoroki said noticing what he thought was a wound. "Is your hand ok?"
"Huh, oh it's fine and please use my hero name while in costume, it's easier and I'm used to using it when in costume to the point I've grown accustomed to it." Marinette said as she took a bite of the lightly spiced, meat filled dumpling and swallowed it before continuing. "One of the guys we faced had some stun baton weapon things to take down his opponents as his Quirk was likely surveillance based given his position by a door. He tried to jab me with his remaining one, but I caught it and destroyed it. I'm pretty resistant to electricity thanks to the enhanced constitution and this costume so it was more a nuisance. He wasn't so resistant. The nanotech will repair itself when I deactivate it so it will be good as new when I next put it on."
"Do I want to know?" Todoroki asked as Marinette turned and walked away humming to herself.
"Probably not, she's not one to piss off but then again you've faced her in battle, so you know what it's like." Adrien said as he sensed something and looked over to see the tall Shiketsu guy glaring at them, in particular glaring at Todoroki with what looked like hate in his eyes before he went back to whatever he was talking about with someone in a loud, passionate, carrying voice. "Er…do you have beef with that Shiketsu guy?"
"Beef?" Todoroki asked.
"Issues, disagreements, that kinda thing." Adrien said.
"Honestly, I don't know." Todoroki admitted. "If he was at the recommended exam I should remember him, but I don't. Then again I was so focused on just passing and getting into U.A. back then that I don't really remember it."
"Well, he has something with you, I can tell that much." Adrien said. "So, it would probably be for the best for you to find out what when you can about his issue with you. You don't want it to get in the way of anything."
"True it is probably for the best." Todoroki said knowing that Agreste was right in this regard. "But right now, I'm more concerned about our classmates. I wonder how they are doing?"
"I'm sure that even if they are in a situation they are fine." Adrien said as he began to eat, and Marinette made her way back with another dumpling that she was enjoying having not found any of their classmates meaning it was just the 3 of them at the moment. "I have faith in them. They'll pass, I know it."
Momo was freezing and not thinking straight as she tried to come up with a plan to get out of the situation that she and some of her friends were currently in. After that Ketsubutsu student had split them up, Momo had been able to regroup with Kyoka, Shoji and Tsu but that was it. They had been thrown to pretty far and had no choice but to go on their own in the city area. The best bet was to get into a building, get some height, and plan their next move from there.
Unfortunately, they'd walked into a trap that was the idea of some really intelligent enemy who was clearly aware of their Quirks. In short order they'd been out maneuvered, and the windows on the floor that they were on taken out in a way that didn't break them but did obscure them and leaving them blind to the outside which negated Shoji's Quirk.
At the same time one of the doors had been welded shut funneling them to the other shut door just before cold air was pumped in that caused Tsu to go into hibernation thus taking her out and showing that they likely had control over all aspects of the building so an electric heater was out as an option. All this was after a loud blast of music was played from somewhere below them to take out Jiro's hearing thus negating her recon abilities and then when she tried to attack the door the sniper who'd taken out the windows took out both her speakers and cut he left jack.
They had been thoroughly out thought and out maneuvered here. They couldn't blast the welded door open with a bomb that she could make as it might cause a phreatic explosion. There was only one way out and no doubt their opponents were there waiting for them with Quirks to counter theirs. With Tsu out and Jiro injured they weren't a strong offensive team and Shoji was busy holding Tsu in a blanket to try and warm her up, so he too was out of the fight.
Initially Momo had thought to create a putty like substance like clay to block the vents but that would be all her lipids due to how many vents there were in the room they were in and that was when she realized it. That was why they were freezing the room. Momo was the target not Tsu, Tsu was just a bonus as they couldn't know that the girl was cold blooded so fully frog-like. Their enemy was anticipating Momo's versatile Quirk and was doing something to maximize the amount she'd create as they wouldn't know what was best to take her out other than forcing her to overuse her Quirk.
She needed a plan and she needed one fast. She thought on the leaders in the class who she looked to in moments like this. She first though about what Marinette would do as she was the leader the girls in the class looked to first, well all but one of them did. Alas that was a no go as Marinette had Lucky Charm to go off and that was a powerful Quirk that would really assist Marinette in a moment like this.
Knowing Marinette, Momo was sure that the girl would just get an item that made no sense to anyone, use it to make some extremely convoluted and complex plan, and then burst through the door to beat those waiting for her unconscious while using her superior agility to avoid attacks. As such Marinette wasn't the best person to look to right now though just thinking of her friend and how calm Marinette would be in a situation like this eased Momo's mind and allowed her to focus on the other members of the class she'd grown to admire for their leadership and level heads this year.
She started with Todoroki but he was all offense so the doors wouldn't be an issue for him. Then there was Ida but again he wasn't great as his best thing was speed which wasn't what Momo needed right now. Lastly there was Midoriya and his strategic, analytical, mind. It was the last one that gave her the idea as she recalled what he said about why he was going to rescue Bakugo, how so long as he could move he wouldn't stop.
That was it, that was what Momo needed to focus on, and it was thanks to a few simple words that Momo had said to Ida that she found the strength to do what was needed right now. She couldn't focus on herself; her own passing didn't matter. She had to focus on getting the others through this, on helping them pass, and doing so by playing to their strengths. Well, she had Jiro here and a quick check in her book gave her what she need to make. She also had the cookies Marinette had made her which meant that she could replace her lipids at the end for a bonus boost that her opponent wouldn't know about.
"Please, bear with these conditions for just a few moments longer." Momo said opening up the front of her costume and making headphones for all of them to protect them from their upcoming counter attack, not caring that she almost flashed Shoji with a full view of her breasts though he turned away in time and Jiro leapt in front of her despite Momo's non-leud view regarding nudity, shown by the fact that she hadn't turned before opening the front of her costume. "I've never made this next item so it will take some time."
As Momo spoke the last few words she fell to her hands and knees and began to make the speaker from her back, she'd replace the destroyed part later when she'd replenished her lipids. Jiro looked at it her eyes wide as she got what Momo had in store. Yes, this would turn the tables and ensure that they got out of this without failing.
"I hate this." Aizawa said from the stands as he looked out over the recked arena ignoring Joke's attempt to fool him with a trick of hers in the form of a finger trap disguised as a stick of gum. "It's frustrating that we can't tell who passes and fails in real time."
"And our Shindo only made it worse by splitting the ground open to get rid of that dome thing so now it is hard to see anything." Joke said putting the actual not joke gum into her mouth and chewing before Eraser's words hit her. "Wait Eraser, are you actually worried?"
"There's something I've realized after watching my students both in school and in the field." Aizawa said in response to Joke's question. "They might not have realized it themselves though I think to some extent the girls in the class have with one of them but in Class 1-A there are three people who's spirits have a big impact on everyone else. Two aren't leaders or the most popular and they don't get along at all to the point that they might seem like polar opposites, the third isn't from Japan at all though she is a natural leader. However, before I knew it their passion had spread to the rest of their peers. It's strange, but every time there is some major event, at least one of them is at the center of it. I'm not worried Joke, it's the opposite actually because I can't wait to see what they'll do. Even if they aren't with the others, their presence here raises the standard for the entire class."
"You've fallen for them hard." Ms. Joke said idly as she blew a bubble with her gum containing her surprise at Eraser's love for his class behind a veneer of indifference. "It's kinda gross."
"I'm honored to have them as students." Aizawa said as he looked out seriously over the arena knowing full well that all his class would pass this test thanks to the influence Bakugo, Midoriya, and Dupain-Cheng had on all the others. "My class 1-A."
Sorry, couldn't resist ending it there as it's just too good and really shows how much Aizawa actually cares for his class, now with Marinette included as one of the driving forces because we all know that she is like that with the girls at least. Anyway, there it is, Adrien and Marinette in the first test doing their thing and passing. As seen by Momo's moment, the rest of the class went as canon, and it will be like that so you can expect it to just be glossed over at the start of the next chapter and assume that two of the other passing students were taken out by Adrien and Marinette to balance the numbers at the end as the entire class does have to pass the first test. Also, for anyone confused or wondering, Isamu Academy High School is an anime canon only school with a hero course that appeared in one of the earlier OVAs for MHA that was never dubbed as far as I know (if it is tell me where to find it as I do want to watch it), I only know of them from research and a few clips, but it is an OVA that gives a bit more of Tsu's backstory and her family and where we learn why she is so mentally mature (she's the main caretaker for her younger siblings as her parents are often working late). I used second years from that school to have at least some anime canon in it though as I've never seen that OVA I will only reference it a bit, there won't be any chapter based of it or other OVAs or that weird save the world with love episode that annoyingly broke up the provisional license arc. I will have part of the Selkie special episode from season 5 though because it is a rare, anime only, episode with an international aspect to it as it is a set up episode for the 3rd film, but all of that nearer the time. The other schools seen in the show in this arc that face Todoroki and Momo's group are also anime exclusive schools and characters who aren't in the manga, just in case you were curious. Anyway, that is all I have for y'all so I will leave this chapter here. If you like it or have any questions please let me know in reviews or PMs, I will try to answer them as best I could and post any questions asked between uploads at the start of the next chapter and do follow and favorite this, so you are alerted to future uploads. Do keep the reviews coming as I like hearing from y'all as you enjoy my work, it motivates me to keep producing the best work I can for y'all to enjoy. Until next time.
Stringdog