Teacher Discussion, Exam Results
Teacher A: Wow, the first place student really did well.
Teacher B: Yeah, and that second place student didn't have a single rescue point.
Teacher C: He took down those faux villains like an ace. When the others were running from the larger threat he stayed focused on letting the small targets get in close and counterattacking. That Kid is tough.
Teacher A: On the other hand, the seventh place student had only rescue points.
Teacher B: He's not the first U.A. hopeful to take out that giant robot. But it's been a while since someone took it out in one shot.
Teacher C: But at what cost? Did you see what he did to himself? It's like his body can't handle his quirk.
Teacher A: Speaking of cost... That first place student didn't lose her cool and flee like most students, but she didn't keep racking up points either. She prioritized saving the two students who were left immobilized by the robot and then tending to the seventh place students injuries until help could arrive. Then what she said after when that kid questioned her motives, that's a real hero in the making.
Teacher C: We'll see about that, her leg is definitely going to be an issue. Not to mention, she nearly failed the written test.
Teacher B: Don't underestimate anyone yet, it's going to be an interesting year.
Akira Grace POV; First Day of Homeroom
I had opted for a seat in the front and center of the room, I was used to learning with direct view and one hundred percent attention on the person teaching me. It would be best to change my routine as little as possible to make sure I was able to keep up academically. No longer would I be learning at my own pace, but at the teacher's pace of teaching.
Slowly, other students began filing in. They were, for the most part, all loud and excited for the school year. Suddenly someone slams their hands down on either side of the notebook I'm doodling in.
"AKIRA! You made it in, you got the top spot in the practicals too right? I knew you were amazing!" Blushing I shake my head, Kirishima had arrived.
"Uh, yeah. It was just luck, rescue points mostly..." He scoffs and plops himself into a nearby desk.
"Nah, I'm sure you're all kinds of amazing when you use your quirk! You even beat out that guy that knocked you down, he got second place. Boy, I bet he's pissed! I was in his arena, he was all explosions and focus. Like a machine man, he was crazy good!" Laughing I shrug and go back to my drawing. The picture of Mei Hatsume is coming along nicely, her eyes had proved a challenge at first and I'd had to use my quirk on the ink several times to get it right. Kirishima begins talking to other people, and it's very peaceful until a loud explosion goes off beside my head. The ink in my pen is yanked out instinctually by my quirk, putting itself between me and the threat.
"HEY YOU! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! YOU SHOWED ME UP IN THE EXAMS, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Ah, that kid Kirishima said I had beat out for first place in the practical test. Point to Kirishima, he is pissed off.
"No you're not, this is a school setting and you'll be expelled. Which I'm sure would damage your chances at becoming a pro-hero. I'm sure there will be many opportunities for you to prove you are in fact better than me as the school year progresses. However, if you do feel the need to yell at me please refrain from setting off explosions simultaneously. We have several classmates with quirks that make them sound sensitive, and I'm sure they do not appreciate that level of noise." The boy stares at me blankly, clearly confused. Kirishima looks confused as well, and I calmly recall the ink into my pen and go back to my work. The boy soon takes up yelling with Iida after he puts his feet up on a desk, and Kirishima pokes my shoulder.
"Psst, hey. You were like a whole different person there! I wasn't gonna say anything before, but you know you stutter and stuff when you talk yeah? But when you talked to Bakugo it was like you were as cool as a cucumber! You didn't trip up your words once!" Brushing back my hair I offer him a nonchalant shrug.
"I-uh, I get nervous sometimes when I'm just... just talking to people I guess. Sometimes... I guess I just go into another mode you know? Um, I think my siblings call it 'mom' mode, cause apparently it makes me sound just like our mom when she's trying to get them to behave and see reason." Kirishima nods, and peers at my paper.
"Hey, that's awesome! Who is it? Someone you know?"
"A girl I met today, she's uh, in hero support." He nods and goes to ask another question, but our teacher has arrived. Oh, wonderful, he reminds me of Grandpa Toro.
"It took you all 8 seconds before you all shut up. That's not gonna work. Time is precious. Rational students would understand that. Hello, I'm Shoto Aizawa. Your Teacher. Right, let's get to it. Put these on and head outside. "He leaves, and everyone scrambles to go get changed. I spot the girl from the exams, who I now knew was named Ochako Uraraka, and do my best to catch up with her. I stop her outside the locker rooms. Very much out of breath, my leg is already throbbing from all the walking I've done today. Those stairs into the school are going to literally be the death of me.
"Uraraka, I just... I, uh, wanted to tell you something." Taking a deep breath I shake myself clear of my nerves, "In my acceptance letter, they showed the clip where you asked the teachers to give that green haired kid and I some of your points. I want you to know that I'm very grateful you thought so highly of me, and that by doing that and helping me to rescue that boy after he injured himself you showed that you have the potential to be a truly great hero someday. It's an honor to be your classmate." Uraraka blushes and stutters, waving her hands in front of her face, stumbling over a lot of words that make no sense alone, let alone together.
"Let's get changed, yeah?" She sighs in relief and nods, following me into the locker rooms.
"What? A quirk assessment test?!" Everyone seemed shocked, I wasn't really. Grandpa Toro was a big fan of them himself and this guy seemed just like him.
"But orientation! We're gonna miss it!" Uraraka... May need to sort some of her priorities out.
"If you're really going to make the big leagues you can't waste time on pointless ceremonies. Here at U.A. we're not tethered to traditions. That means that I get to run my class however I see fit. You've been taking standardized tests most of your lives. But you never got to use your quirks in physical exams before. The country's still trying to pretend we're all created equal by not letting those with the most power excel. It's not rational. One day the Ministry of Education will learn." He scans the group briefly.
"While Akira got the most total points on the entrance exam, Bakugo got far more villain points. Bakugo, Akira, What were your farthest distance throws with softballs when you were in junior high?" Bakugo shrugs, disinterested.
"Sixty-seven meters, I think." Aizawa turns to me.
"And you Akira?" I shrug as well.
"Homeschooled, I was never required to submit results for physical exams due to my leg. My brother throws about 104 meters though, and my sister throws about 80 meters. I'm about in the middle when I practice with them." Aizawa blinks slowly but nods.
"So, assuming Bakugo can throw 67 meters without his quirk and Akira can throw 90 meters without hers, let's have them try doing it with their quirks. Bakugo first."
"Anything goes, just stay in the circle. Go on, You're wasting our time." Bakugo goes, yelling 'die' and putting a full power blast behind the ball.
"All of you need to know your maximum abilities. It's the most rational way of figuring out your potential as a pro-hero." He displays Bakugo's score, 705.2 meters. "Akira, your turn. Let's see how your quirk measures up against Bakugo's here." I take my place next, examining the ball for a few seconds. I wind up to throw, wrapping some ink around the ball before I release it. I force the ink to carry the ball as far as I can before I fell the connection to it go out of range. It leaves me slightly light headed when the connection snaps forcefully back at me, lost due to the distance. Aizawa holds up my score. 1,507.8 meters.
"Obviously, her score is higher hear as well. However, there are likely to be parts of this test today that Bakugo excels at more than Akira does. Today you'll compete in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none, and will be expelled immediately." Uh-huh, perfectly logical. From now one he's Grandpa Toro Jr. in my head, the man must be his secret love child or something. He always tells my siblings 'whoever does better gets to eat and the other starves!' or, my personal favorite, 'whoever does the worst is getting disowned and written out of the will!" It motivates them plenty, and sometimes I think he's serious. I'm not jealous that they have to compete with one another when it comes to their academics and things.
"As I said, I get to decide how this class runs. If that's a problem, you can run home right now. Because whoever gets the lowest score today will face immediate expulsion from the school." Uraraka gets some guts and speaks out.
"You can't just send one of us home! That's not fair!" Before Aizawa can say anything, I butt in.
"Life isn't fair. Being a hero isn't fair. Being a civilian that relies on heroes isn't fair. Natural disasters, criminals, catastrophic accidents, and everything else heroes deal with on a daily basis, they don't operate on a basis of 'fair' and 'unfair'. There's no such thing as 'fair' in life, either you work hard to overcome obstacles or you fall behind and fail. Do you think becoming a hero is going to be easy? Because it's not, it'll be the hardest thing you've ever done. It's going to be your job to combat that unfairness, to save people and give them hope in a world full of uncertainty. U.A. is trying to prepare us for that. Obviously, you all haven't had hard enough lessons in what happens when heroes fail to do their jobs properly. Otherwise, you'd completely understand this already." Bakugo loses his shit.
"WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HEROES FAIL? HUH? REAL HEROES NEVER FAIL." Clenching my fists I look at him.
"I live with what happens when 'heroes' fail every day of my life. Did you think this was just a fashion accessory?" Everyone is silent and Aizawa nods approvingly at me.
"Akira's correct, heroes do fail. It's refusing to accept failure as an option that sets the real pros apart. If you ever start to think heroes are infallible, just turn your head and look at her. People die because heroes screw up sometimes, that's why U.A. is going to throw hardship after hardship your way over the next three years. So, go beyond, Plus Ultra Style. Show me it's no mistake you're here." The others seem to gain some resolve then, the reality of the matter finally setting in.
"Now then, we're just wasting time by talking. Let the games begin!"