Izuku had trained with Aizawa enough to know that no matter what he did he would never win one of their sparring sessions. Throw another pro hero into the mix, and Izuku should have asked his mother to start planning his funeral before he left the house that morning. Wheezing as he tried to regain his breath, Izuku wondered what kind of flowers his mother would choose. He hoped she wouldn't pick chrysanthemums. What arrangement could say 'murdered by mentors' as cause of death?

For a moment, all he wanted was to sink into the mat, hard behind his back, and take a long nap. Then a hand appeared in his line of vision, and his resolve returned. Grabbing Aizawa's hand, Izuku allowed himself to be hauled to his feet.

"I think that's enough for today," Aizawa said, and Izuku fought to keep the relief from his face. "Good work today, Midoriya."

It was a rare occasion that Aizawa gave voice to his praise. Izuku bit his lip to keep from smiling as he moved to start his cool down routine.

"Are you sure you haven't trained with anyone before, Izuku-kun?" Yamada asked, handing him a water bottle when he finished. " Surely Shouta hasn't been that great of a teacher."

Grinning, Yamada skirted out of the way as Aizawa made to elbow him in the side.

Aizawa leveled his friend with an even expression. "Better teacher than you. What was it your student got in trouble for the other day? Oh, I remember now. He-"

"I'm just kidding! Just kidding! You know you're a great teacher, don't you, Shouta? Tell him what a great teacher he is, Izuku-kun!"

"Of cour-" Izuku cut off at Yamada's exaggerated wink, the other pro hero taking advantage of the fact that Aizawa had turned to face Izuku when he started to speak. Izuku changed directions immediately. "I don't know, Yamada-san. I've learned a lot from you today. Maybe you've been the secret to Aizawa-sensei's success this whole time. The hidden inspiration."

Aizawa looked as affronted as Izuku had ever seen him. "My own student," he deadpanned. "How will I ever recover from such a betrayal, I wonder."

"In all seriousness though, Izuku-kun," Yamada said, grinning as he returned one of Aizawa's jabs with his own. "You've come a long way from where you started from what Shouta's told me. You should be proud."

Izuku twisted the bottle in his hands. He was proud. He was. When he made the decision to go track down Aizawa he hadn't known what to expect. Maybe he wouldn't be able to find his apartment, maybe he would find it and Aizawa would slam the door in his face. And getting Aizawa to agree to train him? That would be the easy part. Would he be able to live up to the hero's expectations? Would he get the chance to live his dream only to once again be told that no matter what he did he would never be cut out for it?

Those thoughts had circled around and around in his head as he made the initial trek to the apartment building. One nightmare scenario after another. So, yes, even Izuku had to admit that he was proud of himself for making it as far as he had. But would any of it really matter if he didn't pass this test?

Aizawa and Yamada both seemed to realize the shift in Izuku's thoughts, Yamada's grin dropping. The quiet that hung between them weighed on.

"We should go over what we know about the test one more time," Aizawa said, tugging on his scarves. "Tell me what we know."

"Fourteen students from your freshman homeroom were recently expelled or moved to the Gen Ed course because they weren't taking the hero track seriously," Izuku said immediately, his tone dropping as he launched into information sharing mode. "Of that fourteen, an unknown number have decided to fight their expulsion or course change. We don't know which students."

Izuku could still remember the furious look on Aizawa's face when he told him that Principal Nedzu refused to tell him which students would be involved in the test under the pretense of "keeping things fair." The challengers didn't know Izuku's quirk-or rather lack thereof. It was only fair that Izuku not know the quirks of the students he would be facing as well.

"What Principal Nedzu doesn't know though," Izuku continued, "is that I've been doing analysis exercises with your homeroom students' quirks since we started training. Even if we can't narrow it down to which students exactly, fourteen profiles isn't too many for me to study before the test."

"I still can't believe that you were Aizawa's mystery consultant," Yamada said. "Those breakdowns you did were crazy detailed, kid. Definitely close to being at a professional level."

"Now that Nedzu knows about you training me, could he guess that I was the one who did the reports for your class?" Izuku asked. "He knows that that's something I've been working on."

"He didn't mention anything about them," Aizawa said slowly. "And I didn't put them in my official lesson plans. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't know. Don't go into this thinking that you have one up on the Principal."

"That's an almost guaranteed way to fall into whatever trap he has planned," Yamada cut in, throwing an arm over Aizawa's shoulder.

"These students were dropped from the hero program because they didn't take it seriously, but don't take that to mean they won't try during this exam," Aizawa said, eyeing his Yamada but making no move to push him back out of his space. "Nedzu has set this up to play on their pride. Failure can sometimes be the motivation people need to get back on the right track. More than one expelled student from Yuuei has gone on to join a hero program at a different school and done well."

Izuku's head spun. There were so many things to consider, so many things to plan for. He was supposed to have two more years to prepare for Yuuei, and now his entire future was on the line with only a few days to prepare. He thought that things had worked themselves out when Nedzu had offered him the recommendation spot. That he was finally going to get a break after all of the struggling and fighting he had done to keep his dream alive when everyone told him to give it up. He should have known that his path to being a pro hero was never going to be an easy road.

Aizawa sighed, finally shrugging Yamada off. "I want you to rest tomorrow, Midoriya. No training of any kind. You need to be at full strength for whatever Nedzu has planned for you. Do you understand? Your mother will tell me if you don't listen to me."

"Yes, Aizawa-sensei."

"Good. Now go ahead and head home. There's nothing else we can do to prepare now." Aizawa opened his mouth to continue but paused, shooting Yamada a quick look.

"I'm going to… go make sure everything is packed up. Way over here. Where I definitely can't hear anything you're saying."

Aizawa let out a long breathy sigh again as the other pro hero quickly walked away and busied himself with meticulously packing Aizawa's duffle bag. This time Izuku didn't try to hide his smile, and when Aizawa turned his attention back towards him Izuku was met with a shaky smile in return. For a moment they stared at each other, neither of them speaking.

"Aizawa-sensei-"

"Midoriya-"

They both broke off. Aizawa opened his mouth to try again, but Izuku beat him to it, launching himself at his mentor. Stumbling at the unexpected weight, Aizawa looked down to see Izuku wrap him in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry for joking about Yamada-san being a better teacher," Izuku said into Aizawa's shirt. "You're the best teacher I could have ever asked for. I will never be able to thank you enough for helping me. I won't let you down, I promise."

Izuku didn't wait for Aizawa to respond. Didn't even wait for him to return the hug. The moment the words were out, Izuku turned and bolted towards the exit. He would see Aizawa again before the test. Both Aizawa and Yamada were coming over for dinner again the next day to go over everything one last time, after all.

Besides, Izuku didn't need the pro hero to say anything back anyways. Words meant nothing in comparison to what Aizawa had done for him. Now it was Izuku's turn to show him how much their training meant to him.

"That...Happened." Aizawa said, still watching the door where Izuku had vanished.

"It did," Hizashi agreed. "But was it really a good idea to tell him about Nedzu's condition? That's a lot of pressure to put on a thirteen year old."

"I had to tell him," Aizawa responded. "It would be just like Nedzu to try to use this to throw Midoriya off. Better he finds out now and knows what's at stake ahead of time."

"He sounded like you when he started explaining the test. Did you notice? He's got that tone you use down pat, and I don't even think he realizes it."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Hizashi waved him off. "Sure you don't. Anyway, if he goes to Yuuei people are going to know immediately that you two know each other. He's only been training with you, what, a little over a month? How many of your habits will he have adopted in two years?" He asked, leaning into Aizawa's space again. "Who know, you might even get mistaken for his dad again."

Hizashi could see it now. Izuku trying and failing to keep his training with Shouta a secret, giving himself away with the starry eyed adoration and unquestioning respect he had for the hero who made it his mission to keep himself out of the spotlight. Hizashi wondered how many comments it would take before Izuku stood up to anyone who criticized Shouta's teaching methods.

"Midoriya will be going to Yuuei," Aizawa said, ignoring his friend's comment. "Whatever the outcome of this test."

"But didn't Nedzu say this would count as his entrance exam?" Hizashi frowned. "If his recommendation spot is revoked and Nedzu bars him from the normal exam, he can't get in the hero course no matter how much he improves between now and then."

"I didn't say anything about the hero course."

"Isn't this the part where you're supposed to say that you know he'll pass the exam no matter what?" Hizashi asked.

Aizawa turned his back to him, double checking to make sure that he had everything together. "I can't say that. Midoriya has trained a lot. He's going to be a very capable hero one day. But he's only been training for a short period of time. He's only just now finding out ways to get around fighting without a quirk. Even if these students haven't given their studies their full attention, they've still had years to learn the ins and outs of their abilities."

"Shouta-"

"I want Midoriya to pass Nedzu's test. Of course I do." Aizawa's voice dropped as he spoke and Hizashi, who had been moving to stand beside him, paused a few feet away. "As his mentor I don't have the luxury of simply believing in him and dealing with the consequences if he fails later. I made a promise to Midoriya that I would help him become a hero as long as he continued to work hard and listen to my instructions. He's kept his end of our bargain, and I intend to keep mine. Whether that means preparing him for the hero course or making sure there are other options available to him."

It made sense, Hizashi thought. He had known Shouta long enough to know that he would want to have a plan ready for everything. Shouta had done everything he could to prepare Izuku for the trial he had ahead of him, made sure his young student knew that he was proud of the progress that he had made going into the test. And if Izuku failed? Shouta would be there ready with a new plan, a new path. Not because he didn't believe that Izuku could pass Nedzu's outrageous challenge, but because he believed in Izuku's future as a hero enough to not see failure here as the end of his journey.

Izuku might not be able to join the hero course if he didn't pass Nedzu's test, but that couldn't keep him from passing the general admission test. His path would be harder, there would be so many other obstacles standing in his way, but students had been moved from the Gen Ed course before. Not many, but enough. If anyone could help Izuku down that road it was Shouta.

It had been hard, but Izuku did as Aizawa had asked and spent the entire day before the test doing anything but training. He could see the hero's point, but sitting around watching TV or trying to read a book couldn't hold his attention for long when it felt like his entire future was on the line the next day.

A short reprieve came when Yamada and Aizawa came for dinner. Anticipating his young charge's nerves, Aizawa had brought Marlo over for a visit as well. Although not happy at having to travel in a carrier, Marlo had warmed up to the new environment, and Izuku had had a few short hours where he could forget about everything. No test, no Nedzu, no challenging first years. Just Izuku, his mom, Aizawa, and Yamada.

Aizawa had ruffled his hair before he left, telling Izuku he would pick him up in the afternoon. Yamada had winked at him before he closed the door. And then Izuku was left alone with his thoughts again.

Izuku had promised that he wouldn't train, but he couldn't stop his brain from cycling through the quirks of the students he might be facing the next day. Earth manipulation. Teleportation. Shapeshifting. Flight. Fourteen students who had quirks strong enough to get into the most competitive hero program in the country.

And what did he have? A talent for overthinking and a little over a month's worth of training.

He just didn't understand. Every since Nedzu had told him about Aizawa's reputation, about the reason's Aizawa's students were expelled, Izuku had been trying to figure them out. Why would you waste such an amazing opportunity? Here Izuku was, pushing himself to the limit every day to try to get the same chance, and they had thrown it away as if it didn't matter.

He had tried to put himself in their shoes hoping it would give him some kind of insight into what to expect from tomorrow, but the more he tried the more frustrated it made him.

Izuku stared at his ceiling, trying to will himself to sleep, but now that he had started that line of thought he couldn't go back. These students had already ruined their chances at being in Yuuei's hero course. He refused to let them do the same to him.

When Aizawa arrived the next evening he took one look at Izuku's face and sighed. "Did you get any sleep last night, Midoriya?"

Izuku rubbed at the back of his neck, sheepish. "About three hours?"

"I shouldn't have expected otherwise, I suppose."

"Please be careful, Izuku," Inko said, pulling him into a hug. "And good luck! I know you'll do great!"

She released him, stepping towards Aizawa, her arms wide.

"What are you-" Aizawa cut off as Inko pulled him into a hug as well.

"Thank you for everything you've done for Izuku." She said, quickly moving back out of Aizawa's space. "I know I've said this to you before, but there really is no way I can repay you for what you've done for him."

"You don't need to thank me, Inko-san," Aizawa coughed, refusing to meet her eyes. "Midoriya deserves his chance. Now we should probably be on our way."

The trip to Yuuei passed in silence with Izuku too nervous to speak and Aizawa too unsure of what to say that wouldn't make the situation worse.

The looming building's of Yuuei's main campus usually filled Izuku with a sense of wonder. That was where the best of the best heroes had studied, he had thought, and if he worked hard enough and was lucky he might get to train there too. Today though, the sight of the gleaming buildings twisted the knot in the pit of his stomach. How was Izuku supposed to fight when he felt like he couldn't even breathe?

They passed through the arched gates, Aizawa leading the way towards one of the simulation fields at the back of the main campus's property.

"Nedzu sent me the location when we passed through the gates," Aizawa explained. "If the section he sent me is the correct one then this should be neutral ground. None of my first years have been to this field before."

"What's it set up as?" Izuku asked.

"A city. But it's very industrial. Lots of hanging bars and all of the buildings are metal. It's basically a multilayered maze designed to look like a city."

Izuku hummed, his mind buzzing. "It's hard to strategize even with the location if I don't know what we're doing."

"Just stay calm," Aizawa said. "You've been working on analyzing situations faster. You'll get a chance to think things through while Nedzu is explaining."

Izuku nodded, and they fell back into silence.

As they approached the field, Izuku could see Nedzu at the gates along with a small crowd of students. Seven of them. It wasn't the whole group, but Izuku had been hoping for less. Just as Aizawa had said, Izuku could see uneven pieces of metal sticking out above the tall walls of that surrounded the arena. The walls had to be at least two stories high, and stretched on far into the distance. It was impossible for him to tell from that distance how big the simulation field really was.

Nedzu smiled as they grew closer. "Midoriya-kun! Aizawa-sensei! Now that everyone is here we can go over the rules of this little test." He turned to face the expelled students. "As you have been informed, Midoriya Izuku is not yet at Yuuei. He's been studying with Aizawa-sensei recently and has been granted a recommendation spot when he enters high school in two years. Should you win this little challenge I've arranged you will be able to stay at Yuuei."

"And what about him?" One of the students said, stepping forward. His electric blue hair was cropped short, Izuku noticed, but it had the same spiked look as Kacchan's. The boy's face twisted in a sneer as he spoke. "What happens to him if he loses?"

Nedzu chuckled. "Well his recommendation spot will be revoked, of course! Now would you like to get on with the details of this challenge?" He waited a moment for the assembled students to nod. "Right then! This will basically be a reverse game of hide and go seek! Young Midoriya here will be playing the villain and will be allowed 15 minutes in the maze to begin with. You may use this time however you would like- map part of the area, find a place to hide, set up traps. Whatever you can think of. With me so far?"

Another round of nods.

"At the end of the fifteen minutes, the challenging students will be released into the area one at a job is to find Midoriya-kun and bring him back to the exit," Nedzu smiled. "If you are captured, Midoriya-kun, you are, of course, allowed to fight back. If Midoriya manages to remain free, he wins. If a challenging student is able to bring him back outside the area then they win. Once the last student enters the maze, you have thirty minutes on the clock!"

Just stay free. Izuku could do that. Fifteen minutes wouldn't give him a lot of time to work with, but he could get in deeper, find somewhere to hide. He might not even have to fight, depending on how good a job he did remaining unseen.

"Well, if everyone understands what's going on then we might as well begin! Midoriya-kun, you can take your position by the door. The moment you enter the field the timer will begin."

Izuku turned, looking up at presence of the hero's usual blank expression gave Izuku the push he needed. Aizawa wasn't worried about the test. Izuku couldn't be either. He nodded at his mentor, and his mentor gave a slow nod in return.

The moment Izuku stepped up towards the wall, a panel for the door slid open, a dark red line marking the starting point between the door frames. The test was straightforward enough. He knew what he needed to do to pass. Now all he had to do was put his knowledge and Aizawa's training to good use.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku crossed the line into the arena.

Nedzu's test had begun.

AN:This chapter started to get way too long, so Bakugou's bit has been bumped to the next chapter

Next Up: Nedzu's test

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter! I really appreciate it!