Hindsight, they say, is always twenty/twenty.

Izuku had heard that saying before, but the truth of the statement had never been clearer. Looking back at that moment after the test's end-Shiro and Tetsurou facing off in front of him. Izuku hanging onto the pipe, the toes of his shoes just barely scraping the ground- all of the possible paths stretched out in front of him. All of the choices he could have made to end with a different outcome.

It seemed so simple then, what he should have done, how he should have reacted to that seemingly impossible situation. But with adrenaline pumping through his veins and the sound of his heart pounding painfully in his chest, all he could feel was panic. This was why he needed Aizawa. This was why he needed training. Because for all his intelligence, for all his talents that led Aizawa to accept his proposal in the first place, when it came down to it Izuku was still just a thirteen year old kid thrown into combat with his future on the line. So there he hung, injured, overwhelmed, with no idea how he was going to get himself out of the mess he had literally fallen into.

It said something that Izuku felt more stressed in a monitored test than during an actual kidnapping, but Izuku refused to consider the implications of that now.

Silence filled the clearing as the first years faced each other, neither willing to make the first move. Izuku tried to push past the fog that had filled his mind while he still had the chance. The impasse they had reached wouldn't be permanent. At any moment the standstill would break, and if Izuku didn't act in just the right way the only loser there would be him.

Bluffing had bought him time with Hana, but Shiro hadn't been so easily goaded. Would Tetsurou fall for the same trick? If Izuku spoke up, tried to play the first years against each other, would it give him the opportunity he needed to escape? No. He couldn't risk drawing attention to himself when they seemed too distracted by each other. If they decided to work together he was through, and yet no option he could come up with seemed any better.

So many choices, no choices at all. Izuku stayed frozen, paralyzed in his indecision as the seconds ticked by.

"I don't have to time to tell you all of the reasons why your comment didn't make sense, Tetsu, and I don't plan on ever having to see you again. So just imagine the snarky comment I would usually make in this moment," Shiro said, finally breaking the silence. His back was still towards him, but Izuku didn't trust that for a second. As soon as he let go of the pipe Shiro could turn and open another portal underneath him. If Tetsurou would just react the right way though…

Izuku ignored the numb feeling that had spread from where Hana's vines had grabbed him as he held himself up. He might not have been able to see Shiro's face, but he could imagine the smug expression he must have been wearing. From Tetsurou's grimace, it had to have been as infuriating as Izuku thought.

The wind user took another step closer, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. With each movement the air seemed to move around them, shifting too rapidly to be natural.

"As you can see, I'm a little busy winning at the moment. I'm sure you can see yourself out." Shiro's words seemed to be the catalyst, the last spark needed to set off the catastrophe that had been brewing since Izuku had first been dropped in front of the boundary.

Everything happened so quickly. It should have been impossible for Izuku to remember things as clearly as he did. Adrenaline tends to blur the lines, he had been told, events connected too closely to be picked apart. But Izuku could picture the next few seconds perfectly long after the details should have faded.

The dirt below Tetsurou's feet wavered, fading as another portal began to open. Slower, it seemed to Izuku, than it had before but still too sudden to avoid if the wind user hadn't been expected it, but Tetsurou was prepared. The hand that had been closed in a tight fist again opened, sending a steady and explosive burst of air towards the ground right before a circle of inky darkness burst open below him. Another stream of wind rocketed towards Shiro, and the portal closed with a snap as he lost sight of it dodging out of the way of Tetsurou's attack.

Tetsurou couldn't hold himself up for long. As soon as his feet touched back down another portal began to take shape. The cycle continued. Shiro would try to trap Tetsurou. Tetsurou would attack back. Shiro would dodge. Their fight continued on, both oblivious to Izuku, too caught up in their own actions. Just like the silence, something would eventually break through, but for now this was the best chance Izuku was going to get. They were distracted, and he only needed a moment. Once he got out of sight Shiro's quick would have no effect on him, and their fighting would ensure that neither of them would get close enough to catch him again.

Izuku took a deep breath and let go of the pipe, wincing as gravel crunched under his feet. Shiro and Tetsurou paid him no mind as he started to slowly creep towards the building's edge. Once he made it around the corner he could run. He had lost track of the time after Shiro dropped him in front of the exit, but they had to be close to the test's end. Just around the corner. He could do that. The first years hadn't noticed him so far. He would be fine.

He wasn't fine.

Because almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Shiro fell. Izuku could see it out of the corner of his eye, and even though he knew he needed to keep going, needed to be out of sight long before Tetsurou remembered the object of the test, he couldn't stop himself from turning to watch. Slipping on the loose gravel, Shiro had lost his balance just as another shot of wind raced towards him. There was nothing he could do to move out of the way. The blast collided with his chest.

Izuku knew Tetsurou's quirk had power. That had been one of the first details Aizawa had noted in his file. Reading about his strength and seeing it were two entirely different things though. The blast that hit Shiro didn't just knock him off his feet, it sent him flying across the field until he landed, sprawled, just a few feet from the boundary. He didn't move.

Tetsurou grinned at the sight before turning slowly towards Izuku, still standing at the building's edge.

"If you're hoping that another one of those idiots in my class are going to come along and give you another chance to escape," Tetsurou said, advancing on him, "don't bother. No one besides Shiro over there is going to be brave enough to challenge me."

As much as he wanted to point out that Tetsurou wasn't in any position to be calling other people idiots, Izuku knew it wouldn't do him any good. The first year seemed completely unbothered by his fight with Shiro, as if the repeated use of his quirk had done nothing to push him towards his limits. Even with Shiro no longer a concern Izuku was in more trouble than he had originally thought. Tetsurou blocked his only path deeper into the field, and although the space around them was large the only thing behind Izuku was the boundary.

"Don't run, Midoriya. There's nowhere for you to go."

Izuku knew it was a stupid thing to do. He could picture the exasperated expression on Aizawa's face once he realized what crazy stunt his student was about to pull. Tetsurou was right. Izuku didn't have anywhere to run. He didn't have any other tricks up his sleeve. But he couldn't let the test end without trying, without fighting until the very last second, and so he did something no one would expecting, knowing while he did it that it wouldn't work. Things had to end, but the least Izuku could do was end it on his terms.

"Now I can use my quirk on you if I have to," Tetsurou said, "but it would be so much easier for everyone if you would just-"

His words cut off as Izuku charged. He had no plan now, no next step. If Izuku could get past him and get back into the maze, then great. If he couldn't then at least he didn't give up.

Wind rose and slammed into him with a force he couldn't have expected. Izuku gasped as he slammed into the ground, the breath knocked out of his lungs. He was still reeling when Tetsurou dragged him to his feet again, and Izuku didn't know what felt worse-the burning in his lungs, the numbness surrounding his wrist, or the sharp sting that shot through his leg as he was forced to put more weight on it than he should have.

"I guess we'll do it the hard way then," Tetsurou grunted, and started dragging Izuku back towards the boundary by his arm.

Stumbling after him, Izuku kicked out at Tetsurou's leg, desperate to trip him up as the line grew closer. Aizawa had shown him what to do in this exact situation. What to do when captured by someone bigger and stronger than he was. How to use his opponent's weight against them. He should have been able to get himself free, but Tetsurou danced out of the way of his strike, pulling Izuku off balance once again.

"Stop fighting me, Midoriya."

Izuku responded by the arm holding him and twisting, digging his fingers into Tetsurou's skin. The first year howled, loosening his grip enough that Izuku could jerk free, but not before he was pushed forward towards the boundary.

Raising his hands, Tetsurou sent another wave of wind in Izuku's direction. It wasn't as strong as the previous one, and Izuku managed to stay on his feet, but he couldn't stop himself from being shoved backwards. His feet slid across the dirt as the strength of the wind increased.

"I have to be a hero," Tetsurou said, gritting his teeth, finally looking as if using his quirk was taking its toll on him. "I have to win."

But why does that have to ruin my chance? Izuku thought as he tried to fight against the wind. He couldn't break free of the stream, air seeming to push against him from all sides as he inched closer and closer to the boundary. Why was his shot being traded away for someone who had wasted their perfect opportunity? He tried to speak, to yell. Anything that would save him from having to watch his dream die when he had been so close. So close to success. So close to having his dream come true. Before it all vanished out from under him.

His feet crossed the line.

The buzzer sounded.

Izuku had lost.

Aizawa, in that moment, hated Nedzu more than anything.

He had recognized the reckless streak in Midoriya when they first met. An unarmed, inexperienced kid going to the home of a stranger with no thought for his safety. Inko's stories of her son tracking down villain fights had only confirmed what he had already guessed. When he agreed to take on Midoriya as his student he had accepted the fact that he would have to do something to curb that instinct.

It was all well and good that Midoriya wanted to save people. Injuries were an inescapable part of being a pro hero. But there was something about Midoriya, something in the hardened set of his eyes when he met Aizawa's challenges head on, the edge to his smile that seemed to cut straight through Aizawa's defenses. It reminded him of another hero who seemed to radiate the same kind-hearted goodness, and Aizawa had seen the results of that kind of selflessness. He wanted more than anything to shield his young student from the same fate.

Don't send students into situations they weren't prepared for.

That had been Aizawa's mantra from the very beginning, and he hated Nedzu for making him go back on his word. Guilt and anger settled in the pit of his stomach as the test began, and Midoriya entered the arena alone. He could only watch as his charge made his way towards the back of the field and, honestly, Aizawa felt that Midoriya had made the right decision. Hiding did nothing for him if it meant trapping himself in what was essentially a metal box. If Midoriya could recognize that there were situations where avoiding a fight could be the correct response, then maybe Aizawa didn't have as much cause for concern as he thought.

Then Aihara Hana found him, and that small spark of hope snuffed itself out almost as soon as it had begun. Anyone else watching might have missed it, but Aizawa had spent a lot of time around Midoriya Izuku. A lot of his life the past few weeks had been spent trying to pick the puzzle that was his student's mind apart. He was overly familiar with the grin that spread across Midoriya's face, an armor of fake confidence and true intellect woven together so sharply that Aizawa was afraid Midoriya would cut himself with it one day. Another potential danger to keep an eye on.

Yet familiar as it was, it didn't keep Aizawa from noticing the shaking in Midoriya's hands as he tried to bluff his way out of that fight. Because if there was anything Aizawa had learned about Midoriya in the time they had known each other it was that for all good reasons the kid had for wanting to be a hero his need for a challenge, that rush of adrenaline, was always lying underneath the surface. It didn't make Midoriya's desire to help people less genuine. Didn't diminish the fact that above all else, Midoriya wanted to help people. If Aizawa were being honest, he wasn't even sure if Midoriya was aware of it himself.

Aizawa had planned on discussing it later in their training once Midoriya had gained a little more confidence in himself, but circumstances had prevented that. Nedzu had prevented that, and the fact that Aizawa had to watch while his student was put in situation after situation that could have potentially played against every single one of Midoriya's self-destructive tendencies made him sick to his stomach.

So yeah, the principal was not his favorite person at that exact moment. Midoriya's fight with Igarashi Tetsurou had only succeeded in bumping up that hatred to a previously unreached level.

Tetsurou yelled, celebrating his victory, but Aizawa's eyes were on Midoriya who stood just outside the field's boundary as if he could inch his way back across with no one the wiser. It was moments like these, his student looking as if he were trying to make himself as small as possible, the Aizawa realized just how young Midoriya actually was.

"You're hurt," Aizawa said, and Midoriya flinched. Whether from the sound of his voice or his sudden presence Aizawa didn't know.

"I'm okay," Midoriya said, refusing to meet his mentor's eyes as his voice broke. "It's just a scratch." Aizawa bit back a sigh. This was just what he had been afraid of.

"I believe I'll be the judge of that." Recovery Girl has arrived to the testing site not long after Midoriya entered. She took his wrist gently, frowning at what she saw. "This one wouldn't have been so bad if you hadn't pushed yourself past your limits, Midoriya Izuku. When something hurts as much as this must have that means that something's wrong." She tapped him gently on the head. "You're too smart not to know you were making it worse with everything you were doing. And that leg!" She tutted, wrapping a bandage around his wrist. "What was Nedzu thinking, organizing a test like this."

"I couldn't give up just because I was hurt." Midoriya said, still looking at the ground. "Not after everything Aizawa-sensei-"

"Do not put this on me." Aizawa interrupted, and maybe he should have phrased his response a little better because Midoriya flinched again at his words, but Aizawa had to stop him before he continued on down that train of thought. "Never put anyone's opinion of you above your safety, Midoriya. Least of all mine." Aizawa felt fairly certain there was nothing the boy could do that would lower his opinion on him at this point.

Midoriya's face grew red, but he still didn't look at him as Recovery Girl began to examine the cut on his leg. "I'm sorry I let you down, sir."

If Hizashi was there, he would have hugged him. As it was, Aizawa placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't remember saying you let me down."

Finally Midoriya moved, head jerking up to stare at Aizawa, eyes wide as he seemed on the verge of tears. "But I failed-I- After everything you did, all that training, I still couldn't pass and…"

"And nothing. I would have appreciated you not getting injured, but the responsibility for that lies with the principal. It seems we'll be adding some discussions on how to deal with injuries to your schedule. I should have addressed that after the warehouse incident. An oversight on my part."

"Schedule?" Midoriya asked. Recovery Girl swatted at him again as he tried to take a step forward.

"Be still, Midoriya Izuku, or I will drag you to my office myself."

Midoriya moved back, but otherwise didn't comment, eyes still on Aizawa. "You mean you're still going to train me?"

Aizawa arched an eyebrow at him, tugging on his goggles. "Did you really think I would let Nedzu put all our work to waste? I've invested a lot of time into you, kid. I plan on seeing things through."

Midoriya looked like he wanted to throw himself at Aizawa again, but a stern look from Recovery Girl kept him in place. "I-thank you."

"Hey, Midoriya!"

Igarashi Tetsurou had finished celebrating, it seemed, and had made his way back over to their little group.

"You put up more of a fight than I had been expecting from a middle schooler, but I have to ask, not that it would have made a difference, but why didn't you use your quirk? You had plenty of chances there at the end. I figured a kid on recommendations had to have something powerful coming, but you never did anything."

"Oh, that's easy," Midoriya said, and although the smile on his face was obviously forced, Aizawa felt a surge of pride for how his student's voice didn't waver. "That's because I don't have one."

"You don't...have one?" Tetsurou repeated, because he had heard that wrong. "You don't have a quirk?"

"Nope."

"And you were getting in on recommendations? That's ridiculous! You can't be a hero without a quirk."

Aizawa started to intervene, but the words caught in his throat as he saw Nedzu approach, shaking his head with a smile on his face that Aizawa recognized instantly. Whatever Nedzu had planned would be a hundred times worse than anything Aizawa would have come up with in that second.

"Ridiculous?" The principal asked. "What's ridiculous is have so many students expelled or demoted because they didn't take a competitive program like ours seriously. But you've done it, Igarashi Tetsurou. You have earned the right to take the test to get back in the hero course. You should be very proud of that, I suppose, although you still have a lot of work left ahead of you if you don't want to fall behind."

The smile on Nedzu's face only grew as his words registered with the first year.

"Wait… The right to take the test? I thought this was the test!" Tetsurou looked panicked now, looking at the principal as if expecting him to say that he had only been joking.

"Of course not, Igarashi-san!" Nedzu's laugh rang with condescension. "Midoriya isn't even a Yuuei student yet! Did you actually think that redeeming yourself in the school's eyes after your actions would be that simple? You've won your second chance at the hero course, but that's all it is. A chance."

"But-" Tetsurou started, stunned.

"I needed footage of Midoriya to show the school board, and you first years provided the perfect opportunity," Nedzu's smile turned to Aizawa. "Your student did far better than I had anticipated, Aizawa-sensei. I have plenty of proof now to reassure the board that creating an extra recommendation slot for Midoriya is not a waste of school resources."

Midoriya found the words that Aizawa couldn't.

"You lied?" He asked, and the heartbroken tone in his voice twisted something in Aizawa's chest. "I was never going to lose my recommendation spot because of this?"

Nedzu chuckled. "Of course not, my boy! I told you that I trusted Aizawa-sensei's judgement in this matter, but I couldn't go to the board with something as insubstantial as a gut feeling! I needed proof, and now I have it."

"You didn't have to put him through that, Nedzu-san." Aizawa said, the anger that he had pushed aside to check on his student rising to the surface again. "He would have done his best even without that extra pressure on him."

"Come now, Aizawa-sensei," Nedzu said, still smiling. "You know I couldn't take that chance, not when everyone is ready to tear us down for admitting a quirkless student without a proper demonstration of his skills. It was only, what did you once call it, a logical ruse? Surely you can't fault me for that."

AN:A little bit longer this time! Next up- Bakugou and Inko + Nedzu has a chat with a certain number one hero

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter! Reading your comments has definitely helped me work on this through all of my school stuff.