Chapter Thirtytwo - The Hero Assessment!

After all the battles Izuku had to overcome over the past month of being at U.A, his hardest challenge thus far was sitting in a room as many of the pro Heroes he had admired for years stared him down.

"We'll begin with your Entrance Exam!" The Principal pressed a button on his desk, making a small hologram screen appear, which was partially see-through so everyone could see it from any angle.

Izuku watched from an outside angle as feats he had accomplished during the Entrance Exams played, even a view of Paper Mache getting kicked out of the wall during their scuffle. He saw how he had managed to fight on despite one of his Flow connectors being cut, rushing to the end and making it in at the last second.

"Drama Boss?"

The giant of a man wore a dark suit and red tie with a black fedora. His appearance was always very menacing on the surface, but as he tipped his hat and smiled widely, Izuku remembered how he truly was— A very charming and kind guy.

"Midoriya showed a good understanding of what to do in critical situations," Drama Boss stated. The Principal pressed a button to make Izuku's scores show up on-screen:

Ingenuity: 90%

Inventions: 80%

Damage Taken: 20%

Danger Rating: 50%

"There seemed to be only a moderate risk that he would endanger himself beyond his limitations," Drama Boss continued. "Power Loader, and… Paper Mache and I all agreed that the pros of guiding him outweighed the cons for sure."

The large man was obviously troubled at mentioning the late Paper Mache, and Izuku as well was a bit distraught over it.

"Yes yes, so it seemed Midoriya was put into U.A with high expectations! And you vouch for this?" The Principal looked to Power Loader

"Of course," Power Loader replied. "Midoriya doesn't always listen, but I can't say it hasn't gotten him anywhere." The man shrugged. "At this point, I don't know if anything can stop him from doing what he wants."

"That creates a problem though," Aizawa interjected. Izuku looked to the very tired and stern looking Hero. "How do we know that he can even listen at all?"

Now Cementoss chimed in by stating, "During the Sports Festival matches, I was able to hear and see things closely," he stated. "Midoriya definitely has the heart and mind of somebody who should be allowed into the Hero class."

Izuku's eyes lit up, hearing such words of praise. The very stoic Cementoss politely bowed to Izuku as a sign of respect before stepping back.

Present Mic let out a loud and odd noise, sort of like a 'YOWWWEE!', before pointing at Izuku with both of his hands.

"Watching you work in the festival was crazy! It was as if I was reading the best thriller novel ever," Present Mic exclaimed.

"Probably a thriller that ends with the main character dead," Aizawa muttered.

Present Mic wagged a finger at his old friend. "Now now Eraser, we're not talking some old English literature. This is blood-pumping new age stuff!"

"Whatever you say…"

Principal Nezu cleared his throat. "Anyways, I guess we should ask you before moving on… Do you really wish to join the Hero classes?"

Now all eyes shifted back to Izuku, who gulped and looked ahead at Nezu, not wanting to show any signs of his nervousness, despite his voice betraying him.

"Y-Yes, it's what I've always wanted!"

Principal Nezu nodded and pressed another button on his desk. The screen changed to show Todoroki walking. The boy looked over his shoulder towards someone off-screen.

"Midoriya..? He's strong," Todoroki stated. "It's obvious that the world's pretty unfair with giving out Quirks. They're both a blessing and a curse… With a mind free of a power dictating your life, I'm sure anyone could become truly great."

Beep! Nezu pushed the button, changing the screen to Bakugo, who looked angered.

"Why the hell you askin' me about that nerd? He can never catch up to me no matter what stupid nerd stuff he creates! Never! Don't even say that fuckin' name around me—"

Beep! Now it was Shinso, the boy smirking slightly.

"Midoriya is… The best not-Hero there is," Shinso said. "It's kinda a disservice that he wasn't put there to begin with. If I make it in before him, I don't know what U.A is doing."

Beep! It changed to Tetsutetsu, who was tearing up.

"That Midoriya… He was so manly! He went all out and punched and fought and didn't care what the hell got in his way... He makes me feel like I need to train my Quirk even harder to catch up!

Beep! Kirishima.

"The way he just punched the hell out of Todoroki and Bakugo! Like boom! Boom! They're my classmates but Midoriya really is something!"

Beep! More Hero students were asked about Izuku, all responding excitedly and positively. Eventually his own classmates popped up, all praising his abilities, and finally it ended with Mei. Izuku recognized that she was standing outside of her workshop, the girl looking scuffed up from work.

"Izuku? He's the coolest person I know! He's tackling his dreams head on and using his babies to the fullest!" Mei smiled brightly, looking towards the camera. Izuku leaned in closer as he watched. "If you don't guide him into Hero work, then he'll probably do great things somewhere else!" She gave the camera a peace sign before it cut out, and the screen turned off.

"Babies…?" The teachers were all stumped except for Power Loader, who snickered a bit.

Izuku felt his face reddening, everything he had just seen was too overwhelming to accept with any decency.

"Midoriya, you've lit a fire under the other students and inspired many to strive to become greater," Principal Nezu spoke. "I believe there's no further proof needed to accept you into the Hero course— However, there is one more test you must pass."

Izuku tightened his fists on his lap, hearing that he was so close to accomplishing his goal of entering the Hero program. He gazed seriously at the Principal, who paused for a moment, purposefully building it up.

"A Hero Internship!" Principal Nezu's sudden exclamation was followed by silence for a few moments, then he hopped up onto his desk and pointed down towards Izuku. "The Hero students are about to go with Pro Hero Agencies for a week of studies under their guidance. You'll be participating!"

Izuku's eyes widened. "A-An internship? So suddenly?"

"Yes! There's no time to waste! This is your final Hero Assessment," the Principal exclaimed.

Looking around, the other Heroes were all smiling at Izuku, except for Aizawa of course, who was looking away as if unimpressed.

"All Might! Care to explain," Nezu spoke.

All Might, whom had remained quiet up until now, stepped forward. He was in his skinny form, something Izuku still wasn't quite used to after years of admiring his tall and powerful idol. He seemed a bit dark and dreary as he stepped in front of the desk, facing Izuku—

But then, in a puff of smoke, he suddenly grew into his well-known muscular form, a big smile forming onto his face.

"Young Midoriya! A top Hero has expressed interest in taking you in for your internship," All Might explained. "I shall be accompanying you there in the next couple of days!"

"A top Hero?!" Izuku was shocked to hear this, his mind wandering as he wondered who it could be.

Endeavor…? Best Jeanist…? Hawks…? Edgeshot…?

All Might watched as Izuku got lost in his thoughts, chuckling a bit.

"Wow, you lose yourself really quickly there!" The #1 Hero tapped Izuku on the head, getting his attention again. "You'll need to be mentally prepared for this upcoming task, if you truly wish to become a Hero!"

Izuku stood and tried to calm his nerves, looking confident. He opened his mouth to speak, but then slowly stopped. All Might was surprised by this.

"What's wrong?"

Thinking back to what he understands now from clashing with so many different students from different walks of life, Izuku could feel something that was holding him back at this moment. The images of Shinso and Todoroki and Bakugo and everybody else he had come face to face with flashed in his mind.

"Everyone is working their hardest," Izuku spoke solemnly. "They've had to overcome things just as I have… Do I really deserve to get what I want? What about the others striving for the same thing?"

All Might shook his head. "You're overthinking it again. You still have one last test, you haven't made it yet!"

The large Hero placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"Even joining the Hero Class is only the first step in the legacy you desire," All Might told him. "Beyond that it will only get tougher. Right, Eraserhead?"

They looked over to Aizawa, who looked like he was sleeping standing up. He opened an eye and looked over.

"...I won't go easy on you."

"See?" All Might laughed. "The odds are stacked against you even beyond this current goal of yours! You still want to try though?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Good answer! Keep it simple!"

Izuku felt like his mind was spinning as he left U.A and began the trek back home. The words and inages he had now left him feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

The first real step..! I'm almost there!

As Izuku walked off, he never saw as Yuki arrived at the school, meeting up with Power Loader before heading inside.

The two headed for the gymnasium, the same one where they had fought weeks prior against Miss Negative and her clones. Once there, two unfamiliar people stood, wearing trench coats and fedoras that seemed to match someone Yuki Had seen before.

"Hello, thank you for meeting with us on such short notice," the mysterious woman stated.

"I'm here to supervise. Just make it hasty will ya," Power Loader said. "We're really busy this time of year."

"Of course." The stern woman dipped her head respectfully. "I am Lady Vortex, and this is Spiralhide— We are Heroes from America."

Yuki nodded, eying both of them, feeling a hint of unease within their demeanor. The woman had a very serious face and neat black hair parted back into a ponytail. The man was short and wide, with lots of hair all over his body, nearly looking cave manish.

"We got permission from your Principal to evaluate any students we were interested in Hero internships," Spiralhide explained. "If, of course, that is something you agree to."

Yuki's eyes widened a bit. Power Loader set a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"It hasn't gone unnoticed. You've been eying the Hero life too right," Power Loader said. "I'm sure Midoriya's ignited those thoughts even more."

"I…" Yuki thought for a moment about how it felt defeating Todoroki in the Cavalry Battle thanks to the efforts of him and his friends, but how he had lost completely in a one on one match against him. "I don't know if I can."

"What's that all about? I think Midoriya's rubbing off on ya," Power Loader said with a chuckle.

Yuki sighed and nodded. "You're right…"

Midoriya has become a sort of rival to me at this point, even if I'd never say it out loud. If I want to keep up, I need to grasp any opportunity I can...

He looked up at the two American Heroes, deciding on what he was going to do.

"What kind of evaluation?"

Lady Vortex smirked. "A combat test of course, that's how we'd do it in America."

Yuki nodded, figuring this was the case. He cracked his neck and closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before opening them, his demeanor shifting a bit.

"Then I'll show you my convictions, right here, right now!"

When the students returned to classes after their reprieve from the Sports Festival, Power Loader began to announce what had happened in those two days off.

"The Sports Festival is broadcast across the country, as you all should know by now, thus it was a perfect opportunity to show off to potential partners," their teacher explained.

As Power Loader motioned to the chalkboard behind him, statistics began to pop up digitally on it

"We've checked out the numbers and feedback, and the generated interest in the U.A Support classes is bigger than ever! This means big things for us!"

Class H was excited by the prospect of being the best year yet. The data indicated that there was over a 100% increase from last year in contacts from businesses and Hero agencies that were interested in the Support classes.

"We all know we've got our first big competition coming soon," Power Loader continued. "The event in Hosu will be your first taste of what competing against other schools is like— Urushima?"

The red-headed girl who had raised her hand stood up and stammered, "W-What kind of things should we expect to be doing there?

"It's a big, marvelous competition that includes anything from robotics and combat enhancements, to security systems and metalworks! There will be plenty for everyone to shine," Power Loader exclaimed.

Everybody was excited, but Izuku couldn't help but feel nervous about what was coming up for him.

"Midoriya!"

Izuku snapped to attention, looking up towards Power Loader.

"You might be aiming for Hero work, but don't forget that learning and growing your knowledge is going to be your biggest strength," Power Loader told him.

"I-I understand!"

"Good! Because punching and kicking things only gets you so far. Maybe next year you'll take that #1 spot in the festival!"

Izuku let out a sigh as Power Loader continued to explain about the next few weeks of Support course work.

I still don't know who I'm interning with, Izuku thought. All Might's kept it a secret for some reason…

He looked up and opened his notebook, beginning to take notes on what was happening in class.

But Power Loader sensei is right, I can't fall behind on my Support studies. After all, this is my advantage since I don't have a Quirk!

The school day ended a bit early as students were set off to begin their week of personalized studies. Power Loader had given everybody except Izuku and Yuki either a business or Hero agency that would help harness whatever Support work they believed they were best at.

Yuki left the group early, not telling them what he was up to, while Ken and Shiro headed off for the train station ahead of Mei, who stayed behind to talk to Izuku.

"I've got a surprise for you!" The pink-haired girl grinned widely. "Close your eyes!"

Izuku reluctantly did so. "Y-You aren't going to put some dangerous baby on me, are you..?"

"Pfft I would never!" Mei chuckled and opened up a briefcase she had brought. She moved behind Izuku and held something up in front of him, making him a bit embarrassed as he felt squishy things pressing against his back. "Now open your eyes!"

Izuku looked down, his eyes widening. "This… is…"

It was a costume, one that was instantly familiar to Izuku as he had created the design back before he had been accepted into U.A, when he and Mei were rigorously preparing.

"Well, what do you think?" Mei held it out like one would do to check the looks of a piece of clothing on themselves. "It's totally not approved yet since you aren't in the Hero course yet buuuut it's basically what you wanted!"

The costume used the tracksuit that his Mother had gifted him for the Entrance Exams as a base, with durable and flexible green cloth that was then covered in some areas in a durable metal that Izuku recognized as the same lightweight but strong material his classmates had made the shin and arm guards out of for when he had fought Todoroki. The metal protected the outer forearms and shins and there was a piece on the back as well.

"There's also these other parts, so you can decide how much you really need!"

Mei excitedly moved from behind Izuku and showed him the further contents of the briefcase. Inside were more metal pieces, one that connected at the neck with a more flexible metal and a piece that would cover his mouth. There were also gloves and boots that had mysterious exhaust ports along each finger and the back of the boots.

"M-Mei, these are…" Izuku pointed at the ports and the girl chuckled deviously.

"That's right! Tadah!" Mei presented the final piece— A cylindrical metal device that Izuku instantly recognized.

"The Flow?" He gently took it and examined it. It was a bit lighter than his original creation, and sleeker looking, the metal bright and nearly silver in appearance. "But this is brand new…"

"Yup! It easily connects into the costume, and has twice the capacity and power," Mei explained. "You said not to touch the old one so I just tried my own touch! There's lots of stuff in the instructions I left for you to check out!"

Izuku blushed a bit, clutching the device. "All of this… for me?"

"Mhm! I decided that this would be your gift for making it into the Hero course, but," Mei shrugged, talking excitedly. "How could I wait any longer to show you this stuff! Like what if the internship is super dangerous? Isn't this stuff cool though?"

The girl leaned in eagerly, wanting to hear from Izuku what he thought of it all. However, to her surprise, Izuku suddenly hugged her.

"Thank you, Mei!"

Everything was too overwhelming for the boy who only a year ago had little hope that he could acquire his dream. After one chance encounter with a wild inventor girl, Izuku had suddenly found himself being praised by Heroes and U.A students alike, something he would have only dreamed about. The tears started to flow and his arms around the girl only tightened as he thought about it more and more.

"Thank you…" Izuku sniffled, trying to wipe his tears away, the embarrassment of letting out his emotions not quite strong enough to stop him.

Mei, who was usually very forward, smiled and patted the boy's back comfortingly, completely unsure for the first time in her life as to what she was supposed to do now. She didn't even realize that her own face was burning a bit pink at that moment.

"D-Don't worry about it, it's just a prototype anyways so it was nothing," Mei said. "I expect you to make lots of cool adjustments and new babies even as a Hero!"

Izuku moved back from the embrace, looking away while he wiped his tears. He then looked at Mei and smiled.

"I promise!"

After seeing Mei off, Izuku had a new spring in his step as he found All Might and got into the car they were taking to Tokyo.

Sitting in the back seat with the thin skeleton-like All Might was nerve-racking, as such a casual thing was weird with him being the #1 Hero and all. The driver was apparently a robot, which answered Izuku's question was to if the driver would be someone who knows All Might's secret or not.

"U-Um, can I ask where I'm interning at yet?"

"Nope!" All Might crossed his arms. "It's not just a surprise, and, well... there's another reason I won't say."

Izuku looked at the man skeptically then gazed out the window as they drove over into the center of Tokyo, which was bustling with activity like always. The whole time, Izuku tried to think of all the Hero agencies he knew about in Tokyo, but the sheer number of them was overwhelming.

Eventually the car came to a stop, breaking Izuku from his trance.

"Aha! We're here," All Might said. With a smirk, he motioned to Izuku.

Izuku opened the door and got out, looking up at their destination. His face went from confused to shocked in almost an instant.

"T-The Genius Office?!"

This was the location of the #4 Hero Best Jeanist's office, someone who Izuku knew very well from his incredible feats and also his stylish demeanor.

Someone this incredible asked for me…?

"Eh…?" A familiar voice emerged from nearby. Izuku looked and gasped.

"K-Kacchan?!"

Bakugo scowled, his hand in his pocket. He was wearing his Hero costume, aside from his headpiece and the large hand-grenade-styled arm attachments. His expression went from calm to ticked off instantly at seeing Izuku there.

Shit, thought All Might as he was still inside the car. I thought we'd get here first.

"Ah ha ha! I am—" All Might turned into his buff form as he started to get out of the car, but got stuck halfway as he was too big for the car. "Stuck in a car door!"

Bakugo and Izuku both looked at All Might in shock, for different reasons, and exclaimed:

"All Might?!"

To Be Continued

Next Chapter: Best Jeanist; Best Duo