Chapter 6: Hell at the Camp Lehigh.

New Jersey, Camp Lehigh

Izuku couldn't stop smiling from the moment when his foot entered military training camp. Camp Lehigh. He finally will learn how to be a soldier. However, there are some cons. The first is his uniform: because of his small stature, there wasn't any his sizes and he is now wearing the uniform which is two sizes too big and his head is sinking in that helmet. The second reason is that everybody staring at him in bewilderment and giving him a look, which says 'What did this kid forgot here?' Right now, he is stands in the line, sticking out like a sore thumb, with others, who gives him a look of annoyance.

"Recruits, attention!" interrupted the beautiful voice with England accent. Izuku turned to the source of voice, only to blush red upon seeing her. She is young woman in his age. Maybe three or four years older. She is a full-figured and attractive pale-skinned young woman of slightly above average height with quite a round face. She has wavy blonde hair, which reaches halfway down her back, two shorter pieces she leaves over her shoulders, side-swept bangs that frames her face, aqua-blue eyes with notable upper eyelashes, some slightly longer ones extending on each side and pronounced lower eyelashes. She is really beautiful. However, she is not so delicate like everybody sees her. She can stand for herself. Her name is Melissa 'Peggy' Shield. She is an agent of SSR. In despite her gender she became one of the greatest and youngest agent in SSR.

"Gentlemen, I'm Agent Shield. I supervise all operations for this division", introduce herself Peggy to this division.

"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria? Thought I was signing up for the U.S. Army", asked one of the soldier in cocky manner looking at her up and down. Izuku already wanted to say him about respecting woman; she is more than piece of meat that everybody can stare at. Fortunately he don't need to.

"What's your name, soldier?" asked Sheild calmly.

"Gilmore Hodge, your Majesty", answered Hodge mockingly bowing his head.

"Step forward, Hodge", ordered female agent. Bully soldier steps forward smirking. If this little girl thinking that she is in charge than he would gladly show her place. 'Put your right foot forward".

"Mmm… We gonna wrassle? Cause I got a few moves I know you'll like", said Gilmore already thinking that he won.

Unfortunately for him, it is not true because suddenly agent punches him hard in the face making him fall to the ground. This make an entire troop to laugh. Even Izuku did crack a smile.

At that moment, another face comes to them. He is old man in the military uniform. He is in his early 60s. However, despite his age he can kick your butt. His name is Colonel Chester Phillips. He is officer of the USA, and the director of the SSR. "Agent Shield", greeted colonel.

"Colonel Phillips", greeted Sheild back.

"I see you're breaking in the candidates. That's good!" said Phillips. He looks at the Hodge before addressing to him. "Get your ass up out of that dirt and stand in that line at attention 'til somebody comes tells you what to do."

"Yes, sir", said Gilmore already losing his bravado before.

"General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapons but they are won by men. We are going to win this war because we have the best men…" explained colonel looking at Izuku in disgust. He still couldn't believe that Dr. Erskine chose a 'kid' as candidate for the project. But knows that he need nothing to worry about. By the child's looks, he couldn't last more than a two days. "And because they're gonna get better. Much better. The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort made up of the best minds in the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man. At the end of this week we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of super-soldiers."

At his explanation Izuku perking up thinking about what this project could do to his body. It could finally healed him from many illnesses. But he also knows that anybody in this troop wants to be a number one. And he knows that everybody in this camp have more experience, stamina and strength.

'They are all much better than me', thought Izuku. 'They are bigger, stronger and older than me. I don't have a little chance against them. But I can't give up. Dr. Erskine have given me a chance to join in the army. He is the first who believed in me. I can't let him down. It's means I had to work twice harder than them.'

"Midoriya, stop mumbling when I am talking!" screamed Chester. Izuku just now understood that he was mumbling around not thinking. It makes him a laughing stock in the faces of all soldiers, even agent Shield is quietly giggling at him. "Just like I was saying before rudely interrupted. And these super-soldiers, will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of Hell."

This is how began Izuku's hell at the Camp Lehigh.


Izuku was right. This training is living hell. It was taking all his energy making him fall behind everybody else. When they weren't training, everybody were fighting each other, but Midoriya was studying about the war, strategy, mechanisms, everything that could help him to win. In addition, he was writing his plan about his perfect training in his notebook, which he always keeping to himself to think or to draw.

In addition, thanks to his failures he is also bullied constantly by his peers, especially Hodge, because of his weaknesses. They were also making sure that he would be thrown up from the camp by pushing him around on exercises to make him a weak fool in the eyes of col. Phillips. But Izuku is determined and couldn't give up without the fight.

Right now all trainees are running around the camp, only Izuku is lagging behind. They all stop when they arrives to the waiting agent Sheild and a flagpole. Much to the poor Midoriya's relief. His lungs are burning from so much running.

"Squad, halt! That flag means we're only at the halfway point. First man to bring it to me gets a ride back with Agent Shield", said his drill sergeant Duffy giving his troops 'an opportunity' to ride back easily. "Move, ladies, move!"

All soldiers were missing woman's company and nobody could lose the chance to spend time with a beautiful young woman. That's why when sergeant gave his commands every men was jumping at the pole to take the flag like a bunch of stupid monkeys. However nobody could climb high enough to take it. Everybody were sliding down.

"If that's all you got, this army's in trouble! Get up there, Hodge!" screamed Duffy seeing that best candidate to the project is sliding down on the flagpole. "Come on! Get up there! Nobody's got that flag in 17 years! Now fall back into line! Come on, fall in! Let's go! Get back into formation!"

What nobody is noticing that Izuku is studying this pole. And he learnt that this thing's construction is very simple. If you pull a pin out at the bottom of the pole then it will fall.

"Midoriya! I said fall in!" repeated sergeant already tired about waiting this kid. Then Izuku do something that surprised everybody. He pulls a pin out at the bottom of the pole causing it to fall over.

He then takes the flag and gives it to sergeant. "Thank you, sir", he said before going to the car, climbs in it, and drive away from them.

All soldiers could only watch with opened mouths. They couldn't just believe that this asthmatic kid just take the flag from the pole. Something that nobody could do in the 17 years. He made all of them look like a bunch of idiots. And they are not happy.

"I can't believe that he did it. He made us look like fools", commented one of the soldiers.

"And he is gonna pay for this", said Hodge.


The ride is pretty much is calm. His pain in lungs already disappeared. Nothing dangerous gonna come to them.

"Hey", unexpectedly said Shield. On the ride nobody were saying a word. And Izuku was happy with that. He couldn't made a fool out of himself in front of her. He just can't endure presence of girl. "It was pretty smart thing you did at the pole".

That put his brain at stop. No girl ever talked to him before let alone complimented him.

"Nobody really could take this flag for 17 years. Everybody were trying to climb this pole only to fall. Some even trying to make a stairs using each other and climb up only to fail. And you easily defeated all of them by two moves", continued female agent.

"Ugh…" could only said Izuku with his fried brain.

"You know I am glad that especially you won", commented Shield. "It's just all men in that place are overconfident pricks. They don't know anything about taking care of a women. I know that I am pretty but I don't like that everybody staring at me like a piece of meat. They also always tells me that military not a place for a woman. At least you didn't act like them."

At her words Izuku could just frown. He just heard her real quiet voice. All week he saw her as strong, fierce and independent person. And he learnt that she can be sometimes vulnerable. He can't believe that everybody treating her like a price. She is woman who choses her own path.

"Thank you for listening to me. It really helped", said agent Shield. "I am agent Shield. Oh, you already knows that. But you can call me Peggy, Izuku."

Before Izuku could answer, they already arrived to the camp's front side. Stepping down from the car Peggy says happily, "Well that's my stop. I hope we will talk again."

However, Izuku hadn't heard her. Right now inside his head is only one thought.

'I just talked to a girl!'

Midoriya in so delight that he didn't sees a phrase 'Didn't actually talk'. He is so happy. Finally, a girl talked to him nevertheless of his stature, illnesses, awkwardness, and stutterers. In addition, not just any girl it was the most beautiful girl in the world. Nothing could ruin his today. At least that was he thought.

"Agh", said surprisingly Izuku. He was so happy about Peggy he didn't noticed that someone pushed him in the mud.

"Maybe you won today kid", said Hodge who just ended his long run. "But the first super soldier will be me."

That made Midoriya open eyes and remembered that he still have a long way to go.


After everybody returned to the camp, the soldiers are doing the nest set of exercises. And Peggy is commanding them to do it. Right now they are doing push-ups.

"Faster, ladies! Come on. My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!" she said.

Meanwhile Col. Phillips and Dr. Erskine walks around the camp and discusses about final candidates on the project. And colonel is not happy with doctor's choice.

"You're not really thinking about picking that Midoriya kid, are you?" asked Chester in bewilderment.

"I am more than just thinking about it. He is the clear choice", answered Abraham without hesitation.

"When you brought a 17 year old ninety-pound asthmatic child onto my army base, I let it slide. I thought, what the hell? Maybe he'll be useful to you, like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him", said in disgust Phillips.

Seeing that both men watching her she orders the troops to get up and do jumping jack. Only Izuku's struggling whilst training with the other new recruits.

"Look at him", said colonel watching at Midoriya. "You stick a needle in that kids arm and it's gonna go right through him."

"Come on, girls!" ordered Peggy.

"Look at that. He's making me cry", continued Col. Phillips in almost pity. "We can't wait before he grows up. We need a super-soldier now."

"I know that he is too young for this", explained Dr. Erskine. "I am looking for qualities beyond the physical. And this one nevertheless of his age is the most hardworking man I ever seen."

"Do you know how long it took to set up this project?" exasperatedly asked colonel.

"Yeah, I know", answered doctor.

"All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What's-His-Name's committees?" continued Chester.

"Brandt', answered Abraham not also liking this senator either. "Yes, I know. I am well aware of your efforts."

"Then throw me a bone. Hodge passed every test we gave him", Phillips said pointing at his favorite who is doing the exercise much active than others. "He's big, he's fast, he obeys orders. He's an adult man. He's a soldier. Why not him?"

"He's a bully", answered Erskine. It is his only explanation on colonel's question.

"War is not a playground. It's not a place for children", already tired from this argument. Looking at the box with grenades gives Col. Phillips an idea to prove the doctor wrongness about his choice.

"You don't win wars with niceness, doctor", Col. Phillips continued taking a hand grenade. "You win wars with guts."

He then throws the grenade at where the new recruits are training before screaming, "Grenade!"

The second soldiers saw grenade they all panicked and run away. Except the one. The second Izuku saw it, his body moves by it's own and then he jumps on top of it covering it.

"Get away! Get back!" screamed Midoriya to everybody. He couldn't explain what is happening. One second he sees the grenade the next he jumps on it. He knew that explosion from this thing could kill many people. No matter that, this people looking down at him, bullying him, and beating him he just couldn't let them die. All of them have family and friends back home. Nobody deserves death. He awaits the explosion, counts seconds before his death. However, nothing is happening.

"It was a dummy grenade. All clear. Back in formation", explains officer relieving everybody.

"Hey, soldiers", called Peggy getting their attention. "You should be ashamed of yourself. This kid have more guts and courage then all of you together. Pathetic."

Izuku is beams at her words. He is happy that the grenade is a dummy. He then looks at the duo of doctor and colonel and asks the question that everybody want to ask.

"Is this is a test?" asked Midoriya already knowing an answer.

Erskine looks at Phillips as to confirm his point about choosing Izuku. Abraham is pleased not also by proving his choice of a person but also by proving to Chester that his choice not only a bully but also a coward.

"He's still skinny", the only thing said colonel grumping.

Dr. Erskine looks at Izuku showing him only a smile. This smile shows not only that it was a test, which he passed. It's also means that he won, between all soldiers he is chosen to be a first one.

Izuku could only smile in answer. It's means that he finally won and he would be the first super-soldier who will protect people.