Almost an entire week has gone by, and Mia was more than certain she didn't get in. A fear that was further fanned like a flame every time she went down to the lobby to see if she had received an acceptance letter. Six days and absolutely nothing.

Maybe they didn't want to invest in a child who fainted during the exam.

Her chest tightened at that thought, and she found herself just poking at her rice and egg. She hadn't even taken a single bite. Her rice had gotten cold, and the raw yolk broke and seeped into the rice. Her stomach just couldn't take anything other than worry and self-doubt.

She looked at the time. Aunt Hina should be coming home from work by now. And sure enough, the door to their apartment began to jiggle. The older woman burst through the door, her niece shrieking from the sudden action.

Aunt Hina was huffing, her cheeks reds and sweaty. Surely, she didn't run up the stairs? The elevator was working again… Her voice came out in incoherent wheezes. "…letter…have…look…"

"What?"

Aunt Hina took a moment to gather her wits, moving to sit in front of her niece. She didn't say anything, but, rather, she slid a white envelope across the table, the letters U. bold as day.

"Oh my gosh!" Mia pounced at the table, knocking her bowl of rice onto the floor. With the envelope in hand, she rushed to her room, chest heaving as she tore the paper apart with no hesitation. A small device, almost button-like, fell onto the floor. The whole room lit up as a large hologram shot up from such a tiny, curious thing.

But that wasn't what she was focused on. No. All she saw, was the largest smile ever. One everyone adored, herself included.

"Young miss Tanaka! Allow me to introduce myself. I.. Am All Might! And I am more than pleased to tell you that your display of skill and heroism during the exam was quite impressive." Behind him, a scoreboard popped up, with different names and scores. The camera slowly zoomed in on the number two spot, and Mia could not help the tiny squeal that tore from her throat. "As you can see, you've got quite an impressive score. Not only did you defeat your adversaries, but you also saved some of your peers from receiving substantial injury. As a U.A.'s newest teacher, I am proud to be able to call you a student! WELCOME TO U.A.!"

The tears could not be stopped as relief broke her.

Another week went by, and Mia, clad in her new school uniform, stood at the front gate of U.A. High, the alma mater of some of the greatest heroes in the history of heroes. She could barely contain her excitement.

Ahead of her, she saw a familiar tuff of green, and, despite her better judgment, she jogged up to meet up with him. "Hey!" Once again, the boy nearly jumped right out of his skin.

"H-hey," he greeted hesitantly, his cheeks glowing a faint red.

"So you got in? Cool! What class are you in?"

"1-A. The hero course."

"Me too!" Mia held out her hand. "Name's Mia. Mia Tanaka. Call me Mia, though."

He took her hand and shook it, his grip lacking any firmness to it. "Izuku Midoriya."

"I'll call you Izuku, then. Seems fair, don't ya think?" Before he had time to respond, she started ahead. "We better get to our homeroom. We don't wanna be late."

The two made their way through the building, admittedly having a bit of trouble finding the classroom. "Oh! Here it is!" Mia pointed ahead, a sign on the wall with their class letters, big and bold. That wasn't the only thing big and bold. The door was freaking massive.

"Don't tell me giants go to this school?" Izuku said, scratching his head as he stared at the door in wonder. He huffed out a sigh, and muttered, "The most promising students in the country are behind this door." He flinched and shook his head, stifling soft whimpers. "Maybe we're in different classes. Maybe everyone is nice.."

Without saying anything, Mia merely offered him a quirked eyebrow and reached for the door, pushing it open.

Immediately, she noticed two of the students were arguing, a sandy blond whom Mia already pegged to be a hothead, and another boy with glasses, who looked and sounded vaguely familiar… Oh, wait. He was in the same block as she was during the exam. She only caught a few glimpses of him while she was fighting.

"Take your feet off of that desk!"

"Hmm?"

"It's the first day and you're already disrespecting this academy by scuffing school property, you cretin!"

"You're kidding me, right? Your old school shove a stick up your ass or something? Or were you born with it?"

She could hear Izuku whimper once more. "Just my luck.."

Mia merely walked into the room as the two boys continued to bicker. She could already feel a headache forming. She heard a gasp as Specs, she thought she heard him say his name was Tenya Iida. "You would threaten me!? You're own classmate?!" What an incredulous thought. "Are you sure you're in the right place?"

Blondie was about to retort when he looked her way. Well... Not at her. Past her. At Izuku. His eyes narrowed only slightly. Iida followed his gaze and let out another gasp. "It's them." The other students turned to look at us, and Izuku let out a gasp himself. Mia shifted where she stood, frowning as the students stared.

"H-hi!" Izuku said, his voice wavering as he looked everywhere but at the kids who stared.

It was nice to know that she wasn't the only one uncomfortable.

"Good morning!" Iida greeted, quickly making his way over to the two students. Izuku took a step back and began to quiver. "My name is Tenya Iida fro-"

"Yeah, I-I know." Iida stopped in his tracks, clearly taken aback by Izuku's unease, though he didn't seem too surprised. Izuku let out a nervous chuckle, hands raised to his chest almost like a shield. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's super nice to meet you."

Iida nodded and turned his attention to Mia, his eyes and scowl stern. "Ah! I'm Mia Tanaka!" she said in a rush, her own hands raised to mimic Izuku.

Iida stepped closer to her, and she wanted to take a step back. He was intimidating, but she wouldn't show weakness. His next few words were not what she was expecting. "How are you feeling?"

"Huh?"

"During the exam, when you stopped those kids from getting hurt, you fainted. I had to bring you to Recovery Girl. Are you feeling better?"

"That was you?!" Now, that was where she recognized his voice... Mia bowed and smiled up at him. "I'm great! Thank you for keeping me from hurting myself!" He smiled, seeming to be super relieved. "The best thing for me was to just get some rest. I over wor-"

"Hey! I recognize that messed up hair! Falling boy!" Another gasp from Izuku, as well as the sudden outburst from the new girl who came up behind them. Mia did her best to hide her annoyance at being interrupted, but then it immediately melted away when she saw the girl with the cute blushies. She noticed Mia at the same time Mia noticed her, and promptly let out an excited squeak. "Oh my gosh, you're here too! That's fantastic! I'm not surprised, though. You were super good. You should totally sit by me!"

Mia couldn't help the smile that etched itself onto her lips, desperately wanting to be friends with this girl. She nodded.

The girl only continued to talk, this time her attention on Izuku. Mia took this as an opportunity to go find a seat. Well, two, cause the other girl wanted to be neighbors. She found one next to a boy with dual-colored hair, his nose buried in a book. She placed her bag on the floor next to her feet and sat down.

"If you're just here to make friends, then you can pack up your stuff now."

All three students at the door shrieked and suddenly froze, staring down at the hall in horror. Mia stared at them curiously, watching as they slowly backed away. Inching into the room, a slug. No. Not a slug. That was a man wrapped in a sleeping bag. He stood, and wiggled out of the sleeping bag.

He sighed, shaking his head. "It took eight seconds before you all shut up." His eyes narrowed. "That's not gonna work. Time is precious. Rational students would understand that. I'm your teacher, Shota Aizawa." Most of the class gasped. He looked so worn down and uninterested. He began to rummage through his sleeping bag and pulled an article of clothing, a red white and blue shirt. "These are your gym uniforms. Put these on-" Mia felt her body tingle in disgust. Why was that in there?! "And then head outside."

"A quirk assessment test?" the class chirped at the same time.

"But what about orientation? We'll miss it!" Ochaco, the girl with the cute blushies, exclaimed.

"If you really wanna make the big leagues, you can't waste time on pointless ceremonies." The students gasped, and Ochaco took a tentative step back, brows furrowed together only slightly. Aizawa only continued to speak, ignoring the concerned murmurs of his class. "Here at U.A., we're not tethered to traditions. That means I get to run my class however I see fit." He looked back at the class, and Mia saw a certain fire in his eyes. Her eyes narrowed in response. "You've been taking standardized tests for most of your lives. But you've never got to use your Quirks in physical exams before." Mia clenched her fists, her mouth set to a thin line.

"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." Aizawa shifted his gaze to the sandy blond hot-head. "Bakugo, you managed to score the most points on the entrance exam."

The boy in question smirked at that, letting out a prideful chuckle.

"What was your farthest distance throw with a softball when you were in junior high?"

Bakugo shrugged. "I dunno. 67 meters, I think."

"Right." Aizawa reached out with a softball, motioning for Bakugo to take it and step into a circle just a few feet away from the class. "Try doing it with your Quirk." Bakugo huffed and walked forward, snatching the ball and stepping into the middle of the circle. "Anything goes. I don't care what you do. Just don't step out of the circle." A second passed, and Aizawa sighed. "You not done yet? Come on. Clock's ticking."

Bakugo stretched with not a care in the world, no real hurry to his movements. "Alright, man. You asked for it." Suddenly, the blond switched gears, his face etched with determination. He took a stance, winding back for a throw. "DIE!" he yelled, hurling the ball into the air with a fiery explosion. The ball disappeared, and everyone just stared in disbelief.

"All of you need to know your maximum capabilities." His phone beeped, and he looked at it. "It's the most rational way to figuring out your potential as a pro hero." He held up his phone.

"705.2 meters?!" Mia was more than impressed.

Another blond with a black stripe through his hair was equally impressed. "Are you kidding me? That's insane!"

"I wanna go! That looks like fun!" A pink-skinned girl said, clapping her hands in excitement.

Aizawa's demeanor changed almost immediately. "So, this looks fun, huh?" he asked, his voice slow and chilled. "You have three years here to become a hero. Do you think it's all gonna be games and playtime? Idiots. Today, you'll compete in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none. And then will be expelled right on the spot." The students gasped again and murmured among themselves once more. "Still think this is gonna be fun?"

Ochaco puffed up, her eyes determined and her fists clenched together passionately. "You can't send one of us home! I mean, we just got here! Even if it wasn't the first day, that isn't fair!"

Aizawa was about to speak, but Mia started before he could let out his retort, much to his annoyance.

"The real world isn't fair," Mia spoke up, garnering the attention from her peers once more, and almost immediately, she shriveled up. Especially when Aizawa zeroed in on her.

"Mia Tanaka. You had the second-highest score during the entrance exam."

That caused quite the reaction.

"Well, that was unexpected. I didn't think she was the one to beat my score."

"Her? No way."

"Shut up, all of you," Aizawa warned before his gaze returned to the white-haired teen. "Do share just exactly how unfair the real world is, Tanaka. Since you seem so adamant to teach my class instead of letting me do it myself."

Mia felt so small under his patronizing gaze, and she looked around. Eyes were on her. "The real world is full of horrible instances, out of our control. Natural disasters that claim lives. Villains. Accidents that wipe out entire cities." Her voice wavered a bit as she continued to speak, tears threatening to form in the corners of her eyes. But she blinked them away, glaring up at her new teacher. "Little kids watch their parents die and the villain gets away with it." Aizawa blinked, his eyes narrowing as he met her glare. "It only makes sense that you are equally as harsh."

Someone let out a low whistle. "Morbid."

"Someone watches too many scary movies."

"It looks like someone in this class isn't that big of an idiot after all." Aizawa's gaze softened, though not enough for many to notice. "The world is full of unfairness. It's a hero's job to combat that unfairness. If you can't handle it here, you aren't cut out for this type of job. And know that I am going to push you to your limits. For the next three years, U.A. will throw one terrible hardship after another at you. So go beyond. Plus Ultra-style." He raised a finger at the class, pointing at each one of his students.

"Show me it's no mistake that you are here." His lips twisted into a grin, his challenge becoming more real with each passing second.

Quickly wiping her eyes free from any tears, Mia grinned back, determination sparking a new light within her. She would prove she was worthy.

Test 1: 50-meter dash

Mia stood at the start, positioned and ready to go.

Next to her, Iida crouched, also awaiting their signal. "I'd like to apologize in advance," he announced, staring ahead.

Mia looked at him, tilting her head for just a moment before following his gaze. "Me too," she responded. Her fingers began to glow immediately after the ready-set-go, and black hands sprung up at her feet, tossing her in the air and towards the goal. She was flung through the air, making it about half-way across the track, stumbling as she caught her footing.

She expected to be far ahead of Iida, but just as she landed, he passed her, stirring dust with the soles of his shoes, exhaust in his wake. Her eyes narrowed, gritting her teeth. She dashed the rest of the way to the goal, but she was no match for Iida's speed. He reached the finish line with 3.04 seconds.

She had just above 4 and a half seconds.

"Heh. That's right in your element, huh? I thought I was fast!" Mia praised, resting a hand on his shoulder as she panted. "I underestimated you."

Iida looked like he was about to burst with joy at the recognition, his face curling and warming up to a bright red. "You were great too!" he yelled, his hands moving about her dramatically. "Most impressive!"

Test 2: Grip Strength

Nothing too impressive here.

Test 3: Standing Long Jump

Mia got as close to the starting line as possible, and, same as before, her fingers started glowing. Her feet propped against the soles of Lulu's feet. Lulu pushed, and Mia jumped, flying past the distance device. Her landing was a tad bit messier than she would have liked.

Test 4: Repeated Side Step

Mia didn't have any need to use her Quirk here. She was quick and nimble enough on her feet.

Test 5: Ball Throw

Mia stood in the circle, much like Bakugo did earlier. She bounced the ball in the air, absentmindedly staring off into the distance. How far could she make it?

"C'mon, Shortstop! You're wasting our time."

Mia turned to glare at Bakugo. "Shut up," she said, tossing the ball in the air one more time. This time, however, it did not fall back into her hand. Lulu, in her full glory, stood behind the teen, ball clenched in her fist. With her hand now outstretched, fingers twitching, Mia twirled around, her arm swinging high into the air. As she did so, Lulu followed after her, swinging outside of the circle in a circle and into the air. At the last possible second, Lulu released the ball and sent it flying in the air. She disappeared.

"452 meters."

"What, that's cheating! She didn't even throw it herself, and that freaky rabbit thing was outside the circle!" the kid with the weird balls on his head shouted. Mia never even noticed him! She was ecstatic to see that she wasn't the shortest in the class after all! "Just because she's hot doesn't give her the right to break the rules!" he pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Aizawa just stared at the kid, before looking at Mia, who had never left the center of the circle. "I'll allow it." He looked at Izuku with slits for eyes. The poor kid. "Your turn. Move it."

He hesitantly made his way to the circle as Mia returned to the crowd, taking her spot next to Ochaco. To her left, the cute boy with red and white hair, the scar over his left eye. She wasn't focused on him, though. She was far too focused on Izuku. She could see sweat trickling down his forehead from where she stood. The poor kid wasn't doing that good... It was pretty obvious who was the one going home…

Iida spoke up. "This isn't good… If Midoriya doesn't shape up soon, he's the one going home."

Mia nodded. "I was thinking that the same thing. Look at him. He looks so.." Desperate.

"Huh?" Mia's eyebrow quirked in annoyance as Bakugo's obnoxiously loud voice rang through her ears. "Of course he's going home. He's a Quirkless loser!"

Mia looked over at Bakugo, her annoyance fading into shock. "Wait. Seriously?"

Iida looked at Bakugo as well. "What, no. He has a Quirk. Did you not hear about what he did at the entrance exam?"

"No," Mia said, furrowing her brows as she spoke up before Bakugo could. Both Iida and Ochaco looked at her.

"How do you not know?" Ochaco yelped, tilting her head. "You were in the same block as us."

"Tanaka was busy performing her own heroic feat," Iida said, his fists clenched dramatically before resting a hand over his chest. "Knocked herself unconscious sa-"

"Yes, yes. We know what I did. I fainted." Mia looked to the ground, though, out the corner of her eye, she could see a pair of dua colored eyes studying her. "It's embarrassing. Anyways. What did Izuku do?"

"When that big robot attacked, some of the debris fell on me and pinned me down. Izuku came to my rescue and took it down with one punch."

Mia just stared at Izuku, her eyes growing wide. "Seriously? He took that thing down?!"

Bakugo simply growled. "I don't believe it."

As much as it pained her to side with Hot-Head, she had to agree. Izuku was showing no potential, and he was failing miserably at these tests. "Whatever he did, he needs to do it again," she whispered, gripping her hands together as she watched Izuku wrestle with his inner demons.

Then he moved, rearing back, ready to throw. The air about the boy changed, and you'd have to be stupid to not notice or feel it. Mia gasped. Was he going to do it? Marvel them while all this time playing the underdog?

Was he playing them for fools?

No. She's barely known him for a day, and she could already tell that he wasn't that kinda guy.

He threw, the look of determination on his face admirable. How the hell did he go from looking like he was ready to cry to a man on a mission to prove himself? Then it hit her like a ton of bricks.

He had something to prove…

The ball went 46 meters.

"What? What gives? I was trying to use it just now…"

"I erased your Quirk."

The class turned to look at Aizawa, his scarf floating around him, along with his hair… What? "The judges for this exam were not rational enough. Someone like you should never be allowed to enroll at this school."

"You did what to my-" Izuku's eyes widened. "Those goggles… I know you! You can look at someone and cancel out their powers. The Erasure Hero. Eraser Head!"

"Who's that?"

"I've heard of him. He works on the down-low."

Mia ignored her classmates. Her focus remained on Izuku and Aizawa. "You're not ready." The sting of those three words looked like they stabbed straight through the green-haired youth. "You have no control over your Quirk. What, were you planning on breaking your bones again? Count on someone else to save your useless body?"

"No! That's not what I was trying to do!"

Too fast to dodge, the end of Aizawa's scarf shot forward, wrapping around the boy and dragging him closer. The rest of their conversation was inaudible to the rest of the class.

"I wonder what he's saying to Izuku?" Mia whispered, mostly to herself.

"Maybe he's saying something encouraging?" Ochaco replied, her voice far too chipper as if she were forcing herself to believe that.

Mia shook her head. "Not with the way Aizawa is looking at Izuku."

"Our teacher doesn't necessarily look like the encouraging type, either." A new voice.

Mia cast a careful glance up at the boy next to her, and when he noticed, he looked back. His eyes were pretty.. Especially the turquoise... "Ah... Yeah. That's what I was thinking!" Mia quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly. "Todoroki, right?" He nodded. She didn't bother calling him by his first name. He didn't seem like the type to appreciate a stranger being so informal with him. She already knew it, though. His name. She made a point to remember it when Aizawa called it. She just wanted an excuse to talk to him. "You're perceptive. An- Oh, look! Izuku is going to throw again!"

Todoroki turned his attention away from the girl, and, sure enough, Izuku was setting up again. Like before, he stood there, either hyping himself up or trying to come up with a way to do what he needed to do. Probably both, in all honesty.

He took a stance and vaulted the ball into the air like it was nothing. Mia arched a brow, huffing out a chuckle. "Well, I'll be…" She grinned.

"705.3 meters." Not by much, but it was farther than Bakugo.

"Mr. Aizawa... See. I'm still standing!" He clenched his fist, triumphant yet shaken. The discoloration of his finger indicated that is was broken, yet he showed very little reaction to it. Save for a few welling tears.