Izuku took a deep breath as he finished his breakfast, making sure he wasn't too full before starting his day. Wiping his mouth, Izuku smiled as he felt Eri nudge him from the side and patted her head.
Today was the day of the UA entrance exam, and Izuku was on the nerves. He knew that he was more than ready for this exam; it's the whole reason he's been preparing for months. He already had a multiple of Quirks, and his fighting capabilities were nothing to scoff at. Still, a part of him did have a bit of the jitters, something he was trying to calm down before leaving.
Or perhaps the milk expired just a bit? Oh well.
"Why so anxious?" Nejire piped up from her meal. "You're usually so calm about this. Don't tell me you're feeling nervous."
Izuku chuckled in response. "Something like that. I suppose it has to do with this being a big step in a much more extensive journey." He answered, carrying their plates to the sink as Eri helped him out. "It's normal for people to have that feeling."
Nejire giggled into her hand. "You're not exactly normal, though."
"Heh, don't I know that."
The two shared a small chuckle before Izuku began his preparations for the exam. Just as he made sure he had everything ready, Izuku's phone started ringing. Quirking his eyebrow, he noticed that the caller was Mei, which was rare for herself to call when she usually texted. Shrugging his shoulders, Izuku picked up.
"Hello-"
"I NEED A RIDE!"
Retracting the phone from his ear from the unexpected screech, Izuku gave a bewildered look before resuming, "I'm sorry?"
"You were right about sleeping more often. I slept through my alarm, and now I'm late! Please, please, please, I need a ride!" Mei pleaded from the other side as loud collisions occurred at the same time.
Izuku released a small sigh from his lips. "Ok, where are you? It's still a little early before rush hour starts."
"I'm heading towards that beach you worked out as we speak."
Izuku nodded, checking the time. "I'll be there in 15 minutes."
Mei released a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much! You're a lifesaver."
"Just be ready when I get there. Can't waste any more time for you to lose." Izuku said, noticing that Nejire and Eri were watching with curious gazes. The moment Mei raised her voice, it had instantly grabbed the duo's attention.
"Gotcha! I'll see you then!" She said before hanging up.
Izuku blinked a few times before turning his attention to his two occupants. "Alright, I guess I'm off to pick up Mei. You two will be alright by yourselves?"
Nejire waved him off, "We'll be fine, don't worry! Just relax and do your best in your exams!"
Eri walked up to give him a hug, "Good luck, Papa!"
Izuku smiled as he leaned down to reciprocate the hug, "Thank you, Eri. I'll be back later, so you behave with Nejire, ok? Can you do that for Papa?" He asked her, getting a little more used to the phrase Eri would use to refer to him.
Eri nodded enthusiastically, "Yes!" Izuku ruffled her hair before he faced Nejire once again.
"I'll come back as soon as I can after the exam ends. Take care of Eri for me."
"You got it! Good luck out there!" Nejire encouraged with a bright smile. She gave him a hug and a quick peck on the cheek, causing the boy to smile in response before rushing out the door.
Nejire giggled, 'I hope everything goes well with those two...' She thought to herself. "All right, Eri, let's have some fun! C'mon, I'll teach how to make some friendship bracelets!"
Eri's eyes sparkled.
"About time you got here!" Mei commented as she recognized the rumbling sound of a bike as Izuku pulled up to her. "I was worried you forgot about little 'ole me!"
"Just got held up," Izuku explained, making space for her to sit behind him. "You'll need Kizuna for your Support Exam, right?"
Mei nodded enthusiastically as she climbed into the saddle behind Izuku and adjusted her helmet. "That's right! Now, are you sure it's ok for me to use her while you take your exam? I don't mind using something else for my presentation." Izuku shook his head.
"Naw, I'll be fine. Just worry about yourself and passing that exam." Izuku reassured her as he revved up his bike. "Just hold on tight."
Mei nodded with a grin, clasping her arms tighter around his chest. Izuku froze for a bit as he felt her assets press against him. He tried his best to ignore them as they sped off, but it wasn't easy when Mei was nearly as large as Nejire was.
Oblivious to the situation, Mei began speaking, "Hey, hey. Do you think we can speed up a bit?! I don't want us to be late!"
"I'm already pushing the speed limit! If I go any faster, then I'll-"
"If you go faster, I'll get you ramen for the next week!"
Silence overtook the ride before Izuku took in a sharp breath. He revved up his bike and glanced over his shoulder.
"Hold tight."
Mei cackled as they sped off.
Izuku let out a sigh of relief as they finally drove up to the entrance of UA. Driving with Mei was… interesting, to say the least. She had no qualms when it came to dangerous sharp turns nor the near-crashes they had when she accidentally covered his face. In fact, the only thing she did was laugh from the experience.
Least he knew Mei loved to go fast.
"Whoo, that was fun." Mei hopped off with a whoop. "We should do this again sometime!"
Izuku retracted his helmet with a groan. 'Definitely not.' "Yeah, sure, just hurry up and get to your exam before they close," Izuku replied as he wiped his forehead. Mei nodded before giving him a quick hug and ran off towards the entrance. The boy let out a small smile before he too got off his bike.
"So, took a trip with Mei, huh? That must have been something." Turning his head, Izuku realized the speaker was Shinso, with Itsuka walking alongside him.
"So you guys made it, huh? I was wondering where you were." Izuku said before he snorted, "And trust me when I say, riding with Mei is one hell of an experience."
Itsuka snickered along with Shinso. "I bet. So are you ready for the exam?"
Izuku smirked underneath his mask, "I should be the one asking you that. Do you guys think you're ready for whatever comes our way?"
Itsuka eagerly nodded while Shinso opted to smirk confidently. True to their word, Izuku and Itsuka trained the boy as much as they could until now. From Itsuka, Shinso was able to learn grappling and defensive techniques. As from Izuku, he learned striking and counter techniques.
As they rained together, Izuku, unknowingly, began to improve both of his friend's reaction times. Since receiving One for All, Izuku has been becoming notably faster, both in movement and response with counters. Whether it was from his training with Gran Torino or a side effect from One for All, Izuku wasn't sure. But in the end, it had a positive impact on his overall performance.
It was also during this time that Shinso found about Izuku's Quirk copying ability. Like many, he was surprised by the power his Quirk backed up. What's more, it puzzled him that someone with such a powerful Quirk was able to stay cool and humble and not act arrogantly. Most of the people he did meet acted that way after all. Izuku simply laughed it off.
Since Shinso started his training relatively late, Izuku had to make sure that Shinso improved his body to better his overall techniques. It was for that reason he invited the brain-washing boy on his beach cleaning training. Reluctant at first, Shinso quickly learned that it was a great way to build up his body with muscle, even if it was pretty gross and tiring.
Shinso moved his arm around in vigor. "Thanks to the training you guys gave me, I feel like I have a better chance at this exam."
Itsuka nodded in agreement. "We have been working pretty hard. Hopefully, our Quirks will help us get through the exam." She said before leaning in to whisper. "Now that I think about it, what Quirks are you going to use for the exam?"
"Oh, that? I was thinking of using Adamantine Sealing Chains and Barrier. One for long-ranged attacks and one for protection." He said as they walked towards the entrance.
Itsuka's eyebrow rose. "I thought you said you were using three Quirks for this? What's the third?"
Izuku scratched his cheek. "Well, I recently picked up a strength-based Quirk, and I've been meaning to try it out for a while now. This seems like the perfect time to use it." Izuku partially lied. In truth, he intended to use One for All during the exam should the opportunity present itself, but didn't want to tell them the name as it was still a secret to them.
While he did spar with Gran Torino over the remaining months, he hadn't really been able to make use of it for more destructive purposes. That didn't mean it was all for naught, however. He was able to increase One for All's usage up to 15 percent, although that was only if he really pushed himself. Anymore, and his bones would snap.
Chiyo was not happy the first time this happened.
As they continued to make their way towards the entrance, a sudden voice called out to the oldest of the trio.
"Move the fuck out of my way Deku!"
"Oh, great," Izuku grumbled. Slightly leaning his head, he spotted Katsuki stomping his way up to him with a fierce glare. It's been nearly ten months since he actually talked to the blond, ever since the sludge incident. By now, Izuku had utterly forgotten about it, so it was surprising to see the explosive boy talk to him after all this time.
Well, yell rather than talk.
"What can I do for you during this fine morning, Bakugo?" Izuku asked with his usual eye-smile, which just further pissed the blonde off.
"Just stay the hell out of my way Deku. I don't need you to ruin this for me." Bakugo growled out as he shoved his shoulder against the other teen. Itsuka looked like she was ready to explode but halted after Izuku eased her down with his hand.
Shinso frowned at the blatant disrespect the blonde demonstrated. "That the guy you told us about? Seems like an ass." He murmured, watching as the boy disappeared into the building.
Izuku snorted. "That's putting it mildly. He has a major superiority complex, with an ego the size of mount Fuji to boot. He'll get what's coming to him someday if this keeps up."
"I sure hope I'm there to see it..." Itsuka mumbled, crossing her arms as she glared at the spot Bakugo was on. "Either way, I'm surprised you've kept your cool around him for all this time.
"You learn to adjust to the people you eventually meet. Besides, there's only one other person I find to be an even bigger nuisance than Bakugo."
Shinso raised an eyebrow at the small tidbit. "I find that hard to believe."
"It's true, believe it or not. His pride could far surpass Bakugo's over several times. But that's a story for another time. Come on, let's get going before they close on us." Izuku ushered them. A curious gaze appeared on their faces but didn't press for further details. He would tell them eventually.
Before Izuku took his next few steps, however, he tripped.
Out of nowhere.
Over nothing.
'Fucking-'
Just before he face-planted onto the pavement, Izuku felt something touch his shoulder. The next thing he knew, he found himself suspended mid-air upside down, causing Shinso and Itsuka to snicker.
"Wha-"
"Sorry for using my Quirk on you without asking first, but I figured it's bad luck to fall before an exam." A sweet, bubbly sound voiced from behind him. Pushing himself right side up, Izuku balanced himself and landed on his feet. He was lucky he was very tall for his age. Otherwise, he would've just fallen again.
Turning around, Izuku was almost blinded by how much of a bundle of joy and happiness this girl seemed to radiate. Even her cheeks seemed to have a perpetual blush on them. She had fair skin and shoulder-length brown hair styled into two long locks beside her face, though her eyes were still closed. She also had micro-bangs which swept to her left and a short bob at the back.
She clapped her hands and thought she was going to apologize again, but realized it was her dispelling her quirk when he felt his weight return.
"Let's both do our best-" She opened her eyes midway through saying that andIzuku's emerald eyes met her brown ones for the first time. The girl's mouth hung open, but no sound came out. The blush-marks began to grow, enveloping her entire face in the process.
Noticing that the girl wasn't going to respond any time soon, Izuku reached his hand out. "Izuku Aizawa. Nice to meet you." He introduced himself, which seemed to snap the girl out of her stupor.
"O-oh! I-I'm Ochako Uraraka." The girl stuttered out with a smile, trying to control the blush she felt spread across her face. She had to admit; she was entranced by the boy's universal, green eyes. She was a little disappointed she couldn't see his entire face due to the mask, however. "Sorry again for using my Quirk on you." She apologized with a small bow.
Izuku eye-smiled. "It's okay, nothing to worry about over." He replied, which only caused the blush to deepen on the girl's face.
As this went on, Shinso appeared amused by the situation. It was only after he glanced at his other friend beside him that he had to stifle a laugh. Unlike him, Itsuka seemed a bit peeved by the interaction between Izuku and the new stranger, if the scowl on her face and the tapping of her foot were any indications. It was no secret to Shinso that the girl harbored feelings for the boy. It was quite funny actually, to see her so easily annoyed just by the thought of Izuku interacting with another female, even if he already had a girlfriend. She was getting better, though.
Somewhat.
"Izuku."
"Oh, that's right. Well, I'll see you later. Good luck with your exams!" Izuku said, eliciting a smile from her in response.
"Thanks! I'll see you around sometime!" She said and started making her way over to the building. Izuku's group followed soon after.
A while passed before Shinso looked up at Izuku with a smirk. "Maybe I shouldn't be so worried about passing this exam."
Izuku blinked down at him. "Hm?"
"I mean, after all, if I could avoid tripping over a crack, I should have no problem." Itsuka cracked up while Izuku bristled at the comment.
"Oh, shut it."
The UA Entrance Exam consisted of two parts, although one counted more than the other. The first part was a standardized written exam, comprising several typical subjects such as Mathematics, History, and English if they were taught. The test also consisted of a few Hero Laws and Regulations questions, but that was mainly to add extra points should the person know.
Needless to say, the written portion of the exam was a cinch for Izuku, hardly ever needing time to think of answers for each question. Thanks to some experience, he was also able to answer the bonus questions. He doubted he needed them, but it never hurt to be extra careful. That wasn't his primary concern, however. After all, the second part of the UA Entrance Exam was the most crucial part of the entire exam.
The group met up for a brief time before separating to get to their proper seats. Luckily for Izuku, he found himself sitting next to Shinso. Unfortunately, that also meant Bakugo took his other side. Izuku and Shinso gave each other small nods of acknowledgment before focusing on the speaker. To Izuku's surprise, it was Present Mic, who was the proctor of the exam.
"WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO MY LIVE SHOW!" He screamed out of nowhere, generating many applicants to cover their ears or jump in fright at the sudden noise. "NOW, NOW, NO NEED TO BE SHY! EVERYBODY SAY HEY!"
Present Mic put his hand to his ear as if trying to listen to the attendants, only for them to answer with silence. Either way, he carried on as if nothing."I GOT SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE, TOO, LITTLE LISTENERS! ALL RIGHT EXAMINEES…" He trailed off and struck a dramatic pose, with his hand epically raised above his head. "I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE LOW-DOWN ON HOW THIS WILL GO DOWN! ARE YA READY KIDS!?"
Once again, no one answered his question. Someone coughed awkwardly, though.
"NOW PAY CLOSE ATTENTION, LITTLE LISTENERS!" He continued again, not caring about the lack of response. "WE'LL BE TESTING YOUR METTLE BY RUNNING A TEN-MINUTE PRACTICE RUN AT OUR REPLICA CITY-DISTRICT! SO, EVERYBODY GATHER TO YOUR DESIGNATED AREAS RIGHT AFTER THE PRESENTATION, YA GOT THAT?"
Katsuki glanced at the different areas that appeared on the big screen and glanced down to see that he was designated to Battle Location A while Izuku was designated to Battle Location B. When he saw this, Katsuki clicked his teeth in annoyance. "They don't intend on letting friends or classmates cooperate, huh? It's probably a set, so I don't get to kill you," he muttered, though it was loud enough for Izuku to hear.
Izuku promptly ignored him. He did notice that he and Shinso were in the same designated location, however.
Better than being with this loudmouth…
The screen then changed to show silhouettes of three beings resembling robots. Above them were numbers signifying some sort of point system.
"THREE TYPES OF FAUX VILLAINS ARE STATIONED IN EACH BATTLE CENTER. YOU EARN POINTS FROM EACH OF THEM BASED ON THEIR DIFFICULTY." The leather-clad hero continued as each robot displayed mini-explosion effects. "YOUR GOAL, MY DEAR LISTENERS, IS TO USE YOUR QUIRKS TO EARN POINTS BY IMMOBILIZING THE FAUX VILLAINS. AND BEFORE ANYONE THINKS ABOUT IT, ATTACKING OTHER COMPETITORS DIRECTLY OR ANY OTHER ANTI-HERO STUFF IS INSTANT DISQUALIFICATION, CAPISCE!?"
Shinso grimaced at this, "Looks like I'll be having a harder time scoring points..."
Izuku hummed, "Mm, maybe not. Looks like they thought of something for people who don't have suitable Quirks."
"What do you mean?"
"Take a look at this." Izuku flipped a page over. "The robots have off buttons behind their heads. The one-pointers look like they're built for speed but can easily be toppled over. The two-pointers are agile but slower and terrible with short-ranged combat, and the three-pointers are the sturdiest but definitely the slowest of the bunch. Each robot is purposely designed to have weaknesses to allow everyone to have some way to fight the robots, not just those with combat quirks."
Shinso nodded in understanding at his analysis. "Ok, but how exactly am I going to be able to reach them? It's not like they're just gonna sit around all day and wait for me to come near them without doing anything." Izuku gazed up in thought for a moment before looking back at him.
"I can wrap them up with my chains while you swoop in and press their switch.
"And you're ok with that?"
Izuku waved him off. "Of course. I'm sure I'll be able to score some points while also helping out my bud." He said with an eye-smile, prompting Shinso to smirk back in appreciation.
Bakugo scoffed from beside him. "Tch. Weakling. What's the point of you being here if you can't even do things by yourself?" The two continued to ignore the boy, which only furthered to infuriated him.
"EXCUSE ME, PRESENT MIC, SIR?!"
A loud, austere voice sounded from the back of the auditorium. The student standing up was tall, very well built, and had a serious face to match his vivacious form, "You mentioned three villains, but this sheet clearly states four types. If that is a misprint, then U.A., the most prominent school in Japan, should be ashamed of such a foolish mistake. We, examinees, are here because we wish to be molded into exemplary heroes!"
Izuku rested his head on his palm with a bored expression. "Someone sure is passionate." He commented as Shinso nodded his head in response, but their conversation didn't go unnoticed.
"Also, you over there with the curly hair, yes you. Your discussion is loud. It's distracting!" The student called out as he pointed at Izuku with a straight but irritated face. "If you're here for the fun of it, then you should leave immediately!" He finished with an intense glare, causing some people to laugh at them.
Izuku's eye twitched in response, 'You're lucky I'm not here to cause problems...'
Sensing the growing tension, Present Mic quickly stepped in before things escalated any further. "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT." He waved. "THANKS FOR EXPRESSING THAT LITTLE TIDBIT, EXAMINEE 7111. YOU SEE, THAT FOURTH VILLAIN IS WORTH 0 POINTS! HE'S MORE OF AN OBSTACLE." Present Mic continued as the fourth villain appeared. "RUN INTO HIM, AND ITS BEST TO JUST RUN AWAY UNLESS YOU WANT TO MAKE IT WASTE YOUR TIME!"
"I see… Thank you for answering my question. I apologize for interrupting!" The boy said as he sat back down.
Present Mic gave thumbs up with his trademark megawatt smile. "NO, PROBLEM. WELL, THAT'S ALL FOLKS KEEP THE INFO IN MIND AS YOU GO OUT THERE! He grinned mischievously at them and dipped his sunglasses down to leer at them. "REMEMBER THE SCHOOLS MOTTO; GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA! NOW GOOD LUCK SUFFERING!"
Before leaving, Izuku noticed Present Mic give him a discrete thumbs up. A small sign of good luck from him, one he returned with a slight nod.
'And so it begins…'
As far as Izuku knew, each supposed site was different from others. Most were city-based, with a few changes here and there. Most thought that the "mock city" Present Mic had talked about would be something akin to a handful of buildings put together in clusters. When they stepped off the shuttle from the main building, what greeted them was a walled city of a few square kilometers. Full-size office buildings, apartments, and schools dotted the mock cityscape that could be seen outside the wall. The only thing missing would be added details inside every building.
'Did UA always have this kind of money? How did they build all this?' Izuku thought to himself with a sweatdrop. 'Makes me wonder why we still live in some old apartment.'
As Izuku waited beyond the gates of Site B along with Shinso, he began surveying all the others participating. Each of them gave him an idea of what their Quirk could be, whether it was their body shape or equipment. Some had utility belts, with various tools or capsules at their disposal, while others had size or muscle advantage. There were a few who looked pumped and filled with confidence, but it was primarily the cocky kind.
All in all, not very impressive to Izuku. Most of them were the type just to charge right in. Nothing wrong with that in some cases, but it was basically a guarantee to get yourself killed.
As he continued surveying the other applicants, he felt a poke to his ribs from Shinso, who pointed his head in a particular direction. "Check it out. It's that girl who saved your ass."
Izuku looked over to see he was right. "Guess I owe her a save then." He replied, noticing how the girl was trying to control her breathing. "I'm gonna go over to talk to her. Wait here for a bit." He walked off after his friend slightly nodded.
Right before he could make a few steps, Izuku felt a large hand clamp down on his shoulder. Turning to see who it was, he noticed it was the same boy who accused him of distracting them. "Can I help you?"
"That girl seems to be trying to concentrate." The boy stated in a pensive tone as he narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to distract her once more? I already told that if you think this is a place of fun, then you should leave!" At the boy's accusing tone, Izuku shrugged off his hand with annoyance, already realizing people were already judging him as the weaker of the students
He took in a deep breath to control himself, "If you must know, she's a friend of mine, and I just wanted to give her some moral support. Is there a problem with that?" Of course, Ochako being his friend was a long stretch, considering they just met not too long ago. But he liked to think they were friends.
At the boy's silence of his question, Izuku shrugged off his hand and continued towards his intended destination. Upon arriving, he lightly tapped her shoulder, nearly making the poor girl yelp. "Hey there, Uraraka."
The girl spun around, releasing a sigh of relief when she realized it was the nice boy she met earlier. "Oh, Aizawa! You're here too!?" She questioned with a smile on her face.
Izuku eye-smiled at her and nodded. "It looks like it. I noticed you were shaking. You ok?"
That seemed to make Ochako smile brightly as she took a deep breath. "Yeah, just a little worried. What if I mess something up? What if I don't do as well as I hope? I really want to get into this school..."
Izuku placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Relax, I'm sure you'll do fine on the exam. Besides, I'll be there if things get out of hand; I do owe you one after all. Just take a few deep breaths and have faith in yourself. You can do that, right?" Ochako released a deep breath before smiling up at him.
"Yeah, you're right! Heh, thanks for the support."
"No problem. I wish you luck."
"Same to you!"
Izuku smiled back before making his way to the front, where Shinso waited, glancing at him before drawing his attention back to the front gates. "Everything go well?"
"Experienced a bit of a run-in with that guy from earlier before. But, yeah, so far, so good. You ready?"
Shinso blew out a long puff of air, "Nope."
"Heh. Well, you might want to. It's going to start soon."
Up at the podium, Present Mic smirked as he watched the examinees. There was a whole bunch, some with very impressive Quirks, no doubt. There was a good chance a handful of applicants could make a great hero. But did they have the will and strength for it?
Regardless, this was the purpose of the Entrance Exam, to weed out the weaker ones. And with that, he took a deep breath…
"AAAAAND BEGIN!" Present Mic suddenly shouted as the gates swung open, showing an urban landscape with various villain bots prowling the streets. Many of the examinees stood at the entrance, frozen and completely confused.
Izuku, however, did not. He nudged Shinso slightly forward before dashing into the exam site himself. Shinso stumbled a few steps before understanding what his friend was implying and followed behind.
"The hell are they doing?"
"Are they stupid? It hasn't even started yet."
"Wait didn't Present Mic-"
"WHAT'S THE MATTER? THERE ARE NO COUNTDOWNS IN A REAL FIGHT! THOSE KIDS GET IT! BETTER GET MOVING BEFORE THEY STEAL POINTS!" Present Mic told them, causing them to stumble over each other as they rushed ahead.
Izuku calmly observed the scene in front of him as he jumped into the air while a one-point villain began to fire bullets from its hand. The robot started to adjust its arm for a straight forward punch, but he saw through and hopped to the side, landing on one foot at the last second.
[Initiating Quirk: One for All, Adamantine Sealing Chains]
Using his one foot as a spring, Izuku jumped back at the one-pointer, delivering a powerful roundhouse to the neck with enough power to send its head rolling. Spotting two three-pointers heading his way from the corner of his eye, Izuku pivoted on his heel after landing, sending two chains towards the incoming machines. Once they made contact, the bladed tips tore through the metal sheets as if nothing, rendering them from any further movement as they fell apart into a pile of scraps.
Landing safely, Izuku headed right to find three more robots. Infusing his right arm with more strength of One for All, he grabbed the nearest one-pointer and hurled it towards a two-pointer, destroying both at once. Before the third robot could get the jump on him, Izuku spun around and delivered a kick from its underside, sending it flying into the air before it crashed. Taking a moment to collect himself, Izuku paused when he heard loud crashes not too far from him.
Turning his head, Izuku was met with the sight of other participants racking up points. Beams projectiles and the like were flung everywhere as robot after robot kept on getting destroyed. By now, the floor was littered with machinery strung just about everywhere.
One such applicant caught his eye, the person being Ochako, who seemed a little worse for wear if the discomfort on her face said anything. Regardless, she pushed through, slapping her hand on any bot she could find, making them hover up above their heads.
Fighting through the nausea, the girl touched her fingertips together. "Release!"
Izuku's eyebrows rose as he watched the robots crash into the ground, scoring her points. 'So her Quirk allows her to negate the gravitational pull of objects. And can be used to detain them if needed.' Izuku thought to himself, impressed by the power of her Quirk. 'She's doing fine on her own. She doesn't need my help.'
"Oi, Izuku! Mind helping out for a moment?" Turning his head, Izuku spotted four robots surrounding Shinso, who seemed a little tired out.
Giving the smallest of nods, Izuku supported him by flinging two chains around the robots. The chain tightly wrapped itself around the robots. Not enough to destroy them, but sufficient to keep them embolized. Shino ran up to one of their sides and slapped a big red button, generating the machine to freeze up before dropping down. He did the same for the other three before indicating he was done to Izuku, prompting the boy to nod and release his grip.
Shinso smirked with a thumbs up before his eyes widened, spotting two one-pointers jump behind Izuku. "Behind you!"
Without looking back, Izuku dispatched two more chains from his back, piercing right through their bodies and into their central core. Once they stopped moving, the armaments disapparated, letting the one-pointers to crash onto the ground.
"Thanks for that. Everything alright with you so far?"
Shinso jogged up to him. "Yeah, so far, so good. I have been able to score points by sneaking up on some three-pointers. You were right; they are slow."
Izuku chortled, "Told you so. Anyways, now's not the time for chit chat; we are in the middle of an exam after all." Shinso nodded in agreement.
"Right, I'll see you at the end." Running off with a wave, Shinso excused himself as he left to find more robots, leaving Izuku to his thoughts. He stood still for a few moments until he grimaced in sudden realization.
'Ah, I forgot to keep score… I'm sure I'll be fine.'
(In the Observation room)
"My, we raked up quite a crop this year, haven't we?" The 18+ Only Hero: Midnight stated as she and the current and future staff of UA watched the numerous examinees as they went about the battle. "All ripe for the picking.~"
"Midnight, please, they're children," Cementos spoke up from the back. The rest either shook their heads or chuckled in amusement.
"Ignoring Midnight's comment, it's to be expected when all you have to do is smash some piece of machinery." The Tall and muscular form of the Blood Hero: Vlad King added.
"Well, we kind of had to weaken them down a bit; otherwise, fewer people would've been able to pass." The shorter and skinnier Excavation Hero: Power Loader stated as he and a few third-year students were the ones who built those very same bots. They made sure that while they weren't that good, they couldn't make them too hard either. "Which was why we decided to add off switches this year."
"And a fine addition for this year's entrance exam!" Principal Nezu spoke up form his high chair as he stirred his tea. "Thank you for your insight during the meeting, Aizawa." The man merely grunted from his spot, unmoving as he basked in the glory.
"So Eraser, your kid's participating, huh? I don't understand why he wouldn't just accept the recommendation letter." Snipe inquired, causing all eyes to turn over to the ragged hero, awaiting his answer.
Aizawa shrugged in response, his eyes still glued to the screen. "He likes to do things his own way. I don't really get him most of the time, so I don't bother." The rest of the faculty sweatdropped at his blatant response while Midnight smirked at him.
"So not much different from you, hm? Always the deceive one." She teased. 'I like that in a guy. ' Aizawa rolled his eyes in response. "Tch."
"Despite how well the students are doing, we must also focus on their capabilities." Nezu began, drawing everyone's attention back towards him. "After all, this exam tests insight, mobility, decision making, and fighting prowess. The basis needed to preserve peace in the cities."
"With that being said," A new voice, this time being All might, spoke up. "We have to reveal their true nature when they are pitted against impossible odds. What will they do? Will they run and hide? Cower behind others will others are in danger? Or will they rise to the occasion and face this overwhelming power head-on?" All Might dramatically said as he pressed a big red button.
"Let's find out."
Meanwhile, Izuku was busy dodging a scorpion bot's stinger, jumping side to side to avoid with ease. Dodging once more, Izuku immediately went for the tail and grabbed hold of it. As the robot lifted its tail, Izuku rolled onto the back, and with a bit of effort, ripped the tail right off. Seizing the pointed end with his hands, Izuku buried it into the robot's central console, causing it to sputter for a few seconds before ceasing its movements.
Izuku landed with a grunt, staring at the fallen robot with satisfaction. While he didn't keep count, he was sure he scored more than enough points to pass the exams. So far, he was making significant progress, hardly any problems at all. Looking for villain bots certainly wasn't difficult; they seemed to appear at every corner. Of course, Izuku made sure not to destroy every single one he came across. After all, there were other examinees with him.
"TWO MINUTES LEFT!" Present Mic shouted to remind them of the time.
"Well then, onto the next area," Izuku muttered after making sure there wasn't anything left. Before he could start running, however, the ground began to rumble. Izuku glanced towards the source to see a group of examinees and an ever-growing dust cloud. Everyone who felt it looked up to see a giant machine towering over most of the buildings. What really made it stand out was that its design was utterly different from the other villain bots, resembling a humanoid robot with slick silver plating and carrying what appeared to be missile launchers from its shoulders.
Present Mic's glasses fell a little, "That's... not supposed to be here."
Shinso's mouth hung open. "Holy fuck."
As the new opponent drew nearer, the shock from its footsteps was enough to cause nearby buildings to collapse, causing all those in the vicinity to gawk hysterically. The sight was enough to make even Izuku's jaw drop.
'Aha… UA really is fucking crazy.'
"Nezu."
"Hm?"
"That's the Gate Guardian."
"Yes, it is."
"That thing is specifically reserved for the third year's midterms! It could kill them! Why the hell is that thing there?!" Power Loader yelled at the mouse, who simply continued smiling at the monitors.
"Because yes."
"What kind of answer is that?!"
"Principal Nezu, please!" Midnight spoke up this time, "This has to be some sort of mistake!"
"We all make mistakes in the heat of passion, Midnight."
"This is a test!"
"W-what the hell?!"
"They're seriously throwing that thing at us?!"
"That's way too big!"
At that moment, the zero-pointer seemed to be more aware of its surroundings. Stopping in a complete halt, it began to fire its weapons aimlessly, causing everyone to trample over each other as they tried to run to safety. Others, however, weren't so lucky and were caught under some rubble or injured.
"Run for your lives!"
"Every man for himself!"
"W-wait help us!"
Izuku scowled at the sight before him. 'They want to become heroes, but at the sight of something stronger than others, they run away like cowards, ignoring those trapped under the rubble.' Izuku bitterly thought, crushing the head of a one-pointer underneath him. 'How pathetic...'
Human nature still baffled him at times.
After what seemed like an hour but only a few seconds, the supposed zero-pointer ceased its movement to recharge, giving Izuku enough time to survey the situation. Several people were either too injured to run or were trapped under fallen rubble. Thankfully, the buildings were specially designed to keep together but not hard enough to cause significant damage to someone. Didn't mean they weren't heavy, though.
As Izuku's eyes continued to roam the area, his ears picked up a familiar voice.
"Ow…"
Narrowing his eyes through the dust, Izuku was able to make out the faint shape of Ochako, trying to get out of the wreckage the villain bot had caused. A piece of the debris had landed right on top of her leg, and she couldn't escape. Judging by how she was struggling, it was safe to say she couldn't use her Quirk to save herself.
'Ah, shit.'
"Seriously, Nezu, what is it you think you're doing?!"
"Everyone calm down; it's going to be alright," Nezu said reassuringly, although the smile on his face did not comfort them in the slightest. Midnight rounded at Aizawa, who remained unmoving during the duration of the event.
"Shota, you can not tell me you approve of this?!"
*snore*
Half of the faculty's jaws dropped. Midnight's expression remained in shock before she started to burn in anger. Was he really sleeping at this crucial moment?!
"Why you-"
"There is no need to worry, Midnight." All Might stepped in before she could clobber the sleeping man. "I understand everyone's concern about this… sudden change. However, do remember who is there with them. He will not remain idly, knowing he has the power to stop its rampage. It is for that reason Aizawa is not worried in the slightest." He finished, allowing everyone to absorb the new information as they turned back to look at Eraserhead, peacefully snoozing the rest of the afternoon away.
All Might grinned as he brought his eyes back to the monitors. "Have a little faith in his son."
Ochako was panicking. Scratch that, she was scared shitless. She had no idea this was what UA had in store in for them. And this was just an entrance exam! They always said UA was one of the best hero schools in the country, so it shouldn't be a surprise that this was what the school had in mind. But it was still crazy!
As she struggled to free herself from the wreckage, Ochako winced at the pain from her ankle, letting her know she must've twisted it somehow. A rumble caught her attention, causing her to shift her gaze towards the zero-pointer just a few hundred meters from her. The bot moved its back backward, before unleashing a beam from its head straight at the surrounding buildings around her.
Ochako's eyes dilated at the devastation the bot unleashed before noticing a piece of wreckage falling straight at her. Despite having been informed that the students wouldn't necessarily be harmed during the exam, that didn't stop her from shielding her face from incoming debris. She tightened her eyes, bracing herself for the pain that was sure to come.
She waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
Confused at the lack of impact, Ochako cracked her eyes opened a bit, before widening once more. A yellow dome encased her, protecting Ochako from any wreckage threatening to fall on her. And she wasn't the only one. Taking a look around her, Ochako noticed several other yellow domes scattered across the clearing, each one protecting an examinee who were either injured or stuck like her. Like Ochako, they were gaping at the strange dome-like structure surrounding them but seemed at least grateful for the protection.
"You ok?"
Ochako slightly jerked in fright at the sudden voice before looking at the source, spotting Izuku standing before her, a clam expression plastered on his face as the yellow dome lowered. Upon closer expectation, she realized it was him who was controlling the barriers as his eyes roamed around at the rest of the receding barriers surrounding the other examinees.
Shaking her head, Ochako found her voice. "Y-yeah, but I think I twisted my ankle." She said, watching as the boy lifted the remains off of her and inspected her injury.
'Slight bruising but no dislocations or fractures. Just heavily sprained.' Izuku frowned underneath his mask, deducing that the girl wasn't going to be running anytime soon. He knelt down and picked the girl up in his arms, causing her to yelp once more. "Hold on tight." He simply stated before running as fast as he could.
"R-right!" Ochako said with a stutter as a blush grew on her face.
As Izuku ran, he felt the zero-pointer not far behind them, shooting down anything in its way. 'That thing needs to be stopped before it causes any more damage.' Izuku thought to himself, jumping over a rock before side-jumping a piece of a falling building. 'Maybe…' As Izuku started to think of a plan, he saw someone he recognized not too far ahead. "Shinso!"
Said teen whipped his head back with a surprised look on his face. "Izuku! We're in some deep shit right now! Woah, is she ok?" He questioned him, a concerned look crossing his face as he came to a stop.
"Her ankle's twisted, so she can't really run right now. Take her for me, will you?" Izuku ordered as he handed Ochako over to Shinso. He needed them to be at a safe distance in case things didn't go as planned.
Shinso was nearly caught off guard as Izuku pushed Ochako into his arms. "What about you?" He asked, sensing his friend was up to something.
Izuku simply turned around, facing the robot. "There are only two minutes left until the exam ends, but the way this thing is rampaging it will get someone seriously hurt. Killed even."
"Then what do you suggest?" Shinso asked with a confused expression on his face alongside Ochako, though she had a small feeling she knew what he was going to do.
Izuku slightly glanced at him. "Just get to a safe distance, and I'll handle the rest." He said before bolting towards the zero-pointer. Shinso released a small 'tch' before hefting Ochako over her shoulder and began running in the opposite direction, the girl struggling as she reached out for Izuku.
"W-wait! We have to help him!"
"Yeah, no. I'm not trying to get crushed by that thing." Shinso remarked as he kept running. "Besides, he can handle himself. Just watch."
Izuku began to steadily flow about 20 percent of One for All throughout his body, pushing much further than he was used to. His body began to glow as red veins of power flowed through his whole body, electrical sparks seemingly jumping out from his body and wrapping around him, arcing all over the place. He picked up the pace, already forming a plan on how to take down the robot.
'Ok, Izuku. It's just a big, violent, killing machine. You've faced things tougher than this. You can do this.' He motivated himself as the zero-pointer cocked its head back for another laser fire. Spotting this, Izuku drove a bladed chain into the ground before pulling it back, ripping out a chunk of concrete.
Just as the zero-pointer fired, Izuku launched the slab of concrete at the beam, instantly destroying it into pieces and causing the bot to become disorientated. Noticing the opportunity, Izuku bounded on the fallen rubble, all the way up towards the zero-pointer's face. Izuku focused on the blank face of the villain and narrowed his eyes as he cocked his right fist as the entire right sleeve of his tracksuit shredded.
At the last second, Izuku shot his arm forward, "SMASH!"
The blow caught the gigantic robot right in the face, and it blew it off cleanly of its body, sending it flying into a nearby building. And yet, the speed and strength of Izuku's punch were enough to create a shockwave, causing several explosions to rack through its body.
Those who watched from afar were further shocked or impressed by the display of power the punch caused. Slowly, but surely, the gigantic robot began to plunge into the ground as its parts began to blow up one by one.
As the robot toppled over, Izuku began to feel his quirk's usage catch up with him. He looked down to find himself several stories in the air, rapidly falling back down towards the solid ground.
'I really should have thought this through. Now what?' As he tried to come up with a plan of action, Izuku spotted a nearby antenna tower left unscathed from the battle and quickly thought of an idea. Projecting a single chain, the projectile wrapped itself around the tower, allowing the teen to swing himself safely back onto the ground.
No one dared to make a sound as Izuku descended on the ground gracefully, seemingly satisfied at the destruction he just caused. Gazing down, Izuku frowned at his broken arm, presuming he went just a tad overboard with One for All.
"TIMES UP!" announced Present Mic to all seven sites. Izuku allowed his shoulders to sag, revealing just how tired he really was from the backlash.
"Izuku!"
At the call of his name, Izuku came across the sight of Ochako limping towards him with Shinso helping her out, all the while muttering how crazy his friend was. Several people were still staring at them, the teen with glasses as well, but Izuku ignored them in favor of the two in front of him. As the duo drew nearer, Shinso's eyes peered down at the Izuku's arm.
'His Quirk did that?' While it was true that Izuku mentioned he was going to use a strength Quirk, there was no way a Quirk had a backlash like that, right? As far as he knew, strength Quirks were supposed to help the user deal with tougher obstacles, not hurt them. Just what type of Quirk did Izuku have?
Shaking away those thoughts for later, Shinso set about to let Ochako walk on her own once she was close enough.
Muttering her thanks to Shinso, the girl gazed up at the greenette. "Are you ok, Izuku?"
The teen merely eye-smiled, ignoring his own injury. "I should be the one asking you that. How's your ankle doing?" Before the girl could retort at the sight of his broken arm, they were interrupted by another voice's sound.
"Alright, alright, make way." An elderly voice said, making the three turn an elderly woman in a hero costume walk down the broken road. "Now, is anyone here hurt? If you are, please make your way over here."
Taking the gravity-girl from Shinso, Izuku brought the girl over to Recovery Girl, who began her diagnosis on the two.
"Oh my, you look exhausted, dear. And those bruises! I swear the exams become more reckless with each passing year..." Recovery Girl muttered as she kissed Ochako, a small green glow enveloping her.
As the girl healed, the Youthful Heroine turned her sights on Izuku. "And you! My, that Quirk of yours really did a number of you. You should consider taking more precise steps before using it again." She advised, a hint of malice laced into it as she tapped the ground with her cane.
Izuku flinched at the sight of Recovery Girl's cane. He wasn't too fond of the wacks she gave him with that thing.
Ochako's eyes widened as she stood on her leg with a shocked expression. "It's all better... my leg doesn't hurt anymore!" She exclaimed with a cheerful expression on her face before she hunched over. "But now I feel more tired than before." She moaned softly as Izuku rubbed her back.
"That's part of Recovery Girl's Quirk. It requires stamina from the injured person in order to work, which is why it left you exhausted." Izuku informed her as he helped her up. "Your injury wasn't too severe, so you should be fine with a bit of rest." He said, allowing the girl to stabilize herself as she gave him a quick nod of appreciation. Recovery Girl came over and kissed Izuku's arm before leaving to tend to the other examinees.
"Did you see that? He just obliterated that thing away like it was nothing!"
"He was so freaking strong! Just what is his Quirk?!"
"Anyway, there's no mistaking that he's an amazing guy... "
The boy adjusted his glasses, 'No, that's not it… weren't they even watching?' He observed the trio, mingling for a bit as they waited for the go-to signal to head home. 'He jumped in to save that girl! The remaining time… his own safety… even his points! He didn't even hesitate!' His fists clenched hard as he remembered simply passing by other examinees.
'Of course, if this weren't an exam, I would've done the same and helped save people...' The bispectral boy thought to himself before realizing just how vain that sounded. He could've easily done that with his speed, and perhaps he could have saved others as well! Instead, he was too busy worrying about possibly losing most of his points and risking people's lives for points.
'Could it be..?' The boy began to wonder, a thumb placed under his chin as he went deep into thought. 'If the exam was structured like that…' He glanced back at the now talkative trio.
'Did he always know..?'
"Uwah! I'm totally beat!" Ochako chirped as she went ahead of her new friends. It was late afternoon by the time the group of friends finally left UA and were in front of the entrance. As soon as they were allowed to leave, the trio immediately met up with Itsuka, who was already asking questions about the tremor she felt earlier during her part of the exam.
By the time he finished explaining, Itsuka had appeared satisfied with the answer, although Izuku intentionally left the part out about him breaking his arm. There was no point in telling her as he was already healed up, so it didn't seem important to cause any unnecessary worry.
Shinso released a yawn before nodding. "Same. I could go for a nap right now." He drawled out, swinging his bag over his shoulder. "Anybody know when we're supposed to receive our results?"
"They said we should be getting letters by the end of next week," Itsuka answered as she walked alongside Izuku. "Although they also said more people were participating this year, so it might be a while before we get anything."
"I could probably pull some strings and ask my old man about it," Izuku spoke up, drawing their attention. "I wouldn't hold my breath, however. It's a very big if."
Ochako's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Woah, does your dad work here or something? That's incredible!" Izuku eye-smiled in response.
"Yeah, something like that. But his position holds him back from exposing anything too informative." He said mysteriously, causing Ochako to wonder just how his father was tied to UA. In truth, Izuku just wanted to mess with her a bit. She would see eventually when she enters if her performance at the exam was anything to go by.
Itsuka and Shinso shared a knowing look, already aware of how Izuku's father was associated with UA. They decided to keep their mouths shut, letting Izuku have his fun.
Checking her watch, Ochako's eyes widened. "Ah! Sorry guys, but I gotta get going. The last train leaves in a few minutes, and I can't miss it!"
"Wait!" Itsuka stopped her. "Let's at least exchange phone numbers. That way, we can let each other know when we get our results in." That got a smile out of them, and the four exchanged numbers. With that said, Ochako ran off, promising to text when she got her results.
"I think I'll head off as well. After today's events, I could sleep until tomorrow morning." Shinso spoke up as he turned to leave. "I'll see you guys next week." He waved goodbye, Itsuka and Izuku mirroring his moves.
"Cya ya!"
"Take care."
With a short back wave, Shinso disappeared into the distance, leaving them by themselves. Itsuka fidgeted next to the older boy, not knowing what to. It's been a while since she's been alone with him, ever since Shinos joined their little merry band. Mei was occasionally around with them, but that was only when they visited her at her workshop.
"Sooo…" Itsuka tucked her hair behind her ear, "Are you going home as well?"
"In a bit. I want to spend a little more time with you." Izuku said, unintentionally causing the girl to blush. "Why? Do you want me to leave?"
"N-no! I would love for you to...I-I mean… you can stay…" Itsuka stuttered, cursing herself for near slip-up. Composing herself, Itsuka took a deep breath before she gave him a sharp glare.
"I can't believe you decided to face that zero-pointer. Do you know how dangerous that was?" She scolded him with crossed arms, inducing Izuku to raise his hands up in defense.
"Yeah, sorry about that. It was sort of the spur of the moment decision." He defended himself. Despite the questionable decisions he made, Izuku never liked making his friends worry. He valued them to a high degree, ever since he first made friends with the Big 3. He always tried to make safer decisions, but more often than not, he had to make the most unfavorable decisions.
Itsuka sighed before she playfully smirked at him. "Y'know, I should really tell Nejire about this..." Izuku visibly cringed at this.
"Please don't. She's already been on my case lately for not taking better care of myself."
"As she should!" Itsuka laughed as the boy grumbled. They remained still for a few seconds, enjoying the silence between them. Izuku shifted his head back to her.
"Do you want a ride home?"
"H-huh?" Itsuka looked at him with surprised eyes, not expecting that sort of question.
"I asked if you wanted a ride home? I'd feel kinda bad if I just left you here walking by yourself." Izuku stated, gesturing towards his bike.
"Oh. B-but what about Mei? She hasn't come out yet." Izuku lifted his phone up.
"She texted me a while ago. Her test ended an hour ago, so she already headed home."
"Oh. Ok. But do you even have a spare helmet?"
Izuku nodded and walked over to his bike. Pushing a button on its side, a small face mask popped out from the front, to which Izuku handed it to Itsuka.
"Mei's incredible with these sorts of things. Try it. It materializes into a helmet once you put it on."
Taking the respirator, Itsuka looked at it strangely. Giving a small shrug, she placed the mask on, and to her surprise, the mask materialized into a helmet just as he said it would.
"Woah! Now that is seriously cool."
After adjusting her helmet, she climbed into the saddle behind Izuku, clasping her arms around his chest.
Izuku side-looked at her. "First time on a motorcycle?"
"Uh… yeah. I always admired them, but I never really got a chance to ride them sooo…"
"I see. I'll start slow then."
Itsuka nodded in appreciation, grasping him harder as they drove off.
So, originally, this chapter was supposed to be much longer, which was why it took so long. But looking back after a while, I realized I was was going to be throwing a lot of information at you guys, and I didn't want to overwhelm you. So I decided to cut the chapter at a certain point and will be placing that in the next chapter. Plus the tone it had wouldn't fit in this chapter which is also the main reason why I decided to put that in the next chapter. As for when that would come out, I guarantee that it will come out by late Sunday.
Can anyone guess where I got the Gate Guardian from? It's from a game, I can tell you that much.
On a completely unrelated topic, I looked outside my window and found that spider made its home on my window, full spiderweb and all. Turns out it's a Spotted Orb Weaver so I'm ok.
Not much else to say, really. So yeah, I'll be seeing you all on Sunday!
Enjoy your day!