A.N.
So, I've had a few different readers asking about if I plan to summarize things even more or skip over stuff that the whole class has already experienced at this point. I can see why some might want that, and it could even make sense story wise given the set up I have going with Truth. However, my current plan is to cover each episode, excluding any ones that are almost entirely flashback. My reason for doing this is that, even though the majority of people in the room witnessed the upcoming several episodes, they didn't have the same context for them as they do now. The information they gained in previous episodes will cause them to view some events in a different light, and I want to explore that because I think that's a fun and important part of reaction/watching the show type stories. That being said, I'll do my best to make these episodes just as entertaining as the ones preceding and following them.
This episode started with the teachers discussing the top 10 scoring students in the practical exam. They started by talking about how Bakugo got all villain points and no rescue points, and about the strategy he used to get ahead of others in that area.
Bakugo grinned broadly as he heard the teachers talking about him. Of course he caught their attention, he wasn't gonna start slowing down or tapping out before the test was even over, unlike his so called 'competition'. If that's what they did then it's no wonder he got first in the practical, even without the stupid rescue points.
Kirishima heard how persistent and strong Bakugo had been during the exam, and tears came to his eyes. "So manly!"
Though they didn't voice it, most of the other students were impressed too. Even if you didn't like Bakugo, you had to admit he was talented.
'That's just what I would expect from Kacchan.' Izuku thought to himself. Despite their history, some part of him would always admire his childhood friend.
The teachers then contrasted Bakugo to Midoriya, who got all rescue points. Apparently it had been a while since a student had taken the giant villain down so completely, but they bemoaned how much damage he took in the process. Aizawa was shown, looking unimpressed as the others commented that he was like a child who had just gotten his quirk.
"Turns out we were more accurate in that than we thought." Recovery Girl mused. Present Mic laughed.
"I know, who'd have thought, right?"
Aizawa frowned at the screen. He really wished he'd known more about the condition of Midoriya's quirk right from the start. How was he supposed to help Midoriya develop control if he didn't know what the boy was really dealing with? Though, when he thought about how Midoriya had gotten past the first day's test, despite having so little experience to work with, he became even more impressed with Midoriya's ingenuity.
Meanwhile, Midoriya was frowning at the screen. He knew he was behind everyone else with how late he got his quirk, but hearing it laid out like that made anxiety stir in his chest. He had to try to find some way to get One for All completely under control, but would he have enough time? Would he ever be able to catch up to the rest of the class? And what if he still didn't have control and something like the USJ happened again? He hoped he would get some clue when they got around to showing the future.
The scene switched to the night after Midoriya got his acceptance letter. He ran to meet All Might at the beach, and loudly yelled "All Might!" when he saw his mentor. This caught the attention of people nearby, and All Might had to quickly coach Izuku on what to say to direct attention away from them.
Several students snickered, and Aizawa smacked his forehead into his palm. Recovery Girl managed to refrain from doing the same, though just barely.
"How in the world did those two manage to keep this whole thing a secret for so long?" Recovery Girl asked incredulously. Present Mic was too busy forcing down his laughter to comment.
"Occam's razor." Nedzu said. "Hardly anyone is going to believe the fantastical truth when simpler, more normal explanations will suffice.
"At least they've got that going for them." Aizawa grumbled.
Over with the students, Iida raised an eyebrow at Midoriya while Uraraka giggled.
"I know. I know that was dumb, but I'm getting better at it I swear, please don't make this memory anymore awkward than it already is." Midoriya pleaded.
Iida's stern look changed into a fond smile, and Izuku relaxed.
All Might congratulated Izuku on getting into UA, and reassured that he hadn't told anyone of their connection, so Izuku would know for sure he got in on his own merit.
"Admirable, but I still would have liked to know something about the additional difficulties he would have, as I'm sure would any other teacher that worked practical lessons with him." Aizawa said. Yagi nodded in understanding.
"That would have been ideal, but I didn't want to risk any part of our true connection and the details of One for All getting out. I have enough enemies that some might think to harm Midoriya if it was made known I was mentoring him, and I'm sure you can appreciate keeping One for All secret."
"Both good points, but we could probably find a way around them." Present Mic tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Like, him getting his quirk a lot later than most kids doesn't automatically point to you or One for All, right? You could stick to just mentioning that."
"Hmmm, that's not be a bad idea. Perhaps making note on Midoriya's student file would be prudent once we get back to our own world." Nedzu mused.
Midoriya expressed surprise at learning All Might would be a teacher, and deduced that that was the reason All Might had moved into the area. All Might agreed, saying he had been offered a job there while looking for a successor. This caused Izuku to realize that All Might had originally been planning to choose a student as his successor.
Many students looked at each other in surprise, realizing how close they had been to being candidates for inheriting One for All.
"Man, being offered something like that partway into school would have been intense." Kirishima said in quiet awe. "I'm not sure I'd be able to handle that. What about you Bakugo?"
"Like I'd need some boost from All Might to be the number one hero, I'd tell him to keep his fancy-ass quirk and watch me climb the ranks without it."
"That's so manly!"
Midoriya confessed that using One for All had broken his body, and that he didn't have any control over it. All Might brushed off the obvious worry, comparing it to someone who just grew a tail attempting to do a trick. It wouldn't work out well for them either.
"I can attest to that." Ojiro smiled ruefully. "I used to overbalance with my tail all the time when I was younger. Sometimes I could barely run without it tripping me up, much less do anything with it."
"I got into some pretty awkward situations with my tongue when I was little too." Tsuyu confessed. Ashido grinned.
"Oooo, you gotta give us some stories! Next break time at the latest!" Ashido demanded.
"Maybe, you got any to share too, kero?"
"I've got acid strong enough to burn through clothes, so yeah, I've got a few. We can trade."
Mineta had opened his mouth to make a comment about this exchange, but Aoyama saw and quickly flicked Mineta's nose. That startled him just enough for everyone's attention to shift back to the screen and the episode to continue.
Izuku asked if All Might had known what would happen when he used One for All. All Might said there simply hadn't been enough time to explain, but that things turned out okay. He explained that Izuku was now at a point where he either used 0% or 100% of the quirk, and as time went on he would learn control and what his body would be able to handle. He buffed up at the very end to demonstrate his point. This caused the same people from before to notice that All Might was there and the hero quickly urged Midoriya to run down the beach to avoid them.
'Who would have thought. Even All Might gets tired of the public and avoids fans now and then." Aizawa thought with a smirk. He was taking more joy in it than usual, since a part of him was mad at All Might's casual dismissal of Izuku hurting himself so badly. Even if he thought it was only that bad due it being the first time Midoriya used it, that still wasn't the kind of thing that should be framed as okay. He noted it down as something to talk to them about if things didn't show signs of improving in the future.
Izuku quickly scribbled into his notebook. The bit about percentages hadn't completely stuck in his brain before, since they had to run away so soon afterward, but now that he heard it again he wanted to make sure he remembered. Would using only part of the power available to him be easier if he thought of it as percentages?
As they ran, All Might thought about how the the flame Izuku now held was still small, but that it would grow larger with time. As a result, All Might himself would become weaker, until a point where he would disappear and his job would be done.
Jaws dropped, and Izuku's pencil fell out of his grip. He jumped up and ran over to Yagi.
"What do you mean? You never said anything about you getting weaker and you definitely didn't say anything about you disappearing!" Izuku arms waved frantically as he spoke, and his eyes were starting to tear up. He didn't want to be responsible for All Might disappearing!
All Might let out a heavy sigh, then stood up and put his hands on Izuku's shoulders, which caused him to lower his arms. "Because, my boy, I was afraid you would have precisely this reaction. You must understand, Midoriya, that my power was waning long before I met you. I was already down to three hours a day as All Might, and I have no doubt that it would have continued to lessen if I went on the way I was. You musn't think of yourself as sapping my strength, because that is not what you are doing. You are merely gathering that strength before it leaks out of me completely. You are ensuring that One for All does not end with me."
Izuku nodded slowly. He seemed to understand, yet it was clear something was still bothering him. Yagi waited a minute for Izuku to gather his thoughts.
"I...I'm still worried about what you meant by disappearing. What will happen to you? And what will happen without the Symbol of Peace?"
Yagi smiled down at Izuku. "You needn't worry about me. I merely meant that my 'hero form' would disappear, not that I would. I'll be able to live without my quirk, though I'm sure it will be a major adjustment. As for the 'Symbol of Peace', well, the plan was for me to retire once you got older. I'm not exactly a young man anymore, and it hasn't gone unnoticed that I'm spending less and less time fighting villains. People would find the retirement believable, and it would pave the way for you and other great heroes to shoulder the burden I once did."
Izuku looked down. "I never really thought about you not being a hero; I think a part of me figured you'd be one forever. I guess that was silly though..."
"I've been known as the Symbol of Peace since you were born, I think, so I wouldn't say it's silly. People tend not to doubt things that have been a part of their world their whole lives. But the world survived without me being a hero before, and I'm sure it still will once I'm retired, especially if it has heroes like you and your classmates in it."
Izuku finally looked up. He wasn't sure what exactly he was feeling. All Might's confidence in him and the others made him feel like his heart could burst from the warmth, but something squirmed in his gut and something whispered in the back of his mind that they won't be enough, that HE won't be enough. But, for now, those feelings were overpowered by joy Izuku felt being so completely trusted by his hero. Tears spilled down his face, and he put one of his hands over All Might's.
"We...we'll do our best!" Izuku managed to croak out. All Might's smile grew bigger.
"I know you will."
The walk back to his seat was silent, and Izuku felt awkward about that. He couldn't believe that conversation happened while he and All Might were being watched by his whole class and the other teachers. But maybe it was better this way. He couldn't have been the only person freaked out by the thought of All Might being gone, he certainly hoped he wasn't anyway. So maybe, this way, All Might's reassurances had reached all who needed it. When he sat back down, Uraraka leaned into his side, and Iida handed him the roll of toilet paper that had been passed around earlier.
The scene switched to Izuku's apartment, where Inko was making sure Izuku had everything he needed that day. Before he went out the door, Inko stopped him, and told him how cool he was.
Izuku blushed in time with the image of himself on screen.
"You're mother is very kind-hearted, it seems you inherited much from her." Iida said. Izuku's blush deepened, but he was smiling. Even if he wished she had been more supportive when he was younger, Izuku still loved his Mom and admired her a lot. So he felt proud when people said they were a lot alike.
"I gotta ask though." Kaminari interrupted, a big grin on his face. "The action figure thing she mentioned, was that a thing that actually happened?"
Izuku groaned. "One time. I did it ONE time when I was seven and she's never let it go..."
Izuku thought again on how few people got into the UA, and especially how few got into the hero course, as he went to school. He ran nervously through the halls, trying to find his classroom. When he did he was surprised that the door was about three times taller than he was. He wondered if it was for accessibility.
"It is indeed, we certainly wouldn't want our school to feel unwelcoming to those with mutant type or shifting quirks that affected the size of their bodies. We also offer assistance to those who have sensory issues as well." Nedzu explained. It kind of sounded like he was giving a sales pitch.
Izuku thought about who else might be in the class, and his mind was shown to flash to caricatures of Bakugo and Iida. He shook his head to clear it, and hoped he wasn't in the same class as the 'scary people'.
Students burst out laughing throughout the room.
"Sorry Izuku, you made into the class with all the crazies." Ashido teased.
"Oh-oh my god- the look on Iida's face in that thought bubble!" Kaminari howled.
"And did you see Bakugo's teeth?!" Sero added through his own laughter.
"Are sharp teeth really that scary?" Kirishima asked, self-consciously tapping the points of his teeth with his index finger. Bakugo snorted.
"Maybe to idiots. Means yours will work great against low brow villains."
"I'm not sure if I should feel insulted or complimented."
"Take it or leave it, Shitty Hair."
Midoriya looked mortified. "Iida! I'm, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"
"It's quite alright Midoriya, I understand that I didn't leave you with a good first impression." Though, to be honest, he was rather put out at being put on the same level of 'scary' as Bakugo.
"Yeah, and it's not like you can filter every little thought that comes through your head, especially when you didn't know some of them would be made public." Uraraka reassured.
When Izuku opened the door, the first sight that greeted him was Iida arguing with Bakugo. When Iida tried to introduce himself, Bakugo responded by saying he would have fun crushing him. Iida looked alarmed and asked if he was truly aiming to be a hero.
After seeing the way Bakugo treated Izuku at their old school, many of the other students were beginning to wonder the same thing.
Bakugo himself now grimaced at the wording. It reminded him a little too much of what Aizawa had said to him earlier.
Bakugo brushed off the accusation. The pair spotted Midoriya, and Iida started to march over to talk to Izuku.
Iida frowned as he watched himself. He never realized how aggressive he looked when walking like that. He'd have to be more aware of himself in the future, he wouldn't want to accidentally alarm any civilians once he got out into the field.
Iida told Izuku it was obvious that Izuku had realized there was something more to the entrance exam while Iida didn't, which meant Izuku was better than him. Izuku's thoughts showed that he hadn't known anything was up with the exam, but before he could voice that he was interrupted by the arrival of Uraraka. She loudly declared that he was 'the plain looking one'.
"Ouch, Uraraka doesn't hold back." Mineta said with a laugh.
Uraraka blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that..."
"It's fine, you didn't make me feel bad."
Uraraka was excited to see he really had passed, and began to reenact Izuku's take down of the giant villain during the exam. While she talked, Izuku thought that she looked good in her uniform.
"Oh yeah, when Uraraka's in uniform Izuku doesn't feel bad at all." Kaminari teased. Mineta reached over and they gave each other a high five. Ashido looked at the potential matchmaking, and started beaming so hard she was almost vibrating. Aoyama smirked, just as pleased as Ashido but much more subtle about it.
Izuku's face went red, and he covered his head with his arms. "I'm sorry! I didn't think that-well, I was thinking that, but I mean-I-uh-"
"It's okay Deku, like I said, you can't filter every thought." She sounded calm, but her face was an even brighter red than Izuku's. "It's-I'm glad-uh-thank you though!"
After that they both made a point of not looking at each other at all. Iida wondered if he should offer to switch seats with Izuku or if that would just draw more unwanted attention.
While Izuku and Uraraka talked, the screen shifted to show Bakugo watching them. Then the screen flashed back to Bakugo and Midoriya's old high school. The school principle was shown congratulating the two on both getting into UA. Bakugo looked pissed when the principles attention shifted to Izuku, and the next scene suddenly showed Izuku being thrown against a stone wall.
"Ah!" Izuku cried out in time with the on screen version of him. The jolt up his spine felt just as real here as it did back then.
Glares were once again being leveled at Bakugo, who made a show of lounging back in his seat and ignoring them. He couldn't stay that way long though, because it made Kirishima's face too visible. He switched to leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and scowling.
Izuku, meanwhile, was just glad that something had taken attention off that last moment. Uraraka was relieved about that too, but wished it had taken by something other than more evidence of Bakugo's bullying.
Bakugo demanded to know how Izuku managed to cheat his way into UA. Bakugo declared that his plan for the future was already being messed up by not being the only one from their school to go to UA.
"Nobody cares about your stupid 'perfect backstory' Bakugo!" Uraraka seethed at him. She hated how much of Izuku's cries of pain in here had been a direct result Bakugo's actions.
"Caring more about an appealing backstory than another person is not the trait of a hero." Iida agreed, his teeth clenched together. Bakugo's fists clenched.
"Guys, please, it's fine now." Izuku tried to reassure them. They didn't agree, but backed down to satisfy Izuku.
Bakugo's furious features suddenly morphed into surprise. Izuku had grabbed Bakugo's wrist to stop himself from being shaken. Izuku declared that someone had told him he could be a hero through his own effort. He looked defiantly back at Bakugo, and said that was why he was going.
"Yeah!"
"You tell him Midoriya!"
"About time!"
Bakugo's scowl deepened as people cheered Deku's little speech. Stupid extras didn't know what they were talking about...right?
On screen, Bakugo also scowled, angry that Izuku had dared to go against him.
Sato snorted and muttered: "Well, someone's certainly used to being the top dog."
"He barks and growls enough to be one." Sero said with a smirk.
Izuku and Uraraka were still talking by the door, when a voice behind them declared they could go elsewhere to make friends. The two teens turned to the doorway and saw Aizawa laying in the hallway in a sleeping bag.
Present Mic nudged Aizawa in the side. "And you say you have no flare for the dramatic."
"I don't. I was just telling them the truth, and delaying getting out of the bag as long as possible."
"Sure you were."
Aizawa stood up and unzipped the sleeping bag to step out. He declared that they took too long to quiet down, and needed to be more rational.
"I must say, I rather enjoy your unique way of challenging the students' expectations from the get-go." Yagi said.
Aizawa nodded, accepting the compliment. Not everyone understood the purpose of that entrance right away.
Izuku reasoned that if this was a teacher then he must be a pro hero, though he'd never seen one look so tired.
Aizawa snorted. "Most heroes care way to much about personal appearance."
"Most teachers also don't take teaching jobs on top of nighttime patrol shifts, so that's probably part of it too." Present Mic yelped when Aizawa elbowed him in the side.
Aizawa announced he was the homeroom teacher, much to the students' surprise, and then asked them to switch into gym clothes and meet him on the field. The students were shown out on the field, surprised at being asked to take a quirk assessment test rather than doing any ceremony or orientation. Aizawa declared that they didn't have time for such things if they planned on being heroes. He went on to say that UA let teachers have free reign of their classes.
"Does that mean that class 1-B doesn't do a quirk assessment test like we do on the first day? Or that other departments do get orientation?" Midoriya asked. Back when all this had been going on he hadn't wanted to interrupt for a non-essential question, but there was no harm now, right?
"The other departments do get a bit of a ceremony and orientation, but they get hands on pretty quickly too." Present Mic said. "I'm not sure what 1-B does on the first day though."
"Don't know. Never asked." Aizawa added.
"I just started here..." Yagi said sheepishly.
"I'm happy as long as none of them get sent to me on the first day." Recovery Girl said. Now it was Izuku's turn to look sheepish.
People looked at Nedzu, who just smiled at them. "You can ask Blood King when we get back."
The students groaned.
Aizawa gave a brief reminder about how they all did physical assessments without quirks when they were younger. He called Bakugo up first, saying he should do the softball throw while using his quirk. Bakugo shouted "Die!" as he put an explosion into the throwing of the ball.
"Seriously Bakugo, you should really think of a more appealing catch phrase before you start working with the public." Sero said.
"Shut up!"
The ball went sailing, and Aizawa revealed that the ball had gone hundreds of meters. The other students started to get excited for the assessment, looking forward to using their quirks as much as they wanted. Someone exclaimed that it sounded like fun, which Aizawa noticed. He didn't approve of such a casual attitude, and declared that whoever placed last would be expelled.
"You just had to say it, huh, Ashido?" Jirou snarked. Ashido took in good humor.
"Hey, it's not like we were actually going to get expelled. You should thank me for getting the teacher to bring the heat so we would all do our best."
"Since he was planning that logical ruse all along, he probably would have done that anyway." Momo said with a grin. She was quite proud of herself for figuring out that it was a trick when no one else did.
Ashido grinned. "Yeah, but this version makes me look better."
Present Mic turned and gave Aizawa a skeptical look. "Did you tell them you were bluffing at the end?" He whispered. Aizawa smirked, and Present Mic grinned. "That will make for an interesting reveal later."
The students started to freak out. The scene briefly switched to All Might, who had just looked up who Izuku's home teacher was, and rightly declared the boy would be suffering from the start. The scene switched back to the training field, where Izuku was now staring at Aizawa, who was surrounded by a dense purple fog.
"You're reputation for suffering precedes you. Maybe you and Midnight aren't so different after all." Present Mic said with a grin.
"Never say anything so hurtful to me ever again." Aizawa deadpanned.
"Gotta say, I actually do agree with Midoriya's viewpoint here. Mr. Aizawa can feel pretty scary when he wants to." Sato admitted.
"Indeed, being surrounded by an aura of darkness can be quite fitting for him." Tokoyami added. Aizawa overheard them, and smirked.
Izuku started freaking out. With his inability to control One for All, he didn't see how he could use it in any of the tests.
Uraraka exclaimed that expelling them on the first day was too unfair. Aizawa replied that the country was full of unfairness, and that being a hero would mean dealing with situations that weren't in their favor. It was their job to overcome anything UA could throw at them.
"Some people may not like his teaching style, but you have to admit it's effective." Recovery Girl murmured to Nedzu.
"Indeed. It is rare to see children of this age hang on someone's every word, as they are now doing with Aizawa."
Iida was shown, and his inner voice thought to himself that this was too serious to be hazing, it must be real. Other students were shown looking pumped or determined.
"I was taken in so easily." Iida said with a sigh.
"We all were Iida, don't feel bad about it." Midoriya reassured him.
The teachers exchanged looks.
The tests began, starting with the 50 meter dash. Iida was one of the first ones to take it, and after he was done the camera zoomed in on him, then Present Mic's voice was heard giving Iida's full name and explaining more about how his quirk worked.
Aizawa and Yagi turned to Present Mic simultaneously, and so did any student that recognized the voice.
"Just what are you doing voicing over people's quirks?" Recovery Girl asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Heck if I know, I didn't put this show together."
"His style is a good fit for that kind of introduction." Yagi pointed out. The others looked at him. "What? It is."
"That is precisely why I chose Yamada Hizashi." Truth's voice made everyone startle.
"Um, can I ask how exactly you got him saying that stuff? Did he say it at some point or can you manipulate the audio to make it sound like him?" Izuku asked.
"I took the audio from when he was practicing for the Sports Festival while looking in the bathroom mirror." Truth sounded so gleeful it was easy to picture them grinning. The imagined expression looked incredibly similar to the one Aizawa was wearing now.
"You practice lines for the Sports Festival in the bathroom mirror?"
"N-no! I don't know what they're talking about!"
"Sure you don't."
"Just, just play the rest of the show." Present Mic grumbled.
Uraraka was shown preparing for her run by using her quirk on her clothing, which earned her a close up quirk explanation as well.
"Oh cool, I got one too." Uraraka said.
"I didn't, I wonder what determines whether or not you get one." Tsuyu wondered. Truth did not deign to offer any explanation.
"Did using your quirk your clothes and shoes really help?" Izuku asked.
"I don't think it made a huge difference, but I did do a little better than the last time I took it. That means something right?"
"I just wondered if that was a result of any training you did, instead of just the quirk itself."
"Well, I didn't do as much physical training, but I did practice with my quirk so I could lift heavier things for a longer time. Maybe that made it more effective on small stuff too."
"There's also a chance that your improved score was more psychological." Momo interjected. "Because you could use your quirk you believed you would do better, so you pushed yourself harder without even realizing it to accomplish that."
"Huh, I hadn't thought about that." Uraraka replied, looking very thoughtful.
"Maybe we could all get together and test out that kind of affect sometime." Midoriya said, making note of it in his notebook.
"We'd have to structure it carefully yo avoid any confirmation bias. We could talk about it during break." Momo hesitantly suggested. Both Midoriya and Uraraka smiled and said that could be cool, and Momo relaxed a bit.
Aoyama was a part of the next race. He used his navel laser to propel himself, and got a close up for it.
"An excellent snap shot!" Aoyama said with a pleased smile. It quickly turned to a grimace as the next few snap shots showed him falling and rolling on the ground.
"You probably would have done just as well if you ran instead." Mineta pointed out.
"That was one of the only tests I could really use my quirk for, so I didn't want to risk it. Besides...I am not a fast runner." Aoyama admitted, looking downcast. Mineta awkwardly patted him on the arm.
Aizawa's thoughts revealed that he was using these tests so he, and the kids, could figure out what their limits were, and where there was room for improvement. Plus it showed off if they could use their quirks in creative ways.
"Good to know there's some method to the madness. I was scared that whole time because I couldn't figure out any way to use my quirk to help me with those tests." Hagakure said. Koda was quick to nod in agreement.
Bakugo raced beside Izuku, and used his quirk to propel himself forward. He also got a close up.
Bakugo grinned. They actually did get a nice, intense shot of him.
Izuku was worried. He figured everyone would be using their quirks to get above average results, but if he used his quirk it would put him out of the running for everything else. Izuku flashed back to him and All Might talking on the beach. All Might said that the big secret to controlling the quirk was...feeling!
It took all of Aizawa's willpower not to smack himself in the forehead again. No wonder Midoriya was having such a difficult time.
"I guess that kinda makes sense." Kaminari said slowly. "When it came to changing the amount of voltage I used, I just had to feel it out, experiment."
"But your exploration of your quirk does not result in such dire consequences as it does for Midoriya." Tokoyami pointed out. Kaminari nodded in agreement. Shocking himself silly wasn't fun, but it wasn't quite as bad as multiple broken bones.
All Might claimed that, now that Izuku knew what 100% power felt like, he should be able to easily figure out to use that feeling to lower the power to a less dangerous level. After some struggling to explain, Izuku likened the feeling to cooking an egg until it exploded. It made All Might laugh so hard blood spewed out of his mouth.
Some chuckled at the strange metaphor, wondering at how Midoriya's mind worked, while other flinched. Though that could have been from the sight of the blood or from the mental image of Izuku 'exploding'.
All Might encouraged him to focus on the visual of the egg not exploding. He warned that it wouldn't happen immediately, but that should allow him to control it with time.
"I don't advocate shortcuts, but I don't suppose there's a way to speed that process up a bit?" Aizawa asked.
"I don't know. Like I said, the damage I experienced was less severe, so I had more time to figure out control. Plus, I think it might have come more naturally to me than it does to Midoriya." He knew someone he could ask...but he really didn't want to bring him into it until it became absolutely necessary.
The scene switched back to Midoriya taking the test. He tried to visualize like All Might had said, but instead remembered how battered he'd been after using it the first time.
Yagi grimaced. He hadn't taken into consideration how much the pain of the first attempt would affect Midoriya's next attempts. Of course he would be afraid of going through that again, it was only natural. Add in a test that could affect his entire career and it was no wonder that nerves had gotten to him.
First this test, then having to use his quirk against a person he had so much history with, then the USJ...was it possible that Izuku's lack of progress was due to never having a truly safe environment to practice in?
Unbeknownst to Yagi, Aizawa was having similar thoughts, and making a note to himself to try getting Izuku some supervised time in a training gym. No grades, no pressure, just Izuku trying to gain some semblance of control.
The show showed a few different tests in a row, each with Izuku trying and failing to use his quirk without it hurting him, but in the end he simply didn't end up activating his quirk at all. Eventually it got to the ball throw, where Uraraka got a score of infinity.
"I was busy freaking out at the time, but that was still a really awesome Uraraka." Izuku said with a smile.
"Indeed, your performance on that test was quite stunning."
"Thanks guys!"
"Hmmm...Infinity. That could be something that you could factor into your hero name later. It's the kind of word that really catches attention." Present Mic said.
"Oh, thanks for the advice, I'll think about it." She already had an idea for her name though. Maybe infinity could be the name of a special move, part of a name anyway.
Seeing such an amazing score was making Izuku start to panic. He was determined to get at least one outstanding score, like everyone else, but none of the remaining tests were ones he could use One for All on. Off to the side, Iida worried about how Midoriya wasn't doing well. Bakugo said it was obviously because he was quirkless, which confused Iida. They began to argue about what Izuku had done during the practical, right in front of Aizawa, but he was focused on Midoriya.
'I don't even remember Bakugo saying he was quirkless at the time; guess I was too focused on making sure Midoriya didn't put himself out of commission. Still, I should keep up more awareness than that, even if we are at UA.' He shuddered a bit, thinking about what else happened on UA grounds recently. He was lucky Truth had decided to lift his real world injuries while here so he didn't 'over tip the balance of his own toll'.
Midoriya thought about the people who believed in him, and powered up his arm with One for All. Only to have it suddenly cut out. Izuku was shocked when Aizawa revealed that he had erased Izuku's quirk. Aizawa declared that the entrance exam wasn't rational.
"Don't start, not again, not here." Present Mic whined. "I get where you're coming from, but we've been over this so many times." Aizawa huffed, but didn't say anything. He and the other teachers knew full well his feelings about the entrance exam, and how it was biased toward physically powerful quirks and let people with very useful non-physical quirks slip through the cracks. He'd said that so much they probably had his points memorized.
'And yet the practical exam stays the same.' he thought with a scowl.
Izuku noticed yellow goggles around his teacher's neck, and suddenly realized which pro hero Aizawa was. The realization was accompanied by a very dynamic shot of Eraserhead crouching on top of a building overlooking the city.
Aizawa's eyebrows raised. Was that a place he'd actually been, or was this what Izuku imagined he looked like on duty? Either way, it was a nice visual.
As the other students discussed what they did or did not know about Eraserhead, the screen shifted to show that All Might was watching the scene from around the corner.
"Just couldn't help yourself, hm?" Nedzu said with a knowing smile. Yagi rubbed the back of his head bashfully.
"It was his first day, I just wanted to know how he was doing."
Izuku overheard, and it made something warm and light bubble inside his chest.
All Might thought about how Aizawa didn't like the media, and how the two of them didn't get along.
The students looked at each other in surprise. They hadn't picked up on any animosity between their teacher and All Might. Aizawa noticed their confusion and sighed.
"It's entirely possible not to get along with someone but still manage to work and cooperate with them." Aizawa said. Yagi was quick to agree.
"Indeed, learning how to work with those different from you in manner or beliefs is a valuable skill, no matter what your profession."
Aizawa demanded to know if Izuku was planning to get hurt again and have others save him. He denied it, but Aizawa said that's what would happen if he continued like this. He told Izuku that he couldn't be a hero with that power.
A part of Aizawa now felt uncomfortable with this scene. He didn't regret what he said, because it was true. If Midoriya hadn't shown he could be creative and improve upon himself, then Aizawa would have had no faith in his future as a hero. But he knew how much those words must have affected him, now that he'd seen part of the boy's past. It was a testament to the boy's character that he'd managed to find inspiration after hearing his teacher say that, instead of shutting down or letting his nerves affect him even more.
Aizawa let Izuku go so he could try one more time, one last chance to impress him. The screen showed Iida and Bakugo talking about what just happened.
The audience's eyes were more drawn to Aoyama talking to Uraraka though. He asked if she was worried about Midoriya, and said that he wasn't. He looked like he was trying to be comforting, but Uraraka just looked him in confusion, and wondered who he was.
"What was up with that?" Izuku wondered.
"I'm still not sure." Uraraka admitted.
Aoyama sighed in fond exasperation.
Hagakure leaned in and whispered "We've got another match maker over here." into Ashido's ear. Which made her snort, and resolve to join forces with him later.
Aizawa predicted that Izuku would either settle for last place or be reckless and use all his power again, either way would spell failure for him. Izuku swung his arm forward, and put the power of One for All into just one finger at the last moment. The power exploded, and the ball was sent flying.
Izuku's yelped loudly before quickly strangling the sound. He held his hurting hand by the wrist, as though keeping it steady now might cause it to hurt less.
"Deku? Do you need anything?" Uraraka asked anxiously.
"No. It's just a finger this time, so it's not too bad." Izuku's voice was strained, but he was clearly articulate, which was a big improvement over the last time he used his quirk.
"Then let's get back to viewing, so this will go by more quickly." Iida suggested. Izuku was quick to agree, and Uraraka went along with it. But she did offer her hand as a substitute for Izuku gripping his own wrist. He took it with a grateful smile.
Aizawa's counter read out over 700 meters. Izuku turned to his teacher with a smile, and pointed out that he could still move. Aizawa grinned, clearly impressed. All Might was shown to be still watching, and he was also impressed with Izuku's clever solution. In fact, it sounded very similar to one of Izuku's fanboy moments. The episode ended with All Might saying how cool Midoriya was.
"I think All Might just fanboyed about one of our classmates." Kaminari said, for once sounding more stunned than amused.
"That's so surreal." Jirou said, and got murmurs of agreement from the classmates that heard her.
Izuku didn't hear them. He was simultaneously so honored and so flustered he felt like he was about to burst, and that feeling stayed with him during the break.
During the break:
"Alright, story time, you promised!" Ashido said, practically dancing in place from her eagerness.
"You gotta share at least one too, kero."
"Of course, of course, now give me details."
Several classmates stood around the pair, eager to hear stories of quirk failure and thinking up any of their own to contribute.
"Well, I always had some frog features, but my tongue wasn't always super long. So when that grew in I had trouble keeping it in my mouth. Sometimes it would just flop out whenever I tried to talk or eat, but that was more frustrating than funny." Tsuyu admitted. "The first funny thing I thought of was when I tried to use my tongue to open my door from my bed and it got stuck in a knot around the handle."
Ashido and a few of the others giggled.
"And my door opens outward. So when my Mom couldn't understand what I was saying, since my tongue was out, she tried to open the door anyway and we got in a tug of war over the door."
The giggles burst into full on laughs.
"How'd you get it unstuck?" Hagakure asked.
"Same way you untie any knot, kero. My siblings all have the same type of mutant mutation as me, so I ended up doing the same for them later."
"My turn I guess." Ashido declared. "This happened when I first gained the acid part of my quirk. And wouldn't you know it, I gained it early, at my third birthday party as I was posing for a picture with my cake. Let me tell you, my Dad said some very age inappropriate words when he looked away for a few seconds and turned back to find me sitting naked in front of a sugary pile of goo. Not to mention a quickly dissolving chair!"
Ashido herself was laughing by the end, and the others quickly joined her.
"That must have made going back to school kinda awkward huh?" Sato asked.
"Well, thankfully my young birthday parties were strictly family affairs, so none of my young classmates had to be exposed to my Dad's 'colorful vocabulary'."
"Wait, you said you had been posing for a picture though right? Did he actually take it?" Kaminari asked.
"...no." Ashido said, pausing just a little too long before answering.
"He did! He totally did!"
"You can't prove a thing!"
"I don't suppose your parents are the kind to show off embarrassing baby pictures to friends that come over are they?" Sero asked with a smirk.
"Don't you dare! I will dissolve your hero costumes during the next training if you try, don't you think I won't!"
Elsewhere in the same room:
"So I was thinking we could do a kind of double blind study for this." Izuku explained, showing off a page in his notebook to Uraraka and Momo.
"What's that mean?" Uraraka asked.
"Well, we are doing a test to see if using your quirk on you clothes has a real affect or is just a placebo affect." Momo started to explain. "If you or us knew which times your quirk was being canceled and which times it wasn't the results could be influenced by our bias of what we should think is happening. Double blind means that we do this in a way that none of us know when your quirk is being canceled until after all the data is gathered."
"So how would we do that? Just have me do the dash in a place where Aizawa could see and cancel my quirk but we couldn't see him?"
"That would be one option. We might want to do it with a couple different exercises too, just to be thorough." Izuku said, adding something to the page.
"We'd have to make sure that Aizawa is willing to help too, and even if he is it could be a while before he is capable." Momo pointed out. "Even if he looks fine here, I doubt he could have completely recovered by the time we were transported here, even with Recovery Girl's help."
"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting how badly he got hurt during the USJ." Uraraka admitted, gripping her knees nervously. Izuku gave her a comforting smile.
"Just remember, if we play our cards right with the information we get, then we can probably make sure he doesn't have to go through anything else like that again."
"And hopefully keep anyone else from feeling such pain as well." Momo added with a small smile of her own.
Uraraka nodded. "Yeah, I'll do my best to keep that in mind."
A short while later:
Ashido managed to slip away from the group while Jirou was telling them about her younger self getting her own ears tangled up just like real earbud chords. Aoyama was at the edge of the listening group, and she pulled him away as she went.
"I hear we both have a vested interest in getting a certain oblivious pair together." Ashido said with a devilish smirk. "What do you think about swapping ideas?"
"My lady, are you suggesting we team up against our besotted classmates?" Aoyama asked with a grin.
"Not against, FOR. We're teaming up for them! Who knows how long they might take to get together without a few strategically placed nudges."
Aoyama flipped his hair and somehow gained a sparkle around his eyes. "Well, I'm always up for giving my fellow classmates a helping hand."
All in all, people probably should have been much more concerned about how long the pair talked before the break was called to an end.
