( - )
(Last Time)
"You need to stop being a crybaby" All Might jokes, patting Izuku's back, as Percy laughs at the comment.
"Yeah, that's what I told him," Percy agrees.
"Now! Onto the award ceremony! First,
Midoriya Izuku!" All Might says, plucking out a strand of his blonde hair.
"I was once told this too, but the quality is different between ones who received it by luck and ones who earned it. Take that to heart. This is the power you yourself have earned" All Might says, as he reaches his hand out closer to Izuku.
"Eat this"
"Huh"
( - )
(Chapter 3)
( - )
"Huh" The two boys say in unison, evidently caught off guard from the very uncalled for and unconventional question.
"It doesn't matter what it is, as long as you take in my DNA" All Might explains, rubbing the back of his sheepishly.
"This is not what I had imagined!" Izuku shouts in protest.
"Young Jackson, hold him in place, we have no time to lose, you'll be late for your exams!" All Might says, as Percy grows a mischievous grin, going behind Izuku and doing just as All Might said, grabbing onto the green haired boy tightly.
"Come, come…" All Might says, force feeding the strand of hair to the green haired boy held in place, courtesy of Percy, as all that could be heard next were the screams of protest coming from Izuku.
( - )
(8:40 A.M)
(U.A High School Entrance Exam Hall)
We picked up approximately two hours and forty minutes later, as our two childhood duo were now on their way to the U.A entrance exam hall, running amidst the crowds of other participants eager to join the prestigious school boasting its best heroics education in Japan.
Izuku and Percy panted, having to run in a hurry all the way there in fear of being late.
"We made it" Percy sighs, as he and Izuku slow their pace down, now walking with the other young aspiring heroes into the entrance hall.
"I swallowed his hair…" Izuku mutters, still feeling uncomfortable from the weird taste of the strand of hair left in his mouth, as Percy chuckles playfully.
"At least now you inherited his power" Percy says softly, not wanting anyone to overhear their conversation.
"But, did I really receive it? I haven't tested it out yet" Izuku doubts, feeling nervous, as Percy wraps an arm around his shoulder warmly.
"Hey, you'll do great, I know you can do anything you set your mind to," Percy smiled reassuringly, calming the nerve-wrecked green haired boy, as Izuku smiles back awkwardly.
"Oi move it extras" A very familiar voice says from behind the two, as Percy and Izuku look to their backs to see Katsuki walking behind them, his back slouched and his face scrunched up into a sour mood, basically just Bakugo being himself. The presence of the ash blonde haired boy easily made Izuku begin to feel nervous, beginning to stutter, as Bakugo walks past them.
"Hey Katsuki, good morning" Percy says, as the blonde haired boy stood still for a moment, simply nodding, before being back on his way, walking to the entrance hall among many others, while it looks like some began to recognise Katsuki, having seen him from the news no doubt.
"Hey, isn't that Bakugo?
From the slime case?"
"It's him," Two young boys from the side muttered.
Seeing Bakugo walk past them and not remotely doing anything antagonising to him, Izuku sighed, not being used to Katsuki not bullying him, as Percy seems to think about it as well,
'Ever since that day…he's been mostly quiet'
Izuku wasn't the only one who thought that, as Percy noticed it as well. Ever since that sludge villain, Katsuki has been mostly quiet in class, ignoring both Izuku and Percy as well. The green haired boy who used to constantly get bullied by him was somewhat relieved that he wasn't getting bullied as much anymore, but even so, he still cared for Katsuki, same as Percy, both wondering if there was something wrong.
Percy shook those thoughts away for the moment, looking to Izuku by his side, smiling again at the green haired boy, who smiled back, as the duo walked together to the entrance.
Not even a minute after they started walking, Izuku had already tripped himself, as Percy regretted removing his arm around his friend, and as the green haired boy was about to hit the ground with his eyes closed, the inevitable pain he was waiting for never came.
Izuku opened his eyes to see that he had never hit the ground, as he found himself levitating off the ground, making him begin to panic, writhing and moving around.
"Are you okay?" An unfamiliar feminine voice asks, making the two boys whip their head around to the side to see a short brown haired girl with a round face, almost the same height as Izuku, both being quite short in comparison to other boys and girls their age.
The girl guided Izuku's body so that he was now standing straight and had his feet planted on the ground.
"It's my quirk
Sorry it was sudden, but it would've been bad luck if you fell
It makes me nervous" The girl explains, clapping her hands together, smiling warmly at the two boys, as Izuku begins to stutter, making it quite obvious that he had never talked to a girl before. Percy, however, was not as nervous as Izuku.
"Thank you for saving my friend, I'm assuming you're here to participate in the entrance exam as well right?" Percy thanks her on behalf of his friend that was busy stuttering and shaking nervously, being in front of the girl.
"Oh, no problem, it was my pleasure and yes, I am here for the entrance exam. Both of you are as well, I'm assuming?" The girl asks, as Percy nods.
"That's great! I wish you both the best of luck then, bye!" The girl says, walking away, as she waves goodbye to the boys,
"Good luck to you as well! Bye!" Percy says, waving back, before looking at Izuku, who had stopped stuttering at least.
"That girl was nice," Percy says.
"Y-Yeah" Izuku stutters shyly, as the duo continue walking into the hall, while Izuku has only one thought in his mind.
'I talked to a girl!'
( - )
(U.A Hero Course Exam Orientation)
All the participants had now sat down on their seats inside the entrance exam hall, as we see Percy, Izuku and Bakugo seated together, the green haired boy being seated in the middle of the two.
Everyone in the hall had their attention on the tall, slim man with long blonde hair spiked up as a tuft wearing , standing below them on the stage in front of the huge screen showing the highschool's logo.
"To all examinees out there, welcome to my live performance!" The man shouts gleefully, his loud voice resonating all throughout the room, as he spreads his arms out.
"Everybody say, hey!" The man says, putting a hand on his ear, waiting for the examinees to respond, only to be met with silence.
"That's cold" The man jokes, feigning his feelings getting hurt, before raising a finger up.
"To the examinees out there, I'll give you a quick rundown of the practical exam.
ARE YOU READYYYYYY!?" The man shouts loudly, only to be met with silence, once again, everyone still being silent, well almost everyone.
"It's Present Mic, the Voice Hero!" Izuku gushes, clearly recognising the very loud blonde haired man.
"I listen to his radio show every week. The teachers are all pro heroes—" Izuku says, but before he could say more.
"Shut up" Katsuki whispers sharply, silencing Izuku instantly, before Percy could nudge his friend quietly, making the green eyed boy sigh, but at the least the blonde was not as mean as he was before, making Percy look at Bakugo for a second, shooting him a smile, thinking that he had changed.
Katsuki, though it was for a split second, had caught a glimpse of the smile, shaking his head in response, before focusing his attention back at Present Mic, who was explaining the practical exam.
"As the application says, you'll participate in a ten minute mock battle in the city.
Bring anything, after this head to your assigned practice center" Present Mic says, as everyone begins looking at the piece of paper they received.
"Okay?"
Percy looks at his exam ticket, having his name and picture on it, showing that he will be in practice center B. After looking at his own, Percy goes to look at Izuku's ticket and sees that he was also in center B.
"Oh sweet, we're both together" Percy whispers.
"Y-Yeah" Izuku says, as Bakugo looks at Izuku's and Percy's tickets as well, making a 'tch' noise, before showing them his ticket, Katsuki would be in center A.
"So they're not letting me work with you two, huh?" Katsuki says, sounding disappointed that he wouldn't be in the same center as the two.
"Tch, I won't be able to fight you Percy" Katsuki says, annoyed by the fact, as Izuku chuckles awkwardly.
"What are you laughing at, nerd?" Bakugo asks, as Izuku stutters, not being able to form a sentence.
"Katsuki…" Percy says, as Katsuki meets his eyes which show a stern look, silencing the blonde instantly.
"Even though we aren't in the same center, good luck" Percy whispers, his stern look disappearing quickly, as his face softens up, before scratching the back of his sheepishly "Though I'm pretty sure you won't need it, I know you'll do great"
Bakugo grumbled something inaudible, clearly flustered, as he turned his attention back to Present Mic, along with Percy and Izuku who followed suit, looking at the huge screen which now showed a copy of how the centers would look like.
"At each practice center, there are three types of virtual villains" Present mic says, as pictures of the virtual villains appeared on the screen, along with the points they would grant shown on top of them.
"You earn points depending on their level.
Use your individual quirk to defeat the villains and earn points.
And of course, don't hurt others or do anything anti-hero" Present Mic explains, as someone from the crowd of examinees suddenly stands up, raising his hand.
"I have a question!" A male voice shouts out, calling the attention of the entire hall of examinees and Present Mic, as we take a look at the young man. The young boy looked to be relatively tall and muscular with a wide frame, with short dark blue hair, flattened neatly down, wearing a brown suit and glasses and, of course, you couldn't miss the stern and serious look he wore, looking quite intimidating,
"Okay" Present Mic says, pointing at the young man, as a spotlight focuses on the boy, taking everyone's attention. The boy was holding a piece of paper on his right hand, using his left to point on it, as he spoke.
"On this printout, there are four villain types. If it's a misprint, it'll be a great shame on Japan's best school. We examinees are here, because we want to be taught by exemplary heroes!" The young man shouts, before turning his attention to the green haired boy seated a few rows behind him, pointing clearly at Izuku.
"And you frizzy haired boy!" The boy says, as Izuku gestures to himself, as if to ask if he was talking about him.
"Your endless murmuring is disrupting! If you're here just for fun, leave now!" The boy sternly shouts, making almost everyone in the hall laugh at Izuku, who immediately shrunk down on his seat, feeling embarrassed, but the laughter was short-lived.
"Oi four eyes, could you sit down and let Present Mic finish talking, before interrupting or can you not, because that stick up your ass is so far up, you can't even sit down anymore?" Surprisingly, Katsuki says, making everyone switch their object of laughter from Izuku to now the dark blue haired boy, as Present Mic speaks up, hoping to defuse the tension and to dissolve any chances of a fight breaking out. The young man looked quite bothered by the fact of being humiliated in front of a crowd, as he grips his fists tightly.
"Okay, okay…
Examinee number 7111, thanks for the nice message" Present Mic says, giving the young man, who had turned his attention away from Bakugo and to the blonde haired hero, a thumbs up.
"The fourth one is zero points. He is an outcast.
It's just a gimmick that's causing a ruckus throughout each center.
You can destroy him, but there's no point.
To the listeners, I advise you to avoid these guys" Present Mic explains, as the blue haired boy bows.
"Thank you and please excuse my question" The young man says, before taking his seat calmly. Meanwhile, Percy was thinking about the boy who had told Izuku off, and though he wouldn't admit it, what Katsuki had said made him hold back a chuckle, as he looks at Bakugo, who was looking at the presentation being shown, having a slouched position on his seat, looking bored and uninterested in the orientation as a whole.
The green eyed boy nodded at the blonde as a thanks, before turning his attention back to the voice hero.
"That's it for now
Finally, I will bestow upon you our school motto.
The hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said,
'True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life'
Over and beyond,
PLUS ULTRAA!" Present Mic says, as Izuku and Percy both look at the presentation in excitement and determination.
"So, I wish you all the best!
You may all now stand up from your seats and exit in an orderly manner, before going to your given centers!" Present Mic says, concluding the orientation, as everyone immediately begins to stand up from their seats, before running to the exits in an unruly manner, wanting to go to their centers as quickly as possible.
Percy, wanting to go to the center along with Izuku, walked with his childhood friend, holding the green haired boy's hand as a means of not losing him, pushing through the crowds of examinees, as they tried to find their center. Izuku, however, got lost, having seen a glimpse of the kind, brown haired woman from earlier, making him stand still for a few moments, which resulted in him losing sight of Percy, as he began to panic.
Izuku's panic attack didn't last long, as someone had rested a hand on his shoulder, spooking the green haired boy who jumped a few steps back in surprise, before seeing that it was Percy.
"That was close, it would've been bad if I hadn't found you sooner, we need to go or we'll be late" Percy says, and without letting Izuku utter a word, pulled his arm, as they ran over to their center on the right.
As the duo had gotten closer to their center, they slowed down, just walking, taking a look at the hordes of examinees crowding the entrance of the center.
"Oi Deku!" A very familiar voice shouts from behind, as the two turn their heads to look at a pissed Katsuki, who was walking by them.
"Don't think I was trying to defend you earlier! That annoying four eyes just pissed me off! Don't you dare look down on me!" Katsuki shouts, before walking past them, going to his center right beside theirs.
Percy chuckles at Katsuki's words, nudging Izuku "He definitely cares about you. A lot" The green eyed boy whispers, as Izuku blushes slightly.
"H-How can you tell?" Izuku nervously stutters out.
"Oh I know, that's just his way of doing it" Percy says.
"But, why would he start being friendly to me now?" Izuku asks.
"I don't know, maybe he changed, but now's not the time to think about that.
We have to make sure we get into U.A" Percy says, making the green haired boy panic, becoming nervous again, as the two stop walking, now right in front of the entrance, along with the other examinees, some standing agape at the huge center which looked like a city.
"What is this?"
"It's like a huge city"
"How many of these are there?"
Percy looks at the huge entrance, whistling at its size, as he looks around at the competition, while hearing Izuku murmur under his breath.
"Why is everyone so confident?
Aren't they nervous?
They even have specialised gear" Izuku says, as he looks at Percy and himself. He was wearing a simple blue tracksuit, while Percy wore a blue shirt with a hoodie on top. Examining Percy's look, Izuku notices that he was holding a huge bottle of water.
"Uhm, why are you bringing that?" Izuku asks out of curiosity, as Percy grins.
"Oh this?
Well, I do need a water source, so I decided to bring my own" Percy says, gesturing to the huge looking water bottle that seemed to weigh a ton.
"Oh, that's really smart," Izuku says, putting a hand on his mouth, thinking of the many possibilities Percy could use, muttering them aloud, as a voice calls his attention from behind.
"Hey" The two boys turn their heads to look at the familiar dark blue haired boy with glasses, standing there, as Izuku feels nervous, thinking he'd be scolded again, but Percy was ready to defend his friend, though contrary to what they were thinking, that wasn't the case.
The boy bowed "I apologise sincerely for my recent actions! I did not think thoroughly before I had spoken! AND FOR THAT I AM SORRY!"
The apology took the green haired boy off guard, as he waves his hands "O-Oh no, I should be the one apologising, I was disturbing everyone with my muttering" Izuku says, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"Still, what I said was uncalled for and demands an apology" The boy says, standing up straight now, but before Izuku could protest.
"Okay, START!" The booming loud voice of Present Mic rings throughout the whole center, as the entrance opens up, everyone, instead of Percy, was looking at Present Mic.
"What's wrong? Life doesn't have countdowns!
Go Go Go!" Present Mic says, as everyone snapped out of it, running to the entrance, but two were already ahead.
When Present Mic had said "Start", Percy was quick to react, grabbing Izuku by his back and rushing through the competition, getting ahead of everyone, as they entered the center.
Izuku was not at all ready, as he found himself running through the streets of the city alongside Percy, with a horde of eager participants behind them.
"Izuku! We have to split up to get more points! I'll see you on the other side! Remember!
You can do this!" Percy shouts to have his voice heard, from all the loud noises coming from behind them, as the examinees catch up to them. Percy and Izuku split up, the green eyed boy going on his own way, as he opens his water bottle, pouring all the water out, but it doesn't reach the ground, stopping midway.
Percy shapes them into two swords, before solidifying them quickly and now he has two swords in hand, he grins, before running over to the first virtual villain he could find.
The bot ran at him quickly, as Percy stood still, cocking his head to the side.
'Why does it look so slow?'
Percy wondered, as he dodged and dodged each hit the bot threw at him with ease, before using his swords to slash the bot's arms off, and ultimately finishing it off by digging his swords deep into the bot's body. He looked at the decommissioned bot in confusion.
The green eyed boy didn't know if it was just his training, but that was easy, too easy, though he didn't question it, thanking All Might quietly for the rigorous training he underwent, making him into what he was now.
Then suddenly, Percy heard a missile launched behind him, as he turned around, shaping the sword he held on his left to a shield, putting it infront of him, effectively blocking the explosive. He then rushes the bot and makes quick work of it, defeating it easily.
With a great start, Percy then rushes any bot he could find, defeating each and every one of them easily, utilising his abilities as much as he could. He used all sorts of constructs, from swords and a shield for close combat, even using a trident at one point, to chains for pulling bots closer to him, and even controlling his swords to fly around, dismantling every bot from afar, as the green haired boy kept his momentum all throughout. Percy used his sharp senses very well to find the virtual villains, helping him a lot.
Percy had gone on a rampage, defeating so many bots, without thinking, as anyone who had come across the green eyed boy stood agape at seeing his power and ferocity.
After taking a fair (read : numerous) amount of bots out, Present Mic's voice echoed.
"3 Minutes left!" Present Mic says, snapping Percy out of his daze, looking around at how many virtual villains he had beaten.
'Hmm. I forgot to count, but I think I got enough?'
Percy thought, as he saw some examinees having trouble, running away from a few bots.
'Ooh, I can help these guys out, then I can check on Izuku'
The black haired boy quickly ran to the fellow participants to aid them, quickly dismantling the bots, as he looked to the three boys he had just helped.
"Hey are you guys okay?" Percy asks, as they look at him in fascination,
"Yeah we're good now, thanks to you!" One of them said, as Percy smiles.
"It was no problem, I just did what any person would've done"
"You're amazing! We saw you earlier! You took out so many of those bots so quickly!" Another said, as Percy smiles awkwardly.
"Thanks, but I don't think I did that great, I'm sure others did much better than me" Percy says, as the three boys were quick to interject, praising the black haired boy, making it quite obvious they were fawning over him.
Meanwhile, in a dark room, we can see a number of different people seated together, looking at different screens, all showcasing the different examinees in different centers.
"In this practical exam, the number and location of the villains are undisclosed.
The short time limit and large field help to draw out" A voice says, as certain individuals are shown on the screens.
"The ability to quickly gather information," A screen shows a tall and muscular young man with six arms, three on each side.
"The mobility to respond to different situations," A screen shows a familiar dark blue haired boy with glasses.
"The discernment to stay calm under any circumstance," A screen shows a young man with a shiny blue laser shooting out of his navel area.
"And pure combat ability" Two screens specifically focus on two boys, Katsuki Bakugo and Percy Jackson. The blonde haired boy could be seen standing atop a mangled bot with smoke coming from his hands, while the black haired boy could be seen standing amidst piles of dismantled bots with a sword in his right hand and a shield on his left.
"These basic qualities needed for the city's peace are measured by this point system" Did we just see that the voice belonged to a talking rat? Wearing a suit and tie?
"This year's group looks promising" An unfamiliar voice, sounding like it belonged to a female, says.
"It's too early to decide" Another voice, this time a male's, interjects, as someone's hand reaches down to a red button with the words "Motivation Switch" on top of it.
"Their real quality will be tested now"
The whole center rumbles, buildings begin to fall apart, dust and smoke emanating from its source, as something huge appears from the rubble, the zero pointer. It stood easily taller than all the buildings, as anyone, regardless of where they were, could see the humongous looking bot.
Percy saw the zero pointer almost immediately, taking his attention from the three boys he had just saved, as soon he could hear pleas of help. He didn't waste any time in disregarding the three who were talking to him, being far away from the virtual villain itself, as he runs as fast as he can towards the bot.
As Percy found his way near the bot and center of all the ruckus, he saw hordes of examinees fleeing from the bot, most running away in fear, as the green eyed boy tried to look for Izuku among the crowd.
Not finding him anywhere far away from the bot, Percy concluded that Izuku was somewhere near it, running closer and closer to the zero pointer itself, as he spots Izuku, standing frozen in front of the bot, not looking at the villain itself, but at something else or more specifically, someone.
Percy sees that the kind girl from earlier was now stuck under some rubble, unable to get her foot out, as the bot was right in front of her, almost about to crush her. Seeing what Izuku was about to do, the black haired boy grins.
Percy watches as Izuku, without a moment of hesitation, immediately starts lighting up, before jumping off the ground at an unimaginable speed and tenacity, reeling his right arm back, getting ready to punch the bot, while smiling, just like All Might had taught him,
"GO IZUKU!" Percy cheers, as he sees Izuku's right arm's sleeve burning off, showing his toned arm which was lit up, electricity dancing around it, before shaking his head, focusing on the task at hand, which was to get the brown haired girl to safety.
Percy goes over to the girl's leg, crouching down, before lifting the heavy rubble off her, freeing her leg, as he carries her up, running away from the bot to get to safety, while Izuku reaches the head of the bot, reeling his arm back once more.
"SMASHHHHH!" Izuku shouts, punching the zero pointer with all his might, as the collision results in a huge shockwave, breaking the bot's head, making the zero pointer topple backwards, crashing down on the ground, making a huge crater in the center of the city, being defeated by one punch, but in doing so Izuku had also broke his whole right arm in the process.
Everyone who had run away from the bot looked with their mouths wide in shock, as the green haired boy, who they all underestimated, had just defeated the zero pointer with one hit.
Percy smiles 'WHOOOO LET'S GO IZUKU'
But, the green eyed boy lost his smile, as he realised 'Wait…how's he going to get down?'
Percy looks up, seeing that Izuku was falling down, and really fast. He didn't waste any time and ran to the nearest building, getting to the top, as he saw Izuku get closer and closer to the ground. He shapes his swords into a platform, before controlling it to fly up to Izuku, catching the green haired boy, saving him before he could fall to his death.
Percy sighs, going back down to the ground, while willing Izuku to slowly fall down onto his arms, as he examines his friend's injuries. He sees that Izuku had two broken legs, apart from the very obvious looking broken arm.
"Ouch…" Izuku says softly, looking at Percy.
"Percy, you saved me" Izuku says, as Percy smiles warmly, not noticing the crowd of examinees that had formed behind them, the brown haired girl standing among them, looking worried.
"Yeah, you did great," Percy says, as Izuku's eyes begin looking worried, his head turning to look at the side with his healthy arm reaching out, but before Percy could ask what was wrong.
"The exam is over!" Present Mic's voice echoes throughout all the centers, followed by loud blares of alarms ringing, signalling the end of the exam, as Izuku starts to tear up.
"No! I need to get at least one p-point—
I-" Before Izuku could finish his sentence, his eyes closed with his arm falling, having followed suit, as he went unconscious.
"Izuku?" Percy asks worriedly, putting a hand on Izuku's wrist to check for a pulse, and he, thankfully, still had one, making the black haired boy sigh in relief, but before he could ask for help.
"Good work everyone!" An elderly voice says, taking Percy's attention, as he looks behind him to see a short old lady, wearing a nurse outfit, walking with a cane through the crowds of examinees who had grouped up behind Percy.
"Good work, good work" The old lady says, walking to a young man, before pulling something out from her pocket.
"Here, here, have some gummies" The old lady says, giving the young man a handful of gummies, as the examinee bows slightly, nodding in gratitude
"Thank you"
The old lady then focuses her attention on Percy, who was holding Izuku in his arms. The green eyed boy ran to the old lady, with a distressed look on his face.
"Ma'am, I need help, my friend is injured, could you call for an ambulance?" Percy asks, as the old lady does nothing, looking at Izuku's unconscious body, examining the green haired boy's injuries.
"How can you hurt yourself this much with your own quirk?" The old lady sighs, seeing Izuku's injuries, before getting closer to Percy and kissing Izuku's head, as some of the bystanders get surprised by what they were seeing.
"What the?"
"She is UA's school nurse, the youthful heroine, Recovery Girl" A young man from the crowd says, making it obvious that he knew who the old woman was, as Percy's mouth widens, seeing Izuku's body start to heal. The green haired boy's injuries began disappearing, his broken bones snapping back into place, as soon enough Izuku looked as good as new.
"Her quirk is a healing factor.
The main reason UA can conduct such dangerous tests is because of her power" The same knowledgeable young man says.
Seeing his friend healed, Percy looks at the old woman thankfully "Thank you!"
Recovery girl smiles warmly in response, before walking away, tending to the needs of the other examinees, who have sustained injuries or wounds.
( - )
(1 Week Later)
"Tch"
Percy looked disappointed, as he stared at the blue cookie in his hand, not feeling any motivation to eat, even if it was his favourite food. He put the cookie back onto the place on the table, as he gripped his fists tightly, feeling frustrated, because of the previous week.
Izuku had just gotten discharged from the infirmary in U.A, now fully conscious, as he exited the entrance of the highschool, Percy following behind.
"Hey!" Percy shouts, gaining Izuku's attention, who turns around to look at the green
eyed boy.
"You left without saying anything, I got worried" Percy says, as Izuku smiles slightly, but Percy see that it looked forced,
"I'm fine Percy…why don't you just leave me and go back home" Izuku says softly, as Percy walks closer to him.
"What? No way, let's walk home together!
I saw how you handled that zero pointer!
That was awesome!" Percy says, smiling widely, but loses it quickly, seeing Izuku still with a frown on his face.
"Is something wrong?" Percy asks, as Izuku denies it, saying "No"
The green eyed boy, obviously, didn't believe it for a second, but decided to change the subject.
"So…
How many points did you get?" Percy asks, as Izuku looks down, refusing to look at Percy, who tries to put a hand on the green haired boy's shoulder, but gets batted away by Izuku, who is now tearing up.
"I-
I got zero…
I failed both you and All Might…
You should just forget about it
I'm not cut out to be a hero" Izuku says, wiping his tears away, as he runs off.
"Wait! Izuku!" Percy says, chasing after Izuku, but was futile, as Izuku took a cab, which had already begun to drive off, leaving Percy behind.
It's been one week since that day…
Percy hasn't talked to Izuku nor All Might since then, as he had been beating himself up over the entrance exam, feeling responsible for Izuku getting zero points.
'If I had gone with him, instead of splitting up, I could've helped him and we both would've passed' Percy clenches his fists.
'It's all my fault…'
'Damn it' Percy raises his fist, hitting himself on the head multiple times.
'Idiot'
'Idiot'
'Idiot!' Percy stops hitting himself, as he rests his hands down on his lap, looking at them in disappointment, mainly at himself.
"Percy?" His mother's soothing voice calls out from behind him, as Percy turns around to be met with a warm embrace, courtesy of Sally Jackson.
"Mom…" Percy sniffles, as he hugs back tightly, crying openly on the brown haired woman's shoulder.
"Hey, it's okay now" Sally says soothingly, hugging her son for however long Percy needed, before the two pulled away. She then pulled a chair to sit on, sitting beside Percy, to look him in the eye, while grasping the green eyed boy's hand softly, caressing it, successfully calming Percy down.
"Want to tell me what's bothering you sweetie?" Sally asks softly, as Percy wipes his tears away.
"Well, during the entrance exam, Izuku and I went together, but I made the dumb decision to split up, which resulted in Izuku getting zero points, and it's all my fault" Percy sniffles, feeling guilt, as Sally leans in to hug her son once again.
"It's all my fault mom" Percy sobs on his mother's shoulder, as Sally hugs him tightly, humming into his ear to calm him down.
"No it's not. I've seen you and Izuku as friends ever since you two met. You always protected him, you always cared for him, like he was your own brother. You'd always think about him first, whenever something happens. I love that about you, sweetie, you're an amazing friend. So believe me when I say, you were not at fault" Sally whispers softly into Percy's ear, while embracing him tightly.
"Thanks mom," Percy sniffles.
"Anytime sweetie
You can always talk to me if something's bothering you, okay?" Sally says, as Percy smiles.
"Okay" Percy replied, as he pulled away from the hug. The mother and son sit in silence, as Sally smiles, looking out the window.
"I remember…
When it'd be a rainy day and we wouldn't be able to go outside.
The first thing I would do would be to start baking a batch of your favourite cookies, while you would—"
"—Watch you bake, asking you to go faster, because I was already hungry just seeing it and when you did finish it, I'd finish them in under a minute, giving me a sugar rush. I'd then beg you to let me play outside, and you couldn't say no, so you allowed me to. After, I'd be so worn out, you brought me back to my room to sleep, and the next day I'd be sick, so you and I would just sit together to watch tv, while you would feed me soup" Percy finishes his mother's sentence, smiling warmly.
"Yeah I remember too" Sally smiles warmly in response to her son, before shooting her son a lopsided smirk.
"You know…
You never did tell me why you always came home sweating like you've been to the Sahara desert, most of the time coming home with bruises. You even stopped eating your favourites" Sally says, listing off only the things off the top of her head, remembering the varying states that she had seen her son come home in these past ten months.
"Hehe, well, uhm" Percy nervously lets out, scratching the back of his head.
"So, care to tell me what was really going on?" Sally says softly, not sounding angry or frustrated with her son lying to her at all, as she asked her son for the truth.
Percy sighs "Where should I start?"
"I suppose, the very beginning" Sally says, as Percy then began to recount the events that led to him and Izuku being trained under the Symbol of Peace himself. He told her everything that had happened in the past ten months, not leaving a single detail out, illustrating the intensity of the training to his mother. He told her everything, including Izuku's new quirk, which the green haired boy inherited from the No.1 Hero and even about All Might's injury.
By the end of the storytelling, Sally had an expression which was hard to read, having mixed feelings fighting inside of her, all focused on the well being of her precious child.
"Mom?" Percy says, worried for his mother, who had been silent for a few moments now, only now being snapped out of her daze.
"A-Are you sure being a hero is what you want?" Sally says, the worry laced in her voice very apparent, having the natural instincts to want to protect her son.
"Yes mom, I do. I want to help everyone in danger. I want to see the smiles on people's faces.
I'll admit that I'm actually kinda scared to face a villain…hehe
I'm not really as courageous or brave as other heroes, neither am I as talented as others, but I really want to help people" Percy says, smiling stupidly.
Seeing the warm smile on her son's face…
The determination in his eyes…
Sally breathed a sigh of content, as all her doubts and worries had somehow gone away, seeing her son's willingness to be a hero, and his smile full of hope.
"Okay then" Sally says, chuckling softly, as she leans in to hug Percy, who hugs back, the mother and son embracing each other tightly.
"I'll support you in anything you choose to do sweetie" Sally sniffles, beginning to tear up on her son's shoulder.
"Just promise you'll not push yourself too far, okay? Stay safe for me please" Sally whispers into her son's ear.
"I will mom"
"And make sure not to stress yourself out too much, okay? I want you to live a peaceful and happy life, so take care of yourself" Sally says, as Percy smiles, hugging his mother tightly.
"I won't"
"Good, that's all I want for you" Sally smiles, as almost instantly, the doorbell rings, interrupting the sweet moment between the mother and son.
Percy watches, as his mother pulls away from the hug, going over to the door and opening it. He sees Sally bending over, before going back inside the house, closing the door behind her, as Percy sees the brown haired woman holding something in her hand.
Sally walks over to Percy, while looking at the white envelope in her hand, as an excited smile appears on her face.
"Percy! The results of the entrance exam are here!" Sally shouts, waving the envelope in front of Percy, before handing it to him.
Percy gulped, as he opened the envelope nervously. A small circular object pops out onto the table as a result, as a holographic screen showing All Might suddenly appears, spooking both Percy and Sally.
"I am on screen now!" All Might shouts, from the hologram.
"Ah!" Both mother and son say, shocked, in unison.
"All Might?" Percy asks, wondering why All Might appeared, as he was going to find out, watching the hologram.
"Young Jackson! I am sure you're shocked to see me! Hahaha!" All Might laughs.
"I apologise for not having contacted you nor young Midoriya for the past week, there was a lot of paperwork to do!" All Might apologises.
"I'll have to hasten the pace, as there are many things to say and too little time"
"First!
Of course what you've been waiting for!
Perseus Jackson!
You have passed the written test!
But put that aside, you have scored 89 points in the practical exam!
Earning you a spot in U.A!
Congrats young Jackson!" All Might says.
"I've been really impressed by you, young man, ever since we met!
And I hope to see you excel even more, as you attend U.A!"
Sally was overwhelmed with joy for her son, as she leaped up in joy, before hugging her son tightly.
"YOU DID IT PERCY! I'M SO PROUD!" Sally screams in glee, hugging her son happily, as Percy hugs back with equal vigour. The hug didn't last long, as Sally soon grew a nervous look on her face.
"Oh wait, now that you'll be going to U.A, I have to prepare your things. You're going to the most prestigious school! I need to help you in the best way I can!
Oh dear! Look at the time! I need to start getting your things ready!" Sally mumbles nervously, before running off in haste, as Percy chuckles, before turning his head to pay attention to what All Might was about to say.
"Second!
I'm assuming, young Midoriya will be getting his results right about the same time you do as well, so might I suggest for you to go to him" All Might says.
Percy clenches his fists, hanging his head low in disappointment at himself once again.
'He's right! If Izuku does not pass…
What am I doing here!?
I should be by his side to comfort him, like any good friend should do
But, instead I'm here scolding myself!'
Percy decided what he was going to do, as he ran to the door, opening it for he was about to leave, but not before telling his mother of course.
"Mom!" Percy shouts.
"Yes!" Sally responds from the second floor.
"I'm going to Auntie Inko's to visit Izuku!"
"Okay! Have fun!" Sally shouts back, as Percy then walks out of his house, closing the door behind him, before running towards Izuku's home, an apartment nearby.
( - )
(Midoriya Residence)
Percy knocks on the front door to Izuku's apartment, as he hears someone call out from the other side.
"I'll be right there!" The familiar voice of Inko Midoriya shouts, as she opens the door to see Percy, immediately hugging the young man in front of her.
"Oh Percy! It's been a while since you visited last!" Inko says, as Percy hugs back, smiling.
"Yeah, how are you doing auntie?"
"I'm doing great!
Why don't we take this inside, please come in" Inko welcomes Percy, who enters the apartment. The green haired mother closes the door behind him, before talking to the green eyed boy.
"So, how's Sally?" Inko asks.
"Mom's doing great, as always," Percy smiles, looking around, and before Inko could speak.
"I'd hate to interrupt, but do you know where Izuku is?" Percy asks.
"Oh no worries, he's in his room, checking the results for the entrance exam" Inko says, as Percy bows.
"Thank you auntie, I'll talk to you later! Sorry!" Percy apologises, running over to Izuku's room, opening it quietly to see Izuku seated down on a chair.
"Hey Izuku," Percy says suddenly, scaring Izuku to death.
"AH!" Izuku turns around in shock to see Percy, falling out of his chair.
"Ouch" Izuku mutters, as Percy chuckles softly, walking over to his green haired friend and extending his hand.
"Are you okay?" Percy says, as Izuku looks into his green eyes.
"Yeah" Izuku says under his breath, taking Percy's hand, standing up straight with help from the green eyed boy.
"What are you doing here Percy?" Izuku asks, as Percy shows his usual lopsided grin.
"To see your results with you of course! What else would I have come here for" Percy says, as Izuku blushes.
"O-Oh okay then" Izuku stutters nervously, even more than he previously was, as not only was he going to see his score, but he had his best friend right beside him to see it as well.
Izuku then goes to sit on the chair, while Percy simply stands beside him, watching, as Izuku opens the familiar looking envelope. The experience was similar to Percy's, as the same small circular object popped out, landing onto the table and presenting a holographic video with All Might.
"I am on screen now!" All Might shouts from the screen.
"All Might!?
Isn't this from U.A!?" Izuku screams out in shock, as he takes another look at the envelope in confusion.
"There was paperwork to do, so I couldn't contact you!" All Might coughs, before bowing respectfully.
"My apologies!"
"The reason why I came to this town was because I'll be working at U.A!"
"All Might's working at U.A!?" Izuku says in shock, as Percy looks unsurprised, having already seen his results.
All Might nods, before a hand appears from beside the hero, nudging him on his arm.
"What is it?" All Might asks, as the hand makes a number of gestures.
"Wrap it up?"
"There are things I need to tell them—"
"I'm pushing the schedule?"
"Okay, I got it!"
"Before I speak any further, young Midoriya, I am assuming young Jackson is also beside you?"
Izuku turns his head to look at Percy, wondering how All Might knew about him, before brushing it off, as he turned his attention back to the screen, gulping in nervousness, because of the suspense.
"Now, for what I'm assuming you've been eagerly waiting for!
The results!
Written test aside, you got zero practical points.
Which means…you failed"
Izuku shakily hangs his head down in sadness, clenching his fists tightly atop his lap, as Percy goes to comfort his friend, but both boys are suddenly interrupted by All Might's next words.
"Or so you would think" All Might finishes.
This pulls both the young boys' attention back onto the screen, as they watch eagerly to see what All Might was going to say next.
"I, myself, am an entertainer" All Might says, pulling out a remote from his pocket.
"Take a look at this clip!" All Might says, pointing the remote to a screen behind him and pressing a button, as the screen shows a familiar brown haired girl, standing nervously in front of Present Mic.
"Excuse me, uhm" The girl says nervously, as All Might pauses the video.
"The nice girl?" Percy and Izuku mutter in unison, the green eyed boy now shocked along with Izuku, as he didn't see this.
"After the test, she came to us to negotiate," All Might explains.
"Huh"
"About what, you ask?
Watch what happens next!" All Might resumes the video.
"You know the boy with the messy hair…
The one with freckles…
Do you know?
He's very reserved…"
The girl was obviously talking about Izuku, whose eyes widened, hearing that she was talking about him.
"Can I share my points with him?
I overheard him saying that he wanted at least one point
I realised he still had zero points
At least the points he lost for me…
He saved me!" The girl shouts, as she was very thankful to Izuku.
"Please! Please! Please" The girl begs the voice hero, as All Might pauses the video again.
Percy smiles, seeing how Izuku helped this girl, who now wanted to repay him for his kindness, as he sees Izuku stand up from his seat, his eyes glued to the hologram.
"You gained a quirk, and you continued to move people, young Midoriya…"
Izuku's face now didn't look as sad or as disappointed as before, smiling contently, as if seeing that he was able to move the girl was enough for him, but once again, All Might's next words caused the two young men's eyes to widen.
"The entry exam was not only graded based on Villain Points!" All Might says, as he resumes the video.
"I can't share your points, even if you beg" Present Mic says softly, unlike his voice's usual tone.
"But, I don't think you need to, my listener" Present Mic pats the brown haired girl's head.
"What kind of hero course would reject someone who did the right thing and saved another's life?"
"Call it excuses?
Bring it on!
We risk our lives making them a reality!"
"Rescue Points!
Are given by the examiners!
It's one more basic quality UA looks for!"
"Midoriya Izuku won 60 points!
Uraraka Ochako won 45 points!
And Perseus Jackson won 52 points!" All Might announces, showing the leaderboard.
"Congratulations young Midoriya, you've passed"
"T-This is crazy" Izuku stutters, now having been reduced to a sobbing mess, because of All Might's words.
"Young Jackson…young Midoriya…come"
"I proudly welcome you both!"
"To your Hero Academia!"
( - )
AN : Here's the third chapter of TLO for all of you to enjoy! I hope you like it!
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Sayonara Minna!