LoamyCoffee: Nah, I'm just lucky that I watched that series.
Excellent handling of the OVA for this chapter. I don't blame Genki for his plan or his desire to punch Bakugou, he has a very punchable face.
Genki brought up good points about Fujimi as well.
To be honest, if he wasn't in Pro Hero school then I could see the military or other groups attempting to recruit him.
I love the friendship between Tsuyu and Habuko.
And Habuko has woken a little something in Shouto, which I think is good for him.
Re: I just figured that in a world like MHA where Quirks like [Zombie Virus] were a thing, that they'd have come up with contingency plans for just such an event. I did similar worldbuilding in Another Hero Academia: Out of Time regarding a similar subject matter~
Tsuyu and Habuko were fun to write for as well, especially since Genki's presence in relation to Tsu-chan changes the dynamic a bit.
As for Shoto...~
Fic Writer From Texas: You know, if I wasn't actively cheering for Mei or Tsuyu, Mina would definitely have my vote for possible pairing with Genki
Re: You wouldn't be the first to think that. I'm just flattered Genki is well-received-enough that people want more for him~
(Guest): Would be hilarious if genki uses some tasers in his hero suit
Maybe taser knuckles and the taser chest armor like red hood uses on his enemies when he grapples
Re: Well, it isn't like Genki doesn't have an inventor on call who'd want to make "babies" for him.
P.S.
I'm surprised no-one caught the Jackie Chan Adventures reference I snuck in there last time... Was I too subtle, maybe?
*MHA*
Toward the end of June, only a single week remaining before final exams…
"I didn't study at alllllll!" Denki wailed while Mina cackled lackadaisically. "Between the Sports Festival and the Internship, I totally flaaaaaked!"
"Hm. Indeed," Fumikage hummed.
"Midterms were, well… We haven't covered much since starting school, so they weren't all that tough," Rikido hummed. "But with everything that's been going on, I feel like the finals will be much harder…"
"I wonder what Mineta's up to right now…" Hanta hummed thoughtfully.
"Probably thinking about chicks or something..." Denki hummed.
"Denki, how could you flake on something so important?" Genki asked as his friend wigged out.
"He was probably too busy picking up catgirls in maid outfits," Kyoka huffed.
"Hey, Mimi-chan was very professional and does not deserve your smack-talk!"
"Kaminari-kun, comport yourself!" Tenya demanded with an arm swing.
"Haven't you been attending class? How could you possibly fail?" Shoto inquired.
"Hey, words hurt, you know!"
"Excuse me, but, if it's academics you need help with, I could lend a hand," Momo offered brightly. "The practical exam on the other hand…" she sighed self-deprecatingly with head bowed.
"I'm not as bad off as them, but… Could you help me too? Quadratic functions are kind of tripping me up," Kyoka hummed.
"Help me out too! You're good with kanji, right, Yaoyorozu-senpai?" Hanta pleaded, Mashirao chiming in.
Momo for her part, looked like Christmas had come early and she was getting a pony before happily crying out- "YES! OF COURSE!"
"Hey, Genki-kun, think you could help me out?" Ochako asked earnestly. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but since you're going to be right next door anywayyy…"
"Yeah, sure thing," Genki nodded before leaning in. "I'll even call Izuku-chan over, leave you alone to 'buy groceries'~" he whispered conspiratorially, the round-face girl flushing pink.
"I-I can call Tsu-chan too, you know…!" the gravity girl quipped back.
*MHA*
"So…" Hitoshi hummed. "Finals, huh?"
"More or less," Genki mused. "Written'll be easy as long as you've been paying attention, but it's the practical I'm worried about."
"What do you mean?" Mei asked mid-chew.
"I mean, this is Yuuei. Sure, they've been doing that obsolete shit with the robots for, like, decades… But Nezu could totally throw a curveball at us; especially after what happened with Stain," he said as Neito verbally assaulted Izuku and the others a few tables over.
"Hm. I guess it wouldn't help asking an older student then," Hitoshi mused as he picked at his food.
"Probably not. The entrance exam may be really formulaic, but management keeps the Support Department on our toes with all the new and experimental lesson plans they need non-standard gear for," Mei hummed before grabbing Genki by the collar and dragging them nose-to-nose. "By the way, a little birdie told meeee…"
*MHA*
"Robots? Seriously? No sweat!" Denki sighed in relief as Izuku shared what he'd apparently learned.
"You two would really need to dial back your Quirks against human opponents, but with robots-"
"Yeah! Against robots, we can let loose for an easy win!" Mina squealed interrupting Mezo.
"Watch out, summer training camp, cuz here we come!" Denki whooped.
"Humans or robots, I'd just blast 'em all. What's the big deal, morons?" Katsuki buffed brusquely.
"Hey, who're you calling a moron, you moron?!"
"Shaddup! You're the moron who can't even figure out how to dial back his own damn Quirk! And you, Deku!" he said snapping Izuku out of his musings. "Seems like… you're starting to get a grip on that Quirk of yours… Either way, quit pissing me off with all these damn stunts."
"He means the other day when Izuku-kun was moving like Bakugou," Ochako mused.
"Hey, you're right!" Mina nodded.
"I ain't looking for some hollow victory like at the Sports Festival!"
"Pft! Victory? What program were you watching?" Genki scoffed, propping his chin on his fist, Katsuki's head whipping around as hateful red eyes bored on him.
"Don't think I've forgotten about you either! I'll open the gulf between us so wide, it'll kill you dead!"
"Doesn't that mean you'd have to close the gap that's already there?" Shoto inquired with a raised brow, Katsuki snarling at the dual Quirk-user before storming out of the room.
*SLAM!*
" . . . Hey, Shoto, thanks for having my back, back there."
"What're friends for?" Shoto shrugged. "That being said…" he said walking up to the Heteromorph. "Don't think that I'll rest on my laurels. Come next Sports Festival, I expect a rematch."
"It's a fateful duel between rivals," Mina awed, Ochako nodding enthusiastically.
"Hah, wouldn't have it any other way~" Genki grinned. "Still, you really think it's going to be robots?"
"W-Well why wouldn't it be? Kendo-san said-"
"Anyone can say anything, but Yuuei's known for flipping the table when it's least convenient. For all we know, they might change the rules on us at the last minute just because they heard that we heard we're allegedly going to be fighting robots."
" . . . Aren't you adding too many layers to this?" Kyoka asked after a moment.
"Well, we've got a week to find out…" Genki shrugged. "Anyone wanna join Ochako, Izuku, and I for study group?"
"D-Don't you want to study at my place?" Momo inquired skittishly, feeling left out.
"You're already babysitting for five. Too many of us in one room and we couldn't hear ourselves think," Genki replied. " . . . Hey, could I… borrow you for a minute?" he asked pointing at the other door.
"Hm? Oh, sure," the Yaoyorozu heiress nodded, Tsuyu's eyes trailing the two as they walked off together. "What did you want to talk about?" she inquired once they were out in the hall.
" . . . You're having confidence issues, aren't you?"
"Wh-What?!" the [Creation] user gawped, recoiling as though she'd been struck. "Wh-Wh-What're you talking about? I don't have confidence… issues…"
"Yaoyorozu-senpai, it's written all over your face. I've seen that look scads of times from idols at my dad's agency right before a big show. You're feeling inadequate compared to your peers even though on-paper you should be more-talented than everyone else, right?"
"I… erm…" the heiress trailed off, Genki's humanoid compound eyes intense and unblinking. " . . . Yes? No? Maybe? I, I don't know…"
" . . . Yaoyorozu-senpai. I might not've known you for as long as the others have, but from what I've heard about you, the way that you can use your Quirk… the way that you, can use your Quirk, are amazing. You might not've gotten as much glory for yourself during the Sports Festival as you'd envisioned, or even during the internships that came after… But as long as you did your absolute best, regardless of the outcome, you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed about," he spoke, trying to build her up. " . . . Do you have anything to be ashamed about?"
" . . . Other than my loss…?" she asked herself. "I got into Yuuei on recommendation, but everyone else has been so-amazing compared to me…"
"Yes, well... Katsuki Bakugou seems to have the exact opposite problem. I've seen his type before; he was a big fish in a small pond, but when he came to Yuuei, when he learned that people could get into the Hero Course without taking the same exam as 'everyone else'…"
"But what about you? You rose out of the General Course into the Hero Course in front of the entire world. You're the very definition of a success story!"
"Yeah, and I still botched it at the entrance exam like thousands of others before that!" Genki said before he rubbed his face. "Point is… life doesn't always go the way we want it to. There are bumps, and twists, and turns, and things can get messy from time to time, but the most-important thing is… Keep, moving, forward. As long as you give it your best, you'll do great in the practical exam."
" . . . Arigatou… Genki-kun…" Momo bowed gratefully before reaching forward and fiercely embracing him to her bosom. "I guess… a part of me really needed to hear that."
"Yeah, well… I can't stand girls looking all gloomy and depressed," Genki said patting her back. "Even non-Heteromorphs like you…"
"Oh, and please, call me Momo, or 'Yaomomo'. It's what the others call me."
"Sure thing, Yaomomo," Genki nodded. " . . . Momo? Not sure which one works best for me."
"Heheheh~" Momo giggled. "Thanks again for the pep talk. I didn't realized how much I'd needed it until I'd got it. I can see why you and Todoroki-kun became such good friends."
"Yeah, well… We've both got daddy issues, you know?"
Off to the side, Tsuyu eyed the two as they laughed together merrily before she turned her attention back to Ochako.
"Does your study group have room for one more?"
"We'll make room!" she said with an enthusiastic nod.
*MHA*
The week to follow was a mad scramble for 1-A as they pursued academic excellence. When they weren't participating in Battle, Rescue, and Basic Hero Training, Momo tutored Mina, Denki, Kyoka, Mashirao, and Hanta in her family's estate after school, while Genki and Ochako entertained Izuku and Tsuyu. Others paired up or formed lesser cliques, yet despite the physical and mental exhaustions as some scrambled while others simply refreshed their memories…
"Now then, let's begin your practical exam…" Aizawa hummed on the final day as he stood in front of the bus depo, flanked by the Hero faculty who stood before 1-A, all clad in their Hero Costumes. "It is of course possible to fail this exam, so if you still want to attend the training camp… don't fuck up."
"Sure are a lot of teachers here. You don't think…" Kyoka hummed as Toru counted heads.
"Knowing you guys, you probably asked around and think you might have some idea of how this'll go," Aizawa said as something in his Capture Scarf wriggled. "As the more-astute among your number may have already surmised however, us knowing that you 'knowing'-"
"-has demanded a revision to the exam format!" Principal Nezu said popping out of Aizawa's scarf. "Due to recent events, it isn't unreasonable to assume that countervillain battles in our current society will intensify as time goes on," he said as he started rappelling to the ground. "Since battling against robots won't nearly be enough to prepare you for the challenges ahead, henceforth, we will focus on battles against flesh-and-blood opponents, as it is critical that our teaching simulates practical experience as closely as practically possible! As such… you students will be pairing up and fighting one of the teachers you see here!"
"Against… a teacher…?!" Ochako gulped nervously.
"Your pairings and assigned teacher have already been determined," Nezu continued. "Your battle moves, your grades, your friendships with one another… These and other factors have been taken into consideration, so without further ado…"
"Todoroki. Yaoyorozu. The two of you will be going up against… me," Aizawa grinned, a nervous sweat running down Momo's cheek. "Midoriya, Bakugou," he said causing one to jolt, the other to scowl. "The two of you will be fighting-"
"MEEEEEE…!" All Might grinned as he walked through the crowd, larger than life with his hair horns protruding upward like a Gundam's. "The two of you will have to work together if you wish to best me, so give it all you have! Plus Ultra-style!"
"Holy crap, they're fighting All Might?"
"That's so cool!"
"Holy crap they are so fucking screwed!"
"Ashido. Language."
"Yes, sir…"
"Fear not, younglings! While it is true that you will all be fighting veteran Heroes in one capacity or another, we would never expect you to best us in combat or escape your own capture at our peak. That is why we had the Support Course make… these! Ultra-Compressed Weights!" he grinned holding up silver manacles with braided trim and black plates interspaced with metal studs. "These handicaps will not only slow our movements, but they'll also drain our stamina so as to make this fight on more-equal of measures. Incidentally, we actually held a competition to design these. Genki-kun, I believe you're already acquainted with the girl whose design we picked."
"Oh thank kami… For a moment I thought you were asking her to make bondage for some kind of faculty orgy," the Heteromorph replied causing the Hero instructors to sputter and recoil as though struck, Midnight giggling with blood dripping from her nose. " . . . What? What did you think I would think after Mei-chan told me the faculty asked her to make super-potent restraints for what you implied was 'recreational use'."
"Oh, now there's an idea~" Midnight purred looking at her wrist restraints in a whole new light.
"Trying to bring this fight down to our level or something? That's insulting," Katsuki huffed angrily.
"Bakugou, you couldn't even beat me. What makes you think you stand a chance against All Might at his best~?" Genki asked with a tone that served to infuriate him.
"Both of you, keep the small chat to a minimum," Aizawa cut in. "And Genki, don't think that all of us have Midnight's exacting… proclivities."
"So um…" Mina asked worriedly. "Who will the rest of us be fighting?"
*MHA*
The matchups for the final exam's practical component (that had not been yet announced) went as such.
Principal Nezu VS Ashido & Kaminari
Thirteen VS Aoyama & Uraraka
Present Mic VS Koda & Jiro
Ectoplasm VS Asui & Tokoyami
Midnight VS Sero & Gokiburi
Snipe VS Hagakure & Shoji
Cementoss VS Sato & Kirishima
Power Loader VS Iida & Ojiro
Though each pairing of students was being pitted against a member of Yuuei's staff, it wasn't as simple as beating them up and making them cry Uncle/Ojii-san.
With a time limit of 30 minutes, the students' objective was to either place "Capture Cuffs" on one of the teacher's extremities, or leave the testing ground through the flagrantly-marked gate at the edge of the site. With the way the pairings were structured, each matchup was tailored to exploit each student pairs' technical, physical, and/or psychological weaknesses.
In short, each individual exam was designed to make them fail… unless they broke free from their comfort zones and immediately adapted to the antitheses of their respective abilities.
When it came to Ashido and Kaminari, for better or worse, the both of them were single-minded and action oriented. While their own experience with the Kamadouma and Gunvolt Agencies had rounded their edges a bit, they were still in a position where someone like Nezu could put them in their place through sheer staggering intellect. Their respective experiences at niche Hero industries would be the only thing capable of saving them from such a hurdle.
As for Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, both were phenomenally-gifted individuals who had gotten into Yuuei on recommendation. Both of their Quirks were extremely powerful, doubly-so thanks to the technical skill in which they were wielded, which is why Aizawa's [Erasure] was an especially potent counter for the two of them. All he had to do was wait for a single, fatal moment, and they'd be no match for a martial arts expert, even if they tag-teamed him.
Midoriya and Bakugou were not only being put up against the Hero they admired more than all others; they also had to fight themselves and one another. United, they might stand a chance, but if they remained divided as their caustic non-friendship showed, failure wasn't an eventuality, but an inevitability. In order to win, they would have to quite literally get over themselves and work together, since individually they stood no chance, even if All Might had double the Ultra-Compressed Weights as the other teachers.
Aoyama and Uraraka might've seemed like the odd pairing on paper, but given who their opponent was, it actually made perfect sense. Matter and light, their respective bread and butter, would be completely useless against a Quirk like [Black Hole]. The only hope they really had if Thirteen camped out right in front of the gate and left [Black Hole] running like a tap, was to take advantage of the fact that this was an exercise, as well as Thirteen's own caring nature, to force the battle into close range since it had already been established that Thirteen wasn't magically immunized against the effects of her own Quirk.
For Koda and Jiro, both had Quirks whose effects were reliant on sound as a transmission vector, but by the same measure, Present Mic's [Voice] could perfectly counter them both. Kyoka's [Earphone Jack] could be made to horrendously backfire due to her heightened sensitivity to all sound, while Koji's [Anivoice] could easily be drowned out, assuming any wildlife stuck around after Present Mic's initial volley. To win, they'd have to overcome their literal worst enemy, who only had to put his back to the gate to guarantee that the two of them would put themselves in the line of fire.
Asui and Tokoyami, phenomenal in the use of their Quirks, were somewhat situational in their use. Tsuyu was incredibly agile on dry land, but less so than in the water, and while she didn't have any explicit weaknesses apart from literal fire, she was more of a "support" HIT than an outright fighter. Fumikage, powerful in a one-on-one basis, experienced a power drop in well-lit areas, and against someone like Ectoplasm who could always win in the numbers game, Tsuyu would need to step up to the plate as a fighter, while Tokoyami would have to use his [Dark Shadow] in a wholly unconventional manner.
Snipe, thanks to his [Homing], was a natural counter for the plus-sized Shoji and the semi-invisible Hagakure. If they wanted to win, they would have to split up since Snipe only had binocular vision, as opposed to the dual-monocular sight of the chameleon. That, and, Snipe's Quirk only worked on what he saw, so all it would take for Toru to walk right past him was to get naked, and sneak past him without getting caught while leaving Mezo behind.
Sato and Kirishima were both heavy hitters, one a tank, the other a brawler, but against someone like Cementoss who specialized in area denial tactics… Unless they could use their respective strengths in anything other than their usual straightforward manner, even if the two of them could be an "unstoppable force" for a time, throw enough "immovable objects" in front of them, and their stamina would reach their limits. In this pairing however, it would be Rikido who stood to cause the greatest upset, due to interning under a Heroine whose methodology did little to flatter her chosen industry.
Iida and Ojiro were both extremely mobile, as well as being incredibly capable hand-to-hand (or leg-to-hand and tail-to-hand if you want to split hairs) fighters. To best counter the two of them, Power Loader would have to force them onto a terrain that stripped them of any verticality; in all likelihood, a flat expanse of ground with lots of visible and non-visible pitfall traps. To overcome such a matchup, they'd either have to find a way to fight Power Loader on his own ground, the underground, without making complete assholes of themselves, or take themselves in a while other direction.
In summary, each and every one of them would have to Go Beyond, Plus Ultra-style, if they wanted to pass and go to the Training Camp at the end of summer break.
"Or at least that's how I see it," Genki summarized to his partner as they made their way to the starting point, the Heteromorph finishing another ration bar as his neurons firing at breakneck speed utterly devoured his energy reserves, in order to make sense of everything and catch anything he might've missed.
Given who likely orchestrated these tests, he preferred to think everything through instead of delving into the Labyrinth without Ariadne's proverbial ball of yarn. It'd certainly helped by not getting his hopes up about Yuuei not changing the exam criterion at the last possible minute.
"Okay, but what about us? You kind of skipped it," Hanta hummed.
"Well, why do you think we got paired up, and against her?"
"Way I see it, we're just the odd ducks out because you could use your bullshit cockroach powers to insta-blitz the exit and get an easy win for any other teacher," he said as he began to count off finger. "Nezu might be smarter than you, but even if he had a mecha or something, unless he could match you speed for speed, you'd run right past him. Thirteen's [Black Hole] might be really powerful, but all you really have to dodge is his finger before he can point his Quirk at you."
"Thirteen is a woman."
"She is?!"
Genki nodding, rolled his wrist and prompted Hanta to continued.
"Anyway... Your [Air Pressure Sensing] would give you an early warning to Present Mic's sound attacks, which you aren't especially vulnerable to anyway if that helmet has sound-dampening. Ectoplasm's doppelgangers can't dogpile you 'cause you could just 'oil wrestle' your way out. Snipe-sensei might be able to curve bullets, but you can move faster than his eye can follow if you really book it. Cementoss could try to trap you, but unless he gets the drop on you and completely traps you from the outset, you could wiggle free of whatever clamp he tries to put down around you as long as the hole isn't too small. Add your ninjutsu training from Edgeshot on top of that, and, well," the [Tape] user grinned. "That's why they paired us up… riiight?"
"No, just the opposite in fact…" Genki hummed biting his thumb. "Gas-type Quirks like [Somnambulist] are my worst matchup because my Sub-Quirk, [Dermal Respiration], isn't something I can turn all the way off. Sure, I could cover myself in Acid Armor like I did against the 'Poison Fog Villain', but Midnight's learned how to fight around preliminary protections against her Quirk. Even if I'm wearing this hermetically-sealed mask, if she gets any of her fumes on my skin by breaking the film of oil she likely expects me to use…"
" . . . Shit, so it really won't be that easy, huh?"
"Nope. Just like everyone else, we are going to have to work for it."
" . . . You think you could get past All Might?"
"You think he could catch a 'greased pig' running at 200 miles per hour without killing me by accident?"
"Hm. Fair point," Hanta nodded. "Wait, why am I fighting Midnight then?"
"I dunno. Did they maybe find out your internet search history through the school's WiFi?"
"Hey, to be fair, Midnight-sensei is any adolescent guy's wet dream; not just mine."
"She isn't my wet dream. Put a pair of cat ears on her, and most-definitely, but a vanilla human…"
" . . . I'm not sure how to feel about that," Hanta hummed, realizing that Midnight being paired up against Genkiwas because she was his 'archnemesis', while against him… it was just because he was a randy teenager likely to let his guard down in front of a round pair of boobs…
"Hey, that helmet has a locking mechanism, right?"
" . . . Shiiiiit."
*MHA*
At the same time in the industrial training ground...
"Sooo…" Mina hummed as she passed over the high-end monocular she received at the end of her internship. "What're the odds he's waiting for us in there?"
"Pretty good, all things considered," Denki hummed as the massive yellow construction crane started to move. "This isn't really the best environment for us," he hummed as he looked around the industrial complex surrounding them. "Concrete doesn't conduct electricity very well, and it's also pretty hard to melt through."
"Well, thanks to Kamadouma-sensei, I'm definitely more-agile than I was at the Sports Festival. If I make for the gate, you think you could make for the crane and blow a fuse or something so I have a little more wiggle room?"
"I think I might~" Denki nodded. "Whatever Rube Goldberg, Deus Ex Machina bullshit he tries to pull, I doubt he can get both of us if we're running in opposite directions!"
"Alright!" Mina said giving him a high-five. "Let's go!"
*MHA*
Meanwhile, in the residential training ground…
"Todoroki-san," Momo hummed in the middle of making her Matryoshka dolls.
"Hm?"
"I… I spoke with Genki-kun last week."
"Yes, I noticed."
"He… He's very wise for his age."
"Does this have something to do with our test? Or are you asking me to be your wingman before the Training Camp?"
"W-What?! No! N-N-N-N-No such thing! A-And besides, he likes Tsu-chan!" Momo stuttered. "Ahem… Anyway… I have an idea. N-Not that there's anything wrong with your plan, it's just-"
"Alright, let's hear it."
"Wait, r-really? Just like that…?"
"Yaoyorozu. Genki confided in me before the exams. The way his brain is wired, how-many family members of his in the Hero industry helped bring him up, he speculated that the two of us might go up against Aizawa almost exactingly like this, despite all rumors to the contrary. I might not be the best at reading social cues, but even I could tell that your self-confidence had taken a hit; both from how the Sports Festival turned out, as well as how things played out with your Internships. If you've lost heart like one of the Ares Agency's idol girls, only you can get it back. It doesn't matter how much the rest of us believe in you if you don't believe in yourself."
"O-Oh, well… Alright then…"
"Also, the second vote for class president you got… That came from me. I voted for you because I thought you were perfect for the job, and if someone like Genki, who rose above all of us thinks you're made for greatness…"
"Mm! Right!" Momo nodded, eyes glistening. "Here's what we should do..."
*MHA*
At around the same time in the metropolitan training ground…
"COME ON, RIKIDO! STAY WITH ME! WE'LL GET THROUGH EVENTUALLY, SO JUST KEEP PUNCHING!" Kirishima shouted amidst the *THOOM-THOOM*THOOM-THOOM*THOOM-THOOM-THOOM!* of reinforced fists meeting concrete. "PLUS... ULTRAAAA!"
"Those two… They really don't get it, do they?" Cementoss hummed as he erected wall after wall before his assigned students, the abundance of concrete like putty in his hands.
A shadow flitting across his gaze, the Concrete Hero looked up and felt his stomach drop as Rikido Sato descended on him like a bird of prey, having leapt from one of the nearby buildings. However, it wasn't the fact that he had taken to the high ground that had surprised him, but the fact that the future Sweets Hero had a look of unadulterated hatred on his face!
A few minutes later once the concrete barriers stopped replenishing themselves, after Kirishima finally broke through, the sight that greeted him was Rikido beating the ever-loving shit out of Cementoss, despite the fact that he was no longer moving and the exit was right there.
"Hey, erm, Rikido… Rikido you can stop now…"
"HRR! HRR! HRR! HRR!"
"Hold on Cementoss-sensei! I'll save you!" he cried before looking down at his Capture Cuffs. "Shit! They won't fit!"
*MHA*
Elsewhilel back at the craggy training ground...
"There she is… waiting right by the gate…" Hanta whispered as he retreated back behind his rock, the R-Rated Hero sitting on a rock of her own with one leg crossed over the other as she lovingly stroked her whip.
"There isn't any more cover between us and the gate. The moment we step into her range, it's game over," Genki hummed.
"Think there's time to wait for a crosswind? Go left while the wind goes right?"
"Not with today'sweather," Genki said pulling up the daily report on his HUD with blink commands.
" . . . You said these tests were all designed to prey on each student pair's technical, physical, and/or psychological weaknesses, right?"
"I did."
"Well then…" he hummed, thinking back to one of Fuji Alice's lessons from his internship. "I just realized, that road goes both ways~"
" . . . I'm listening~"
*MHA*
One masterfully-executed plan later…
"Gokiburi and Sero's team has passed the test!" the gate chimed in Nezu's voice as the You can do it! In the word bubble changed to Well done!
*MHA*
A short time later in a darkened room lined with monitors, all of the teachers and 1-A students reconvened for the post-exam orientation after getting their injuries looked at. The only real absence amongst the students was from Bakugou, while Izuku looked like he'd been run over by a bus but was still eager to participate. Midnight and Cementoss were conspicuously absent as well.
"Well, you all managed to pass quite admirably, dearies," Recovery Girl hummed once the class reconvened. "And with only one teacher getting their face punched in, to boot."
"I said I was sorry…" Rikido muttered, haivng come down from his episode of "Punch Your Enemy Repeatedly in the Face Until They've Stopped Resisting Arrest".
"What happened to Bakugou?" Ochako asked as Aizawa gave them a speech he read off a cue card because he couldn't be troubled to memorize.
"He uh… got a little beat-up…" Izuku said scratching at his cheek, looking like he was hiding something.
"Hey, Genki-kun, how did you manage to pass?" Mina asked excitedly.
"You know, it's funny you should ask that," Nezu hummed right as Genki shushed her. "I actually have a highlight reel. Want to see?"
1-A in response let out near-unanimous affirmatives, eager to see what amazing feat of tactical genius the Sports Festival winner meted out to his opponent. At the same time, the color drained almost completely from Genki's face while Hanta clamped his helmet shut and faced the corner.
"Killll meeee…!" Genki groaned as the large monitor in the back of the room showed Midnight during the practical exam.
"Whare are you, little boys~? Come out, come out, wherever you are~" past-Midnight cooed running her fingertips sensually along her whip.
"Sensei! Sensei help me!"
Looking up, blood spurt from past-Midnight's nostrils as past-Genki ran towards her from out of cover in all his naked glory, his lean runner's physique on full display apart from his crotch which he was hiding with both hands, a deliciously desperate look on his eyes that caused Midnight to lick her lips.
"The Villains! The Villains are here and they stole all my clothes!" he cried as he zig-zagged his way towards her.
"D-Don't worry, Gen-kun…~" Midnight panted as the light sheen of "fear sweat" made his body glisten. "Sensei will protect you…~" she said turning to the right, her left side left exposed to-
*Thump*
"Wh-What the-?!" she cried as past-Genki's helmet suddenly came down on her head from behind astride past-Sero's [Tape] like a flail, the faceplate snapping shut over the back of her head. "I-I can't see! I'm stuck!"
"Sorry for honey-dicking you like that, but this was the only way we could get you to let your guard down!" past-Genki grinned as Sero ran for the exit.
The clip coming to an end as past-Genki asked- "Sero. Where are my pants?" -, the whole of 1-A could only stare incredulously at the Sport Festival winner, the stunned, stupefied silence dragging on for what felt like an eternity.
" . . . Cute butt~" Toru said breaking the silence.
"That's your takeaway?" Kyoka asked with a red face.
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Mina asked with an appreciative nod.
"Yeah, but…"
"At least he didn't go 'full frontal'~" Nezu chirped merrily as he sipped at his tea. "Not that we wouldn't have censored it out anyway if he had~ Haaaa ha ha ha ha!"
"Yeah, but still…" Kyoka insisted, unwilling to look Genki in the eye. "Did he have to honey-dick her like that?"
"Well, these tests were tailored to exploit each student pairs' technical, physical, and/or psychological weaknesses…" Izuku began muttering uncontrollably, going on a lengthy tangent about why Midnight was an exactingly-appropriate enemy for Genki to be put up against given the specificitudes of what his Heteromorphic Quirk offered.
"You'd actually be amazed how-often this works on villain ladies," Recovery Girl chirped. "Especially where fit, young men are concerned, hee, hee, hee, heeee."
"I'm… not, sure how to feel about that…" Denki hummed awkwardly.
"I could've gone my whole life without ever hearing that...!" Kyoka shuddered.
"I don't care how you feel as long as the content of this highly confidential data never leaves this room. Right?" Genki asked the principal.
"Oh please, this is such a 'big fish story' that even if 1-A blabbed, no-one would ever believe it~ Doubly-so if 1-B did the blabbing given their established pattern of animosity~" the principle cackled. "That being the case… you will keep your mouths shut about this, correct?" he asked the sum of 1-A in an ominous tone, heads whipping like bobbleheads as the principal's beady eyes stared at them.
"Genki."
"Yes, Shoto?"
"Where did Sero put your pants?"
"That's your takeaway?!" Kyouka sputtered.
"Yes. That's why I asked," he replied with a completely straight face.
*MHA*
After 1-A got to watch one another's practical exams, Izuku burning through half a book of notes, Aizawa summoned all of them back to homeroom.
Since the whole of 1-A passed, in preparation for the training camp at the end of summer break, the students were all given lists of supplies they would be needing. It was quite a significant volume of supplies needed, so off in the back, Hagakure suggested they make plans to take a shopping trip together as a whole class.
Iida, ever goal-oriented, inquired as to why the training camp was slated to take place at the end of summer break instead of occurring as soon as possible.
"What, have you forgotten? The I-Expo is coming up. You have received your invitations, right?" Aizawa inquired.
" . . . HOLY CRAP! THAT'S COMING UP NOW!" most of 1-A cried.
"What? Weren't you paying attention to your Inboxes through the student portal?" Shoto inquired quizzically.
"I'll leave your plan-making up to you. I'm gonna take a nap," Aizawa said sleepily as he inch-wormed out of the classroom, his yellow-clad form vanishing around the corner a minute later.
" . . . So about that plan to go shopping as a class," Mina hummed once Aizawa had left.
*MHA*
AN:
Obviously, I wasn't going to re-hash the Final Exam matches that had nothing about them change. That Mina Ashido, Denki Kaminari, Hanta Sero, and Rikido Sato all interned at different agencies from what wasn't specified in the Canon, while Genki had his heart-to-heart with Momo, wound up having to change a bit about how 4 of the 10 matches went, and, well…
Honestly, I'd been thinking about how Mina, Denki, Hanta, and Rikido would do differently in the exams from as far back as them asking Genki to grease the wheels for them since their initial offers of Internships were a bit limited. Momo's early confidence boost was a last-minute addition once VV came around in my "rotation", but it was one that made sense since Genki grew up around idol culture, and was able to see how vulnerable the industry made them; even in a comparative "White Company" like the Ares Idol Agency.
Anyway, I hope that in the I-Island Arc to come I can put my own spin on it. Until next time, see you on Teen Titans: Two of Four Elements.
GO BEYOND!
EXCELSIOR!