Mendax Virtus
Midorya's test to UA was something of a nailbiter for me as I knew that this would put all of his skills that I helped hone to the test. I'd taught him how to throw a punch, reinforced the idea to use his wit to overcome, and lastly use anything and everything in the environment and terrain to his advantage.
As I watched him grab a piece of broken off rubble and smash it through the robot's eye camera, I had to resist cheering for him. Instead I covered my potential excitement for the boy with a cough that turned hacking and a metallic taste filled my senses.
Damn it.
Wiping away the blood with a tissue, I waved off the worried expressions of Midnight and Cementoss.
"It's normal for me now." I reminded them gently, but that only caused them to worry all the more.
Well, I'd tried.
Settling back into my seat I turned my observer drone back to Izuku and watched him intently.
He was doing well. Clearly the lessons from both myself and Nighteye were paying off as he slid beneath a robot and by using a jagged piece of glass, slashed through some key wires, causing it to collapse.
This test wasn't fair at all for heroes that had non combat related quirks and yet… Midorya was rising above and beyond the challenge.
Sure, his take downs were much slower but he was quick on his feet and he kept doing what drew me to the boy in the first place, he kept helping people and the smile came unbidden.
"All Might, you look happy." Cementoss observed to which I allowed a small nod of agreement.
"I do admittedly have a bit of a favorite in this group of students. Someone I believe has the potential to be a true hero." Considering how I was spilling the beans unintentionally, might as well rip the bandaid off.
Midnight's eyes widened before a sultry, and predatory smirk formed on her lips and she leaned forward, her arms wrapped around herself under her chest.
"Mmm~ Is that so? So is that student a good or naughty one?" She asked and before I could stop it a grimace formed.
The grimace did get Midnight to back off with a small pout before I finally spoke again.
"He's definitely a good one. He's got a heart of gold and incredible potential." My voice warmed as I spoke about him and I watched as he pulled a girl out of some rubble by using a piece of a streetlamp as a lever to lift the concrete off of her and pulled her into an alley, laying on top of her to protect her from the zero pointer, not even thinking about his own safety.
It was such a smooth and stealthy action that if I hadn't been recording it, I wouldn't have seen it.
I rewound the footage and held it up for them, causing the two to shake their heads.
"That's the kid you're so impressed by? He hasn't even demonstrated his full abilities."
A bit of yellow hair entered my vision as this corpse's head shook.
"That's the most impressive part about him. He's doing this all on his own. Without a quirk. He doesn't have one." The teachers stared at me in disbelief, causing another soft laugh to bubble up.
"Young Midorya wants to be a hero above all else. I watched him rush in when the pros stood to one side to save someone I suspect may have bullied him." I focused back on the tablet as Izuku fretted over the injured girl, extracting a first aid kit from his belt pouch and gently starting to treat her various injuries.
He also may have gotten someone to start crushing on him judging by the girl's blush and shy smile as she looked at him.
Teenage romance. A very cute teenage crush at that. But Midorya didn't seem to notice as he was too busy caring for her injuries.
"I can say this with the utmost certainty: Young Midorya is going to be a hero no matter what stands in front of him. Quirk or no."
Midnight laughed before walking over to me and resting her chest on this withered head and wrapping her arms around an emaciated neck.
"You talk about him like he's your son." I spluttered from the invasion of personal space and from the suggestion alike.
"Wha- No! It's not like that! I met him during a villain attack and he proved to me he had the heart. I've been mentoring him! Not adopting him!"
She squeezed gently before letting go and swayed back over to her position.
"Mmm~ I can tell you care for him; more than that." An eyeroll was the only response I gave her.
Why did Midnight have to be such a troll?
Over the next few hours I wasn't able to approach my pupil as I had to handle the paperwork of an entirely new class and help ensure that the right kids got in.
Yes, the points spoke loudly, but…
So did the instincts of heroes.
"Principal Nezu." I spoke and drew the attention of the entire room.
"Hm? What is it All Might?" He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, his tiny paws supporting his head.
"There are three students I'd like to point out." I gestured to Bakugou's profile first.
"I'm concerned about him. He has a sparkling record, true, but look at his aggression and anger. He's violent and that makes me wonder about his record. Not enough to act obviously. But enough to to at least bring it up." Midnight frowned before hesitantly agreeing.
"...Now that you've pointed it out, it is strange and a little worrisome." She admitted solemnly.
"I'll put this concern into his notes for his teachers." Nezu promised, his ears flicking faintly.
"Next, I'd like to point out young Uraraka." He pulled up her footage and the determination she showed.
"She scored lowly, but she showed kindness to her fellow students and a basic understanding of what to do. We can train someone how to fight. But…" I pulled up the front gate camera where Uraraka saved Midorya from going face first into the concrete by practically leaping over to save him.
"That can't be taught so easily. She has the character to go far and she's not far from the cutoff with points as it stands." Nezu nodded thoughtfully at my observation.
"You said you had three students." Cementoss observed.
"That's right. Midorya Izuku." A screen showed him saving Uraraka from the zero pointer.
"Your boy right?" Midnight teased, causing me to cough a little more blood up and Midnight blanched before I waved her off.
"I'm not going to hide the fact that I'm currently mentoring him, but look at his heart. This is what he always does."
Nezu looked at me intently.
"You really believe in a quirkless child that much?" A firm, single nod was my confident response.
The rest of the staff let out a murmur of disbelief before a smile formed, and it was focused on Nezu.
"I think he might be the one."
Nezu stilled, his beady black eyes turning to me with an intensity that only a very dangerous predator could.
"Already?" A shake of a head caused blond hair to temporarily blind me.
"Not yet. He's pure potential with the right heart. I can only see one other as being possible." Nezu nodded solemnly.
"I understand. We best keep an eye out for this remarkable child because if I know you, you'll make sure your mentee has your support no matter where he goes."
I couldn't even try to deny it.
"Then I think that finalizes our class rosters. Uraraka-chan will be allowed into the hero course under probation. She'll need to show she has the drive to be a hero and the growth to back it." A nod.
That was entirely fair.
"Bakugou-kun will also be allowed in under probation which will immediately revoke his top placement. He needs to show that he can be heroic of spirit." Vlad nodded in agreement.
"And as you suggested, Midorya-kun will join them in class 1-A."
After a bit, the tiny principle spoke again, taking a sip of tea (somehow at the same time, I had long since learned not to question the insanity of Nezu).
"With Bakugou-kun demoted, our new highest scorer is Ida-kun." Nezu observed and the assembled teachers nodded faintly.
What a twist. A student that made it by an impossibility, a student that shouldn't have made it if I hadn't spoken up for her, and a major powerhouse that had scored the best, now demoted to the bottom due to violence.
It felt like it'd fit in a light novel.
But something was still bothering me. Midorya still was shielding those who had bullied him.
"There… Is one last thing. Not on our rosters, no, but on a… Problem I have that I'm not sure how to approach."
Nezu smiled at me, his expression questioning as his tiny ears flicked in interest.
"A problem you say? I'm sure I can help with that."
"So… As noble as young Midorya is, he's been treated badly because of his lack of a quirk and while I know he's being bullied at his current school I don't know how to get him to open up about it. I'd like to ensure that it'll stop and no other student ends up in similar straits. But he won't even admit to the bullying. It's learned helplessness or he thinks he's protecting someone and not realizing how much harm 'protecting' his bully, or bullies will do." Weathered hands held up a blond head and my vision faded as eyes closed and the palms of said hands covered them.
"You don't have to handle everything Yagi-san. As to your student, I can see just how much you care for him and I'd encourage you to keep doing what you are. Keep knocking at the door and show him you're there and won't judge him when he's finally ready to talk. In the meantime, his teachers here at UA will need to keep a close eye out for the situation and see if he's happy here. Odds are with how selective we really are his antagonists won't have made it in."
I could hope but… Deep down, I knew better. I just… I had no proof and no way to even try to convey my concerns. All I could claim was circumstantial at best. And that wasn't something that could hold up or was fair. I had never personally witnessed Midorya's bullies. And the singed uniforms, the scars on his lower arms, and his unwillingness to remove a shirt even while swimming only could tell so much.
It wasn't enough to prove who did it, only that it happened and the victim refused to even say that he'd been hurt.
This wasn't me just being a 'hero'. No, this was somehow more… Personal. I couldn't explain it, or why, but this bothered me on a scale I rarely had experienced before.
I was getting too deeply invested in Izuku.
This wasn't my place either. I was simply a mentor for him. Nothing more. So why did it keep rising up within me…?
...I had a lot to think about didn't I?
As the recording medals were being prepared I settled in my seat and thumbed through the first student's profile.
Todoroki Shouto.
Ah, Endeavor's boy. He'd been recommended and passed with flying colors.
The next hour or so passed with various medals being made before I finally reached Midorya's.
I allowed a bold, yet warm smile form on All Might's lips.
"Young Midorya, how time flies my boy. I would like to spend time reminiscing but we both know what's on your mind right about now: 'Did I pass?' Well, let's go over your scores. First: the written part of the test! You nailed it. You scored incredibly well and are in the top ten percent! Your training certainly paid off there!" The smile faded slightly.
"However, the practical test was a different story as you might expect. You managed to fell fifteen one pointers and five two pointers for a total of twenty-five points. As you're aware, forty points are needed to get into UA." I let the tension hang in the air for a long moment.
"That being said, defeating villains isn't the only way to gain points. Take a look my boy!" I pulled up a clip of him helping a bruised boy to his feet.
"Heroics is more than just punching things! Remember what I said about your mind and heart? Acting Heroically is another way to gain points! This netted you a single point! But that wasn't all you did, was it?"
Twenty Six points turned to twenty seven, then twenty eight, twenty nine, and finally to thirty.
"Even so, you were ten points short even with your heroic actions toward potential classmates. But… There is still one action you performed that needs to be brought up." I allowed a video of Midorya rushing in to save Uraraka-chan to play and how he protected the girl with his own body.
"You rescued that young woman and put her safety above your own. You sacrificed and put her ahead of yourself. Most importantly, while it put your life on the line you did what you could to mitigate the risk to yourself. It's hard to save someone if you're broken after all!"
A brief pause passed before I continued.
"You earned five more heroic points for your action, plus an additional twenty-five Rescue points, bringing your total up to sixty five, one short of Young Ida!"
A beefy hand gestured broadly and All Might beamed brilliantly.
"Congratulations, Young Midorya! Welcome to your hero academia!"
Considering the formatting issues of FFN, I'm gonna give up on italics for the most part as when I transfer the document over to FFN I lose them all the time and going back and getting them is proving to be more frustrating than not. I'll try to keep them for at least the phone/etc conversations.