Author's note: Hey everyone, Fire Slash here and welcome back to Ashes. I'm really happy to see that so many of you like the story so far. Before we begin, I just want to urge you all to follow my IG ( fire_slash_fanfiction). There, you can ask me questions, see what I'm up to, and other stuff (not to mention that FF. net hasn't been notifying me of PMs, which sucks). Oh, and the question of whether Izuku should date in this fic (and who) still needs answering, so let me know your suggestion/answers in the reviews.
Now with that out of the way, let's get to the story. Review and enjoy :-)
0000
Despite what one would think, bring omnipotent wasn't that much fun. Such a thing could actually bring the user excruciating pain at times. Izuku knew this all too well. Ever since he gained the powers of the Phoenix Force, he found some aspects of his life changing for the worst. For starters, the inner hero within him winced everytime he would find himself unable to save someone. Sure, he could simply snap his fingers and do so, but he would end up breaking several cosmic laws. Some people couldn't be saved or else it'll trigger a butterfly effect that will lead to the end of the universe. If things were to go down a path different than the allowed ones, there was nothing he could do to save anyone. The Phoenix Force did have a mind of its own, meaning that it could easily overpower the boy whenever it desired.
There was also the fact that gaining near infinite power hasn't had the most positive effects on the boy's emotions. He hadn't realized it before, but he had a lot of pent up anger. He was angry at Bakugou and the boy's attitude. He had everything handed to him on a silver platter, and as such, never truly had to work for anything. So many people, both aspiring and pro heroes, would love to have a quirk like his, but all he ever used it for was to beat down people who couldn't even fight back. He was also angry at the fact that no one would help Izuku and Bakugou's bully victims, no matter how hard they begged. He was enraged that there were others out there like Bakugou. He was furious that there were people worse than him, whether they be villains, corrupt politicians, or corrupt heroes. And he was livid that he himself couldn't physically do much about this. Instead, he needed to rely on other people before he can make himself known. Yes, people died, such was a universal truth, but did it have to be painful? Honestly, what was the purpose of being a being who could kill Gods when he couldn't use his powers to aid whoever he wanted?
Oh, and don't get him started on how he always knew whenever an injustice occurred. All it did was add fire to the fuel. Even in his sleep, he would unconsciously see people being gutted and broken.
Thankfully, there was a saving grace to all the madness that having the Phoenix Force brought. He managed to gain immense appreciation for humanity, one of which a mortal could never hope to achieve. The only reason Izuku hasn't given up on humanity was due to there being good people out there, people who try to do well. These people were what gave Izuku purpose. They were what he was trying to protect. Hell, there were even some villains Izuku wanted to protect. Not all were murderous fiends. Some simply can't do anything else to survive, so they resorted to robbery. Izuku wanted them to get the help they deserve. He could still rescue people, although he was limited to saving those that wouldn't affect the time stream. He had the ability to do so in less than a second with his powers. He could even anomonously tip off some pro heroes to help people that he himself wasn't allowed to save. Of course, he could only do so if such an action didn't steer the path of the universe off course.
Typically, he would use his cosmic abilities to save these people as he could save an infinite number of lives this way, but there were times when he would do so in person. Tonight was one of those times. Unknown to the world, there was a little girl who was suffering more than most people should. A little girl who was ripped bit by bit by a corrupt man. A little girl who was told by everyone that she was a monster when she really was just someone who couldn't control her quirk.
Her name was Eri and captives were a part of the Yakuza, a gang who basically ruled over Japan before the age of quirks. Nowadays, they were still around, but no longer had the power they once held. Right now, the leader of one of their sections, a man named Kai Chisaki, was using her to create bullets capable of erasing quirks. With his quirk Overhaul, it also being his villain name, he had the ability to disassemble and reassemble matter on a molecular level. Simply put, Overhaul was a reality warper, making him a threat to even the likes of All Might. He did have a weakness though, having the need to touch the object he desires to manipulate. This was how he would extract Eri's quirk and create bullets out of her blood. Eri's quirk was called rewind, allowing her to alter time. At the moment, she can only reverse time to revert whatever she touches into a previous state, but with enough practice, she has the potential to travel back and forth in time.
Both held Godlike powers, yet Izuku couldn't help but notice how small they were compared to him. Overhaul can warp reality, but Izuku could create and destroy realities. Eri could time travel, but Izuku could end or change the concept of time itself. He also found it funny that Overhaul wanted to end the age of quirks despite being someone who benefits from having one. It was why he created the bullets, to use Eri's quirk to remove the quirks of others. He wanted this so the Yakuza could reclaim the position of power they lost years ago.
"Tch."
Overhaul saw himself as an untouchable God. He was sort of like Bakugou, except that he had more reason to believe so, simply being all around superior in power and intellect. In actuality, Overhaul wasn't even anywhere near the power of the gods, gods that the Phoenix Force could stomp with no effort.
The flames currently surrounding Izuku began to dance in a vigorous manner as he began creating a portal. It was time to Izuku to enlighten the ignorant…
0000
*Knock Knock*
Overhaul only kept ten people in his life besides Eri. It wasn't because they held sentimental value to him though, he only kept them because they were useful. At the top in terms of usefulness were his fellow Yakuza members Hari Kurono and Joi Irinaka. Hari Kurono, otherwise known as Chronostasis, has the ability to slow down anything he touches with his clock-hand shaped hair which he could use as a whip. Meanwhile, Joi Irinaka, otherwise known as Mimic, can merge into anything he touches and manipulate it from the inside. The other eight were known as Overhaul's 'Eight Bullets;' men who did not hold a position of power in the Yakuza, but were people the man still found quite useful. Shin Nemoto had the ability to force people to tell the truth. Rikiya Katsukame could steal someone's energy and use it to power himself up physically. Toya Setsuno can summon an object he can physically see into his hand. Yu Hojo can summon crystals which he could then manipulate. Soramitsu Tabe can eat through anything without feeling any negative effects. Kendo Rappa can unleash a flurry of punches strong enough to shatter an entire building. Hekiji Tengai had the ability to create force fields. Compared to Tooru, who needed gather and solidify atoms in the atmosphere to create hers, his were created by a special form of energy only he can produce. Finally, Deidoro Sakaki has the ability to make people unbearably dizzy. As a means of showing their allegiance, most of these men wore bird masks similar to the one their master constantly wore.
*Knock Knock*
To most, a team such as this one would seem unstoppable, having an immense offensive, defensive, and supportive core. However, a prepared team could take them on.
*Knock Knock*
"Holy shit that knocking's getting on my nerves!" Kendo snarled. At the moment, the Eight Bullets were enjoying a game of cards while the higher ups were discussing something in Overhaul's office. What it was, none of them knew. They only cared about serving their master. Details were not important. "Deidoro, get the door. It might be one of the runts the boss sent out to look for potential clients."
"Really, sending the drunk out?" Shin wryly asked the powerhouse. "It's not like the Yakuza have standards or anything…"
"The fuck's that supposed to mean?" Deidoro asked, a bottle of alcohol in his hand. "I can get the goddamn door!"
Despite his tipsiness, the man was able to walk towards the door. Opening it, he ended up being face to face with Izuku, the boy masking his body in flames to hide his identity.
"Good evening," Izuku greeted. "I'm here to pick up Eri. If you could, please bring her to me and I'll be on my way."
All the boy got in response was the door slamming in his face. Grumbling to himself, the alcoholic trudged back to his seat and picked up his cards without a word.
"So, who was at the door?" Hejiki calmly questioned his associate.
"Was it the pizza I ordered?"
"You didn't order any," Toya told Soramitsu, causing the man to pout.
"Nah, it was some fucking kid who wanted Overhaul's brat," the drunk man said with a hiccup, causing everyone to stare at him.
"What did you just say?" Yu asked.
*BOOM!*
The door to their layer blew off, revealing Izuku with his left arm outstretched. Seeing the men, he simply stared at them with a blank expression. "I wasn't asking. Now, give me the girl and I promise that I won't do anything drastic."
"Like hell we're going to give her to you!" Kendo shouted, echoing the thoughts of the other Yakuza members. All eight men then stood up, preparing themselves for a brawl.
"While we hold him off, go and get the boss. It's important that he knows someone found us," Hejiki whispered to Toya, causing the blonde to nod.
"Well, I tried being nice," Izuku sais as Kendo shot forwards, cranking his arm back. With superhuman speeds, he had made his way to the boy and began unleashing a flurry of punches…despite the fact that Izuku was on fire. Having superhuman durability, this didn't deter him from taking a physical approach. Each of his punches connecting, Kendo made sure to go for the kill, the force of the blows creating miniature smoke clouds. With this going on, Toya slipped out of the area, heading straight towards his boss. Eventually, Kendo stopped his onslaught, believing there to be no way that Izuku was still alive. "How'd you like that?!"
"That was cute," Izuku replied, mockingly complementing his opponent as the dust settled. Much to everyones' surprise, Izuku was still standing as if none of those punches had connected. "But now it's my turn."
Before anyone could react, Izuku lightly slapped the man, sending him flying through several walls. "…I'll get that later." Blinking, he focused on the other members. "Anyone else?"
His question was answered when a barrage of crystals shot towards him, courtesy of Yu. With a flick, he completely shattered them. However, it seemed the crystals were only meant to serve as a distraction as Rikyia grabbed his right arm (even though he was still on fire).
"You want my energy big guy? It's all yours...if you can contain it." The flames on Izuku's arm began engulfing the larger man, rendering him unconscious. Stepping forwards, Izuku shot the rest of them a mocking smile, unnerving them, especially after seeing that two of their strongest were tossed to the side as if they were nothing.
"Who the hell are you?!" Sin shouted at him as Yu shot another barrage of crystals at the boy. This time, they shattered before they could even reach Izuku, he having destroyed them mentally.
"I just someone with too much power on their hands and wants to use it to protect people," Izuku answered, having nullified Shin's quirk. "And you're all in my way." Pointing to the truth magnet, Izuku shot a fireball at him, only for Hekiji to interfere, standing in front of his ally and creating a force field to protect them. Sadly for him, the fireball simply pierced through the shield as if it were simply a large piece of paper, rendering the taller man unable to battle.
"Deidoro, do something!" Yu yelled as he created a dome of crystals to protect his allies as the conscious ones began thinking of a plan.
"I've been trying," the drunk said with a slur. "But my quirk doesn't seem to be working on him."
*BOOM*
"You can't mess with the mind of the most powerful psychic alive." With a pulse of psychic energy, Izuku had destroyed the dome, exposing the Yakuza members. Glancing at Deidoro, Izuku smirked. "But I can mess with yours." A pang of psychic energy flooded into the drunk's mind, causing him to unleash a blood curdling scream before passing out.
"But what good is a psychic without a head?" Soramitsu maniaclly laughed as he lunged at the boy, engulfing his head into his enormous jaws. What was supposed to happen was that Izuku should've died, having had his head chomped off by Soramitsu. What actually happened was that the man was awkwardly trying to bite through the boy's head, much to his annoyance.
"D-did you just try to eat me?" Izuku asked in confusion. Yes, cosmic awareness was a thing, but it was still completely bizarre to have a man try to eat him as a way to win a fight. "I mean, I could make a pun about being spicy and then burn your insides afterwards, but that'd just be cruel." Removing him with telekinesis, the host of the Phoenix force simply tossed him to the roof and let him fall to the floor. Thankfully, that was all that was needed to knock him out. Not even paying attention to the remaining two, Izuku destroyed yet another barrage of crystals using his psychic powers.
"I'm getting tired of you." Pointing his right index finger at the man, Izuku shot another fireball, destroying the dome Yu attempted to set up and knocking the man out. All that was left was Shin, who had no offensive quirk. The man attempted to draw his gun, only for it to suddenly evaporate. "You know, I kind of like your friend's quirk," Izuku admitted to Shin. "I hope he doesn't mind me using it for myself."
Before the Yakuza member could ask what he meant by that, his legs ended up being encased in some sort of crystal that suddenly popped out of the ground.
Now, Izuku could've just ended the fight with a single thought, sending the Yakuza members to jail while securing Eri, but where's the fun in that?
"Well, that's over." Dusting his hands, Izuku began walking deeper into the hideout. "Let me go find your boss."
0000
"Sir!" Toya yelled, barging through the doorway, causing the three men inside to look at him. The three were currently with Eri, preparing to dismantle her yet again.
"You better have a good reason as to why you've interrupted my work…" Overhaul said in a calm yet threatening tone.
"S-someone's here!" Toya frantically replied. "They're here for Eri!" This alarmed Overhaul. Eri was supposed to be a well guarded secret, so how the hell did someone find out about her? "T-the others are fighting him as we spea-"
The blonde suddenly found himself being pulled backwards, releasing a yelp. Eventually, he stopped moving, his neck being held by Izuku's left hand.
"Nobody likes a snitch," Izuku whispered into Toya's ear before slamming him into the floor with enough force to leave a small crater. It was safe to say he was no longer able to fight. Izuku then glanced at the three males. "So, there's no chance of the three of you surrendering even though I beat the others singlehandedly, right?"
"Who are you?" Overhaul asked, not liking the fact that someone managed to discover his layer and defeat most of his men.
"Like I told your men, I'm just someone with too much power on their hands and wants to use it to protect people."
Overhaul glared at the boy. "Of course. I should've known. You believe you can do whatever you want just because you have a powerful quirk. I'm going to crush that illusion of yours."
"First of all, don't lump me in with those arrogant bastards," Izuku told him as he grabbed Hari's hair, the man having launched it at him once Overhaul stopped talking. Despite him touching it, Izuku was perfectly fine, not affected by Hari's hair. Setting it on fire, Izuku watched as the flame reached the man's head, the fire turning into a small explosion once it hit his scalp and knocking him out. "They're the guys I'm trying to beat. And just for the record, I'm quirkless." Noticing that Joi was attempting to use his quirk on one of the machinery in the room, Izuku caused a wall of fire to suddenly appear in between the two. It then turned into a small tornado. In the blink of an eye, Izuku merged into said tornado and shot a fireball from the inside, knocking him out. The tornado then petered out, revealing a triumphant Izuku standing over the Yakuza member. "These powers were given to me by an outside source."
"No matter." Touching his desk, Overhaul reshaped it into a spear. "Whatever you say will not save you. You may have beaten my men, but I'm leagues above them. No one will get in my way."
He chucked the spear at Izuku, only to become surprised when the boy halted its trajectory with only a single finger. He then disassembled and reassembled the spear, making it so it was facing Overhaul before sending it flying towards the villain. Dodging, Overhaul tapped the ground and shot a torrent of spikes at him. Staring at the villain, Izuku's eyes began to glow in a green light and the flames around him began to extend further from his body, stopping the onslaught before it could even reach him. As this was going on, Eri was watching the fight intensely. Never before has she seen someone challenge Overhaul's power. Izuku had said he was here for her, did that mean that he was going to take her out of this hell hole? For the first time in her life, Eri felt something besides fear. She felt hope, as if she could tell that everything was going to be all right now.
Izuku must have sensed this as he shot Eri a small smile before focusing on a now fuming Overhaul. "You got some nice tricks there," Izuku said as Overhaul created a large platform and chucked it at Izuku, only for it to combust in flames and become ashes before it could hit him. "But let me tell you something. You're just a glorified villain."
Snarling at the boy's insult, he attempted to launch more spikes from the ground again, but Izuku simply teleported to the side to avoid the attack. "You got a strong quirk that can mess with reality." Another layer of spikes were launched at him, but Izuku simply changed its direction a bit to the right with a simple thought. "It puts you ahead of nearly everyone on this planet." Izuku then teleported in front of the man, causing him to grip the boy's arm as a reaction despite it being on fire. Hoping to kill Izuku before the heat of his flames became unbearable, he attempted to destroy him with his quirk. However, much to his surprise, nothing happened as Izuku continued to stare him in the eyes. "But what is a man compared to a god? In some cases, they empower him with their faith. But other times, they're simply an afterthought to them. You just so happen to fall into the latter category." Without warning, Izuku gripped the villain's neck with his free hand. "It's time for you to get a taste of your own medicine." Mimicking what the villain has done to Eri, Izuku disassembled him, removing him from existence.
With him out of the way, Izuku turned to Eri. "It's ok. He's gone." He then extended his right arm to her. "Take my hand and don't worry about the fire. They won't hurt you. I promise that nothing will hurt you anymore."
Despite not really knowing him, Eri took his hand. Not only did he defeat Overhaul, but he had a calm aura surrounding him. When her hand made contact with his, he brought her into a hug, amplifying how safe she was feeling at the moment. Without realizing it, the young girl began crying tears of joy. Opening up a portal behind her, Izuku smiled. "C'mon. Let's get out of here."
Without hesitation Eri walked through it, being brought into Izuku's demiplane. Now, Izuku initially was going to transfer her to a safe and caring orphanage but his cosmic awareness told him that she would only be able to recover if she was around one of three people. Sadly, sending her to the other two at this specific point in time would disrupt the time stream, leaving him as the only one capable of being her guardian. Honestly, this was fine by him. He could use the company. Whenever his friends weren't around, he found himself to be quite bored.
Once Eri went through, Izuku looked back at the room in which he had fought Overhaul. With the snap of his fingers, he created a cage, reformed the man inside, and put his unconscious allies inside it as well.
"You...what did you do to me?!" Overhaul yelled at him as he gripped the bars, trying to use his quirk on them. However, nothing happened.
"Simple, I erased you from existence and reformed you in my image," Izuku informed him. "You and your men are now quirkless. A man like you doesn't deserve power. Neither do your followers. The police will be here soon, so hang tight...not like you can even go anywhere. This cage is strong enough to hold All Might." Summoning a key, he put it on the floor away from their reach. "Have fun in prison." With that, Izuku walked through the portal, leaving behind the defeated members of the last Yakuza clan in existence.
0000
Helping Hitoshi, Tooru, and Denki prepare for the U.A exam was more fun than Izuku thought it had any right to be. After all, he was simply tutoring them in stuff he already knew and was aiding them in using their quirks more effectively.
It was during this time that Izuku felt something he had been craving all his life; acceptance. Other than his mom, no one bothered caring for him. They simply tossed him to the side. His friends were different. During the ten month journey, the four of them got to know one another on an emotional level. Their individual powers didn't matter. It didn't matter that Izuku was a whole other being while they were simply human, the four of them loved one another for what was on the inside. It was honestly a large family with Izuku playing the role of the encouraging brother, Tooru playing the role of the younger sister, Hitoshi playing the role of the snarky older brother, and Denki being the energetic younger brother.
"I'll be honest, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed," Denki had admitted when Izuku came clean to him about his past life and his goals. "I don't really know much. But I like to think that I have a good sense of character. I want to be a hero to help people and what kind of hero would I be if I ignored you after everything you've told me? Count me in!"
Since adding Denki to the group, Izuku's prophets have been making phenomenal progress. Hitoshi was now quite fit, despite remaining skinny, able to hold his own in a physical fight. In terms of his telekinesis, he started with a limit of one hundred pounds, but managed to raise it to 1.5 tons. He can grab things from six hundred feet away, but has to be looking at the object for his telekinesis to work. Meanwhile, Tooru's force fields can hold up to 5 tons of weight before shattering. Originally, she could only make the force fields around herself, but she managed to learn how to make barriers around objects one hundred feet away from her. She can engulf objects that reach up to two stories of height in them. In addition, she can choose whether the shape of the force fields mimic that of a glass plane or a bubble. As for Denki, the boy learned how to channel his lightning through various parts of his body. He can also adjust the voltage of his blasts to a maximum of 1.3 million volts. Denki had also discovered that it was more efficient to fire his lightning from non-vital areas such as his hands as they healed much faster than his brain. It was safe to say that he was now a powerhouse.
Five months later into their training, the band of friends would welcome another person into their group.
"Yo Izuku, what're we doing today?" Denki asked, having walked through a portal the boy unconsciously created. It was time for their training after all. "Uh, Izuku?"
The green haired boy had not realized that his prophets had entered his home. Currently, he was teaching Eri how to play UNO, the young girl enjoying herself. Ever since Izuku took her in, the girl has made nothing but happy memories. Initially scared that she would harm him with her quirk, after establishing that she couldn't even if she tried, he began teaching her how to control her power. At the moment, she was at the point where she could touch people without worrying about rewinding them, though she was nowhere near mastering her quirk. She was only six, so it was to be expected.
"Izuku we're here!" Tooru shouted in a singsong voice. It was then that her eyes laid on Eri. "Oh my god! Who's this cutie?"
Eri immediately scooted closer to Izuku for protection as he turned around to face them. "Oh. Sorry guys. I didn't realize that you'd be coming."
"Bullshit," Hitoshi bluntly stated. "We all know about your cosmic awareness BS. You planned for this to happen."
Izuku pouted as he crossed his arms. "Geez, thanks for ruining my fun. Anyways, this is Eri. I rescued her from a man who was literally taking her apart to harness her quirk-"
"Excuse me, what?" Denki asked, unable to believe what he just heard.
"The man who held her captive used his quirk to rip her apart," Izuku explained.
Tooru clenched a fist. "That's awful. Please tell me you got them arrested."
"I arrested them and took their quirks," Izuku replied. "They didn't deserve them." Facing back towards Eri, he gave her a reassuring smile. "Eri, these are my friends. It's all right, they won't hurt you."
Eri stood behind Izuku, eyeing them with caution. Even though her guardian said that it was safe, she still cautious of new people. Years of trauma will do that to someone. Eventually, she mustered up enough courage to utter a single word. "H-hi."
"She'll warm up to you eventually," Izuku informed them.
"So, are you taking care of her now?" Hitoshi questioned.
"Yeah, so expect to see her from here on out."
"Fine with me," Tooru said with a happy shrug.
0000
It took a whopping six months for Eri to not flinch whenever the three showed up to her home. It wasn't like they minded though, they knew why she was so nervous. Thankfully, the girl would say a few words to them, something Tooru took full advantage of as she found the girl to be absolutely adorable.
"Well guys, here we are," Denki said as the three students stood outside of U.A's front gate. Ten months of training has led them to this specific moment in time. "I'm not sure about you guys, but I'm a bit nervous…"
"Don't be," Hitoshi told him. "We're ready."
"Easy for you to say. You guys are actually smart. Ugh! The written portion is going to kill me…"
Tooru rolled her eyes. "With that attitude it will."
"You passed all the practice exams," Hitoshi informed him. "Well, you barely did-"
"Gee, thanks."
"-But as long as you don't flunk it, it doesn't matter what you get. Your dominance of the physical exam is guaranteed."
"He's right!" Tooru added, trying to make her friend less anxious. "All you need to do is survive and you'll be good!"
"Let's just get this over with," the blonde sulked before entering the campus, his friends following right behind. Looking around at some of the other students, he leaned towards Hitoshi. "You know, there's quite a bit of cute girls here-"
He was cut off by Tooru flicking his ear. "Denki, no."
0000
"That was the worst two hours of my life," Denki whined to his friends as he took a seat next to them. With the written portion lasting two hours, all the potential students were given an hour of downtime which they could use to get lunch. Hitoshi ended up being the first of the group to finish, getting out thirty minutes before the exam was done. Tooru finished five minutes after him, only struggling with one of the math problems. Denki however took the full two hours, though he managed to finish on time. "I think I want to cry."
"It wasn't that bad," Hitoshi mumbled before taking a bite out of his sandwich. "You think you passed?"
"I think so…"
"Then there's no reason to get worked up about it. Save that energy for the next part of the exam."
Tooru took the time to put herself into the conversation. "Speaking of which, have any idea as to what you're going to do for the physical exam Hitoshi? We'll be fighting robots and neither of our quirks are suited for mass destruction."
"...I was thinking of picking up a robot and slamming it into other ones. It might be my best shot."
"Oh," Tooru frowned. "I was thinking of stabbing them with this." She held out her arms and allowed a force field to cover them, this one taking the form of a sharp edge instead of a square or bubble.
"When'd you learn to do that?" Denki asked.
"A few nights ago. When we received the pamphlets in the mail, I was worried about not being able to dent them. I tried seeing what else I can make with them and ended up discovering this. I read that some of the robots have exposed areas, so I was thinking of targeting them…"
"Your force fields are quite strong, so that might work," Hitoshi told her.
"Yeah. We'll see what happens once the exam starts…"
0000
Tooru stared at the entrance to the mock city, a frown adorning her face. The test was about to begin any minute and she couldn't help but be nervous. Why was she afraid? Was it because of the chances of getting hurt? Absolutely not. The girl swore to be a hero and she knew that pain came with the job description. No, she was scared of letting Izuku down. He had done so much for her and she felt like the best way to repay him was to succeed at reaching for her dream.
"You've all come so far," he told them the night before the exam. "I'm honestly glad to call you my friends. Tomorrow, I want you to give it your all. Show U.A why you are special."
"But will it be enough?" Tooru asked herself, continuing to wait until the announcer (who so happened to be pro hero Present Mic) began the countdown. "…It has to be. Izuku put his faith in me, so there's no way I'm going to fail this."
"AND START!" The voice of Present Mic yelled, causing most of the examinees to look at him in confusion. "Uh, what are you waiting for? Villains won't give you a countdown. Go!"
Hearing this, Tooru and the other people at her test site ran into the city, eager to get some points. Unfortunately, Hitoshi and Denki were in different testing sites, meaning she was on her own.
As everyone began hogging up the center of the fake city, Tooru decided to search left, knowing full well that she would find more luck in a less crowded area. Eventually, she found a pack of robots that were ripe for the pickings.
"PREPARED TO BE ELIMINATED!"
Noticing that a 1 pointer was preparing to attack her, Tooru shot forwards and began analyzing her opponent. Thankfully, the robot seemed to have two weak spots on its arms and legs each, these areas being unarmored and exposing some of the wires. Expertly dodging a swipe from the robot, the girl summoned a blade and jabbed it into the weak spot on its right leg, causing it to kneel. Unable to stand up, it conceded defeat.
"I HAVE BEEN DEFEATED!"
"Whew." Honestly, taking on that robot helped her confidence spike up. Looking at the two remaining (a one and three pointer), she smiled. She knew that the one pointer was a pushover. The three pointer on the other hand would be more difficult.
Dashing towards the one pointer, she stabbed it in the leg, removing it from the battle. However, the three pointer used this time to point its guns at her. When it began shooting, Tooru created a force field to block the bullets. Pushing forwards, the girl began searching for a weak spot, eventually finding one under its neck. When the three pointer began reloading bullets, Tooru deactivated her force field and skewered its neck, finishing it off.
"Well, time to look for more."
And look for more she did. Having found the weak spots of the one and three pointers, she relied on her agility to take them out. Eventually, she encountered a two pointer that was sneaking up on a girl with pink skin, but with a blade to the eye, it went down. Funny enough, the pink haired girl wasn't the only person who she ended up aiding. A lot of the robots relied on stealth or utilizing pack tactics to overwhelm opponents. She ended up helping a red haired boy duke it out with three two pointers and created a force field to block an attack from hitting a blonde boy who needed to recharge.
About halfway through the test, it was announced that the zero pointer was released. Seeing it made her realize what U.A meant about it being a 'roadblock.'
"Yeah…I'm not fighting that thing if I don't have to.'
Instead of bothering with it, she simply avoided it to look for more points. As she was doing so, something ended up catching her eye. It was an explosion. Another occurred in the same direction shortly after Eyeing the scene further, she noticed that a blonde boy was the source of them, the boy having the ability to generate them. She was about to leave, only to realize something; that was Bakugou, otherwise known as the boy who drove her friend to suicide. Anger immediately began to take over the girl. How dare he think that he even had the right to even aim at being a hero when he was the reason someone killed themselves? She was about to go over there and, well, she didn't know what she was going to do honestly, but remembered what Izuku told her and the others when it came to the bully.
"Just a heads up, Bakugou will be trying out for U.A and with his quirk, he'll most likely make it in. I understand that you might be angry at him for what he did, but it would be in your best interest to not make a scene. Doing so might hurt your chances of getting into U.A."
Taking his advice, the girl let him be and continued hunting for points. By the end of the exam, she managed to snag 32 villain points, which she was personally satisfied with.
"Let's hope that's enough…"
0000
Similar to Tooru, Hitoshi made sure to break free from the pack when the exam started. Initially, he wanted to find a one pointer he could easily subdue with his telekinesis and use it as some sort of battering ram. However, he soon discovered a better option. Using his telekinesis to float, he placed himself on top of a building and began searching for some robots. Eventually, he found several three pointers clumped together. Smirking, he lifted one of the up about halfway to his position and then dropped it on top of the others, destroying all three.
"Thankfully these guys are a bit under my weight limit," Hitoshi mumbled under his breath. Using his telekinesis, he would continue to hop from building to building and drop poor unsuspecting robots on top of other poor robots. However, the boy found himself occasionally needing a break. Each of the robots were close to his weight limit, meaning that it took quite a bit of effort to lift them. During this, he would watch the other test goers. He had to admit, he was somewhat jealous of the fact that some of the other test goers were having an easier time, but he simply ignored it and continued searching for points.
By the time the zero pointer was released, he had already gathered 40 points, his lift and drop strategy actually working out better than he expected.
"They expect us to fight that?" Hitoshi asked himself in disbelief as he saw the zero pointer wreak havoc. Anyone who found themselves in its path immediately went the other way. The boy was honestly about to do the same when he heard something.
"H-help." Under some rubble and in the path of the robot was a brown haired girl. It was clear she couldn't get out and if someone didn't do anything, she would be crushed. "S-somebody, please help me!"
Hitoshi watched as several people went by her without helping and it irked him. These were people who were aiming to be heroes and yet they were prioritizing their own safety over someone in need.
"Despicable." If no one else was going to help her, then he was going to do it himself. Lifting the rubble away, he swiftly brought the girl to where he was and laid her down. He noticed that her foot was bent in a strange way and knew that it was twisted. "Are you all right?"
"Y-yeah," the girl said as the robot continued walking, not noticing the two test goers on the roof. "I thought I was a goner. My ankle's messed up though…"
"Better than being dead," Hitoshi stated as the end of the test was announced. "I think I see a medic down there. I'll bring us to her."
The girl smiled at him. "Thanks."
Nodding, he floated them down to where the medic was. "Excuse me, I have someone who was hurt."
Glancing at them, the woman kissed the girl on the cheek, somehow healing her. "There you go. All better."
"Wow, I feel great. Thanks!"
As this was happening, Hitoshi was glancing at the other test takers with a frown. He still couldn't believe that not one of them was willing to help her.
'If Denki and Tooru were down there, they would've done everything they could to save her,' Hitoshi thought to himself. 'Speaking of which, I wonder how they're doing?'
0000
Were tests allowed to be fun? That was a thought that plagued Denki's mind throughout the entire exam. When Present Mic announced the start of the exam, Denki made sure to rush into the center, completely ignoring the other paths. As to be expected, there were dozens of them waiting to be destroyed. Wasting no time, Denki fired a relatively weak lightning bolt from his left hand at a three pointer, wanting to take one down before anyone else could get to them. As it turns out, he severely overestimated how much voltage was needed to take one out. Instead of taking out one, he managed to take out the entire section, much to the other test goers' surprise. Eventually leaving the center, Denki searched for more, racking up a few extra points. Like Tooru, he managed to assist others that happened to bite off more than they could chew.
There's not much to be said about Denki's time at the exam except for the fact that it was straight up carnage.
When the zero pointer came out, Denki had the brilliant idea of trying to take it down, mostly due to how the test has fueled his confidence. Hiding in an alleyway, the boy charged up two bolts in his hands. Making sure no one was around, once the robot passed him, he unleashed the stored up energy. The poor robot didn't stand a chance, collapsing once Denki finished his attack.
Funny enough, the boy actually lost track as to how many points he received. He was honestly having too much fun. Who knew that a simple change to how he used his quirk would make his life so much easier. Was it bad that he was finding enjoyment out of a serious exam?
0000
"So, how'd it go?" Denki asked his friends as they reconvened after the exam was over. His friends didn't seem like they were in the best of moods, so he was wondering how they did.
Hitoshi shrugged. "It went ok I guess. I got forty points-" Tooru chimed in with her number of points as he said this. "-But I saw something that bothered me…"
Tooru scoffed. "Funny you should say that. I did as well. You go first though."
"During the exam, a girl got hurt and was in the way of the zero pointer's path. Many people passed her without helping. I just found it disgusting."
Denki shot him a confused glance. "She's fine now though, right?"
"Yeah. I got her out before she was squashed. It just bothers me that people attempting to be heroes didn't do what a hero was supposed to."
"Speaking of non-heroic people, I saw Bakugou at the exam," Tooru stated, causing Hitoshi to groan.
"Izuku did say he was going to apply for U.A," Denki said, scratching his chin. "Nothing much we can do about it except be the best heroes we can be."
The other two simply nodded, knowing he was right. Eventually, Tooru changed the subject.
"So, how did you do on your exam Denki?"
The boy in question rubbed his head in embarrassment. "I honestly don't know. Hopefully I did well. I sort of lost track of how many points I got."
0000
Author's note 2: Just a heads up for those who were wondering, Eri will not be a prophet, meaning that there's still two more that need to be introduced. Also, it just occurred to me that Izuku getting the Phoenix Force is somewhat ironic. Izuku's father breaths fire while his mom has low level telekinesis. The Phoenix Force is a massive flaming entity with immense telekinesis powers. If Izuku wasn't born quirkless, there's a good chance he could've had a quirk similar to the Phoenix Force, just severely downgraded in comparison. Oh, and here's everyones' updated stats (currently) in case you were curious.
Izuku
Power: Unscalable/5
Speed: Unscalable/5
Technique: Unscalable/5
Intelligence: Unscalable/5
Cooperativeness: 3/5 C (must obey certain cosmic laws, meaning he can't always help)
Judge, Jury, and Executioner: 6/5 S
Tooru
Power: 3/5 C (force fields are pretty strong, don't you think?)
Speed: 3/5 C+
Technique: 5/5 A+ (prior experience + extra training from Izuku)
Intelligence: 4/5 B
Cooperativeness: 5/5 A
Invisibility: 6/5 S
Hitoshi
Power: 4/5 B (even low level telekinesis can be powerful)
Speed: 2/5 D+ (training by Izuku)
Technique: 4/5 B (training by Izuku)
Intelligence: 4/5 B+
Cooperativeness: 2/5 D (having friends helps)
Passion: 5/5 A
Denki
Power: 6/5 S+ (I've already discussed my feelings about how cannon ranks his power last chapter)
Speed: 3/5 C+
Technique: 5/5 A (prior experience + extra training from Izuku)
Intelligence: 2/5 D (tutored by Izuku)
Cooperativeness: 5/5 A
Friend: 6/5 S
