I AM HERE! With the next fantastic chapter of this epic tale. Before we begin however, I have a few things to say. I received a series of guest reviews from Bob Le Destroyer, and he made a few points that I feel require my attention. I will start with the easiest question, and work my way up from there.
1: Yes, Eraserhead is an Underground Hero, but underground is not the same as unknown. He avoids the press, but that doesn't mean he's never in the news. Even if he isn't directly interviewed, he is still an officially licensed Pro Hero, who must submit reports about his actions, and whose name would be officially listed in articles about arrests that he was involved in. Also, the only source I could find refers to Death Arms' Quirk as an Enhancement Type, not a Mutation Type, so Eraserhead's ability would work on him.
2: Death Arms' origin is never explicitly discussed in the manga, but he has been around for a while. In the spin-off series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, he is present at a meeting that includes Endeavor, Best-Jeanist, Snipe, Gunhead, Thirteen, Air Jet, Ingenium, Eraserhead and Midnight. All Might was also invited to this meeting, but couldn't be there in person, so he has Detective Tsukauchi proxy for him. The meeting takes place before either Midnight or Eraserhead are teachers at UA, meaning it happened at least one year before the main story, with the best answer I found placing it roughly four years before. Using 2257 as our starting point, that puts the meeting in 2253, which is five years after Izuku and Katsuki's playground conversation. Considering the amount of talent in the room, it's logical to assume that Death Arms would have to be an experienced Hero by this point, so him starting out around 2252-2253 is a reasonable assumption on my part.
3: Izuku's Quirk is helpful for noticing pursuers, but he isn't omniscient. He was running through a busy city around the time hundreds of office workers would be on their way to work, and Katsuki has known what his Quirk can do for almost a decade at that point. A lot of people seem to forget that Lord Explosion Murder is actually really smart himself. It isn't unreasonable to assume that he would be able to devise a way to avoid detection by Izuku. As for All Might, he had no reason to believe that he would need to show off his Quirk until Izuku asked, and he was on a deserted beach that people didn't go to anymore, minimizing the threat of being seen. Also, Japan has more than just palm trees, and at no point did I describe the tree Katsuki fell out of as one.
And 4: Inko Midoriya. I could have said that I killed her for plot purposes, but that wouldn't be the truth. Her living or dying wouldn't have changed much regarding this story, because Izuku's home life isn't a major focus of this story. No, like I said at the end of the first chapter, she died because I don't like her. But, I suppose I should explain why, because apparently some people disagree with me. First, when she broke down in tears and apologized to Izuku for him being Quirkless, if he wasn't the sweetest, most pure soul in existence, that moment would have psychologically damaged him for life. I'm sorry that you were born different is one of the worst things a parent could ever tell their kid. Second, I really hate when anime in general take a joke that wasn't very funny to begin with and take it to the extreme. In One Piece, it was when Sanji's bloody noses caused an actual medical emergency that took several episodes to resolve. On a much smaller scale, but no less annoying, was how Inko's projectile crying caused her to actually faint multiple times. But, my biggest issue is with her decision regarding the dorms. It would be one thing if she was against it from the start, but she and Izuku talked about it and she agreed to it, then changed her mind later, on her own. That is the moment, when she basically gave up on him for the second time in his life, that was to much for me. Even when she says she'd be fine with him trying to be a Hero at another school, she's missing the point. By that point in the story, Izuku has interfered with the League of Villains' plans on three separate occasions. If he dropped out of Heroism all together and became an office worker, Tomura Shigaraki and Himiko Toga both specifically are after him. It doesn't matter to them what he does, they will try to kill or kidnap him, no matter what. UA is the only place with the resources and experience to protect him, and she's just like "Yeah, but he gets hurt so much at UA." No, he's been hurt going too far trying to save people. If you were against him being hurt, you wouldn't have even let him apply to be a Hero in the first place. Heroes get hurt, people get hurt. That's how life works, and to think that you can protect someone from that pain by denying them their own free will isn't just naive, it's dangerous.
I'm not asking any of you to agree with me, I just want you to understand my opinion on this.
Moving on, let's just jump into the story.
They were here. They'd dreamt about this day since they were four years old. Had spent the last ten months rigorously preparing for this moment. And now, looking up at the massive glass-and-concrete buildings in front of them, Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo felt a sense of excitement begin to grow in the pit of their stomachs.
Ultra Academy, known simply to most as UA, was the premier Hero School in Japan. Sure, Shiketsu High may boast about a rivalry between the two, and Ketsubutsu had a fine reputation of its own. But' if you wanted to truly make a name for yourself, UA was the place to go. The only thing keeping it from consistently being ranked number one in the world was The Xavier Institute in America.
Run by the most powerful telepath in the world, and staffed by an eccentric group of Pro Heroes that included the legendary Wolverine, a man who had been born over 150 years ago and fought in the First and Second Quirk Wars, they made their mark as a haven of tolerance and understanding. They even accepted Quirkless students, something UA hadn't permitted until this year.
Taking a deep breath, the two boys entered the gate and took the next step towards their future.
Or they'd just die.
In their rush to get inside first, they had ended up tripping over each other. They prepared for the impact, but it never came. Opening their eyes, they noticed that they were floating a few inches off the ground.
"I'm sorry I used my Quirk on you without asking first, but I figured you wouldn't want to fall flat on your faces right before the exam. Bad luck, you know?" A bubbly girl said, clapping her hands together with a smile. She righted the two boys before disabling her power. "Well, I hope I see you again. Bye." She added, heading inside the Entrance Hall before they could respond.
'She seemed nice,' Izuku thought.
'Her face was very round,' was Katsuki's brilliant takeaway from the encounter.
The rest of the walk to the Auditorium was uneventful, and they quickly found their seats. Settling in, the two of them decided to observe the area.
Katsuki looked around the room to scout out the competition. There were hundreds of people packed into the stands, but even without Izuku's Quirk, he could count most of them out with just one glance. A few of them stood out though, and he observed them for a couple of seconds each, taking note to keep an eye out for them later.
The boy with the bird head clad in black, standing in the corner talking to his shadow.
The girl with hair made of vines, sitting silently in prayer.
The guy with spiky red hair and sharp teeth, grinning determinedly while cracking his knuckles.
The empty tank top and short shorts, floating in the aisle.
Izuku on the other hand, was mostly looking ahead, keeping his eyes down behind his sunglasses. Suddenly, a sleepy voice to his right spoke up.
"What's with the shades? You some kind of secret agent or something?"
Looking over, he saw a boy with light purple hair almost as messy as his own, who looked like he had never heard of the concept of sleep before.
"Oh, n-no. They're to keep my Quirk contained. It's fairly intrusive, so I avoid using it on people without permission."
"What kind of Quirk is that?"
"It's called 'Analysis', and if I look at someone, I can learn all kinds of things about them, like their name, age, blood type and Quirk. If I have eye contact with them, I can even read their mind slightly."
"Wow, and people call me a villain."
"What? Why would anyone say that?"
"Because my Quirk is 'Brainwashing'. I can make anyone do whatever I want them to, and all I have to do is make them talk to me first."
"That sounds so cool though. You could defuse hostage situations without any collateral damage, or subdue a criminal with almost no effort at all. Depending on how it functions, you could even have someone tell you where their hideout is or what they're planning to..."
Without warning, Izuku was slapped in the back of the head.
"You're doing it again, nerd. This is why you don't have any other friends, you scare them all away by overanalyzing them and making them uncomfortable!"
"Ow, that doesn't mean you can just hit me, Kacchan. But you're right," Izuku replied, looking back at the tired boy. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Like I said before, most people go straight to calling me a Villain, so this is technically an improvement. I'm Hitoshi Shinsō by the way."
"Right, introductions. I'm Izuku Midoriya, and this is my adoptive brother..."
"Katsuki Bakugō, future number one Hero, and don't you forget it!"
Before their conversation could continue, the lights went out.
A single spotlight illuminated the podium as a hydraulic lift brought someone up from below.
"HELLO BOYS AND GIRLS, I'M YOUR ILLUSTRIOUS HOST, THE DJ OF UA, PRESENT MIC!" He introduced himself, pausing for an applause that didn't come.
"EXCELLENT, YOU'RE ALL FOCUSED AND READY TO GO, I DIG IT! IN THAT CASE LET'S JUMP RIGHT IN TO THE NITTY GRITTY AND TALK ABOUT THE EXAMS! YESTERDAY, YOU EACH TOOK THE WRITTEN PORTION AT YOUR LOCAL TESTING SITES, BUT TODAY'S MAIN EVENT IS THE PRACTICAL EXAM! YOU'LL BE USING YOUR QUIRKS TO BATTLE FAUX VILLAINS IN SUPER HIP URBAN SETTINGS!"
Gesturing behind him, a projector displayed an image of a city, with three silhouettes surrounding it.
"NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SCREEN HERE, YOU'LL SEE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VILLAINS, EACH WITH A DIFFERENT POINT VALUE ASSIGNED TO THEM! YOUR GOAL IS TO DEFEAT AS MANY AS YOU CAN IN A TEN MINUTE PERIOD! YOU CAN USE ANY SKILLS OR EQUIPMENT YOU BROUGHT WITH YOU, BUT JUST KNOW THAT PLAYING THE ANTI-HERO WILL RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION!"
"Excuse me, sir, but I have a question?" A tall boy with glasses interjected, his movements appearing unnaturally stiff and choppy.
"ALRIGHT, LISTENER REQUESTS ARE USUALLY SAVED FOR THE END, BUT LAY IT ON ME!"
"You said there were three types of Villains, yet this pamphlet we received contains four. If this is a mistake on official UA material, then it is a stain on the reputation of the finest Hero Academy in Japan. Furthermore," the boy added, turning around to point at Izuku, "you, with the messy hair and sunglasses. If you're just going to sit there mumbling, you might as well leave. This is a serious situation, and you are causing a distraction."
Izuku was about to respond to the other boy's challenge, when Present Mic interrupted them.
"THANKS FOR CALLING IN, EXAMINEE NUMBER 7111! YOU ARE CORRECT, THERE IS A FOURTH TYPE OF VILLAIN. IT'S MORE LIKE A TRAP THAN AN ENEMY THOUGH! SEE, THE REGULAR ONES ARE WORTH ONE, TWO AND THREE POINTS RESPECTIVELY, BUT THE TRAP VILLAIN IS A SCORE MULTIPLYER! SPECIFICALLY, TIMES ZERO! SOMETIMES, BEING A HERO MEANS KNOWING WHEN TO FIGHT AND WHEN TO HOLD BACK! WE WON'T STOP YOU FROM FIGHTING IT, BUT WINNING WILL HURT YOU JUST AS MUCH AS IT!
"I see, thank you for the clarification."
"NOW THEN, BACK ON TRACK ONE, YOU WILL HAVE TEN MINUTES TO GET AS MANY POINTS AS YOU CAN! ONCE THE BELL RINGS, IT'S GAME OVER! WE'LL TALLY UP THE POINTS, AND SEND YOU YOUR RESULTS NEXT WEEK! BEFORE YOU GO THOUGH, I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A TASTE OF OUR SCHOOL MOTTO! THE GREAT HERO NAPOLEON BONAPARTE ONCE SAID, 'TRUE HEROISM CONSISTS IN BEING SUPERIOR TO THE ILLS OF LIFE, IN WHATEVER SHAPE THEY MAY CHALLENGE US TO COMBAT!' OR, TO PUT IT IN SIMPLER TERMS, GO BEYOND!" He concluded, once again waiting for an applause that didn't come. Coughing lightly, he pushed a button on the podium, and the lift descended, leaving them alone in silence.
After a few seconds, the room slowly grew louder as everyone discussed what they were supposed to do now. Judging by the overly theatrical presentation they just sat through, Izuku guessed that it was some sort of pretest to see how they would react. Figuring that he should inform his new friend of his observation, he turned to look at Shinsō and stopped. The sleepy-eyed boy looked visibly upset about something, so he decided to check on him.
"What's the matter, Shinsō?"
"It just had to be robots. Why wouldn't it? People like me don't have a place in the Hero business. It's all about having a flashy Quirk that lets you show off how strong you are. I should just go home now and save myself the pain."
"Is that all?"
"What do you mean, 'Is that all?' Weren't you listening, this test is rigged against me. I can't brainwash something that doesn't have a brain, and I'm not particularly strong either. There's no way I can win."
"That's not necessarily true. What training group are you in?"
"What? How is that relevant to..."
"Just tell me what group you're in, and I'll explain."
"Alright, group B. So what?"
"So, I'm also in group B."
"Well congratulations, you have one less opponent to worry about."
"Do I really need to spell it out for you? Fine. I, Izuku Midoriya, am going to make it my mission to see that you, Hitoshi Shinsō, get in to the Hero Course, no matter what."
"But why? We just met fifteen minutes ago."
"Yeah, well, except for Kacchan, I've never really had any friends, and you seem nice. So I'm keeping you."
"Huh? You can't just..."
"Ahpupup, I already decided. We're friends now, and friends help each other. So let's go make you a Hero," Izuku declared, standing up and grabbing Shinso by the collar. As he dragged his new friend past Bakugō, indigo eyes met red, silently asking what was happening. Katsuki merely shrugged and stood up as well, joining them in creating a procession towards the exit.
Slowly, the other applicants realized what was going on, and they all filed out into the Courtyard. They separated into their assigned groups and got on the appropriately labelled bus. Izuku, Shinsō and the tall boy from earlier got on B; Katsuki, the nice girl and the bird-headed boy got on A. Once everyone was seated, the busses embarked towards their destinations.
Testing Ground B...
"And that's the plan. Any questions?" Izuku asked, as he and Shinsō exited the vehicle.
"Are you sure about this? Not helping me would get you more points, you know."
"True, but what kind of Hero thinks of his own glory before the needs of the people? A shitty one, that's who. Just because you can't punch things into submission doesn't mean you don't deserve to be a Hero. So, like I said, I'm going to make you one."
"Thanks, Midoriya. You're the first person who's ever believed in me like this. Even my parents were skeptical that I could succeed."
"That's what friends are for, to have faith in each other, no matter what. Now, prep time."
Izuku removed his sunglasses and put them in his bag. Leaving it in the waiting area, he blinked three times in rapid succession, as his eyes lit up in their usual way.
"Strength Enhancement: 10%."
Green lightning sparked across his body, and the glow of his eyes turned wilder, like flames.
"What?! You said your Quirk was 'Analysis', how did you do that?"
"I'll explain later. For now, just follow my lead and stick to the plan. See you on the other side."
Just then, Present Mic's voice rang out from all around them. "BEGIN!"
Without a moment of hesitation, Izuku disappeared in a flash. The rest of the examinees remained still, confusion on their faces. They were stirred from their hesitation by the PA system coming back online.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, THERE ARE NO COUNTDOWNS IN A REAL BATTLE! GO, GO, GO, GO!"
And thus, the UA Entrance Exam was underway.
Shinsō ran in and began looking for his new friend. It only took a few seconds to spot the green blur sparking in and out of the alleyways, and a few more for it to come to a stop next to him.
"Okay, the one pointers have poor balance, the two pointers have a bundle of exposed wires at the base of their tails and the three pointers have an access panel on their backs. I recommend using sneak attacks. Otherwise, see if you can help anyone out who might be having trouble."
"Got it. Thanks again."
"Don't worry about it, just go out and get some points. If you're overwhelmed or need my help for any reason, just call my name. I have excellent hearing and quick reflexes. Now, back to the exam."
And as quickly as he appeared, he was gone. A flash of green was all Shinsō saw as Izuku turned and ran back into the city.
"Show off," Shinsō muttered, deciding to go the other way around.
"I heard that!"
"Holy shit!"
"Language!"
"Oh, just go already!"
Receiving no response, he let out a defeated sigh and went to find a robot to try and beat.
Monitoring Room, a few minutes later...
A group of people sat in a dark room, observing the many screens on the wall in front of them.
"This year's crop has some real potential," a voice spoke up, cutting through the silence.
"Indeed," a second, higher voice replied, 'and they have so many different strategies as well. Some are gathering intel on their enemies," it said, pointing at a few different screens. On one, a boy with six arms stood on a rooftop, eyes and ears sprouting from his wrists instead of hands. Another showed a girl with headphone jacks for earlobes plugging them into the street, waiting to feel the vibrations of movement along the asphalt.
"Others are using brute force to rack up points quickly." The next screen had the tall boy from the Auditorium using his powerful legs to crush the robots with high velocity spin kicks. Bakugō was center stage on one, gleefully turning the faux villains into charred, sometimes lightly melted, scrapheaps.
"Sure, it's impressive, but what they do next is what matters," a third, tired voice chimed in, flipping open a glass cover guarding a red button. "Now the real test begins."
Back with Izuku...
"Sixty-four," he noted, after taking out a three pointer. "I thought this would be harder. I guess I really have improved since that first day on the beach, huh?" He stopped to rest for a moment, his mind drifting back to his first conscious use of 'One For All'.
Flashback, six and a half months ago...
After getting dressed, Katsuki had practically dragged him out of the house, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
They got to the beach and found Toshinori standing there, gazing out to sea. He turned as he heard them approach, a concerned look in his eyes.
"Young Midoriya, how are you feeling today?"
"A lot better, thanks for asking. Actually, I feel like I'm a whole new person."
"Oh, how so?"
"My senses are sharper, for one. I can see more colors, longer distances and crisper definition. My thoughts move faster, and I can hear the beating of other people's hearts."
"Yes, that's 'One For All' powering up your Quirk. You should find that all of your natural abilities have improved, but that's just a side effect. Young Bakugō told me you started calculating percentages and letting off sparks of green lightning last night. Do you remember why you did that?"
"I actually thought a lot about that on the train ride here. Kacchan told me what happened last night, and I managed to figure it out. When 'One For All' finally kicked in, it overclocked 'Analysis', temporarily interfering with my higher brain functions. Once we were here, and I looked at myself, the Quirks started to fuse. 'Analysis' ran a diagnostic on my body and came to the conclusion that I could handle about ten percent of 'One For All's' full power."
"What about now? Can you still feel it, or is it off?"
"It's off right now. It wasn't active when I woke up, and I didn't want to try using it again until you were around."
"Well, I'm here now, so let's see what you've got."
Nodding, Izuku concentrated, feeling the new energy flowing inside of him. He reached out to it, willing it to come to his aid. He heard the crackle of electricity and opened his eyes. He saw the lightning, but it felt different. A quick scan easily revealed the issue.
"It looks like I'm only at 5.26% now. My mind is preventing me from pushing it any further."
"Interesting. It shouldn't matter too much. As you grow and get stronger, you should be able to access more. But for now, let's see what you can do with the five percent you do have. Young Bakugō!"
During their conversation, Katsuki had gotten bored and wandered off to find something to hit. Hearing Mr. Yagi call for him, however, made him turn back to the two of them.
"It's time. Please come and spar with Young Midoriya."
His predatory smile returned, and he brought his fists together.
*BOOM*
End Flashback...
*BOOM*
Izuku was pulled back to the present by a huge explosion. Looking up, he went pale.
'So, that's the Trap Villain. Oh, that's not good. I can already imagine Kacchan's reaction. Right about now, he's probably thinking..."
Testing Ground A...
'I want to fight it!'
He'd been having a good time. He got to blow up some robots, fly around and generally use his Quirk with gleeful abandon. Then it had to show up. A giant robot, several stories tall, and he would be penalized if he attacked it. He had seventy-three points so far, if his math was correct, which it always was. There wasn't much time left on the exam, and even if he had more, he doubted there were enough enemies left to regain his score.
'It's not fair! If there was any justice in this world, I'd be allowed to beat the shit out of that thing! God, please give me a reason, any reason, to have to fight that thing!'
At that exact moment, as if in direct answer to his silent prayer, he heard a scream. Racing around the corner, he found his reason.
There, trapped under some rubble, was the round-faced girl from the Courtyard. If somebody didn't do something, she was going to get squashed like a bug by the large machine. Luckily for her, he was somebody, and he had something he wanted to try.
'Thanks God, you're a real bro! Now let's see how this new move works in combat.'
He brought his hands together in front of himself, and made an 'O' with his fingers. He took a deep breath, aimed and fired.
"AP Shot!"
A concentrated beam of explosive force shot from his hands, flying directly at the robot's head. It impacted with so much strength that it shattered all the nearby windows. When the dust finally settled, the top quarter of the robot was gone. Without a head, it had no more power and stopped in it's tracks.
Running to the base of it, Katsuki found the girl still pinned to the ground by a large slab of concrete. He reached down under the debris and slid his hands in, palms facing up.
"What's up, Round-Face? Can you move?"
"'Round-Face'? That's rude, I have a name you know. And no, obviously I can't, there's a giant chunk of building on top of me."
"Okay, one: I don't know your actual name, and B: I meant if I moved this crap!"
"Hmmph, well my name is..."
"We can deal with introductions once you're safe! All I need to know right now is, if I were to make this concrete go away, could you move, yes or no?"
"No," she replied sadly.
"Alright, looks like I have to do everything!"
With a light burst of energy, Katsuki launched the slab into the air. Quickly bending down, he grabbed her and pulled her out of the way. He picked her up bridal style, and started heading for the entrance. As he walked away, the slab landed back on the ground and crumbled into pieces.
"Now you can tell me your name, if you want," Katsuki said nonchalantly, not noticing the large blush on the girl's face.
"O-ochako. Ochako Uraraka."
Testing Ground B...
Izuku was not having as much fun as Katsuki did with the Trap Villain. It was slowly making it's way to the small town square in the middle of Ground B, toppling buildings as it went.
Doing some quick calculations, he came to the conclusion that if he didn't do something, several people were going to be injured before time was called. Looking around the area, he spotted Shinsō, ripping the panel off of a three pointer. He ran over to his friend, waiting to be noticed.
As Shinsō pulled the plug on the robot, he saw Midoriya standing there.
"What's going on?"
"I need your help with something. We need to evacuate the square."
"Sure, what do you want me to do?"
"Start by telling them to leave. Help anyone who can't move quickly, and brainwash anyone who refuses. Trust me, they'll thank you for it later."
"Okay. What about you?"
"I'm going to stop that thing."
Their assignments clear, the two of them split up; Shinsō heading to the plaza, and Izuku taking the alley.
It took Izuku five jumps to get to the roof, and three more to get to the building closest to the robot. Checking the square about a block away, he saw Shinsō directing the other students out of the area. He had one person draped over his shoulder, and four that were moving too perfectly in sync to be natural. Turning back to the Villain, he watched as it fired a small missile from it's chest. The projectile connected with a small office complex, raining glass and debris down on the fleeing children.
Planning his next move carefully, he ran to the edge of the roof. A quick jump later, he landed on the robot's outstretched arm, then continued on toward it's head. When he got to the neck, he found what he was looking for. Opening the small hatch, he slipped into the machine's core. Following the cramped corridor to it's end, he reached a control panel. Inputting a few simple lines of code, Izuku managed to trap the CPU in an infinite feedback loop, halting it's advance.
Back on the ground, Shinsō was slowly nearing his destination. The annoying French kid he was holding up delayed him a bit, but Midoriya told him to help people in need, so that's what he'd do. Reaching the gates, he gently set the kid on the ground before dropping to his knees. His breathing was heavy, and his body hurt everywhere, but he was happy nonetheless. Twenty-four points was decent, considering he had no combat experience before today. Suddenly, Izuku appeared next to him.
"Good job, Shinsō. You got everyone clear."
"Yeah, but you still lost all your points. How are you..."
"I told you I'd make you a Hero, no matter what. Besides, unlike what people like Endeavor might think, being a Hero isn't a numbers game. As long as I can help one person, that's good enough for me."
Before they could continue speaking, a loud horn rang out, signaling the end of the exam. Izuku was about to help Shinsō to his feet when a small woman stopped him.
Name: Chiyo Shūzenji
Age: 76
DOB: April 4, 2181
Height: 3' 9"
Weight: 61lbs
Blood Type: B
Quirk: Heal
"Let me help, dearie. Here, have some gummy candies," she said, putting the treats in Izuku's hands. She then proceeded to give Shinsō and the French kid a light kiss on their foreheads, before moving on to help the next group of students.
The two boys stood up, the pain they'd been in just moments ago completely gone. Then the blond one turned to look at Izuku and winked, literally sparkling as he did. Then he walked off towards the exit.
Name: Yūga Aoyama
Age: 15
DOB: May 30, 2242
Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 147.2lbs
Blood Type: O
Quirk: Navel Laser
"Well, he was... interesting," Izuku mused, as he and Shinsō went to get their bags.
"He's not the only one. Spill, what does your Quirk do exactly?"
So Izuku explained the basic principles of his Quirk, and some of the Special Moves he had come up with, as they got back on the bus.
"That still doesn't explain the Strength Enhancement though."
"I was getting to that. It's actually an idea I've been working on for almost two years now, but couldn't get to work until about six months ago. I'd filled half a dozen notebooks with formulas and equations, but none of them panned out. See, the human body is technically capable of greater strength than we normally use, but our brains put limiters on us so we don't hurt ourselves. I experimented with increasing my adrenaline output or overwriting the limiters with pure force of will, and I got nowhere. But then, I saw All Might in action."
"Wait, you've seen All Might? Like, in real life?"
"Yeah, I was actually one of the kids involved in the Sludge Villain Incident last year."
"That's so cool! But what does that have to do with your Quirk?"
"Right. Because I was there, I got to analyze his Quirk first-hand. And that's when it all clicked. It took a few more months of R&D, but it was worth it. I found this old Medical Journal that talked about muscle enhancing techniques among pre-Quirk bodybuilders. Most of it was irrelevant, but the line that stood out talked about how even in normal people, if every muscle in your body could pull in the same direction, you could theoretically lift two and a half tons. With that info and my understanding of All Might's power, I went to work. After that, it was simply a matter of plugging in the numbers and some mental conditioning."
"Enough with the math, just give me the short answer!"
"Sorry. Basically, I can move energy from one part of my body to another through my nervous system. Humans aren't a hundred percent efficient, so a lot of that energy is lost. But I can store it, manipulate it to strengthen myself."
"Okay. You said ten percent when you used it before the test started. What was that about?"
"Ten percent of my maximum potential is the most I can harness right now. Any more than that, and my body starts to take damage. At one hundred percent, for example, the recoil would be so bad that every bone in my arm would explode if I tried to punch something."
"That's ridiculous. You're like that old pre-Quirk Hero Superman, from the comic books. You just come up with new powers whenever you feel like it. What's next, are you going to channel energy into your lungs and use Ice Breath?"
"What?" Izuku asked incredulously, as they reached the main campus. "No. That doesn't work."
"So you tried it?"
"I mean, yeah. I know who Superman is. I ran the numbers, and there is almost no way I could ever pull that off."
"Almost?"
"It's a 0.0002% probability of success."
"Well, I'm done. I have other stuff to do today, so I guess I'll see you later."
"Alright, bye. See you in Hero Class!" He called out, as Shinso walked away. He waited for a few more seconds, then someone clapped him on the shoulder.
"Yo, nerd! Let's go home."
"Sure. So, how'd the exam go for you?"
The two brothers walked to the train station, discussing the day's events. While they left, a round-faced girl and a purple-haired boy stayed behind, marching determinedly towards the Main Office.
And that's it for this week's chapter. 4,875 words of story plus an additional thousand of ranting. I'm sorry if I upset anyone, but at the end of the day, this is my story, and I get to decide what happens in it. I do this primarily to improve my own writing abilities. I love that a lot of you enjoy it, but if not, that's fine too. You can't please all of the people all of the time. But enough about that, let's talk about the chapter. What did you guys think, did you like the changes I made? I'm moving some people around, switching things up. Shinsō is here, and he's gonna have a much bigger role to play than in canon. And what about Izuku's cover story for how he has super strength? It's partially based on real science, and partially on an ability I borrowed from another anime. Also made some Marvel and DC references for those keeping score at home. Please let me know how you like the story so far, and don't be afraid to point out any issues you may have. I might fix them, I might not. I know where I want this story to go, but sometimes the path to get there takes an unexpected turn. Next chapter we finally start the school year, and we meet the only OC I have planned for this story. I came up with her back in the early stages of planning, and she's just so much fun I had to keep her. See you all next week.