Chapter 11: Running in Blind
When Izuku returned to his apartment he found sleep impossible. All night he just lay in his bed, dreading the test to come. His mind was filled with a confusing mixture of Knuckledusters advice and his studies; repeating endlessly until he could hardly think straight. Sometime during the night, he must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew his mother was banging on his door, yelling at him to wake up or he'd be late.
'Izuku! It's almost eight! Wake up!' she yelled, slapping on his door.
With a yelp, he quickly showered and dressed. Grabbing his things, he had one foot out the door when his mom stopped him.
'Izu! Wait!' she cried.
Izuku whirled around, as he put on his backpack.
'What?' he said exasperatedly. He had a train to catch and he was running late already. However, what he saw caused him to freeze. His mother was smiling at him broadly, tears flowing down her face. In her hands she was holding a green and white bundle.
'I heard that for the practical exam you're encouraged to wear a costume. Here, I made it while you were busy studying.'
'G-Gee Mom…you didn't have to do this…'
Izuku took the bundle of cloth. Finding a sleeve, he rubbed the material in between his fingers. It was much better than anything he could make. Izuku felt his own tears start to form on his face. Before he could say anything though his mom jumped into his arms.
'I know you'll do great, Izu!'
Izuku nodded to her as he pulled back from her embrace. Regaining his composure, he carefully tucked the costume in his backpack. Waving goodbye over his shoulder, he ran down the hallway towards the stairwell as fast as he dared. After taking a few sprinting shortcuts through the side streets, he was barely able to make it to his train in time.
After the ride and a short walk later, he found himself standing before the giant emblazoned gates of UA. Staring up at the gold lettering, Izuku felt like his heart might beat out of his chest.
'This is it. Deep breaths, no pressure.' he muttered to himself.
Given the circumstances I studied as hard as I could. I'm probably just worried over nothing. I mean, how hard could a test for 14-year old's possibly be?
As he stood before the gatehouse savoring the moment, he suddenly heard a brash voice behind him.
'Take it all in now, Deku. This is the last time you'll be at UA.'
Izuku turned. Bakugo was striding towards him. Unsurprisingly, he didn't seem nervous at all.
'Hey, Kacchan. Are you ready for your tests?' Izuku said, falling in step beside him.
'Pfft! What kind of question is that? I've been ready for years now. How about you, did you bring a box of Kleenex so you can have a good cry after?'
'V-Very funny, Kacchan.' Izuku said, smiling slightly, 'You know, we probably won't see each other much after this. Even if I pass-'
'Good.' Bakugo said firmly.
The pair looked at each other. After a moment they turned their attention back to the path in front of them, walking together in silence before they had to separate. Bakugo going to the hero exam and Izuku to the support hero exam.
Even as nervous as he was, Izuku couldn't suppress his excitement as he entered the crowded examination hall. The room was filled with jittery teens his age who were standing before a raised stage in front of the hall, but behind them were rows of small tables, each with a neat stack of papers.
For the first time in as long as he could remember he was actually feeling intimidated by a test. Reaching behind him, he patted his backpack. He had triple checked before leaving for UA that he had all his school things but even so. Taking a deep breath, he started down the rows of tables to join the crowd.
Just relax. Just relax. I'll do fine, like always, I'll do fine. I'm sure the study pack I got was more than enough to prepare. I mean, why wouldn't it be?
As he pondered his question, he felt a lump slowly form in his throat. What if Principal Sasaina had played a prank on him and sent him the wrong material? Or had just screwed up and sent him the wrong stuff? It wasn't like the faculty at Aldera Jr. High cared if he succeeded.
He felt his heart rate increase and a bead of sweat rolled down his face. Swallowing, he cleared his throat and coughed.
No…no…there's no way. She wouldn't!
Forcing those thoughts away before he had a panic attack, he turned his attention to his fellow applicants to distract himself. He didn't recognize anyone, but he wasn't expecting to anyway. As was typical, the crowd was a diverse bunch of boys and girls with a wide range of differing morphologies. He wondered what quirks they had? Maybe all of this was for nothing and he would just get destroyed in the practical test anyway? In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't like he was anything special. It could very well be that his physical focused quirks would be completely useless here. After all, why would a support hero need super strength and speed? For the hero exam sure, but he still had no clue what the support exam even was. Now that he thought about it, he was more likely to fail than any of the other students here!
Sighing, he shook his head.
Try not to get too overconfident, Deku. Geez, grow a spine already. You'll be okay.
As he tried to calm down, a large person who had been blocking his view of the lectern shifted and Izuku couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
Standing at the front of the room was the famous support hero Power Loader and the disaster response hero Thirteen! To his delight both heroes were in their costumes. Power Loader was wearing his signature mechanized harness and Thirteen was wearing her mysterious, white astronaut suit. At the moment they were having a hushed conversation. Unable to resist, Izuku tilted his head and tried to pick up on what they were saying but he couldn't tune out the other student's chatter. He couldn't be disappointed though. He was just happy to be in the same room as the Power Loader and the Thirteen!
Both of them were renowned for saving countless lives both in the aftermath of terrible disasters and during the fiercest battles. Even though support heroes weren't as popular, everyone loved Thirteen and Power Loader. They were living legends.
While he gawked, Power Loader finished his private conversation with Thirteen and stepped over to the podium. Tapping the microphone with one of his digging claw tipped gauntlets, he gazed around the crowded stage before speaking.
'Everyone,' started Power Loader raising his giant metal hand for order, 'welcome to UA. This study hall is for those writing the support hero exam. Please find a seat at one of the tables before you and wait quietly. Once everyone has been seated, we can begin.'
The crowd began to break away as the pale faced students began moving towards the testing tables. As Izuku searched for a free seat, his eyes met those of frantic faced boy.
'Did-did he say that this is support exam?' the boy asked Izuku fearfully.
'Yes. Are you-'
'Ah!' the panicked boy yelled, causing Izuku to jump. Without another word, the boy went sprinting out the room, purple blobs flying haphazardly off his head as he ran causing the people around him to leap back in alarm. Izuku stared after the purple headed boy incredulously.
He must have gone to the wrong room. Talk about a nightmare come true!
Turning his attention back to the hall, he spotted a free seat beside a girl with pink dreadlocks. Quickly trotting over, he hastily sat down. The girl's yellow eyes flashed his way for a second before turning her attention back to playing with her pen. She ignored him as he unzipped his backpack and took out his things. As he was setting down his All Might pencil case, he heard the girl scoff.
'What is this, preschool?' he heard her mumble lowly.
He felt himself blush.
I've never written anything without my All Might pencil case. It's lucky!
Putting his backpack aside, he stared down at the stack of papers in front of him with tight lipped resignation. Months of studying had all led to this moment.
Clasping his hands together, he took a few more deep breaths. Once everyone had seated themselves, Power Loader started speaking again.
'At this point we will ask all students to not talk until after you have left the exam hall. You have until 12:00 o'clock to complete the examination.'
Izuku suddenly became aware of the girl humming next to him. He knew that song. He hated that song.
God damnit. That stupid jingle is going to be playing in my head for the entire exam isn't it?
'Once you have completed the exam please bring it to the front. I will announce when you may begin.'
Passing by their table, Thirteen handed him and the pink haired girl an exam booklet. Taking the packet, he couldn't help but notice how heavy it was. Letting it fall to his desk, it made an audible thud. Gulping, he glanced around the room. Everywhere he looked he saw worried faces. Well, except for the girl next to him. She looked like she was having a great time.
A tense silence fell over the room as everyone waited for the clock to strike nine.
'You may begin.'
With a shuddering breath, he flipped open his exam booklet. As he read the first question, a sense of calm came over him. Grabbing his pencil, he started to write.
Izuku walked out of the examination hall with a slight grin on his face. He didn't want to jinx himself, but he felt like he did well. Exiting into the crowded foyer, he heard the students around him all nervously chatting to each other. More than a few of them were taking the opportunity to complain.
'Question twenty was bullshit. How do they expect us to work through that and complete the rest of the exam?' moaned one student to nobody in particular.
'I couldn't understand the last question! I said the reaction was impossible. Is that correct? Did anyone else write that?' said one frantic looking girl to her friends.
'My only hope is the practical exam now. As long as I ace that, I bet you I have a shot!' said a large boy loudly. He sounded hopeful, but judging by his armpit stains he wasn't that confident.
Across the crowded room, Izuku spotted the girl with the pink hair and scowled. She had been extremely obnoxious throughout the entire test. Whether it was her humming, her drumming her fingers across the table, or her incessant leg swinging she had been driving him crazy. Thankfully she had been the first person to complete the test and he didn't have to endure her for too long.
I pity whichever class she ends up in. Thought Izuku bitterly. That stupid song was still playing on loop in his head.
'Well everyone that wasn't so bad was it?' said a strangely distorted voice.
Izuku turned. Thirteen was standing before the podium while Power Loader scooped up the exams in his metal arms.
'There will now be a short break before the next phase of the exam.' Thirteen continued, 'Everyone please meet back here at 1:30 for the practical test. If you have a costume, I suggest changing into it before the break ends. You may wear for your evaluation.'
As the crowded room started to mill about Izuku noticed his stomach grumbling. He was starving. Exiting the building, he found a nice quiet spot where he could eat his lunch and take in the scenery. Sitting down beneath a tree, he looked over the UA campus. To say that it was enormous would be an understatement. Scattered around the central offices were a series of domed stadium like structures that looked like they could house thousands. There was even a mock city scape in the distance. Despite being as far away as he was, he could hear the rhythmic thumping of heavy steel feet reverberating off the glass windows.
Looks like the Hero applicants got robots for their practical after all. Kacchan will be thrilled. He won't have to hold back.
After he was finished his lunch, he went to the washroom and changed into the costume his mother had made him. At first he was worried it might be too small, but It fit like a glove. Unlike his old Spider-Man costume, this one was actually quite comfortable. He didn't know what material she had used, but he could tell it was expensive.
Looks like I've got a lot to learn…Izuku thought wistfully as he examined his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Walking back to the exam hall, he saw that everyone else had changed into their costumes as well. Most of them were heavily mechanized with wires, servos, and gizmos galore being a common theme. Compared to their extravagant machinations, he looked downright plain in comparison.
I wonder where they got the gear? They must've made it themselves for the test. Hm. Thought Izuku as he studied the outfits on display, Well, whatever. All that metal would just slow me down anyway.
As he admired the tech, he saw that the pink haired girl was also quite nondescript with her costume. She was wearing the clothes she had on during the test, only she had changed her shoes out for a pair of heavy metal boots.
Those look like rocket boots. Where'd she get those? Did she build them…?
He was surprised. Even for pro heroes, rocket boots were virtually unheard of. As he considered the girl, Thirteen and Power Loader called for their attention.
'Is everyone ready? Good. We will now proceed to the practical examination course. If you would all please follow me…'
Izuku and the rest of the applicants followed Power Loader and Thirteen out the hall. Exiting the building, they began to walk along the tidy, red bricked pathway and towards the mysterious cluster of buildings separate from the main campus. Along the way, Izuku's mind buzzed as he considered what UA could possibly have in store for them. The internet had been no help as it seemed as though the test changed each year. One thing was for sure though. Whatever the test was, he had to be careful with his abilities. As far as UA was concerned, he was just a muscle-bound book worm and he couldn't risk blowing his cover even if it meant failing.
They continued on for a few minutes. After they had walked about a kilometer a large, squat, grey building came into view. Power Loader and Thirteen led them towards it. Nothing about its exterior gave any hint as to its purpose. Besides a single open archway allowing entrance, it had no windows or other openings whatsoever. From outside the archway, a series of corridors and passages which seemingly went off at random appeared to make up the interior.
Thirteen and Power Loader stopped just before the large, open entranceway. Turning, they faced the crowd.
'Well here we are. This is the special elimination maze we created to weed out some of you. Impressive isn't it?' Power Loader said fondly, sweeping his arms outward.
Everyone shared a look. They were all thinking the same thing.
Elimination Maze?
'The goal is simple: exit through the other side of the maze. If you cannot complete the maze within two hours of entering, then you will have failed.'
A tall, lanky boy raised his hand.
'Can we use our quirks?' asked the boy.
Thirteen's heavy helmet bobbed.
'Yes, though bear in mind that's not what we're testing. You see, we aren't gauging you on your quirks or destructive power, but to see how you behave in an unfamiliar situation. This maze is designed to challenge your problem-solving skills as well as your versatility. That is the hallmark of the hero support department.'
She paused to survey the crowd before continuing.
'I see that most of you have brought gadgets and tools to help you through the exam. That's fine. You can use whatever you have with you, but a word of advice; Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. If you come across an obstacle, think about how you'll proceed first. Two hours may seem like a lot, but I promise you, you'll need every moment.'
I wonder how much their gear will help them in there? Izuku wondered as he noticed his fellow applicants' uneasy glances.
'Now we'll be letting you in one at a time in one-minute intervals. If you encounter another student, just ignore them. I shouldn't have to say this, but you're not allowed to help each other or attack each other either.'
Thirteen inclined her helmet towards Power Loader and he grinned.
'We've had a few applicants who think they're in a battle royale. Can you believe it?' Thirteen said, chuckling, 'I shouldn't laugh, but hey. At least it was entertaining. Oh yes, I should mention that the Elimination Maze is filled with cameras and we'll be monitoring your progress. If you cannot continue, don't panic. You won't be stuck in there forever. Probably.'
The applicant's worried faces were reflected back at them in Thirteen's visor as she laughed again. Once she was finished, she brought her gloved hands together in a muffled clap.
'So! Do we have any volunteers for who wants to go first? You'll be at a small disadvantage because nobody will have cleared a path yet, but I might be so inclined to evaluate the first few entrants more positively…'
Thirteen trailed off teasingly and Izuku's eyes widened.
Given my condition, it's not enough that I do well. I need to impress whoever marks the exam!
Izuku shot his hand in the air.
'Me! I'll go first!' he said loudly.
'No! I'll go!' cried the pink hired girl.
Izuku and the girl looked at each other in surprise.
'Usually nobody volunteers. Huh.' Power Loader remarked to Thirteen before shrugging, 'Okay, I heard the young man's voice first. Come on over.'
The crowd looked at him appraisingly as he Izuku sidled his way forward through their ranks. Leaving the group, he walked with Power Loader to the threshold of the building. Peering in, he could tell from the deeper shades of grey that it was quite dark in there. Thankfully he had his night vision, but he would probably have to fake being blind.
'Are you ready?' Power Loader asked gently.
'Y-Yes.' Izuku said.
'Alright. Go!'
Izuku took off running. Sprinting inside, he felt his face harden.
Not too fast now, but I do need to leave an impression.
Dashing forward, Izuku scanned the walls around him. The passage he was in was a blank, featureless concrete that almost looked as though it was designed to be as nondescript as possible – which of course made it all the more suspicious. What surprises were there in store for him? Laser trip wires? Hidden blowguns? Whatever there was, he was ready.
Coming up on the first branching path in the maze he immediately turned right. Everybody knew the secret to solving a maze. Just follow the same wall and eventually you will emerge at the exit. Then again, if he knew it then doubtless the instructors knew it too. Maybe he had inadvertently chosen the hard way?
Keeping his pace up, he followed the twisting wall until he found himself confronted with a large pool of liquid that looked like water. Skidding to a halt, he studied the pool. It was around twenty metres long and ran the entire width of the hall. There was no way forward except over it or through it. Leaning down, he tested the liquid with his finger. From all appearances it was just regular water.
I don't sense any danger. I must just have to swim across.
After a half second of hesitation he prepared to lower himself into the pool. Just before he did though, he felt a weight in his pocket.
My smartphone!
Reaching into his trouser pocket, he pulled it out.
It's a good thing I remembered. Gee, I guess this is my only piece of gear. He frowned as he noticed the screen. It was still broken after he dropped it while catching that baby.
Sheesh, how many months ago was that? As soon as this test is over, I'm going to the mall and getting this stupid thing fixed.
Holding his phone above the water, he slung his feet into the pool. Not wanting to test fate, he swiftly swam to the other end. The entire length of his swim he was expecting some trap to activate, but nothing happened. Hopping out the other side with a splash, he examined himself for damage.
No piranhas or saw blades? Maybe this test is easier than I thought…
Turning, he continued on his way, shoes squelching with every step. As he ran, something crossed his mind. All of those people back there in their heavy mechanical suits - how many of them could cross water?
Could something so simple really beat some of them? I bet it might force a lot of them to take a separate path.
Eventually he came across another large room filled with pillars and low hanging obstacles. He could tell from the dark grey gloom that it was pitch black.
Okay, so I'm supposed to be blind? I should have brought a flashlight.
Swiping open his smartphone, he activated the anemic flashlight app. Slowing himself down to a believable speed, he hastily navigated through the room. Upon exiting, the lights returned and he turned his phone off.
Better save my batteries. There might be more dark rooms and it'll be a pain pretending to be blind.
Turning around a corner, he saw a long stretch of empty hallway. Maintaining his pace, he ran down the passage. Turning the corner, he saw another identical corridor, then another after that, then another.
I must have run almost a kilometer by now! Maybe I should start to act tired.
Finally, the long corridors ended and he came across two separate paths. Standing before the two passages, he slowed himself to a walk while he pretended to catch his breath. Choosing right again, he came across a deep pit. It was at least a five-meter fall. Gauging the distance to the other side, it was about a five-meter distance across as well.
What's more believable, that I can run up a five-meter wall or jump across a five-meter pit?
He rubbed his chin as he thought about what to do, painfully aware of the time he was wasting. Eventually he decided to try and jump the distance. Turning around he gave himself plenty of room for a running start before running and jumping across. His time navigating the slums had given him excellent control over his leaps and he was able to make it look like he just barely managed to clear the chasm. Rolling as he hit the ground, he continued forward without missing a beat.
Following the passage onward, he saw what appeared to be another intersection. Forward and to his left the passages continued, but on the right side wall there was a small hole in the wall which was just big enough for him to squeeze through. He checked the time on his phone. It had been twenty minutes since he had entered.
Kneeling down, he looked into the pitch black, narrow tunnel. It would be a tight fit.
A confined space test? No problem. Hell, if I had a dollar for every vent I had to crawl through to spy on some drug dealer…
Dropping down he started to snake crawl his way forward. The tunnel was gently angled in such a way that he couldn't see the exit, only the grey concrete of the tunnel in front of him. Despite his earlier confidence after a few minutes of inching his way forward he started to feel claustrophobic.
This is nothing, Deku. Just keep moving.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally saw a light ahead of him. Suppressing the urge to increase his speed, he continued on until he reached the tunnel's end. Clambering out, he pulled out his phone again and checked the time.
Ten minutes to crawl through that? Give me a break, I'd better hustle up!
Taking off again at a steady pace, he ran until he came to another intersection. Predictably there was another obstacle. Keeping right, he saw a closed steel doorway. Next to the heavy blast door was a number pad. Beside the pad there was a sequence of numbers on a separate screen.
The puzzle was as follows:
- - 15 - - 36 - - 54 - - 67 - - 112- -
- - 0.07 - - 0.125 - - ? - - 21.3 - - 9.62 - -
Izuku grinned. He loved these riddles. After a few minutes of puzzling he snapped his fingers. The cube of each sequence counting up to 5, subtracted from the number above, then divided by the difference gave the next number in the sequence!
Easy peasy! I hope there are more of these!
He dialed the number "one" into the keypad and selected confirm. Sure enough, the blast doors retracted and he ran through. As soon as he was past their threshold the doors clanged shut behind him.
As he ran, he thought about the test.
Even without my secret powers if I was in good enough shape, I could have beat this test. If I had actually trained as much as I told everyone I had...
It was a depressing thought. There had been a way open to him the whole time, he just didn't even consider it. Suddenly from up ahead he saw sunlight.
There's no point pouting because you won the lottery and got super powers. Feel insecure later!
Grinning, he resisted the urge to sprint as he came up on the exit. Running out the archway, he saw Thirteen waiting for him. Coming to a stop in front of her, he feigned exhaustion and panted.
'M-Made it!' he declared, wiping his mouth.
'Well done!' Thirteen said enthusiastically, 'First one in, first one out! That doesn't happen too often. I was watching your progress, and I must say, you're in great shape! I got a bit worried when I saw your only equipment was your phone, but hey! If it works, it works! Bravo!'
'Th-thanks!' Izuku said. He never would have dreamed he would ever receive such high praise from a hero, let alone a renowned hero like Thirteen.
'Well your results have been recorded. If you like you can stay here and wait for the other applicants or you can leave. Not everybody has entered the maze yet, so I can understand if you don't want to stay.'
He wiped some imaginary sweat from his brow and straightened himself.
'Actually, I was wondering if I could watch the hero exams. I have a friend who's trying out for the hero program and I'm curious to see how he's doing.'
'Ah. Sorry, you missed them. The last hero test should have concluded about half an hour ago.' Thirteen said.
'Oh.' he felt slightly disappointed, 'Well, I'll just go home then.'
'Okay, and congratulations on the excellent performance!'
'Thanks! Hopefully I'll see you later!'
At that he went back to the washroom and changed out of his costume. Though he wouldn't find out if he was accepted for another few days, he couldn't help but feel sure that he had passed.
Ochaco felt totally numb as she shuffled up the squeaky, old staircase of the cramped apartment building that she and her parents lived in. The UA exams had been as devastating as she had feared it would be. Worse if such a thing was even possible.
She thought back to the exam and groaned as a fresh wave of nausea washed over her. Even with all the secret practice she had been doing to train her quirk, she still felt as sick as a dog. A surge of bile worked its way up her throat and she quickly stopped walking. The hideous vomit coloured walls and smelly, discoloured carpet weren't doing her any favours. Wincing, she managed to swallow the bile back and resumed her way forward. Coming to a stop before her door, she reached for her keys. Before she could however, the door suddenly flung open revealing her mother.
'You're back!' she said breathlessly, 'How did it go? Did you overuse your quirk? Are you feeling well?'
Ochaco mumbled unintelligibly in response. Stumbling forward in a daze, she let her mother guide her to the shared kitchen/living room. Plopping down on the one sofa they had, Ochaco felt as though she could pass out right there and then.
'Are you sick? Talk to me sweetie, do you want a glass of water?'
Ochaco blinked. Looking up, she saw her mother's worried face. Mustering her strength, she tried to adopt a happy expression, though the best she could do was a strained, thin lipped smile.
'No. I'll be alright. Why are you home? I thought you had to work tonight.'
Both of her parents worked as construction workers and general contractors, but lately there had been a lull in jobs. Because of this, Ochaco's mother had found some part time work at a local diner as a waitress. It was hard work with low pay, but at least it was something.
'Oh, I called in sick. I couldn't let my daughter come home from her big test without a proper reception! So, don't leave me in suspense! How'd it go?' asked her mother eagerly.
Ochaco sighed. Where to begin?
'Well, the written test was absolutely horrible. I probably got the lowest score out of everyone there. I swear as soon as I walked out, I just knew I did half of everything wrong. And as for the practical exam, I really have no clue. We had to destroy as many robots as we could and I think I did okay, but I don't know. I sure looked stupid that's for sure. Flailing my arms around like a goon. I bet they think I'm deranged or something. Plus…I, uh, got a little bit sick after the exam was over.' Ochaco mumbled miserably, 'They'll probably dock marks for that too…'
'Oh, you're such a pessimist.' teased her mom, tussling her hair, 'I know you did great. Come on, tell me more about the test. How many other students were there? Did you….'
Ochaco did her best to answer all her mother's questions but the truth was she could barely remember anything that had happened. It was all like a blur to her. Not only was the test hard, but the other applicants had all been so strong. All she could do was hope and pray that she was accepted. Her parents deserved better than some shitty apartment beneath the Grey Towers; working two jobs just to make ends meet.
Somehow, someway she'd become a famous hero. And when she did her parents would never have to worry about money again.
A couple days later while the exam participants were all still worrying back home, Power Loader and Thirteen were cooped up in their shared office, busily reviewing the support department exams.
Power Loader sighed heavily as he tried to decipher one student's messy handwriting. As fun as it was to create the obstacle course, marking the exams was hell. He and Thirteen had been hard at work correcting for the last two days, and they weren't even close to being halfway done yet.
'We should really find a way to make the exam multiple choice. Or we should get paid overtime.' Power Loader grumbled as he drained the last of his coffee.
Thirteen mumbled in acknowledgment. She was slouched over her desk and twirling her red pen as she read. Power Loader recognized her posture.
'You got a good one?'
'Yeah.' she replied, not looking up from the paper, 'Not a single mistake yet.'
'Oh? How did this person do on the practical exam?'
'She did pretty good. She was the pink haired girl who came out the maze fourth, remember? The one with the rocket boots. Mei Hatsume.'
Power Loader scowled as he tried to focus and recall the girls face. Eventually he broke through his marking stupor and nodded.
'Ah yes, I remember. Pink hair, yellow eyes. A visual enhancement quirk, right? Hmm…well good for her.'
'Yeah. She's a pass for sure. So far that makes three, how about you?' Thirteen said as she stretched her arms behind her back.
'None. I swear, this happens every year. I always get all the bad ones.' Power Loader moaned before shooting Thirteen a sharp glance.
She had turned her helmet towards him and crooked her neck slightly. He couldn't see her face through her visor, but he was willing to bet anything she had a stupid grin on her face. Reluctantly, he went back to work. Putting his elbow on his desk, he rested his head in his hand as he considered the scrawling chicken scratch on the paper before him. Sighing, he tucked it into the bottom of the pile and grabbed a fresh exam.
'Let's see…Izuku Midoriya. You're up next.' he mumbled.
Power Loader started to read. After a few minutes he began to subconsciously twirl his pen.
Dr. Akatani was standing in his office, a tumbler of whisky in hand as he mutely concentrated on the massive map of the city he had pinned to his wall. The map had taken months to assemble and represented countless hours of detective and surveillance work. Covering the map was a series of red pins, circles, and dots connected by lines. Each marker represented a sighting or incident in which Spider-Man had been involved.
They had been so close to making a breakthrough. Another few weeks and they would have been able to pinpoint his egress and ingress points into the slums and then it would have been a simple matter of retrieval.
But about four months ago all sightings of Spider-Man had ceased. Why that could be was anybody's guess. It was possible that Spider-Man had gotten cold feet. Between the public alerts and the increased police presence he could have come to the conclusion that his moonlighting as a crime fighter wasn't worth throwing his life away in prison and he simply went back to his normal life. Or he could have retired for different reasons. Vigilante work took a toll on the mind and body after all and his last confirmed sighting had been at the now infamous underground brothel which was currently dominating political discourse in Musutafu - what a dog fight that was! - and it would not be unreasonable to assume that after witnessing the worst that the city had to offer the thrill of vigilantism just wasn't there anymore.
There was also a strong possibility that he was killed in action. The police had received several tips that Spider-Man had rushed off to confront a gang leader somewhere in the slums and had never returned. This was the worst-case scenario. If they could only recover a body, then depending on the state of decomposition, it might not even be worth the effort to perform an autopsy.
All this work and all he had were more questions. Had he been killed? Did he give up? Or was he in a different city, with a new costume and a new identity?
He took a sip of his drink. He had been through this map countless times. If there was some pattern here, he would have surely found it by now. But still, he couldn't just give up.
'Where are you Spider-Man?' he whispered to himself.
Principal Nezu sat alone in his office in the UA administration centre, merrily munching away at a salty biscuit while he considered the student portfolio in front of him. The student's name was Izuku Midoriya from Aldera Junior High and he was one of the many applicants for the Hero Support Department. Given his performance during the testing, his inclusion into the program should have been a none issue – he had managed to achieve an impressive score on both the written and practical exams – but this was a special case.
According to his paperwork, Mr. Midoriya was quirkless. There had never been a quirkless individual in either of the hero programs at UA before. Nezu had nothing against quirkless people, in fact he found the prospect of having a quirkless hero an excellent opportunity to demonstrate tolerance. The quirkless had a very difficult life in modern society and a quirkless hero could serve to inspire the disenfranchised.
Still, this wasn't a decision to be made lightly. Even though Mr. Midoriya had passed his examinations and was qualified to attend school as he was now, that did not mean that he would be able to continue to keep up with his classmates. The practical exams were designed to determine potential. It was understood that after being accepted into UA, the students would develop their potential through an extensive training regime, namely by improving their quirks and that was something Mr. Midoriya could never do.
According to his junior high school principal, Mr. Midoriya had been training for years. But the human body had definitive limits and principal Nezu doubted that he could become much faster or stronger than he was now relative to his classmates. Still, the discipline required to reach his level of fitness coupled with his intelligence was remarkable.
Nezu took a sip of tea. His mind was made up. UA would have it's first quirkless student. There were many heroes who had objectively weak quirks and yet they were extremely useful under the right circumstances. Surely someone like Izuku Midoriya, with his discipline and talent, could be of use to society.
Nezu remembered when he received a request for information from Aldera three months ago. He had indulged the request mostly out of his own curiosity to see what would come of it. He never would have imagined that there was a student intellectually strong enough to review the material in that short a time and score so highly on the exam.
Signing his approval, Nezu stretched himself out contentedly on his chair. Taking another sip of tea, he pictured what the other staff would make of his decision. He remembered when he had first tried to become a hero there had been an outcry as well. Nezu was a chimera of sorts bearing the traits of several animals including a dog's paws, a bear's face, and the body of a mink. Physically he was unimpressive, a normal adult could overpower him easily, however he possessed a keen intellect and while he couldn't fight the same way someone like All Might could, he had the capability to out maneuver his enemies with strategy and a cunning that few could match. If he could be a licenced hero, why couldn't Midoriya?