Chapter six: A symbol of hope
"The first incident was in Ching-ching city, an extraordinary child was born who radiated light after that reports of people with superpowers popped up across the globe, no one knew what was causing these quirks; before long the supernatural became the totally normal, dreams a reality. The word became a superhuman society with about 80% of the population possessing some uncanny ability, our streets look like scenes from comic books a city swilled with chaos and confusion a new profession dominated our collective consciousness; it was an age of heroes!"
The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon when I saw the Number one hero again. It has just been a few days since my return from the U.S, but he had been eager to meet up, both to see and test out how my training had progressed.
It also meant I now had to tell him about the kryptonite, especially since I had chosen to give him the one piece I had brought home with me. He just seemed the best choice all around, and I trusted him with my life, but that didn't magically calm my nerves, just the thought of what had happen still gave me nightmares, retelling it wouldn't be easy.
He must have seen something was wrong the moment he laid eyes on me, my posture rigid, fingers tightly clutching a small lead box.
He was in his smaller form, a scarf around his neck against the early morning chill, his body drowning in an oversize jacket, which just served to make him look all the sicklier. Not that made him any less imposing, anybody who knew him would still see the number one hero, and my nerves still managed to get the best of me as I tried to stutter out the story, what had happened, and most importantly, what was in the box.
He remained quiet as I talked, yet his eyes never left mine, his brow slowly creasing, leaving him with a deep frown by the time I was finally done.
"So…you do have a weakness", he seemed to be talking more to himself than me, some of his usual strength deflating from his shoulders, "A radioactive meteor of all things".
His eyes found mine again, and he must have seen my fears showing through them because in a flash he was upright again, the worry torn away from his features by sheer force of will.
"This, what you are asking from me, is not a small thing", he told, me dead serious, "To keep some of that material, the one thing that can hurt you…You trust me to use it if the need arises, to kill you if that's what it takes".
I nodded firmly. "I know it's a lot to ask for, Sir, but…I trust you, with my life, and that of millions". Leaning against the rusted railing, I looked at the rising sun. "All my life I have lived in fear of hurting people, now that I'm going to become a hero, that danger becomes even greater. I don't ever want to hurt anybody, be it by accident or intentionally. It would reassure me that somebody close by has the means to stop me".
Forcefully tearing my eyes away from the drifting clouds, I turned to look back at his taller form. Even hidden by shadows I could see the conflict behind his eyes; heard his muscles tensing as he turned away from me, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles on his jacket.
I was practically vibrating with barely contained anxiety by the time he spoke again, "Very well, young Midoriya, I promise not to abuse the trust you have placed upon me".
I left out a shuddering breath, both filled with dread and relief, "Thank you, All might Sir, thank you so much".
He nodded, a worried yet firmly determined expression on his face as he took the box from my hands.
"You can open it", I ventured shakily as he stared at the unimpressive-looking box with a mixture of distaste and reverance.
He practically jumped, "No, no that won't be necessary young Midoriya", he tried to assure me but I insisted.
"It's all right… just, make it quick". In truth, I was practically shaking, afraid he would take me up on that offer, but I wanted him to trust me, to know that there was something inside that little box and that it worked.
He looked reluctant, yet, but hadn't outright refused, which stung somewhat, but I could understand, he was a hero after all, his job was protecting people, even from those he was close too.
"Are you sure?", he asked me again, even as his long fingers unclasped the simple lock. His eyes taking in our surroundings to make sure we weren't being watched.
I shrugged, hiding the increasing panic at being exposed to Kryptonite "Yes, go ahead".
The words had barely left my mouth before he had opened the box in one swift motion, seeming to just want to get it over with.
The effect hit me even before he had fully exposed the kryptonite. And I found myself blindly reaching out for something to hold on to, trying not to cry out as searing agony twisted my insides, a bone-deep throb making it hard to remain upright. With a strangled groan, I doubled over, clutching at my abdomen with my free hand as my vision blurred, debilitating nausea making me tightly close my eyes as I tried to not lose my breakfast.
Trough the haze of pain, I could see the familiar, sickening green glow coming from the open box. The fact that it only shone when I was close seemed to be fate's cruelties mockery. The few pieces I had left of my planet were the one thing that could kill me.
Looking close to throwing up himself, All Might silently watched as the glowing stone sapped the strength out of me, forcing me to my knees, all the while resisting the urge to scream at him to close the damn thing already.
Finally, he seemed to have had enough, and in one swift motion, the box snapped close, disappearing into one of his many pokets.
"You look pale", he commented softly, helping me to my feet, "Are you alright?".
Taking a few shaky breaths, I slowly composed myself, trying to avoid his apologetic gaze as I dusted off my pants, "Yeah, I'm fine now", I did my best to assure him. "The effects are only temporary".
He nodded to himself, "Good to know".
Though I had seen it so many times before, it was still surreal to watch as he suddenly change before my eyes, "Now-", he began, some cheerfulness returning to his voice as his muscles grew, transforming him into his well-known form, "What do you say we go and test out just how much you've really improved?".
For a second, I wasn't sure if I had heard him right. Before, when we had just met, we hadn't quite dared spar, unsure of my capability to control my abilities and unwilling to test just how durable the all-star hero was.
Now, finally, he seemed to deem me ready to actually train with him, and I found myself having to contain my excitement
"Really?"
He made an over dramatic version of a stretched, "Why of course! I'm eager to see just what you are capable of!". Turning around, he pointed to a distant mountain of junk, piled high over the years as people made it their own personal dumping ground.
"That looks like the perfect place to start with your training", he said smirking "So follow me if you can!".
And just like that he was gone in a gust of wind and I wasn't far behind.
For the next few days, and up until the very morning of the exam, All Might and I meet up to train.
With my powers being a lot less volatile now, he began to teach me how to use my strength, speed, and durability more efficiently while minimizing structural damages. He probably was one of the few people on the planet who could actually give me some pointers on the subject.
It may not have been long, but within the week I could tell I had improved, and since All Might was now a teacher in U. A, I would be able to keep on learning from him.
The morning of the exam we met at our usual stop overlooking the beach, though that day in particular we weren't there to train. What had once been covered with piles of trash was now spotless.
The junk had served its purpose, as All Might relentlessly drilled me on controlling my strength, of being carefully as I super speeded my way around labyrinths of my own making without touching or even so much as disturbing any of the carefully piled junk. Throwing stuffed around without out shattering it into a million pieces. Punching and lifting and so much.
On the last day All Might tasked me with cleaning the beach as fast as possible without denting or breaking anything, his tall frame never leaving my side as I completed his one last task. By the end of it all he had patted me on the back, repeatably assuring me that I was ready, a soft smile on his otherwise hard face, his eyes looking far away almost sadly. I wish I could have known what he was thinking then, why his mind seemed to had wondered off.
Now, on the actual morning of the exam it all seemed surreal, the fact that I was being send off by my favorite hero only added another lager or seeming impossibility to the situation. The one thing I had hoped for since I could remember was finally coming true.
All Might was the first to break the silence, gently clearing his throat to get my attention, "Do you remember how my quirk works young Midoriya? How it has been passed down for generations?".
I nodded absentmindedly, peeling my eyes from the scenery as I turned to face him fully. I remember, yes, something like that was hard to forget, to think that All Might hadn't even been born with a quirk yet had still managed to become one of the greatest heroes just prove why he was the number one.
"If you were human, I would pass it down to you without a second thought", he continued, "You have a kind heart, strong will, and fiery determination to protect others, I couldn't ask for more in a successor".
He placed one huge hand on my shoulder and I straightened up further, "But, my quirk isn't all I have to offer, I have succeeded in becoming a symbol, and that is the legacy I want you to carry", his face was hard but his eyes convey something close to fondness, "Become a symbol Midoriya, one that will bring hope into the hearts of all who see you".
I swallowed a lump forming in my throat, finding myself both moved and embarrassed by his praise, "Thank you, All Might sir, I promise not to disappoint you".
He laughed, ruffling my hair, "I'm sure you will not but-" and now he pointed as his watch, "-I do believe it's time for you to get going, if you don't want to be late that is".
It appeared that he had already caught on to my lesser-known power of being chronically late to everything.
Turning back to look at the general direction of U.A I gave him a quick nod, feeling nervous but mostly excited if anything was worth getting there early for, this was it.
U.A, somehow, managed to be even more impressive in person, the share size of the facilities giving me a pause as I walked up to the entrance.
As was to be expected, the school grounds were littered with students my age, all congregating here for the shared purpose of participating in the entrance exam. A mixture of emotions stirred in the air, nervousness plastered on most faces... with a few notable exceptions.
"Stupid Deku". I sighed tiredly, instantly recognizing the voice.
"Good morning to you too Kachan", I retorted drily, turning around to face the blond boy as he came to stand less than a foot away, glaring up at me.
"I thought you didn't what to be a hero", he snarled.
"I changed my mind".
A few people had begun to take notice of our little confrontation and I tapped my leg impatiently, avoiding the lingering gazes of passer byers.
Somehow, he managed to make his glare more severe and for a second I was sure he was going to attack me as usual. Instead, after a tense silence, he simply shook his head, "Whatever, get out my way before I set you on fire".
Well, that was a lot less violent than I anticipated, on the downside, however, I quickly realized that some people had noticed us, muted conversations arising as we were recognized.
"Isn't that the guy that single-handedly defeated the Sludge villain?".
"Are you sure, I thought-".
"His name is Izuku Midoriya-"
"Guy is the real deal-".
"What about the other kid? Katsuki Bakugou, I think? He's the one who managed to withstand being trapped by the same villain!".
"You are right! It's him, no way, both of them are taking the entrance exam?".
Tightening the hold on my backpack, I did my best to ignore the all-too-loud whispers. I hadn't expected to be recognized so fast, or by so many people, even if the photo that had been taken of me had become somewhat viral, I had figured the public would forget about me in a few days like any old news story.
Pretending to not notice the barely conceal staring, I accelerated my step as I made my way towards the main building, walking just a few meters behind Bakugo.
Too engrossed in my own thoughts and trying to get inside as quickly as possible, I managed to bump into somebody, their small cry of surprise snapping me back to reality.
Instantly I reached out to catch her but she didn't give me the chanceas I found she had managed to stop her fall by gently gloating in midair.
"I'm so sorry", I stammered out, I really should learn to be more careful, "I really didn't see you there…Are you alright?".
She scratched her head sheepishly, "I'm perfectly fine" she assured me with a small awkward smile as she landed back on her feet, seeming to be more amused than anything, "Don't worry about it".
Suddenly forgetting how to properly carry out a conversation I gave her a small nod, noticing just how pretty she was, heart-shaped face framed by brown hair, big expressive eyes staring up at me curiously.
Seeing as how I had forgotten how to speak, she ventured on, "Well…guess I'll see you around", she called, giving me another small smile as she walked away and towards the increasingly crowded entry, leaving me to stare after her like an idiot.
Smooth, real smooth, I told myself as I followed her, allowing the flowing mass of students to pull me into U.A's interior and hopefully our futures.
As more and more students began to fill the large auditorium room, my choices of seats were swiftly reduced, and somehow, I ended up beside Kacchan, whose red eyes flashed in anger as I sat beside him.
"Are you serious?". He asked way too loudly.
"There are almost no seats left", I hissed back, not finding myself too happy with the arrangement either.
"The floor is always an option", he muttered obnoxiously just as the light above the stage came to life and a thunderous voice resonated throughout the overly crowded room.
I cringed, covering my ears in annoyance as I recognized the owner of said voice, the pro hero most well-known for his radio show, Present Mic. Though I admired his work; I wasn't the biggest fan of his quirk, for obvious reasons.
"You are an embarrassment", Kachan muttered as I slowly took my hands off my ears, adjusting to the noise so it didn't feel like an entire herd of horses was trampling my skull.
"Shut up".
"Come on let me hear ya!", Presen Mic, again, shouted to the crowds.
Not a single soul answered, and I could quite distinctly hear peoples' blood pressures rising.
Acting like that hadn't just happened he went on, "Anyway, skipping right to the main show, let's talk about how the practical exams are going to go down… ARE YOU READY?".
I rubbed my temples, wondering whether he honestly needed to be that loud, I was pretty sure half the city could hear him.
"Now, boys and girls, get ready to rock and roll! As it said in the application requirement, all of you will be conducting ten-minute mock urban battles, bring whatever you want with you".
Behind him, the screen displayed a very simple map with a green box that read, "You are here", connected to smaller color boxes marked A-G.
"After you are done hearing the instruction you will head to your specific battle center, okay?".
Again, no response, even when he repeated the question in a futile attempt to make us speak up.
Ignoring him, Kacchan's attention was, instead, focused on the small slip of paper that marked each student examination center, "So… they won't let us work with our friends".
"It appears so", I said, eyeing my own ticket. "Even though our examinee numbers are consecutive, we are assigned to different areas".
"Damn…", he said, sounding disappointed, "Now I can't crush you".
Because of course that had been his first thought, I thought, as I looked at him flatly, honestly, what else had I expected?
"There are three different types of faux villains in each battle center", Present Mic went on, "You earn points for each of them based on their level of difficulty, your goal, dear listener, is to use your quirks to earn points by immobilizing the faux villains".
He pointed towards the crowd, "Of course, attacking other examinees and any other unheroic actions are prohibited!".
I side-eyed Kacchan making him scoff.
"I have a question!". A boy a few rows ahead of us said, jumping to his feet with his hand held high. Like somehow just speaking up would have failed to get him noticed in the deadly quiet room.
Not waiting to be granted permission to speak, he pointed at the informative sheet that had been passed around. "On the printout, there are four types of Villains".
"If that is a misprint, then U.A, the most prominent school in Japan should be ashamed of that foolish mistake!".
Putting his hand over his heart he continued, "We, examinees, are here in this place because we wish to be molded into exemplary heroes". He turned around, now pointing at me, the light reflecting off his square glasses, "In addition, you over there".
I pointed at myself with a frown, confused as he glared at me.
"Don't think that just because you were all over the news you will get in easy", he said solemnly, "If you are here only so chase after fame better you leave immediately. If you wish to stay, I suggest you wipe that arrogant expression off your face".
I swallowed nervously; did I have an arrogant face? Did I do something to offend him somehow? I was certain I've never seen him in my life thought, and I had a pretty good memory.
Struggling to keep my face neutral I said, "I'm not here because I want to be a celebrity, I'm here because I want to be a hero".
Before he could say anything else, Present Mic rushed to intervene.
"Okey, okay, examinee number 7111", he said, making a calm down gesture and wisely choosing to ignore our little exchange "Thanks for the great question!".
He pointed to the villain's silhouette on the screen, "The fourth type of villain is worth zero points, that guy's an obstacle, so to speak. There's one in every battle center, an obstacle that will go crazy in narrow spaces, it's not impossible to defeat, but there no reason to defeat it, either so I recommend that you try to avoid it".
Seeming satisfied with the explanation, and not even a bit embarrassed by his previous accusation against the school, the boy, Glasses, as I had already mentally nicknamed him, bowed down, "Thank you very much", he said, "Please excuse the interruption".
"Well, that's all from me", the hero said, "Finally, I'll give to you, listeners, a present, our school motto! The hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said: A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes."
He gave us a huge grin then, and then, for the first time, some students actually joined in as he shouted: "Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!"
Seeing the battlegrounds up close was a shock, even if All Might had already described them to me, nothing had quite prepared me for their sheer size and the level of detail that had gone into them.
At least I wasn't the only one gawking.
"What is this?" Somebody whispered.
"The school had several of this, no way-". Another voice, further back added.
"U.A is amazing!".
Doing my best to stay out of sight I took to standing in the back, silently surveying those who I would be taking the exam with, mentally going over my lessons with All Might.
My original plan of action had been simple, I just had to earn enough points to pass while calling the least amount of attention to myself as possible. All Might, apparently had other plans, over the last week he had instructed me to do the exact oposite, take out as many robots as possible while still leaving just barely enough for others to pass.
At first, I had been confused and later irritated, unable to come up with a single good explanation as to why he would want me to do something like that, it just seemed unnecessary.
The first few times I voiced my concerns I could see him dancing around the question, but in the end, and after no small amount of nagging on my part, he finally gave in. "Some people...are still reluctant to let you in the program." He told me with brutal honesty. "We need to prove to them that you are more of a danger out there, where you could possibly become a villain, than on the side of the heroes".
It made sense, even if it was in a twisted sort of way. Though it stung, I had known not everybody would be so open to allowing me in. All I could hope for was for his strategy to work, and not turn the heroes against me.
Trying to distract myself, I looked around the small crowd awaiting to take the exam, noticing a face I recognized as the girl I had talked to before. I hadn't had a chance to introduce myself then…maybe I could do it now.
I hadn't so much as taken one step in her direction when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I whipped around, instantly irritated to find Glasses kid staring up at me.
"Can I help you?", I asked tiredly.
"That girl appears to be trying to focus", he said, "What are you doing here? Are you taking the entrance exam to interfere with everyone else?".
Seriously, what did I do to offend this kid?
"Do you have a problem with me?", I finally asked, hiding my annoyance behind a flat tone as I looked down at him, he wasn't short but I was still taller.
The entire confrontation was beginning to be noticed and I groaned internally. Because of Glasses, my attempts at going unnoticed were once again ruined.
"Wait... is that the kid from T.V?".
"No way! He is actually here, I didn't believe-".
"Don't tell me we have to compete against this guy-".
Oblivious to the comments around us, Glasses just keep on glaring up at me like he was trying to figure out where to start with listing all my misgivings but Present Mic, once again, didn't give him the chance.
"Okay, START!". he shouted from somewhere above, startling more than a few unsuspecting students.
"What's wrong?", he asked innocently, "There are no countdowns in real fights!".
That did it, in an instant I was forgotten as all the examinees took off running in a mad frenzy for the doors.
Resisting the impulse to follow them, I forced myself to remain rooted in place. Patience, I reminded myself, absentmindedly wondering if jumping over the walls was allowed or if that would be pushing it too much.
The moment I deemed it safe I ran after them, carefully picking my way through their static forms until I was in front of the pack and face to face with a highway packed tight with villains.
So many points, it seemed almost excessive. I saw everything in slow motion, the many kids behind me pushing and shoving to get in first, fighting to prove they had what it took to be heroes and I was just about to rip that away from them.
There are still more villains, plenty for everybody, I halfheartedly told myself, this wouldn't be their only chance to pass.
But what if it is? Another small voice countered, what if they failed to get enough points all because I destroyed every robot in the vicinity?
"Put on a show", All Might worlds resonated within me and I tightened my fist, I had to pass this exam, I had to be allowed into U.A because I wasn't sure there was a future outside these walls for me, not after my secret was out, not after people saw what I was capable of...
I don't think many of the examinees fully realize what happened, how one second the robots were just within reach of their eager hands, and the next nothing but smoking pieces.
I didn't slow down, even after I was done, I didn't stick around to admire my handy work, or to see the reaction of the many kids behind me. I would do my part, and make a show out of myself, but it didn't mean I had to enjoy it.
Choosing the farthest possible cluster of robots I accelerated, hoping to outrun the gasps, the others' indignation, the way their previous admiration quickly turned to fear as they whispered my name.
All Might slowly shifted in his seat, a mixture of excitement and worry making him unusually fidgety as he struggled to pay attention to whatever principal Nezu was saying. Whether or not Midoriya should be allowed in had led to more than a few heated arguments among the teaching staff, and the room was heavy with an atmosphere of general discontent.
"-In this practice exam, the examinees have not been informed of the number of villains or their locations", Nezu, the school principal, was explaining. "They are put in a vast and complicated urban terrain, tasked with finding and taking down the various villains, all in a limited amount of time. To be capable of accomplishing this, the examinees must possess a very particular set of skills".
Moving around excitedly, in a way only a mouse can, he pointed to a screen showcasing a white-haired boy with multiple arms, all connected by a skin membrane.
"Firstly", the talking mouse said, "Information gathering, an ability to understand the situation before anyone else".
He jumped across the desk, focusing on another screen in which a boy with glasses ran through the testing area showcasing remarkable speed and agility.
"Mobility, which can be used in many different circumstances".
The image change just in time to show a blond boy destroying a villain using a laser beam coming from his abdomen, remaining abnormally composed despite the chaos around him
"Oh, and look at that! an excellent example of discernment, the ability to be able to stay calm in any situation".
Nodding to himself, he drew the room's attention to yet another of the many screens where a blonde boy, with a wild look on his red eyes, stood among the pieces of the many robot villains he had defeated.
"And of course, we can't forget pure combat ability", he concluded sounding proud of his little speech, "These are the basic abilities needed to keep the peace on the streets. In our exam we turned them into points".
There were a few annoying huffs from the tightly packed group of heroes, most of them quickly catching on to what U. A's Principal was attempting to do.
In not so many words, he was voicing what everybody in the room was currently thinking, whether reluctantly or not. Despite him having focused on different students to make his point, his eyes had never fully wandered far from the screens displaying footage from testing area B.
The tension only grew and All Might tapped his foot down impatiently, his eyes darting from the changing screens, to his colleagues, and back to Nezu's thoughtful face.
A rarity himself, principal Nezu was one of the few selected individuals who knew Izuku's secret, and thus, had been made private to the full extent of his abilities, All Might also knew, however, that watching Midoriya in action for the first time could prove overwhelming, terrifying even.
So far, the principal was taking it remarkably well, now it fell upon him to sway the rest of the staff in Midoriya's favor, and it appeared like he wasn't wasting any time.
With his previous speech, Nezu had efficiently made it clear to everybody that Midoriya was everything they looked for in future students. Alone, he could accomplish what would normally require a team of heroes with various talents. Subtly, he was painting Midoriya as less than a possible city-leveling disaster, and more like the brilliant hero he could become.
"Doesn't this year's group look promising?", Midnight asked nobody in particular, though her eyes never strayed far from the screen showing Midoriya; neither could most of the heroes, their expression ranging from amazement to barely concealed fear.
"How many points does he have now?", Somebody in the back asked, as yet another street of villains was destroyed in what seemed like the blink of an eye. The boy in question pausing only to tilt his head slightly before zooming off down a nearby alley, arriving just in time to save a girl from what would have been a serious fall.
They had already become familiar with this pattern, again and again, he disappeared and reappeared in different camera feeds, running across the city like it wasn't kilometers wide.
"He must be getting close to a thousand", somebody closer to the front answered.
"It's probably more", A third person added, "It's hard to keep up when he is barely more than a blur!".
Present Mic elbowed him then, "He beat your record All might", he teased, "By a lot!".
The bigger hero's smile only grew wider, very much the picture of a proud father, "I'll try to not get jealous" he answered good naturally, producing a few nervous chuckles from the heroes around.
Of course, somebody had to jump in and spoil the moment.
"Good thing we actually listen to All might and put ten times the usual robots in that testing area, otherwise, at the rate he's going, there wouldn't have been anything left for the other examines".
The bored and more than a tad irritated voice belonged to none other than the elusive hero Eraser Head, a pro who was rarely in the spotlight, prefering to work from the shadows.
It was evident he belonged to the group that wasn't too fond of the new kid and even less of the idea of allowing him into U.A. The only thing keeping him, and frankly all the others, from openly voicing their discontent and concerns was All might's strategy.
So far, Midoriya was doing such a fantastic job of proving how dangerous he was, even the number one Hero found himself somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of a teenager possessing such devastatingly destructive power.
Good thing the kid had been raised to be a gentle person, that the only thing he wished to do with his power was to save and protect others, because he wasn't sure that, even in his prime, he could have taken him down if he had turned out to be on the side of evil.
He sighed, the smile threatening to melt from his face. It was working all right, he thought bitterly, yet, considering the current atmosphere of the room, he couldn't help but worry about the attitude that the heroes would have when it came time to deal with Midoriya as a student.
He would try and smooth everything out as much as possible for the kid but it wasn't going to be easy, getting into U.A was only the beginning.
"Well…lest not get too ahead of ourselves", another hero called from his perch near the control panels, eager to provide some sort of diversion from the brewing discord in the room "The real test is just about to begin!".
Tenya Lida came from a family of heroes, all of which had proven themselves to be remarkable in the field. The heavy burden of such a legacy wasn't easy to uphold but Iida thought of it as an honor. That's why he had been so determined to not only get into U.A, but to stand out, he had to show just why his family was so exceptional.
Of course, his hopes were shattered not even one minute into the exam as somebody had already destroyed enough villains for all the others in the arena to pass, moving so fast nobody, not even him, realized what had happened.
Then the rumored whispers began, all wondering who could have done such a thing. For most, all it took was one good look around at the small confused crowd to realize one notable member was missing, Midoriya Izuku, because of course it had been him.
In the blink of an eye, Lida had lost his chance to stand out, all of them had, whatever they did would be but an afterthought in comparison, and the pattern only repeated itself all throughout the city as the exam progressed.
At first, he had thought Midoriya had some form of teletransportation quirk, using it to destroy the villains by appearing inside of them. This assumption, however, was quickly discredited as Lida realized he could feel the displaced air threatening to tear his clothing every time Midoriya passed close by, the distant sonic booms as he broke the sound barrier. Midoriya was definitely moving, just too fast for even his naturally faster perception to keep up with.
It was disheartening, but Lida was hardly the type to give up, he still needed to pass even if he had lost his chance to shine. Ignoring the force of nature that was Midoriya, he focused only on the task at hand, bitterly hoping the other boy would leave something for the rest of them.
That notion had been enough to send a spike of panic through him, and he redoubled his efforts, using his superior speed to cover as much ground as possible.
It was worth it, he told himself, again and again, trying to keep up morale. Despite his previous fears, he was earning points! Sure, once in a while Midoriya would come out of nowhere and obliterate every villain in sight, which was irritating at first, but, after a while, Lida had begun to realize that judging by how fast Midoriya took down villains, there shouldn't be any left at all.
This meant that either the other boy was physically unable to maintain that sort of destructive power for long, and needed to rest in between, or, what was more likely, he was intentionally leaving robots for the others.
His theory seemed more and more plausible as he noted that Midoriya wasn't disappearing off to somewhere in between his villan destruction stunts; more often than not, he seemed to stick around to help anybody who found themselves in harm's way. He even had gone so far as to tell other examiners where they could find more robots, or in which building they were hiding.
Lida wasn't sure how he was doing that, but so far, he had been proven right every time. Shaking his head, Lida forced himself to concentrate; Midoriya was a mystery for another day, every wasted second could cost him dearly in the end and the more time that went on the fewer robots there were.
With the pressure mounting, people were panicking even more. Bumping into each other in their haste and becoming increasingly more reckless.
Lida liked to believe he was immune to such influence but his burning legs and the way his chest ached every time he tried to breathe told another story. Doing his best to work through his obvious fatigue, he chased another villain into an alley where it would prove easier to destroy. That had been the plan, at least until a blurt came crashing from the sky, decimating the robot into what seemed a million pieces, he knew who it was even before the dust had cleared.
"Sorry", Midoriya said, not sounding too apologetic as he turned around, what seemed like a smirk briefly crossing his features, "Didn't see you there".
Overall, Lida considered himself a gentleman, conducting himself with care and dignity, striving to treat others in the same fashion, but at that moment he was ready to drop with exhaustion and stress and would have no problem dedicating more than a few choice words to the taller boy.
But, before he could actually unleash a rant about honor and respect, the amusement suddenly disappeared from Midoriya's face, his eyes snapping downward to look at the floor like it had turned into lava. Alarmed, he tried to ask what was wrong but his voice was lost under a deep rumbling that swiftly turned into a violent earthquake.
He fought to remain upright as glass exploded from every window in the vicinity, the ground splitting open threatening to swallow him whole.
From the deeps rose a massive shape, taller than any of the surrounding buildings, its shadow obscuring the sun. Lida could suddenly feel his pulse in his mouth, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he forced himself to look up.
The sight was enough to rob him of whatever breath he had left. Built out of solid metal and as massive as a mountain, the obstacle villain leaned down with a hydraulic hiss like it was trying to get a better view of the terrified kids below.
Lida should have known better than to stand still and stare, should have remembered Present Mic warning about the villain going crazy in narrow spaces. A hero couldn't go into shock! he screamed at himself; a hero shouldn't hesitate in the face of danger…
But he did, blame it on exhaustion, his brain was too muddled to think rationally, and by the time he decided that he should probably run away he had already lost his chance.
With a speed that nothing that size should possess, the villain threw back its massive metal arm and, with one thunderous swipe, destroyed the top of every building within its massive reach.
It wasn't up until the sky had gone dark with falling debris and the walls around him began to collapse that Lida finally made himself move even as he knew it was too late, far too late, he would never get out in time
I should have seen it earlier, I scolded myself bitterly, should have been paying more attention to my surroundings instead of enacting some petty vengeance.
The entire frightening display played out in slow motion before me as I stood frozen in place, feeling every single one of my accelerated heartbeats. It was only then that I realized how truly dangerous this exam was, did they really need to go this far? What was the point of endangering the examinees in such a reckless way?
The thick, suffocating, cloud of dust did nothing to block my vision, allowing me to witness in painful detail the pandemonium that broke around me as kids scream in terror, blindly trying to run away or find some sort of shelter.
The sight was enough to make me move and try and help in any way I could. I had messed up, and now the only thing I could do was try and get everybody to safety.
With less gentleness than I would have liked, I began moving people, getting them out of the way of the collapsing buildings, wishing I could have stayed back and made sure that I hadn't moved them too fast or accidentally hurt them but lacking even the few seconds it would take.
Only when I was satisfied that nobody was about to get crushed did I hurry back over to Glasses, whose eyes were wide in horror, his mouth opened in silent scream as what must have been half a building rushed down to meet him. With the entire alleyway collapsing I was running out of time to safely move him, so I did the only other thing I could think of
I pushed him down and leaned over him, using my body as a shield against the falling concrete and debris that broke mercilessly against my back. Biting back a wince, I locked my knees against the sudden extra weight that just kept on piling on.
Even when I was expecting it, it still managed to knock the air out of me, and I gritted my teeth as thousands of tons of concrete and steel settled upon me like a wet blanket.
The onslaught seemed to last forever, or maybe I was still perceiving the world in slow motion but I didn't dare relax until I had made absolutely sure that nothing else was about to fall on us.
"Are you alright?", I asked, carefully lifting the building pieces off myself, going slowly to make sure none fell on him.
"You saved me?", he voiced it like it was a question, like he couldn't quite believe it.
Should I not have? Maybe he thought he could have gotten out in time or had some other plan to save himself, though I had seemed unlikely.
I shrugged awkwardly, finding myself uncomfortable under his piercing gaze, though at least this time it wasn't judgmental.
"Uh-", I began, only to be once again saved from an awkward conversation by Present Mic, his voice resonating throughout the arena, "Two minutes left!".
Most of the kids I had saved were currently too busy being confused to fully pay attention to the announcement, a few even finding themselves retching violently. I winced softly; I suppose it was a small price to pay for not getting crushed.
They would be fine, a quick scan told me, I hadn't hurt them, most would probably be back to their previous task the second they got over their confusion.
It had been a close call, nobody had gotten seriously hurt, but it wasn't like I could just leave the giant crazy murder robot to walk around and further endanger everybody.
Turning back to face Glasses I made a vague apologetic gesture with my hand, pointedly looking up at the still nearby villain. "You should get out of here", I warned him before taking a cautionary step back, bending my knees, and leaping into the air.
Despite having gotten much better at controlling my jumps, making sure to not go higher than necessary, and coming up with a rough estimate of where I would land, this particular jump I was nervous about. One miscalculation and I could bring down the villain upon the unsuspecting kids below.
The air rushed by me as I soared past the surrounding skyscrapers and the green bulky villain standing among them, its shiny red eyes looking up at me. As I reached the highest point of my jump, however, I could feel gravity trying to pull me down and something else within me instinctually trying to resist earth's all-encompassing pull.
I swore I hovered then, feeling like it was being pulled in several directions at once, disorienting me so badly that, for one terrifying second, I couldn't seem to figure out which way was up and which was down.
Just as fast as it had happened, whatever had appeared to resist earth's pull gave out and I found myself in a quickly accelerating downward arc towards the villain's massive head.
The feeling was so sudden I almost cried out in surprise, but managed to get a hold of myself in time. I am invulnerable, I reminded myself, I wasn't falling to my death. I was, however, falling in a direct and quickly approaching collision path with a giant green villain head and I should probably do something about that.
Running out of time to figure out how to go about this villain destruction business, I decided to take a page from All Might's book. Throwing my arm back and tightening my hand into a fist, I smashed right into the center of its head.
The thick metal hull dented so badly it split open, allowing its metal insides to spill out unglamorously followed almost immediately by internal explosions that shook the entire giant frame.
The damage was clearly more than what the villain was built to resist and with a final screech its massive body toppled over, scraping the facade of a couple of buildings but otherwise avoiding further property damage, or landing on anybody for that matter.
I was close behind, managing to more or less land on my feet, though that didn't stop the concrete from cracking from the force of the impact.
"One minute left". Another announcement came just as I straightened up from my landing, allowing myself to let out a shaky breath of relief. Everything had more or less gone to plan, I had gotten more than enough points to pass, and defeated the faux villain as a bonus.
With one minute remaining, I had figured I could lay back and allow the few remaining villains to be taken by the other examinees; I was done.
In retrospect, I should have known better, this was the U.A entrance exam, nothing was guaranteed.
The dust had hardly settled around the faux villain when a telltale rumble made me go cold.
No_ I thought, denying what my senses were telling me. There was only supposed to be one! Present Mic had said so.
With a sinking feeling in my chest, I leaped upon the close's skyscraper, stumbling on the landing in my hurry. It felt like a bad joke, and all I could do was stare at the city as two more mountain size villains rose from its depths.
This was my fault, that was the first thing that came to mind, why else would there be three faux villains in one area? There was no way this was a mistake. It was insane, so many people were in danger, those things were killing machines!
Anger boiled within me and I had to clap a hand over my face as sudden fiery heat accumulated in my eyes. I knew there were cameras everywhere, watching, and I couldn't risk anybody getting even a glimpse of my other abilities, no matter how much I wanted to use my heat vision at the moment.
Calm down, I told myself, it's alright, I could deal with this. It was obvious the villains were placed as a challenge just for me. All Might had warned me about this, the stronger the hero the stronger the villains they would attract.
It was all just part of being a hero, I couldn't lose my temper just because somebody threatened to bring harm to others, most villains did just that. My job was to stop them before they could succeed, the faster I got there the less likely somebody was to get hurt.
Having managed to get a hold of myself, I took my hand off my face, calculated the distance from me to the closest faux villain, and leaped into the air.
"Was it really necessary to put three faux villains in that area?", Eraser-Head asked, sounding even more irritated than usual.
Most of the screens in the room currently showed every angle possible of the two new faux villains in testing area B. Placing more than one faux villain in a testing area was something that had never been done, and everybody seemed to be holding their collective breaths in anticipation.
"Well, it does spice things up, doesn't it?", Midnight responded automatically, a sadistic smile on her face. She appeared to rather enjoy the display of pure terror on the young faces of the students.
"We thought it would be good to give Midoriya more of a challenge" Principal Nezu said in response to both, "After all, there is no point reward for taking on the faux villains but there is an opportunity, the chance to shine".
Like the kid needed any more chances to show off, Eraser Head thought to himself. "The only thing it's accomplished so far is making the exam unfairly dangerous for the other examinees", he pointed out, as a few cameras focused on a girl with her leg trapped under debris, making her unable to get away from the approaching giant.
"To the contrary", Director Nezu refuted smoothly, "We knew for a fact that Midoriya could take the zero pointers with ease, by putting two more in the testing are we give all the other examinees the same opportunity he had. Not only to stand out, but to show who truly has what it takes to be a hero. It's no longer just about smashing robots and earning points; it's about putting yourself on the line for others".
His gaze turned once again to the front of the room and the screens showing the trapped girl, allowing them to see in full detail the panicked tears glinting in her eyes as she tried to free herself, the way she reached out to the many who ran right past her, begging for help. Most didn't even bother to look back.
Principal Nezu smiled to himself, "Having established that, let's see who comes to the rescue".
Lida wasn't ashamed to admit he had fled as fast as he could manage. It was clear to him, after seeing Midoriya easily shrugged off half a building and jumped up to meet the faux villain without a second thought, that the other boy didn't need his help.
Good, part of being a hero was knowing when you were outmatched (and he had to admit to himself that this was the case), all he could do was get to a safe distance and leave the titans to fight amongst themselves.
He also, begrudgingly, promised himself to find the other boy after the exam and apologize for his previous actions. It would hurt his pride, but Lida considered himself an honorable man, he could admit his mistakes, and he had been wrong about Midoriya.
Sure, the kid had an almost arrogant glint to his eyes, and yeah– he may have still been somewhat pissed about the villain he had stolen from him– but Midoriya had saved his life along with countless others, gone so far as to put himself in between Lida and a falling building and then proceeded to defeated the faux villain. The kid was already a hero.
Panting, he came to a stop a couple of streets later. After almost getting crushed he was more cautious, allowing himself to take a few precious seconds to catch his breath. By his rough estimates, he should have had enough points to pass, though he reckoned he could still manage one or two more after he recovered.
Straightening up, he began to scan his surroundings, hoping to find an opportunity, but was only met with the many stares of his fellow examiners, their eyes frantic as they searched for any remaining villains.
Not much luck here it seemed, maybe he could run around and try and find- His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he felt the earth begin to shake below his feet, what had started as a soft rumble getting louder by the second.
This is not happening, he thought as his stomach twisted in fear— There was only supposed to be one and Midoriya had taken it down, he had seen it himself, why then was a brand-new faux villain clawing its way out of the city's deeps?
His brain's fight-or-flight instinct had him moving before he had even fully registered the situation. Zooming by the slower kids, ignoring all but his one objective of getting out of the narrow area that was sure to become a death trap.
It was only when he had gotten to the end of the street, sloppily trying to slow down and almost slamming into a wall, that he dared look back_ and that is when he saw her.
A girl was right in the way of the oversized machine, unable to move from where she lay, trapped under a huge piece of rubble.
Blood roared in his ears as he watched in muted horror, as she struggled to get free. Distantly hearing her unattended cries for help.
He screamed at himself to do something; she was about to get killed dammit! Wasn't he trying to be a hero? Wasn't this something heroes did? He was desperate, yet he couldn't move, couldn't breathe...
As more people got to safety, they too began to take notice of the chilling scene. There were shouts for somebody to help, to do something! They pushed each other forward yet refused to go themselves.
Their cries rose in volume as the seconds ticked down, a chorus of terror and fear united as one, begging somebody to save the girl.
From afar, the tremor of a sonic boom followed by the distinct sound of explosions served to momentarily distract the nearly hysterical group.
"That must have been the other faux villain". A blond boy, with a soft French accent, shouted to be heard over all the noise, his demeanor calm as he tried to bring some sense of serenity to the agitated crowd, "I'm sure Midoriya defeated it, he will be here soon to save her, no need to fret".
Sudden hope sparked all throughout the group of previously panicking kids, even Lida found himself significantly relieved at the thought that Midoriya, a boy none of them knew, would suddenly show up and save the day.
He turned that thought over in his head, feeling like there was some deeper meaning behind it all, but before he could fully make sense of the vague idea blossoming in his mind, there was a thunderous boom and figure descended from the sky with all the power of a comet.
Even after watching Midoriya lift a building off himself without breaking a sweat and defeat the giant villains with a single punch, it was still surreal to watch the ease with which the boy moved, how the zero pointer, previously so imposing, crumble under his fist, putting up about as much resistance as a cardboard cutout.
The entire thing happened so fast his mind only seemed to be able to capture glimpses of it, flashes of flying metal and fire, of windows exploding on all surrounding buildings from the shockwave of a single hit from a teenage boy.
Midoriya reminded him of All Might, he realized suddenly, both possessing the same insane raw force and overwhelming speed. Watching him in action, it occurred to him to wonder, if this is how the people that took the entrance exam along with All Might felt all those years ago, to know you would forever be in the shadow of a legend in the making.
"Times…UP!", Presen Mic shouted just as Midoriya landed but a few feet from the villain's spiled metal guts.
Understandably, it took a while for his words to settle in, for people to begin cheering or to sulk, to pat each other on the back, or just collapse exhausted.
Like invisible threads were pulling them all, most found themselves moving towards the fallen villain and, consequently, Midoriya, who had already lifted the boulder off the injured girl.
He was talking to her softly, kneeling besides her, his eyes turning to look at the leg that had been partially crushed.
"It's broken", he informed her loud enough for most to hear, "Its better if you down move until help comes… all right?".
His eyes darted briefly towards his small audience, looking like he was trying to ignore the barely concealed whispering about him.
Most kids around Lida were busy making wild guesses on how many points Midoriya had gotten, and the story of how he had defeated not one, but three faux villains, was, nos doubt, on its way to becoming and U.A legend.
Hearing them, Lida couldn't help but think that they were missing the point. It was like they had all forgotten that instance when all of them had the chance to do what Midoriya had done, but instead had allowed fear for their own safety to overtake them.
Would he have acted the same if this wasn't an exam? Would he had stepped in to save the day? Well, of course, that was a hero job! He assured himself, he would have stopped and tried to help; he would have found a way to defeat that villain-
And then it hit him, of course! This was all an exam; how could he have been so stupid and not seen this before? He came from a family of heroes; it was supposed to run in his blood!
"Don't look so gloomy honey, I'm sure you did well", Lida practically jumped out of his skin as somebody grabbed his hand, finding a small old lady looking up at him with a gentle smile. His mind immediately supplied a name for her, it was Recovery girl! Her healing quirk was the only reason why U.A could get away with such reckless exams.
Still holding his hand, she planted a kiss on the back of it, and just like that, all the scratches and bruises he had gotten when the building collapse were gone, and he found his chest no longer hurt, all fatigue gone from his previously trembling muscles.
"Feeling better?", she asked sweetly, even as she offered gummies to another kid, her eyes quickly falling on the most serious of injuries in sight.
"Oh dear", she crooned, coming to stand before the fallen girl, "Your poor leg".
Kneeling down with the slowness conferred by old age, she planted a loud kiss on the brunette's clammy forehead, eliciting suprised gasps from the crowd as her leg briefly glowed, the lines of pain quicly disappearing from her face.
"It…It feels fine, like nothing happened!", she exclaimed happily as she jumped to her feet.
Giving only some minor acknowledgment to the over exaggerated thanks from the previously injured girl, the elderly hero turned back to the rest of the little group.
"All right, lets finish this quickly", The small woman said cheerfully, "Is anyone else injured?".
Lida moved out of the way as the rest of the kids began to organize themselves to be tended to, his eyes turning to look towards Midoriya, who was already walking away, but not towards the exits.
Making a split-second decision he jogged to catch up.
"Where are you going?", he asked, in what he hoped was a casual tone.
Midoriya's head snaped back to look at him, seeming to be trying to decide whether Lida was about to try and scold him again. Okey, yeah, he deserved that.
Finally, the other boy shrugged, turning back to look at the city, he seemed almost awkward, "I was just going to check that nobody is trapped or too injured to get back to Recovery Girl", he said, his eyes scanning all of their surroundings with precision.
Just like he had thought, Lida grumbled to himself, coming to a stop as Midoriya turned the corner and disappeared out of his sight. He wasn't sure whether Midoriya had, from the beginning, recognized the true nature of the U. A entrance exam, or if he just always went out of his way to help others. The latter seem more likely_ and that just made Lida feel all the more guilty.
Taking a deep breath, Lida came to a solemn decision. Never again would he walk again from somebody in need, from now on he would act like the hero he aspired to become, next time, it would be him turning back to face the villain.
Feeling new purpose blossom withing him, he ran after Midoriya, speaking before he had even come to a full stop.
"I'll help-", he practically shouted as the other boy turned a critical eye upon him. Feeling self-conscious, he moved his hands up and down in a nervous gesture, "With finding people and getting them back that is…".
After a second, Midoriya's face relax and he saw the other boy smile for the first time, even if it was brief, "Fine, let's move then, we have a lot of ground to cover".
I was more nervous than I cared to admit, my eyes once again taking in the white envelope before me, a red seal with an official stamp the only indicator that this wasn't your usual mail.
Despite being certain I had done well in the exam, my score no doubt way higher than all my fellow examinees, some remnant of doubt still lingered withing me.
What if they didn't accept me just because I was an alien? Or All Might strategy backfired horribly and I was deemed too dangerous to be left alone, condemning me to some obscure government facility.
It had been differently before, when nobody but those I trusted new my secret. Now, I found my life in the hands of people I didn't know, and regardless of being accepted or not into U. A's hero course, nothing could ever be the same.
To top it all off, I hadn't been able to get ahold of All Might ever since the exam, which wasn't helping diminish my increasing anxiety.
Just this morning mom had handed me the red sealed envelope. Her hand trembling despite the brave smile on her face. I had briefly considered opening it right then and there, hoping to get it up and done with, but for her sake, I held back. Better for her to hear it from myself if it was bad news.
Doing my best to give her a smile of my own, I retreated to the safety of my room where I had been ever since, trying to gather the courage to open the letter that would dictate my future.
Brazing myself, I finally reached out, and in one quick motion, tore the envelope open, a small metal disk bouncing out.
Confused, I reached out to grab it only to be startled back as it chose that very moment to emit a blinding flash of light, creating a projection of an all too familiar face.
"I am here as a projection!", All might announce, looking at me fixedly from his holographic prison.
Even if he wasn't really here it was good to see him, and it did somewhat serve to calm my fears. It couldn't all be bad news if he had recorded this himself, right?
"There's a lot we have to talk about but they are telling me to hurry up so I don't push everybody else back", straightening up he continued, "You passed your written exam with flying color and broke every record in U. A's practical entrance exam with an outstanding two thousand and three hundred points".
None of that was news to me, the written exam had been a breeze and I had stopped counting at a thousand villain points, all logic pointed to the fact that I had been accepted but I still couldn't relax, not until I heard the world from his own mouth. Holding my breath, I listened as he went on.
"However! There is something you might now know. The entrance exam wasn't graded just on villain points", Again his eyes seemed to dig into mine "Young man, you did not only prove how strong you are and what a capable pro you will make, but you also proved that you have the heart of a hero! You showed yourself to be willing to help other in every and any circumstance. How can a hero school reject people who save others and do the right thing?".
He smiled warmly at me "We call them rescue points, they are given by a panel of judges, it the other basic ability we at U. A look at!".
The image flashed and in its place a list of names appeared, each with a score beside them. Mine was at the top of the list, thanks to the amount of villain points I had received, however that wasn't all, there was another score there, one I hadn't known existed.
"Izuku Midoriya, two hundred sixty rescue points!", All Might announced, "You have been teste far beyond what any of your peers endured and have still come out on top, no one can ever say you don't belong here my boy. You have been accepted into U.A!" , He extended his hand then, almost like he could pull me through the screen "Come on, young Midoriya_ This is your Hero Academia!".
Lex Luthor whistled happily to himself as he walked through the, otherwise, silent hallway. The design was minimalistic, but with a sharp futuristic edge.
He liked the place, for sure, but if it was his building he would make a few changes here and there, maybe lighting the almost exclusively dark aesthetic_ then again, the owner of this place wasn't known for being a sunny kind of person, so it suited him.
Despite his usual lack of care for his appearance, Luthor had actually put a calculative amount of effort into it today, after all, the person he was meeting wasn't especially fond of him. It wouldn't do for him to look out of place.
Besides, the media would no doubt get a hold of this and pictures of him would soon be plastered all over the headlines. It wouldn't do for him to be outdone by another billionaire, that was the kind of mistake his father didn't take too kindly.
His white suit was tailored made, his usual wild hair clean and neatly combed out of his face. He carried nothing but a briefcase, which he gripped in anticipation.
Forcing his face to match his current appearance, he plastered on an easy-going smile, that of a naive, arrogant, young billionaire.
He stopped his whistling, and pretended to smooth out hi suit, as he came up to the end of the hallway, and before a polished black desk, a middle age woman eyeing him critically from behind it. She was attractive, he noted, her makeup simple yet expertly done, her hair pulled back so tightly it looked painful.
"Mr. Luthor", she finally said, not a question, but a statement. She clearly didn't approve of his presence, him being the competition and all, but even in her privileged position, it wasn't like she had a say in anything.
He flashed her an arrogant grin, though he made sure to not appear too intimidating. "In the flesh".
Most people, Luthor could read like a book, and despite her passive, overly bored professional demeanor, he could tell she had a particularly strong distaste for him. Most people did against the Luthor name.
"He is ready to see you Sir", she said, making a slight head motion towards the imposing double doors only a few meters from them. Polished until they resemble black mirrors, they were probably stronger than the average nuclear bunker. It was an a not so very subtly way of announcing that only those deemed wordy got to talk with the boss.
"Of course, of course", he smiled again, and just to further annoyed her added, "Thank you honey".
He detected a minuscule eye twitch that she hid by pretending to adjust her glasses. How amusing, maybe later he would ask her out on a date to see just how she tried to squirm her way out of it.
With new found spring to his step, her reached the doors with the intention to knock but they swung open before he got the chance.
The office boasted the same design as the rest of the building, devoid of any personal touch but for the coat hanging from a nearby perch.
Behind a too neat desk, a leather chair faced away from him. Too big for its occupant, he could just see a crown of thick black hair, the person pretending to be engrossed in the breath-taking view only a sky scraper could provide.
"Luthor", A male voice finally spoke, distinctly young despite the speaker best effort to but on a mature tone. "What brings you here?".
Lex chuckled to himself, flopping down on one of the two comfy chairs situated in front of the sizable desk. "Business, of course, your city isn't exactly known for the scenery".
Sighing, the person finally spun around, revealing a boy who looked far too young to be there, the black hair neatly combed to the side, and a few stray freckles adorning soft pale cheeks gave him the clasical look of a high school boy send away to some outrageously expensive private academy so he would stay out of his parent's way.
Then he met his eyes and the illusion broke. Dark circles jumped against his too pale skin. Ice blue eye, lacking the spark that most his age possessed, stared at him with a mixture of wariness and barely concealing annoyance.
"What kind of business? I think I made it clear a while ago that I want nothing to with Luthor Corp".
Lex's grin widened, savoring the moment he had long planned for. "What kind of business you ask-", Lex repeated, pretending to actually consider it, "Well, you can rest assure, this more of a…personal matter".
He could almost hear the alarm bells go off in the young man's brain, and he had to resist the urge to burst out laughing. The boy was simply too easy to manipulate, his bones still aching from a recent growth spurt, yet here he was, trying to run one of the most powerful technological empires.
"My dear Bruce", he said in a tone that left the boy wondering whether he was being patronize, "I can assure you this business of mine concerns the both of us", changing his expression to an overly somber one, he lightly placed the briefcase upon the desk, opening it to reveal its content. "You see, I have discovered something that has me quite worried. I believe once you read through it, you will understand why we should put our differences aside to deal with this…problem".
Aside from a gently lifted brow, the boy did his best to betray nothing of what he thought of Luthor's entire performance. Making a point, he refused to look down at the briefcase's content, maintaining eye contact with the older man, brazing green fire clashing with cold ice.
Excellent, Lex thought, he had the boy's attention. With his curiosity piqued, all that was left to do was lead him gently in the right direction, pull at every hearth string, exploit every weakness, and the boy would fall right into the palm of his hand.
Even as his mind carefully modified his mannerism to go with every line he delivered, another part calculated his next moves, branching off from every possible scenario to create a solution. He had no doubt that whatever the kid did, he would be ready with a countermeasure.
He wasn't delusional enough to think that Bruce wouldn't know that he had some ulterior motive for this visit, he was counting on it. The boy may not have Lex's quirk fueled brilliance, but he was far from stupid. The trick was making him think he could outsmart Luthor and do things his own way.
"Suppose I believe you", Bruce began, slowly lacing together long delicate fingers, "I find it hard to accept you are doing this just out of the kindness of your heart".
And there it was, he was just too good at this. Lex laughed, making himself sound somewhat nervous, "Oh, well, I do suppose you have your reasons to believe that of me" he said, avoiding eye contact, leaning on his chair almost fidgetily, "I am not the most …ethical person, so to speak".
Bruce's glare only intensified, the action was unusual, as most couldn't withstand Luthor's potent gaze, much less return it. The boy had was certainly courageous, even if he was lacking in every other aspect, good, he would need that blind, stupid, bravery for what he was about to face.
"But Bruce…", he continued, putting on a mask of seriousness with just a touch of grief, "There is one thing you and me have in common", his eyes once met the boy's somber stare. So young, yet already opaque with sadness and grief, a permanent shadow seeming to linger upon him.
"We both lost people in the June 26 attack, people that were dear to us Bruce".
And just like that, what little light had been present in Bruce's eyes seemed to extinguish, his mind retreating into some dark little corner to hide from the world.
"You and me aren't so different, in some aspects I would even venture to say we are the same. Wes share our hatred for them, for the powerful, for those that possess quirks that make them little more than a tragedy waiting to happen", he paused, pretending to calm himself "They are allowed to walk freely among us Bruce, us normal, frail people, you should know this better than anybody else".
The young man was yet to speak, but his one quick glance towards the briefcase's content was all Lex needed.
Gently, he pushed it towards him, "Just look thought it Bruce, no strings attached. Hell! just dump the entire thing into the nearest trashcan if you want, but all I ask is that you give it a chance".
Bruce's spine stiffened just the slightest bit, clearly at war with himself. On one side, there was his natural distrust of Lex, rutted in old family feuds and outgoing conflicts between their respective companies, but on the other, there was the righteous anger that burned withing the boy. Hot, white, rage that clamored for justice.
Luthor understood what it was to carry such vicious rage, after all, it too had taken residence withing him, it just didn't manifest the way it did in Bruce, and that was what made them so similar yet so different.
"Fine", Bruce finally agreed reluctantly, "I'll take a look at it but don't think that I'll go along with any of your crazy plans".
"I wouldn't expect anything else from you" the older man said carefully. He still kept on an almost disinterested expression, but internally he was smiling triumphally. Just like he predicted, Bruce had fallen right into his carefully elaborated plan. Now all he had to do was play the waiting game.
In a few months, he predicted Bruce would come knocking at his door, defeated, and with his tail between his legs, reluctant, yet still begging Luthor to help him.
He would give it to him then, the secret to slaying a god, and in exchange, Bruce would unknowingly deliver right into his hands the ultimate price, the child that had fallen from the stars, Izuku Midoriya.
A.N: I am not dead lmao. But my life had changed a lot over the past few years, back when I started writing this, I was fresh out of high school and with way too much time on my hands. Now I'm in med shcool and justr triying to survive, so yeah... I no longer have a lot of time to write, and for me, at least, what takes the most is the editing, since English is not my firstts language I make a lot of mistakes and it takes me A WHILE to edit and correct such long chapters to the best of my abilities. All of this to say that I have not abandoned the project, just busy with my studies so updates will be quite slow. ANIWAY, I hope you all are having a good 2023 so far, and over all, that you enjoyed this chapter. I tried my best, just ignore whatever mistakes managed to slip by.
By the way, I will soon link my insta so you guys can check out my art acount were I have some art from this fanfic and some other stuff, in addition, if you enjoy my writing, there you will find the link to my own website where you can check out some chapters from one of my original storys, this one is completed and I actually have an editor for it, so it will be much better quality and the chapters publish in a much more regular schedules.
Love you all, thank you for the suport, it means a lot!