Hey everyone!
In a small apartment in Musutafu, Arata Kidou returns from the night school. What a joke, he thinks as he adds yet another place to the long list of schools that failed to see his potential. The empty words of encouragement from one of his teachers fell short of reaching his bitter and envious heart as he tosses the letter in the trash along with the others.
He doesn't need them, he tells himself. That school would be a waste of his time and genius anyway.
Useless. Stupid. Corrupt. Childish. Bigoted.
Bitter and hateful words are like balm to his wounded pride. He applied to this school as a test, he tells himself. He knew they were not worthy of someone like him. Just wait, he promises to the imaginary enemies, one of these days, he would make them all see who the real hero is.
He logs in and spends hours doing what he does best. Sharing his wisdom with the fellow-minded geniuses online. They can see it, can't they? Just how rotten this country is. Just how blind and ignorant the masses are.
Someone needed to give them a wake-up call.
Someone needed to put the idols of this country in their rightful place.
{2Based2Ban} Hey there
Huh? He didn't recognize the user. It was a new account with almost no presence in any of his followed chatrooms. A normal person would ignore the message. But Arata's curiosity was stronger than his suspicions.
{Apex} Hello
{2Based2Ban} I saw some of the stuff you were posting in the thread.
{2Based2Ban} You have some really great ideas there, my friend.
The young man smiled, enjoying the stroking of his ego. It was nice to see someone appreciate his ideas. He said that much in his reply. Then he received another message from this mysterious stranger and, before he even noticed it, he spent an entire day talking to this person.
As far as he was concerned, a day well-spent.
It was a start of an unexpected but no less welcome online friendship. Over the next two weeks, Arata had the opportunity to open up to someone like he never could in many years. And in turn, it was nice to feel that someone out there trusted you with their secrets.
From their deepest dreams to their darkest and more dreadful thoughts, the two shared everything between each other. It was almost enough to make Arata forget about the hero schools and their idiotic entrance exams.
Finishing yet another conversation, he was about to bid his online friend a farewell before going to bed when he received yet another question, this time far more unusual than before.
{2Based2Ban} Say, have you ever heard about Power Broker?
No. Can't say that he had. He said that much and awaited the other person's answer.
The reply came in the form of a link. A quick check confirmed that the site was legit. Cautiously, he clicked the link. The website seemed safe, if not particularly interesting or engaging.
It had some half-baked chatrooms, some games (if smashing spiders with a click of a mouse could be called a 'game') and a few advertisements for products decades out of market. No mention of this Power Broaker, either.
After around fifteen minutes of browsing through it, Arata clicked one final tab that simply read as 'VIP'. Surprisingly, despite the website being half-finished and half-dead, it still requested a password from him.
He tried asking his new friend for it but, apparently, it was something he had to figure out himself. She did give him a hint to look around the website for clues, though. Arata wasn't quite sure what convinced him to dedicate three hours of his day to this.
Maybe he didn't wish to embarrass himself in front of an online friend he just made. Maybe it was his ego. That and his need to prove that he was smart enough to figure it out.
Whatever the reason, it didn't matter now. Entering the password, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly the website had for him.
"... Woah."
Turns out, it had everything that he needed and wanted. Everything that he mentioned in his private chat with 2Based2Ban, it was right here. But how?
{2based2Ban} Are you ready to take things to the next level, Arata?
He looked at the screen that showed the U.A. grounds. The first school of many that rejected him due to his weak Quirk. The school that started his downward spiral into this pit from where he swore he would get his revenge.
And now... He was being given all the tools to enact it. Could he go through with this, though? This was no longer trash-talking schools online. Whether he succeeded or not, there would be no going back from this.
But then again, he thought as he took a look around his dingy apartment, what else did he have to lose? His humiliating part-time job? His freedom? His life?
He typed out his answer, fingers trembling as the excitement flooded his system.
When do we strike?
)O(
In the Musutafu National Airport, a crowd of people gathered at the entrance and awaited. Nobody liked airports, especially at the crack of dawn. Despite this, all the people present at the scene stood with smiles and wide eyes in anticipation. And the morning the light shone on the familiar hair of gold and the pearly-white smile, the crowd knew that it was all worth it.
"Japan…" The Symbol of Peace pumped his fist in the air and proclaimed, "I have arrived!"
If it were anyone else, the greeting might have been dismissed as cheesy or awkward. But when it was said with that booming voice that many associated with the concept of peace itself, the crowd could only cheer in return as if they were at the once-a-lifetime concert.
"Oh my God, it's him!"
"All Might, over here!"
"All Might! All Might, sir, a moment of your time, please?"
Like a well-oiled machine, All Might went to the crowd ready to answer and fulfill whatever small request his fans had. A handshake, a signature on their jacket, a smile, a picture, a promise of an interview, an answer and, of course, the reassurance that they would see more of him in the years to come.
Indeed, All Might was so much bigger than a normal man. Who else could give so much of himself and still smile just as bright and happy as he did? No one.
"Please, make way," Nakaragi said as he waved away some of the more eager fans. "All Might shall hold the official press conference later this week. Right now, he needs to be at U.A. High for the entrance exam."
To the cheers of the crowd, the mightiest hero of Japan sat into his car and smiled all the way until the door closed. Once it had, the smile dropped and All Might disappeared in a puff of white smoke. In his place, Toshinori Yagi relaxed back into the fresh cold seat of artificial leather and let his body deflate even further until it reached his true form.
Unfortunately, he was not alone.
"Good morning, Toshinori."
"Ah, Principal Nedzu, apologies for not greeting you properly," the blonde hero straightened up in his seat. Or tried to, at least. How sad was that, just around ten hours of flight and he could barely sit up straight in this state. "The flight was more exhausting than I expected."
"No need for apologies," the headmaster of the country's top hero school smiled. "I would offer you some snacks but I am afraid that our esteemed nurse wants to check on you first when you arrive."
Made sense. Not that he could stomach anything even if he wished to.
"You didn't have to pick me up. I could be in U.A. in less than an hour."
"And then you'd have only two hours left of your power to use. I assure you, Toshinori, U.A. has enough resources to afford a fancy car drive from the airport for you."
Toshinori sighed tiredly. The headmaster did have a point. In his current state, every second he could afford not being in his All Might form was a second too precious to waste. And with each day, the amount of time he had was only growing smaller.
"I suppose," Toshinori let out a small chuckle. "I guess my body is reaching its peak already."
It has reached the peak of its potential years ago. Even if he wasn't injured, he doubted he could handle One For All growing any stronger. The thought tasted bitter and Toshinori wondered where the feeling came from, exactly.
"Have you considered Nighteye's offer?" Nedzu set his cup of tea down. Right next to the file on his former sidekick's protégé. "Togata-kun will be graduating this year and he already has a good enough reputation among his peers and the established pro heroes."
Toshinori let the headmaster continue to talk, not quite concerned with listening. He had heard of the boy before and even seen the young hero in action.
The boy was strong. He was smart, too. He also had the right spirit and heart. His Quirk, Permeation, coupled with One For All, would also prove an almost unstoppable combination.
By all accounts, Mirio Togata was a perfect candidate.
And yet, I still can't make him the next bearer of One For All.
Just like his former sidekick, All Might couldn't find the answer as to why no matter how hard he tried.
Did he fear for the young man's safety? Did he believe there was a better, more deserving candidate somewhere out there? Or did he simply not wish to give up the power when he could still save and protect others, even if it continued to wear him down?
"I will think about it."
"That's all that I ask," Nedzu said. "You've served this country well, All Might. Passing down the torch to the next generation is neither weakness nor selfishness. We all must retire in our time, lest we take on the burdens we cannot shoulder."
The tiny headmaster placed his small paw on Toshinori's hand.
"Nana would be very proud of what you have accomplished, my friend."
So was everyone was saying. And yet it never felt like he did enough.
)O(
Shiketsu
U.A.
Eigakai
Powers
Rengoku
These five schools made up the Five Greats of Japan, the country's elite educational facilities for future heroes. And while there was no established hierarchy among them, it was undeniable that U.A. has held the most prominence in the minds of the general population for the past decades. That, of course, came with the advantages to all those who attended it.
Support companies and designer studios were willing to walk an extra mile for the graduates of U.A. to uphold justice and peace using their products. Numerous sponsors approached the students in their third and even second years with lucrative deals. And every year, the eyes of an entire nation - and the potential employees were glued to the U.A. Sports Festival.
Training from the active heroes, connections, influence. All these things and more were available to the lucky few who managed to enroll in U.A.
And now… He was going to participate in the life-changing exam as well.
"Not participate, Midoriya," Doctor stated. "You intend to pass the exam. With flying colors and ahead of everyone else."
"Right, apologies, Doctor."
"Man, I never expected there would be so many people." Izuku looked to his right, at the girl with chestnut hair and rosy cheeks. She noticed his look and waved at him, "Sorry, just thinking out loud. My name is Uraraka Ochaco, by the way."
"Midoriya Izuku," he gave a small smile. "Yeah, this year seems a lot more packed than normal."
Though it made sense when you remembered that All Might would be teaching here, starting from this year. The opportunity to receive training from Number One himself was just too good to pass up.
I wonder if he remembers me.
And if he did, as who?
A delusional boy caught up in his impossible dreams? A reckless youth who almost died trying to save someone and ending up as a victim himself? A boy who knew the dark secret of the top hero's real physical condition?
He probably doesn't remember me.
Or, at the very least, the man didn't think much of him to do anything about the latter.
If some kid went on to claim that All Might, the Symbol of Peace, was weak and dying, who would believe him? Worse yet, if he did and people believed him, what good would it be?
He was hurt to hear the man say his dream was impossible. However, he wasn't that petty or spiteful that he would endanger All Might or others just because his feelings got hurt.
Especially when the top hero was just telling the truth.
Izuku Midoriya of last year could never become a hero. He lacked the power and the skills to compete against people here. But more importantly, he lacked the drive and hunger to be anything more than a wishful thinker.
But now, he was a different person.
He could do this. He was ready to take on whatever challenge U.A. threw at him.
"Applicants, groups from H to M, please, proceed to the Room 2 for the written portion of your exam."
He looked to the girl, "Guess that's our cue. Good luck with your exam."
"Thanks, you too!"
He was ready to leave his former self behind.
And become the superior hero.
)O(
Iida Tenya, the youngest son of the illustrious Tenya family, stepped outside the auditorium. Behind him was the rest of his fellow applicants who just finished a two-hour long written exam.
Covering the standard subjects such as Math, History, English and Japanese, this year's exam saw it fit to question the applicants on the general questions regarding their desired career path. From history to the current events, the Heroics portion of the exam was a set of questions and scenarios meant to scope out the general depth of an examinee's knowledge on the heroes and the world they lived in.
Tenya was quite proud of himself and confident in his answers. The same, sadly, could not be said for some of his fellow applicants.
"I blew it. I just know it, man."
"This test is a fucking joke. Who the hell knows any of that shit?"
"Do you think they will allow a retake?"
Tenya was sympathetic to the plight of other applicants. However, it was only expected that the school of high caliber like U.A. would be extremely demanding in all aspects of its examination. Those who were not able to pass could always try their luck next year or perhaps seek education at another school.
The one fitting their abilities and potential.
A quick look at the clock showed that they had around an hour of break before the physical portion of the exam. Well-learned on all matters of physical preparation, Tenya saw it fit to replenish his strength at the cafeteria.
Just like other applicants, Tenya chose to bring his own refreshments. A small bowl of salad, a club sandwich and some fruits for dessert. Plus, water to stay properly hydrated.
Having found his seat, the young man decided to take his time with his meal. However, to his frustration, this would not be a peaceful time as he quickly found himself bombarded with hushed conversations and gasps of disbelief.
All centered around two guys.
"I heard about Bakugou from my cousin. The guy is a beast!"
"That green-haired kid just up and left the exam halfway through. I am not sure if he is that smart or careless."
A bet? Taking another bite of his meal, Tenya tried to ignore the conversations. He was raised better than to eavesdrop on others. But try as he might - and he did - the gossipers seemed far too resilient and loud to be ignored. And so, in order to not stress himself out before the practical portion of the exam, Iida chose to simply relax. If he heard something, he trusted himself to not let it influence him in any way.
"I heard the two of them have a bet going on."
"Only one gets to go here. The other has to pick another school"
But the more he heard, the less he liked the idea of either of the two passing.
U.A. was a school with rich history and great weight in their society. Everyone who applied here did so with full understanding of how much their lives could change should they be accepted. His brother, himself an alumni of U.A., was the testament to the merits of this place and how much the proper environment shaped the next generation of the society's pillars of peace.
Which is why hearing that two of the applicants treated the exam as some way to establish superiority over the other was simply infuriating. Tenya didn't like to think badly of others or wish ill of anyone. But at this very moment, he couldn't imagine other two people more deserving to be dismissed from the exam.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
Tenya looked up from his meal. How embarrassing, to get lost so much in his thought process he became completely blind to his surroundings.
"Ah, yes," he stood up and cleared the table. "My apologies for taking up the table for too long."
"It's fine," an applicant with green hair smiled. The silver-haired boy by his side nodded and said something along the same lines. "You don't have to leave. There is plenty of space for the three of us."
"No, I was leaving anyway," He needed to cool his head, lest it affect his performance. "Please, enjoy your meal."
With that, Tenya left the cafeteria. He needed to get some fresh air and refocus on his own performance. Whatever bet those two had, he was not going to let 'Midoriya' or 'Bakugou' weigh on his mind. Once the exam began, he would do everything in his power to pass.
)O(
"Well, what are you waiting for?" the DJ hero smirked down at them from the wall. "There are no countdowns in a real battle!"
Izuku couldn't help his smile as he rushed ahead of others, Doctor praising his attention to the surroundings. In this test, every second counted. And Izuku was going to use every single moment for all its worth.
Step One: Analyze the task
Find robots. Destroy or restrain robots to earn points. It sounded almost ridiculously simple. But a wise man once said that the greatest designs laid in the simplest of things. So, the question was, what did U.A. aim to get out of this exercise?
They were not simply throwing them at robots or vice versa. If they wished to assess only their combat capabilities, the city terrain would be unnecessary.
Which means that part of the exercise is locating the threats.
With a soft click, his web shot forth towards the highest point observable.
One minute wasted on the other participants getting their bearings. Another one used on taking in their surroundings. The final one to get into action at the pace that would determine your success. It would take less than three minutes for everyone to start racking up points.
Knowing the stakes of the exam, they would attack the first robots seen and continue down the path until the time ran out.
Step Two: Assess the surroundings
The paper stated that the robots would be scattered across the territory and go online once they detected the presence of students. From his position, locating the areas most filled with the robots was no issue. AME went online and scanned the area, marking points of the highest concentration of targets.
Step Three: Assess competition
Observing the Quirks of other applicants and taking them into account was no less important. In his group, sans one Iida Tenya, there were no speedsters. The ranged fighters didn't have the means to get to the farther regions before him.
Which meant that, as long as he didn't cross paths with Iida-san, he could get the sufficient number of points.
Step Four: Finalize your strategy. Implement it.
"Here I go!"
With his battle cry loud and clear, Izuku sprang into action.
His body, now trained to follow the instinct of the Spider-Sense, swung through the air effortlessly. Lighter than air and fast as a bullet, Izuku cut through the air with the green lightning dancing around his body. One swing and he was up in the air.
It was time for him to announce himself. Not to the world. Not to the other applicants.
But himself.
"Venom Rain!"
It was cheesy. It was indulgent. But damn, if it wasn't one of the best feelings in the world.
All these months, he was worried about using this power. Concerned if he could hurt anyone even by accident. But as he let his venom blasts rain down on the unsuspecting robots, that feeling was gone.
Instead, as bolts of green biocharges fell down and fried the circuitries of the machines, it was almost impossible to keep his excitement down. Before he realized, his chest was swelling with the volatile cocktail of thrill and pride.
And then, in one explosive cry, he let it out.
"Wahooooooo!"
It was childish. It was intoxicating. It was enough.
Focus on the mission at hand.
Rack up points on the move.
Take down targets before any of the students arrived on the scene.
All done in the first five minutes of the exam.
The fact that the school was using robots was a blessing. The robots were operating on the code. Complex but, once you figured out the pattern, predictable set of actions already written and predetermined.
While Doctor suggested taking one apart and hacking into their shared base, Izuku considered too close to cheating. While a viable strategy for the real-life crisis, he doubted the faculty would see it worthy to grant him points.
That didn't however, mean, he couldn't use his other toys.
Changing the setting on his webshooters, Izuku took a position on the roof.
As suspected, the robots were programmed to also gather in some parts of the city. Perhaps, they were looking to test the applicants' ability to take down threats while avoiding the friendly fire as well.
Izuku took an aim and squeezed his knuckles tight.
One after another, thumb-sized cartridges of web shot into the two-and three-pointers. The machines, apparently not without their own artificial sentience, could only scratch at the points of impact in artificial confusion.
Tick.
Tick.
SPLAT!
The cartridges exploded into thousands of white threads that tied the machines down and forced them onto their metal knees.
By his calculation, he already had accumulated around forty-six points total on his way here. These guys were worth solid thirty-five more.
Eighty-one points in total. No friendly fire or attacks on students so no deductions either. If the examiners were to roll our more robots in the next fifteen minutes, then he could-
"Hey!"
Izuku looked down and saw some of the kids near the web-covered three-pointed. Izuku awkwardly waved his hand at them. Only to be met with raised fingers.
No prizes for guessing which ones.
"I had him, you son of a bitch!" a boy with a drill for an arm shouted. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Get down there and apologize, you asshole!"
"Hey, he is that dick who took out all the robots on his way here!"
He could see the glares of other applicants. Clearing things up and maybe even apologizing was a good thing if they were to become classmates and friends later. But it would cost him the time he simply didn't have.
And, quite frankly?
He didn't feel sorry for doing so well.
"Hey, don't ignore me! You- Hey!" Izuku swung away, following the sound of combat. Last thing he needed was someone starting a fight with him. "I will get you for this later, bastard!"
"Fuck, let him go. Like we have time to deal with him," the other boy groaned as he watched the green-haired kid leave. "I swear if the rules didn't forbid fighting, I would…"
As the rest of the participants scattered to find more robots, one girl looked at the robot now covered in threats of white silk. The robot that she used her Quirk on less than seconds before it was hit with one of the boy's projectiles.
Did it count as her points?
I have to assume the worst-case and that it didn't count.
Nine points, Uraraka thought as the anxiety started tugging on her heart.
She had only nine points.
)O(
In the monitor room, the school faculty observed the exam. Each one had their eyes out for any instances of disruptive or inappropriate behavior. Each one was assessing the participants based on the predetermined criteria and, of course, their own judgement.
"We have quite the lively bunch this year," Kayama smiled. Another passionate display of power. Another show of youthful hunger. Another rush through her system. "Oh, just look the fire in their bellies!"
"Some have too much of it, if you ask me," Yamada clicked his tongue as he looked at the kill counts of some of the kids. "Seriously, is that Midoriya kid going to leave any robots for others?"
"The test is meant to determine the kids' combat ability," Aizawa switched to another screen. "If you wish to even things out, suggest a better idea for an entrance exam."
As the other teachers discussed and argued about the process, Toshinori couldn't help but continue to watch the green-haired kid. It was him, there was no doubt about it. It was the same kid from the Sludge Incident.
The same kid he considered a candidate right before he went to the States.
But I thought he was Quirkless?
Taking a quick look through the file, he found an analysis from the Quirk assessment center. A late bloomer, huh. No relation to any of his parents' Quirks, however. A case of the power passing over from an ancestor with the unregistered Quirk. Not an unheard of case, as rare as they were these days. It all made sense.
Almost too much of it. Too cleanly, as well.
He would need to look into the boy once the exam was over. A boy born without a Quirk but dreaming of the life as a hero? That was the kind of thing All for One would happily take advantage of.
Kayama sat closer to him, leaning over to take a look at the screen with the boy.
"He is smart," she said, dropping her usual playfulness. "It's almost like he has done this before. The way he moves across the city is quite impressive for someone who had his Quirk for only a year."
"His file states he has a low level psychic ability to detect danger," Ishiyama noted even looking away from his designated area of supervision. Just like the cement-user to memorize stuff like that. "I assume that helps to navigate through the city filled with hostile robots."
"It would if they were actually hostile," Maijima's fingers danced across his control panel. The head of the Support Department sounded almost offended at the idea of his machines being unfriendly. "They only pretend to be enemies, remember? I don't think we could actually have the applicants fight robots programmed to hurt them."
"Still," Kayama smiled and wrapped her arm around Toshinori's neck. The man couldn't help but blush slightly at such close contact with her. Aizawa did say the heroine was far more open than most but this... This would take some time to get used to. "I am definitely liking what I am seeing. At this rate, he is going to get the number one spot, easy."
Toshinori let out a yawn.
"How is he on the rescue points though?"
"Zero," commented Recovery Girl. "Can't say if this is an indicator of his own character or just our failure to properly design the exam with them in mind."
Rescue points were still vague as a criteria, introduced only in this year.
Ideally, rescue point system would come with the designated 'victims' meant to be saved. Placing them around the area and observing how the students would take their wellbeing into account could provide a very valuable insight into their potential applicants.
But that would require them actually disclosing the designation of the dummies. And even if they kept those secret, Toshinori doubted it would take much for a sharp enough group to figure out why those were placed.
"I still think we should have come up with a better way to calculate those," Aizawa complained as he rubbed his already exhausted eyes. "Students helping each other during the exercise meant to test their individual capabilities hardly constitutes as rescue."
"Still, isn't this kind of weird that this Midoriya kid is the only one without any?"
Snipe chuckled and looked at his colleague with that cocky grin of his.
"He isn't the only one."
)O(
BOOM!
BAM!
CRASH!
This is too fucking easy.
Katsuki smiled as he wiped off the sweat off his brow and looked around.
The entire block of robots was cleared. And not a single one of the extras tried to muscle in on his feast. They must have sensed that he would be taking all the points here so decided to scram and look for an easier kill.
They were smarter than he gave them credit for, then. He wouldn't want to fight himself for the points. Or he would. If he were to meet himself, he would definitely fight to see who was stronger. But not until the exam was over.
How much did he have by now?
Seventy-six, no less.
Ah, wait. He licked his lips as he saw two more metal fucks trying to get away.
[Please, mercy!]
[I was programmed to think I have a family!]
They should have given these things some actual weapons. Would make it more fun to kill these things.
"DIE!"
Twin blasts and two more three-pointers were scrap metal.
Make that eighty-two. That should be enough.
There was no way Deku could get more than that.
… but what if he had?
The blonde bomber growled, pissed off at himself for measuring himself against Deku. Deku didn't matter. The bet didn't matter. All that mattered right now was showing what he was made of.
"Come out, you metal fucks!" he roared. "Time to meet your death!"
He ran up the scorched body of one of the kills and smirked.
Time to take this shit to the next level.
BOOM!
With the sound of his Quirk breaking through the air, Katsuki soared into the sky.
He was still not finished perfecting this technique. But if the shocked expressions on the faces of all the extras were any indication, it was good enough for now.
Continuously forcing explosions under his feet to keep him up in the air, he observed the ground beneath and searched for the prey. Too many extras meant a risk some fuck would get caught and cost him points. Too few of the robots meant negative returns on his attack.
Time was ticking away and so was his patience.
But like a real predator, Katsuki was rewarded once his eyes caught a big juicy nest of the metal morons. Fifteen in total, mostly two- and three-pointers.
This should push him into triple digits.
He dove through the air and towards the gathered machines. Spinning in the air, fueled by well-timed and well-practiced explosions, the blonde was like a bullet.
Or rather, a missile.
"Howitzer Impact!"
After the explosion shook the ground and the air, a single figure rose from the crate. All his clothes, sans the miraculous pair of pants, were scorched to nothing. As were all the robots in his vicinity.
His head was ringing, and the taste of smoke clung to his tongue.
He never tasted anything sweater.
"Is that all, U.A.?" He roared out. His hunger for the challenge was bottomless and he made sure to let them all know. "Come on, give me more! This can't be all that Japan's top school can dish out, right? Bring all that you've got! Don't you are hold back on me!"
More robots came and he tore through them all the same. His skin was hot red and his hands were starting to shake but every strike and explosion was getting him closer to the number one spot. And there was no way he was going to stop when the robots just kept on coming.
He was about to run in search for more metal morons when some fuck ran into him. Breathe in. Breathe out. Don't blow the stupid fucker up or you will lose points.
Verbal assault was not physical though.
"WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING, YOU FUCKER!"
Some bitch stepped onto his face and ran.
"Oh God!"
"Get out of the way!"
"Move!"
Like the pack of animals in the burning zoo, the extras were running with tails behind their backs. He wondered whatever the hell might have sacred them off so badly.
The answer to his question came to the sound of crushing building. All around him, he could hear gasps and screams of the extras as one of the apartment buildings was torn apart by giant metal hands.
Zero-Pointer was on the scene.
The others ran. Some even fell to their knees and surrendered, begging for the teachers to pull them out.
Katsuki only grinned.
"… Is this all they've got?"
Like he would let some walking building stop him from getting more points. If the extras were going to hide among the rubble, let them. And if this tin tower was going to get in his way, he would just kill it and move on.
Just watch you all... Watch me carve my name into history of U.A.!
)O(
Zero-Pointers. As per their name, the metal mammoths were worth nothing.
Not that any of them had any hope of defeating it even if there were. Even a superficial look was enough to give you an idea of how durable the machine had to be to carry the weight of itself alone. He doubted anyone present here had the power necessary to even damage the outer shell.
So why did they introduce this thing in the first place? Was it meant to be a stimulation of the natural disaster perhaps? Some stress factor to make finding and subsequently taking down robots harder? To test their ability to handle an out-of-control situation, perhaps?
If it was the latter, they did a very good job.
"Oh my God, we are going to die!"
"Forget the points and run!"
"I am going to sue this fucking school!"
Izuku would be in the same boat if it were not for Doctor knocking some sense into him.
"They are still the school. Still accountable to the government, donors and parents. They just want to see which of you will break."
Spider-Sense blared, and he swung out of the way.
On his way to the roof, he shot three more lines of web to catch and carry the other participants with him. Even if they were not in any danger, it was best to not risk getting deduction points for negligence.
Three minutes remaining, the thing was still rampaging. And everyone seemed more concerned with hiding or running than scoring more points.
I have around ninety-six points by now. This should be enough.
Enough to pass. But was it enough to beat Katsuki?
Not unless he tried. Even if he were to lose, he would rather do so with full knowledge he did everything that he could to win. But he needed the area clear. He needed to assess the situation and take out as many robots as possible.
Preferably before Zero-Pointer crushed them under its foot.
"Help!"
The voice cut through the chaos and panic.
"Please, help!"
There, under the rubble, was the girl with chestnut hair.
"Leave her," Doctor urged. "Her life is in no real danger. We have less than two minutes until the time runs out. Quickly, we need to take out the remaining robots or we shall fail."
It was the logical thing to do. This was not the same situation as with Bakugou last year. The threat was a machine and not a rampaging villain. The situation was a simulation scenario and not a real danger. And if something were to go wrong, they had an entire school of pro heroes capable of handling it.
But Izuku heard Doctor's words far too late, already on the move. He would take his dressing down later. For now, saving this girl was far more important.
"Do you want to fail, Midoriya? I told you, this girl is in no danger! Listen to me and-"
"Remember what you told me, back when we first met?"
Izuku shouted over the doctor's voice and the deafening steps of the machine.
"Why you chose me…!"
He lifted the debris and tossed them into the machine's single eye.
"Why you believed in me…!"
Reaching for the girl, he could feel the Spider-Sense scream at him to get out. The danger was real.
"You told me that yourself, sir."
They were carried through the air, barely avoiding the death under the metal giant's foot. He could feel his heartbeat against his ribs, sending shocks of disbelief through his system.
"Because I have the heart of a hero!"
The airhorn rang through the air, signaling the end of the exam.
"Which is why, I will do things my own way, too."
Brief moment of silence lasted torturously long. Was Doctor mad at him? Most likely. Izuku winced, preparing for a quick pang of headache. But none came.
"Very well," Doctor said. Not disappointed. But proud. Or as proud as he could be of someone else. "I am sorry for trying to force my decision on you. You did the right thing, Midoriya."
Thank you, Izuku smiled.
"… t-thank you."
Oh right, he was not alone.
"B-But I don't think we have met before," the girl said, her eyes peeking out of the long bangs. "You must have confused me with someone else."
Ah, right.
He did say all those things out loud, didn't he? Shit, how did he explain himself?
Doctor, any help?
"I am sure, you can handle this. You can do things your own way, too, after all."
Seriously, he chose now to be petty?
"A-Ah, yeah," he stammered awkwardly. "See, ah, this is this thing I do in my head. When I need to pump myself up… I… I just do it, you know."
"Smooth."
Shoosh!
"A-Anyway," he extended his hand. "My name is Midoriya Izuku, pleasure to make your acquaintance."
The girl smiled and accepted his hand, "Kinoko Komori. The pleasure is all mine. Again, thanks for the help."
"Aaaaaalll riiiiiiight, dear listeners! That was some fire performance you put on for us today!"
The voice of Present Mic carried through the air, bringing the sense of relief and peace to everyone present. The feeling of dread and anxiety so thick in the just moments go was gone.
"Now that the exam is over, please, proceed to your nearest exit and-BZZZZZ."
Everyone looked around in confusion.
"Ahem pardon, it seems we have a small problem. As I was saying, look for your nearest exit and await further instructions! Make sure to-bzzzz-"
The loudspeakers went silent.
Something felt wrong.
Very, very wrong.
And as the exit gates failed to open, the sense of dread they all experienced just a few minutes ago returned. Only now, with the dawning horror of how little they knew about what was to come.
)O(
Opposite of the applicants, in the monitor room, the teachers were similarly overwhelmed with panic.
"What the hell is going on?"
"I don't know."
The fact that these words came from Nedzu had them all on edge.
"Someone hijacked our systems. The security protocols have been activated all across the school, we are locked in here..." the principal's eyes narrowed. He was panting heavily, his gaze shifting from stern to unfocused. "But this is not our biggest problem right now. Look at the monitors! The robots-"
"They are going back online!" Vlad King growled and grabbed Power Loader by the collar. "Are those weapons systems? Those robots aren't supposed to be armed at all!"
"They aren't! Or weren't," the head of the Support Department looked just as lost, just as afraid. Breaking the larger man's grip, the man started to frantically run his fingers across the control panel. "I have checked them an hour before the exam! The only people who have access to them besides me are our technicians and some of the third-years! But they couldn't have possibly armed them in that short amount of time!"
"We will find out who, how and why later," Eraserhead geared up, stifling a yawn. "Try to deactivate them while we handle the situation on site. All Might, I need you to bust us out of here. Hurry, we have no time!"
There was no response. Everyone fell silent, the blaring of sirens drowned out by the blood pumping in their ears. In the room with blinking red lighting, two figures sat calmly among the chaos of it all.
One was All Might who, in his frail and weak form, laid in the lap of Nemuri. Unconscious. Asleep.
The other was the heroine herself.
"Nemuri, what the-"
In the dark of the room, they never noticed their colleague's attire. Only now, in the glaring red lights of the alarm system, did Aizawa and the rest see that her uniform has tears and holes all over it. Only now did they notice a syringe in her hand.
Aizawa's weapon struck forth but, seconds from trapping its target, it fell. The erasing hero cursed under his breath as he felt fatigue overcome him. And, to his horror, the same was happening to the rest of the room.
"Just like that," the woman smiled and watched as one hero fell after another. With the gleeful – almost intoxicated – expression, she tore even more at her suit until no fabric stood between her skin and air. "Breathe it all in!"
Yamada tried to use his Quirk on the wall but all that came out of his opened mouth was a soft broken yawn before he collapsed along with the rest.
"Ooooh, we got a fighter here!" she cheered. Cackling, the woman stabbed a needle of the syringe into her neck. Instantly, the entire room was flooded with even more of her pheromones. "Alas, dear player, this is a cut scene!"
Aizawa fought to hold onto his consciousness. But it was a battle already lost. Nemuri always kept her Quirk in check. She was good enough at control that after all these years, he forgot just how potent its effect was.
He held onto long enough to watch Nemuri's body jerk and shake like it was being torn from the inside. Over the deafening siren of the alarm, he could hear his colleague scream like she never had before.
And to the sound of her bloodcurdling screams, the Erasing Hero's world faded to black.
)O(
"What are these things?"
"Careful, those could be bombs!"
"Why is this happening?"
Izuku watched the metallic spheres spread through the sky. They looked nothing like anything seen on U.A. grounds before. Before any of the applicants or himself could make sense of them, a new voice spoke out through the area.
Sweet and cheerful.
Too far of both for their liking and comfort.
"Good day to you all, aspiring hero applicants. Apologies for disrupting peace on such an important day. But I am afraid that I simply cannot stand by and watch this any longer," The voice let out a small bitter chuckle. "Seriously, is this all some kind of a joke? Is U.A. having a laugh at this country with this?"
All around them, the spheres lit up before shooting beams of green light. Walls, roads and whatever other surface they had nearby. They were projecting images. The recordings of their exam from start to finish.
"This is your idea of an entrance exam to the top hero school of our country? Smashing some robots? Robots that don't even have any actual weapons? And just look at this!"
This time, it was the recording of the last minutes of the exam. The arrival of zero-pointers and the destruction they wrecked across the fake city.
The footage gave special amount of focus to the horrified and panicked expressions of some of the applicants.
"We don't have heroes! We have mascots who care more about looking cute than doing their goddamn jobs! If you run scared at the sight of danger, then what are you all doing here?"
Their phones were taken before the exam. Izuku tried to use his AME headset only to find the communications blocked entirely. Something was jamming the signal.
"U.A. even had these bad boys programmed to shut down once a certain level of damage was detected. Or when they were restrained for a certain amount of time. Admirable, really, how much work they were willing to put into wearing kiddy gloves with you."
One-, two- and three-pointers all started rising.
"You want to be heroes? Then get ready for the world of pain."
They tore at the restraints. They stood firm and tall now, seeming so much more menacing than a few moments ago.
[UNIT-674: ONLINE] One-pointer spoke as it shed away the pincers for sharp blades. [WEAPON SYSTEMS ENGAGED]
[UNIT-2843: ONLINE] A two-pointed declared, its burning red staring down the kids before it. [TARGETS LOCKED-ON]
[UNIT-345: ONLINE] There was a small glitch before the three-pointer laughed in an all-too humane manner. [Holy shit, this is all real! Let's start the party, boys!]
So these are not all just AI's, Izuku thought as he watched more and more of the machines rise. Someone gets manual control over them, too.
"No more kiddy gloves. No Recovery Girl to kiss your boo-boos better. No teachers, heroes or even the police to come and help you all! The playtime's over," the voice declared gleefully. "Time to show what you really are made of!"
To the sound of people screaming and begging for rescue, the madman laughed.
"So commands the Arcade!"
)O(
Next chapter: Entrance Exam – Extermination!
The Arata Kidou (OC) is more or less based on/a parody of your standard Evil Deku.
"They told me I couldn't be a hero, so let's see what they think of me as THE VILLAIN!"
Or better yet…
"They told me I couldn't be a hero… So I am going to prove them wrong by engaging in the acts of villainy!"
Not much difference between the two, really, as in both cases, Izuku is basically one gigantic petty ass who will torture, blackmail, kill, participate in essentially acts of domestic terrorism and whatnot. But hey, he is not the villain, he is just a visionary antihero.
Hope you enjoyed this bastard and his new role as the Arcade!
That aside, hope you all enjoyed my take on the Entrance Exam.
I couldn't change much in the process but decided to add the bit about how none of the robots were armed.
Oh, and I had Izuku take a lot of points from under other people's noses. I guess my aim here was to avoid your standard issue where Izuku scores a lot of points but miraculously does so without hurting anyone who matters.
Well, here, Uraraka loses quite a few of them thanks to his efficient strategy. It only makes sense to me that, under Otto's influence, Izuku would pick the strategy where he can take the most points before others.
Good or bad? Up to you to decide.
Some of the deleted paragraphs I wrote but decided against including:
- Izuku having the standard "I talked to a girl!" bit. Originally, I was planning to have Izuku do the same only for Otto to repeatedly point out that she talked to him. ("She talked at you, really.") However, since this Izuku is a bit more confident thanks to the year of mastering his power and more focused on the exam, I cut it.
- Written portion of the exam. Originally, I planned to include the POVs of Iida, Ochaco, Izuku, Bakugou and Aizawa to showcase how hard this part was. There would be some hero trivia pieces and bits (Like, for example, a mention of the first Ingenium). However, I felt like it didn't have quite the tension necessary. It's no Chuunin Exam, so I cut it.
- Izuku having lunch with Tetsutetsu and internal-monologuing on how much he developed his Spider-Sense.
- Stain POV. This was supposed to be the continuation of where we left off with him. It would be a quick recap of his investigation into King Goblin and his operations as well as more of his stalking Izuku. But it didn't mash quite well with the rest. So I cut it.
- Flashback to All Might's time in USA. In fact, the whole first part of the chapter was cut down to him arriving back in Japan. Initially, I planned to write out the entire ten months of his POV from meeting Midoriya to leaving for USA and then coming back for the entrance exam. By the end, however, it felt like an infodump with far too much things vague to be worth including. For actual tale of All Might in the US of A, look forward to the next sidestory!
And that's it for the notes.
Sorry for rambling. I was writing this when I was locked out of Internet for six days.