Flashing lights. Deafening sounds. Izuku found himself surrounded by the enemies from all sides. He tried to push through but one of them grabbed his hand, keeping him in place. Sensing the weakness - blood in the water - they swarmed him like the hungry sharks.
He was going to be eaten alive.
"Calm down, Midoriya. These are just reporters. They are harmless."
He didn't need his Spider-Sense to tell it was a lie.
"Easy for you to say," Izuku groaned. "You are not the one with the mics shoved in your face."
Not physically, at least. Doctor could see and hear the same things as him. Izuku wasn't sure if Doctor could tune those down if he wanted to. God, what he wouldn't give to be in someone else's head right now.
"Midoriya, one question!"
"Are you available for the interview?"
"Has U.A. contacted you about the results?"
It has been a two days since the attack on the school - tastelessly referred to as Arcade's Attack. Two days that he spent in the hospital getting treated and checked on by the doctors. With his regeneration, two days seemed like an overkill. Especially when he turned on the news and saw that not every other applicant was as lucky as him.
"Are you still going to attend U.A. High?" one of the men asked as he blocked his way. "Do you trust the faculty to protect you and the other students?"
"Do you have any words for Arata Kidou?" another one jumped in, fishing for the reaction. A negative one, if his sleazy grin was any indication. "What do you think his sentence should be?"
"Did you witness any of your fellow applicants dying?" The question splashed over him like cold water. "What do you have to say to the grieving friends and families?"
He ignored all the questions as Doctor's voice compelled him to slowly push forward as the security staff helped disperse the crowd. It was just one of the many ways U.A. was trying to help the surviving applicants. Along with the paid medical treatment, counselling sessions and, in case of those less lucky, compensation fees.
Although, just like Doctor, Izuku doubted it would help the twelve families, whose kids would never come home now.
"All of that will only go so far for the school."
No matter how many millions the school paid or how they chose to honor them, the fact remained that twelve children died. Twelve kids whose only crime was wanting to attend this school would never grow up. And though the real culprit was already caught and would soon be judged, that would not save the school from the heavy scrutiny.
From the prime-time news to the chatrooms, everyone was talking about the attack. And you would be hard-pressed to find those who didn't blame the school as much as they did the villain. How did their robots get so easily hijacked? Why did the heroes fail to react in time to the ongoing disaster? Why did they fail the kids that trusted them?
And the few that did try defending the school - using the interviews and statements from the faculty - quickly found themselves shouted down by the court of public opinion.
"It will be hard for Midnight and Power Loader to come out of this unscathed," Doctor commented as Izuku browsed through the forums. So many of them decrying both heroes. As incompetent. As irresponsible. As complicit in the massacre that occurred. He closed the tab after seeing some armchair 'expert' calling both heroes murderers. "I will not be surprised if they are forced to resign."
It was unfair. Izuku knew why people felt the way they did. But it was still unfair.
"It is. Few things are fair in life. Compensating the grieving families will not bring their children back. Firing either of or both teachers will not do that either," So then why push for their resignation? Wouldn't it be better if both heroes went after the ones responsible and cleared their names? "In an ideal world, yes, the public would see that as the most rational solution. But the world is not ideal. And the public is far from rational."
Individually, they could look at the situation and understand that it was far more important to capture whoever orchestrated the attack. But that didn't sell subscriptions and gain views as tearing the heroes and the school down and apart.
"Right now, U.A. is in vulnerable position. The public will judge every move the administration makes. And I wouldn't be surprised if some of their donors decided to look into other options. Some of which have extended an invitation to you."
Izuku looked at the letters in his account. From the prestigious international schools like Power Academy to the oldest hero school Ryuken, his mailbox was practically bursting with invitations to attend their school. It was ridiculous for him, to be scouted by the prestigious schools instead of the other way around.
"You shouldn't be surprised. You managed to contact the outside world for help as well as faced the overwhelming physical threat before the heroes arrived. While it will only be temporary, your reputation right now is an asset to any school that you choose to attend."
The videos of him swinging around the metal monster and wrapping it in his makeshift webbing went viral, having gathered over a million views in the last two days each. And every single one ended with his voice announcing 'Game Over' to the villain.
He must have been high on adrenaline when he opened his mouth. Because no matter what the comments said, he felt more embarrassed than proud of what came out of his mouth. Sure, it was what he really thought of people like Arcade but... Did he really have to say it all out loud?
Because now every single reporter was treating him like some authority on random school attacks. And then there were fan letters. And then there were suggestive fan letters. Very suggestive fan letters.
"Midoriya," Doctor cut in, his voice icy. "As glas I am to see that you are a healthy young man, please, do try and warn me before you decide to indulge in some of your more... hormonal musings."
Burning red and pushing all those thoughts aside, Izuku quickly switched his train of thought back to the other schools. It made sense that he, among the other survivors, would have some offers lined up for them. It was unlikely they would receive any preferential treatment besides having a chance to apply to the school outside the established dates, however.
Their reputation right now was an asset. But one that the big schools like SUPER-5 was not particularly desperate for.
"U.A. has more incentive to convince the passing applicants to attend. It would show the public that the children as well as their parents trust their faculty to protect them and prevent any similar disasters in the future. Although they will most certainly avoid any actions that might make them come across as weak or manipulative, they might try and accomodate some of your more special needs. After all, along with Iida Tenya and Bakugou Katsuki, you are the most prominent survivors."
Izuku felt a smile spread across his lips at the mention of Iida. The boy managed to organize them under the circumstances when he himself was almost ready to go out on his own. It was no surprise that he was also among the majority of conversations right now.
But then, there was Bakugou.
And their bet.
It seemed like such a stupid idea now that they had gone through an actual villain attack. So dumb. So childish. Who cares what score each one of them got when the entire exam went to hell?
"Worried that you will have to honor the bet if you scored below him?"
No. Quite the opposite.
He was worried that he scored higher than Bakugou.
"Why? Don't you think thar if he scored below you, it would only be fitting that he goes to another school? Last thing we need is someone interrupting our studies with petty bullying."
A couple of days ago, Izuku would have agreed. He still had trouble coming to terms with how badly his relationship with Bakugou deterioriated. He wasn't even sure if he would want to be friends with him if they did have a chance to patch things up. A small ugly part of him even relished the idea of having Bakugou away in another school.
But now that they have survived through the villain attack, it was almost pathetic how childish the entire thing was. And Izuku felt quite the shame over agreeing to the whole thing.
It just didn't feel right.
Not anymore.
)O(
For the second day in a row, a large crowd was gathered before the U.A. gates. Placards proudly raised as high as the voices that decried the school and those who worked there. Words like 'murderers' and 'monsters' were thrown around as easily as drawing breath.
And then there were the vultures with press passes and streaming specialists. The latter were agitating the crowd for the views, playing the part of the outside-establishment 'news sources' when they were little more than kids with cameras. Not that it made them any more pleasant or easy to deal with.
The former, the smarter ones, were on the lookout for the juicier prey. Like the two heroes that just exited the car and walked towards the gates.
It was one of the days when Aizawa regretted going semi-public instead of staying underground. It was one of the days when Hizashi seriously considered tearing the people a new one at supersonic volumes.
"Eraserhead, Eraserhead!" a young reporter pushed her way past her rivals. In her eyes, he could see the vicious hunger. Excitement. "Any news regarding Midnight and Power Loader's employment?"
"Is it true that All Might is withdrawing his offer to teach at your school?" An older man blocked Mic's path. "Do you have a comment on that?"
"With how many applicants expressed the lack of faith in U.A., do you think the school will have any new students this year?"
Each and every question was met with silence or curt 'No comment'. If they felt generous. Aizawa was neither new nor naive to the ways these people operated. He didn't hate the press so much as he had no respect for what it had become these days. There was no actual desire for the truth - just whatever would sell the most subscriptions.
"Midnight and Power Loader should go to jail!" one of the assholes with a camera shouted. More to his audience than either of the teachers. "You all should go to jail for killing those kids!"
He had even less patience for the people like that. Someone who had neither the information nor the desire to obtain it. He could understand someone who genuinely hated them for their failure to protect the students. He had far less patience for someone who was pnly outraged because it got them more views.
Still, it was not up to him to decide what to do with people like him. He already had enough on his plate to bother with some influencer.
Ignoring the chants and the shouts, he and Mic made their way past the crowd and the gates. As the metal closed behind them, the silence reigned in their world once more. Not that either of the man expected it to last.
They were the last to arrive though nobody chastised them for it.
With three of their colleagues absent, the atmosphere in the room was tense enough already.
Nemuri was still undergoing the examinations to see if her hijacker left any traces in her body. While Maijima was busy checking every single piece of the machines alone in his workshop. But the one absence they all felt was that of All Might.
The man didn't say much to any of them in the past two days. He held the press conference where he apologized for not protecting the kids. He gave the promise to find whoever stood behind Arcade. And then he essentially dropped from the school's radar. He was still listed in their school's system so Aizawa didn't think the man actually quit.
But asking what was going on with the Symbol of Peace would have to wait.
"I thank you all for coming today," Nedzu gave them a small but polite nod. His normally cartoonishly cheerful demeanor was gone, instead replaced with the somber if polite appearance. "I apologize for not giving you more time to recover from the recent events. However, the current state of things leaves us little opportunity to do that."
"As the teachers and the faculty of the school, everyone here understands the importance of this meeting," Shuzenji-san said, her face showing more marks of the age than it ususally did. "The decision we make every year on which of the applicants pass reflects not only our school's views on what makes the heroes but also sets the example for those who wish to one day attend U.A."
Each of the Great Five schools had their own philosophy in regards to the duty of heroes. Their own set of ideals they wished to impart to the new generation of the pros. And U.A. was no exception to that rule.
"Right now, everyone in Japan is awaiting our decision," the principal added. "We must show both the people that we protect and those we protect them from that we are ready for whatever lies ahead. And it all starts with the new school year and the students we choose."
The glass panel in the center of their table came to life and projected the image into the air. Numerous applicants and their files stood bright in the air. The separate screens buzzed with function before every single member of the faculty present.
The first applicant's file was accessed: Midoriya Izuku
"Let's begin."
)O(
"Kuroko Senjou," Doctor sounded pleased as they reviewed the material on their interviewer. "We have chosen wisely."
Izuku didn't wish to give any interviews. But as Doctor said, he wouldn't have much choice. Whether he liked it or not, he was a big part in the current topic and he could either let someone else write the narrative around him or take control of it, instead.
Kuroko-san was relatively young in the field. Izuku was quite surprised - though no offended - that he would be interviewed by someone in their mid-twenties. He half-expected the studio to send someone like Miyagi Daikaku. Not that his preparations were made any easier because of it.
The light focused on him and Izuku did his best not to show that he was unused to it. The chair was quite comfortable but he didn't relax into it lest it be mistaken for the lack of respect of decorum. As the cameras rolled and the reporter introduced herself and then him, Izuku followed the instructions and lessons drilled into his head in the past few days.
"I will say, a lot of members of our audience are amazed by how quickly you recovered, Midoriya-kun," she smiled at him and some of the audience gave a small cheer for no other reason than that it was expected. "Not a lot of kids your age could go through what you have and be ready to get back into the swing of things in less than three days."
He smiled awkwardly and thanked her for the compliment, buying himself a few seconds to gather himself for the response. The implication of him being eager to get in the spotlight was there only if he gave it any food or room to grow.
"I recovered quite fast thanks to my Quirk. Not to mention the amazing staff at the hospital I was staying at. I was very fortunate to have U.A. send me there even though I didn't appear harmed at the time," Some would later say that his last addition felt forced. And, to a small degree, they would be right. But only in the sense that he chose to mention the school. "The counselling I received after my stay also helped me recover faster."
"That's very kind of them," she returned with a smile of her own. It did not come out as sincere, though. No doubt she wanted something juicier. "So tell us, Midoriya-kun, are you still planning to attend U.A.?"
He could practically hear the entire room grow quiet at the question. He wasn't surprised, however. It was obvious that this would be one of the questions.
"I am," with two simple words, the commitment was made. "The results of the exam haven't been released yet, though. So I am not even sure if I got in."
There was a small laugh shared among the crowd. A mix of amusement at his answer before he even knew if he was accepted and, of course, the presumption that he would be accepted after the video of him fighting the giant robot became viral.
"I am sure you have," Kuroko-san was reassuring as she pulled up the very video. "It is not everyday that the day is saved by someone as young as you, after all."
"It was a team effort. I was lucky enough to run into very talented applicants such as Iida-kun who quickly organized the scattered applicants and helped us all get through the crisis," he said sincerely, almost breaking into one of his mumbling feats. "Without the support of my fellow applicants, I am not even sure if I could get to contact the outside world for help."
"I am sure that your fellow applicants are happy to hear that. Though I do have a question, do you not feel that it is even slightly unfair that you and your peers had to deal with you had?"
And there it was. The question he expected just as much but hoped would not come up.
"I have great respect for the school and the heroes that teach there," she gave an excuse even before delivering the question's other part. "But I believe that many of our viewers want to know, how come the staff were not there to stop the attack?"
"Alright, now you need to be careful," Doctor whispered. "Just as we practiced."
He stilled his breath and gave the reporter a barely visible smile. One that spoke of pain. And regret.
"What happened during the exam is a tragedy. I don't think that anyone can deny that. I am one of the lucky many that survived the attack. But that doesn't make the deaths of the other applicants any less tragic," he swallowed hard, feeling sick. At the memory of the man responsible. At the memory of all the news he read about every single of the dead kids. "Which is why it is all the more important for me to focus on the ones responsible."
There was strength in his voice. One that even he was surprised to find. He practiced with Doctor a lot in the past two days. But none of those came close to what he sounded like now.
"I don't know many things, I admit that. But what I know for certain is that U.A. and pro heroes arriven as soon as they could. And while none of that changes the tragic deaths of the others, it is not them that I blame for it."
They were caught off-guard. But they were still heroes. And if any of what he heard about Midnight and Power Loader in the past two days was true, then he was sure that they would not rest until they found justice for the ones they didn't protect.
"I blame Arata Kidou for attacking the kids like me for no better reason than his personal feelings of inadequacy and frustration and envy. I blame whoever has enabled him to do what he had."
"But U.A. could have-"
"We all could have done a lot of things, Kuroko-san," he interrupted her, earning a split-second glare from the woman. "The people who lost their kids and friends during that attack... I understand why they are angry. At U.A. and the pro heroes for not coming sooner. Or even at me for standing here alive instead of their loved ones. I understand why they are angry."
If he died in the attack, mom would have felt the same way as all the parents did. It was natural. It was human.
"Maybe I am being stupid right now. Because I am not old or smart enough to understand or know everything. But I made myself a promise when I woke up in the hospital," he saw the people lean in as they sought to hear what it was. "I promised myself to make it count. I... I promised that I would do my best to honour those that fell victim to the actions of the villains that day. That I would not let their deaths remain as such."
He saw the awe and respect in the eyes of the audience. The awe and respect that he did not deserve.
"I have always wanted to attend U.A. For as long as I can remember. But now that dream is not just mine anymore," his voice was soft and yet carried on powerful through the air. "It is the dream that I share with everyone who fought that day. Who refused to give in to despair and fear. Who, even when outnumbered and outgunned, chose to be heroes."
He gave a deep bow to the audience.
"So I promise to you, I will carry that dream for us all."
He stayed like that for a full minute before the the sound of a single pair of hands broke the silence. One set of hands clapping was followed by another. Then two more. And soon, the hands clapped up the thunder and cheers rose and mixed into air-shaking roar.
)O(
"He is good," Snipe grumbled as they finished watching the only interview the kid gave. "Knows how to work the crowd."
"His performance during the exam shows a good understanding of his physical limits," Sekijiro nodded as he watched the footage. "He instantly took to the higher ground when the exam started and went for the targets further up the routes when it became clear that there were more points to accumulate there."
"He also earned an impressive amount of rescue points."
Rescue Points were a new addition to the exam. One proposed by All Might shortly after the Sludge Incident. Naturally, that meant that it would come with more than a few blindspots. Such as what exactly made an action worth rescue points.
In more than a few cases, they needed to rewatch the footage several times as well as check the interviews conducted with students before the exams to ensure that their actions were deliberate rather than accidental rescues. In the boy's case, however, it was clear that he saved Komori-san.
His performance during the attack was also impressive and earned him good amount of Crisis Points. Not that everyone agreed that those should even be taken into account.
"I still think that we should assess the applicants based on their exams only," Sekijiro was a hardass as usual. Snipe never quite liked that about the guy. Always too much of a stickler to rules and regulations. "It is unfair to add in the third criteria on top of the Rescue Points that the children didn't know about."
"Real life doesn't care for excuses, though," the gunman didn't flinch under the blood hero's glare. He had seen scarier ones before his voice cracked. "We can't just ignore how the kids handle themselves under pressure."
He was always the one who advocated for U.A. to ease up on the kiddie gloves. It was just one of the side effects of them living in this Golden Age of Peace. With All Might around to take care of so many of their problems, way too many kids went in expecting the sunshine and rainbows in this line of work.
The worst of the worst have been taken down by All Might, sure. But you never knew when the big guy would retire. And not enough people were planning for the day that he would.
"If they can't handle this much, they should go to Eigakai or some other school where they only need to look pretty for the camera."
"They are just kids," the big softie growled at him. "Why are you even h-"
"Gentlemen, please,' Nedzu intervened before the things got nasty. He and Sekijiro never got along, everyone knew that much. But with the current shit of a situation, it seemed that they were closer to getting physical than they usually were. "Both of you have valid points on the matter. But I would rather we not turn this place into the battlefield."
Both of them shared one quick glare before resuming the discussion. In the end, while Crisis Points would remain as a criteria, it was decided that they would assess each case individually instead of making the general rule on all of them. In the cases of those like Uraraka-san who was knocked out during the crisis, Crisis Points would not be taken into account when deciding her placement.
And there went their day. Maybe the next one, too, with how they were moving through the applicants.
The discussion continued on for four more hours as they carefully discussed just the applicants from just the first three zones. Some of the applicants have chosen to withdraw their applications. Many have chosen to stay and be judged. He respected that.
"What about that Aoyama kid?" Ishiyama asked as he brought up his file. "He got impressive firepower even if he cannot control if quite well. Plus, he showed some fortitude and courage during the last moments of the crisis."
"His family hasn't responded to our calls and emails regarding his applications," Nedzu took a small sip of his tea. "I am planning to visit them later this week to confirm his attendance or withdrawal."
And so they moved on to the other kids. As they got onto the next one in the databse, he couldn't help but scoff.
"Seriously, how did this one qualify?"
)O(
Minoru took his acceptance letter, shaking with every inch of his body.
He passed. He was going to attend U.A.
Oh God...
"I am going to die."
While Arcade was locked behind bars, there were already rumors that this was not a one-man operation. Someone was behind him. And if that someone learned things from the attack, they definitely would not make the same mistakes as before. They would come better-armed, better-prepared and better-everything else.
And he would die.
Minoru, at the age of fifteen, had no delusions about who he was or what he could do. He was not strong or cool. He was smart but not in any way that could make him stand out unless there was a written exam.
In the garden of flowers and fruits that was the current hero generation, he was just a sole grape lying around on the ground hoping that he doesn't get squashed.
Which meant that when the things inevitably went to shit, he would be the first one to bite it. He would be one of those classmates who get killed off in horror manga to show how serious the situation is. Seriously, if that shitshow happened during the entrance exam, who knew what was going to happen during the actual school year?
No, count him out.
There were other schools, too! He could go to one of them, pretend that he didn't pass and coast along using his entrance exam experience for some easy social points. Maybe he would even get a girlfriend? Yes. Yes, that was a great idea!
Why risk his ass when he could try and get some ass instead?
All that was left to do was get some documents from the school and send the applications to other hero courses. He opened the door to the staffroom, the decision firm and made.
BANG
He dropped on the ground.
BANG
He rolled behind one of the tables and watched his life flash before his eyes. It was a sad and lonely montage.
BANG
No more shots followed. Instead, as colorful strips of confetti and glitter fell to the ground, the loud and cheerful greeting filled the room.
"Surprise!"
He stepped away from the desk to see his teachers and classmates smile at him, the banner with the bold purple letters spelling 'CONGRATULATIONS!' held up by some of the kids. What was going on?
"Never knew you had it in ya, Mineta!" The class president - Sadouji - grinned as he gave him a firm pat on the back. "Try not to forget us when you are rubbing shoulders with the U.A. elite, alright?"
"Can you imagine, one of the kids from our school is going to attend U.A.?" Mieru-san, their English teacher, mused. He then looked at Minoru, a proud though expecting smile on his usually dry face. "Make sure to represent our school well."
"Mineta-kun, you were so cool back there!" One of the girls - Natsumi - cooed. The untouchable beauty and the gem of their school thought he was cool. He could die a happy man, right now. "You really surprised me!"
There was a small party for him. With the usual assortment of junk food and sweets. Lots of words of congratulations and well-wishes. Jokes and musings about what kind of hero he would be.
And, though unspoken, every single question always had the same hidden edge to it.
He was going to U.A., right? He could feel their gazes on him. No judgment or scorn or disappointment. No suspicion or pressure. Just excitement and good-natured envy of him and his future.
"O-Of course, I am! WHo are you taking me for?" he gave them his widest smile as he laughed loud enough to fool even himself into thinking that he was not afraid. "U.A. better look out, for their next top student is going to take the school by the storm!"
Slowly, the celebration came to an end. He stayed around to help with cleaning up. Shared a few more pleasantries with his classmates. Even got Natsumi's number! Okay, he didn't get her number as much as he was added to the class' new chat for them to keep in touch even after they go to different schools but it still counted!
And so, high on the good mood, he went back home. Still on cloud nine, he went upstairs to his room. Humming a small happy tune to himself, he changed into his home clothes and dropped on his bed.
And then he screamed bloody murder into his pillow.
How am I supposed to weasel out of this now?!
They took pictures together. Hell, he posted one on his Clickogram account! And out of all his posts, this one had to be the one to get a decent amount of attention. He couldn't just go somewhere else now. Even if the teachers said nothing when he took his documents, people still talked. It could take months but eventually, someone would find out.
And he would be socially dead.
Alright, calm down, Minoru. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breast in- No time for breasts!
Oh God... This stress was making him some kind of anti-degenerate. He needed to think this whole thing through before he lost touch of what made him who he was.
U.A. came under attack. Attack was stopped. Twelve died. Culprit was caught. Culprit claimed to have accomplices. What did they want, though? If their beef was with the school, then they would repeat it. But what if it wasn't?
What if whoever helped Arcade just wanted to send the message? Then they could always attack some place else. And even if they were going after U.A., the school would be smart enough to prepare themselves for another attack.
"I really psyched myself up over nothing," he chuckled. "I mean... It is U.A.! They are going to have All Might there all the time! The villains would have to be stupid to attack it again!"
Yes, that made total sense. He would go to U.A. and it would be the safest and most reliable place for him to attend.
Of that, he was absolutely sure.
)O(
"Next one is Iida Tenya," Sekijiro brought up the holographic image of the young man. Next to him were the rough stats assessed during the exam. "During the exam, he demonstrated the ability to calmly assess the situation and secured the impressive total of sixty-one points."
"He also managed to regain control during the shitshow," Snipe gave an impressed nod. "I know pros that would lose their cool under such heat. As expected from the Ingenium family."
Ingenium was one of their country's oldest agencies, with the history of the family dating back to the very first years of the industry. Ishiyama was something of a hero history nut and so it was quite the pleasure to see the Iida household continue the tradition.
"Iida-kun managed to lead his entire group through the crisis without any losses," Nedzu smiled. It was clear that the principal valued a team player. It was no secret that their fuzzy leader was concerned with how little cooperation there was between heroes these days. So seeing someone who could lead the men behind him was definitely a calming sight.
"Speaking of leading, let's talk about this one," Snipe clicked on his screen and the snarling blonde appeared in the air. "Bakugou Katsuki. The kid's got a beast in him."
The video played and showed him decimate the opposition. Ishiyama was not one to compare students to animals but there was no other way to describe the way the boy moved. Not a single motion was wasted. Not a single moment was spent wondering or planning. As calculated and precise his attacks were, they seemed almost natural to the boy.
Like he was born to fight.
"He has one hundred and fifteen villain points," Snipe read, a distinct note of amusement in his voice. "That is, without all the machines he blew up when mess started."
An impressive amount. The footage showed the boy's movements throughout the entire thing. Even when the attack happened, he was the fastest of all applicants to take in his surroundings and start counterattacking.
It would not be an exaggerration to say that, out of everyone in the exam, he had the greatest combat potential.
"No rescue points, however," Shuzenji-san shook her head in concern. "Even by accident or out of self-interest, the young man was concerningly alone in his actions."
"Is that really such a huge dealbreaker, though?" the sniper returned. "Out of all the applicants, less than a half earned rescue points that were in double digits. I understand the idea behind the metric but let's be real, it is very vague."
What constituted rescue points?
On paper, it was simply helping other applicants. But in practice, it was harder to pin down what qualified for help. Midoriya-kun saving Komori-san was a good outlier. However, what of, say, an applicant getting debris that would fall on another person to use as weapons?
Technically, they did save the other applicant but did so by accident.
"Even if we disregard his lack of rescue points, there is the issue of him refusing any cooperation with his fellow applicants during the crisis," their resident healer said. "While refusing to cooperate during the exam in understandable, I am concerned that he didn't team up with any other applicants in his area even when they tried to follow him."
She brought up the three separate footages of him being approached by the groups of applicants. Some injured. Some safe.
"Bakugou-kun has remained a lone wolf the entire time. Cooperation is one of the key aspects of the hero work. I think we should take into account the lack of it in his performance."
"He did take down all the robots in his zone practically single-handedly, though," Hizashi have a low whistle. "Could it be that our little bombhead chose to act along so as to not get any of the other students caught up in the crossfire?"
"That's quite the assumption, Mic."
"Yeah, but still, seeing that he basically attracted every single machine in his zone and then took them down by himself is impressive," the DJ pointed at the number of casualties in his zone. "Say what you will about the hothead but I think he is responsible for keeping the number of dead or severely injured in his zone to zero."
Cooperation was good. Vital for certain operations. But it was only as good as the members of the group. They watched the footage again - observing the almost random pattern in which Bakugou seemed to run around the place.
Until they decided to focus on the other camera angles.
"He is drawing them after himself," Snipe laughed. "He takes the robots near the injured or exhausted students and leads them after himself. That takes some serious balls!"
"I guess even rude kids like him can't stand by and do nothing when they see someone in trouble," Shuzenji-san relented. "Very well then. I believe that we have gone through all of them, then."
Nedzu nodded and brought up the screen filled with all the students who have passed the initial phase of their assessment. The system has already sorted and ranked them based on the Villain, Rescue and Crisis points. What remained now was their personal input.
"For years, we have relied on the standard results to help us compose classes. And I believe that the current situation allowed us an opportunity to reflect on that. I have decided that we cannot simply continue as we had before."
He walked over to the main screen and smiled towards them.
"We need to do better. And we will do better by these kids," the principal walked all over the table presenting every teacher with the individual files on each applicant they chose. His personal assessment of their areas of improvement and potential routes for their development.
Back when he was an escaped science experiment, Nedzu used the same analysis to evade and take down heroes that were sent after him.
"And we are going to start right now."
)O(
After the interview, Izuku's life returned to the routine. He would wake up, go on a jog before his job and then hit the gym. People were starting to ease up on asking for pictures and interviews, though some still recognized him either at the restaurant or on his way to the shop. Doctor was quieter than usual with the exception of his training and work on the equipment.
And then the message from U.A. had arrived.
Mom was by his side as he opened the oddly heavy envelope. A metal device fell out and would have cracked the old wooden table had he not caught it. Before he could pick it apart on the orders from Doctor, the thing glowed with blue light before projecting the hologram into the air. The hologram of a weird bear-rat thing?
[Greetings, Midoriya Izuku!]
The thing smiled at him, raising its adorable paw in the air. Was this a call? A pre-recorded message? He greeted the hologram nonetheless.
[My name is Nedzu and I am the principal of U.A. High. I would like to congratulate you on your successful passing of the U.A. entrance exam. I would like to extend my apologies for the incident that occurred and thank you for the continued faith in our school.]
[Every year, close to a thousand of new students apply to our Hero Program. Out of them, we accept only the top forty to be divided between the two classes. Our faculty and staff were impressed with your performance in the exam as well as your ability to handle yourself in the critical situations. With that in mind, we have assigned you to the Class 1-A.]
[We are looking forward to seeing you this spring. For the details regarding your assessment, please refer to the message and its attachments sent to your email.]
He couldn't believe it. He was going to attend U.A.
"Congratulations, Izuku!" mom hugged him as she cried. He was sure that she had her concerns. But for now, she was just happy for him. And in return, he promised himself to not make her ever worry or regret putting faith in him. He was one step closer to his dream now. "We should celebrate it! I am going to start cooking your favourites! Oh, and we need to call Hisashi! He will be so thrilled!"
Their usually quiet home was filled with noise as mom couldn't stop crying off happiness for him.
It took him one quick look at the message for his good mood to sour. It was the ranking of students. The dreadful bet - a mistake he encouraged - resurfaced in his head.
1. Iida Tenya |VP-61|RP-28|CP-100|Total-189|
2. Midoriya Izuku |VP-96|RP-30|CP-75|Total-181|
3. Bakugou Katsuki |VP-115|RP-0|CP-65|Total-180|
A one-point difference in total score. Nineteen points of difference in Villain Points. The former in his favour. The latter in Bakugou's.
"Mom? I will step out for a few minutes, should I pick something up?" She gave him a list of some things to buy. Just some juice and snacks. He had enough time to buy that. "I will be back soon."
Bakugou was not home. His mom didn't know where he was but he had an idea. He went back to the abandoned warehouse where they fought. Where they made stupid bet in the first place. The whole place was shaking as the explosions inside rattled the old carcass of a building. No prizes for guessing who was responsible.
"Came here to gloat?" the blonde asked without turning to him. "Go on, Deku. Laugh."
God, did he really have to do this? Did they actually have to do this?
"You scored higher in Villain Points. I only won because of the two criterias we knew nothing about."
No answer. Just more blasts and bangs.
It was almost disturbing to see Bakugou be so detached.
"This was a stupid bet, anyway," Again, silence from the blonde. This was getting frustrating. "... Why are you being so difficult? I am not going to make you stick to the bet. Hell, the whole thing went out the window when Arcade hijacked the whole thing! So stop brooding in the dark and let's go to U.A. together."
Bakugou chuckled. Not his usual arrogant and cocky sound. But one that was almost tired.
"Fuuuuuuuuuuuck," he exhaled and slowly turned to Izuku. "Did you - a fucking Deku - just pity me? Haha, shit, this is so damn sad it is actually funny. Deku pitying me?"
"I am not pitying you-"
"Then why the fuck are you here?" He hissed. "I didn't ask you to come look for me like I am some whiny bitch. I don't need you to hold my hand and tell me you will let me go to U.A. So take your sorry ass and go fuck yourself in it, Deku!"
He could feel the headache coming, his blood heating up. Frustration and anger at the ridiculousness of the situation mixing and simmering a one.
"You are not a whiny bitch? So why act like it?" Izuku never swore much. But he was a teen and that's what they did when they felt like the other person was just not listening. "You say that you don't care. Is that why you ran off here to blow trash up? Is that why you are going to turn back on U.A. just because you scored one point below me?"
It was childish. Stupid. Pathetic.
"You always said you will be a Number One Hero. What kind of top hero would let a stupid bet with someone he doesn't even respect stop him?"
"Deku, you better-"
"See? You can't even refer to me by my actual name and yet, somehow, you still want to keep up your end of the deal with me?"
"I said-"
"Maybe you are just afraid?"
Both of them stood quiet. Both processing what was just said.
"The fuck-"
"You are afraid, aren't you? All your life, you thought that you had what it takes to be a hero. That it was your destiny. But now that you found yourself judged by the professionals, you find out that you don't! I got the letter with the assessment from the U.A. faculty where they told me all things they considered when deciding my score. Did they send you the same? Did you hate what they wrote to you? Is that what sca-"
"SHUT UP!"
Spider-Sense warned him of an incoming punch.
Izuku let it connect.
"You fucking nobody... You think you can just come here and tell me what to do with my life? Go get fucked, Deku," Bakugou scoffed. "I can decide for my fucking self where I want to study. I don't need your permission for that, got it?"
He passed by him, shoving him aside.
"Don't go getting a full fucking head just cause you scored higher than me, Deku. U.A. or not, it is only a matter of time until I remind you where you fucking belong. So enjoy this feeling while you can."
Izuku waited for Bakugou to say something else. But he just left. When he came back home, Izuku pretended that the entire thing didn't happen. For the rest of the night, he enjoyed mom's delicious cooking and calls of congratulations from dad and several relatives.
Once it was the time to sleep, Izuku felt the facade crack and the guilt flood his head.
"Whatever happens to Bakugou, this is not your fault. You extended a helping and merciful hand. It is not your fault if that dog chose to bite at it."
"Thanks, Doctor," Izuku thought. He could still remember Bakugou's eyes in the warehouse. Bloodshot. Red not just with anger but frustration. The dried marks of fresh tears. "I just wish I believed that myself."
In the following months, he failed to contact Bakugou again. He didn't wish to get either of their parents involved and so had to rely on getting him on his own. But to no avail. Up until the spring and the beginning of his first semester, Izuku held onto hope that Bakugou would still come to U.A.
Aizawa-sensei, their classroom teacher, started the roll call. One after another, the names were checked off the list. They were one student short and Izuku was patiently waiting for him to call on Bakugou.
"Excuse me!" the voice definitelty not belonging to the Explosion user called from behind the door. The wild gust of wind forced the door open as the large boy walked in with the wild grin, "Paaaaardon my tardiness!"
The young man bowed down, smashing his head into the floor.
"Yoarashi Inasa! Pleasure to meet you all!"
With the last name checked, Izuku felt the shame over the bet sink into his heart. Doctor kept whispering that it wa not his fault. That it was not the time to worry about someone like Bakugou. And even though, logically, none of what Doctor said was wrong, Izuku couldn't help but feel the guilt over it.
A stupid bet between the former friends... The result of which was one of them giving up on his dream school.
"You made a promise to those people," Doctor said. "A promise to carry the dreams of their children, friends and family. You are not going to betray them, right?"
No... No, he wasn't.
He... He couldn't do that, could he? He couldn't. He wouldn't.
I can't change what happened between me and Bakugou. But I still have to keep my promise to everyone else. I am going to work my way to the top of the hero world.
I promise.
And though the Doctor was only in his head, Izuku could feel the man's hand on his shoulder.
"Very good, Midoriya."
He could feel his smile. The pride in his voice.
"I said this before. You are stronger than you think you are. Your potential is greater than Parker's or even mine. And as your mentor, it is my job to make sure you realize that potential to its fullest. I am not always right, it took me years to learn that. But as long as I have you by my side to remind me of what is important, I promise to stay by yours to help you in return."
Izuku couldn't help but chuckle. Where was all this sentimentality coming from?
"I know that I can trust you now, Midoriya. And I know that you trust me," Doctor Octavius chuckled. "Isn't that enough?"
It was, wasn't it?
With that in mind, Izuku changed into the sports uniform provided by U.A. and followed the others to the training field. He still felt guilty and ashamed over the bet. But now those feelings were pushed aside in favor of focusing on what was important.
Proving himself worthy of trust placed in him Doctor.
"Everyone, get set..."
He was going to be the hero he always wanted to be. No, he could be even better.
"Ready..."
He could be Superior.
"Go!"
The die was cast!
And there it is, folks! The brand new chapter!
I hope that you enjoyed it. I tried to play around a bit with some of the teachers' POVs like the one with Snipe. I am planning to give some of the UA staff a few additional moments to show off in this story so I will have to fill in the gaps with some of them. With Snipe, for example, I am going for the personality closer to what he had in one-shot chapter.
Now, for the elephant in the room... The Bet.
I will be honest, I don't expect everyone to like it. Some may even hate it because it may seem like Bakugou-bashing. All I can do for now is assure you all that this is not the case. I still have plans for him and all. At some point, I will be honest, I toyed around with the idea of the two deciding that since they both won and lost the bet, they should consider it null.
Buuuut I did make a promise to you that the bet would have the result and a winner. Pulling that would feel like such a cheap way out.
Now, for some Trivia:
1) At some point, I considered having Izuku lose the Bet. Then this chapter would end with Izuku being approached by Arisama or Hawks and being offered a special training. Basically, we would have Izuku essentially cut out of the school stuff and have him be a teen hero.
2) Originally, this chapter was supposed to include Aoyama's POV after the exam. No spoilers about what it would show, though.
3) This chapter was also supposed to include All Might's POV as he contemplated trasfer of OFA.
4) Iida being placed first in the exams was the last second decision. Originally, I was going to have Izuku or Bakugou take the top spot. But then I reread the last chapter and thought, "You know what? Iida was the real MVP!"
5) I know some may dislike it but I took it upon myself as a small sidequest to make Mineta into a not absolutely detestable little shit. He is still going to be a perv (since changing that would just the challenge out of it) but I am also going to add other little things. It won't be the center of the story but just something to enjoy on the side.
6) Stain was originally going to appear in this chapter and give Izuku a warning and talk about U.A.
7) I was going to write the POV of Momo or Todoroki to show the reaction of recommended students to the incident but couldn't find a way to do it in a way that wasn't just recap of last chapter.
8) At one point, I planned to have Izuku approached by a bunch of fangirls but chose to exclude it as it broke up the tension.
Anyway, that is all here for the chapter, folks.
As always, I am open to questions and suggestions. And make sure to check out the Tv Tropes page for this story started by a reader who wished to remain anonymous but to whom I am immensely grateful.
Till Next Time!