AN: To clear up some confusion I saw in the reviews, Nejire's exam isn't about her fighting a younger student, she's the exam for that younger student and will have her own test later. This is more about volunteer work/extra credit. Also, Mirio's exam was listed in there along with some 1-B people because, as Nezu said, it was finalizing the students whose opponents hadn't been decided as of that point.
What Doesn't Kill Me
Chapter 41
-Izuku-
The observation room was dead silent as Izuku and the rest of his classmates watched the recovery bots haul away an unconscious Sato. They'd arrived earlier for their exams and were told Nezu and the other teachers had designed each of the tests on a case-by-case basis. They'd expected different end goals for each student depending on their focus or what they were struggling with. Maybe special robots designed by the support course as their own exam.
Nobody had expected the Number 58 Pro Hero Fat Gum to step out as Sato's opponent.
Their classmate had rapidly downed several sugar packets and charged the pro, throwing furious punches in his sugar induced berserker state. But Fat Gum had just laughed and took each hit. The pro didn't even bother to move, simply let Sato work himself to exhaustion till the sugar crash hit and he passed out.
"Oh dear, not off to a good start, are we?" Nezu commented from atop Recovery Girl's shoulder as Izuku and the rest of the class watched Sato get hauled away.
"We…we have to fight…" a nervous Ururaka gulped as she continued to look at Fat Gum.
"None of you will be fighting Fat Gum." Nezu shook his head, "As I said, each of these tests are tailor made to you. Each opponent picked to test and push you in specific ways. They're also aware of what ways to hold back."
"Like how Fat Gum didn't even throw a punch." Izuku's eyes widened, "He just stood there." But that's not to say the next one would too.
"Exactly!" Nezu beamed happily, "Now, Hanta Sero, please head down to the combat ring." The tape user behind Izuku gulped loudly but complied, heading down to the mock city that was being used. As Sero stepped out into their view from where they observed, Sero's opponent did the same. The number four, Best Jeanist, the tall blond man posing dramatically.
"…Revel in the dark." Tokoyami sounded nervous even as the signal was given to begin, Sero launching tape out at rapid speed only for the strands to move at a simple gesture from Best Jeanist. To his credit, Sero abandoned that tape rapidly, cutting it off as he began to run and dodge, occasionally firing out other strands of tape that he just as quickly abandoned when they joined the onslaught of tape strands trying to tie him up.
"What's he doing?" Kirishima blinked confused, "He already saw Best Jeanist can control his tape.
"I'd guess that he's trying to figure out how to make a type of tape that Best Jeanist can't control." Momo had her eyes narrowed, focusing intently on the fight as Sero continued to run around, Jeanist staying rooted to the same spot he'd started at. It continued and continued until, finally, Sero launched out a dark blue tape that Jeanist didn't take control of.
"Way to go Sero!" Kaminari cheered as Sero started trying to close the distance, bobbing and weaving around the earlier tape attempts that continued to attack him like serpents.
"Time's up!" Nezu called out before Sero could land a blow on his opponent, the tape using first year dropping to the ground in disbelief even as Best Jeanist approached, the microphones not catching what the man told their classmate.
"Eijiro Kirishima, your turn." Nezu was having far too much fun with this.
-Kirishima-
Bouncing in place to get loose, Eijiro worked to keep himself calm. Sato and Sero had really high-ranking opponents that were hard counters to the way they fought so he could probably expect the same. He just wasn't sure who Nezu would pick.
Hearing a door to the city scape open, Kirishima turned and blinked in surprise at seeing a girl in blue he was sure he'd seen before but couldn't remember off the top of his head.
"Hey, I'm Bubble Girl." The all blue girl waved cheerfully.
"Hey, I'm red Riot." Eijiro gave a warm grin, eager for a good fight. Although, 'Bubble Girl'? Did she have a water-based quirk? Any attempt to figure out what she could do and how that would counter him was cut off as Nezu gave the signal to begin and, unlike the last two fights, his opponent shot towards him.
"WHOA!" caught off guard, Eijiro hardened rapidly, crossing his arms to block whatever attack would head…was that a bubble? Blinking in confusion at the small, innocent little sphere floating towards him, Eijiro found himself standing there baffled till it hit his arms and popped.
Then the smell hit.
It smelled like rotting meat that had been left out in the sun as he doubled over gagging, having been far from prepared for the horrible odor. Before he could reorient himself, Bubble Girl had grabbed his arm and performed a judo throw, slamming him into the ground as his hardened back shattered the concrete where he landed.
"Sorry not sorry!" Bubble girl smiled cheerfully as she continued to grip his arm. Her eyes widened as he swung hard, hurling her away with superior strength.
"Right back at ya!" Eijiro grinned, launching up, rubble falling off him as he charged, seeing more bubbles floating up.
Getting an idea, he grabbed some of the rubble falling around him and hurled it, popping several of the bubbles before they could get too close to him and, more importantly, too far from Bubble Girl who got hit with her own odors.
"Nice try Red, the mask is on for a reason." The blue designed girl smirked smugly, tapping the apparently air filtrating mask that protected her from her own quirk. But either way, that meant she wasn't immune to her own bubbles.
"Then I'll just have to break it!" Eijiro roared out, hardened claws digging into the ground as he hurled loose rocks and rubble at the bubble heroine's way, the girl dodging but her bubbles not being so lucky. Either way, it gave him an opening to charge through the smells rapidly dissipating in the open air. His eyes watered, burning from the stench that hadn't faded away, but he pushed through.
"You're a stubborn one." Bubble Girl grinned, meeting his charge as she spammed bubbles, the orbs popping just as rapidly as they were formed. His vision blurred from the foul stench that made him want to throw up, bile rising in his throat as he felt Bubble Girl grab him to try and do another throw or use capture tape.
Unfortunately for Bubble Girl, this was exactly what he'd wanted.
Powering through the stench, and mentally promising himself ALL the baths later as encouragement, Eijiro slammed his head forward when he felt her grab him, hearing glass crack as he hit her mask and let the stench in past her defenses. Judging by the gag he succeeded.
Not wanting to waste the opening he'd gotten, Eijiro gave a yell as he slammed a hardened fist into Bubble Girl's gut, staggering her as he fumbled with the capture tape as fast as he could.
"Winner, Eijiro Kirishima!" as happy as Nezu had sounded sending them to their doom, he at least sounded happier that he'd won.
-Izuku-
"Way to go man!" Izuku grinned, high fiving his friend who'd returned like a conquering hero.
"Thanks!" Eijiro grinned as he took in a deep breath, "Remind me to thank Bubble Girl for the deodorant later. I'd hate to still smell like those bubbles of hers."
"I'll pass along word." Nezu promised as Izuku looked back at the viewing screens.
"So, Ida huh?" Eijiro noted the class speedster getting into place, this battle being done in one of the more open areas of the battle site.
"And here's his opponent." Ururaka nodded grimly as Mystic floated down to the field. Flight against someone who was, so far as Izuku was aware, entirely ground locked. Eyes narrowed, Izuku watched as Mystic simply sat cross legged on one of his own platforms, floating in the sky as the match began.
It was the definition of an 'unfair fight' that Aizawa had said they'd have to deal with every day as Pros.
Ida didn't give in to moping though, the blue haired speedster going straight into trying to figure out how to get enough lift to try and reach Mystic who didn't bother moving from the same spot he hovered in.
"Go Ida!" Ururaka and Mina cheered, "You can do it!"
"He's actually getting lift." Eijiro grinned.
"But it's not enough." Shoto frowned, "He would need to go all out and stall his engines to get the level of life needed."
"So, you think he's just figuring out an attack angle now?" Izuku asked, knowing Ida was smart enough to be aware of Shoto's observation himself.
"Exactly." The half cold half hot user nodded.
"Well, we'll find out soon." Kendo nodded as Ida stopped trying to get lift and began to run in a circle, his turns starting shaky till he found a rhythm. Ida began to circle faster and faster before leaping right as he activated Recipro Burst, shooting at Mystic who seemed to grin…before sliding to the side as Ida shot past him, falling back to the ground as his engines stalled.
"Ida is out." Nezu declared when it was clear Ida wouldn't be getting back up after the stalled engines.
"Miss Asui, you're up next." Nezu nodded as Tsuyu gulped but got in the elevator that took her, not to a city scape or field, but to one of the large water rescue training lakes.
"Alright, this is Tsu's element!" Kaminari grinned eagerly before noting the serious expression on Izuku and his friend's faces, "What are you guys looking like that for?"
"Use your head Sparkplug." Jiro grumbled, jacks swaying nervously "If that's her element then her opponent will be just as home in the water."
"Or more." Izuku added seriously as they saw Tsu dive in, underwater cameras showing her zipping around as the match was declared to begin, Selkie rocking out to meet her.
"Oh..." Kaminari suddenly looked a lot less sure of Tsu's chances as Selkie made fast, albeit telegraphed, attacks.
"She's simply outclassed here." Shoto spoke bluntly, "Selkie is faster and stronger than her. She can't use her toxins because the water would dilute them. And Selkie can echolocate so her camouflage wouldn't be enough of a help."
"She's going to have to get very smart or very lucky to win this." Momo nodded in agreement with Shoto as they watched Tsu start doing hit and run tactics, using the telegraphed fast strikes to dodge and get her own, albeit weaker, hits in before rocketing away thanks to her tongue. It was probably the best strategy she could use in that situation and Izuku could even see that she was wearing Selkie down.
But not before the timer ran out, and Selkie was declared the victor.
Five matches, and only one win so far for class 1-A.
AN: You would not BELIEVE how many times I mixed up Sato and Sero while writing this.