A/N: Thanks for all the continued support as usual people. I'll start to add sections at the end of the chapters to address any questions you may have, so make sure to review if you have any!

Let's not waste anymore time...

Chapter 7: Challenges

In a secure facility on the outskirts of Tokyo, Izuku was currently getting his final workout done. Over the past 5 months, he had been coming to terms with the revelations that Nezu had brought down on him about his origin. Quirkless. Orphaned. His past seemed bleak to be honest and he enjoyed the life he was currently living. Maybe it was better to not dwell on the past and move on?

Speaking of Nezu, the bear…mouse…rabbit? Had come to visit him on several occasions to check on his well-being. It was nice to know that he had people, or in this case, an animal, who cared. His thoughts flashed back to the first time Nezu came to visit after he had arrived at the facility.

(Flashback)

Nezu walked into Izuku's room while he was working out, greeting him with a smile.

"It's good to see you Midoriya my boy, I hope that your preparations for the exam are going well?" He asked expectantly.

"Yes sir," Izuku nodded enthusiastically, "I feel more than ready to showcase what I can do."

Nezu hummed in approval before he shifted to a more serious tone.

"That's good to hear. Now, I'll get straight to the point as to why I am visiting you today. You see, Midoriya, one of the conditions of me being able to transport you to this facility is the assurance that the true nature of your 'quirk' is to be kept under wraps. The HPSC and the government are none too proud of illegal experiments being conducted right under their noses. It is not something they are willing to allow to be public information, lest that information end up in the wrong hands. It is only through my extensive research that I was able to make the discovery of its existence and leverage it to keep you free. Therefore, I need you to promise me that you will not tell anyone about the Nanite Program without first getting my approval. Are we clear?"

Izuku nodded firmly, "Yes sir," he replied.

Nezu smiled, "Wonderful, now, tell me, how are you getting along in this facility?" He inquired.

"I'm doing great sir! The staff here are great, they make me feel right at home. Not to mention the food is amazing!" Izuku grinned as he replied, his face beaming.

"That's fantastic to hear. I will be checking in periodically with you, however, with the school year about to commence, visits may be fleeting."

Izuku looked slightly dejected at this. After all, Nezu was his only connection to the outside world. Noticing this, Nezu attempted to lift his spirits.

"Not to worry Midoriya, must I remind you that the entrance exams are fast approaching. If you perform how I expect you to, I have no doubt that we will be seeing each other far more often." He added the last bit with a wink.

Izuku perked up and smiled as he spoke, "Of course, sir! I'll do my best not to let you down!"

Nezu grinned at his response.

"I have no doubt that you will."

(Flashback End)

He was snapped out of his thoughts by his alarm sounding to remind him to hurry up and shower and get ready. Today was the day of the entrance exam after all and he wanted to be early. Soon enough, he was on and off the train, the journey passing by in a flash and before he knew it, he was standing outside the entrance to U.A University.

It looked far more imposing in person than on T.V

Snapping himself out of his gawking, Izuku steeled himself and walked through the doors, ready for the next step on his path to becoming a hero.

At the same time that Izuku was embarking on his journey to U.A, two blondes could be seen walking through the streets of Musutafu. One, a spiky-haired boy, storming ahead of the girl behind him.

Looking back, he yelled at her, "Hurry the hell up Blondie! We're gonna be late!"

"Slow down Katsuki! We're already an hour early and the train won't be here for another 30 minutes!" The girl protested as she jogged to keep up.

"How many times I gotta tell ya! Its DYNAMIGHT!" A vein bulged in Bakugo's head as he shouted.

Melissa deadpanned at his self-proclaimed hero name before responding, "Katsuki…you haven't even got into U.A yet...Much less become a hero with an official name."

"Shuddup!"

Honestly, she didn't know how she had managed to deal with him for this long. Shaking her head and letting out a small giggle, Melissa Shield reflected on how she had become the one and only true friend of Katsuki Bakugo.

(Flashback)

"The hell is this Blondie?! I thought I told you to keep up!"

Bakugo taunted Melissa as he dodged another one of her strikes and grabbed her by the arm. He used his explosions to propel himself in a semi-circular motion to gain momentum before raising the girl high up and slamming her on her back into the sand.

The two had just exited school and Melissa had gladly taken Bakugo's challenge to start their training immediately. By training, he meant sparring of course. By sparring he meant doing his utmost to show Melissa the gap in their skill.

As she lay there dazed, Bakugo raised his palm, about to let off another explosion before she got up, when a skinny blonde man came rushing over to intervene. The man was coughing up blood with a panicked look on his face.

"Stop! What is going on here?!"

Bakugo scoffed and crossed his arms

"She asked for it, don't blame me."

The man looked to Melissa who was shakily getting to her feet.

"It's true Mr Yagi. I asked to train with him. I hoped that he could help me with that 'problem' I've been facing with my quirk..."

The manner in which she put emphasis on the word 'problem' gave the man known as Yagi a clear indication as to what she meant. She wanted help to stop her bones from breaking. Fair enough. But surely there had to be a better, more efficient, not to mention gentler way!

Yagi sighed and turned his attention to Bakugo.

"Young man, I do believe we have met before. Specifically on this very beach. How have you managed to end up a training partner for Young Melissa over here?"

"Blondie over here showed up at my school this morning. She got too cocky Scarecrow! I had to give her a demonstration of what the next Number 1 hero really looks like!" Bakugo arrogantly exclaimed.

Yagi sighed and gave both of them an exasperated look.

"I understand your passion young man, but sometimes it is better to ease into things and take it slow." Yagi tried to say this in an attempt to placate the boy, however, it only served to rile him up even further.

"The fuck you talking about Scarecrow? You think villains are gonna take it slow? You think I can afford to be slow? Huh? You musta lost your mind! Fuck this shit, I ain't come here for a lecture, I'm outta here! Blondie! When you're ready for the real deal then tell me, until then, don't waste my time!" Bakugo's tirade seemed more directed at himself rather than Yagi and he stormed off the beach after his last sentence.

Behind his eyes, Yagi could see the pain in the boy's eyes. He gave him a solemn look as he watched Bakugo walk away. Melissa stepped next to Yagi and gave him a curious look.

"Uncle Might…what was that about?" Melissa asked concernedly.

"That young man…he has been through a great deal…partially due to my own failure." A shadow was cast over Yagi's eyes as he answered.

"What do you mean?" She tilted her head as she asked this.

"Three months ago, around the same time that I selected you as the successor for One For All, a fire broke out in an apartment complex, not too far from here. That boy was there, and he alerted me to a specific apartment that evidently belonged to someone he cared for. However, once I had arrived…Both of the people he had asked me to save had perished." Yagi looked down before continuing, "If only I had arrived sooner…as the Number 1 hero, the Symbol of Peace, I vowed to save everyone within my reach. But to stand there and see that boy in pain…Someone I could not save…It is a shame upon me and my title."

Melissa paused thoughtfully before responding, "Well maybe all he needs is a friend. If I can save him by being that, then I'm going to be the best friend he's ever had!"

All Might looked down at his successor and smiled gently. He knew he had made the right choice.

(Flashback End)

"The hell are you laughing at?!"

Bakugo's yelling cut her thoughts short.

Casting him a smile, Melissa replied coyly, "Oh nothing…just reminiscing…"

"Huh? The fuck you living in the past for? The present is right here, and the future is right in front of you damnit!" Bakugo replied indignantly.

Melissa deadpanned once more, "Wow. I never would have taken you for the philosophical type. Honestly. Inspirational." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Shuddup!"

He was right though; they were on their way to the U.A University entrance examinations. The start line for their futures as heroes. Both of them had the same goal in mind.

To be the top hero. To be Number 1.

They both boarded shortly boarded the train As the journey went on, Melissa allowed her thoughts to wander. Bakugo, however, soon snapped Melissa out of her daydreaming.

"We're here, Blondie," Bakugo said in a low voice.

Melissa looked at Bakugo, confused at his tone. Was he nervous?

Melissa pumped her fist excitedly, "Yeah, this is the start of our journey Katsuki. Don't worry, I know we'll both ace it!"

"Of course, I will! Are you underestimating me? Worry about keeping up and keeping your body in one piece Blondie!" He shouted this before storming ahead with intense determination.

There was the Bakugo she knew. The two of them left the train station and began to walk up the hill to U.A. Melissa let out a low whistle in awe at the size of the building. Even from halfway up the hill, the building looked as impressive as ever. As they got to the top, they spotted a boy with dark green hair standing at the entrance to the campus, staring at the building in admiration. She looked to her side as she heard Bakugo stop walking and gave him a confused look as he stood still, eyes wide, mouth agape and frozen in shock.

"Katsuki, are you ok?" She asked him with serious concern.

Bakugo's voice trembled as he breathed out one word.

"Deku?"

Melissa looked at Bakugo

Deku? As in his dead friend Izuku Midoriya?

She would have doubted him and attributed it to a case of mistaken identity, but the way how Katsuki was acting…She had never seen him like this before. She cast a look at the boy who had Katsuki looking like he had seen a literal ghost. He certainly fits the profile. Green hair? Check. Freckles? Check. Overall plain looking? Check. But how was this possible?

They both watched from afar as Izuku proceeded to walk up the stairs and into U.A. So he was here for the exam as well?

Regardless, they both came here with the same intentions, although, by how shaken up Bakugo was, it didn't seem like he was in any state to take an exam. She had to snap him out of it. Fast.

"Katsuki." She said his name, in an attempt to get his attention.

No response.

"Katsuki!" she said louder.

Still no joy.

"DYNAMIGHT!" she shouted, a couple of other arriving examinees turning their heads in confusion, but she didn't care as this one seemed to snap Bakugo out of his daze.

"We have to go," she said firmly, "We've got an exam to take. Whatever is going on we can figure it out later.

"How is this possible..." he muttered.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter, all that matters to us right now is passing this exam. Now focus Katsuki." She looked him directly in the eye as she stated this. Now was not the time to lose his head. Bakugo grit his teeth before steeling himself. He didn't want to admit it but Blondie was right. This was it. Everything he had worked for until this point. He couldn't afford to lose focus right now.

"Let's go," Bakugo uttered before trudging forward into U.A.

Melissa looked at him worriedly, but followed nonetheless, all while remembering the conversation she and Bakugo had about one Izuku Midoriya.

(Flashback)

6 Months After Melissa Joined Aldera

"Damnit Blondie! When the hell are ya gonna use your quirk?" Bakugo cried out, frustrated that Melissa was holding back.

"I told you Bakugo, I can't just yet, it's too risky!" She yelled in equal frustration as she threw another blow that failed to connect.

This response only served to annoy Bakugo further, causing him to bark at her, "You think villains give a shit about risks? If you don't take em, you'll never climb higher damnit! I'll force it outta ya if I have to!"

With this he proceeded to leap over her, using an explosion to propel him into a front flip before landing, spinning, and firing an explosion into her back. Melissa yelped out in pain but didn't get a chance to recover as a volley of small explosions violently peppered her body and she cried out. Bakugo was relentless and just before she keeled over, out of desperation, she activated One For All.

Red veins of energy appeared in her right arm and with a wild swipe, a huge gust of wind blew both the explosions and Bakugo a fair distance down the beach. She hadn't made contact with any solid matter, so the backlash didn't fully register, but when the dust settled, her right arm was heavily bruised, her tracksuit arm was ripped, and a small amount of blood leaked from her elbow.

She grit her teeth as tears threatened to leak out. Looking down at her arm she grimaced before letting out a gasp and looking over at a stunned Bakugo in worry. She ran over to him and began apologising profusely.

"Bakugo, are you ok, I'm sorry it's just-"

Bakugo snapped out of his stupor and snarled at her

"The hell are you apologising for!" he cut her off with a yell, before looking down and muttering, "All that power…but you're just like him…"

A forlorn expression overtook his angry one as he sat down with his head in his arms.

Noticing the drastic shift, Melissa decided now was the time to ask Bakugo about his past. "Bakugo…who is he?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Bakugo glared at her as his anger returned.

"None of your damn business Blondie!"

"It is!" She fired back, taking Bakugo by surprise at the fire in her voice "Ever since I met you, you've been hiding something stewing away! You're my friend, I'm worried about you!"

Bakugo raised an eyebrow and replied, "Huh? Who the fuck said we were friends?"

Melissa winced at his scathing tone, but she pushed forward and sat down next to him.

"Ok, maybe not friends…but you're my training partner at the least… I can't have you fighting me with anything hanging over your head. So, I'll ask again. Who is he?"

Bakugo looked to the side, his anger subsiding once more before he conceded.

"His name was Izuku Midoriya."

Melissa stayed silent as she listened.

"Deku never listened, always chirping on about becoming a hero even though he was quirkless…It made me so mad at how he could still think he could become one despite being useless...But I knew…I always knew deep down, that if he had just a half-decent quirk…He would have been a great hero…Probably one of the best…He just…Had that about him…He was selfless…Never cared about his own safety but always worrying about others…That's where you're similar."

Bakugo paused, almost as if he was composing himself, before continuing.

"The nerd would always be following me with that damn look in his eyes…Talking about how amazing my quirk was… It pissed me off…I couldn't stand it, and I always thought he was looking down on me…So I bullied him…Tried to stop him from becoming a hero… I never got the chance to apologise before he died in a fire…They never even found his body…"

He trailed off and went silent, so Melissa took this as her cue to speak up

"I'm going to be honest with you Bakugo, it sounded like you were a piece of shit," Melissa said firmly.

Bakugo winced at her stong language, having never heard Melissa curse before.

"But.."

Her toned softened

"It sounded like Izuku really believed in you. He definitely wouldn't want you to beat yourself up about this." Melissa looked directly at him, "He would want you to become the best hero you could. I'm sure of that. So, stand up Bakugo. And move forward. For Izuku's sake." She finished her mini-speech with conviction

Bakugo looked down in deep thought and stayed silent for a minute.

"Katsuki," he muttered.

"Did you say something?" She asked in confusion, not hearing what he said.

Bakugo sprung to his feet and yelled, "I said call me Katsuki damnit don't make me repeat myself! In fact, screw that! You better call me Dynamight! Cause that's gonna be the name of the Number 1 hero! Just you watch!"

Melissa looked up and smiled. She could tell that Bakugo wasn't fully recovered. He probably never would. But a fire was in his eyes. One that she was glad that she had helped to ignite. She giggled before responding.

"You got it Katsuki."

"It's Dynamight!"

(Flashback End)

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Melissa knew that she needed to take her own advice. Focus. Don't get distracted.

As she and Bakugo sat down in the auditorium, they noticed Izuku sitting some rows away, studying the handout diligently. He seemed oblivious to their presence. The two tried their best to redirect their attention as the other examinees filed in while Present Mic took to the stage and cleared his throat and projected his voice using his quirk.

"WELCOME ALL MY NEW LISTENERS TO THE U.A UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAM! EVERYBODY SAY HEYYYYY!"

Silence.

"ALL RIGHT! THAT'S A REFINED RESPONSE! WE'LL CHALK IT TO THE NERVES AND I'LL GET STRAIGHT INTO PRESENTING HOW THE PRACTICAL PORTION OF THIS EXAM WORKS! GET READY! YEAHHHH!"

Silence.

"ALL OF YOU LISTENERS HERE WILL BE UNDERGOING A 10-MINUTE MOCK BATTLE IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT. THE STAFF HERE AT U.A WILL DIRECT YOU TO YOUR DESIGNATED BATTLE CENTER. THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT FAUX VILLAINS AND THE POINTS ARE BASED ON THEIR LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY. YOU'RE FREE TO USE YOUR QUIRKS HOWEVER YOU WISH TO DESTROY THEM. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT ATTACKING ANY OTHER EXAMINEES OR ANY UNHEROIC ACTIONS WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION!"

A blue-haired boy with glasses jumped up.

"I have a question!" Announced the boy.

GO AHEAD LISTENER!

"You stated that there were three different villains but the handout that we were given shows four. A misprint is unbecoming of the most prestigious hero university in the country!" The boy spoke in a rigid tone, one that would have made Melissa laugh if not for the tension and stress she was currently under.

THANKS FOR THAT LISTENER 7111! AND YES, THERE IS A FOURTH FAUX VILLAIN, HOWEVER, IT IS WORTH ZERO POINTS! YOUR BEST BET IS TO AVOID IT, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS AMOUNT OF CHAOS IN TIGHT SPACES!

The boy nodded, "Thank you for your clarification!" He said before sitting back down.

NO WORRIES LISTENER! NOW IF YOU'LL ALL LOOK DOWN AT THE CARDS IN FRONT OF YOU, THEY'LL TELL YOU WHICH BATTLE CENTER YOU'LL NOW HEAD TO. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST OF LUCK!

Bakugo looked down and saw he was in Battle Center A while Melissa was in Center D. He looked over to Izuku and saw that he was heading over to Center G.

He exchanged one last look with Melissa before the two parted ways to secure a place in U.A.

Izuku was standing outside the gates of Battle Center G. Looking around, he studied the competition. Some stood out to him. A boy with the head of a crow, a red-headed girl whose hands were enlarging and shrinking, a pink girl with pink hair and horns and a tall boy with silver hair and multiple arms. The diversity of quirks was amazing, but he had a job to do. Nezu was watching. He was sure of it. Time to show what he could do. Lowering his trusty goggles as the gate opened, he heard the yell of Present Mic.

"START!"

Without a second thought, Izuku built the Boogie Pack and rocketed off. In the distance, he heard the voice of Present Mic urging the other examinees, but he paid it no mind as he raced through the city. He quickly came face to face with a 2-pointer, and without hesitation, he launched the turbines from the Boogie Pack directly at it, causing an explosion, and destroying it on impact.

Swiftly disassembling the Boogie Pack, he switched to the VBs. As he made contact with the ground, he launched straight back into the air, performed a front flip and landed directly on a 1-pointer that was in a group with four other robots. The shockwave that he caused by the stomp eviscerated the other robots, earning him a fair number of points. Spotting a stray 3-pointer, he utilised the hydraulic function of the VBs. His leg extended and he delivered a sideways kick to the robot, smashing it to pieces.

Grinning at finally being able to let loose, Izuku disassembled the VBs before switching to The Ride. He revved the engine and zoomed through the city. He spotted a lanky purple-haired examinee cornered by two 3-pointers and activated the battering ram at the front before accelerating straight through the robots, saving the cowering examinee. As he sped off, he spotted the boy scowling at him, but he paid it no mind.

Catching sight of another cluster of robots, Izuku disassembled The Ride and instantly built the B.F.S, cleaving through the armour as if it were paper, racking up more and more points. Panting slightly as he finished, Izuku took a second to admire his handiwork before setting off on The Ride once more in search of more points.

Meanwhile, in the observation room, the U.A staff were taking note of the performance of the examinees.

"The crop of this year's students looks quite promising," A feminine voice called out.

Nezu nodded in agreement and delivered his assessment.

"Indeed, from raw combat skill…"

They turned their attention to Battle Center A where a spiky-haired blonde sat on top of a mountain of destroyed robots, his palms smoking.

"To creative innovation…"

The feed of Battle Center C showed a boy with rock-like features commanding birds to distract the robots while he pressed the buttons to deactivate them.

"And a high amount of adaptability…"

Finally switching to Battle Center G where a green-haired boy was rapidly cycling through a choice of machines built from his body in order to destroy the robots.

Toshinori Yagi silently stood to the side of the room, his eyes never once leaving the feed that displayed Battle Center D. So far, the performance of his successor had been…sub-par at best. She had managed to acquire a few points, although not nearly enough to qualify her for U.A. and the clock was ticking.

"However, I believe that it's about time we unleashed the real test."

Nezu smirked and pressed the red button in front of him.

Even though she had been possessed One For All for almost three years now, Melissa was still a relative novice with the quirk as she had only activated it a handful of times. This was mainly precautionary of course, as when she had been chosen as the successor, her body was nowhere near ready to handle the brunt of the quirk, only maturing into a vessel that could somewhat handle it in the past couple of months.

On top of that, All Might was honestly a terrible teacher. Great Hero. But terrible teacher. To combat this, they both agreed to refrain from consistently using One For All until she got into U.A. Therefore, she was only able to somewhat control the output on different individual limbs. This control, however, was inconsistent, and she was liable to injury if she slipped up even momentarily. The result of this was her having to focus intensely before attempting to attack even a single robot.

While she did possess the ability to think quickly on her feet, coupled with her surprising athleticism and non-quirk hand-to-hand combat skills, it was not enough to completely overcome the limitations of having a slow and inefficient manner of activation for her quirk Unfortunately for Melissa, the time was quickly running out.

"TWO MINUTES LEFT!"

Melissa grimaced at the warning. She knew deep down that she had not gathered enough points and that warning had dented her confidence even further. Gradually in the distance, she heard a rumbling sound and turned her attention to the enormous Zero Pointer bulldozing through buildings and making its way towards the examinees. She looked up in shock at the insanity that U.A had unleashed upon the Battle Center and, along with her fellow examinees, started to flee from the scene.

"Ow…"

A small voice caught her attention and she saw a girl with brown hair that had her ankle trapped underneath a large chunk of rubble that had been knocked off of a building. Without hesitation, Melissa sprinted towards the girl and attempted to lift the rubble, however, the weight posed a serious hindrance.

The girl looked up at her with a panicked expression.

"Get out of here! The robot's coming!" The girl protested desperately.

"No way, I'm going to get you out of here!" Melissa defiantly replied, doing her best to ignore the sound of the rumbling getting louder.

However, she remained unsuccessful in shifting the heavy rock that currently pinned down the girl and the Zero Pointer drew ever closer.

Looking up Melissa realised she had to do something. She had to stop the Zero Pointer.

She barely had control of One For All, but trying to scale the output would take too long and they would both get crushed. It was all or nothing, now or never, to save this girl.

Gritting her teeth, she steeled herself and charged up One For All into both of her legs and launched herself into the air in a streak of turquoise energy. The girl gasped and stared in awe as Melissa disappeared in a flash and flew towards the Zero Pointer.

Clenching all of the muscles in her body, and activating One For All in her right arm, Melissa wound up a punch and drew inspiration from her Uncle Might for the first time.

"Detroit... SMASHHHH!" She yelled out.

Her fist made contact with the face of the Zero Pointer, instantaneously caving it in and causing the entire body of the Zero Pointer to groan, lean back and start to implode.

She did it. She had stopped it and saved the girl below…But at what cost? The pain hadn't registered due to the adrenaline, but she was sure her legs were as broken as her right arm which flopped uselessly at her side as she fell.

Exhaustion took over as she plummeted, and just before her vision went black and she hit the ground, she felt a slap on her cheek.

Izuku was breathing heavily and disassembled his Smack Hands. He had been rapidly disassembling and building while racking up points, which took a heavy toll on his body. He had heard the announcement of Present Mic that there were two minutes left, but he was confident in the number of points he had acquired. Suddenly, a rumbling sound caught his attention as a shadow was cast over the Battle Center. The Zero Pointer. As the Zero Pointer charged towards the examinees, tearing through buildings, Izuku knew he could run like the others…But he wanted to stop the Zero Pointer from causing any more destruction. This was his chance to challenge himself. He wouldn't get another chance like this to show what he could really do…To see how far he could really push himself.

Thinking fast, Izuku attempted to build The Ride in order to zoom over and confront the behemoth, but a sharp pain took over his lower legs as they bulged but refused to fully form into the build. Shocked at this, but with no time to ponder, he decided on a different route. He built a Smack Hand out of his left hand and winced at the pain that originated from it. Extending out and grabbing a building, he stepped back and used the power of the Smack Hand to one-hand slingshot himself towards the Zero Pointer landing just in front of it.

Disassembling his Smack Hand, Izuku tried to build the B.F.S to carve the Zero Pointer to pieces, but this time, a dull green circuitry pattern appeared on his arm that quickly faded as his body flat-out refused. Izuku quickly realised the problem. He had overworked his nanites for the first time. So, this was his limit. Regardless, he may not have his builds, but the Zero Pointer was still a machine. He could talk to it. As the Zero Pointer locked in on him, it lowered its arm while he raised his palms. The instant he made contact, a bright green flash appeared, and a green circuitry pattern rose up and covered the entirety of the Zero Pointer before it abruptly shut down and froze in place. Reeling from the pounding headache of pushing so far past his limits for the day. Stumbling backwards, Izuku sat down and breathed a sigh of relief. He looked up to the sky and smiled. The exam was over.

Looking back, he spotted a small old woman with a cane strolling through the Center, administering first aid by kissing the more injured examinees. As she came over to him, he wordlessly raised his hand as an indication that he was fine and she nodded, leaving him to catch his breath. After a couple of minutes, Izuku stood up and made his way to the exit.

Bakugo was walking out of the examination Center and towards the front of U.A. As he got to the gate, he waited and crossed his arms. Blondie should be showing up soon as examinees started to file out.

As he waited, a head of green hair strode past him, and it felt like time froze.

"Deku!"

He called after the boy, but if Izuku heard him, he didn't register a response which was incredibly odd.

Scowling, Bakugo marched after him and put his hand firmly on his shoulder.

"Oi Deku, you didn't hear me when I'm talking to ya?" he growled in a mixture of anger and confusion.

Izuku spun around with a confused look on his face, and Bakugo's breath hitched as he looked at him.

"Who's Deku? I think you've got me mixed up with someone. My name is Izuku Midoriya though it's nice to mee-"

"I know what ya damn name is ya damn nerd!"

Izuku was taken aback by the boy's harsh tone.

"What the hell are you doing here? And where the fuck have you been huh?!"

"I-I don't think we've met before…But I'm here to take the exam just like everyone else..."

"Haven't met before? Have you lost your damn mind?! We grew up together for 14 years before you…"

Bakugo's voice trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

Izuku realised the situation. This was potentially someone who knew him. Someone who knew who he was before. Dwelling on the past, however, was something that Izuku chose not to do, and judging by the manner in which this boy spoke to him, this didn't seem like a part of his past that he wanted to face right now. Sighing he decided to explain himself.

"Look, I'm really sorry, but for the past 4 years of my life I've been suffering from amnesia, I've got no recollection of anything prior to that," Izuku responded calmly.

Bakugo stared at him in shock. He had amnesia? On top of that, it perfectly coincided with when he 'died'. If the whole situation wasn't strange before, now, it was pure insanity.

Izuku proceeded to shrug Bakugo's hand off of his shoulder and started to walk away speaking as he left, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm super-tired and I want nothing more than to go home and sleep. Hopefully, I'll see you when University starts. We can talk more then."

"Hopefully? Do you know who the hell you're talking to?! And whaddya mean when University starts? You're quirkless damnit! There's no way you could have passed!" Bakugo's tone was full of disbelief, the confidence that Izuku was showing completely threw him off.

Izuku smiled and responded, "Oh yeah…about that…Well like I said, if you get into U.A, then I'll be more than happy to talk. I guess I'll see you around." With that, he waved Bakugo off and proceeded to leave.

Bakugo stood there in complete shock, staring as Izuku turned and walked away from him. He didn't know how long he was frozen in place until his name was called out from behind him.

"Katsuki!"

Bakugo turned around slowly to see Melissa running up to him. Her right arm was wrapped in a cast and sling.

Her face was serious when she approached him and she asked her question with no hesitation.

"I noticed who you were speaking to...What did he say?" She asked with concern.

"He didn't remember me…Something about amnesia…What the hell is going on today?! And what the hell happened to you?!" Bakugo tried to switch the subject in an attempt to conceal his true emotions about the encounter.

Melissa looked down sheepishly rubbing the back of her head as she responded.

"Oh um, I lost control of my quirk trying to save someone…And I'm sorry about whatever it is that happened with Izuku."

"Why the hell are you apologising? It's not your damn fault. Besides, judging by the way how he spoke, we're gonna have a lot of time to discuss where the hell he's been once University starts." Bakugo replied, now seemingly more focused than ever.

"Oh yeah! How did you do on the exam?" Melissa asked.

A confident smirk returned to Bakugo's face.

"Flawless victory of course." He replied arrogantly.

"That's great! I'm not sure I did so well…" She trailed off, disappointed at herself and the fact that she had potentially let All Might down.

"it's only natural that if you're gonna compare your results to mine they're gonna look shit" Bakugo replied nonchalantly.

Melissa deadpanned at his arrogance.

"But…" he continued, "U.A would be foolish to not accept someone like you…Just don't get cocky!"

Melissa smiled at his attempt to cheer her up.

"Thanks, Katsuki."

"It's Dynamight!"

Reviews

PAC13L: Common misunderstanding :) But the reason why many would believe it to be a quirk violation is because the police and common heroes have no knowledge of the existence of nannies/nanotechnology. This information was only available to Nezu (through research), and the HSPC (who classified the information shortly afterwards). Hope this chapter cleared that up for you.

A/N: Chapter 7 done. Feel free to fav follow and review. Catch you next time people.