Momo sat at the table nervously, turning her teacup around in her hands and looking for the words to start the conversation; fidgeting was not something she usually did, but after much thinking about the subject, she decided that she needed to talk to someone and that was how she found herself in this particular predicament. With a deep breath and closed eyes, she spoke.

"I know this is out of the blue, and I am bringing this to you solely because you may be the only person who understands what I am going through. Have you ever had feelings for a girl?"

Midnight was surprising on many levels.

1. Momo has asked to speak to her privately.
2. While she suspected this to be a conversation about love and maybe sex. The same-sex feelings were not what she was expecting

"Not quite what I expected today, but yes, I have." The pro heroine replied. "This is not something in the public eye, but I am bi-sexual."

"How did you know you liked girls?" Momo asked still very interested in her teacup.

"A better question is, what makes you think you like girls?" Midnight said, resting her elbows on the table leaning forward.

"Well," Momo said, fidgeting in her seat. "I get all warm when I am around this one girl, and I find myself staring at her, and the thoughts that run through my head are, shall we say, erotic." Momo blushed at the final statement.

"Is it all girls or just one girl?"

"Just one."

"Do any boys make you feel that way?"

"No." Momo's blush went nuclear at this point. "I have tried to…when thinking about a boy, and nothing happens. But if I can recall the slightest details or scents when I think about her."

"I see," Midnight said, sipping her tea to get her thoughts in order. "Does this girl like other girls?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think this other girl likes boys?"

"I don't know; I don't think so, at least not in that way. I have never heard her talk about a boy or anyone like that."

"Do you think about her a lot?"

"Constantly," Momo sighed into her hands. "All the time, I mean all the time, if I am not with her, I wonder what she is doing? How is she doing? Did she eat right? What did she eat? Should I call? Should I text? Should I kiss her? Should I tell her that I think I like her in that way? What will my parents say? What will she say?"

"Yea, that sounds like you are interested in her in more than a friend's way," Midnight said, setting her teacup down. "So, does Izumi know how you feel?"

Momo froze, "I-I-I wasn't talking about Izumi. Why would I be talking about Izumi?"

"Well, I know that you and Kinoko are close, but she has had a boyfriend for a while now, and you don't spend nearly as much time as you do with Izumi. And if you think this much about some other girl when you are not with them, that would only leave when you are at school, so by my guess it's Izumi."

Momo stuttered and stopped about five times before putting her head on the table in defeat. "Yes, it's Izumi. Please, Nemuri, I don't know what to do. It all started so slow and weird, then it just got worse and worse."

Nemuri smiled and touched the young girl, "Tell me how it started Momo."

Momo started talking about how it was just noticing her more or being aware of her. Then the strange feelings were when she would see her in a bathing suit or sleep together during a sleepover, the whole escapade with the Ferris wheel, and when she wanted to kiss her.

"Well, Momo, I have to say that from everything you are saying, I can not say that you are a lesbian or anything, but I can say that you are in love with Izumi."

Momo sighed again profoundly, "I know, and she doesn't seem to notice anything, like how cute she is, how pretty she is, or when I am just staring at her. She notices many other things, but I want her to notice… NOPE!" Momo said throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Nemuri gave Momo a friendly smile. "She just jumps in the bath with me and gives me the most amazing back rubs; damn you for showing her how to do that. Walks around the room in a pair of panties…sometimes. I don't know what to do, Nemuri. I tried to keep my distance, but that hurt her so much, and I wouldn't say I liked it. She has no idea how pretty she is; she wore the short skirt to the mall the other day and bounced everywhere….I mean everywhere." Momo grabbed at her hair. "ARGH!"

Nemuri chuckled at that part. "She doesn't understand how pretty she has grown up to be."

"And now she is all super strong and got those muscles, she can pick me up and…" Momo just put her hand over her mouth and screamed. "Sorry, I got a little emotional there."

"It is ok, Momo. It is good sometimes to let loose and vent out the emotion or stress instead of bottling it up. But I suggest you figure it out sooner rather than later. I guarantee that once she gets into U.A., she will turn many more heads, male and female. While I don't know which she prefers, I am sure one of them will sweep her off her feet."

"I know, but I don't want to lose her as a friend."

"According to my mother, being friends comes before anything else. While I'm unsure of Izumi's romantic feelings toward you, she deeply cares and would do anything for you. She is happiest when she's with you, and I hope you feel the same?"

"I do," Momo said. "I am in love with Izumi." She said not only to Nemuri but also to herself and admitting the truth.

-Entrance Exam-

Izumi woke bright and early, a bundle of nerves and energy. Inko couldn't help but giggle as she watched Izumi zoom around the house from one thing to another. Inko had to remind her four times to eat and two times to not forget her bag, which she still almost did.

Izumi stood in front of the gates and just stared, she had been here so many times before with Toshi for training and other stuff, but today the air felt heavier; the gates and buildings were more prominent, looming over her, daring her to walk in.

She took hold of the necklace Momo had given her and took a deep breath; nothing would stop her; she had a legacy to continue. Nothing would stop her except for gravity, as her foot caught the edge of a raised stone, and the ground was coming up to kiss her. She didn't even have time to activate her barrier when she realized she was floating.

Then she realized she was beginning to float upside down and had chosen to wear a skirt today. With a loud eep, her bag fell from her hands as they had more important things to do, like keep her from flashing her underwear to everyone.

"Oh my god, oh my god." She heard a panicked voice call out. "I was just trying to stop you from falling and hurting yourself before the exam. Let me get you upright, and I will release my quirk."

Izumi tracked the voice as she saw a curvy girl with Auburn hair stepping forward and giving Izumi a little spin allowing gravity to pull the poor greenettes skirt back to its proper place. The girl's Auburn eyes showed worry as she pressed her fingertips together, saying, "Release."

Izumi's feet landed back on the ground; the girl stepped forward, steadying herself. "Wow, that was interesting. Is that your quirk?"

"Yes, it's called Zero Gravity," the girl said, bowing frantically. "I didn't mean to use it on you without your permission, but then I saw you fall, and it happened. I am so sorry; please forgive me."

Izumi placed a hand on the girl's shoulder to try and calm her down, smiling at the brunette. "It's fine. Nothing got exposed, and I didn't kiss the concrete either, so thank you. I'm Izumi Shimura."

"Ochaco Uraraka," the girl responded, placing her hand over her heart to calm it.

"It is nice to meet you, Ochaco; now, let's hurry before we are late," Izumi said, picking up her bag.

"Thank you, Izumi; good luck on your test," Ochaco called, jogging off.

Izumi had just started walking again when she heard her name called, not loud, almost like a prayer. Though it had been long, she knew that voice as soon as it danced into her ears. Turning, she saw Katsuki Bakugo, and standing next to him was a girl with similar colored blonde hair tied up into two messy buns.

-Elsewhere-

"My lord," a sniveling voice called out.

"What is it, doctor? Have you found me Super Regeneration yet? OR some other quirk to fix this broken body of mine." The hollow voice of the All for One responded, barely audible over all the machines keeping him alive.

"No doctor, but I have just been delivered something I believe you should know about. Something of great importance."

"What!"

"I have the list of applicants for this year's U.A. entrance exam and their quirk registry. I looked them over to see if anything could assist you, my lord, and while I did not come across a quirk, I did come across a name."

"And what is this name, Doctor," the villain said, tone betraying his annoyance.

"Izumi Shimura, Daughter of INKO Shimura."

"Excellent indeed, doctor, and what quirk has little Izumi been blessed with?"

"It was first registered as Shield but was recently updated to Barrier, almost like it had gotten stronger suddenly."

"I want to know everything."

"Yes, my lord."

-Reunion-

"Bakugo?" she said back quietly.

"Yea, it's me. Are you here to take the exam…of course you are…you um…look good...no, damnit." He said, grabbing his head and trying to find the right words.

The girl beside him rubbed his back and said, "It's ok, bro; just take a deep breath."

"I am glad you are here to take the exam, Bakugo," Izumi said, catching the boy's attention. "If we both pass, let's try talking then." Bakugo nodded as Izumi turned and walked hurried off into the school.

"Was that her?" Himko asked, rubbing Bakugo's back as he took deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Yea, as soon as I heard her voice, I knew it was her, she looked so different from then, but of course, she would now that she can eat. She isn't being starved or having some jerk throwing her lunch away." He said, clenching his jaw, his eyes shut tightly.

"It's ok, Katsuki; you have worked so hard to be better than the person you were back then. You, Mom, Dad, and Mizuki helped to save me and give me a second chance. Remember that girl spoke on your behalf and gave you one one as well. Let's pass this test to show her how far you have come." Himiko said.

"Your right, Himi; let's do it. We will both pass, and I will talk to her," he said, finding his resolve again.

-Written Test-

Izumi had known, in theory, that it was possible she would bump into Katsuki today, but she hadn't considered it. She hadn't seen or talked about him in so long, not since his trial. The court order of protection had been allowed to lapse just this year. She had been sent notice of it, as he had met and exceeded the court's expectations in the regard, but she could file an appeal to have it re-instated if she so desired. Even without One for All, she knew her quirk was enough to keep her safe if, for some bizarre reason, Bakugo showed up to attack her, but now, with One for All, that wasn't even a remote concern.

She saw that he still had on his quirk suppressant cuffs, and his voice wasn't fierce or angry, scared, instead it was nervous. A sound that Izumi knew very well; she was right now wasn't the time for them to talk after they passed, when they would meet as two hero course students in U.A. Equals.

Sitting for her exam, she cleared her mind and refocused as the packet was placed before her; this was just the first step. She had already tripped once; she was not about to stumble now.

-Practical Exam-

After the written test concluded, as she made her way to the auditorium, she was happily reunited with Kinoko, the two hugging. She smiled and greeted Rikido, her friend's long-time boyfriend; they were talking momentarily when she heard her name called; turning, she saw Denki walking over. Behind him were two boys looking at their friend questioningly and at Izumi in a way she had become all too familiar with.

"Izumi," Denki said again. "It's so good to see you; how did you do on the written test?"

"I think I did well; what about you, Denki?"

"It was tough, but I think I passed," he said. "Hey, do you have any plans after the exam today? There is this cool restaurant near the school."

"I do," Izumi replied. "I am supposed to have dinner with my family to celebrate the test."

"Oh, yeah, cool, cool," he said, rubbing his head. "Maybe another time or something."

"Sure, well, we should get to our seats; good luck on the practical exam." She said, bouncing off with Kinoko kissing Rikido on the cheek before following her friend.

"Dude, how do you know a hottie like that?" the short boy with purple orbs for hair said to Denki, grabbing the front of his jacket.

"I met him at Rikido's girlfriend's sweet 16 party, the one you said would be super lame." He said, smacking the boy's hands.

"Does she have a friend?" the second boy with black hair asked; he was rubbing his odd-shaped elbows absently.

"Mona, Naomi,…something like that. She is tall and has a bigger chest than Izumi, I think, and she is hot as hell."

"Her name is Momo," Rikido said, rolling his eyes. "Now, let's go sit before they lock us out." He walked into the auditorium, the others walking in behind him.

"DIBS!" the purple-haired boy said.

"You can't call dibs like that, Minoru; that is so unfair."

"Eat it, Hanta; if Denki is already talking to one hottie and says there is another out there, she is just waiting to meet the LOVE MACHINE MINORU MINETA."

The two boys went to their seats, arguing the code of dibs and bros.

Izumi and Kinoko were sitting next to each other chatting as Kinoko made a few mushrooms and handed them to Izumi, "I know you probably want a snack right now; those should hold you over till after the exam."

"You know me so well, Kino; if Momo doesn't marry me, you are free to do so," Izumi said with a broad smile as she popped the mushrooms in her mouth. Her hand flew to her cheeks. "So delicious."

"I don't know if I could afford you. I see how you eat," Kino said, teasing her friend.

"Kino, you know I get so hungry after using my quirk…are you saying I am getting fat?" she said, her hands flying to her midsection.

"No, it all goes to your boobs and butt, you lucky bitch," Kinoko said, giggling.

"I blame genetics," Izumi said with a pout, causing Kinko to giggle even harder as they started attracting more attention from those around them. The two girls blushed as they realized the additional attention on them; thankfully, they were spared by the lights dimming and Present Mic taking the stage.

"HELLO, AND WELCOME TO THE PRACTICAL EXAM OF U.A. CAN I GET A HEY?" he called out.

"HEY!" Izumi and Kinoko yelled, jumping out of their seats. The only ones that responded, the only ones in an auditorium full of examinees, THE ONLY ONES. The two girls blushed and sat down quickly, their hands covering their mouths as they suppressed their giggles.

Present Mic immediately recognized the two voices and smiled, giving them the double finger guns, "THANKS FOR THAT, LITTLE LISTENERS!"

"NOW, IF YOU WOULD PAY ATTENTION TO THE MULTI-MEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA THAT WE HAVE PREPARED FOR YOU TODAY, OF A BOOKLET AND A SLIDE SHOW, WE CAN GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD. YOU WILL BE DIVIDED UP AND SENT VIA BUS TO DIFFERENT TESTING AREAS FOR YOUR PRACTICAL EXAM. YOU WILL ENGAGE IN COMBAT WITH ROBOTIC VILLAINS THAT HAVE TAKEN OVER YOUR TESTING AREAS. NOW EVERYONE NODE THEIR HEADS IF THEY UNDERSTAND SO FAR." He saw a bunch of heads nod.

"VERY GOOD; NOW, ANY ATTACKS AGAINST YOUR FELLOW EXAMINEES WILL RESULT IN YOUR IMMEDIATE REMOVAL FROM THE TEST. KILL STEALING IS A NO, NO AND JUST SO YOU DON'T GET ANY IDEAS, WE HAVE CAMERAS EVERYWHERE. NOW EVERYONE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND IN THE AIR IF YOU UNDERSTAND," he waited as slowly all the right hands when up. "NOW MOVE IT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT FIVE TIMES." He watched and smiled as they all complied; he saw Izumi and Kinoko trying hard not to laugh. "OH YEA"

"NOW OPEN YOUR BOOKLETS TO PAGE 4 HERE; YOU WILL SEE THE POINT VALUES OF YOUR ROBOT VILLAINS THEY RANGE FROM 1-3…"

"EXCUSE ME, SIR?" a loud voice rang out from the audience; the spotlight clicked on, illuminating a tall boy with blue hair, glasses, and a very rigid posture.

"YES, EXAMINEE 7717?" The pro hero called out.

"While I have to question the validity of calling this a multi-media extravaganza, I see that there is nothing listed for the fourth villain in the booklet, and nothing is listed on the slide as well; I refuse to believe that such a prestigious institute like U.A. would make such a folly." He said, pushing his glasses up before turning around. "AND WOULD YOU THREE PLEASE BE QUIET? YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DIBS AND BRO CODE THE ENTIRE TIME; IF YOU ARE NOT HERE TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, YOU SHOULD LEAVE." Another spotlight lights up, illuminating Denki and his friends.

"There is always one," Present Mic muttered. "WHY THANK YOU, EXAMINEE 7717, FOR CRITIQUING OUR MULTI-MEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA, BUT AS THERE ARE BOOKLETS AND SLIDES THAT QUALIFY AS MULTIPLE FORMS OF MEDIA. SECOND, IF YOU HAD BOTHERED TO LET ME FINISH, I WAS ABOUT TO ADDRESS THE YOUR 4TH OPPONENT. IS THAT ALL RIGHT WITH YOU? MAY I CONTINUE?"

The blue-haired boy blustered as laughter erupted around the auditorium; instead of speaking, he sat back down.

"THANK YOU." PRESENT MIC SAID. "NOW, THE FOURTH ROBOT IS NOT WORTH ANY POINTS. WE CALL IT THE ZERO-POINTER, IT IS NOT TO BE ENGAGED, BUT IT IS AN OBSTACLE TO BE AVOIDED. BUT FRET NOT, LITTLE LISTENERS, I WILL NOT JUST SEND YOU OFF INTO BATTLE UNMOTIVATED."

"TODAY YOU COME HERE WITH YOUR DREAMS HELD ALOFT FOR ALL TO SEE; TODAY YOU STAND AMONGST STRANGERS AND FRIENDS READY TO LAY IT ALL ON THE LINE FOR YOUR DREAMS, WHILE ALL OF YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PURSUE THAT DREAM WITHIN THESE HALLS TODAY IS NOT A DAY TO HOLD BACK. TODAY IS NOT THE DAY TO SECOND GUESS YOURSELVES. YOU ARE IN THE HALLS OF U.A., AND WE DO NOT HOLD BACK; WE DO NOT DO THINGS WITH HALF EFFORTS; WE GO BEYOND!"

"PLUS ULTRA!" THE AUDITORIUM ROARED BACK.

"NOW GET CHANGED AND GET OUT THERE, LITTLE LISTENERS; SHOW US WHAT YOUR DREAM MEANS TO YOU!"

The lights came back on as the students headed to the locker rooms to get changed; Kinko and Izumi slipped into their black reinforced combat pants gifted to the girls by All-Might for battle training after a few wardrobe malfunctions. Kinoko pulled on her red and white polka-dot shirt, while Izumi's was dark green with white trim on the arms, they were a bit form-fitting, but they were reinforced much like the pants they zipped and locked in place keeping everything where it was supposed to be. They methodically laced up their boots and checked to ensure everything sat right as they had been trained.

After double-checking everything, they hugged tightly, "You got this, Kinoko," Izumi said.

"Show them what you got, Izumi," she replied. Izumi slipped on her black gloves; closing her eyes, she pictured her family in order starting with her Mom and ending with Momo; the last one filled her with warmth. Izumi didn't understand it; I confused the girl, but she knew Momo was the best part of her days. Momo had already passed the recommended exam and been admitted; Momo was waiting for her to join her at U.A. Nothing was about to stop that from happening.

-Bus 4-

Boarding her bus, she looked around and noticed the blonde girl that was Bakugo at the gate; she was sitting by herself; Izumi bit her lip, wondering if she should sit with her. The girl looked up and saw Izumi. Her eyes widened, but she offered her best smile and motioned for Izumi to sit with her.

Izumi walked over and sat down, "Hello, I'm Izumi Shimura, but you already know that."

The blonde girl nodded, "I am Himiko Bakugo; I have heard a lot about you."

"I am not sure how to respond to that," Izumi said, looking at her hands. "You are about the same age as him, but I know he didn't have a sister his age."

"I am adopted," Himiko said, fidgeting with her hands. "Look, I know what Katsuki did was bad and incredibly stupid, but I want to say thank you for going before that judge and getting him a second chance."

"Why do you say that?" Izumi responded, looking at Himiko.

"Because you did that, they ordered him to go to a lockdown mental health facility, where we met. I was there because of my quirk." Himiko said, maintaining eye contact.

"What is your quirk?"

"It's called Transform," Himiko said, watching Izumi's face keenly. "I can transform into anyone, but to do so, I need some of their blood, but like Vlad King, I need blood just as part of my dietary needs." Izumi nodded. "My birth parents hated my quirk and used to make me suppress it; they denied me blood and sent me to counseling, I wanted to make them happy, so I tried to be the daughter they wanted until the hunger got too strong, and I attacked someone at school. I ran away, was caught, and got locked up in the same facility that Katsuki ended up in."

"That wasn't right of your parents to treat you like that," Izumi said. "All kinds of quirks have strange or unusual dietary requirements, but blood quirks get a bad rap. People call them villainous, and that is just stupid. No quirk is evil. The person and how they use it dictates if a quirk is evil."

"He said the same thing when he found out what happened to me," Himiko said, smiling. "He saved me, Izumi; he and I used to fight like cats and dogs, but eventually, he wore me down and helped me to understand that it was their fault, not mine, and that there are people in the world who would understand and that was him and his family. They emancipated me from my birth parents, took me in, and eventually adopted me. I know you may not believe me, but all he talks about is proving to you that he can be a hero worthy of the second chance you gave him. You don't know me and don't owe me anything, but can I ask a favor?"

"Go ahead," Izumi said.

"After we get into U.A., if you are ready, only if you are ready, would you please talk to him?" Himiko said, her eyes damp. "That's all. You don't have to forgive him; talk to him once. That's all I ask."

"I can do that," Izumi said, looking away. "I think there are some things I want to say to him as well."

"I asked him why he was trying so hard to save me, and he told me that he had failed someone so completely that he wasn't worthy of being a hero. The person he failed had given him a second chance, and he wanted to prove to them that he was worthy of that chance and wouldn't fail again."

The bus arrived at the examination area, and Izumi looked at Himiko. "I am glad that he was able to save you, Himiko. Good luck with the exam."

-The Practical Exam-

-TESTING GROUND EPSILON-

Izumi stepped off the bus and headed into the darkened waiting area; she pushed the conversation with Himiko from her mind for the moment and began to go through her mental exercises, getting her mind ready for the situation in front of her; Sir Nighteye had emphasized the importance of not only the physical but of the mental state before a battle or an operation.

She stretched, loosening up her body, getting it ready to move and react. Gran Torino taught her the importance of being flexible, of having a body that could move with the impacts and bend with the world around it.

She fired a rapid series of punches bouncing on the balls over feet. All-Might had taught her that you have to fight for what you want, that you have to fight for those you care about and those you wish to protect, and that you have to fight for every inch, every victory. He had given her the ultimate tool to fight, One for All.

The quirk sprang forth at her call, the light spreading out from her core, the orbs reaching to her fingertips before the small ones began to seep out. The room was dark no more. The other examinees watched the green-haired girl standing there as the light filled her body, the white lines on her shirt springing to life, the green lightning hugging her like a beacon, and hidden white stripes on the sides of her pants spang to life. She opened her eyes; they glowed a brilliant electric green.

Himiko was starstruck; her heart thumped against her chest as she looked at the girl. Holy Cow! She is beautiful!

The doors hissed and opened, calling everyone back to the world around them; Izumi dashed forward faster than everyone leaving a divot in the ground behind her. As she passed the door, she created a shield under her feet, launching her like a catapult into the city. She soared through the air into battle, a smile on her face. WATCH HOW I FIGHT FOR MY DREAM!

-TESTING GROUND ZETA-

Melissa Shield stood there waiting for the doors to open; taping the side of the visor, the heads-up display sprang to life.

Command Code Kappa Rho Alpha Tau Omicron Sigma She thought,

The metal harness of her across her chest began to shimmer, as did parts of her clothes and massive gauntlets on her arms and hands. The gauntlets morphed into giant daggers with a golden hilt resembling a skull; golden chains ran up her now bare arms wrapped. A golden chest plate and single shoulder bracer materialized on her right, and a red robotic eye opened on the shoulder bracer. Her legs were now wrapped in a white shimmering metallic fabric with golden boots; Golden tribal lines ran from her left bicep over her shoulder and down her hip into the strange pants; the gold looked flowing and moving.

The doors opened, the nanites kicking in, reinforcing Melissa's body like a second skin, a second set of muscles pushing in unison with her; they kicked forward into the testing ground, enemy units locations appearing in her unit display; she smiled, breaking from the pack and heading to large grouping in a ten story office building, as she burst in she spun the blade flying in a graceful arc from her hand the chain attached unraveling beautifully it struck two three-pointers that had just burst forth, a hiss erupted as the blade made contact they edge glowing white hot, as passed thought the robots like a hot knife through butter because that was precisely had happened. Melissa flicked her wrist. The chain snapped the blade back, the chain coiling perfectly, the blade landing perfectly in her hand.

Koios: cannibalize and assimilate command units. A group of robots burst from a wall as one of the blades turned into golden tendrils writhing through the three-pointers' corpses. The red eyes glowed, and a golden orb flew out.

A red beam fired from the eye struck the golden orb, passing through, striking another robot and shutting it down; another red beam fired the sphere never moved. This time it redirected the beam to a different target with the same results.

Cannibalization completed Melissa 4 minutes gained.

Good Job, Koios. Find me more units.

Affirmative Melissa, there are 18 units in the building for 35 points.

Time?

8 minutes.

Plot course.

Melissa raced off into the building; she had to pass and make it into the hero course. The world needed to know that there was someone here to defend them. Today was the day the Hero Athena was born. She knew she couldn't be the symbol of peace her uncle is/was, but someone had to let the world know that everything would be ok because SHE WAS HERE.

-Observation Room-

All-Might sat stunned; David had told him that Melissa would apply for U.A. He had told him she was applying for the support course and wanted to branch out from I-Island and work with the next generation of heroes. His niece had been different since his injury; she had been hyper-focused on her inventions. He never expected to see what was happening on the screen before him; here she was, participating in the Hero Course Practical Exam.

She was running through the building in what could only be considered a controlled rampage destroying the robots systematically; she would pause and plunge the blades into the fallen corpses periodically before moving on; she seemed to know exactly where they hid and was not above springing their ambushes to the name of expediency. He flinched when he saw her take a direct blow from the missiles of a couple of three-pointers; when the smoke cleared, she smiled and brushed off her golden chest piece before adding them to the scrap heap.

His gaze shifted the screen to Izumi; the girl was on her own rampage, moving through the city that would make Gran Torino smile he was. Robots were swept up into the glow of her shields as she yanked them towards her glowing fist, spreading through them quickly. When encountering an overwhelmed student, she shielded him, allowing him to recover. Handing him a makeshift bat that had the greenish glow of her shielding around it, giving it the look of an energy ax, she smiled at the sleepy purple-haired boy and raced off. He saw the boy staring at her dumbfounded for a second before using the weapon to behead a one-pointer, then the smile that erupted on his face.

He turned to training ground Alpha, where Katsuki Bakugo was on a relentless pace to end the scourge of robot villains in his training ground. Maneuvering through the city somewhat clumsily but with great speed, thanks to the intelligent use of his quirk, his explosions propelling him like rockets, he would engage with great speed and end the threat just as quickly. The look on the boy's face was one of constant determination until he saw it falter. A green-haired girl with a frog quirk had leaped in and saved a boy with yellow hair with the dumbest expression on his face, who was walking around in a daze just as another examinee had trained a small group of robots in the area.

The girl fought to save the boy and tried to escape but was knocked out of the air by a missile; she and her rescue victim fell to the ground; All-Might noticed the girl roll so she would absorb the impact, but when Bakugo saw this his face shifted to a look of panic and absolute rage as he leaped in landing in front of the two downed examinees before the massive exposed he unleashed temporarily blinded the cameras and kicked up an enormous cloud of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, the robots were no more, and the streetscape had massive damage. Bakugo's arm hung limply at his side as he spun around and yelled something, the audio hadn't come back up yet, but All-Might saw the frog girl nod her head then it looked like she asked a question that made Bakugo step back before he said something in return and dashed off holding his arm.

"It is an exciting crop of examinees this year," the blood hero Vlad King commented.

"That it is," said Aizawa; he watched all the monitors but found himself watching Izumi more due to his closeness with the girl and his relationship with Inko.

"What is that blonde girl's quirk?" asked Snipe. "Whatever it may be, it is certainly interesting."

"Yes, that is Melissa Shield, daughter of David Shield, and she is quirkless," responded Nezu as he took a sip of tea, and the room broke out into surprise.

"Then how is she doing all that?" Nemuri asked in shock.

"Nano Machines, created by her," Nezu said. "Power Loader almost fainted when he reviewed them, she has already been granted a chair in the support course, but she refused it, saying she wanted the hero course. But I think we have gone soft on them long enough, CRY HAVOC AND LET LOOSE THE DOGS OF WAR!" he yelled, his fist slamming down on a red button in front of him, his maniacal laughter filling the room.

The Zero Pointers emerged onto the battlefield.

-Testing Ground Gamma-

"Here, eat this. I promise it will help with your stomach," Kinko said as she handed a mushroom to the blonde boy she had just saved from a group of robots.

"Merci," the boy said, eating the mushroom and smiling as the pain in his stomach subsided. The entire exam sight shook, causing the examinees to freeze the loud crash caught their attention as the massive zero pointer emerged onto the field.

"What in the name of all that is shrooms is that?" Kinoko yelled, helping the boy to his feet. "We need to get out of here." Together the two ran.

The examinees were racing down the streets; Kinoko saw the small boy with orbs for hair from earlier get knocked down violently; she ran over and yanked him to his feet, yelling at him to run. He looked at her gratefully; she heard him mutter, "Rikido is so damn lucky."

-Testing Ground Zeta-

Melissa stood in the middle of a pile of robot corpses, breathing heavily as her Nano-machines cannibalized the corpses for energy. The shaking of the ground and the screams from the main street pulled her attention back.

What is that, Koios?

Unknown at this time, Melissa. According to readings, it is much larger than anything else we have encountered; with the availability of the data, it is the Zero Pointer.

Melissa ran out to the main street and saw other examinees fleeing. She turned to follow when she heard a scream of pain. A brunette was trapped under some rubble and calling for help, but her cries were ignored. Melissa was angry that these "future" heroes ignored the girl's cries.

We have to help her. Melissa ran towards the girl, her reinforced second skin propelling her forward at great speed; sliding next to the girl, she offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry; I am here."

The girl smiled at her gratefully, "Please help my foot is trapped."

Koios divert to the second skin. Analyze target.

Understood, the target has a fracture to their talus.

Melissa bent down, the blades and chains disappearing instead. Golden gauntlets formed past her elbows as she bent down and lifted the large rubble, pinning the girl. "Can you wiggle out?"

"I think so," the girl responded, pushing herself free. "Oh, thank you, thank you."

Seeing the girl clear, she let it fall; as the warning sensor on her visor lit up, the Warning Power went down to 25%. Melissa bent down, helping the girl to her feet, putting her arm around her shoulder, and tried to move from away when the ground shook again, and the zero pointer rounded the corner. "Oh, Shit!" Melissa called out.

"Leave me behind. Get out of here," the girl said.

"I don't think so. We get away together, or we go down together," Melissa said. "What's your quirk?"

"Zero Gravity, I can remove the effect of gravity from an object."

"Great, now do it to yourself."

The girl touched herself; gravity slipped away. Attach her to me. A gold chain wrapped around the girl's waist, "now me," the girl did as asked; Melissa pushed off, sending them up; a blade reformed in her other hand as she fired it out towards a building, yanking with all her might, they rocketed ahead. Melissa saw her power reading dropping further, 15%. She saw the building coming closer. She yelled out, "Turn it off!"

"Release!" the girl yelled, pressing her fingers together, gravity suddenly reassuring its hold on them, causing them to swing down 9%. The blade tore from the building, swinging them like a pendulum; Melissa wrapped her arms around the girl tightly as she crashed to the ground. Melissa's head bounced off the concrete as the buzzer sounded; she smiled at the girl in her arms. "See, we made it."

The girl smiled, but her face morphed into concern seeing blood pooling under Melissa's head. The last thing Melissa heard was the girl yelling for help as she tore off her shirt and pressed it to the back of Melissa's head.

-Training Ground Epsilon-

The Zero Pointer rumbled into view as Izumi watched the other examinees fleeing; she was about to exit when she saw Rikido come stumbling out of an alley, trying to carry Himiko. He was in a horrible state, bare-chested; his top was wrapped around what appeared to be a naked, unconscious Himiko. There were numerous wounds all over his body, and a vicious gash on his head that was bleeding profusely.

He fell to a knee with the ground shaking around him. The building began to fall, rubble plummeting toward them. Rikido looked as the wreckage fell around and not on them and smiled, seeing Izumi.

"Hold on tight!" she yelled; Rikido wrapped his arms around Himiko the best he could. Izumi forced the shield to go under them; then, twisting, she yanked it to her as more rubble fell around them. The bounced off the ground near her as she caught the bubble, sending her skidding back some; she set it down a released the barrier.

"It's ok, Rikido, I have you," she said. "Kinoko would never forgive me if I let something happen to you."

"Thanks, Izumi," he managed to get out, setting Himiko down gently as he could, his enhanced muscles from his quirk fading quickly. Izumi pulled a bandage from her belt, quickly pressing it to his head to staunch the bleeding. The sound of metal tracks could finally be heard as the building was now rubble. Looming over them was the Zero Pointer, its fist rocketing down.

Izumi threw up another barrier, gritting her teeth, the thing hit hard, but Toshi hit her much harder; the barrier didn't budge. She smiled at the metal behemoth, "You must try harder than that. My teachers hit me harder than that." One for All surged inside her as she pushed out with her shield, rocking the thing back.

Getting to her feet, she stomped forward, a shield materializing under the Zero pointer and launching farther back; she ran towards the fallen behemoth. Launching herself into the air, she came and brought her fist down. A shield glowed brightly around her arm as she impacted the center of the downed machine. The shield burst forth, punching a hole straight throw the Zero Pointer. Izumi wasn't finished. She opened a barrier inside the machine and placed one around the outside.

The inside one expanded rapidly, exploding the metal beast. Slowly the containment barrier fell Izumi was standing in the center of what used to be a zero pointer; Rikido smiled as Izumi dashed to his side.

"Thanks, Izumi, I owe you a cake," he said, his body losing its battle with consciousness. "Is the girl ok?"

"I think so. She has a nasty knot on her head; I promise I won't tell Kinoko she was naked."

"Please don't," he said with a lopsided smile. "I may not live long enough to bake that cake." He muttered as he started slumping to the side.

Izumi smiled, using a barrier to catch him and lower him to the ground. She pulled out some more bandages and applied pressure to the head wound as Rikido passed out with what could only be called dignified grace.

Recovery Girl was walking towards them; Izumi relayed what information she could as Recovery Girl took over the situation. "I have them; deary go get changed, and your free to leave. I saw Momo waiting at the exit with your mother."

Izumi smiled as she moved off. Momo and her mother were waiting for her; she liked that. Momo was going to be so proud of her. The thought of that made her stomach feel like butterflies were loose.

*Authors Note*

So I kinda went the Tony Stark route with Melissa and her nano armor. I originally thought of using the idea with all the little robots but then I thought of how she would need barrels and barrels of them to make them usable. So i went smaller with Nano-machines. And started to have some fun with it. The name of her A.I. comes from
Koios -Greek Titan God of Intellect & the Axis of Heaven, as I really like the name Athena for Melissa. Athena being a goddess of wisdom and war. Melissa being smart etc.

Anyhow I hope those of you that read this enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank you all for your comments, favs, and follows, they really mean a lot to me.