I got on a roll and ended up writing almost 2/3rds of this chapter between last night and this morning. Since we've established we aren't doing the Canon finals, this chapter sets up for the finals they will be doing and how I'll go about those (because I fully intend to do more than one, unlike some source material). I hope you all like what I've come up with. Before that, though, on to the Reviews from last chapter:

CallMeCayde: Gonna be honest, I don't know if it will. I'm more of an IzuOcha shipper myself usually, but that's just not the dynamic that's formed as the story came about. I'm not planning for any specific pairing; what happens will happen. Not like there are enough crossovers here to be choosey. Trust me, I wish there were more so I could compare, but oh well.

Gamelover41592: Yes, like almost every protagonist in the games, Izuku's got some interesting ancestry. I look forward to revealing it to you all in time.

Jerarudo Torinidado: To be honest, Aizawa was born into the Brotherhood, as he mentioned in his talk with Emi several chapters back, so there was no recruitment to be had there. Himiko was found and trained by Stain/Akaguro, who in turn ran into them during his days as a Vigilante and had most of the skills needed already. Keeper was scouted for his Quirk, and Nekoi has a story eerily similar to Izuku's, since I showed she used to attend a Hero school. I have no idea about Midnight. Maybe I will do a chapter (or more) for them in the future, but I know I won't do that until it would provide maximum impact. I will not elaborate on what "maximum impact" entails.

LEGOBRICK13: Hehe! Of course the P.O.E. have have something to do with the Dawn of Quirks, but only I know all the details! I love the philosophical differences and breaking them down in the black-and-white morality of MHA is so f-ing fun. No one of them in perfect, and that's what makes it so interesting.

lukejmontier1: Welcome to the review section. If my writing is good, then I'm not sure why you're cringing, but I hope that was a one-time thing. Not like there are many other ACxMHA crossovers to pick from, anyway. As for your question about the rating, most of the AC games are rated PG-13 and they contain plenty of references to *ahem* situations of the adult sort. The upcoming AC: Mirage will be the first in the line to have an MA rating, despite all the death in the other games. A little reference to "dreams" does not bump this story to an M rating. (Not that I'm a stranger to writing such things. I mean, it's on my profile.) So, no. We're still at a firm T rating.

Monkey D. Conan: We are about to see how good Izuku is. He's got a bit of a complex between lying about having a Quirk, being a killer, and overall thinking of himself as a fraud who doesn't deserve any of the kindness he's received, so you can't really take all of his dialogue about himself at face value and as total truth. I'm not saying Izuku is expendable, I'm just saying he still has some hard lessons to learn and that he might not always escape them in one piece.

Movieboy66: You've seen that the Animus is still very much a technology that exists, so of course Izuku would need to end up in one at some point. And it's not that they lost the ability to read others' genetic memories, it's that something has locked down this specific set of memories so that only one of the lineage can access them. Because, uh... plot.

Pirohiko-Baltazar: You are absolutely right. Both in video games and our world, we have seen this problem play out. The churches of Germany had a chance to stop the rise of the Third Reich, but over half of them decided religion should play no part in politics. They told Dietrich Bonhoeffer he was worried over nothing, and millions died as a result, Bonhoeffer included. All it takes for evil to win is for good men to do nothing.

Wizardwolf 1020: To be fair, we aren't running on video game rules here. Plus, in this world, very few have been born with the Sight in a long time. I can't go into specifics lest I ruin a surprise or two, but Quirked people with both Eagle Vision and a Quirk typically have weaker variations of both. Izuku, as a Quirkless with the Sight, is in a position to unlock abilities that have been all but lost to time (and maybe make that eye shimmer go away upon mastery). It's not like they know the details of Ezio, Arno, or Desmond's Eagle Vision in totality. It's not so much that Izuku is poorly trained (the argument can be made, though) but that they couldn't teach what they don't know is within his reach. Plus, he's still pretty young. As for the Templars, Abstergo, and the wider world, CHILL! To quote Mr. Incredible, "We get there when we get there!" If it will appease you, Izuku's gonna have a reality check at some point and see how the Osaka Brotherhood does things totally different from the rest of the world; we're just chugging along toward that point.

ZonZus: Unlike us, who have seen the dark side of the Templars since they're the bad guys in (almost) every game, Momo doesn't see what she's gotten herself into. She's been given a view of the Templars through rose-tinted glasses and is on the side of her family. Her siding with the Templars will indeed test her convictions, her humanity, and her morals as she sinks deeper into their clutches. Remember, these things can take years and morality is not so black and white here.

Chapter 29:

Preparation

The start of finals came quickly, Izuku stepping into the classroom with a determined smile on his face and a tight grip on his backpack. Most of his classmates were there already, several including Mina, Kaminari, and Sero lavishing Momo with praise for her help during their study sessions. The young woman in question had a bashful smile, insisting that the only thanks she needed was for them to pass. She looked up, noticing his entrance, and stood.

"Please, excuse me," she muttered to the students around her, stepping away from them. Mina followed Momo's short path with her eyes, a cat's grin spreading over her lips. Momo stopped to meet Izuku as he dropped his bag at his desk. "Izuku," she said. "Good morning. I hope you had enough sleep. Do you feel confident about our coming test?"

"Hm?" he blinked. "Oh, good morning, Momo. I slept fine and I'm ready for the test. You?"

"Truthfully, I have other things on my mind." She leaned in toward him slightly.

"Really? Is now the time for that?" Izuku did not look at her, the verdet continuing to empty his bag and place the contents on his desk the way he preferred.

"I feel confident about the written test," Momo explained, moving to try to be in his peripheral vision. "It is the physical test two days from now that is giving me pause. Despite the combined reconnaissance of both 1-A and 1-B, we still have no solid clues to the nature of our other final."

"I'll agree it is a bit disconcerting," Izuku nodded. "I was able to confirm something, though."

"Oh?" Momo questioned. "Do tell."

"Yeah, we won't be fighting our teachers. That's the graduation final of the third-years."

"And did this information come from a reputable source?"

"It came from my senpai, the one I worked alongside of during my internship," Izuku answered. "She said her class's finals were reconnaissance, battle, puzzle solving, and teamwork, respectively. She said, however, that students are told not to give details to their underclassmen upon pain of detention."

"I'll admit, I envy you, Izuku." The boy finished unpacking and turned, only to be startled by how close his female classmate was. His eyes moved instinctively, looking for an exit, only to see Tsuyu keeping one, unblinking eye on them despite her conversation with Ochako. "I made no such connections during my time away, though I suppose Kendo and I became rather good friends, but neither of us were able to train the other in pertinent skills."

"I think I learned a lot from her," Izuku nodded, trying to keep the conversation amicable. "Master Edgeshot cared a lot about us learning to fight hand-to-hand since Quirk-nullifying Quirks are out there —and that's kind of all I have— and Senpai has several years on me. I never managed to touch her in our spars, but I'm sure I got better."

"I… I'm sure you did." Momo gave him a soft smile, tucking a lock of black hair behind her ear. "She's a third-year, yes? I heard they are on another level after the training they've had. To train with one as well as a pro is very impressive."

"Oh?" Izuku swallowed. "Really?"

"Very much so." She smiled again, moving just a hair closer.

"M-Momo?" Izuku questioned. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no?" The ravenette blinked innocently. "What brings you to such a conclusion?"

"You're acting weird," the boy said. "It's… kind of off-putting, honestly."

"O-Oh, you think so?" Momo reached across herself, running a hand over her opposite elbow and bicep. The movement had the adverse effect of accenting her figure. Izuku's eyes weren't on that, however, as much as the dusting of red that had come to Momo's face as she glanced away from him. Across the room, Tsuyu's eyes narrowed.

"Uhh—"

"Say, Izuku—"

"Alright, everyone in your seats," Aizawa ordered, stepping into the room. In his hands was a large stack of papers, the sight of which caused Mina and Kaminari to wilt slightly. "I'm sure you're aware, but I'll go over the schedule for the next few days. Both today and tomorrow will be taken up by your written exams, so I hope you've been studying. After that, we will be having our physical final. That will take place at the end of the week and the details will be given only just before we begin. Are there any questions?"

"I have one," Kirishima said, raising his hand. "Can you at least give us an idea of what the physical test will include? Everyone we've asked has had a different answer."

"Ah, so you've been gathering information as a class. That's good, but not going to help you in this situation. UA changes the tests every year so no student can specialize for the grade if that makes sense. All you need to know is that we have systems in place for a fair grading system and that you will not fail if you give it your best, both mentally and physically."

"So we don't get to know what's on the test at all?" Toru muttered.

"It doesn't matter," Bakugo stated. "I'm gonna get the top score and the rest of you extras get to fight for second place. Let's get this shitshow moving so I can get back to my training."

"If there are no more comments," Aizawa began, "then I will pass around the tests. Only begin when I say so."

Izuku sucked in a breath as he took a stapled group of papers from the stack, passing the other two back over his shoulder to Pony. His heartbeat slowed at his mental command, the boy focusing totally on the moment.

"Is everyone ready? Begin."

"Nekoi, we have a name," Akaguro said, striding into the evening meeting with Himiko hot on his heels. The others that were selected for the Shie Hassaikai mission were already in the room, their conversation about the first round of 1-A's written exams cut off as the man and his graduated apprentice joined them at the table. He pulled out a file and dropped it on the table, the symbol from the necklace stamped on the outside. "It's a worldwide religious cult that says it's not a religion nor a cult. Humarise."¹

"Humarise?" Keeper echoed as Nekoi picked up the file. "I feel like I've heard that name before, but I can't place it."

"The American Brotherhood called them the new Scientology, whatever that means," Himiko offered.

"That's a comparison I understand. Thanks."

"That makes one of us," Akaguro grunted.

"Apparently," Himiko continued, "they're a group that subscribes to the Quirk Doomsday Theory and believe that Quirks need to be eliminated or else humanity will lose control and go extinct."

"That doesn't sound like Templar ideology," Ganma croaked. "Have we got a connection?"

"Other than Tomino Zi and Kai Chisaki having the symbol? Nothing yet." Akaguro said. "Still, it makes sense for Chisaki to be part of this group considering his research. Or maybe his research is because of these beliefs. I wouldn't be surprised if he's working directly for them."

"Zi hired a gunman to inject civilians with Trigger to make their Quirks go wild," Aizawa recalled. "We thought it was to increase the sway of the Templar Heroes who came to stop them, but what if it was a test, too? If the Quirk Doomsday Theory isn't real, then to get members they have to make it appear real. What if that was their way of trying to show people that Quirks were getting to the point where people can't control them?"

"That doesn't make sense," Nekoi muttered, flipping to the next page of the info Akaguro had retrieved. "Chisaki's working to eliminate Quirks, not make them stronger. Why dabble in Trigger?"

"Two side of the same coin," Gamna suggested. "Heads or tails, it's all worth the same in the end, only difference is if people survive the process. Either way, the only ones left are the ones without powers."

"The Quirkless and Humarise," Keeper grunted.

"So is Chisaki mainly a Templar or mainly one of these… Humarisers?" Keeper questioned. "Humarist? Whatever. Is he one of these nutjobs and just using the Templar name?"

"It's possible," Nekoi muttered. "Doesn't make sense, though. To try to strengthen and eliminate Quirks at the same time."

"Doesn't it?" Akaguro questioned. "Humarise can't be as big as it is unless some of their members have Quirks of their own. They'll find a way to kill off the Quirked they don't like and quote unquote 'cleanse' the ones that subscribe to their doctrine. If they can make people scared of their Quirks, like in the time before the Quirk Acceptance Movement, then maybe they can get people to line up to erase their Quirks willingly. If they're making a movement where only the Quirkless survive —and manage to convince people it's true— then the populous will offer to become Quirkless just to keep living."

"Shit," Ganma muttered. "If they've got backing like Chisaki's, then we can't assume they're benign. They're prepping something in the shadows."

"Why don't we have a case file on them?" Aizawa demanded. "This is a worldwide organization with a mission that would kill a large percentage of the world."

"Humarise is almost nonexistent in Japan," Himiko explained. "That's probably why they had Zi running the tests here. No other Brotherhood has found any direct connection between them and the Templars in the 15 years they've been around. Even the Assassins that infiltrated their weirdo services said they were all about how the Quirkless were the chosen meek who will inherit the earth when the powerful's 'Satan powers' burn themselves out. Their whole message was a waiting game, so the general consensus was that they were just a bunch of nuts whose beliefs would fizzle out when they proved false a couple generations from now."

"Where's the mastermind?" Keeper asked.

"Greenland, probably. The place with the highest concentration of Quirkless people, thus the largest following."

"Can we get back to Japan and the tortured little girl right now?" Nekoi demanded, throwing the pages back onto the table. "Humarise is a problem for another day and a much bigger team. Maybe a Hero issue specifically. Right now, we need to focus on the Shie Hassaikai."

"That's fair," Akaguro admitted. "Our attack on the yakuza is going to be too swift for Humarise to respond to if they do at all, but knowing their name is a weight of my chest."

"I thought the weight was off your leg," Himiko quipped with a grin.

"Himi, I swear to god."

"As much as I like to see you getting needled for once, we have bigger issues," Nekoi said, leaning against the table. "We need to be careful. One of my contacts caught wind of something. Apparently, the Nighteye Agency is already investigating the Shie Hassaikai. They're moving slowly and have no idea about the girl, but there's still a chance they might interfere."

"Did you get anything else out of your contact?"

"I was actually waiting for you two to come in before I got there." Nekoi pointed to each of the sheets detailing the yakuza's bigwigs. "We got Villain names and Quirk descriptions for Chisaki and his strongest supporters. First is Chisaki himself, who named himself after his Quirk. He goes by Overhaul and is able to restructure any matter he touches, including biomatter."

A shiver went down Himiko's spine.

"He's got two aides and eight officers called the Eight Bullets. His top aides are Hari Hurono, AKA Chrono, and Joi Irinaka, AKA Mimic. Hurono's Quirk: Chronostasis allows him to freeze people in time for a, well, limited time after criteria are met, but we don't know what those criteria are exactly. I'm sure his Quirk lasts long enough to get out of the way of an attack or land one himself. He is a primary target. Irinaka's Quirk: Mimicry allows him to merge with and manipulate matter. Not biomatter, luckily, but if he learns we're there, it will make our mission all but a foregone failure. It's suspected that where Chisaki's Quirk is more diverse, Irinaka's may have a wider area of effect."

"And these Eight Bullets?" Akaguro questioned. Nekoi pointed to the picture of each individual as she named them.

"Shin Nemoto, Rikiya Katsukame, Toya Setsuno, Yu Hojo, Soramitsu Tabe, Kendo Rappa, Hekiji Tengai, and Deidoro Sakaki. Their Quirks, respectively, are Confession, Energy Suck, Larceny, Crystalize, Food, Strongarm, Barrier, and Sloshed. Full descriptions and educated guesses are present in their files. We don't know if they're Templars, Humarists, or if they even know about Chisaki's loyalties, but they follow him and are threats. Show no mercy."

"Eleven of them and six of us," Ganma croaked. "I suppose five of us will take two targets each?"

"You all can divide them among yourselves if it makes you feel better, but it'd be safer to study them all just in case," Nekoi nodded. "Leave Chisaki to me. I'll take care of him and rescue the girl. That said, we'll travel in pairs to minimize risk to ourselves."

"I'll infiltrate the day before," Keeper said. "When the operation starts, can you meet me inside, Aizawa? We can take out most of the grunts quickly between the two of us."

"That works," the teacher nodded.

"Himi and I will work together," Akaguro said. "Don't be offended if we kill more than four of the targets."

"Obviously," Ganma chuckled with a roll of his eyes. "I suppose that leaves the cat and the toad for the big fish, Nekoi. How appropriate."

"I suppose it is," she nodded. "I've memorized these files already, so I'll leave them to you all. Remember, this is dangerous and we might not come back. Our raid happens three days from now, so you all need to finish whatever unfinished business you have going on. Is there anything that may impede us?"

"The Endeavor Agency is still looking for me," Akaguro commented with a frown. "Them chasing Himi is the closest they've gotten since I've mostly been holed up here after my run-in with Shigaraki. They shouldn't catch wind quick enough to affect us once we get started, but they're still out there. I'm sure Nighteye would tell them my location if their watch recognizes me."

"Alright, anything else?"

"I have scoped out a couple lesser members of the Shie Hassaikai's drug dealers," Keeper offered. "They follow familiar paths every day. It won't be hard to take one of their places and infiltrate the base, but I'll go for Yu Hojo if given the chance. I'll scope the inside and give you all the optimal entrance point. I'll mark it for you, but if you find nothing, assume I'm lost."

"If we lose you, I think we'll have much bigger fish to fry than just these wannabe yakuza," Himiko commented. "Actually, how about we work together on this one, Keeper. I've got a couple ideas that might work with your help."

"Alright, then. I was hoping you'd offer."

"Classes will be over by then," Aizawa nodded. "No meetings have been called and Nezu prefers to give us notice beforehand when we aren't already there, so it's safe to say there will be no interruptions on my end."

"I have taken time off work for personal reasons," Ganma stated. "My boss was not happy in the least, but they will not expect me back until a week after our mission."

"Then we're all set," Nekoi nodded. "Gather the weapons you want. This weekend, the Shie Hassaikai dies."

Izuku stood in his Hero costume among the rest of class 1-A, the boy twiddling his thumbs nervously as they waited for the allotted time. Aizawa stood before them, checking his pocket watch as he tapped his foot. He was not the only one, more and more students growing nervous as the silent minutes ticked by. No one dared strike up a conversation, lest that trigger the universe to immediately interrupt them.

"What the fuck are we waiting for?" Bakugo demanded, his palms sparking with little explosions. "Is this supposed to be some sort of joke? Don't tell me this is some stupid test about patience or some shit like that."

"No, it's not," their teacher said. "The bus was supposed to arrive nearly ten minutes ago."

"Then why the Hell are we just standing around?"

"I swear, that rat's doing this on purpose," Aizawa muttered to himself, ignoring Bakugo's second question. Almost immediately, one of the school's self-driving busses pulled around the corner and stopped before them. The door opened, the small, white-furred, suit-clad, humanoid form of Principal Nezu standing on the bottom step, prompting Aizawa to snap his pocket watch shut.

"Am I a rat, a dog, a bear, or something else?" the mammal said, raising a paw to wave. "It does not matter, because I'm the principal!"

"In case any of you have not met him before, this is Principal Nezu," Aizawa commented, waving his hand toward the creature. A scar ran over the principal's left eye, the pink skin distinct against the white of his fur.

"Indeed, indeed!" Nezu agreed, one rounded ear twitching. "As he said, I'm Principal Nezu and you all would know that from the entrance ceremony had you had any other teacher. Please, come aboard. Eraserhead and I will explain the test as we head to the grounds. Come on, in you get!"

The students started making their way onto the bus, Nezu hopping to the ground to get out of their way. Aizawa stepped over to the mammal, Izuku hanging back a moment with the excuse of wanting to help everyone board and get on last as the class's Vice-Rep. Momo took to this in stride, stepping into the vehicle in an attempt to direct people to their seats.

"Why are you late, Principal?" Aizawa questioned, Izuku hearing him only because he was trying to.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Nezu denied.

"These vehicles have an 'arrival time' function and I know you are aware of how they work."

"What gave you the idea that I know how they work?"

"You programmed them."

"Ah." Nezu grinned. "So I did. I wasn't sure if you were aware."

"Then why, Principal, are you ten minutes late?"

"I've received a few complaints about you," the Principal replied.

"Complaints?" Aizawa blinked. "That is nothing new. From staff or students?"

"Both, actually."

Aizawa rolled his eyes. "What did they say?"

"Overall, they said you have been too upbeat lately. It scared them."

"I'm sorry, what?" There was a distinct edge of annoyance mixed with confusion in the secret Assassin's tone. "People were complaining because, what? I smiled a little?"

"Well, yes," the principal chuckled. "Apparently, the difference from the countenance you'd carried up to this point has caused a bit of a disconnect between the you they picture and trust and the way you have been acting recently."

"That should be none of their business," Aizawa grunted.

"And it isn't," Nezu nodded. "Mostly, my being late was to put you in a similar mood to the ones your students are familiar with, for their own ease. I have no qualms with this since I know Ms. Joke can kiss it to make it all better at the end of the day."

Both Izuku and Aizawa swallowed wrong, choking at the mammal's words. The pair coughed to clear their lungs of the interruption. Nezu watched like an arsonist outside a building on fire, smiling proudly.

"Wh— How?" Aizawa demanded, subtly burying his face in his scarf.

"I have my ways, Eraser," the chimera replied cryptically. "I'm glad to see you're finally taking some real initiative over your own life."

"Principal, can we have this conversation where there are no listening ears?" Izuku could feel Aizawa's eyes on his back, every ounce of the boy's willpower and training working together for him to act somewhat nonchalant.

"I don't see a problem with your primary protégée hearing our discussion."

"Midoriya, get on the bus," Aizawa ordered, Izuku moving to do as bid. "Principal, I don't appreciate you meddling in my affairs like that."

"But it's fun." Was that the sound of the principal whining? "I do it to all the teachers. Why just yesterday I was able to make Ectoplasm spit out his tea."

"I'm glad we're a source of amusement for you," the teacher drawled, stepping onto the bus. Nezu followed at his heels, having to jump to reach the step that sat at the same height as his chest.

The students were arrayed in what Momo suspected would be the optimal groups, the young genius having theorized that there would be some teamwork aspect to the test. Even if that was not the case, they could at the least discuss how to go about the test en route to the grounds. Izuku and Momo sat next to each other in the front, having needed to take the remaining two seats. The whole bus turned to the teachers as they took their spots, Aizawa's eyes growing visibly more tired as Nezu climbed his scarf as if the man were a mountain's cliff face, settling himself on the Erasure Hero's shoulder.

"Good morning, class 1-A!" Nezu grinned.

"Good morning, Principal," most of the students chorused.

"Ah, perfect. Welcome to the first term final of your high school careers. I know you've been doing some research in an attempt to figure out what the test is, but I'm sorry to say that's not how UA rolls because your finals throughout your career are mostly random."

"Random?" Momo asked, baffled. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Then allow me to explain our process. There are five main foci we wish to train our graduates in, those being Conflict, Information, Medical, Rescue, and Teamwork. These five things make up your first five finals, but not necessarily in that order. See, when finals come around, we draw one out of a hat!"

"Wha— Out of a hat?" Kaminari demanded.

"Correct! We perform this ritual the night before and create a test for the class based on which focus we drew and their current level, though we try to have a little bit of everything when possible. In your case, we drew…" He waved to the screen behind him, Aizawa stepping out of the way as a very flashy display —complete with digital sparkles, firework noises, and over-the-top animations— read CONFLICT.

"Oh Hell yeah!" Kirishima grinned, punching his palm. "I'm so ready!"

"For once, I agree with you, Red Hair," Bakugo smirked.

"I am glad you're so excited," the principal grinned. "For your final, you will act in a capacity similar to your first Heroics class. If you recall, you were split into pairs at random and pitted against each other. We will be doing that. Eraserhead, if you would."

Tiredly, in a way that the class had not seen Aizawa tired since before their internships, the man reached behind himself and pulled out a box. He shook it before handing it to Izuku, the student closest to him. He reached in, pulling out a scrap of paper with the number 8 on it.

"Not even we know who will end up partnered with or fighting who," the principal continued. "Like before, this simulates on-the-fly team ups that happen in the field every day. That said, losing your battle does not mean you will fail your final, nor does winning guarantee you a passing grade." Izuku watched out of the corer of his eye as Momo drew her number, a 7, and passed the box along to Sato. It might have been a trick of the light, be Izuku could have sworn she sulked a little. "You cannot lose and still earn a perfect score, but we do not want a final that will deliberately fail half of you. That would be counterproductive and simulate nothing of the actuality. It'd be unfair as well, but that's what the randomization is for. Any lopsided teams are not our fault. That said, we will not tell you exactly what we will be grading about your performances."

"Now then," Aizawa put in. "Please direct your attention to the screen. Even before some of you draw your numbers, the matches will be randomized."

The screen flashed, five VS. appearing in a row in the middle while the numbers 1 through 10 flashed on either side of each so quickly that they were little more that splotches of grey. As they watched, the screen let out a DON and the first splotch stopped on the number 7. Another DON and the splotch on the opposite side settled into a 5, the speakers playing the sound of a cheering crowd and the screen a visual of digital confetti.

"Personally, I think the fanfare is wholly unnecessary," Aizawa sighed.

"Perhaps," Nezu acquiesced. "However, I find them very entertaining. They were Midnight's idea."

"Of course they were."

The box made its way around the bus as the matches were decided, Nezu clapping in time with the automated cheers. Izuku caught himself holding his breath as each number appeared without him seeing his own.

The bus pulled to a stop outside training ground beta, the mock city rising high above them. The last two numbers locked into place on the screen at the same time, accompanied by the by-now-familiar-and-final round of cheering. Something clicked, a blue light sweeping over the students in the bus.

"And now we will see the teams!" Nezu announced as the screen buzzed. "The fights will happen in this order!"

Team 7: Kyoka Jiro and Momo Yaoyorozu VS. Team 5: Tsuyu Asui and Rikido Sato

Team 3: Mezo Shoji and Tenya Iida VS. Team 1: Mina Ashido and Eijiro Kirishima

Team 6: Hanta Sero and Toru Hagakure VS. Team 2: Ochako Uraraka and Katsuki Bakugo

Team 10: Denki Kaminari and Fumikage Tokoyami VS. Team 4: Mashiro Ojiro and Yuga Aoyama

Team 8: Shoto Todoroki and Izuku Midoriya VS. Team 9: Koji Koda and Pony Tsunotori

"Kirishima, look!" Mina laughed, pointing at the screen. "We're on the same team! This'll be great!"

"Oh, boy," Kaminari sighed, turning to meet the gaze of his bird-headed teammate. "We need a strategy, don't we?"

"We've got this, Sero!" Toru insisted, reaching over Ojiro to punch her partner in the arm, though she still brushed against him. The student caught in the middle blushed at the action, completely missing the sparkles and self-elevating French of his own teammate.

"You better not fuckin' slow me down, Round Face!" Bakugo barked. Ochako's brows furrowed in response.

"I can damn-well keep up with you just fine, Loudmouth!" she shot back.

Izuku ignored most of this, turning his eyes toward the back of the bus where he met the dual-colored gaze of his own partner. Shoto nodded quietly, accepting their partnership.

"Well then, this will be interesting!" Nezu smiled. "First row teams will start at the west gate, second row teams at the east. I suppose, however, there are details to some of the rules you may find pertinent. Eraserhead?"

"You do not need to defeat your opponents to claim the victory," Aizawa explained, those in the class with 'weaker' Quirks perking up at the news.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Bakugo demanded.

"Overwhelming power, while possibly helpful, is not always the path to success. At each gate, you will find five pairs of matching bandanas. Your condition for victory is not the defeat of your opponents, but your acquiring of their bandanas. You are not allowed to hide the bandanas within your clothing. Simply having the other team's means nothing if they can get them back, so you must either incapacitate them or one team member must carry the bandanas out of the training ground. The gate of exit you choose —or if you even use one— is of no concern.

"Also, you are not allowed to simply trade bandanas, though I doubt any of you would try such a tactic. That would be counter to the testing of your combat skills and would immediately result in failure for both teams involved. If the fight turns out in a way that both teams lost their bandanas to the other, then the winners will be the ones to carry their prize out of the training ground first. If neither team is able to achieve the stated goal, then the fight will end at the 30-minute mark in a draw. Are there any questions?"

"Sir, I have a question!" Iida announced, his hand raised. "Principal, you mentioned that the five foci of testing are Conflict, Information, Medical, Rescue, and Teamwork. I noticed you mentioned nothing about our sixth and final test."

"That's true," Nezu agreed. "The last final is a conglomeration of all five foci in a series of mock battles against the teachers and/or various pro Heroes who offer to help. We would not pit such young, inexperienced students such as yourselves in any test like that unless some foreseen catastrophe was waiting in the wind, and only then if we were desperate. This, however, is not such a timeline. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes sir! Thank you, sir!"

"Any other questions?" The bus was silent. "…It appears not. Very well. Teams, please exit and make your way to your assigned gates."

Following the mammal's orders, Izuku and the others stepped out of the vehicle. He quickly wished Tsuyu and Ochako good luck before they parted ways, the verdet and half the class heading to the left. He waited for Shoto to join him, allowing Momo to walk ahead with Jiro lest she be to his back, a situation that was uncomfortable enough in class.

"Midoriya," the recommendation student greeted, Izuku falling in step beside him.

"Todoroki."

"What do you make of this test and our opponents?"

"Well, I had assumed for a moment that we would be able to simply overpower them with your ice and secure victory that way. The addition of the bandanas sort of threw a wrench into that plan. It makes Koda's Quirk far more formidable than before. He is already on friendly terms with the animals that call Ground Beta home."

"I suppose that is why this category is 'conflict' and not 'battle'," Shoto reasoned. "Have you any plans?"

"I think I can come up with something," Izuku grinned. "Todoroki, how much area can you cover with your steam?"

The two conversed in hushed voices all the way to the gate, the pair having a basic —and hopefully effective— plan by the time the tall arch came into view. Like with each of the training grounds' entrances, there was a square slab of concrete on the outside and a pair of massive screens on either side of the archway. A temporary canopy had been erected over most of the area, a table with cups of water and many chairs situated in the shade. Another table held ten bandanas, two each dark blue, camo, metallic gold, muted orange, and hot pink with heart designs.

Each of the other teams reached the table before either Izuku or Shoto could recognize it, leaving the pair with the pink bandanas.

"This," Shoto commented, holding his hot pink cloth, "is not exactly the sort of start I'd hoped for."

"It doesn't make that much of a difference," Izuku chuckled, tying his around his right forearm, the pink a stark difference to the dark green of his costume. He reached upward, pulling his head-based equipment off and setting it on the table.

"Are you certain?" Shoto questioned, still leery at his partner's choice.

"I can't get dependent on my gear," Izuku said, offering the same answer when he'd mentioned the idea on the way there. "Some way, somehow, it'll break at some point in the field and I need to be ready for when that time comes. Best to do it now when I've got a powerhouse backing me up and opponents I know won't go for the kill."

"Yes, but to forego your equipment on the final?"

"…I think my Quirk is going to evolve soon," Izuku admitted. "It can't exactly get stronger or push its limits like yours, but I've just got a feeling something will happen. I don't know how, but I think I need to stress test Empathetic Eye to make it happen."

"If that is your decision," Shoto said. "We are the last fight, so you have at most two hours to reconsider." He sat in one of the chairs and took a cup of water. Mist fell from his fingers, the boy using his Quirk to chill the drink in his hand. He offered it to Izuku (an offer he accepted) before repeating the process with another cup.

"Teams 7 and 5," Principal Nezu announced over the speaker system. "Your final begins in one minute."

"It is time," Momo said, offering Jiro a high five.

"Let's go." The punk girl reciprocated the gesture as they made their way to the gate, dark blue bandanas tied to their arms. The sound system crackled to life again.

"Ready, set, go!"

End of Chapter 29

¹ It has come to my attention (after finally watching the World Heroes Mission movie for myself) that the symbol for Humarise is not, in fact, a cross at all. Whichever site I read that off of was either incorrect or I read it wrong for some reason. Therefore, and for in-story reasons, I have decided that the clover-like symbol is stupid and makes no sense, so we're going with the Broken Cross. In addition, after watching the movie, there is no way you can convince me that Overhaul would NOT have been a member of Humarise considering how far both were willing to go to achieve the same end goal. If anyone is willing to draw their rendition of the Broken Cross as described in Chapter 11, I would love to see it.

Anyway, Finals are finally here! They'll take up the next chapter if not the next two, and I really hope you all like what I've come up with. I think it's balanced well enough that the so-called "weaker teams" still have a chance of pulling out a win. On top of that, the Assassins we know finalize their plans against the Shie Hassaikai. What horrible surprises might lie in wait? Which members of the Shie Hassaikai may prove to be the most trouble? On the students' side, what tactics do you think each team could pull out for the win? Which teams might have the most difficulty? What skills do you think Izuku is on the verge of manifesting in regards to his Eagle Vision? Tell me what you think!

Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods