Hitoshi Shinso sighed as he walked along the beachside promenade. It would have been a safe assumption to say that his mind was aflurry considering his future.

He was in his final year of middle school, and applications were already being submitted for potential high schools such as the prestigious UA High with Pro Hero alumni such as All Might, the Symbol of Peace, and Endevour, the #2 hero with more closed cases than any hero ever.

Still, Shinso could hear the voices of his classmates echoing in his head, 'Wow, you could get away with a lot of stuff with your Quirk, huh Shinso?' or 'Don't take advantage of us poor girls, okay Shinso!' or even the rarely heard, 'A Quirk like yours would really set you up to be a supervillain!'

So caught up in his internal struggle that he didn't notice the looming shadow cover him until he felt the point of a blade in his back, a clear threat.

"Listen up kid, you're gonna drop the bag and then give me your wallet, or else things might get messy." A sibilant voice whispered in his ear, Hitoshi's mind panicking, looking for an easy escape, someone he could call for help.

Just his luck the beach was about as deserted as you'd expect it not to be, possibly why this mugger was operating so openly.

"Okay, just let me drop it. Why'd you pick me, I'm just a kid, I don't have that much money!" Hitoshi questioned, feeling the first part of his Quirk activate as the wannabe mugger growled.

"It's nothing perso-" The man stopped, but Shinso didn't hear the clatter of a knife hitting the pavement. Still, he could feel his Quirk had ensnared his attacker as he turned around, finding a middle-aged guy with a series of sharp looking claws instead of hands.

"Go and turn yourself into the police." Shinso ordered as the mugger turned mechanically, walking away as Hitoshi gave a sigh of relief.

"Wow, you really handled him kid." He heard a voice proclaim from behind him as he turned, a young man or college-age teen looking at him with interest.

Shinso hadn't spotted the guy moments earlier, and he was pretty sure he'd remember the pale blue hair partially covering the man's face, plus the easygoing smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I bet with a Quirk like yours," The man started. 'Here it comes.' Shinso thought. "You have a lot of potential," He continued. 'He doesn't even know me, judging me based on my Quirk!' Hitoshi told himself. "You'd be a pretty good hero, huh?" The man finished as Shinso looked at him, caught off-guard by the supposition. It was hardly the first time someone had told him he could be a hero, but it was still rare and certainly not without getting to know him first.

"Really?" Was all Shinso said in response.

"Hmm, yeah, it'd certainly be better than my Quirk." The stranger softly argued, holding up his hands which Shinso had only just noticed were covered by off-white gloves. "All my Quirk does is kill and destroy anything I touch. Not a very heroic Quirk, is it?"

Shinso watched as he walked to the edge of the walkway before jumping down, vanishing beneath a wooden overhang, although he could still hear his voice.

"At least with your Quirk, it would make hostage situations easier, and certainly help with nonviolent resolutions. I'm not too certain on the specifics, but if you can hypnotize people, getting information out of a villain would probably be a lot cleaner too." The stranger said as Shinso hesitantly followed after him, only to discover that rather than some hobo's hideout, it was just a couple of chairs, probably a remnant of a past time. He decided against mentioning that his Quirk didn't, in fact, work that way.

"Still, public perception is important as a hero. If everyone thinks I'm a villain with my Quirk, wouldn't it just hinder my ability to help?" Shinso asked, curious of the stranger's viewpoint.

"Hmm, potentially, but that's not for me to decide really... everybody seems to have differing opinions on that kind of thing. I tend to reason that if there's a 'Top 10 Heroes who look like they should be Villains' list, of which Gang Orca regularly ranks among the top, then it isn't the biggest concern. Alternatively, Endevour has one of the highest number of listed colateral damages, and yet he's still the vaunted #2 hero!" The stranger spat out, his hand clenching in a fist.

"Sorry about that minirant kid. I haven't even introduced myself and I'm already sharing life advice with ya." The stranger said with a genial smile that once again never quite reached his eyes as they looked Hitoshi over. "You can call me Shigaraki, Tomura Shigaraki if you're one of those snooty old-school people." The now named Shigaraki exclaimed, this time the happiness did make the journey, and Hitoshi gave a wry chuckle that was mirrored by Shigaraki.

"Hitoshi Shinso. You really think I could make it as a hero?" Shinso asked as Shigaraki looked him over before meeting his gaze evenly.

"I tend to say that letting others define who you are can only leave you trying to make everybody happy, but yes, I think you can do it. Having said that..." He trailed off, looking into the distance and a small niggling voice in the back of Hitoshi's head started whispering warnings from strangers.

"If you become too reliant on your Quirk, eventually you'll break down." Shigaraki finally stated with a tone of doom.

"Huh?" Was Shinso intelligent answer.

"I mean, no Quirk is perfect no matter how invincible it may seem on the surface or in practice. What about villains that are deaf, or that you can't control. You'll need more than your Quirk to make it as a hero. I met a girl once whose Quirk silenced everything around her. I don't know the specifics, so your Quirk may still work by implantation of orders, but it's equally possible that she could cancel your Quirk out. And what about robotic enemies that're programmed to do things, can your Quirk control them?" Shigaraki said, pulling a bottle of greenish liquid out of nowhere, but Shinso didn't question it, more enraptured by Shigaraki's lesson.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is sometimes it's the esoteric Quirks that can be the worst kinds. In practice, a simple power-up Quirk can be easy to accommodate for counters, you have an enhanced physicality so you can more easily handle yourself in a fight without your Quirk, you get what I'm saying?" Shigaraki asked as Shinso slowly nodded.

"I'd offer to help you, but my fighting style is centered around my Quirk. Using my hands to deflect an enemy, simultaneously training myself to target joints like the elbows and wrists so if I need to, I can cripple someone." Apparently seeing that the darker tone was affecting him, Shigaraki changed the subject.

"That doesn't mean I can't give you some advice, or spar with you. Or maybe you're prefer a weapon of some kind, it might benefit your Quirk better; having a restraining tool like handcuffs, or a whip so you can tie up a villain while you have him under your control, right?" Shigaraki supplied as Shinso nodded along, trying to take mental notes.

"Having said that, I'm not that great with armed combat, that's more my best friend's territory, but she prefers polearms and staffs. I could name a really good weapon you could try to learn how to use, but you'd be on your own since I wouldn't be able to help you with anything. Have you ever heard of the hero, Eraserhead?" Shigaraki said the name like one would an urban legend, but Hitoshi felt like he was just putting him on.

"Yeah, I mean not much, but I've at least heard of him." Shinso responded as Shigaraki shook his head, accepting the answer.

"Well, from what I've heard, he uses a custom-made capture weapon that basically looks like a giant set of cloths, but I assume that it's made of something a bit sturdier than that. My point is, it could be a good fit for your Quirk, but I have no clue what it's made of or even how to use it so I would be useless training you with it." Shigaraki offered as Shinso felt a glimmer of determination blossom in his soul.

Whatever would've happened next, Shinso didn't know as he felt his phone start vibrating in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw the call was from his mom. Quickly answering it, he put the device to his ear, stepping away momentarily to have a modicum of privacy.

"Honey, where are you? Your dad and I are getting worried." His mom queried over the connection as Shinso gave a wry smile, considering telling his mother about Shigaraki.

He quickly changed his mind as he turned to glance at the strange advisor, only to see an empty chair where Shigaraki was. A cold sweat ran down his neck as he answered his mother, "Sorry Mom, I got caught up at the beach. I was just thinking about applying to UA next year."

"Oh, that's wonderful honey. Me and your dad know you can do anything you set your mind too, but don't worry us like that okay? Come on home, we'll talk more about it over dinner." His mom said as his eyes darted around, searching for any sign of the seemingly imaginary Shigaraki.

"Sure, thing Mom, love you." He said, his mother echoing the sentiment as he hung up the phone, heading back to the sidewalk as a singular piece of paper fluttered into his eyeline.

'nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit'

Snatching it from the air, Shinso looked at it for a moment, he recognized it as Latin, but he didn't speak the language. He'd have to look it up once he got home. Purely by chance, he flipped it to the other side out of curiosity and felt his eyes wetten.

'Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not by the powers they were born with.'

Hitoshi slid the piece of paper into his pocket as he made the trip home, a flame of determination kindled within him. He would return here in weeks to come, if for no better reason than in memorial to the origin story of Hitoshi Shinso.

(One Year Later) ...(Or Something Like That)

Shinso groaned as the train filled up. It wasn't that he disliked people, more that excessive amounts naturally would grate his nerves, and this morning he couldn't afford to be off his game a step.

He'd decided to bike to the UA's entrance exams for multiple reasons, chief among them was that while it was nearly 100 kilometers away, an hour-and-a-half by train, he biked fairly regularly, and could manage the whole trip in just under three hours.

Secondly was that biking was good for his mental focus, and it would've helped calm him down, allowing him to relax the day before his exams, which should help in the long run.

So, he'd set out the previous day, allowing himself a full 24 hours to make the journey to alleviate any concerns his parents had about the journey, he got to take in the sights, contemplate life, and try to come up with a strategy to tackle the Entrance exam, not that he could do much without the specifics of what it would consist of.

It was nice of UA to cover all the travel costs for potential students though, Shinso had heard some students came as far away as America to apply to the prestigious school.

As it was, he hadn't had much training beyond his Quirk strengthening. That fateful day at the park wasn't radical enough to warrant life-altering, but it was certainly worthy of a paragraph or two in Hitoshi Shinso's autobiography.

He returned several times to that park, sometimes Shigaraki had been there, and they'd engage in some small discussion while Shinso and he jogged around a trail which combined with his amateur cycling, was the extent of his physical training so far.

He hoped he wouldn't have to fight too much today since he knew his physical capabilities were lower than most other applicants, but such was life, if he had to, he had to.

Shaking away his creeping negativity, he waited for the doors to close by taking out his phone. Sighing under his breath as it blinked at him, apparently, he'd forgotten to charge it last night in his hotel room leaving him with enough battery for basic functions like calling, but browsing the news or playing some mindless game was out of the question.

Hearing the door close with a muffled 'ding', he prepared himself for a short ride to the station near UA.

"Aw man, Endevour got another nerf? Seriously, if they keep this up, he's going to be unplayable. It's bad enough that All Might isn't that fun to play outside of the wow factor." Shinso heard near him as he turned to look at a pouting boy with yellowish hair, a black streak through it.

"Are you talking about The Game?" Shinso asked as the boy looked up, a friendly smile plastered on his face.

"Yeah man, do you play? I usually main Hawks because his agility is one of the highest, but Present Mic's Soundwave supermove is probably my favorite so far so I'm looking forward to seeing if that'll help me with the UA Entrance Exam. My name's Kaminari!" The blonde said effusively, talking with as much exuberance as Shinso lacked in his normal conversation.

"Hmm, Shinso, I'm going to the UA Exams too. I don't play, but I've seen some other people that were okay I guess." Shinso said, his voice barely rising above a monotone.

"Cool man, good luck today, although I guess you're also competing against me so don't have too much luck, kay?" Kaminari said, his finger rapidly flicking away at his phone screen as Shinso looked at him with a muted smile.

With a soft, 'Yes, high score.' the conversation died as Shinso idlily looked out the window as the city rolled past.

"HELLO LISTENERS AND WELCOME TO THE UA ENTRANCE EXAMS! IF YOU'LL LOOK AT THE PAMPHLET HANDED OUT WHEN YOU CAME IN, I'LL EXPLAIN THE RULES FOR TODAY'S TEST!" Present Mic shouted, his voice echoing in the quiet auditorium.

"CAN I GET AN AW YEAH?!" "Aw yeah." Everybody heard the soft reply, eyes looking around for the guilty party, who most likely didn't plan on being the sole responder to Present Mic's request.

"THANKS EXAMINEE 1183! NOW THEN, ON THE PAMPHLETS IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU SHOULD SEE THREE ROBOTS LISTED WORTH 1 POINT, 2 POINTS, AND FINALLY 3 POINTS! DEFEAT THESE ROBOTS TO ADD THE RELEVENT POINTS TO YOUR FINAL SCORE!" Mic continued shouting.

"Oh, so it's just like Hero Squad!" Shinso heard a girl say, although he couldn't see who said it.

"EXACTLY, ALSO IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A CALLER, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU TODAY YOUNG LISTENER?!" Mic inquired as a dark-haired boy stood up, adjusting his glasses as he got people's attention.

"Firstly, comparing such a prestigious event as this to a video game is disgraceful! Furthermore, there are four robots listed on the pamphlets instead of three, if this is a mistake in printing then it is most shameful from such a place as UA!" The boy shouted as Present Mic shook his head, about to answer him before the boy whirled around, chopping his hand in the air at another examinee.

"Finally, please stop your muttering, it is distracting to all the people taking this seriously! If you cannot do the same, then please leave posthaste!" The boy finished as Shinso spotted a green-haired boy with messy hair blush profusely, probably the one called out. Shinso could just hear him reply, 'I was correcting you; it's called The Game'. over the muted laughter of the other examinees.

Sensing that he had the floor again, Mic jumped right back into action, "THANK YOU FOR POINTING THIS OUT EXAMINEE 6295! THE FOURTH ROBOT ISN'T SO MUCH AN OPPONENT AS AN UNDEFEATABLE OBSTACLE! YOU'LL GET 0 POINTS FOR BEATING IT, SO JUST FORGET ABOUT TRYING! NOW THEN, IF THERE ARE NO FUTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFERENCE THE PAMPHLETS FOR YOUR RESPECTIVE TESTING SITES!" Present Mic announced as Shinso looked down at the wad of papers, finding directions on the last page.

"REMEMBER LISTENERS, THE GREAT FRENCH EMPOROR NAPAOLEON BONAPARTE ONCE SAID, 'HEROES ARE THOSE WHO OVERCOME ALL LIFE'S PROBLEMS!' NOW GO PLUS ULTRA OUT THERE!" Present Mic shouted as the stage area went dark.

"Testing site D huh, well let's see what I can do." He muttered to himself as he exited the auditorium, finding the correct bus as it ferried him to the place that would decide his next three years.

Test Site D was swarming with potential students, all vying for a position close to the gate as they awaited entrance to the promised land. Shinso stayed back a bit, not wanting to get caught in the middle when all the examinees rushed forwards into the site.

He thought to look around and see if he recognized anyone else waiting. There was no one he saw at first glance, and it was hard to know who to focus one since anyone could be his potential classmates.

His eyes locked on to the person who seemed the calmest, a girl crouched down, her long green hair tied in a bow who sounded like she was snoring.

It came as a surprise as Present Mic popped up at the top of the gate, one finger pointed into the air, "IT'S REAL SIMPLE LISTENERS, BEAT THE ROBOTS, GET THE POINTS, AND DON'T ATTACK YOUR FELLOW EXAMINEES, THAT'S REALLY UNHEROIC, YA DIG?"

If he'd expected an answer out of them, it was cut short as the gates swung open, revealing the inner cityscape, crawling with various robots of differing makes.

"WELL, WHAT'RE YA WAITING FOR? REAL BATTLES DON'T HAVE COUNTDOWNS!" Mic announced as it gave the examinees a jolt of energy, the sudden tide of kids pouring in.

Shinso approached with a jog, knowing that he'd never get any of the robots near the gate, there were too many other examinees in front of him, and not enough robots. Turning right, he picked up the pace a little already feeling his lungs complain as he rounded a corner, coming face-to-face with his first opponent, a 2-pointer.

He didn't slow down, turning his run into a jumping punch that slightly dented the head of the robot, but it was still alive, a fact it pounded into Shinso's head by swinging a mechanical tail at him, knocking him back.

Catching his breath, any thought he had of running away to try for smaller prey was cut off as two 1-pointers came around the corner from the main road, fencing him in. Any further observations were cut short as the Imperial advanced on him, barely giving him time to roll out of the way as its tail hit the ground.

Seeing one of the Victories coming for him, he pushed off the wall, throwing a haymaker that actually broke the metal carapace, awarding him a single point.

The point was more mental than physical though, as it gave him the confidence that he might be able to manage this as the second Victory charged, but slow enough to give him time to dodge to the side, hearing the whoosh of air behind him as the Imperial tried yet again to take him out with its tail.

This time he was ready as he pulled a length of belt, the closest thing he could find to any 'capture weapon' and looped it around behind the head of the tail, letting the Imperial pull him up as it retracted its only method of attack.

Hearing the whir as the other Victory charged him, possibly hoping to get a free shot at his unguarded back, he kicked backwards, managing to catch the robot in the head as it crumpled to the ground, another point added to Shinso's total.

Apparently having enough piggybacking, the Imperial began swinging its tail, trying to flick him loose, but he wouldn't let go. Not only would the impact of being thrown into the ground hurt, but it would most likely stun him long enough for the robot to finish him off.

No, he waited for it to get too reckless, and it did as it swung its tail, trying to shake him free, but it put a little too much force in it as he came down managing to plant both feet on the now sparking head, the metal dangerous dented inwards as it slumped forward, disabled.

"Okay, that's 4 points, but don't see any other robots around here so I have to keep moving." Shinso muttered as he ran down the alley, his body running on adrenaline now that he'd gotten into a fight.

Runing into a larger street, he saw several other people fighting diligently against robots of all sizes and shapes. He immediately noticed the person in front of him, some girl with large horns was about to be blown to bits as an Imperial snuck up behind her, it's tail glowing red as he charged, tackling her to the side as a beam of energy flew passed him, the pair rolling to a stop as the robots regrouped, surrounding them.

"Thanks." Was all the girl said, as she ran back into the fight, goring a Victory on her horns as Shinso focused on the Imperial which faced him, it's tail glowing ominously.

"The one in the alley didn't do that." He complained under his breath, managing to swing outwards with his belt like a flail, the metal end catching the robot in the side, knocking it's second shot off course as it blasted apart a Victory further down the street, the boy fighting it shooting a pissed look at Shinso, not that he cared.

Advancing on the Imperial, Shinso hooked his belt around the tail section again, pulling himself forwards as he let go, once more giving a double dropkick to the head of the robot as it crunched beneath his shoes.

Unfortunately, he put a bit too much power behind the kick as one of his legs sunk into the robot, trapping him as the tail came down on his head.

He crossed his arms to cover himself, only for something to impact the tail, breaking it apart as pulled himself out of the carcass of the robot. Turning to where the shot came from, he saw the horned girl looking at him, and give a short nod as she ran away.

Looking around for his belt, he found it still dangling from the tail piece, although it looked rather damaged after whatever the girl did to help him out.

Tsk. "Glad I brought a spare." He muttered to himself as he pulled another length of belt from his pocket, running back towards the alleys.

(Meanwhile)

"Hehe, looks like you got an admirer Eraser." A shadowy figure chuckled, looking towards the Pro Hero, only to see a sleeping bag.

"Well, let's see how they handle the big leagues?" A high-pitched voice said as an unseen affirmation was heard, a glowing red button was pressed, and the Entrance Exams continued.

(Back to the Exam)

Shinso had ran through several more back alleys, cleaning up another three Victories, as well as a crippled Imperial, whoever had damaged it hadn't finished it off, so Shinso claimed the points for himself.

Finding himself back on a major road he saw a Victory about to take another boy's head off. Reacting quickly, he lassoed the offending limb with his belt, the boy not even looking back. The robot seemed to almost fall to pieces without prompting as the blonde guy glared at Shinso.

"I had it handled." He bit out sharply as Shinso shrugged, pulling his belt free.

"What, you not using your Quirk?" The blonde guy said, glancing at the coil of leather as Shinso twisted it around his arm.

"Nah, it's not good for this kind of combat." Hitoshi muttered as they both heard the call for three minutes remaining.

"Well, okay then." Was all the blonde guy said as they split up, the conversation dying awkwardly.

Finding his way back to other examinees, Shinso tried to grab some last minute points when a resounding crash captured everybody's attention.

He didn't know how it had snuck up on them like that, but suddenly the skyline was shifted as the towering 0-pointer was on the scene, 'accidently' toppling a building as it bumped into it.

Many people turned and ran, many more were stunned as they looked at imminent destruction. Hitoshi was one of them until a fleeing kid bumped into him, breaking the spell the mere presence of the Executor had on him.

"I can't be standing around here like a zombie. I need to find some other robots, or at least get away from this one." He said, his legs pumping as he tore down the streets, passing several others who simply marveled at the behemoth. One girl was even crying as she sat on the ground.

"Come on, it's not that bad... sure it's shocking, but compared to a real supervillain, I've seen worse on TV." Shinso said as his footsteps stopped.

"Damn it! Why'd you have to go and waver like this heart!" He yelled as he turned around, sprinting back towards the Executor, but this time with a hardened heart, prepared for what he'd have to do.

"Hey, how many points do you have?"/" What's your name?"/ "You want to grab lunch after this?"/ "Who's your favorite hero?"/ "Have you got the time?" He had to repeat himself several times, running out of icebreakers, each time making sure he felt his Quirk ensnare the target as he gave the same order... "Evacuate everyone." He felt like his throat was going dry as he echoed the same questions and orders over and over. He didn't recognize any of the faces, and it didn't matter if he did.

He felt the strain on his focus; it felt like someone had hundreds of tiny hooks pulling his brain from different directions, forcing him to grit his teeth as he stumbled, sweat pouring down his face as he tried to catch his breath.

"It's not enough, there are still more of them. I can... keep..." He saw the edges of his vision go dark as he tried to lean against a building, but his arm didn't have enough strength as he fell to the ground, his back pressed against the stone as he went limp, his Quirk breaking across the drones as he slipped into unconsciousness.

The first sound Shinso heard as he regained consciousness was the soft humming of a woman. Starting to push himself up, he groaned, one hand tightly gripping his head in pain. It felt like a balloon was inflating inside.

"Oh dear, I think you overdid it a bit. Carefully now, answer my questions." An elderly voice said as Hitoshi's vision refocused, seeing a woman sitting on a rolling stool in front of him, a stern yet caring look on her face.

"Can you tell me your name, and what you were doing today?" She asked, shining a light in his eyes.

"My name... Hitoshi Shinso, and I was taking the UA Entrance Exam." He answered simply, the pain dying down as the woman nodded affirmatively.

"Good, and can you tell me what today's date is?" She inquired, pocketing her small light as she looked at him with unexpected steel in her eyes.

"Umm, I think it's February 10th." He responded, watching to see if he was right.

"Mm, correct, one final question and you can go home. Cherry or lemon?" The matronly woman asked, reaching into her doctor's coat as she pulled out some gummies.

"Oh um, cherry is fine, thanks." He said softly, taking the proffered candies as he popped one in his mouth. It tasted different than usual, hopefully that wasn't a bad sign.

"Well, you can leave now, but what you did was both reckless and dangerous!" The woman stated sharply. "Unfortunately, you wouldn't be the first to be killed during the Entrance Exams, nor the first to suffer such a fate as a consequence of your own Quirk, but that doesn't make what you did any better!" The doctor scolded Shinso as he looked down.

"So why did you do it?" She asked, seeing that he was making no move to leave.

"Hmm, oh, I guess when I saw how scared some of the other examinees were, I just couldn't leave them. My sensei, he told me one time that when people get scared, they panic, and when they panic, innocent people can get hurt. Even if the would've been okay, and UA was diligent about making sure the others survived, which I assumed they would, and even though I could've gotten more points while they were stunned... profiting off their fear, off their panic just didn't feel very heroic." He mumbled the last part to himself, slowly trailing off, although the woman was close enough that she heard everything.

She let the silence hang for a few seconds before she pulled her walking stick up, lightly tapping Shinso on the head. "One could also argue that if the other examinees panicked at the sight of that robot, then they probably wouldn't have made good heroes, but some people have said I'm getting cynical in my old age. Now get out, I have other patients to attend to!" She said sharply as Shinso nodded his head, lightly jogging out of the infirmary.

"Profiting off others' fear and panic doesn't seem very heroic huh? Well, I suppose he has a point, but I wonder how much of that is himself and how much is his fears...? Hitoshi Shinso, I'd better pass your file to Inui. Would you mind Nezu, having to walk all that way is hard on my old bones?" Recovery Girl asked as a small animal pushed himself off her desk where he'd been sitting. It was a favorite pastime of his, sitting somewhere stilly and quietly just to listen in on some of his students, and occasionally surprise them when he suddenly came to life.

"Not at all, after all it wouldn't do for our famous school nurse to get hurt walking down a hallway." The small creature, Nezu, the principal, said. Recovery Girl could hear the teasing tone in his voice, an ability she'd picked up after all her years of working here.

"Yes, I think it'll be an interesting year for UA."

Shinso wasn't the only potential hero to be having headaches, however...

As Izuku Midoriya slept that night, he kept seeing the Entrance Exam over, that final SMASH playing on repeat until finally, the images changed. He saw a letter come, his mother lofting it over her head as she cried tears of joy. He recognized the sigil on the letter, that of UA High, it must be his test results.

He'd known he was unlikely to get in, after all, he'd failed to score a single point, and then he'd broken his arms and legs saving that girl.

But this was a dream, and as such weren't subject to reality. He saw himself sit at his desk, building up the courage to open it, to face his failure head on. Finally building up the nerve, he ripped it in half, a small projector falling to his desktop as it turned on, All Might visible.

Now Izuku knew he was dreaming, after all, if All Might were working at UA, surely, he would've mentioned it before now. As if to confirm his theory, he heard All Might tell him how there was no way he'd get into UA without a single combat point, but then, just as doubt started to creep in, maybe this was a nightmare instead, and if Inko Midoriya had looked in on her son right then, she would've suspected the same thing as outside Hypnos's realm, the young Midoriya boy was sweating profusely, small sparks of greenish electricity dancing over his body.

But he watched as All Might saved him, telling him of Rescue Points, because how could they turn away someone who saved another so selflessly! 60 points, more than enough to get into UA high!

He was so happy, he started crying, and he felt a small sliver of real depression, after all, what could be crueler than the offer of hope, only to have it snatched away. This was a dream, and he'd failed to get into UA... right?

A/N: 3 Reviews, 12 Follows, 6 Favorites, and 578 views.

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