Chapter 21: Final Exams
Denki was nervous, not for the written exams like his classmates assumed but for the practicals. Months had passed since Keigo's staged death, and the man was radio silent the entire time. Denki could sense that Nedzu had made some form of terrible plan revolving around his feathered friend. Undoubtedly, the Rat had a convoluted scheme that'd cause the most chaos and exasperation to mankind possible.
Despite their friend's plight, Izuku and Hitoshi seemed unfazed by the brewing storm. The electric teen knew this meant he shouldn't be concerned, but he didn't have the confidence his friends radiated. He wasn't aware that they were just as anxious as he was.
Tension was at an all-time high as Class 1A gathered outside. Mr. Aizawa refused to give them hints about the practicals, but some upperclassmen said they fought robots. The class really hoped that robots were the worst thing they'd have to face. The tense atmosphere was on the verge of exploding after the group stood in silence for a minute.
Aizawa took a deep breath. "I'm sure you've heard from the upperclassmen by now that in previous years, the practical exams were identical to the entrance exam. A fight against robots to see how much you've improved." The teacher's words only caused the class's stress to grow. "In light of recent events, it's been decided that the exams needed to be changed." Dread pooled in Denki's stomach, threatening to overflow. "Instead of fighting robots," Aizawa started.
A red feather fluttered to the ground, followed by the wind associated with the beat of heavy wings, and Denki's heart dropped. "You'll be fighting your teachers and chasing me," Keigo announced as he landed swiftly. With the former number three hero's dramatic entrance, it took a second for the students to realize the principal was settled in his arms. Most of the students chose to freak out over the hero supposedly back from the dead.
Keigo was decked out in brand new gear similar to the costumes worn by the Outcast heroes in training. His outfit was red. The jacket was unhooded, and he didn't have boots. The lack of gloves and footwear put his taloned hands and avian feet on full display, the claws clacking on the smooth pavement. Dark goggles rested on his head, along with headgear made of matte black plates. The head armor wrapped around the back of his head and came to a point in front of his face to create the look of an eagle's beak. With the press of a button on his temple, the gear covering his face collapsed to reveal his face. The sharp points of the faux beak rested around his ears and reached for the sky.
Aizawa sighed at the utter chaos erupting from his problem class. This was the worst possible time to reveal that Keigo was very much alive.
"You died!" Iida shouted. The bespectacled teen was pale and wide-eyed, like he was addressing a ghost. "I was there when the EMT pronounced you dead. I was… There was… was… so much blood." Iida looked around for a second and locked eyes with Kaminari. "Kaminari! You were there! You saw, too!" Denki winced at the accusation.
The disarray continued for a few more seconds before Nedzu finally decided to take control of the situation. "Keigo here will be integral to your exams today. He doesn't have an active hero license, so this will serve as his test to get one through UA. Do not ask him any questions, and word of his existence will not be shared. He plans on going into underground heroics. He may bear a resemblance to the former pro hero Hawks, but Hawks was declared dead by medical professionals, and he will remain that way. This is Keigo, and he will be your primary target during today's exam."
"You will be put into teams of five based on your skill sets and personalities," Aizawa continued. "Your directive is to retrieve your flag from Keigo and escape the city within twenty minutes. Two teachers will do everything they can to prevent you from achieving those objectives, and there is only one exit. You will not know who your teachers will be, but they will each have a handicap."
Keigo grinned and raised four brightly colored flags in the air. "Each team will be assigned a color. You'll need to make sure you grab the right one. I'll be replacing them after each test for the sake of fairness. For my handicap, I'll be wearing weights to slow me down and keep me from soaring too high."
Denki nearly fainted. This test would be the death of him.
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TEST 1 - The Loud Ones - RED
Stealth/Recon: Toru Hagakure [Invisible Girl]
Heavy Hitter: Katsuki Bakugou [N/A]
Speed/Capture: Mina Ashido [Pinky]
Melee Fighter: Mashiro Ojiro [Tail Man]
Wild Card: Ochako Uraraka [Uravity]
Teachers: Cementos and Present Mic
Handicap: Must Remain Stationary
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This group was formed with the idea of encouraging Bakugou to work with a team. It was also designed to help boost Hagakure and Ojiro's confidence. Ashido and Uraraka had the right personalities to help with Hagakure and Ojiro's confidence, but they were also assertive enough to stand their ground against Bakugou. Cementos and Present Mic were chosen as they were the best at combating such a destructive group. Their handicap "to remain stationary" meant they had to choose a location before the start of the test and remain there for the duration of the test.
The group of five students entered the city with a single straightforward plan: brute force their way to victory in the most brutal way possible. Bakugou took the lead, naturally. With his signature cry of "DIE," the test began. It took four minutes for one of them to spot red feathers, and a loud chase ensued. Mina rushed through the streets on her acid with Ojiro closely behind. The two were quickly outpaced by the former pro.
Back where the chase began, Bakugou began giving orders. "Invisabitch, look for the exit; radio in your location when you find it. Keep an eye out for the teachers while you're at it. The more info, the better."
Hagacure nodded and ran off, or at least that's what he assumed. The girl's new costume turned invisible on command and provided her with actual protection. The sound-dampening boots eliminated her presence nearly entirely.
"Oi, Roundface," the explosive blonde turned to the brunette. "How 'bout we test out that combo move you suggested." The duo shared a murderous grin.
Keigo ducked through another alley. The two chasing him were relentless, and the weights slowed him down more than he anticipated. It was like a wild goose chase through the mock city. He hadn't seen or heard anything from the rest of the students since the chase started five minutes ago, and the avian man had a feeling they had something planned. He quickly had to dodge a neon sign. Turning around, he noticed he had shaken off his pursuers, but he recognized that sign. They lead him in a circle.
A resounding boom accompanied by the yell of "SPACE SHUTTLE BLITZ!" came from further up the street. Rocketing at unprecedented speed towards Keigo was one Katsuki Bakugou.
Keigo tried to swerve out of the way or slow down, but the extra momentum from the weights drug him forward into the oncoming attack.
"DIE, CHICKEN LEGS!" Bakugou howled and launched a bright, flashy explosion directly into Keigo's face. Keigo's goggles saved his eyes from extended damage, but he was still blinded for the short time the explosion lasted. When the white light subsided, the flying blonde had already passed.
Keigo swiftly checked his belt, and just as he figured, the red flag was missing. The feathered blonde sighed and flew in pursuit of the fleeing students. Ten minutes remained for the test, and the students headed straight for the danger zone.
As if on cue, an earsplitting yell cut through the mock city. Following the initial attack, a deep rumbling shook foundations as entire city blocks crumbled to the ground. Cementos used his quirk to weaken the structural integrity of the buildings to make Present Mic's attack look more potent than it actually was. The flattened expanse of concrete was the perfect playground for Cementos's quirk and provided no cover from Present Mic's attacks.
Cementos stood directly in front of the exit gate, and a meter-thick concrete wall blocked the exit from the students. Hagakure shrieked as she was blown back in the initial attack. Mina rushed to catch her.
"Hagakure, are you okay?" Mina asked.
"I'm… fine," the invisible girl grunted. Her suit was now visible, showing off the armored padding and durable equipment. It was the only way she could tank the potential damage. "I don't think they knew I was here, but stealth is a moot point with you guys as my teammates."
"Sorry about that," Ojiro apologized.
"That's not the point right now," Hagakure replied. "The problem is how organized these two are. They placed themselves so their attacks wouldn't interfere with each other, and together, they posed a formidable offense and defense. I don't know if brute force will be enough."
Brute force was, in fact, enough, but just barely. They nearly ran out the clock, but Bakugou barely managed to demolish the massive wall blocking the gate. Hagakure slipped through the exit in the ensuing battle, announcing the students' victory.
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TEST 2 - The Squeamish - YELLOW
Stealth/Recon: Koji Koda [Anima]
Heavy Hitter: Fumikage Tokoyami [Tsukuyomi]
Speed/Capture: Tenya Iida [Ingenium]
Melee Fighter: Rikido Sato [Sugar Man]
Wild Card: Denki Kaminari [Amber Axolotl]
Teachers: Power Loader and Midnight
Handicap: No Physically Contacting the Students
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This team consisted of those that could be the most easily flustered. Koda disliked bugs, confrontation, and loud noise. Tokoyami was weak to light and bad at handling attention. Iida was so straight-laced any act of deviance from an authority figure would throw him off. Sato was scared of Midnight, and Denki was the only one in the wild card group that would fit. Midnight and Power Loader were chosen to make them face their fears. Their handicap "no physically contacting the students" meant they couldn't engage in close-range combat with the students. This was mostly to prevent Power Loader from using his giant mech suit.
Tokoyami didn't know what to think about his teammates, but the last thing he expected was the argument between Iida and Denki. The two had been arguing for the last few minutes, and the contrast between Iida's red face and Denki's blank expression was quite startling. Iida looked like he was having a childish tantrum.
"Why are you so nonchalant! You were there that day! What is wrong with you!?" Iida yelled like a raving madman.
Denki slowly blinked and sighed. "Iida," the blonde said with enough authority to get the bespectacled teen to shut up. "Hawks died in Hoso. Keigo is not Hawks. I know him personally. Their similarities are coincidental. One thing that I know for sure is that Keigo would rather die than be a daylight hero, so drop the subject."
Iida looked at Denki like the blonde told him there were two moons. "There are too many similarities between the two for it all to be coincidental!"
"You were pretty out of it back in Hosu, and you weren't in your right mind when I found you. If you need a break, I'm sure the teachers will understand."
Iida deflated like a punctured balloon, collapsing at Denki's feet and breaking down into sobs. Tokoyami didn't know exactly what happened in Hosu, but there was enough to get a rough idea of the picture. It wasn't pretty. Denki comforted the taller teen and motioned Tokoyami over, much to his dismay.
Denki spoke in a soft voice that seemed uncharacteristic for the blonde but oddly fitting. "Could you find a teacher? Iida really needs some time to recover." The look in Denki's eyes was soft, but there was an underlying glint of what appeared to be guilt. Guilt for what? Tokoyami didn't know. Maybe he just felt bad about letting Iida try to hold himself to the point of breaking without interfering sooner. Whatever it was, Iida wouldn't be joining them for the final exam.
After Iida was escorted away by Mr. Aizawa, Denki shifted from concerned and comforting to a front of cold and all business. "We're down a man and our greatest source of speed. We know we won't face Aizawa, Present Mic, or Cementos. Our best bet would be to stick together and use Kota's quirk for recon and the retrieval of the flag. I'm terrible at planning, but I'll think of something in the heat of the moment."
Sato and Kota looked at each other nervously, put off by Denki's intensity.
The moment they entered the city, Midnight confronted them. The crack of her whip made Sato visibly flinch.
As promised, Denki was already formulating solutions to handle the threat in front of him. "Sato, help Kota get out of here. Go after the flag!" he commanded. "Tokoyami, is Dark Shadow susceptible to gas attacks?"
"No," the bird-headed team replied. "But he is susceptible to the light your quirk emits."
Denki's reply was a smirk. "That won't be a problem," he said while pulling out a whip with an electrical plug at the end. All we need to do is pin her down; my quirk won't be necessary for that."
Tokoyami shuddered. What did that international hero teach him, and how is he completely unfazed by Midnight's… everything.
"You know Midnight! I think you and Irena would get along great!" Denki shouted. The boy ducked under a strike from her whip. "Or you two would clash because you're too similar!" The blond sidestepped another attack and pulled a mask over his mouth and nose. He suddenly darted forward, swinging his whip at the R-rated Heroine. The whip wrapped around Midnight's arm. Denki sparked with electricity and sent a charge through the whip, shocking Midnight like a taser. The teacher's limbs locked up, and she dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Denki ran over with a handful of zip ties he procured from one of his jacket pockets. The fluffy tendrils, meant to resemble an axolotl's gills, gave him an uncanny silhouette. "Tokoyami," he called from within the fog of Midnight's quirk. "Let's go."
The four regrouped halfway through the forest and made a brake for the exit. Koda used a swarm of pigeons to retrieve the yellow flag, and none of them had seen the other teacher yet. The quartet had the exit in sight when they were hit in the face with multiple spotlights.
"I think the other teacher is Power Loader," Sato grumbled.
"You're probably right," Denki agreed. "Stand back for a minute, I'm heading in." Denki put his goggles over his eyes and stormed ahead. There was a flash of electricity, and the lights died. There was a crack of a whip and a girlish shriek. After a moment of deafening silence, Denki was spotted again, dragging an unconscious Power Loader wrapped up in his whip. They didn't take long to find the exit gate and pass.
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TEST 3 - The Well Rounded - BLUE
Stealth/Recon: Mezo Shoji [Tentacool]
Heavy Hitter: Shoto Todoroki [Shoto]
Speed/Capture: Hanta Sero [Cellophane]
Melee Fighter: Ejiro Kirishima [Red Riot]
Wild Card: Hitoshi Shinsou [Violet Cat]
Teachers: Ectoplasm and Snipe
Handicap: Half max # of clones and rubber bullets only
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This match-up was made of all the most well-rounded students. All the students in this grouping can serve multiple roles and have a wide array of specialties. For example, Shoji can do recon and be a melee fighter, Sero is a mobility and capture specialist, and Shinsou is a long-range fighter, capture specialist, and stealth expert. Both Snipe and Ectoplasm have various abilities, and Ectoplasm's clones can help overwhelm the students with few glaring weaknesses.
Snipe was perched on one of the two large towers guarding the gate. He waited for the chaos to begin. Watching through his scope, he witnessed Keigo get chased around the courtyard of the faux castle until he was encased in a titanic glacier. Todoroki climbed up the structure and used his fire to melt his way to the flags on Keigo's belt. While this happened, Kirishima, Sero, and Shoji fended off Ectoplasm's clones. The cowboy-themed hero began pelting the trio with rubber bullets, hampering their attempts to push through the volley of clones.
He continued his onslaught until he heard a soft tap on the metal of his perch. He whipped his head around and found his mask inches from Shinsou's.
"Snipe, do you have a visual of Shinsou? I haven't seen him," Ectoplasm called, presumably over the comms.
His hand slowly reached for his gun as he replied. "I have a direct visual, I'm handling…" Snipe trailed off as Shinsou's quirk took effect.
Sadistic glee glinted in Shinsou's eyes reminded Snipe far too much of his caffeine-addicted coworker. "Shoot Ectoplasm and his clones until they stop fighting."
With a robotic stiffness, Snipe unloaded four magazines of rubber bullets into the hoard of Ectoplasm clones. As he loaded a fifth magazine, he was snapped out of Shinsou's control. A buzzer rang across the battleground, signaling the students' victory.
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TEST 4 - The Strategists - GREEN
Stealth/Recon: Kyoka Jiro [Earphone Jack]
Heavy Hitter: Izuku Midoriya [Viridian Rabbit]
Speed/Capture: Minoru Mineta [Grape Juice]
Melee Fighter: Tsuyu Asui [Froppy]
Wild Card: Momo Yaoyorozu [Creati]
Teachers: Eraserhead and Nedzu
Handicap: No verbal communication
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Mineta thought he was in heaven. All the people on his team were women. Sure, the stupid pomeranian ruined the appeal of Yaoyorozu's costume, but she was still a total babe. Jiro was okay-looking, but then there was Asui and her… crud.
Every hair on Mineta's body rose in fear. Shakily, he turned to the final member of his team, her face covered in ominous shadows. "Mineta~" she called. "Don't think I can't hear your dirty thoughts~" The short teen quaked in terror as Midoriya's toxic green eyes bore into him. "You better focus, or you'll have hell to pay," she threatened.
The point of this grouping was an excuse for Nezu to prod the strategic genius of 1A's brightest. Mineta was also thrown in with the most headstrong females of the class (+Midoriya) to hopefully straighten him out. Aizawa was picked because of his ability to go unnoticed and pick off the students one by one. Their handicap prevents them from verbally communicating with one another, leaving them to act as individual entities rather than a team.
Mineta was the first to be picked off. He was wrapped up in Aizawa's capture weapon and yanked onto the upper part of the maze, where he was swiftly tied up and left knocked out in a dead end. Jiro followed shortly after. She was too much of a threat when left alone, but catch her off guard and she'd dropped like a fly.
The Rat swung his wrecking ball like the maniac he was and used the destroyed walls to change the maze's layout. For whatever reason, Midoriya seemed unphased by the chaos and missing comrades. The calculative teen observed the dead end he walked his team into. Aizawa watched with curiosity as Midoriya pulled a grapple gun out of his jacket. Then he pointed the gun directly to him and fired. He handed the grapple gun to Asui. A second grapple gun fired, and Asui and Yaoyorozu ascended the wall. Midoriya followed, being propelled by Black Whip.
Aizawa activated his quirk on Midoriya, but his initial launch was enough to scale the wall along with his teammates. Asui and Yaoyorozu made a break for it as Midoriya faced him atop the narrow wall. Midoriya brandished one of his cattle prods in clear view as he approached Aizawa. The tension in the air was palpable. What is the problem child thinking? What's his deal with the cattle prod? Why is he just walking forward? What's the deal with the cattle prod!?
The two were mere feet apart, and Midoriya dropped the cattle prod. Time felt suspended in the air like the weapon tossed haphazardly between the opponents. The moment was shattered by a sudden BANG. Aizawa could have sworn his check engine light turned on as his every sense stuttered. Before the underground hero could reorient himself, a cattle prod was jammed into his side. The teacher convulsed and collapsed from the high voltage of the weapon.
Nedzu watched from his wrecking ball as one of the green-haired students ran in his direction. The combination of her powerful legs and her loaned grappling hook let her effortlessly traverse the top of the maze. The frog-quirked girl scaled the base of the demolition equipment despite the missing latter like a squirrel up a tree. When Asui eventually made it into the cab, it didn't take her long to tie up the principal and for her to take control of the wrecking ball.
Asui reached to her ear to the communicator on her ear to confirm the takeover of the wrecking ball. After receiving detailed instructions from Midoriya, she began to use the controls to guide the ball in a set path.
Keigo was so mad that the weights kept him from flying over the walls. He flew into another dead end and made to turn around when his exit was suddenly cut off by a weighted net wall. Keigo grumbled and pulled a feather blade to cut through the net. The booms of walls falling in rapid succession grew closer and closer. Suddenly, the wall behind him crumbled, revealing Yaoyorozu and a cannon of her own creation. Another weighted net launched from the cannon and pined the winged man to the ground. Yaoyorozu walked over, plucked the green flag from Keigo's belt, and used her grappling hook to take to the top of the maze once more.
Aizawa didn't regain consciousness until a few minutes after the end of the test. It turns out Midoriya freed Jiro to have her exit the gate with the rest of the team. He left Mineta hog-tied at a random dead end Aizawa left him in.
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Hitoshi sighed and rubbed his temples as Keigo ran in circles, whooping with joy as he held his new hero license in the air with both hands. The loud blonde has returned to being loud… great. As annoying as the boundless enthusiasm and bird noises no human man should be able to make were, Hitoshi was glad his big brother was joyful. After everything Keigo had done for him and Izuku, Hitoshi couldn't bring himself to ask him to quiet down. He deserved to be happy like this without the Commission breathing down his neck.