Izuku smirked as he blocked yet another One For All-powered punch from Katsuki, who just growled in frustration. Friday, February 23rd, would be their last training session before the entrance exam, and they planned to make the most of it.
"Why won't you go all-out, you fucking nerd?!" Katsuki screamed as he launched toward Izuku with a flurry of punches and kicks.
Izuku dodged a few of Katsuki's hits, blocking some others. "Simple: we'll eventually face each other at U.A."
The blonde leaped back, firing an 8% explosion – dubbed his Azido technique in reference to the "azidoazide azide" chemical – in clusters at Izuku. "And what do you mean by that?"
In response, Izuku flared his ki and crossed his arms in front of him in an X, tanking the explosion with only a few surface marks to show for Katsuki's efforts. "Whether it's in class or the Sports Festival, we'll have to fight eventually. I want to keep some tricks up my sleeve, you know."
"FUCK YOU, SMARTASS!" Katsuki screeched while firing rapid clusters of 4% Azido attacks.
"Says the kid that goes to bed at 9PM sharp every day!" Izuku taunts while launching a volley of energy balls to match each explosion, canceling each other out in the process.
Unfortunately for the half-Saiyan teen, the matched attack created a smokescreen that his brother used to close in with a One For All-powered lunge, aiming a roundhouse kick for his solar plexus. On the other hand, Izuku could still sense energy, so he could tell the attack was coming.
Unfortunately, he hasn't adjusted to dealing with Katsuki's boosted strength and speed, so his counter block connected after Katsuki's attack landed. It was strong enough to send Katsuki flying to the side with a solid blow on his shin, but for his efforts, he landed against the concrete wall of the beach staircase. He knew there would be noticeable damage before even looking since he had to actually tryto dislodge himself.
"Damn, I need to get used to your new power," Izuku remarked. "If I keep suppressing myself like I have, I'll wind up seriously injured."
"Damn right you will," Katsuki snarked back, jogging over to the greenette and helping him out of the miniature crater. "I think it's time we get back home and hit the hay; wanna be all set for the entrance exam tomorrow."
Izuku nodded. "Yeah, good idea, let's do that."
/
Despite being there previously for One For All, it still felt like a dream for both boys to stand before U.A. High School. Izuku's tail swished rapidly in excitement just being near the building while he floated above the ground next to Katsuki.
"This is so exciting, Kacchan! We're finally making our first true step towards being heroes together!"
Katsuki smiled at his antics and smacked his back with 1% of One For All. "Damn right, nerd. Just don't get too worked up."
Izuku nodded as the two made their way into the building. As Katsuki expected, Izuku asked for the autograph of every hero they noticed on their way to the testing hall: Ectoplasm, Midnight, Snipe, and others. They were all delighted to indulge his fanboy brother. He wanted to rein him in, but he was getting two signatures per hero, so he let it slide. He was as much of a fanboy as Izukkun, just more restrained.
/
Both boys sat down in their seats for the practical presentation with confident smiles. They knew they would do well on the written exam thanks to Izuku's father's tutoring. He made sure to train them not just in body but in mind.
"You can have all the power in the world, but it will be useless if you cannot utilize it properly."
The lights in the lecture hall suddenly turned on, revealing Present Mic at the podium.
"Hey there, Listeners! I'm here to tell you about the practical exam for the hero course! ARE YOU READY?"
Without hesitation, Izuku and Katsuki shouted a "YEAH!" for the Voice Hero, feeling no shame even when they were the only ones to do so.
They were rewarded for their efforts with finger guns in their direction. "Thank you, kiddos! With that out of the way, let's get this explanation underway! Follow along with the packets and IDs on your desks if you need to!" The projector behind the speaker lit up with graphics related to his speech.
"You all will have ten minutes in one of our mock city arenas to get the best score you can! You're free to bring any items on your person so long as the staff have given them a thumbs-up! Your assigned testing site is labeled on the ID card on your desk, with a miniature map to the site on the back, got it?"
Izuku and Katsuki leaned in toward one another and compared cards.
"Damn," Izuku muttered. "We're in different sites."
"Makes sense," Katsuki replied in the same hushed tone. "They want us to get in on our own merit, not by teamwork with others we know."
"Each testing site has three kinds of faux villain robots to defeat!" Present Mic continued. "Each type has a different point value depending on their sturdiness and offensive capabilities, and you'll earn those points for each one you can destroy or otherwise disable! Of course, there's no attacking other examinees, so don't try anything funny!"
A stiff hand raised as a boy with blue hair in a sophisticated uniform stood from his seat. "Excuse me, sir, there seems to be an egregious error in the paperwork! Our packets say that there are four faux villains! This cannot stand!"
He then whirled around and glared right at Izuku and Katsuki. "And you two! You've been muttering on and off the entire time! Please take this seriously; we are trying to be proper heroes here!"
Katsuki glared back and was about to retort before Izuku stood up and did it first. "I'm sorry, friend, but we were checking something on our ID cards with one another in case there was an error. I'm sure Present Mic was about to explain the fourth robot if you looked closer at your packet."
He bowed quickly and sat down as the hero interjected. "The green-haired listener is right, examinee 7111! Thank you for pointing it out, though!"
After a brief albeit stiff apology by the blue-haired teen to both the boys and the hero, the latter continued. "The fourth robot on your packets is worth an astonishing ZERO points! It's not meant to be taken down but rather to be avoided! Because of its size, there will only be one "gimmick" bot per site! Are there any questions?"
With nobody speaking up, Present Mic concluded the presentation. "If that's the case, then I'll let you listeners all get a move on to your testing sites. Break a leg, and say it with me…"
"PLUS ULTRA!"
/
Izuku centered himself as he stood in the starting area of the mock cityscape, breathing rhythmically and drawing on his ki. He could hear the whispers and murmurs around him, likely talking about how he looked, considering their energies were honed in on him, but he ignored them. He used his ki to feel out his rivals – not opponents, they're only competing for a spot in the hero course – and wasn't surprised at the range of emotions he could sense.
What did catch his focus, however, was the nervous energy of a reasonably strong person. He opened his eyes and saw a brown-haired girl shaking in place, pressing her fingers together. He could barely see a faint pink glow from raised pads on them – likely a five-point activation quirk, he surmised, as the energy source – and he started walking to her only to be stopped by a familiar presence placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you trying to distract her more? She looks like she's trying to focus."
Izuku sighed and closed his eyes briefly before sending a steely glare into the blue-haired boy's eyes, making him recoil from the threatening aura he gave off.
"You really should stop assuming the worst in everything and everyone. That's not what a real hero does. While it's none of your business, I was going to give her a pep-talk to help calm her nerves, so please leave me to that."
With his declaration made, Izuku walked over to the brunette who had looked over during the commotion. He cooled down as he walked, ensuring he felt approachable enough as he smiled.
"This all must be stressful, right? Trying out for the best hero school in the country?"
The girl hesitated before nodding. "Y-yeah, it's really fraying my nerves."
Izuku held out a hand to her. "I'm sure you'll do fine. I can only assume based on your finger pads, but five-point quirks tend to be strong. Just keep your head in the game and focus your heart."
The girl stared in awe for a brief moment, taking his hand and shaking it with a smile of her own. "Thanks. I'm Ochako Uraraka. I hope to see you in the hero course."
"Izuku Midoriya, and likewise."
"AND BEGIN!"
The shout of Present Mic shocked most of the examinees but not Izuku. He sensed his presence a while ago and felt the hero's energy rise sharply before the scream. He learned from his father never to expect a warning in the real world, so he rocketed into the city the moment Present Mic announced the beginning of the exam, taking out multiple one-pointers as he vanished from sight.
"That listener's got it! There aren't any countdowns in the field, go go go!"
Present Mic's voice got quieter as Izuku literally flew through the arena, punching through bot after bot at near-mach speed. The only reason he could keep track of his points was his ability to multitask.
"That should be about 56… it's been, what, 2 minutes?"
/
"And 88. Hell yeah, this feels great!"
Katsuki flashed an animalistic grin as he wiped soot from his face. He'd be on a roll with or without One For All, but 7 minutes in, and now he's confident he's secured the top 2 spot at the bare minimum. Destroying these bots felt almost beneath him with how much power he held, but it was fun and the perfect outlet for his aggression.
Hearing shuffling, he looked to his side and saw a tired-looking kid with purple hair struggling to get a piece of scrap metal off one of the half-destroyed robots. He walked over, grabbed hold of the joint that held it in place, and crushed it, releasing the scrap for the other examinee.
"There ya' go. Better get a move on, eyebags. Don't want to fall too far behind."
The kid raised an eyebrow in suspicion at Katsuki but nodded thanks and took off with the metal artifact.
"Alright, let's keep this going!" Katsuki screeched gleefully as he launched himself at another 3-pointer, not noticing the rumbling of the ground beneath him.
/
"Quite an impressive duo we have this year, yeah?" Midnight commented in the staff's viewing room.
Ectoplasm nodded. "It's like they've been groomed since birth for this."
Uncharacteristically, Eraserhead commented. "They haven't, as far as I can tell."
The other staff in the room turned to face the underground pro. "The kid with explosions is Katsuki Bakugou, and the kid with the tail is Izuku Midoriya. Bakugou's parents are fashion designers. Midoriya's mother is a former official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who graduated from our business course, and his father is an independent scholar and quirk counselor."
"It's unlike you to take such an interest in these kids, Shouta~" Midnight teased as she leaned in to peek at the papers.
Eraserhead shuffled away while fixing her with a glare. "It's only logical since they're obviously getting in, barring any unforeseen events. That… and even I must admit they're not bad. Their powers can clearly be destructive, but they've kept collateral damage to a minimum, and they've been helping their fellow examinees. They have potential."
Nedzu cackled joyously, drawing the room's attention. "I must agree, Aizawa! I may not be familiar with Bakugou's parents, but I've met with Inko Midoriya on multiple occasions. Her boy has always wanted to be a hero, and her husband has helped cultivate that!"
Eraserhead narrowed his eyes. "I'll be getting them, won't I?"
Nedzu simply took a sip from his teacup. "There is some information I'll have to provide to whoever becomes Izuku's homeroom teacher. Now, shall we proceed with their final test?"
/
Izuku looked toward the gimmick bot as it crushed the top of one of the nearby buildings in its claw.
"You have got to be kidding me. That thing is gigantic!" He shouted.
He turned back to run along with the other examinees before a sharp dip in a nearby energy signature stopped him dead in his tracks. He saw the girl from before – Uraraka – struggling to free her leg from a boulder.
Before he could move in to dislodge her leg himself, the gimmick noticeably stuttered.
~ERROR. SAFETY PROTOCOLS OFFLINE. INITIALIZING THIRD-YEAR FINAL EXAM PARAMETERS~
The gimmick bot then made to grab at Uraraka. Shit, I won't be able to remove her before safely one of us gets hit. I'll just have to get rid of it!
Izuku ran in, charging a chrome-shaded energy ball in his right hand. His muscles bulged, and his height increased as he charged forward, snarling the entire time. His hair stood on end, and his irises shifted from their gentle green to a harsh gold.
He stood in front of Uraraka briefly before launching upward at the gimmick bot, releasing a primal-sounding shout as he thrust his hand forward.
"SILVER COMET CANNON!"
As his arm reached its entire stretch, the chrome energy ball fired from his hand into a massive cone, enveloping and vaporizing the gimmick. He kept up his attack for 10 solid seconds before slowing and stopping. He lowered his arm as he floated back to the ground. As he did, Present Mic announced the end of the exam, so he shrank back down, reverting from his Ikari form since he wouldn't need it anymore.
When he touched down, Izuku turned and delicately moved the boulder off Uraraka. Putting it to the side, he got down on one knee and held his hand to her clearly injured ankle, hovering mere centimeters above it.
He focused his energy, transferring it to Uraraka. It didn't heal her injury, but he could feel her signature rising, and her complexion instantly perked up.
Seeing Recovery Girl approaching, he finished giving Uraraka his energy and offered a hand. "I can't heal you. Recovery Girl over there can do that, but I gave you some of my energy so you feel better."
Uraraka stared up at Izuku as she took his hand, blushing wildly. "Th-thank you, Midoriya."
Izuku flashed her an innocent smile, a complete change from his hardened behavior during the exam. "Just call me Izuku. It's the least I can do."
"O-only if you call me Ochako, then."
"Deal."
/
The entire staff sat silently at the raw power that Midoriya had displayed for them, Nedzu included. Aside from a few shattered windows from the shockwave of his attack, everything except the gimmick was untouched. Only its feet remained since they were the only parts below Midoriya when he fired his attack.
"I knew young Midoriya was strong," Toshinori commented. "But I wasn't expecting THAT…"
Nedzu nodded in agreement. "I think it goes without saying that for his swift action in stopping the malfunctioning zero-pointer and for helping miss Uraraka after the fact, Izuku Midoriya will receive the full 100 rescue points."
The staff collectively murmured their agreement with the principal.
I knew Hisashi is stronger than All Might was in his prime and that Izuku had been stronger than him for at least a month… Nedzu mused to himself. But this? My instincts tell me he was still holding back. Are we sure he isn't already a Super Saiyan?