Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or Fate/Stay Night
...
Breakfast that morning was a daunting one for Midoriya. As the rest of the table ate away at the banquet in front of them he had something far more worrying to deal with while they all had excitement pumping through their veins. After all, he couldn't join in their happiness as he had a decision to make. A decision that could very well shape his potential career as a hero.
Today was the day they would be fighting to get their provisional licences.
And he still had such little control over Black Whip.
He had pushed himself to the absolute brink from when he had first accessed this quirk. Whenever he hadn't been training or studying with the rest of the class he had been with one or multiple Professional Heroes who were doing their best to help him control it.
Midoriya wasn't a fool. He was more than aware how long it had taken him to control One for All, how long it had taken him to get to a point where he wouldn't shatter his bones with a single strike. Weeks upon weeks of learning how to properly control his newly acquired quirk before it could be practical in the slightest.
Now he had tried to emulate the same thing within a manner of days. Effectively, while he had made some progress he had run out of time. The real question now remained of whether or not he would participate in today's event.
Midoriya wanted to, more than anybody could believe.
Before he had encountered All Might his dream to be a hero likely could never have been realized. Now it was closer than he had ever thought possible and missing out on getting his provisional licence was a terrifying thought. Even if he participated in it and failed he at least would know that he had tried.
There was something he feared more however and that was that if he lost control, he could cost his peers their chance at earning their license. Were that to happen, he knew that he would feel far worse than if he chose not to go for it in the first place. If they sacrificed their chance at going through to the next part of their path towards heroism to prevent him from going out of control...
Midoriya put his cutlery down, his breakfast barely touched. Before he could stand up however a hand reached out onto his. Turning his head, Midoriya focused on Ochako who gently held his palm in her own while she gave him a comforting smile. He did his best to return the smile but he knew that it was merely a cover.
He had made his decision and he knew what the outcome would be.
He merely hoped his peers accepted it.
...
"So you won't be competing today," said Yaoyorozu as she passed the cutlery she had finished cleaning to Shirou.
"With my circumstances I cannot," stated Shirou as he dried the spoons in his hand. "I will be coming to watch though with Aizawa and Midoriya."
"Midoriya's not competing?" asked Yaoyorozu in shock.
"I could tell you why I've come to that conclusion but I want you to come up with your own," said Shirou as he grabbed hold of the plate Yaoyorozu held for him.
"It'd have to do with the new aspect of his quirk," said Yaoyorozu as she raised a soapy finger to her chin in thought. "He's afraid that it would hamper his chances of success but that's no reason for him not to try."
"Correct," said Shirou, indicating for her to continue.
"So if he's choosing not to compete it means...that he's doing it for us," said Yaoyorozu, coming to the conclusion before looking at Shirou with widened eyes. "But he doesn't need to do that, I'm sure that together..."
"Rule seventeen," said Shirou, causing Yaoyorozu to act immediately.
"No individual is greater than the team," she said out of habit. It was hard not to forget the rules that had been beaten into her skull, both metaphorically and literally, during her time training under Shirou alongside Kendo.
"He's worried," said Shirou softly, "That if he goes out of control it's going to hamper the chances that everybody else has going forward. It's a testament to his courage and his willingness to give his friends the best possible chance that he's doing this. True, it is possible that if he were to compete nothing would happen but there's a chance that it may not go so smoothly. If he lost control, those who care for him will do their best to help him and sabotage the possibility of making it through. If it's a race, how much time would be lost helping him? If it's a battle then there's no guarantee he won't hurt those trying to assist. The path he's chosen may seem cowardice to some but he's putting the team ahead of himself."
Yaoyorozu nodded in understanding before returning to her task, deep in thought. The more she considered the situation that Midoriya was in, the more she understood that he was doing something which very few of their peers could. They were here to be heroes, to ascend to the realm of the Professionals and be known for their acts against villany. Each and every one of them were here for the same purpose and they would take every opportunity they could to better their opportunity for the future.
To actively hinder himself, to not take part in something which was essential for their growth, that took something beyond simple courage. It took self sacrifice and Yaoyorozu couldn't help but look at the other person who had given it all away.
What many remembered about the day that Shirou had given his backstory and his reasoning for no longer pursuing his goal to be a hero was Bakugo confronting him about it afterwards. Looking at it now, she felt like she understood Shirou that little bit more. By giving up his dream he had ensured that no danger would befall them or anybody who could be around Shirou at that time.
That was a heroic accomplishment that he himself would never be thanked for and Yaoyorozu was sure that Shirou knew that. From the first lot of tests they had done it was clear that he was a cut above everybody else, even if he was the one least likely to socialize with his peers. That didn't matter to him back then but now that he could no longer actively go out and save people he seemed to have opened up, even if just a little bit more.
Weirdly, it seemed as if by having forbade himself from helping others he had managed to help himself.
Yaoyorozu shook her head before returning to the task at hand. As interesting as a topic as it was, the provisional licence exams were today and she had to get her head in the game. Midoriya and Shirou may not be competing with the rest of them but that didn't mean the two of them wouldn't be cheering them on from the sidelines.
She silently swore that she'd give them a show to be proud of.
...
Spinner looked around at the crowd he found himself in, glad that his Gecko quirk prevented him from sweating. The warehouse he was in was, for lack of a better word, packed.
He, along with everybody else in attendance, had been scouted out for the mission ahead. The fact that they had yet to hear what said mission unnerved him slightly but given the sheer number of people it had to be something big. Given the brazen assault on the bank that had taken place recently, if that had been a big play this would be absolutely massive.
Spinner hoped that this entire endeavour would be worth his time, given that the villain he had idolized for so long had simply vanished from the streets. No word from the media about whether he had been caught or killed in action. Simply, nothing which meant that he was still out there. If he was still out there however it begged one very simple question.
Where was Stain?
A hushed silence fell over the crowd as the person who had called them all forth stood at the forefront. Frankly, given the world they lived in from his attire alone it was very easy to label him as a villain. Not everybody could simply have dismembered hands holding on to their body.
"Scum of the Earth, welcome," they said. "I know what it is that you are after, what it is that you are here for. All that matters not however because as of right now, you work for me to accomplish what it is that I want, what it is that I'm after. Know that my ambitions are far greater than whatever it is you can dream of."
"Today, alongside my men you will make history," they continued. "Your faces will be wanted by every hero organization because the crimes you commit today can not simply be done by common street thugs and petty criminals. What you are about to do will spread fear throughout the land and elevate you to proper villains!"
There was a roar from the crowd in approval to what the man was saying before a black portal opened up behind him. "Now," he said as a toothy grin spread across his face. "Shall we go cause some chaos?"
...
Rin had to say that she was enjoying herself far more than she should have. Gentle and La Brava were currently in the process of scrounging through chocolate bars at a gas station, inspecting the use by dates on them. The information they had gathered thus far was that expired confectionary treats were still being sold at regular price when they should have been thrown out.
Unfortunately, they were yet to figure out just what type of chocolate bar it was.
Which of course made it highly entertaining as she, along with the staff and other customers who came in and out, watched on as the horrifically disguised duo scoured through the confectionary aisle hunting down the evidence they needed.
Rin found it more entertaining knowing that those who paid them no attention would think that a father was helping their daughter pick out the right brand. They likely had no idea that the diminutive girl was actually twenty four years of age which, when Rin had learned that very specific detail, had been an absolute shock to her system.
Regardless, Rin watched as a manager started making their way over to them, either to help or kick them out she wasn't sure. Despite that, she was still more than happy to watch whatever unfolded. She knew that it would be entertaining regardless.
...
Midoriya watched from his spot in the stadium, Aizawa on one side while Shirou sat on the other. Beneath them, the first event had begun with the seemingly annual 1-A hunt. Despite the vast number of students gathering together in an attempt to eliminate the students of U.A, none had succeeded thus far with all of his peers having managed to evade all attempts thus far at eliminating them.
It didn't stop them trying, by any stretch of the imagination with wave after wave of new schools trying their luck at taking out the students from the esteemed school. Even with all the probing by Miss Joke towards Aizawa (to which Midoriya felt his teacher was relieved that he had an equally stoic Shirou there for moral support), he had yet to respond to any of it and focused mainly on the battlefield beneath them.
"Midoriya," said Shirou, startling the green haired boy somewhat.
"Yeah?" he responded quickly.
"There are few times where you get to watch a battle unfold like this, and usually then it is done in a military situation where old men instruct their units to charge forward to either death or glory," said Shirou. "Every second in battle is crucial and a single mishap can lead to defeat. In the heat of it all it is difficult to comprehend just what is happening which in some circumstances it is beneficial to have someone overwatching the field and instructing those fighting on what to do next. Engage, retreat, change target, move to a more advantageous position, these aren't things that you can properly adjust to on the field. If you try to engage you may play into their hands, retreat and you may run into another force. From here, you can instruct accordingly and ensure victory."
Midoriya merely nodded as he absorbed as much of the information as he could.
"Geez Eraserhead, did you build this one up to be as bland as you?" asked Miss Joke, her smile having wavered slightly.
Aizawa ignored her. "Have you led armies?" he asked, not bothering to look at Shirou.
"No," answered Shirou, focusing on the battles happening below.
"Then how do you know all that?" asked Midoriya.
"Because I've been one of the one's being ordered around," answered Shirou.
"Wait, were you like a child soldier or something?" asked Miss Joke, not sure just what she was hearing right now.
"I was definitely something," said Shirou, ending the conversation there as Miss Joke found herself at a loss for words.
Whether there was any more conversation that happened, it went over Midoriya's head as he observed the battlefield. Instead of simply focusing on his friends however, he focused on as many of the would be heroes as he possibly could. The way students of the same school moved as a group to engage their enemy to ensure that a couple of their peers passed through to the next stage. It made sense, if only one hundred could get through to the next part and places were already starting to fill up why wouldn't they get their strongest representatives forward.
In other scenarios, select powerful individuals had gone out of their way to find the largest group they could and eliminate the threat, utilizing quirks which couldn't be used with their comrades around. In a war setting he could think of these individuals as trump cards, single men or women who could change the course of the battle but only used sparingly. Information was power and as such the more exposed their trump card was the more the enemy could find ways to counter it.
His mind went back to the USJ incident in which the villain had proudly proclaimed that the creature with him had been crafted for the sole purpose of killing All Might. When he thought about it, All Might had, for all intents and purposes, over exposed himself. The sheer number of items he had back in his dorm room spoke volumes of the amount of publicity the hero put himself through.
While the injuries he had sustained through battle were mostly kept secret, the battle against All for One had shown the world that the man wasn't immortal. He could take damage and if he was struck enough or reach his limit, it was a possibility that he could be beaten.
A long shot possibility but a possibility nonetheless.
It was a daunting thing to think of and as he watched the battles unfolding beneath him it was a possibility that one of those students could one day become the number one hero. Just because they were number one though did not mean that they were unbeatable.
At the end of the day, nobody was.
...
"Are you ready?"
"Not in the slightest, of course we are!"
"Good, then kill them all."
...
An explosion erupted in the middle of the battleground, far larger than anything Bakugo could craft which sent bodies and debris scattering in all directions. Screams of panic ran out as those who had been caught in the blast did their best to land safely or those nearby assisted those in trouble. Not all of them managed however and a number did crash against the ground painfully before doing their best to bounce back to their feet.
"What the hell was that?"
"Gaarrhhh! My arm!"
"Is everyone okay?"
Seconds ticked by as the battle came to an abrupt standstill with those previously trying to eliminate their opposition coming to the aid of one another. Nobody took credit for the destruction which had tore the battlefield asunder. Even those who hadn't been anywhere near the blast had turned to watch the chaos unfold.
From up in the stands, the teachers who had come alongside their students watched on in horror as the aftermath of the blast took place. Before any sort of conclusion to what had just happened came to fruition, another explosion occurred, decimating a number of the buildings and sending glass and concrete careening in all directions.
The panicked screams came forth once again as teenagers dove for cover, some more successful than others. Behind the scenes a number of officials scrambled about, trying to figure out just what was going on. Explosions had been planned but they shouldn't have gone off until the field was free from the students so that phase two of the exams could begin.
This was an utter disaster!
"Surely...this couldn't have been part of it," said Miss Joke in horror as another explosion ripped through the field sending bodies and debris flying in all manner of directions.
"We're under attack," stated Aizawa, silently wishing that he had brought his battle gear with him.
"No way, who'd be crazy enough to..." started Miss Joke before Midoriya butted in.
"Where's Shirou?"
...
Aoyama was not one for knowing what to do in the best of situations, especially once stress became involved. Already throughout the conflict he had been struggling to figure out how best to utilize his quirk in such a way that would allow him to target enough individuals and qualify for the next round.
Within a handful of seconds such an idea became an impossibility with the world around them. However, the destruction had allowed him to know straight away what he had to do and knowing full well the pain it would cause him, he shot his naval laser into the air.
His peers responded.
As another explosion rocketed out in the distance, the class of 1-A stood gathered as one. None of them had been uninjured from the blasts thus far with the worser injuries Mineta cradling a broken arm and Hagakure's invisibility obscured by blood oozing from a cut in her head. While Yaoyorozu began producing bandages to assist where she could, Iida stepped up.
"We're all here and that is what is most important," he started. "It's clear that whatever was meant to happen is not this. We need to..."
"1-A, your training has braced you for this moment."
"Is that..."
"Shirou?"
"Did he break into the commentary box?"
"Remember your training, help those who can't help themselves and face every enemy with the knowledge that your life is on the line."
"Enemies?"
"This isn't an accident?"
"Look up."
It was Todoroki who spoke last, his gaze having shifted to the stadium roof. Circling the entirety of the stadium were a number of men and women watching the destruction unfold. None of them made any attempt to assist the situation at hand and if anything were relishing in the carnage.
Before any of the students could say anything, the doors to the stadium burst open only for an incredible amount of identically costumed men to spread forward, clambering over one another and shouting for violence and bloodshed.
"Stand strong, stand firm and believe in both your training, your teammates and yourselves."
...
Shirou put the microphone down, his piece being said before he walked past the commentator who seemed at a complete shock as to what was happening right now. He grabbed hold of the nearby table and flipped it on it's back before using sheer brute force to rip two of the steel legs off.
They were in trouble and utilizing his magecraft could very easily bring forth a Heroic Spirit which gave nobody a chance to make it out of here alive.
There was no way however, that Shirou wouldn't contribute to this battle when there were lives to be saved. Even if he couldn't use his magecraft, he could still be a force to be reckoned with.
...
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