"Shimizu, are you okay," A woman asked.

Shimizu with a blank face snaps back to reality. "I don't know Tokunaga Sensei." She looks outside the bus they're in.

"You've been acting strange. Did something happen," The woman asked in concern.

"I don't know if I want to talk about it."

"Is it about your mother?" Shimizu stays silent.

"Well whatever it is, don't let it distract you today. It's the big day. Our hero license exam is today." A girl sitting next to Shimizu says playfully elbowing her.

"It's fine Asano. I'll be fine, you should worry if you can pass the exam," Shimizu said playfully. "I'm sure everything will go just fine." Looking at herself in the reflection of the window she noticed her eye color was red.

—

"Hey… Hey… Shimizu-san? Wake up…" A young boy with dark blue hair tries waking Shimizu. "Shimizu-san, wake up. You're hurt."

Shimizu slowly regains consciousness. Feeling like a truck had just hit her she felt some sort of liquid dripping from her head. That very distinct red liquid as she finally sees a blood trail she left.

"Shimizu-San?" The boy's hand was covered in her blood. "Please don't die."

—

"The first part of the exam for this year's Hero License Exam will be a three man team. It is vital that heroes are able to work with each other in dire circumstances. It's good to be able to quickly assess what you are good at along with the people around you. Since, if you pass you will be working with many heroes with a wide arrangement of abilities that you do not know," the proctor of the exam announces.

"Hey isn't that great. We can work together," Asano said with a bright smile.

"They'll most likely put us in random groups," Shimizu responded.

"You'll all be put into specific groups of three and can choose one of three objectives to pass the first part of the exam; taking out 7 three man groups, forming a coalition of 7 three man groups and lasting for at least ten minutes, or collecting one of 7 special items hidden throughout the area. Here are the specifics." The screen behind the proctor turns on showing the ruling of the first part of the exam.

If your group of three gets knocked out you fail.

If at least one person of your group still remains and manages to take out 7 groups or find a hidden item your whole group passes.

If groups manage to form a coalition of 7 groups of three breaks a ten minute timer will start. If one group leaves or gets eliminated from the coalition before the ten minutes are up the timer will reset.

If all members of the group of three are NOT present for the coalition of 7 three man groups the coalition will be invalid unless the ten minute timer has already started.

Points will only be awarded when all members of a group are eliminated.

If members of a group of three are to be eliminated by different groups collectively, the group who eliminated the last member of the eliminated group will be awarded a point.

If in the case where members of a group of three were to be taken out simultaneously by different groups resulting in elimination, no one will get the take out point.

If your group is in a coalition with one or more groups any group your group eliminates will count towards as a take out point total for the coalition.

All hidden items will have our Hero Public Safety Commission logo engraved onto it.

"Why would they allow us to make a group of 7 to pass. Wouldn't everyone just take the easy way and form the groups of 7," Asano questioned.

"7 groups of three is twenty-one, which equals one whole class. There are about one-thousand five-hundred of us. Divide that by the groups of three and we get at least 72 people who are not passing. Since the teams are being hand picked the schools may be at a major advantage, that's the most likely scenario," Shimizu explained. "Why? Because there are a total of twenty schools. That means if all the schools banned together that would be a total of at least four-hundred students here, almost one third of the people here. But that's if we can find each other in time or before there are too few of us. There are more individuals who would love to get at us hero schools but even more who just want to pass."

"I see. I don't know why any team would want to self sabotage, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. Now that I think about it there are a couple of loopholes in the ruling."

"They probably made it that way." Shimizu puts on her goggles. Taking a general scan of the area to get the feel of the crowd, she doesn't feel anything. "Strange?"

"What is?"

Taking her goggles off, Shimizu says, "Nothing."

The proctor of the exam then announces, "You may be wondering who is in your group of three. You'll find out during the exam. As for now please go to the slotted area you were assigned to when you arrived here."

Asano wipes a sweat drop from her face. "Well it's starting soon. Good luck," she said with cheer.

"Same to you…"

—

"This is no time to be thinking about that," Shimizu-san said to herself. Struggling to pick herself up, Shimizu-san says, "I'm fine." She gets help from the boy who she now recognizes as her younger cousin, Kana. Her thoughts were all over the place. Then remembering they were being chased she tries to move. "We need to get to a safe place."

"No you shouldn't. You lost a lot of blood. You can't"

"Then why are you helping me move?" Shimizu-san said, taking a step forward with the help of Kana.

"It's because we need to get you to a hospital."

"No wait." Shimizu-san sensing death imminently, she with all her strength pushes Kana away from her. Just in time as a dumpster comes falling from above. Shimizu-san avoided it by the skin of her teeth.

—

"Why are you attacking your own teammates!" A girl with a pink and white hero costume yells at a boy.

"I know there isn't any benefit in doing so, but there must be hidden rules since taking out your own group isn't against the rules." The boy replied back, making sure that his other teammate was eliminated. A red mark replaced the green marker that was on the badge attached on the chest and wrist.

Shimizu was looking over the whole scene, hidden at the top of a mound. Her teammates had immediately scattered when the exam started because they couldn't work together. Then they all noticed that the boy had gained three points. A sinking realization was felt by Shimizu and the girl in pink and white.

Shimizu can see that the girl was trying to flee but for some reason the girl couldn't move. "So three points for knocking out our own team members. That means if I knock you out I would just meet to take out at least one other person."

"I thought you wanted to work together?" The girl shouts, still not able to move.

"Don't worry. Remember if one of us passes all of us pass. High risks, high rewards." The boy walks over to the girl.

Shimizu, not being able to just watch anymore, decides to step out and intervene. "Hey! That's not how a hero should be acting!"

—

"Not bad. Not bad." A man in a blue cloak said approaching. "As expected from her daughter."

Shimizu looks back and sees Kana being choked in the air with one hand by the man in the blue cloak. "Get your hands off him!" Shimizu-san gathers all her strength into her arms and legs then in one short burst of energy she kicks the hand holding Kana managing to loosen the man's grip. Shimizu-san grabs hold of kana then quickly backs away from the man.

Kana gasps for air in Shimizu-san's arms. Shimizu has one foot in the grave. Her body was injured so using the physical aspect of her quirk would only do more harm to herself. She was now coughing up blood on the ground. It was a struggle to stand and hold onto Kana but she can't afford to go down just yet. The man slowly approaches as Shimizu-san's vision starts shifting again.

—

"You know sticking your neck out to help others will get you killed someday." A boy stands over a defeated but not yet knocked out Shimizu.

"What's it to you? Didn't you say that our group wouldn't work well together?" Shimizu asked, struggling to get up.

"This part of the exam was to weed out the bad. Taking out your teammates net you negative points."

"But I saw the points go up when a boy eliminated his team. How do you explain that?"

"I would know, look." The boy taps his badge on his chest and shows three sets of points. He points to the right and it shows a 1, "This is the point I received from eliminating another group." He points to the left and it shows a 7, "This is the point for finding a hidden item." He points to the middle and it shows a 3, "This is the point for knocking out a team member."

"So you're telling me I did all of this for nothing." Shimizu's head was down after hearing the explanation. She gave up trying to stand up.

"You could probably tell what order of points I gained to figure this out. Since we didn't win yet that means. Eliminating our team members isn't against the rules but you would actually go into the negative."

"So what do you want to do now?" Shimizu was oddly calm now that she knows how to pass. "I'm in no position to help you fight or find another hidden object without being a hindrance." Just then a fast approaching projectile comes flying towards Shimizu about to hit her head.

—

A bastard sword comes crashing down landing just in front of Shimizu-san and Kana. "It's okay now Shimizu-san. Now that I'm here." Itsuki has arrived on the scene. Seeing the injuries on Shimizu-san and the man who caused it, Itsuki was angered to his core. "You there! What do you want with my sister in law!?"

"Revenge." The cloak man said in a deep voice.

"Itsuki, Look Out! It's not just him!" Shimizu-san shouts, noticing the other man in a black cloak attacking from behind Itsuki.

Itsuki dodges with a backflip over the punch the man threw, landing safely away from the two men. "It's okay Shimizu-san. I got this."

Feeling reassured, let's Kana down onto the ground as she falls onto the ground. If Itsuki is here it means 'He' is also here. And she know that 'He' can handle the situation that's why she had gone to this secluded area.

—

Asano points to her name. "I see my name! Shimizu do you…" She looks back at Shimizu and sees the color fade from her eyes.

Shimizu mutters, "My name isn't up there."

"What are you talking about? There's no way your name isn't on there." Asano looks back at the board filled with names. Quickly scanning through and looking for Shimizu's name, it was not on the board. Turning to face Shimizu again she says, "Shimizu?" Taking a step back Shimizu slowly turns around to walk away. "Shimizu wait."

A classmate's hand stops Asano to congratulate her for passing. This small moment of distraction was enough for Shimizu to disappear into the crowd. Asano ignores the classmate and goes looking for Shimizu. "SHIMIZU!" The last thing Shimizu heard from her friend.

Walking alone outside of the exam site Shimizu contemplates what to do next. Not paying any attention she bumps into her teacher. "Shimizu," Tokunaga said. Trying not to look her in the eye, Shimizu tilts her head down. "This isn't how you normally act with failure. I can't help you if you can't tell me what's going on?"

"It's nothing to worry about, Tokunaga Sensei."

Tokunaga sighs and walks past her. "Don't act so rash. You still have next time."

"No Tokunaga Sensei… I don't. At least not anymore. I had only one chance and I screwed it up."

"What do you mean by that?" Turning around, Shimizu was gone.

—

Shimizu-san feels a hand placed on her head. She starts to be able to feel her body again. There was no more pain. She wasn't dying anymore, she knows that for sure. It was 'his' doing no less.

"I can't have you dying on me," a man's voice said. Itsuki's battle can be heard in the distance. "This is so like you to put others ahead of yourself. There was no other way you would get hurt if not because of that trait." He tries to carry Shimizu-san in his arms.

Shimizu-san stops him. Pushing him away the best she could, she said, "Where is Kana?" Although she doesn't feel pain, the injuries are still there. Her body felt heavy so she couldn't even open her eyes properly. It was adrenaline that was allowing her to move.

"He's safe. You were lucky we doubled back around and caught on to your trail you left behind." The man again goes to help Shimizu-san but is again pushed away.

"Don't touch me!"

Ignoring her wishes the man carries her body in his arms. "My ability may have stopped you from dying now but it doesn't heal you. Once I turn off my quirk you'll die."

"I'd rather die than go back with you!"

"And leave your sister all alone to deal with our family." This statement left Shimizu-san speechless. "That's what I thought. Now just focus on not dying." The man picks up Shimizu-san with no more resistance. "Hey Itsuki are you done yet!"

Itsuki is holding a long sword made of steel. He swings it down on the man in the black cloak. "Sorry for the hold up! This guy is much more tricky to deal with than I thought."

The man in the black cloak blocked the strike with his bare forearms. The slash did nothing. The man in the blue cloak then suddenly appears behind Itsuki going for a stab with a knife to which Itsuki deflects with his sword. Taking this window of opportunity, the man in the black cloak slams his fist into Itsuki's shoulder. Itsuki gets sent crashing into the side of a building.

The man, holding Shimizu, takes a look around the area. The area was quite rural, abandoned like even. He smiles seeing how Shimizu-san knew that they would save her. And so she chose the best place where they could use their full power without any witnesses. "Enough playing around. Just kill them if it's too difficult. There is no one and no cameras around this area to begin with. You have nothing to worry about. Even if some sees we can just cover it up."

"Really?" Itsuki said dusting himself off from his crash. "You guys are in trouble now." Itsuki's hands spark with electricity. "Let's end this and go find Akari." Another sword appears from his hand, this time a rapier.

"That sword feels different. It's best to dodge it if you can," the man in the blue cloak said to the other.

"No need to worry. As long as I get paid. I guess it's time we get serious too then," The man in black cloak said, taking his cloak off. The man had metal prosthetic arms colored gray. He was muscular with a scar lined straight down his face. Then getting into a fighting stance the man said, "I don't want to kill a kid but he's getting in my way." The Metal arm turns red as it starts to charge with energy.

"Die." Itsuki disappears then reappears behind the man, stabbing him from the back straight through the heart. The man didn't even have time to react before he took his last breath falling to the ground. "One down, one more to go."

—

Walking around aimlessly Shimizu doesn't know what to think. She didn't pass the hero exam, her mother is dead, and now she has to alone take care of her three-year-old sister. How is she supposed to balance school and hero work while trying to take care of her sister? She just turned eighteen.

"Wait…" Shimizu stops walking for a moment. "What if it wasn't true? I mean Mom said not everything said on the news is true." Giving herself some false hope she shakes her head. "Yeah, that's it. It has to be. I need to confirm it myself." Shimizu rushes to the Hero Public Safety Commission. The only place that might reasonably know what happened to her mother.

It was late afternoon when she eventually arrived at the Hero Public Safety Commission building. She stops at the entrance of the building. She doesn't know what to say to get the information she wants, which was unusual because she always knew how to get what she wanted. This was the one thing she had in common with her mother. Not knowing what else to do she takes a step inside and for once in her life has nothing prepared. She was immediately stopped by the security.

One of the security guards said, "Excuse us for jumping to conclusions but can you identify yourself?"

"I–I'm. I'm…" Shimizu-san struggles to speak. She knows she'll be turned away if she says the wrong thing. Trying to calm down she looks straight at the security guards and responds with, "I'm looking for information on a certain hero."

"It's okay, men. I know of that girl." A middle aged woman with blond hair said behind the two security guards. She has a calm and calculated demeanor. "The equipment you're wearing can only belong to her child after all."

"Madam President?" The guard said in surprise.

"You know about my mom," Shimizu-san asked. Trying to take another step forward, she was stopped by the guards. "Please you have to tell me where she is?"

"We'll send someone to inform you about her soon enough. For now I'd advise you to head home." She motions to one of the guards to escort Shimizu-san out.

"Wait!" She was promptly removed from the building. She wasn't welcomed at the Hero Public Safety Commission headquarters. She doesn't want to go back to her friends showing this side of herself to them. The only thing left to do was to go back home and wait until they came to her.

Shimizu arrives at her home late into the night and for a moment she mistakes a woman as her mother just outside the house.

The lady turned and noticed Shimizu and said, "Hello."

"Hello?" Shimizu replied in confusion.

"Are you… Perhaps the daughter of Hisano?"

"Who?"

"Ah, well, that much is expected with her after all," the woman said. "My name is Hanae Chinen. You might know Hisano's hero moniker, Omniscient."

Hearing the familiar name her ears perk up for a moment. "You knew my mother?"

The woman now after the conformation she heard responds with, "After all these years. I've finally found her." Taking a step forward, she asked, "Do you know where your mother is currently?"

"She doesn't know either," Shimizu thought to herself. "No," She says in response to the woman.

"I see. Well I'll be back to see if she ever comes back." The woman was starting to leave.

"Wait," Shimizu-shouts. The woman stops and turns to face Shimizu. "If you don't mind me asking. Why do you call my mother by that name?"

"Well… I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you know. I'm your mother's sister."

—

"Continuing would only result in my disadvantage. She'll get away this time, but pray that there won't be a next time."

"I won't let you get away." Ituski does the same maneuver as before, this time appearing in front.

"No thanks." The man draws a pistol from under his cloak blocking the sword. "I see that the type of sword you conjure gives you weird powerup abilities." The man pushes Itsuki away to gain some distance.

"Just die quietly." Itsuki disappeared again.

"You have great speed that's why it makes it feel like you've disappeared. But I can actually disappear. Because that's our quirk." The man blocks another stab from Itsuki this time with his knife. Then he vanishes.

Itsuki readies himself in the case of a sneak attack. But to his surprise the man in the blue cloak had escaped. Knowing that it was safe, Itsuki puts away his sword. "Apologies, father, that man escaped."

Itsuki's father comes out from the shadows. "It is of no dire concern. If that man is really out for revenge he'll come back. We have more pressing matters to attend to after all."

"Yes father." Itsuki bows his head. He follows his father out of the area.

Maeko watches the entire scene unfold from a far distance. "What's up with her friends? They're all so complicated." She puts on her mask now covering her whole face. "Well I'm one to talk. Just what are they making me do?"

"Izuku…" Youta is alone with Izuku just a bit away from their class. "I'm sorry for acting the way I did."

Izuku, who was tense before hearing that, gave a sigh of relief, "After everything I thought you really hated me. I was ready for you to just punch me again." Izuku laughs remembering days ago they were at each other's throats.

Youta laughs alongside Izuku. "It sucks that Akari can't be here right now. Although I'm sure she actually hates you a lot."

Izuku then got serious for a moment. "So what did you bring me over here to talk about? I'm sure it wasn't just to apologize." Danger sense wasn't activating so nothing that would threaten Izuku was near.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck on the license exam. This is the moment in your life you've been dreaming of."

"Oh… Really? Same to you." Izuku sticks his hand out for a hand shake. "I know you didn't want to be a hero but having you as an ally, no, a friend is reassuring."

"That's what I should be saying to you." Youta shakes Izuku's hand. "After we get our license I'll tell you about Akari's situation. The reason why she left."

"Well, while we're at it, how about I tell you a secret of Akumi too. I hope we can all be comfortable enough to tell each other our secrets by the time we are all together again."

"I'd love to see when that happens. Well I'll be going now." After the handshake Youta walks back to his classmates as they were getting on the bus. Izuku does the same. The Hero License Exam is only moments away.