"…I knew I should've peed before we came here…"

Eijiro barely understood Mina's words as he stared up at the monolithic pair of towers visible before him. Both of the structures, being largely constructed of glass, glittered in the sunlight. The first time he had seen them on the way to his audition, their sparkling, nearly blinding sheen had looked like a beacon of hope. As the buildings towered over him once again, the harsh glare of the sunlight reflecting into his eyes instead filled him with a sense of existential dread unlike any he had ever felt before.

'It's… uh, it's gonna be okay, Mina," Eijiro insisted as he draped his arm over his girlfriend's shoulder. "We're going to make it in. We have to, right? After all we did?"

"Do you really believe that?" Mina asked, her voice nearly trembling.

"…I don't know what I believe," Eijiro admitted as he shook his head. "We did… we did what I thought was the right thing to do."

"Yeah, and I agree," Mina replied. "But… Eiji, those letters…"

"I know," Eijiro said to cut her off. "I'm scared, too. I have no idea what we're up against right now. Hopefully it's just Professor Aizawa and Professor Kan, and we can explain what we were thinking. Or, even better- maybe we won't have to. Maybe it'll just be Bakugo and that green-haired dude doing the talking."

"How would that be better?" Mina asked as she looked up at Eijiro while nestling into his side. "We have to defend ourselves. We have to make it clear why we did what we did, and help both of them out, too. They put their trust in us to help, and we put our trust in them to lead us down the right path."

"Yeah. Maybe," Eijiro considered as he and Mina began to walk to the front doors of U.A. University. "Or maybe we're all about to just get what we deserve, in the worst way possible. After all, to even get an audition, we did kinda have to rely on a little help from… Kan?"

Eijiro paused with his fingers wrapped around the handle of the door before him. Through the glass, he and Mina could see the aforementioned bat-winged teen pacing back and forth in front of the secretary's desk. Her wings were spread and her shoulders were tense as she walked, looking incredibly annoyed.

"Well, now we've got a chance to thank her," Mina pointed out as she grabbed the door next to Eijiro's and pulled it open. "Hey, Kan!"

The pale teen turned to face the pair immediately, her expression furious and her eyes narrowed.

"…hey, Ashido..."

"You remember Eiji, right?" Mina asked as she approached her friend. "I know you've only really met the one time…"

"Of course," Amaya replied before exhaling sharply through her nose. "How could I forget a cute face like that?"

Eijiro laughed lightly and rubbed at the back of his head, actively avoiding Amaya's wine-red eyes.

"Uh, thanks!" Eijiro said awkwardly. "Good to see you, but… why are you here, right now? You and your dad don't live at U.A., do you…?"

"…I got a letter," Amaya hissed.

"What…?" Mina asked, wide-eyed. "But… you…"

"Were in first place, and probably finished that way?" Amaya guessed. "Or were you going to bring up the fact that I'm Vlad King's daughter? Or have near perfect grades? Or wrecked those fucking machines despite my Quirk being seriously handicapped from its full potential against non-living things? Doesn't matter, apparently. Dad still wants to play this stupid game, and now I'm having admission dangled over my head like a punishment for thinking outside of the box."

"Your tag is ready, ma'am," the secretary chimed in as she held a laminated card on a necklace over to Amaya.

"…Visitor," Amaya spat as she snatched the lanyard away and inspected the card affixed to it. "Fucking 'Visitor' is my name, after how many times I've walked these halls, all of the training I've done to get here, and the amount of study I've put into becoming a hero. This is such bullshit."

"I'm sorry," Mina offered as she and Eijiro produced their letters from their jackets and passed them over the desk to the waiting secretary. "This isn't right… but we can help defend each other, at least. We're here for you."

"We'll fight for you," Eijiro agreed as he turned to face Amaya. "We owe you everything."

"So do they," Amaya said as she nodded toward the entranceway. "And if this all comes crashing down… it's ultimately my fault. I'm well aware of that."

Katsuki and Izuku made their way through the double doors as if on cue, side by side. Izuku immediately waved to the small crowd and ran forward to meet them, while Katsuki merely trudged along behind him, clutching his letter in a death grip.

"Hey! You guys are all here, too?" Izuku questioned. "I don't think we ever really got the chance to talk, but I recognize all of you. You followed Kacchan and I against the Zero-Point Villain, and I'm guessing you all got letters because of it?"

"We did. Amaya Kan," the girl offered as she folded her arms beneath her chest.

"Eijiro Kirishima."

"Mina Ashido."

"Izuku Midoriya," the boy finished before giving an expectant look over to Katsuki.

"…we've already met," Katsuki said with a glare as he walked past the crowd and handed a pair of letters to the secretary. "So, I guess we all got called in? Who's been down here the longest?"

"That'd be me," Amaya said as she raised a hand.

"Did you see any of the others who fought with us come through?" Katsuki asked as he turned to face her.

"…a few," Amaya replied, looking thoughtful. "That girl with the weird earlobes and the short kid with the… head-grapes? Whatever the hell he had going on."

"What about…" Katsuki began, only to furrow his brows. "Uh… lizard tail? Wind powers?"

"…Daisuke Aki?" Eijiro tried. "Weren't you guys hanging out like… all day at the entrance exam?"

"Yeah. So?" Katsuki asked.

"So, you should probably know his name," Mina accused. "You guys seemed like friends, from what I saw."

"Kacchan has trouble with names sometimes," Izuku tried with a nervous smile.

"I'll make my own shitty excuses if I think it's worth my time, Deku," Katsuki snarled as he took the offered set of four lanyards from the secretary. "So, did you see him, or not?"

"I didn't," Amaya answered with a shrug as she finally folded her wings inward. "It's possible that there were people ahead of me, though. I don't have information on this meeting like I usually would. Dad's been keeping me off campus entirely after he found out I leaked information about the exams. If anyone's going down today, it'll be me."

"We're not letting that happen," Mina reminded. "If that's how this meeting goes, then we go down with you."

"None of us are going down," Katsuki interrupted as he held out the lanyards for the others to collect. "We're getting in. We deserve to get in. Don't have a shitty, defeatist attitude right from the start, or whoever's waiting for us will pick up on it. We're not here to show weakness."

"I think Kacchan is right," Izuku said as he slipped his visitor's pass over his neck. "We did something incredible. We did what we thought was right in the spur of the moment. From what I know about Professor Aizawa and Professor Kan, that should be something that appeals to them."

"Pff," Amaya cut in. "You might know my dad's public persona, but you don't know him. Let me handle Vlad King. If you four want to debate Professor Aizawa, then go ahead. Here's hoping it's just them waiting for us."

"…do you think it might not be?" Izuku asked, his voice rising in fear.

"Who even knows?" Amaya replied with a shrug of her wings. "As long as I've been aware of what happens at U.A., this kind of thing is a first. They might separate us. We might be meeting in waves of students. Could be anything, so keep your guard up. Let's go."

Katsuki was the last to slip his lanyard around his neck and move to follow Amaya, who took her place at the head of the pack. He was keenly aware of the fact that Izuku was looking over to him, but he refused to acknowledge the other boy as he kept his eyes forward for the entire journey. In what simultaneously felt like both an hour-long journey and no time at all, the group of teens found themselves standing outside of a giant door extending from floor to ceiling, labeled 204-B.

"Well, this is my stop," Amaya said with an air of resignation in her voice. "What about you guys?"

"Us, too," Mina said, equally hesitant.

"Same here," Izuku chimed in. "That's a good sign… maybe?"

"Yeah. Maybe," Eijiro agreed before pausing. "I think… I'm so nervous that I think I'm gonna barf."

"Uh… are we going in…?" Izuku asked with a questioning glance toward Amaya.

For once, the girl looked unsure of herself, and the sight was enough to unnerve Izuku greatly.

"…get out of the way, if none of you are going to take the lead," Katsuki ordered as he marched forward and wrapped his fingers around the handle of the door. "Standing out here and wondering is stupid. Time to face reality."

Katsuki pulled open the door with a fiery determination that immediately fizzled out the moment he saw just what was waiting for him. The assembled crowd seated around the long conference table was imposing enough to give even him pause as he stared blankly. Several professors that the boy recognized were all seated, patiently waiting on one side of the oblong table. Four students he had never met were seated with them, looking very out of place and just as nervous as Katsuki. On the opposite side of the table was every hopeful hero-to-be that had followed Katsuki into battle, sitting in a row and looking very much like a group of people backed up to a wall to await a firing squad.

"Hey-hey!" Present Mic called from the far side of the table as he pointed a finger gun toward Katsuki and the small group assembled behind him. "About time you cool cats showed up! We've been waitin'!"

"…they're on time," a man in a high-tech gas mask covering his entire face drawled, his voice coming out distorted. "Keep your pants on."

"I'm with Snipe," the only female professor on the panel added as she leaned forward, placing her elbow upon the table and cupping her chin with her hand. She batted her eyes at Katsuki from behind a pair of thin, red-framed glasses, her crimson lips curling into a smile. "Come. You know you want to."

Katsuki hesitated a moment before leading the procession into the room proper. He took the first seat available on the applicants' side of the table, only to have a fist thrust his way from the side.

"My man," Daisuke said with a smirk. "Pound it."

Katsuki merely stared at the fist, before turning his attention back to the professors.

"…or don't, that's cool, too," Daisuke muttered as he took his hand back. "Good to see you, either way. We've got this."

Katsuki simply shook his head as the others got to their seats before giving Daisuke a sideways glance.

"…we do," Katsuki agreed in a low voice.

"Alright!" Present Mic shouted, his voice loud enough to cause several of the students to jump in their seats. None of the other professors seemed to react, as though they had grown used to the man's sudden, sonorous outbursts. "Let's go around and introduce ourselves so we know who-all we're dealing with! Stick to hero names, my fellow professors, so the kiddos' heads don't burst trying to memorize all of us. I'm Present Mic, your host for the afternoon!"

"Eraserhead, lead professor for Class 1-A," the tired-looking man at his side said with a shake of his head. "And Present Mic isn't 'your host.' We're all here to speak to you with equal importance."

"Not cool, man!"

"Vlad King, lead professor for Class 1-B," the burly man sitting next to Eraserhead offered in a deep voice. The man's eyes never left Amaya as he spoke, and she returned the favor with a venomous glare of her own. "Eraser is right- each of us has an equal stake in these proceedings."

"Midnight," the sole female professor chimed in as she drummed her fingers upon the side of her face. She was well aware that Minoru Mineta was staring directly at her voluptuous chest, which was barely contained by a sheer white bodysuit that left nothing to the imagination. "It seems I already have some fans, here."

"What else is new," the man that Midnight had agreed with earlier added. "Snipe. That's all you need to know."

"And he is here!" Present Mic shouted just as All Might opened his mouth from the far side of the table.

"I… yes, I am… here," All Might said awkwardly. "With my thunder stolen…"

Present Mic dramatically threw his arm to the other side of himself, where four teens sat waiting.

"And now, the four recommendation students guaranteed to make it in- please, introduce yourselves for our panelists!"

"This isn't a game show, Mic," Eraserhead said as he rubbed at his temples.

"Tenya Iida!" the bespectacled boy shouted as he stood up straight out of his seat and dipped into a rigid bow. "One of two representatives for Class 1-A!"

Just as Tenya sat back down, a seemingly empty school uniform waved its sleeve, the chair beneath it lightly rocking from side to side.

"Toru Hagakure. I'm the other rep for 1-A."

"Shoto Todoroki," a boy with two-toned hair, divided evenly between deep red and pure white said in a calm voice. His left eye was scarred horribly by some sort of burn. "Class 1-B."

"Momo Yaoyorozu," the final student proclaimed, touching a hand to her chest. "1-B."

"Aaaaaaaaalright, your turn!" Present Mic said as he pointed across the table. "Rec students, get your pens and journals ready, because you know what's happening after we're done here. Go down the line, if you would!"

"…uh… I… Eijiro Kirishima," the boy said with a small wave as he watched the four recommendation students begin to write furiously. "Oh, god…"

"Mina Ashido!" his girlfriend followed up, flashing twin 'peace' signs across the table.

"Amaya Kan," the bat-winged teen said, still locking eyes with her father.

"Izuku Midoriya," he offered. "Nice to meet you all!"

"Katsuki Bakugo," the last of the new additions to the room stated with a roll of his eyes.

"Daisuke Aki," the lizard-tailed teen said with a smirk as he leaned backward into his chair.

Sudden silence fell over the room, until Daisuke leaned forward again and blinked in confusion.

"…uh… Mineta?"

Minoru's eyes were still firmly locked upon Midnight's breasts, until Daisuke cuffed him upside the back of the head.

"Mineta!"

"Oh! Oh, uh… what's going on?" Minoru asked as he frantically looked from side to side, only to see everyone in the room staring at him expectantly. "Sorry, I was distracted by… did we make it in…?"

Daisuke cast his eyes up toward the ceiling and simply shook his head as he sighed heavily.

"…that's Minoru Mineta. Moving on."

"…Kyoka Jiro," the next girl in line stated, pinching the bridge of her nose as her face flushed a furious scarlet and she turned her seat to face her back toward Minoru. The headphone jacks dangling from her earlobes swayed with the motion, and she wrinkled her nose. "Seriously…"

"Tsuyu Asui," the girl with the sunken face sitting next to Kyoka said with a polite wave. Her voice came out in a nasally tone, quite unlike the other girls. "It's alright, Jiro. I think we're all feeling it."

Kyoka gave Tsuyu a nervous grin before burying her face in her hands and shaking her head to try to hide a fit of snorting laughter.

"Himiko Toga," the blonde next to Tsuyu offered as she picked at her nails, looking bored.

"And I guess that just leaves me," the brunette in the final seat observed. "Ochaco Uraraka. Pleasure to meet you all," she finished as she looked down the lineup at Izuku, who smiled back at her.

"That'll do it," Present Mic said with a nod. "Now… let's get down to business. This isn't going to be easy…"

Author's Note:

Next week- Mirio and Dabi Part II…

-RD