You guys bullied me to include Danganronpa expy characters a year ago, was it worth it?
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
The training days passed, providing everyone with the opportunity to elevate their skills and quirks to levels they hadn't imagined possible. Finally, the day of the test arrived. On the morning of the exams, Ren prepared pancakes for everyone to enjoy as a celebratory meal.
As Ochako received her plate, her mouth watered. "Oh, these look so delicious..." she drooled.
"The flavors are melting on my tongue!" An especially joyous Mina declared while holding up a piece of pancake covered in maple syrup on a fork.
"I'm really hoping our two weeks of training was enough," Izuku said as he cut into his pancakes. "Everyone else is gonna have one or two years over us."
"We shouldn't worry about the others," Iida said. "Our top priority is looking out for each other in the exam."
"He's right," Todoroki nodded. "It's like the Sports Festival- we have to carve out our own path."
"Fair enough, I guess." Ochako said, as she started to wolf down her food. She was hyped up right now- with her new support gear, she was sure to catch everyone off guard during the exam. Actually, a lot of people had new support items. Kouda, Kaminari, Tooru, Jirou, Shoji…their versatility was greatly expanded because of it.
"I wish you all the best," Alan said. "Those judges can be hard to please when it comes to giving grades."
"What're you going to do while we're gone, Alan?" Kaminari asked.
"I have to keep an eye on Ship and Yoshi and help set up something." Alan told us. "It's going to be pretty dull."
"I'm guessing Shinsou is doing the same." Kirishima said.
"Nah. He said he's just going to train with his new support gear. He's getting pretty good at it, but he's behind in combat." Alan shrugged.
"Hmm," Ochako nodded. "Well, whatever happens next, I am TOTALLY ready!"
Aizawa watched the kids eat, while picking at his own single lone pancake. Ren took note. "Something wrong?" He asked while taking off his 'Do nothing to the cook' apron.
"No, no." Aizawa said, cutting into his pancake. "I'm fine."
"You're worried for the kids, aren't you." He guessed.
"...no." Aizawa frowned.
"Aw, come on, Eraser!" Mic (who appeared the second he smelt pancakes from the 1-A dorm) teased, nudging him with his elbow. "Let it all out, man! Emotions should be flowing!"
Aizawa set down his plate. "I've lost my appetite." Aizawa said, walking off. "I'm going to get the buses."
"Well, more for me!" Present Mic grinned, picking up the pancake and placing it on his plate.
After a good meal and a long bus ride over, the class arrived at their destination.
"Alright- everyone out. We're here." Aizawa said.
The group got out of the bus, and stood before the testing ground. National Takoba Arena was an indoor arena located at Takoba Park in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It was famous for its suspension roof design. It was designed by Kenzo Tange and built between 1961 and 1964 to house swimming and diving events in the 1964 Summer Olympics, but eventually transitioned into being for events like this, with the occasional ice hockey and basketball game.
Jirou felt a twinge of pain in her stomach. "Getting totally nervous now...can we really earn our licenses?"
"Jirou." Ren said. "It's not a matter of 'can'. You will."
"R-right." Jirou nodded.
"Earn your provisional licenses by passing this test, and you won't be mere eggs anymore. You'll be full fledged hatchlings, reborn as semi-pros." Aizawa said, standing before the class. "Do your best."
"YEAH!" Kirishima yelled enthusiastically. His joy and optimism- priceless. "We're gonna hatch from those eggs!"
Ochako felt nice, knowing that she wouldn't be in this alone. Especially now that the class was closer than ever.
"Time for our cheer!" Kirishima yelled, ready to raise his fist. "PLUS-"
"ULTRA!" A voice boomed, causing the crimson haired boy to flinch. He turned around to see a boy towering over him. He wore a cap with a shiny badge that said "S" on it. Todoroki's eyebrows went up when he noticed.
"Inasa." A boy chided him as he walked over. He too wore the same hat. "It's bad manners to intrude on another group's huddle."
"Ah! You got me!" The boy named Inasa said. He leaned back...
"I AM...SO VERY SORRY!"
His head smashed into the pavement with his overenthusiastic apology. It looked like it hurt. And it did, given the cut on his head.
"Who's this whacked out ball of excitement?" Kaminari quipped, unnerved by the boy.
"He's like Iida and Kirsihima combined, squared." Sero noted- a very proper comparison.
"Who are these guys?" Ochako asked.
"There's few schools that can rival UA. But, in the western part of the country, there's a school that churns out heroes like Fat Gum and Crust." Izuku said. "That school is...Shiketsu High."
"I just always wanted to try saying it!" The boy roared, saluting them. "PLUS ULTRA! IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO COMPETE ALONGSIDE UA! I FREAKING LOVE UA!"
Ochako noticed something behind Inasa- there was a girl, mimicking his every move. How long had she been doing that?
"He's bleeding..." A girl with short blonde hair said.
The boy who scolded him rolled his eyes. "Let's go-"
"No, no- Inasa, you shouldn't be so ashamed of being excited." The blue-haired girl said.
Ochako got a better look at her, as she stepped forward. Aside from her long blue hair that reached her waist, she had red eyes, and a stunning figure with a chest that could make Momo envious (but she wasn't). While the other girl had nothing around her neck, this girl had a small, thin red ribbon around her collar.
"UA High...an honor it is to meet you." The girl said. She seemed very prim and proper, presenting an air of elegance like Momo did when Ochako first met her. "I am Class 13's president representative, Medaka Kurokami."
"Hm!" Iida said, walking forward. He offered Medaka a handshake. "It is an honor to meet you as well."
Medaka smiled, as she shook Iida's hand, mimicking his robotic movements. Iida didn't notice, but everyone else did.
"I heard most recently about the incident with your school...I can only hope everyone else made it out okay." Medaka said. "I worked with Bakugou, actually…even though we didn't have the best work relationship, I can still feel for him."
Iida looked grim, but quickly regained his composure. "We plan to move forward from there- come together even stronger than before."
Medaka sighed. "All of those villains...most likely once passionate people like you and I. I can only presume that there is some great reason, some great tragedy that led to them straying so far from the path."
Ochako made a face. Or they just look like that from the start. She noticed another person in the background, looking away. This blonde boy had taken off his hat. He looked embarrassed, for some odd reason. He was a typical fifteen-year-old in height and build, with strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes.
She reminded him of Bakugou in a peculiar way. It wasn't the intense resting expression or the "get away from me and shut up" vibe. Instead, it was her expression – reminiscent of the look Bakugou gave whenever he anticipated Mineta was about to say something weird.
But then she saw someone that reminded her of...
"Hey, Deku." Ochako said, nudging the boy's arm. "Check it out. Shiketsu has their own version of you."
Izuku looked over, to see a boy of similar height and appearance to him, with blue eyes and black hair. He had that same 'neutral' expression Izuku usually had to him, that tiny smile that made you feel at ease.
Izuku chuckled. "I gues-"
The black-haired boy noticed the two and glanced over. Suddenly, a strange, sharp stabbing sensation pierced through Izuku's head, causing him to clutch it in pain.
"Woah, you okay?" Kirishima asked, noting his pain.
"Y-yeah. Just got a weird headache." Izuku said, as the black haired boy looked away. That felt familiar.
"Weird." Ochako said, looking back at the Shiketsu president- she was still rambling about something.
"Were they thrown aside by their parents? Failed by a teacher who could guide them? Betrayed by one of their own?" Medaka said, getting more and more theatrical. "I plan to cease this! I will help ALL villains be born again, making it possible to be tempted by breaking the law. I will straighten them out, and correct their wrongs! I will improve them, rebuild them!"
Class 1-A looked at each other. She seemed so normal at first...but now she's just crazy devoted.
"She's even worse than the first guy." Ojiro muttered.
Medaka was about to ramble some more, but the strawberry blonde put his hand on her head.
"Hey. Come on. We just met these people." His voice was more gruff than Ochako expected. Didn't fit him at all.
"Oh- did it happen again?" Medaka said, straightening herself out. "Sorry, sorry- I always get so worked up."
"Yeah, we can tell." Mina said.
The blonde scanned the crowd, and lit up when he saw someone. "Hey, I know you!"
Iida saluted him. "Good to see you. I trust you've been training well?"
"You could say that. Don't let me catch you getting eliminated. We'll socialize later," The boy said, leading Medaka and Inasa away. "Sorry about the trouble!"
The class watched them go. "What are they teaching at that school to make them so...weird?" Kaminari said.
"Did you know that guy, Iida?" Izuku asked.
"He was interning at the police station when I went in for the Stain incident. Nice guy." Iida mused.
"Medaka Kurokami...and Inasa Yoarashi." Aizawa muttered.
"I take it you've met them before." Tooru said.
"They're both enthusiastic, but they seem like nice people." Kirishima said.
"Correct- Kurokami's sort of a big deal with Shiketsu." Aizawa said. "Or so I've been told. She interned with Best Jeanist recently. And Yoarashi...he was placed into your grade at UA under special recommendation. His grades were enough to open the door, but...he decided to not matriculate."
"He's a first year?" Izuku said. "With that special recommendation and top grades...does that mean..."
Ochako looked over at Todoroki, who had been quiet since they got off the bus.
Was this Inasa guy better than Todoroki?
"Ren!" A voice called out. Ren turned around to see three people approaching. A blonde male, a redhead with green eyes...and a woman with a long, flowing cape of red and white stripes.
Izuku's eyes widened.
"Jaune! Pyrrha!" Ren said, extending his arms for a hug. He sounded utterly elated to see them both, and the three warmly embraced.
"It's great to see you, man." Jaune said.
"How is UA treating you?" Pyrrha asked.
"I'm doing fine, all things considered. These kids are a lot, though." Ren said. "Sorry Nora couldn't make it. She's busy with…Nora things."
MEANWHILE…
"EXCELSIOR!" Nora yelled, as she raised her hammer into the sky- the kids at the hospital cheered as she repeatedly bashed one of her sidekicks with a squeaky hammer.
"M-ma'am!" The sidekick yelled. "Please! I yield! I YIELD!"
"Stick with the program! These kids wanna see a fight that'll make them feel 10x better than they did before!" Nora grinned, as she bashed him with a hammer. "THIS IS IN THE NAME OF CHARITY!"
BACKWHILE…
"Sounds…fun." Jaune said.
"Do you know them, Mr. Ren?" Kirishima asked.
Ren nodded. "These are my old teammates from Beacon- please say hello to Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos-Arc."
"Hey, I know her!" Sero said. "She's that one girl on the Pumpkin Pete's cereal boxes."
Pyrrha blushed. "Oh, goodness- they still run those?"
"Yeah! Super tasty!" Kaminari added.
"My cholesterol says otherwise." Jaune muttered.
"Huh?"
"Anyways…We're teachers at Shiketsu High," Jaune explained. "We split our work up- I handle some of the paperwork, and Pyrrha does most of the physical stuff."
"Well, as much as I can nowadays." Pyrrha said. "I have to split up that work as well…"
Ren looked over the duo to see Shiketsu's latest hire. "How about Kathleen? How's she doing as a teacher?"
"I worked these kids to the bone…" A woman's booming voice said- Kathleen was approaching the group. "I think you'll plenty shocked at what they can do."
Kaminari began shaking Sero excitedly. "D-dude! It's HER!"
"Y-yeah! I can see that! Stop shaking me or I'm gonna hurl up some pancakes!" Sero yelled.
Ochako's eyes widened with shock as she gazed at the Number One American Pro Hero. Ben mentioned a few times that Star surpassed him in powers, but she was sure he was just being humble.
"The one person who might be a bigger All Might fan than Midoriya…" Mina joked.
I remember Blake mentioned she was hired at the start of the year. Izuku thought, staring in shock. I didn't expect her to show up today-!
Kathleen's eyes darted over to Class 1-A. "These your kids, Ren?"
"They're my kids." Aizawa said, stepping forward. "It's an honor to meet you, M-" Aizwa was suddenly pulled into a very tight bearhug, squeezing the bags from under his eyes. Ochako could've sworn she heard a 'CRACK' when Star squeezed.
"Sorry! I'm just very excited today." Kathleen said, setting Aizawa down. Aizawa's eye twitched.
God just let it end. He thought.
"Oh, hey Eraser!" Another female voice called out and, unlike with Stars and Stripes who he wasn't prepared for, this was a scenario he was outright expecting.
Oh come ON! Eraser groaned mentally. Coming towards the group of teachers was another Pro Hero. She was average height, but when next to Stars and Stripes she looked short, but so did Aizawa. She wore a sleeveless navy blue shirt with a buttoned-up high collar, puffed shorts with green and orange pinstripes, a white v-shaped belt and a corset adorned with yellow smiley-face pins, dipping down in a shallow "U" in the center. Her hands were covered with padded yellow gloves with golden plates over her knuckles and lower fingers, which extend in orange-striped tubes down her lower arms, with thick metal cylinders acting as wrist-guards over the top. To top if off, she wore an orange bandana.
"Ms. Joke..." Aizawa said aloud, turning his attention from the Shiketsu faculty to this one. As soon as he laid eyes on her, his Quirk activated. With his attention on the Smile Hero, Stars and Stripes took notice of the other students.
"Huh," Stars and Stripes looked over the class, "So you're the students everyone's been talking about. From U.S.J to the summer camp attack. Took a lotta bravery to stand up to 'em while you're still in classes," and then her gaze fell on Ochako and Izuku.
"Well, look who it is!" the Number 1 American Pro smirked, "Heard Ben talk about you, kid. The new wielder of an Omnitrix."
"Y-yeah, that's me," Ochako sheepishly confirmed.
She said that so casually… Ochako thought.
"Y'know, I told him to give you that gravity guy! Since, gravity is your power, right?" Kathleen said. "And he was all like 'no, no, too broken!' and then the group chat was split 50/50-"
Ochako laughed nervously. "Well…I barely use Gravattack. Don't wanna be too overpowered."
"Fair enough!" Kathleen said, turning to look at the other kids.
"And you're the kid who kept breaking his own fingers during the sports fest," Kathleen said, looking at, of course, Izuku.
Why is that what I'm always remembered for?! Izuku mentally questioned.
"I didn't expect a hero of your caliber to work at Shiketsu. Shouldn't you be at some American academy?" Sero asked.
"Good question! I came here because I heard some of the best heroes nowadays come from Japan. America is great, but some of the kids there just lack the discipline and hardwork- I assume it's due to All Might's influence." Kathleen explained.
I'd be more inclined to agree if she said they were reckless. If Gran Torino's word is anything to go by, All Might was just as bad as me in his earlier years, Izuku thought.
"I first encountered All Might when I was young, back when he was just starting out in the United States." Kathleen reminisced. "When a bad guy fleeing a bank tried to attack my family for a quick getaway, he came to our rescue and stopped the attack. After that, I became really interested in the world of heroes. I aspired to be a great hero just as he was. I began to follow his career very attentively. And you young people can also go in that direction... And you kids can do the same..."
Kathleen smirked. "Presuming your children are capable of competing with my Shiketsu prodigies."
Kirishima grinned. "I'm willing to take that challenge."
"That's what I wanna hear." Kathleen clapped, as she walked off. "Good luck, UA Kids! Knock 'em dead!"
"That was the nicest American I've ever met." Kouda mumbled.
"So Eraser, think your class can keep up with mine this time?" Ms. Joke smirked.
"...they're ready," Aizawa confirmed, "Believe me, they've gone through more than just the regulated training."
"Well yeah, but still, they haven't even seen what the other schools can do."
"Doesn't matter," Aizawa said, noticing as Ms. Joke's class approached the group. "I have faith in mine."
"Who's Aizawa talking to?" Kirishima asked.
"That's the Pro Hero, Miss Joke- she teaches over at Ketsubutsu." Izuku explained.
"Ketsubutsu? Never heard of them." Tooru said.
"It's not exactly a top school. It's still pretty notable, though. Heroes like Wash, Manual and Kamui Woods graduated from it, and look where they are." Iida elucidated.
The Ketsubutsu kids were all wearing khakis and grey shirts- well, save for one wearing incredibly gothic garb. She looked more dignified than the rest.
"Woah! It's really them..." A boy with a hard blue face noted.
"Wow! All those kids from the Sports Fest are here!" A girl with a music note barrette noted.
"Eeeee! Look, there's Todoroki! He's totally cuter in person." A girl with spiky hair squeed.
"Hey, come on. I'm right here, Tatami..." Her boyfriend laughed off. "...and he's also younger than me."
"Taking this test as first years? Pretty fast paced..." A kid with shaggy, long hair squinted.
"Can you blame them?" A girl with green hair and bangs covering her right eye hummed. "With what they've been through, they're more than prepared."
"Like I could care what they've done." A kid with a...giant pomp frowned.
"HEY!" His friend, a boy with spiky hair and red eyes, frowned. "Show them some respect, Takenosuke! We are to show them some respect. These kids have been through the dirt as of late."
"Cool your jets." An unnaturally deep voiced kid wearing a beanie said. "Save your passion for the test."
"Or maybe just shut up!" A small girl with a rather innocent demeanor said with a teasing smile. "I like it when you do that."
Lot of weird people here today. Ochako thought.
"Ah, there they are!" Ms. Joke smiled, "Meet my class, 2-2!"
The Izuku lookalike saw his U.A "counterpart" and went to go introduce himself. He grabbed Izuku by the hands suddenly, almost giving the boy the idea that this guy had a speed Quirk.
"Nice to meet you all! Name's Shindo!" the lookalike announced, shaking his hands before swiftly grabbing Uraraka and shaking her hands as well, "U.A's had it pretty rough this year, right?"
"U-uh, y-yeah," Ochako stammered, watching Shindo grab and shake the hands of Kaminari and Jirou in quick succession.
"But you still have your hearts set on becoming heroes! That's awesome! I believe that the heroes of tomorrow need that kind of fortitude!"
Wonder if this guy's related to Medaka, Jirou and Kaminari wondered mentally.
"So inspiring!" Medaka said, suddenly reappearing.
"When did you come back?!" The sound-manipulator and electrokinetic students shouted in surprised sync.
"I couldn't help but overhear!" Medaka admitted.
"Medaka! Did your 'sixth-sense' for motivational speeches go off again?" A Shiketsu student yelled.
"Aaaaaand that's my cue to head back! Sorry to interrupt!" And off she went.
"...today's going to be interesting, isn't it?" Ochako muttered.
"Definitely," Mina answered, "And these are just two schools. How many schools actually use this arena for the exam?"
"Approximately 150 schools!" The girl with the music barrette said. "That's a lot of schools. So, only like 75 of those schools have a chance of all their students passing or something, right? Is my math right?"
"More or less," The blue skinned guy said.
The spiky haired boy stepped forward and saluted. "Greetings, Class 1-A of UA High School! I am Fujiwara Ishimaru, Class Representative of Class 2-2! I look forward to engaging you in combat!"
"Fuji. Again. Tone it down." The pomp said.
"Do...all the class reps have energy to match Iida?" Tooru asked.
"It comes with the position!" Iida said proudly.
"I'm the Class Vice Rep, Kaede Wakana." Kaede introduced herself. "It's nice to meet all of you!"
"As representatives of Ketsubutsu, we will do our best to reflect their values in our skills! Expect nothing but greatness!" Fuji said, bowing his head.
"...I like his presentation," Iida nodded, "Allow me to assure you, we will provide nothing but excellent results ourselves!" the speedster bowed his head as well.
"WONDERFUL!" The boy clapped his hands. "Now! Class 2-2! Let us approach the dome! GREATNESS AWAITS!"
"See you on the field, Class 1-A!" Yo yelled, and the class departed.
"Truly inspiring as a class rep, he was!" Iida said. Did...did Mina see tears behind his glasses?
Weirdest start to an exam. Ever. Of all time.
"It's like meeting these schools is a good reminder." Jirou said.
"Yeah! We're like celebs." Kaminari said.
"Well, we best prepare ourselves! Now! Let's go, people!" Iida directed the kids away. Ochako gripped her fist hard, and stared at the stadium. When she left this place, she'd have her license for sure!
As the kids walked off, the other teachers gave Aizawa a weird look.
"You didn't tell them, did you?" Pyrrha asked.
"Eraser. Your kids- they're gonna..." Miss Joke said, but Aizawa said nothing as he walked away.
Ren made a face. "What's going on, exactly?"
The teachers shared a look. "Well, since you care to listen..." Jaune said. "You need to know something, Ren."
"Your kids are in danger."
1,540.
That was how many students were packed into this auditorium/meeting room, hailing from schools all across the country. Ochako could pick out the Shiketsu and Ketsubutsu classes at a glance, but there were plenty of others she knew nothing about. Some didn't have any of the matching costume traits like Shiketsu did, as they all still wore their signature hats, but there was one in an almost military-like white ensemble.
"Hey, do you know where they came from?" Ochako asked.
"Hm?" Izuku asked, "I...don't know actually. I think they might be from out of the country."
Out of the country? Wow. Ochako thought. Must be some real penny pinchers or something.
Ochako also noticed something else- everyone else had modified their costumes. Kirishima had acquired black sleeves, a precaution to prevent civilians from being harmed by his Quirk during rescues—a thoughtful addition. Similarly, Todoroki's costume had been enhanced with two burgundy wrist guards featuring metal plating. These not only regulated his body temperature after attacks but also included boots with a set of straps. Momo had somehow merged the 'Yaoyorictionary' and the new spellbook she had received into one thing. Spells and items were arranged in order of complexity. She did also consider changing costume color from red to blue, but…maybe not yet. Smaller changes, for efficiency.
Some were more drastic. Kouda incorporated two white straps over his shoulders and adopted a mask covering his entire face, resembling a duck's bill with holes positioned above his mouth. Izuku's costume underwent another upgrade to complement his evolving fighting style. Arm braces were added, and yellow bolts were fastened into his knee pads. His gloves also had some ports for Blackwhip in it. Iida had also fully integrated the Proto Tool into his arsenal, possessing a 'holster' for the weapon atop his right shoulder like Rook had. Mina had committed to changing her costume's colors from that admittedly clashing colors of green and purple to two shades of pink that complimented each other well.
Then came the two most 'notable' upgrades: Kaminari and Jirou's 'second' costumes.
Kaminari revamped his hero attire, opting for a slightly shorter black jacket with fewer white patterns—only two near the hem and collar. A yellow-rimmed lightning bolt adorned each shoulder. His black pants now featured a small zig-zag near each cuff, complemented by a belt and a white V-neck shirt. A wristband with a circular mechanism graced his right wrist, reminiscent of her own upgrades.
Jirou's outfit took on a more 'punkish' vibe—ripped pants, a tattered jacket and shirt, and belts wrapped around her waist. Pins of bands and the bisexual flag adorned the lapel of her jacket, and she gained headphones with two bracelets doubling as amplifiers. She also switched her face paint to two larger chevron-shaped marks.
Ochako's costume had smaller changes- the belt around her waist was minimized, no longer having a center. Her arm gauntlets had been altered to include four raised openings and the handles now protruded. Also, the right gauntlet on her wrist was made easier to remove…just in case she needed to use the Omnitrix.
Not that she needed to today, but still.
A very, very tired looking man shambled onto the stage, and yawned before adjusting the mic. "Right, right...the provisional license exam..." He mumbled- he spoke with a slight lisp. "That's what you're here for."
The man stood up, straightened himself, and cleared his throat. "I'm Mera. I'm with the Public Safety Commission."
I've heard of them. It's a dull organization that issues hero licenses, organizes license examinations, and tracks the rating board. Ochako thought. No wonder this guy's tired. Seems like a really boring job, but then again, someone's gotta do the paperwork.
"Work is so busy that I barely get any sleep! We're terribly short staffed..." Mera bemoaned. "I just wanna sleep."
Ochako wanted to give this man decaf, a squishmellow, a good blanket and 24 hours of sleep. Poor guy!
"S-sorry." Mera said. "Let me explain the exam-"
"No!"
Everyone looked around to see someone making their way to the front of the stage. It was the weird Shiketsu girl again- her outfit was certainly something. It was a mix of leather backed by four-way stretch and panels of spandex-like specialty fabric. Her costume was blue and had yellow lines all over it, and spots of lighter blue.
"Sir, you are CLEARLY tired! Allow me to take over." Medaka declared.
"H-huh?" Mera said, confused. "Uh, okay. I guess...I could use a nap..."
And immediately, Mera pulled out a sleeping bag, got inside, and fell asleep.
To everyone else in the auditorium, this was weird. But to Class 1-A, this was 'pulling an Aizawa'.
Medaka was handed some sheets of paper by some confused commission employees. She sifted through them quickly, before organizing them and clearing her throat. "Good morning- my name is Medaka Kurokami, representative of Shiketsu High. I will be taking over for that poor, sleepy soul over there." She motioned to Mera, who was in a dead sleep.
"Getting right into it, there are 1,540 potential heroes in this room right now. 1,540 beautiful souls who could carve a path to a glorious future..." Medaka said. "In one massive free for all exercise."
Ochako looked around. So many heroes, so many powers...
"In today's world, there are heroes everywhere you look," Medaka stated. "And ever since the capture of Stain and the fall of All Might, lots of individuals out there have raised doubts about what heroes can and can't do. The events of the past several months have only served to exacerbate these concerns."
Hearing someone your age talk about such serious politics was a trip, Ochako thought. She's at least putting it in a light I can understand.
"The title of a hero should not be awarded to people who are seeking praise and retribution; rather, it should be given to those who are willing to put themselves through endless acts of self-sacrifice!" Medaka declared. "Your goals and aspirations are your own private business! You shouldn't be afraid to face the challenge and make your own ambitions come true! We have no shortage of ambitious heroes, and nowhere is it more true than this room!"
She kinda went off script there... Izuku thought.
"The amount of time it takes to resolve an incident in today's world is rather quick. Those of you who are working toward earning your provisional license will be put in circumstances where events are unfolding at a dizzying rate." Medaka remarked. "Unfortunately, it is safe to state that those who are unable to keep up will be doomed to failure. I believe, however, that everyone here is capable!"
She's REALLY going off script now. She's contradicting the serious speech with her own views. Ochako thought. She heard someone sigh behind her- Ochako turned to see the blonde Shiketsu boy, face palming and shaking his head.
It's that boy again- is he her 'keeper'? Ochako wondered.
"The test today will be based on...speed!" Medaka announced. "Only the first hundred examinees to meet requirements will pass!"
The first 100?! Ochako thought. She nudged Momo. "Hey, how much is that as a percent?"
Momo paused to think. "Only...6%. That's a huge drop from the 50% mentioned previously."
"They must be getting picky about heroes nowadays, especially since All Might is gone." Ochako guessed.
"These balls and targets are going to be the prerequisites for passing!" Medaka held up a ball and the target. "Three targets will be given to each examinee. Put them wherever you choose, as long as they are in plain view. When one of your six balls hits one of the targets, it will cause that target to light up."
"When each of the three targets is hit, you are eliminated from the competition. You have to do better than the other two candidates if you want to pass. The guidelines come to an end here." Medaka elaborated.
"It's like the UA entry exam." Kirishima said. "If it was a paintball match."
"Engaging with people is a far cry from dealing with robots," Iida pointed out. "Every ball is crucial if we intend to pass."
"Are the test organizers suggesting we should snatch the balls from other players?" Momo wondered.
Izuku grimaced. "These are far more harsh than the rules in the entrance exam."
Government officials began to pick up some crates and walk off the stage. "Inside these boxes are your targets and balls. The exam will begin after all examinees are fully equipped. After that, this place will open up...and you can spread out." Medaka took her targets and balls, and placed them on her body- one above her chest, another on her left arm, and another on her right knee cap.
"I wish you all the best of luck!" Medaka said, as she jumped off stage, and rejoined her class. Ochako watched her cut through the crowd, and hummed.
Kurokami...why does that name sound so familiar? Ochako wondered.
Suddenly, it hit her like a ton of bricks- she'd heard the name from Ben and Ruby at her internship.
"When we were weighing out people, we searched all across the world. America, Japan, Africa, Europe...a lot of promising characters there. But, Toshinori mentioned a lot of shining stars at UA." Ben said. "Well, that, and he mentioned one potential candidate from Shiketsu...I forgot her name."
"Her last name was...Kurokami or something. Stars and Stripes said some good things too, I think." Ruby said, looking at her gauntlet.
You're kidding... Ochako thought. She was supposed to have the Omnitrix!?
"Hey, what did she mean by 'this place opening up'?" Sero asked.
"Look up." Todoroki said, as the walls and ceiling began to 'open'. The auditorium soon opened up like a box, and revealed the test grounds- a crazier version of the USJ! Mountains, a city area, an industrial area, all of it!
Ochako got her balls and targets and took a deep breath. Okay- don't stress, Ochako. She told herself. Just focus on what matters. She looked down at her balls, and then at her new equipment.
Besides- this could be easier than I expected.