Chapter Two
Kota gave a heavy exhale as he closed the locker assigned to him for the exam with a bit of extra force, brushing his other hand through his hair still damp from the shower. The exam had been brutal, as expected from a UA test meant for potential students on recommendation. They were meant to be the best of the best, after all, those who were advocated by respected pro heroes or schools as strong candidates for the course and the occupation.
The exam had included a written test that had almost driven him crazy — boy, was he glad his aunt had insisted on all that last-minute studying — a practical test that had boiled down to a footrace with an obstacle course of traps that left any student unlucky enough to fall for them frozen in gunk, caught in electric nets, or fallen into pits of what Kota could only assume were blunt spikes.
Kota ground his teeth at coming in second place behind a girl whose Quirk gave her a freaking black and yellow-streaked spider body below the waist. But whatever, he'd made it in second place, was pretty sure he'd passed the written test, and he was confident that the interview had gone fine, too. Frankly, wherever he'd been stumped on a question, he'd thought about what Aunt Shino or Deku would say and then just let it flow.
He wondered briefly as he gathered his things if the order of the phases was significant, but shrugged and decided it didn't matter now. The tests were over and the results would come soon enough. He looked around the locker room at the guys who had been his competition, from a small boy with glasses who could turn himself into a human cannonball to a guy who could grow metal spikes all over his body. He brushed it off and slid his horned cap on before shouldering a backpack and heading out.
As he left the locker room, he noticed the spider girl leaving, too. She looked over at him with a jade-green eye, the other covered by long, platinum-blonde hair that she brushed behind her ear. Then she smiled, baring pointed teeth as three smaller eyes opened up across her forehead and temple, she winked at him with them. Kota took a step back, but kept his face smooth and went on his own way, the girl's laughter following him.
When he emerged into the main entrance hall, he couldn't help but smile at his aunt and the other Wild, Wild Pussycats waiting up for him.
"So, how'd it go?" Aunt Shino asked.
"I'm pretty sure I did well," he said, though his insides were squirming.
"Still nervous?" Shino asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah," he admitted.
"What you need is some support from a friend," Ragdoll said chipperly. "We talked to Aizawa and Nezu, and Eri's done with her schooling for the day."
Unlike with Pixie-Bob, there was no weight to those words, which Kota was glad for. He did, however, step a bit to the side and out of Pixie-Bob and Tiger's view as his cheeks turned just a shade pinker.
"Knock, knock."
Eri looked up from her journal in surprise, then smiled at the sight of her best guy friend. Kota tipped his horned hat to her, something she'd noticed he never did for anyone else, and she laughed and bolted for a hug.
"Your exam's already over?" she asked, stepping back and looking him over for injuries. Sure, Recovery Girl would have checked him out, but it never hurt to be sure.
"Yeah," he said with a shrug. "It wasn't that hard."
"Liar," she teased, dragging his cap over his eyes before racing out of the room. The faculty had had rules about boys in her room, even Kota, since she was eleven. And she didn't want to endure Mirio's sad-disappointment look for breaking even that rule when Nezu inevitably told on her.
"It's such a pretty day," she chirped. "Let's go outside for a walk."
"Uh, yeah," Kota said, eyes drawn to her still-open journal before tearing his gaze away. "Sure."
Down in the lobby of the faculty apartments, Eri was happy to see the Wild, Wild Pussycats, who naturally swarmed her with affection from Pixie-Bob and Ragdoll's crushing hugs to Mandalay's more subdued one, to Tiger's pat on her head. After a few minutes catching up, Pixie-Bob shooed them out the door.
"Go enjoy the sunshine," she said brightly, though with a knowing grin. "Perfect for a romantic walk."
Eri rolled her eyes at the woman's antics and led the way for a walk along the myriad sidewalks across the campus. She deeply appreciated the gardens and cultivated lawns of UA campus, even after all these years. She brushed some dust off her pinafore dress, her entire ensemble a larger replica of her favorite outfit from when she'd first come to UA, and glanced over at Kota in his orange sweatshirt and dark shorts. Still with the shorts even in the cold of February.
"So," Kota said, "did anything interesting happen during your exam? That was two days ago, right?"
"As if you didn't already know that, Mr. Play-It-Cool," Eri replied.
"Who's playing?" Kota asked, lifting his chin with a small smirk. "I'm always cool."
Eri laughed at her friend's antics. Kota was usually distant, even prickly, around most people. The fact that he would banter with her like this, to her, was a warm sign of closeness. "I, um, I had a flashback, actually," she admitted.
"You what?" Kota asked, stopping in his tracks, eyes wide with concern. "Are you alright?"
"M'fine," she said, waving it off. "I was in my head for a while after, but Satsuki got me to open up."
"Good," he said. "That's good. Is there, um-" He scratched the back of his neck. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
"It was just a quick little flashback, nothing like when we were kids," she assured him. A thought struck her and she kept speaking without realizing it. "Though if it hadn't been for him, I might have gotten really hurt."
"Him?" Kota asked, his tone … sharper. "Who's 'him'?"
"Just a boy taking the same exam," she explained with a sweet smile. "He pulled me out of my head and helped me carry a civilian out of danger." She hummed in thought. "Actually, we met outside the school when Suki told him to keep moving with the crowd. Just talked a bit, didn't even trade names. Then he found me outside the exam area and tried to introduce himself." She chuckled. "All he got out was 'Kat,' or something before Present Mic shouted 'go.'
"Hey, maybe you guys would be good friends," she pointed out.
"Why?" Kota asked, eyeing her strangely, his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt.
"His name is Kat-something and you live with four cats," she explained, eyes twinkling.
"Nah," he said with a scoff, focusing on the path in front of him. "I don't need any more friends." He bit his lip and pulled one hand from his sweatshirt pocket, gently taking her hand in his. "I've already got the perfect best friend."
"Aw," Eri said, squeezing his hand right back. "Thanks, Kota."
They moved on to different topics as they kept walking, the chilly air perfectly balanced by the warm sun and their winter wear. They eventually found themselves on the sidewalk to the administration building, and Eri looked forward at the sight of a familiar, very tall figure. She waved with her free hand at Ms. Josei, who waved back and sped her walk to meet them.
"Hello, Eri," she greeted kindly.
"Hi, Ms. Josei," Eri said, then noticed the official-looking envelope in her hand. "Were you looking for someone?"
"I was," she replied, "but not anymore." She handed the envelope to Kota. "Mr. Izumi, this is yours."
Kota took the letter and read the front before flipping it over to see the UA seal in old-fashioned red wax. He tore it open and found not only a collection of folded papers, but a small metal disk. He looked it over, and it flared to life and projected a screen in the air above his palm.
"Greeting, Mr. Izumi," the image of Nezu said, one arm extended in greeting. "It is my pleasure to convey to you your exam results. Your written test score was more than sufficient and your interview went quite smoothly. You may not have been aware that we had a subcontractor with a lie-detection Quirk listening in, and he reported that you were utterly honest, which shows great promise. And I'm sure you know you were second place in our practical examination." He folded his arms at his waist. "Therefore, it is my distinct pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted as a recommended student here at UA High. Welcome, young man, to your hero academy."
Kota was speechless for a moment. "I-" he stammered. "I-I did it."
"You did it," Ms. Josei said.
"How'd they figure out the results so fast?" Eri wondered. "I mean, it was just today and I haven't gotten my results yet from yesterday."
"I think it's because there's so many fewer applicants," Ms. Josei said. "But then, that's just a guess."
"Kota?" Eri prompted, nudging his shoulder. "Aren't you going to thank Ms. Josei for hand delivering your results?"
"Y-Yeah," he said, still in a daze. "Thanks, ma'am."
"You're very welcome," she said, taking a moment to ruffle Eri's hair before returning toward the administration building.
"You okay?" Eri asked, starting to get worried, now.
"I did it," he said. "I made it in." Then his dazed look morphed into a smile of absolute joy. "I made it in!" he shouted and grabbed Eri in a hug, spinning her around as he laughed. Eri couldn't help but laugh, too, even if he caught her by surprise. Kota put her down after a few spins, still grinning like a fool, and clenched the letter and video disk in his hands.
"I gotta show the Pussycats!" he shouted, and bolted back toward the faculty apartments.
"Boys," Eri sighed fondly and ran to catch up.
Satsuki lay on tummy on her bed, slowly making her way through a book about amphibians. She wondered briefly what it might be like to meet someone with a newt or salamander-coded Quirk, but brushed it aside. She had to keep reading to keep the fears at bay.
"Satsuki!" called her mother, an excited edge to her voice. "Come down! You've got a letter!"
Satsuki gasped and leapt from her bed hard enough to nearly touch the ceiling. She landed in a roll and darted out of her room in a full-on froggy crouch, hopping with all she was worth. She jumped clean down the stairs and stumbled into the wall before continuing her path.
"No running in the house," her father, Ganma, grumbled as he turned a page in his newspaper, sitting in his favorite armchair.
"Sorry, Dad," she squeaked, too excited to say anything else. She found her mom, Beru, in the kitchen with a thick envelope, and took it with ginger hands. Fear suddenly gripped her heart. "What if I didn't get in?" she wondered aloud.
"Hold on, sweetheart," Beru said, her phone to her ear. "Ah! Hello, dear. Yes, it came." She croaked a laugh. "Yes, Suki's petrified. Hmm? Oh, I think she would like that very much, kero." She turned over the phone and tapped the screen and a ping indicated a phone call turned to a video call. Beru turned the phone to show Satsuki the screen, and the girl smiled widely at the sight of her elder sister in full hero uniform.
"Hey, Suki," Tsuyu greeted, waving at the screen. "Perfect timing. Ochako and I are just getting off our patrol."
"Hi, cutie!" Ochako's voice rang out and the heroine Uravity ducked into frame long enough to wave before moving back out.
"So? What's the result?" Tsuyu asked.
Satsuki looked down at the envelope in her hands and tore it open. Out landed a sheaf of folded papers and a metal disk that flickered and projected a screen of its own, revealing a familiar skeletal figure with long blond hair now streaked with silver.
"I am here with your results," Mr. Yagi — the famed, retired All Might in his famous yellow, pin-striped suit — said with a smile. "Young Asui- Heh, doesn't that sound familiar?" He cleared his throat into his fist. "Young Asui, I am happy to say that your written scores were more than enough to pass." He winked and flashed a thumbs up. "But I know you're waiting for the practical, so here we go. In the test, you received twenty-four combat points. Which, I'm afraid, is not enough on its own to make it into such a competitive program."
Satsuki gasped and covered her lips, her eyes welling.
"Hold on, Suki," Tsuyu said from Beru's phone. "Don't cry yet."
"Luckily, we don't measure a prospective hero just in how they fight bad guys," All Might said, hands spread. "All those actors weren't just watching how you fought. They were ready to be rescued, as were those examinees in over their heads." He held up his index finger, one eyebrow arched. "To measure the heroic heart that rests within each of you, we also factor in rescue points! A panel of judges watches each exam carefully and rewards points for heroic acts, as did the actors who were rescued from the villains. And you, young lady, earned a whopping thirty-six rescue points! For a grand total of sixty-points!"
"That's even better than my entrance scores," Tsuyu commented.
"You've made it, young Satsuki Asui," All Might said. "Welcome to your hero academy."
The screen disappeared and the disk powered off. Satsuki stared into space for a long moment before turning to look at her mother and big sister. "I did it," she said, tears now falling from joy rather than sorrow.
"You did it!" cheered Ganma, the large, toad-like man scooping her into a hug, laughing heartily with congratulations.
"Oh my!" Beru said, tearing up herself. "Another hero in the family."
"I'm so proud of you, Suki," Tsuyu said, clearing fighting tears of her own. She removed her uniform goggles and brushed her eyes, and Uraraka could be heard cheering in the background. "I'll visit later this week so we can talk, okay?"
"Okay," Satsuki said shakily, still weeping.
"And tell Samidare I said hello," Tsuyu added. "Love you all." The call ended and Satsuki was wrapped in a group hug by her parents, all of them sharing this wonderful moment, just as they had with Tsu all those years ago.
The waiting is always the worst part.
Katsuma thought over his dad's words and could only agree. Ever since the exam, his stomach had been in knots of anxiety over whether he had done well enough to get in. Which did not mix well with seasickness from riding the ferry, he could tell from experience. It had been a week and he felt like a stone sat in the pit of his stomach, steadily growing heavier with each passing hour, his nerves on edge and ready for disappointment.
He shook off those thoughts for the umpteenth time and upped his pace to a flat run. He cleared the land bridge to the smaller islet that had once held Nabu Island's famed castle ruins, destroyed nine years hence during Nine's assault to try and steal Katsuma's Quirk and then take over the world.
One might think that losing such a historic site and a large part of the island's tourism fame would be a big problem, but what little remained had been preserved and reestablished into a different attraction: the site of that very battle. Piles of boulders and sharpened trees had been labeled as the result of efforts by the famed Class 1-A to protect the islanders. The caves and surviving falls of the islet now had signs denoting battles with Slice and Chimera.
A statue had been erected at the base of the hill of Mr. Deku and Bakugo, completely without their knowledge, standing upright with arms raised in defiance of Nine. Just as they had been when they cleared Nine's storm with a single coordinated uppercut
Katsuma always ran around the islet when he needed to clear his mind, memories of that epic battle chasing away whatever thoughts might be plaguing him. And right now, he needed that more than ever. Mr. Deku's words rang in his ears, I'll see you at UA someday!
Would he, though?
His breathing had gotten heavier by the time he rounded the islet, beads of sweat running down his face and into his eyes. He hissed at the sting as they blurred his vision, made worse by the shine of the setting sun, blinking fiercely to clear his eyes. When his vision realigned, he saw Mahoro and their dad sitting on rocks near the land bridge in the orange light.
"Dad? Mahoro?" he asked, slowing to a stumbling halt and rubbing a fist against his eyes to clear the last of the stinging sweat. "What are you doing here?"
"You know that guy I dated who works at the post office?" Mahoro asked. Katsuma gave her a flat look because, no, he didn't. Honestly, Mahoro went through so many boyfriends that it was really hard to keep track, even on an island with only a thousand people. He shook his head in answer.
"Ah, well," she said, flicking her hand in a casual, uncaring gesture, "he found this letter for you." She handed him an envelope, one sealed with UA's mark. Katsuma gasped and snatched it away, carefully opening it to find a sheaf of papers and a metal disk. He picked up the disk and turned it around in his hands until it flickered to life and projected an image of … Oh, wow.
"Hi there, Katsuma," said the great hero Deku with a wave. "Guess who's gonna be teaching part-time at UA." He shrugged. "But you don't wanna hear about that. I'll bet what you wanna hear about is your results." He consulted some papers and nodded. "Okay, well, your written test was good enough to get in, and in the practical you got only six combat points." Katsuma swallowed thickly, but the image of Mr. Deku looked up with pride.
"But that's only because you were busy pulling people out of the way and offering to heal them up, then ushering them to the gate where it was safe. Including several of the other examinees." Images appeared of Katsuma in the exam ushering people along and healing them, centered around him getting that pale-haired girl's attention and helping her with the old man actor.
"You showed real heroism out there, Katsuma. And you used your Quirk to its fullest." He clenched his fist, eyes wide with determined joy. "In a real scenario, you would have saved way more people that way. And so the judges assigned you sixty rescue points!" The tally appeared. "For a total of sixty-six points!"
"Congratulations, Katsuma," Mr. Deku said, offering a hand as if in invitation. "You made it. You are a part of the hero academia." The disk shut off and Katsuma caught it, his mind buzzing.
I'll see you at UA some day!
For the first time in a week, it didn't make him feel sick with worry. No … that memory, now more than ever before, filled him with joy and determination. "YES!" he shouted, and actually jumped for joy, his acceptance letter crumpled in his hand. "YES! I'm going to UA!"
Eri smiled at Satsuki's elated text that she'd gotten her acceptance letter. She'd gotten in. She turned off her phone and tossed it onto her bed before collapsing onto her favorite chair and holding her head in her hands.
What was taking her letter so long? At this point she'd almost welcome a rejection just to know what was going on. Almost.
A knock at her door drew her attention and she hauled herself out of her chair. She opened it to find Uncle Aizawa at her door, as shabby as ever given his eye patch and metal leg, though his perpetual stubble had grown out into a short beard. He also looked better rested these last few years, having semi-retired after the war due to his injuries.
"Hey, Uncle," she said, trying to smile. "Is everything okay?"
He smiled softly back and motioned for her to follow. She tilted her head before doing so, and he led her to the common area of the faculty apartments. There stood Mirio, her adopted father Mr. Togata, Hitoshi Shinso who had taught her parkour and how to use her capture scarf under Aizawa's supervision, and Recovery Girl in her wheelchair.
"What's going on?" Eri asked.
Aizawa removed a letter from his jacket and handed it to her with a soft smile. Eri flipped it over and her breath hitched at the UA seal. She tore it open and leafed through the papers inside. "Come on, come on …!" she muttered.
"Eri, dear," Recovery Girl said, drawing her attention. "You passed the written test with flying colors, earned forty-one villain points and fifteen rescue points." Eri stared at her, the gears turning in her mind. "You made it, dear."
"You're in," Shinso said.
"Welcome to your official school," Aizawa said.
"I couldn't be more proud of you, my dear," Papa said, eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"You're a part of our hero academy, Sis," Mirio said, his eyes shining with proud tears of his own.
Eri sat on the couch and cried with relief into her hands. Relief, joy, pride in herself — it all ran together like the paint of a wonderful portrait. For a moment, she could see herself in the classroom with nineteen other students whose faces were blurry, but she didn't care. She was on her way to becoming a hero, ready to help people just as Deku and Lemillion had done for her.
"Which class will I be in?" she asked, once she'd hiccuped herself into dry eyes.
"Check your paper," Aizawa instructed. She did so, leafing through them again as she dried her eyes on her pajama sleeve. She found it and broke out into another wide smile.
"Class 1-A," she reported, her smile only widening.
Chapter two is here! More character-focused, but still setting the groundwork. Stay tuned for next week when the group finally all meets up!
*Fun fact: Some spiders can run proportionately three times faster than the best Olympic runner. So it makes perfect sense that a Quirk with spider legs would win a race.
*Samidare, the middle child of the Asui family, is nineteen and for the sake of this story was part of UA's general studies. He went into hero law with the full intent of helping his sister(s) and will have a job with the 1-A Agency upon graduation from law school.
*Not sure why I wrote Maharo as a heartbreaker. It just kinda happened. I will say that in this timeline, she had a long-lasting childhood crush on Bakugo (check out her reaction to Recovery Girl patching Bakugo up in the film if you want just the faintest evidence).
*I apologize if the UA acceptance videos seem repetitive, but I wanted to focus on each of them. And I figure the announcers are working with a script of sorts. Not to mention I had to call back to Midoriya's acceptance video in canon - I just had to!
*I almost forgot to have Mr. Togata react to Eri's acceptance. Only caught it on the final edit! Whew!
As always, thanks for reading! Leave a review if you like! And may your own inspirations flow freely!
