"I wish I could have brought my armor."

Rex snorted at that. "Kid, we haven't even made you your armor yet." Izuku opened his mouth but Rex quickly held up his hand. "Ya get it when you're ready for it, kid. Armor is an important thing… it is your life. It is what makes you who you are. Each piece means you have all the better chance of coming home. And what you do with that armor, how you make it your own… that is just as important. It's not something to rush into. When its time the two of us are going to design it, forge it, and customize it."

"I know," izuku admitted. "I just-"

"I get it," Rex said, wrapping an arm around him and giving him a quick side hug. "I remember how I was when I was training, so ready to get my armor. You'll have your own set soon enough but enjoy being a tubie for a little bit more, okay?"

Izuku bobbed his head. "Of course." The boy shifted his backpack. "You're sure there won't be a problem with this stuff?"

"I ran it by Nedzu. Turns out that while you can't bring weapons to the exam you are allowed to bring gear if it will 'support you'. Someone was foolish and didn't take the time to consider just how much one could bend the rules with that." Rex grinned, a sharp smile that spoke of cunning and mischief. "We're gonna make them regret that. My friend Anakin calls it "Getting a rule named after you"."

"Right," Izuku said. "I just hope I'm able to manage it… we've only been practicing-"

Rex cut him off once more. "You'll be more than fine, kid. I know ya will." The two of them stopped and Rex gently directed Izuku to stand before him. "What ya need to do is get out of your head. It's a great tool but you get lost in it." He tapped Izuku's forehead. "Remember, that brain is your best asset but anything you have can backfire if you don't respect and understand it."

"Right," izuku said with a firm nod.

"Now… what are the Rules?"

The green haired boy looked right at his teacher, all nervousness gone as he began to recite the Rules. "The life of an innocent outweighs anything else. Protect my brothers so they can protect me. Destroy the enemy in front of you so they don't become a knife in your back."

"Exactly," Rex said, pressing his hands on Izuku's shoulders. "You are gonna be amazing out there. I have no doubt. But know that even if you weren't… I'd still be proud of you." He paused. "You are not longer Midoriya Izuku to me. You are vod."

Izuku's eyes began to well with tears. Rex had taught him a few words of the secret language he and his brothers had used. Terms and phrases of great importance. And he understood what Rex was giving him. Vod… he was his brother. Perhaps not in terms of blood but in terms of battle. Rex was accepting him as someone he'd allow to fight at his side.

"Vod," he whispered back.

"Now… go show those showboats what you can do."

"Yes sir!" Izuku said, giving a sharp salute before rushing up the stairs. Rex shook his head before pulling out his phone.

"Yeah, I got him there. Test is gonna be a few hours so I'll wait here." He paused. "…I love you too, Inko."

~MC~MC~MC~

Ahsoka looked over her outfit, rather glad that she was at least allowed to wear her normal Jedi outfit for the exam. If she got into UA she knew that she would have to wear one of their gym outfits, something she really wasn't looking forward too. From what she had seen they just weren't comfy. Stupid sleeves…

"Ready for this, Snips?" Anakin asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Master."

"I hope so. I'm counting on you to show up these quirk users… we'll never hear the end of it if we let them beat us. Everyone at the Temple will laugh at us until they choke."

"How would they ever find out?"

"Oh, don't doubt the Council's ability to find out about our failures," Anakin warned her. "I swear one of Master Yoda's force powers is finding out all the mistakes I make just so he can cackle about them. Demented little troll…" He grumbled the last part and Ahsoka couldn't help but laugh at that. "Alright Snips, go do us proud."

"Absolutely, Master," Ahsoka said, breaking off from her Master and heading through the gate of UA. While she had passed through there many times over the last 9 or so months going through in that moment felt so very different. Maybe it was because she was walking towards the next step of her journey. Or maybe it was more to do with the fact that she was surrounded by so many other hopeful teens, some of whom would be her classmates too.

Assuming she did a good job.

She was so focused on her thoughts that she almost ran into another student, catching herself just in time from ramming into her. Of course spinning around startled the girl, making her squeak in surprise and stumble forward right into another student with green hair. Ahsoka and the girl both reached out when they saw the greenette began to stumble, his head heading right towards the stone steps of the school…

…but then he snapped his arms out, caught himself, and then shoved himself back up before sweeping his eyes about, falling into a defensive position. Ahsoka leaned back, watching as he scanned the area for threats. It was a gaze she'd seen many times from the clone troopers…

"Midoriya?" she asked.

"Uh… yes?" the teen asked.

Ahsoka grinned. "I'm Ahsoka… I'm a friend of Rex."

At once the confused boy's face split into a green. "Oh! You are the girl Rex was telling me about! He said you can do all sorts of amazing things! Read minds and move things with just a wave of your hands… of course everyone can move things by batting them about but you don't actually touch them. That is so amazing! Is your quirk affected by how close you are to the item? Or its weight? Do you have to actually see it in order to lift it? If I went behind a building but you knew I was there could you lift me up?"

Ahsoka merely smiled at Izuku, having been told by Rex how his new apprentice loved to ramble on about quirks. "Well, maybe later I'll let you watch me and take some notes but we should get to the written exam." She turned to the young woman she'd bumped into. "Sorry about hitting you, by the way."

"Oh, that's perfectly fine!" she said. "I'm Uraraka."

"Ahsoka Tano. Or Tano Ahsoka… sorry, I'm not from Japan so still learning the while naming system."

"Perfectly fine," Uraraka told her with a smile. The three of them began walking up the steps. "Your Japanese is really good for not being from here. Though your accent does give it away. Are you American?"

"Yes," Ahsoka lied, remembering her cover story. "Well… I was. My parents died when I was really young so my cousin, Anakin, took me in. Him and his wife are American. Of course considering how much time we spend with Obi Wan and Rex it's a wonder my accent isn't a jumbled mess."

"I can't imagine having to be around so many different languages. I bet you'll ace our English class then."

"Maybe," Ahsoka said; it had taken her a month of intense study to learn how to write in Japanese and not Basic.

"So have you heard much about the exam?" Uraraka asked. "I know there is a written and a practical and that the practical is worth more points but that's about it."

Ahsoka shook her head. "Obi Wan won't let me know. Which is fine; I don't want to be accused of cheating."

"Why would Mr. Obi Wan know?" Uraraka asked.

"OH!" Izuku exclaimed. "Rex was telling me about him! He's the new Heroics Class teacher, right?"

"You know one of the teachers already!?" Uraraka asked.

"Yeah," Ahsoka said with a smile. "Obi Wan helped trained me, along with Anakin. We all have similar quirks."

"That is amazing!" Izuku said as they entered the auditorium. "I know Rex is friends with all of them but to have an actual teacher…"

Uraraka though was beginning to feel down. "Wow… I had no one to help me with my quirk except a councilor. And that was only for a few visits. You two trained with people, one of whom is a teacher?"

"Hey," Ahsoka said, placing a hand on Uraraka's shoulder. "You're going to do great, even without training." She paused. "Why don't we team up?"

"Team up?" Uraraka said, confused. "During the practical?"

"Yeah. We can discuss our quirks and figure out how they work together and then team up. Help each other out."

"Is that allowed?"

Izuku was the one who spoke up. "Why wouldn't it be? Heroes team up all the time! And Rex is always saying that you need to work with your squad… we'll be a squad of shinies!"

"A squad… I like that!" Uraraka exclaimed.

Ahsoka grinned and the three placed their hands on top of each other, sealing the agreement.

~MC~MC~MC~

"So, is there anyone you are interested in?" Nemuri asked as she slid into the seat next to Obi Wan.

"Other than Ahsoka, you mean?" Obi Wan asked, leaning forward in his chair as Yamanda gave the final instructions to the teens. "Midoriya Izuku is going to be shocking a lot of people."

"What do you mean?"

Obi Wan smirked at her. "Come now, my dear, do not tell me that you didn't go over the packets Nedzu provided us on the potential students."

"There were over two hundred of them, Obi Wan."

"A trifle, I assure you."

"God I hate you sometimes," the pro hero complained.

"You don't mean that," he teased.

"No, I don't." She waited for him to say something but Obi Wan remained silent. "Are you not going to tell me?"

"Just tell her already, Kenobi," Kan complained. "I want to focus on the students, not her trying to weedle the information out of you."

"Very well," Obi Wan said with a mock sigh. "Though it only encourages you all not to do the research yourself."

"I for one am delighted that someone actually went over the research I provided!" Nedzu said, popping up from the seat cushions of the sofa Aisawa had been trying to sleep on.

"Wondered why that was so lumpy," the quirk eraser grumbled before moving over to a loveseat instead.

"As for what Obi Wan is referring to," NEdzu said, moving to sit next to Nemuri, "Midoriya Izuku is quirkless."

THAT got everyone save Obi Wan's attention.

"A… quirkless applicant?" Kan said. "Has that… ever happened before?"

"I believe…" Nedzu bobbed his head back and forth, "…45 years ago? Give or take. They didn't get in. But I think young Midoriya is going to impress everyone. He has been training with Kenobi's friend Rex."

"And quirks aren't everything," Maijima said with a shrug. "After all, I have a lot of support students who don't use their quirk for their assignments… just brains and skill."

Nemuri glanced at Obi Wan. "You think he can do it?"

"I know the Force allows me to do many amazing things," he said, "but I have also seen the bravery of normal beings. And the clones… they have shown themselves to be the equal of many Force Users. With Rex training him I think Midoriya will do quite well." Present Mic finished up the instructions and led the students towards the outdoor cityscape field that would serve as the location for their practicals, dividing them up into one of four large groups.

"Well…" Nemuri said, not quite knowing what to say. "Anyone else you are interested in?"

"A few," Obi Wan said. "Kuroiro Shihai has the ability to merge with and take control of anything dark or black in color. With proper training that could prove to be a very powerful quirk."

"And I thought you were all about the Light Side of the Force," Nemuri teased.

"Shadows aren't evil… only those who use them for dark deeds are," he said. "I think you should pay attention to Yaoyorozu Momo."

"I remember hearing her name," Nemuri said. "She's the one that came in 5th place for the Recommendation students?"

"She is," Obi Wan said. "I think she will make it in easily here. Her quirk reminds me of yours… a completely different use, of course, but the base is the same when it comes to generation."

"Oh?"

But Obi Wan merely smiled and turned back towards the screens and Present Mic told the kids to go. At once Ahsoka and Izuku were racing forward, several other students realizing that there would be no countdown and chasing after them.

"Fine, keep your secrets," Nemuri complained, all the teachers focusing on the exam.