And we're back with more of "Through the Rough", as the provisional license exam is about to kick off! This chapter is mainly going to be focusing on setups and character introductions that'll be interesting going forward. I'm really excited to get things moving, especially with what I'm planning on working with.
I do need to mention that at the time of writing this, I've finally learned about Holy's true 'Quirk' per say. Rest assured, there'll be an explanation for that in due time when we head into the later seasons. Let's just say she doesn't not have that other 'Quirk'…
But getting back on topic, it's finally time to get into the provisional license exam! Let's see how our heroes do!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"I see…" Nero said, holding a phone up to his ear, "Very well then," he uttered, "Both Oceans and Beast Squads will be deployed to that area," he confirmed, ending the call. As he did, Ijuna entered his office, getting his attention.
"Was that from your partner?" she inquired, walking over to his desk.
"No," he answered, "I actually managed to get in contact with a member of the League," he told her, much to her surprise as her eyes slightly widened, "Shura was wounded by Elsie Crimson during the fiasco in Camino Ward…" he noted on, "but he's still alive," he mentioned, causing the secretary to sigh with relief.
"Sir… if I may…" she began, causing him to perk up, "are you sure that it's for the best to leave him with the league?" she inquired.
"It's not my choice, Ijuna," Nero responded, setting down his set of three dice onto his desk, "I've let my Quirk decide that for me," he noted, "Shura's fate, whatever it may be, won't affect my own," he affirmed on uncaringly. The secretary looked down somewhat solemnly. It was clear that the tycoon didn't care for his adopted son like a parent normally would. The door opened again.
"Sir," a voice greeted, getting their attentions as they saw another man walk in. He was a middle-aged man with white hair, small eyes, and a clean, medium-length mustache. He wore a nobleman's military uniform with a cravat.
"Fabiano," Nero addressed, "To what do I owe this visit?" he inquired curiously, narrowing his eyes.
"Detnerat has contacted and said they've secured their target," his subordinate responded, "Additionally, we've heard word that IUA is going to be looking into us," he mentioned.
"Ah, of course…" the Oracion Seis member muttered out as he stood up from his seat, folding his hands behind his back, "Fabiano, I'm expecting you to take charge in my stead," he told the man before him, who nodded, "Ijuna, keep to your own duties," he instructed of the secretary, "If the League contacts us again, inform me immediately," he advised on.
"Sir," she responded with a nod of her own, "And where will you be going?" she asked.
"To meet our newest allies," Nero answered, "We're about to take complete control of the criminal enterprise," he affirmed confidently. With that, he exited the room. Ijuna tensed up a little as she clenched her fists. There was an uncomfortableness bubbling within her. Whatever lied ahead would determine the fate of Japan for the years to come…
OPENING
Insert "New Genesis" by Ado
Opens with Rebecca dressed in her hero costume, with her hair now in pigtails as she looks toward the dawning sky. The wind waves through her hair before she looks back and smiles to see the rest of Class 1-A, with her boyfriend standing at the front as he smiles. The title logo comes on screen.
As the music picks up, we get shots of each member of Class 1-A in training, thinking about their battles in the U.S.J., the Sports Festival, the hero killer attack in Hosu, the Müller raid in Shibuya, the final exams of the first semester, the forest training camp attack, and the incident in Camino. Everyone's motivating each other as they prepare to enter the next phase in order to become heroes. They all stand outside an exam center together, having determined looks on their faces.
There are several scenes of Homura drawing her energy blades to block off rubber balls being sent towards her, Denki, and Momo, Minoru unleashing a barrage of his sticky balls to trap opponents, and Fumikage releasing Dark Shadow as it covers him like armor. We see Weisz equip his Arsenal armor as he speeds past everyone alongside Tenya and Izuku. However, they're brought to a halt as the wind picks up around them.
They look to see that it's courtesy of Inasa Yoarashi, whose grin is wide until he spots Shoto through the crowd, making him glare with contempt. Other Shiketsu students are on the scene, including the likes of Milani Lucra, Nasseh Saimin, Lyra Dekki, and Callum Steelford. There's also students from Ketsubutsu Academy, which also includes the likes of Orc, Mora, and Britney.
We watch as Rebecca finds herself forced into battle against Britney, running around from her smoky form while using her new pulse blasters to try and throw her off. Orc confronts Izuku, while Mora locates Katsuki. The three U.A. students fight on with all their effort.
Meanwhile, Shiki has his green markings expand as he flies across a ruined battlefield to confront Gang Orca, who blows him back with a sonic blast. Ochaco catches him in midair, followed by Kyoka plugging her earphone jacks into her amps to unleash a soundwave that tears through the ground. Mashirao and Tsuyu join in the fray, taking care of Orca's minions in the exercise.
During his ordeals, Katsuki starts thinking about what had happened with All Might back in Camino. He looks toward Izuku, who is running beside him, and then at Rebecca. He brushes his thoughts off for the moment, continuing onward.
We get a shot of Nero in his office with Ijuna, the League of Villains hiding out in a warehouse, Overhaul and the Shie Hassaikai looking over a car fire, Kris finding the likes of Rogue Out, and Laguna meeting with the imposing figure of Goodwin. The song winds down as Rebecca brushes her back and smiles toward the horizon with her boyfriend. Their classmates all stand behind them, ready to become heroes.
END OPENING
"Oh wow…" Rebecca uttered as she disembarked from the bus with her suitcase and book bag in hand. The test center was admittedly massive. Then again, it was to be expected with likely so many people looking to get their licenses today. And it wasn't just Class A.
"They're probably schools all over the country competing to pass today…" Eijiro pointed out, sounding a little nervous.
"Oh man, I'm getting the jitters…" Weisz admitted sheepishly.
"Jitters?" Toru repeated in confusion.
"Whatever the case, let's just do our best!" Shiki insisted, pumping his left fist up excitedly, "We're going to be—!"
"PLUS ULTRA!" a voice bellowed out behind him, causing him and several others to flinch in surprise as they whipped around to find a very tall and well-built young man with buzzed, dark brown hair and black eyes.
"Wh-What the heck?!" Denki stammered out.
"Who might this be?" Homura wondered, rubbing her hurting ears. Shoto seemed to recognize the young man, if only a little.
"You shouldn't go barging into other people's huddles, Inasa," another boy chimed in, wearing the exact same school uniform. He was a young man of fairly average height with thin, slanted eyes with tiny black pupils and a straight purple fringe, parted on his right so it covered his left eye. Around the back of his head, his hair was fluffier, sticking out in small tufts.
Beside him was a young woman with straight, fawn-colored hair that reached just below her shoulders and large, dark brown eyes. She had noticeably full, plump, and glossy lips as well as a quite curvaceous figure. Rebecca saw that each of them had the same hat atop their heads.
"Oh, I'm truly sorry!" the well-built man apologized, bowing profusely to the U.A. students as he slammed his head against the ground, much to their shock.
"The heck's with that guy?" Weisz wondered aloud.
"Wait, their uniforms…" Kyoka started to realize.
"Well, looks like we're not only facing our rivals from the west, but Class 1-A of UA themselves…" a female voice chimed in, getting the group's attentions, "It's an honor!" she mentioned. She was a dark-skinned young woman with pink-and-black hair, a curvy body, and freckles across the bridge of her nose and on her arms. She appeared to have heterochromia, with a black right eye and a white left one.
"You don't need to be so friendly with them, Lyra," another voice advised as another figure came over, "They're still our rivals…" he mentioned. He was a tall, slim young man with droopy eyes, short, white-colored hair cut to a bob, and a dark-colored emblem on the base of his forehead that resembled an open eye.
Others with them included a man covered entirely by light brown hair, with no distinct features besides his eyes, which only showed up occasionally. There was also a curvy young woman of average height with braided purple hair with bangs that covered one of her magenta eyes. She also wore a pair of oval-shaped earrings and a black-and-white turban. Lastly, there was a tall yet muscular and well-fit young man with sharp eyebrows, slanted eyes, and light-colored spiky hair in a mohawk hairstyle.
"Milani! Callum!" the slitted-eyed boy shouted, "Where are your hats?!" he inquired angrily.
"You're an idiot if you think I'm going to wear that ridiculous thing…" the purple-haired girl responded disdainfully.
"The school doesn't force us to wear the hats if we don't want to," the muscular boy beside her mentioned with his arms folded over his chest.
"That's beside the point!" their slitted-eyed classmate argued.
"Uh…" Rebecca uttered out, quite stunned like the rest of the class.
"Alright, let's settle down here…" the girl known as Lyra insisted, stepping forward, "We should properly introduce ourselves," she advised on.
"Right!" Inasa agreed as he stood up straight, revealing that his head was bleeding, "Pleased to meet you all!" he greeted, extending his right hand out, "My name is Inasa Yoarashi!" he introduced.
"Uh… it's nice to meet you, too…" Rebecca responded. She was still a little frightened from his earlier apology. Not to mention that the blood trickling down his head wasn't making her feel any easier.
"Lyra Dekki," the heterochromatic girl introduced, chiming in as she held her hand out to the Cat Leaper Quirk user, which she accepted, "We're from Shiketsu High," she mentioned.
"Yeah, we kinda figured from the hats…" Rebecca pointed out, making the freckled girl giggle.
"Honestly, the whole rivalry thing between us is just so overblown," she admitted with a shake of her head, "Let's just both do our best in there today, okay?" she requested, giving off a wink.
"As always, Lyra's so insistent on being the nice one…" the blonde-haired boy grumbled with a roll of his eyes.
"It doesn't matter," Milani chimed in, "We'll still be the best kids in that arena," she affirmed as she walked off alongside her schoolmates.
"See you in there!" Lyra called out, waving goodbye to the U.A. students.
"Uh, bye…" Rebecca uttered, still quite surprised.
"Two super hotties…" Minoru said, drooling a little. However, he was snapped back to reality by Tsuyu's tongue smacking him upside the head.
"That guy…" Shota uttered as he stared at the departing Inasa.
"Do you know him, Mister Aizawa?" Tenya inquired of him.
"Yeah," he replied, "He was a recommended student for the Hero Course at UA, even scored the highest on the preliminary tests," he explained to his class, "But he turned down the offer almost immediately," he mentioned.
"Wait… he scored the highest?" Izuku questioned, widening his eyes.
"Then that would mean…" Homura started to realize, looking over at Shoto.
'He's stronger than Todoroki…?!' the One For All inheritor assumed through his thoughts.
"Come on, don't drag your feet," Shota advised of his students, getting their attentions, "Let's get you inside and ready for—"
"That you, Eraser?" another voice asked, making him flinch, "I know that scowl anywhere!" she noted, causing him to grimace. Coming up to him was the Smile Hero, Ms. Joke. She was a teacher at Ketsubutsu Academy, working with second-year students. Some of them actually went ahead and greeted those of Class 1-A, with one of them being Yo Shindo.
"I'm looking forward to getting to face you all!" he affirmed of the group.
'Everyone here's just too nice…' Izuku noted to himself, thinking that U.A. would've been the envy of every other school competing.
"Man, I bet I could make a whole bunch of friends after this!" Shiki exclaimed excitedly in declaration, raising his arms.
"Oh, Shiki…" Ochaco uttered with a small smile, while Momo just giggled.
"So you're the Shiki Granbell, hm?" another voice chimed in, being a much deeper one. The Satan Gravity Quirk user looked out to find a tall, muscular orc-like man with dark hair that was tied in a wild ponytail, a jagged goatee, pointy ears, and teeth. He had an imposing presence with shades to hide his eyes.
'He's huge!' Ochaco and Momo inwardly exclaimed.
"You wanna be my friend?" Shiki offered, holding his right hand to the man in front of him.
"Hm," he huffed, walking off, "I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll perform today," he remarked.
"…Huh?" the Satan Gravity Quirk user uttered in confusion.
"That's just how Bakufu is," Yo chimed in, "He tends to be pretty stubborn like you saw," he noted, putting his hands onto his hips.
"Same goes for Britney and Mora," Tatami Nakagame added, "They always take things super seriously…" she pointed out, looking back at her classmates. One was a young woman with long hair that had a swirly slick on top and the bangs, and a voluptuous figure, wearing oval glasses over her eyes. The other was a tall, lanky young man with very long wavy hair, a wide smile, and dark eyeliners.
"Well, good luck in there," Yo remarked to the U.A. students, heading into the large stadium with his own classmates.
"That… was weird…" Kyoka admitted.
"Yeah, really weird…" Toru agreed, "Why would other schools be treating us well after all the stuff we've gotten involved in?" she inquired, "Uh, no offense to anyone…" she quickly corrected in an apologetic tone.
"None taken, Toru," Rebecca assured.
"I have a sinking feeling that all will be revealed soon…" Homura chimed in, narrowing her eyes. She and the others ventured into the testing center, prepared to do their best to earn their licenses.
X
Shutting her locker door, Rebecca took a deep breath to calm herself. Her costume upgrades were really going to be put to the test today. She made sure her pulse guns were secured in their holsters, checking to see if anything was amiss.
"Kinda look like a cowgirl with those things," Kyoka commented, getting her attention. She sheepishly giggled.
"I'm a little nervous, honestly…" she admitted, rubbing the back of her head, "We've got all these people competing for licenses," she pointed out, "Who knows how many'll get through…" she mentioned.
"And this is only going to be the first round from what I hear," Lyra chimed in as she approached, getting their attentions. Her costume consisted of a pair of light-pink heart-shaped sunglasses on top of her head, a black, plain choker, and light clothing consisting of a strapless shirt, a fluffy jacket, and white heels. The Shiketsu emblem was on the left shoulder of her jacket, and she also had a holster for what appeared to be a deck of cards.
"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked.
"They're thinning out the herd in this first test, trying to get the cream of the crop through to the next one," Milani replied as she approached. She was wearing a dark-colored tunic that exposed most of her ample bust, arms and midriff, a choker, a pair of decorative armbands and wristbands, baggy lavender trousers that were translucent and exposed her legs, and lastly, a pair of pointed shoes. Her Shiketsu emblem was atop her turban.
"We'll probably figure out how in a bit," Lyra assured, heading off. Rebecca watched both Shiketsu students head off, surprised by their chattiness. Staring at her from afar was Britney, who adjusted her glasses, giving off a disdainful look.
As it turned out, 1540 hero hopefuls had registered for the examination. But only 100 would get to compete in the true test. The preliminary exam was going to be to test the students' speed in the heat of battle.
"Each examinee will have three targets placed anywhere on their persons as they see fit," the Hero Safety Commission member, Yokumiru Mera, told the students, "except for places where they can't visibly be seen such as beneath your feet or under your armpits," he mentioned on with a yawn.
'This guy looks like he's gonna pass out any second…' Weisz noted inwardly. The targets to be placed on the examinees were for the balls that were given to each of them. The objectives were for the hero hopefuls to strike the targets of others with their balls. When the third target upon one person lit up, that would render them lost and disqualified.
Additionally, in order for a person to pass on to the next round, they'd have to register two takedowns of fellow examinees. That would go to whoever would light up the third target upon one other person. As Izuku placed his targets carefully upon his body, he looked around cautiously. Almost everyone would be making sure their targets were in places they themselves could at least see them as well and be able to defend themselves.
"So, should we start by thinking of a plan to find specific targets?" Toru inquired quietly.
"I don't know…" Tsuyu answered with a shake of her head, "We should probably stick together as a class," she insisted, "I get the feeling that everyone's going to be out for us…" she assumed grimly, noticing the stares from other hero hopefuls, including those of Shiketsu and Ketsubutsu. All of a sudden, the room they were all gathered in opened up, revealing the gigantic stadium they were within, which featured all kinds of settings. Everyone was given five minutes to take their places before the test would officially start.
"Okay, let's stick together for the time being!" Izuku insisted.
"Tch, moron…" Katsuki scoffed, jogging off, "Can't depend on me to save you idiots…" he remarked as he left.
"K-Kacchan!" his rival stuttered.
"Agh, we'll go get him…" Eijiro grumbled out, heading off with Denki.
"I can't really use my Quirk effectively in a large group, so I'll go, too," Shoto decided, heading off.
"Not you, too!" Minoru yelled.
"It's fine," Rebecca assured, getting his attention, "I get the feeling they're all gonna be okay," she added confidently, "In the meantime, we should focus on getting ourselves ready for any attacks," she advised.
"What do you mean?" Ochaco asked.
"I get the feeling that everyone playing nice with us before was just a ploy to throw us off our game," the Cat Leaper Quirk user replied, "Think about it, all these other classes have an advantage over us that we don't have," she pointed out.
"Ah, the Sports Festival!" Tenya exclaimed in realization.
"They know our abilities firsthand," Homura concluded, "In which case, they would target us first," she mentioned, narrowing her eyes.
"Isn't that unfair?!" Shiki inquired.
"Look, as frustrating as it is," Izuku chimed in, "we've gotta deal with it for now," he insisted of his classmates, "If it comes to it, we'll split up and try to get through to the next test on our own," he affirmed to the group.
"Right," his girlfriend responded. At that moment, the horn went off, signaling the start of the test. Right away, those of Ketsubutsu were targeting Class 1-A.
"That power of yours also destroys your body, right?!" Yo shouted in question, rearing his arm back as he and his classmates fired their balls down at the U.A. students, "Well, I can't say I'm above taking advantage of that!" he yelled out in admittance. However, they were left surprised by their foes' resilience, with Izuku's new Shoot Style kicking their balls away, while everyone else worked hard to defend themselves from the others. Their teamwork was essentially flawless.
"They're certainly giving us trouble…" Bakufu muttered, wearing an open, sleeveless jacket with a fur collar, light-colored pants with a belt that had a symbol of a jaw on the center, and dark shoes. He has a marking on the right side of his face over his eye. Additionally, he wore a left dark fingerless glove and a necklace that has a pendant in the shape of '70'. He also had flame tattoos on his wrists and a mechanical right arm.
"I don't see Bakugo anywhere in sight…" Britney noted as she adjusted her glasses, wearing a strapless dark dress with a long coat that has two dark armbands, a black-and-white collar, long stockings, and dark shoes, "I assume Mora's going to be the one to find him," she concluded.
"That leaves us with both Midoriya and Bluegarden," Bakufu said, readying his mechanical right arm as it morphed into a cannon, "I assume you have a preference?" he inquired of his classmate. She narrowed her eyes onto the Cat Leaper Quirk user.
"I'll make sure she's taken care of," she declared firmly.
"As I with Midoriya," her classmate decided, aiming his cannon, "Blast Man Arm!" he exclaimed, unleashing a massive blast of energy that struck the ground in a fierce blast.
"Whoa!" Tatami yelped as she stumbled back, "Was that Bakufu?!" she inquired as she looked over to Yo.
"Yeah…" he responded with a slight grimace, "Guy really doesn't know how to take it easy…" he muttered, "Still, gives me the chance to make my own move…" he declared, pressing his hands against the ground, "Everyone, get back!" he called out to his classmates, "Maximum Force…" he started to bellow, "TREMORING EARTH!" he yelled, causing the ground to start violently shake and shatter like an earthquake. Izuku found himself completely separated from his classmates, who were all left in smaller groups in the aftermath. He managed to bring himself up onto his feet.
'What should I do?' he wondered inwardly as he looked around, 'I could try looking for my classmates, but I could also be putting myself in harm's way…' he noted through his thoughts, 'On the other hand, I can't just stay here,' he mentioned to himself, 'I'll be a sitting duck if I don't move soon…' he realized. Just then, he heard a footstep.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Izuku Midoriya," Bakufu apologized, getting his attention as he saw the orc-like young man morphing his arm back into a metal hand, which he closed into a fist, "It would be my pleasure to face you…" he said, narrowing his eyes underneath his shades. Meanwhile, Rebecca had found herself near the riverside, all by herself. She was being cautious, like her boyfriend was. She had to play things smart. But in that moment, she found one of her targets struck on the back of her right shoulder by a ball.
"Lost in your thoughts, hm?" another voice inquired, causing her to whip around and quickly draw her right pulse gun, firing a shot from it. However, it merely went through the face of Britney, as smoke spewed out from it before reforming. "Hm…" she hummed curiously, "So you're making up for your lack of power with ranged weapons…" she noted, "How basic…" she remarked.
'Who the heck is this girl?' Rebecca wondered inwardly, narrowing her eyes as she tightened the grip on her pulse gun. In the meantime, Katsuki, Eijiro and Denki had found themselves thrust into battle against Seiji Shishikura, the boy from Shiketsu with the slitted eyes that they had met earlier. His Quirk, Meatball, was turning everyone around him into globs of squished mush, though that prevented him from hitting their targets.
Eijiro had protected Katsuki from the Shiketsu student, essentially sacrificing himself before his body wound up kneaded. It wasn't long before the Explosion Quirk user met the same fate, managing to pass a grenade of his over to Denki in the process. That left the Electrification Quirk user to face off against Seiji himself.
But unlike before where his power would discharge randomly, the new support items he gathered would allow him to better pinpoint and concentrate his electricity. He managed to zap the Meatball Quirk user, weakening him to the point where the effects of his power were lost, and everyone that he turned into lumps of meat were returned to normal. Thanks to that, Katsuki and Eijiro knocked him out.
"Thanks for the save, Kaminari!" the Hardening Quirk user called out gratefully.
"You sure took your damn time, sparky!" the Explosion Quirk user yelled.
"Jeez, you guys scared me half to death…!" Denki admitted, "Ah, wait a sec!" he yelped, "You guys weren't the only ones he balled up!" he pointed out, noticing several of the examinees standing up after reverting back to normal.
"Oh, we know…" Katsuki said, hungrily licking his lips.
"Well, well…" another voice chimed in, getting his and his classmates' attentions as they took notice of Mora standing up on the ledge of the roadway they were near, "Seems as if you got yourself into quite the little tiff, Bakugo…" he noted. He was wearing a dark suit with white gloves and a dark top hat with white stripes, and a pair of shoes. He wielded a long candy cane with both orbs at the handle and the tip.
"Who the heck's that?" Denki asked, sweating a little.
"He's from Ketsubutsu, I think…" Eijiro answered.
"You wanna a taste of what this joker got, huh?" Katsuki assumed, making explosions crackle over the palm of his right hand, "Then bring it…" he challenged. Mora giggled.
"I was hoping you would say that…" he responded as he sneered.
X
"You're that guy from Ketsubutsu…" Izuku recalled, taking on a ready stance as he faced down Bakufu.
"Someone like you is a huge threat to my classmates," he noted, readying his metal arm as it shifted into a gatling gun, "So I'll be sure to eliminate you here," he declared, firing off multiple rounds towards his foe. Reacting quickly, the One For All inheritor activated his Full Cowling before speeding away.
'What kind of Quirk is that?!' he wondered inwardly, 'He's changing his arm's mechanics like Steiner would…' he noted to himself.
Bakufu Suzuki! Hero Name: Orc! Quirk: Remodel!
Like Steiner, he can convert weapons on his person to fit his needs. However, the more he uses it, the slower to conversion process takes. He's a real blast on the battlefield!
"Blast Man Arm!" Bakufu roared, shifting his arm back into a metal hand before punching the earth below with it, creating a shockwave that blew Izuku back in a yelp. He tumbled along the ground to a stop upon his feet, clenching his teeth together.
'He's probably attacking like this to throw me off, giving him the chance to hit me with one of those balls…' he noted inwardly, looking around at the dust cloud that surrounded him, 'I have to predict where he'll be coming from next…' he added to himself. He then felt a shift in the air, whipping around and catching his foe's metal fist with his right hand.
"Wait… what?" he uttered in shock and confusion.
"So you caught that…" Bakufu noted, narrowing his eyes underneath his shades, "Interesting…" he said, protruding metallic tendrils from his arm to wrap around Izuku's.
"Ah!" he gasped before getting thrown over his opponent's shoulders as he slammed him against the ground, "GAH…!" he yelped out in agony.
"You must be thinking that you have an inherit advantage because of your experiences against villains in the past, right?" the Ketsubutsu student assumed, catching his foe's attention, "Well, that isn't enough," he stated, "No matter how much experience you gain, your power will always be your greatest limitation," he pointed out, "As you are now, you'll never be able to beat me…" he affirmed. Hearing that, Izuku thought back to all of his experiences thus far. From all the battles he fought, there were only so many that he won on his own. And none that he won alone resulted in him getting away without a serious injury.
"Maybe I can't beat you…" he admitted to his opponent, who perked up slightly, "But that doesn't mean I'll give up!" he declared. He pulled his arm out of Bakufu's grasp, ripping off the metal tendrils.
"Hm," the orc-like man huffed, shifting his metal arm back into the form of a gatling gun, "Then I won't let you past me," he declared, firing off several rubber rounds. With his Full Cowling reactivated, Izuku dashed around to evade the gunfire as it created another veil of dust around him and his foe. He then leapt up, closing in on him as he reared his right leg back.
'He's fast…!' Bakufu noted inwardly as his metal arm was still shifting to another form.
"Saint Louis… SMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!" the One For All inheritor bellowed, slamming his iron-soled foot against his foe's metal arm in a fierce roundhouse kick. He managed to knock it aside, giving him a clear opening as he threw one of his orange balls down, striking the first target at his fellow examinee's chest. It flashed red with a beep upon being hit.
"Ergh…" Bakufu growled out, setting his metal arm into a cannon, "Maybe I underestimated you…" he admitted, firing off a powerful blast toward his foe, who was still in midair. He managed to evade it by kicking to the side, moving himself out of the way. He then pivoted around and fired his second ball, this time hitting the target on his opponent's left shoulder.
'That's two down…' he noted inwardly, seeing the last target was upon the Remodel Quirk user's right knee. In that moment though, he lunged out and slammed his transformed arm against his opponent's stomach, making him cough up blood.
"You're taking this whole exam too lightly," he remarked, throwing his foe back as he tumbled along the ground, coming to a stop upon his stomach as he tried to push himself up, "Heroes are always fighting to take on the greater and greater challenges, like All Might did against that All For One," he mentioned thoroughly as his arm transformed again, "I don't think you're ready for that challenge…" he affirmed.
"That doesn't matter…" Izuku responded, making his foe perk up in surprise, "Because when there's a call for help, I'll still be there!" he shouted out, shooting forward instantaneously. Bakufu grimaced.
'Shit, he figured out my timing!' he realized. He tried to bring his metal arm up to counter his foe's kick, but wound up too late as the One For All inheritor's iron-soled foot struck him upside the head. He toppled over onto the ground, allowing for his foe to come down and touch the last target with the ball in his hand, making it flash red.
"Even if you say I'm not ready, that doesn't mean I still can't improve," he stated firmly. The Remodel Quirk user groaned lowly in response. In the meantime, another figure was watching on from afar. She grinned at the sight of Izuku, who wiped the blood away from his lips.
X
"So you're the girl that the League of Villains captured along with Bakugo, right?" Britney asked of Rebecca, who drew her second pulse gun into her left hand.
"And you're from Ketsubutsu, right?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user assumed, aiming her weapons towards her new foe.
"I can only imagine what the villains would want with someone like you…" the blonde-haired girl muttered out, causing Rebecca to blink in surprise, "Perhaps they find you appealing for your 'killer body' or something…" she grumbled on.
"Huh?" her opponent uttered in confusion.
"That pisses me off!" Britney bellowed, unleashing a blast of crackling smoke toward her target from her right hand.
"Whoa!" Rebecca yelped as she leapt out of the way, being nicked slightly though as she winced, "Was that electricity?!" she exclaimed in question.
"Indeed it was," her foe replied.
Britney Kemuri! Hero Name: Cloud! Quirk: Smoke Bar!
She can turn her whole body into smoke, letting her fly around and phase through physical objects. However, like smoke, she's susceptible to being thwarted by things like strong winds and water! She also has the ability to alter her smoke's properties, whether by having it electrically charged or enflamed!
"My Quirk is not something you can overcome," Britney declared as she rose up into the air in the form of smoke, "Face it, you've lost," she remarked disdainfully. Rebecca grimaced. If neither of her methods of attacking would work, then she was just a sitting duck.
"Then I guess… I'll let you just try and catch me!" she yelled, dashing off instantaneously along the riverside.
"Why you little…!" Britney growled out, zipping after her. The Cat Leaper Quirk user glanced back at her approaching foe.
'Looks like whenever she's in that form, her targets disappear…' she noted inwardly, 'Thanks to the extra training I did with Ectoplasm and Mister Aizawa, I was finally able to increase my speed!' she mentioned to herself, 'With how fast I am right now, there's no way she's catching—!'
"You really think you can get away from me?!" the Smoke Bar Quirk user yelled in question, causing Rebecca to blink in surprise to find her foe right above her, with her smoky body crackling with electricity, "Spark Heaven!" she exclaimed, passing through her opponent.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user shrieked as she was zapped, falling onto her hands and knees, "Ergh…" she growled, looking up at her foe, "Aren't you supposed to be going after my targets…?" she inquired weakly as her body twitched.
"I will once I'm certain you're immobile," Britney replied, "Honestly, you're such an idiot…" she grumbled out, gritting her teeth, "Men only go for women with such idiocy only because of their good looks…" she muttered on as Rebecca pushed herself onto her feet, "IT'S UNFORGIVABLE!" she roared, unleashing another blast of electrically charged smoke.
"Whoa!" her opponent yelped, leaping into the woods they were beside.
'Okay… I apparently touched a nerve…' she realized with a grimace, 'What can I do…?' she wondered inwardly, looking at her weapons and then at her feet, 'Her body's smoke… which means it could be affected by things like air or…' she started to tell herself, only to blink upon remembering something, 'That's it!' she exclaimed through her thoughts as she grinned. At that moment, she noticed a purple mist settle in, rotting away the surrounding foliage.
"Eep!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user shrieked, "What kind of smoke is that?!" she inquired aloud.
"It's my Poison Mist," Britney replied as she approached, still in her smoky form, "It's a highly corrosive malvaro nitride that'll eat away at that beautiful skin you have, turning you into a disgusting pile of flesh…" she noted with an evil grin.
'Is this girl trying to be a villain here?!' Rebecca inquired to herself. She then shook her head, regaining her composure.
"Well, you're still gonna have to catch me first!" she exclaimed, dashing off through the trees back towards the river.
"I don't think so!" Britney yelled as she zipped after her, leaving behind a trail of rotting plant life in her wake. Once she made her way through the trees, she saw the Cat Leaper Quirk user running toward the water. Another grin crossed her face. "You're mine!" she declared as she dove at her, with her smoky body turning a darker purple.
However, Rebecca cracked a smirk. She flipped back to avoid the Smoke Bar Quirk user, followed by landing in the water feet first. The ensuing splash washed over Britney, who yelped as she fell onto the ground, her smoky body reverting back to normal.
"What?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.
'How did she know about one of my Quirk's weaknesses?!' she wondered inwardly, waving her arms as she tried to quickly dry herself, 'There's no way someone as stupid as her would—!'
"Gotcha'," Rebecca remarked to her shock, having suddenly zipped up behind her. Before Britney could even turn around, she took a pulse shot to the back of her neck from her foe's pulse gun, falling onto her stomach in a daze.
"How… did you…?" she tried to question, only to wind up fainting. The Cat Leaper Quirk user sighed with relief, holstering her pulse guns before readying one of her balls.
"Anime, actually…" she answered, letting out a sheepish giggle. Her ball touched each of Britney's targets, making them flash red. That was one takedown. Now she only had another to go.
X
"You're with that pretty boy's class, right?" Katsuki inquired of Mora, who hopped down onto the road.
"Shaha…" he laughed, adjusting his tall hat, "Not one, but two kidnappings you've gone through, right?" he inquired as he spun his cane, gripping it firmly, "You've got a lot to prove, don't you?" he assumed on.
"Bakugo, let's focus on getting our takedowns!" Eijiro insisted.
"Oh, there's no need to worry about that…" Mora assured to their surprise.
"I've got you!" one examinee yelled, about to fling his ball onto the target at the tall man's back. However, he whipped around, shooting a slimy substance out of his cane. It ensnared each of the examinees except for those of U.A., pinning them against the walls.
"What the heck?!" Denki yelped out.
"Glue Shot…" Mora uttered, snickering all the while.
Mora Nori! Hero Name: Mr. Glue! Quirk: Glue Tear!
He can produce an adhesive substance from his body, able to trap opponents while also becoming like glue itself! However, it also makes him very slow and stick to many different things!
"So his Quirk's like the ball idiot's…" Katsuki concluded.
"Great, we're in the same mess we were before!" Denki realized as he grimaced.
"Bakugo…" Eijiro uttered to his classmate, seeing the fire in his eyes.
"You idiots better not get in my way," he insisted, blasting forward.
"Ooh!" Mora yelped excitedly, seeing his opponent thrust his right hand out.
"DIIIIEEE!" he roared, unleashing a powerful blast… that seemingly went right through the Glue Tear Quirk user, "Huh?!" he exclaimed in shock. Mora sneered.
"I'm just like glue, see?" he noted, pressing his right foot against his foe as a slimy substance seeped out, attaching them together.
"Shit…!" Katsuki cursed, firing off rapid-fire shots onto the Glue Tear Quirk user. But they proved to be useless as they passed through his body. He smirked again.
"Now how's this?" he inquired, turning his whole leg into glue before swinging his opponent around, "GLUE AXE!" he exclaimed, slamming up against the wall.
"Bakugo!" Eijiro cried out, taking a step forward.
"Don't you dare get involved, Kirishima!" the Explosion Quirk user commanded, making him stop as he widened his eyes. He watched as Katsuki aimed his open hands downward, unleashing a blast to propel himself upward, snapping the glue off of him.
"Oh, what a clever trick…" Mora remarked with a grin. Seeing that expression irritated his foe, who landed down behind him. He then whipped around, placing his left hand over his right in the shape of a hole.
"AP Shot… AUTO-CANNON!" he roared, unleashing rapid-fire bursts out onto his foe, who easily weaved around them.
"Agh… we gotta do something!" Denki insisted, about to rush into the fray.
"Wait," Eijiro said to his surprise as he stopped, "If we get involved now, we're just gonna end up getting in Bakugo's way…" he pointed out seriously despite his trembling fists desiring to fight alongside his classmate. He was blasting himself around, evading the blasts of adhesive slime shot his way from the Glue Tear Quirk user. Sweat was flying off Katsuki's body as he grimaced, knowing that he was approaching his limits. But at the same, he was getting closer to having all the power he needed.
"Glue Shot!" Mora exclaimed, striking his foe at his stomach with his right foot, making him cough up blood as glue was released onto his torso, sticking him to his opponent, "And…" he continued, lifting him up, "GLUE AXE!" he bellowed, slamming him onto the pavement hard.
"GUAH…!" he gasped out.
"Bakugo!" Denki and Eijiro screamed.
"Shahahahahaha…" Mora laughed, looming over his foe with a wicked grin on his face, "How does it feel to get taken down so many pegs?" he inquired of the Explosion Quirk user, who breathed heavily, "No matter how strong you get, there's always going to be someone stronger or more skilled…" he pointed out, "And you'll just be stuck at the bottom with that pathetic little face of yours!" he proclaimed on as he giggled. At that moment, Katsuki perked up.
"Stuck, huh?" he repeated, getting the Glue Tear Quirk user's attention, "Glue sticks to everything, doesn't it?" he inquired, "Even my sweat, right?" he questioned on with a smirk.
"What are you talking abou—?" Mora's own question was interrupted by the sudden explosion that engulfed both him and his foe.
"Whoa, Bakugo!" Denki cried out as a cloud of black smoke ensued. Inside of it, the Ketsubutsu student coughed madly.
"Where'd that come from…?" he wondered aloud. He then found himself ambushed by another blast, making rubble stick to his body. "What are you even doing?" he asked of his opponent, who was randomly firing off blasts onto the pavement at his foe's feet, making more pieces blow apart and attach all over the Glue Tear Quirk user's body.
"Glue's not so easy to unstick from!" Katsuki pointed out, sneering all the while, "Once I got you slow enough, I'll tick off those targets of yours!" he declared proudly.
"Oh, so that's your plan…" Mora realized, letting off a smirk, "Well, too bad!" he exclaimed as all of the rubble and dust fell off of him, "Decorate me all you'd like!" he challenged, "I can just turn off my Quirk and—!" All of a sudden, his foe's gloved hand grabbed him by his face.
"Gotcha'," he remarked, holding the Glue Tear Quirk user tightly as he yelped. With his free hand, the Explosion Quirk user fired off multiple blasts to propel himself in a spinning motion with his opponent still in his grasp. "X… CATAPULT!" he bellowed after gaining enough momentum to chuck Mora, sending him crashing back first into the wall. His jaw was slack as his eyes had turned a pale white with tears pouring out from them. He fell onto the shattered pavement in a heap, dropping his hat and cane as he lost consciousness.
"He… won!" Denki exclaimed, laughing excitedly.
"Awesome job, Bakugo!" Eijiro complimented as he pumped his right fist.
"Tch," the Explosion Quirk user scoffed upon landing. He glanced back at his unconscious foe.
'Guy had every chance to hit my targets and didn't even grab his balls for 'em…' he noted inwardly, narrowing his eyes onto Mora.
"Uh… guys?" Denki uttered, getting his classmates' attentions as they saw the other examinees being freed from the glue that entrapped them as it dissipated.
"Let's get this over with," Katsuki insisted, having small explosions crackle over his right palm. Everyone in Class A was fighting, including the unlikely trio that their classmates were drawn to. They weren't the strongest, nor the smartest. But they were the most heroic.
ENDING
Insert "Backlight" by Ado
Opens with Class 1-A's girls hanging out in the common room of their Heights Alliance building. Rebecca finds herself totally bored until she realizes something, running off. She returns a moment later with her Switch in hand, along with four controllers. She, Homura, Tsuyu and Ochaco are the first ones to start playing, though the Soul Blade Quirk user is initially holding her controller upside down.
They play a racing game to start things off, with the scene changing to show chibi forms of the girls driving in their karts. Homura slips on a banana peel and spins out, while Tsuyu gets hit by a green shell. Ochaco and Rebecca are neck-and-neck as they approach the finish line, and the Zero Gravity Quirk user wins by a hair.
After a brief celebration, the girls switch to a dancing game, where Mina, Toru, Kyoka and Momo compete. We again shift to a fantasy where the girls are dressed like dancers on a stage. Everyone's surprised by how good of a dancer the Acid Quirk user is, cheering her on excitedly. As the games continue, the boys enter the common area to find them playing.
Next up is a multiplayer first-person shooter that Rebecca, Weisz, Izuku, and Shoto start playing. We see that in the fantasy sequence, the Cat Leaper Quirk user has the best shot amongst her peers, even beating out Weisz. Afterwards, Hanta brings down four more controllers so that more people can play.
And so, it comes down to a fighter game, in which Izuku, Katsuki, Eijiro, Tenya, Homura, Momo, Shoto and Shiki play. Not knowing the controls, Tenya's character can only move like a robot before getting knocked off by Katsuki. Eijiro withstands Homura's blows until she's tired out, landing a finishing punch. Momo is hesitant to battle against Shiki, so she just falls off the edge of the stage as everyone looks to her in confusion in reality.
Katsuki's character bests Shiki, while Izuku manages to defeat Eijiro. The two face off against each other, exchanging blows before ultimately, Izuku wins. The class cheers excitedly, while Katsuki scoffs, though isn't as annoyed over losing.
The rest of the day continues with Denki and Hanta playing a golfing game, Minoru and Tsuyu facing off in a MOBA to everyone's surprise, Mezo and Koji enjoying a relaxing simulation game, and Yuga trying to sing in a karaoke game, only to make everyone flinch from the sound of his falsetto. As Shota and All Might wander in to check on the class, they smile to see Rebecca and Kyoka playing together as a team in a two-person fighter. They imagine themselves in their hero costumes, fighting against a villain as they charge in…
END ENDING
And the exam begins with Izuku, Rebecca, and Katsuki each taking down a member of the Beast Squad from Edens Zero! I really loved giving this trio some solo fights, especially here. It seemed perfect, and it helps to deviate away from doing the same thing in the anime.
Next time, we'll conclude the preliminary exam before heading onto the official one. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!