Disclaimer: I own no rights to My Hero Academia, owned by Kōhei Horikoshi. All respectable owners own their anime, manga, novel, or game references present in this story.
"Help, they stole my bag!" a scream rang out, drawing the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
The young woman that cried out was kneeling next to a man of similar age lying on the ground, sporting a bruise just under his eye. If one was to guess, he must have been laid out on the ground by a punch to the cheek.
"Shishsishi, catch ya later, chumps!" A small impish-looking man snickered from the back of a towering figure. "And thanks for the doe!" He finished as his tremendous-sized partner continued their getaway.
The civilians who witnessed the event could only shake their heads and sigh at the pair of villains. It was evident to everyone that the duo was just a couple of delinquents looking for a quick cash grab. Unfortunately, this kind of thing was a common occurrence.
"Are there any heroes around?" A civilian asked, turning to those near him.
"No, I think most of the heroes are handling a hostage situation further away from here." A reply came from one of the men helping the young man lying on the ground.
"Taking advantage of the chaos, huh?" A sigh came out from another witness before turning to the young woman. "Sorry, miss, you might have to go to the police for this one."
The woman only nodded in a cheerless manner, focused more on helping up her boyfriend, who tried to prevent the theft of her bag. Finally, when she could get him to stand up, he turned his head to her.
"Sorry I couldn't stop them from taking your bag," He apologised, eyes low and avoiding her gaze.
"Idiot," She chided, pinching his side. "There wasn't much in there, just my phone and a few yen." She put her hand under his chin, lifting his head, so his eyes reached hers. "But I'd rather lose my bag than you, my hero", She whispered before gently pecking his lips, turning his face red.
Those around were happy that the couple wasn't affected too severely by the event. It wasn't that common for the villains to get away since a hero was usually around to save the situation.
"At least no one got hurt too badly," A man said to his colleague, both standing on the opposite side of the road.
"Yeah, but sadly those villains got lucky and got away with it," the colleague reminded him. "It wouldn't have been such a smooth getaway if there were heroes around." He said, getting a nod of confirmation.
"If only more heroes patrolled this area, this wouldn't be an issue." The man remarked, making his workmate grunt in agreement.
"That's true. Though now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure U. A is holding its entrance exam today. So having more heroes around will come sooner rather than later."
"Ohh, that's right!" The man beamed, being a longtime fan of the hero school. "Hopefully, the new students, after they graduate, stop guys like these from causing more trouble." He jabbed his thumb in the direction the thieves escaped.
"Well, the police will probably find them. Let's not worry about it!" He dismissed, taking on a brighter glow and pushing his friend back to the office. "Come on we gotta head back to work".
The rest of the civilians all took a similar approach. They started going on about the rest of their days, letting the incident disappear from their minds. An attitude that's considered natural in this day and age.
However, unknown to the civilians, standing on the roof of a building opposite where the incident occurred. A figure stood on a roof, wearing a pure white robe similar to a cassock found on a Catholic priest. The only difference was that this attire consisted of a hood covering the majority of figure's head.
The figure watched from above, making a mental note of the woman who had her things stolen. Before it turned to the direction of where the criminals made off. It paused for a few seconds as if waiting for something to happen. It only took a moment before whatever it was waiting for arrived, and the figure made its move, immediately disappearing from sight, comparable to that of a ghost which left nothing behind.
"Quick, get in the alley!" Ordered the impish thief, pointing to the upcoming small path. His male partner entered the alleyway without question and ran until he reached the end. The 'Imp' hopped off his mount and greedily opened the stolen bag, searching for valuable items like a bear ransacking a bee hive for honey.
"Hoooo..." A moan came from the massive creature, mirroring the hum of an old didgeridoo.
The imp-like man scoffed, "Of course, you idiot, that's why we did it now!"
"Hooo..?" Another moan came from the creature, sounding like he was asking a question.
"Of course, I planned it out, Brute!" Imp snapped, throwing away the useless items like lipstick and pictures onto the floor. "Who else do you think could plan this all out, you?!"
The newly identified 'Brute' looked around, searching for anyone else in the alleyway before fixing his gaze back on his partner and pointing at himself.
"Hoo..?" Brute answered, holding an expression of uncertainty.
Imp gritted his teeth, coming close to lashing out at the more prominent figure, before calming himself.
"No, you moron! Bah, that doesn't matter. We got what we came for!" Imp said, his voice taking a happier tone when he finally found and opened a pink purse. "Jackpot!" He cheered, pulling out a few yen and a smartphone. "This can keep us good for a few days while we lay low from the cops!"
"Hoooo..?" Brute moaned, leaning over the smaller male.
"Yea, yea, we'll split it evenly, alright." Imp rolled his eyes and climbed back up his partner to his previous position. "70 to me, 30 to you!"
"Hooo!" Brute cheered, smiling widely like a kid gifted a new toy.
Imp lightly hit his partner on the head. "Come on, let's head back to the safehouse!" Brute did as order and started to make his way towards the alleyway entrance. However, before Brute could take a step, a masked figure landed in front of the two thieves, blocking them from the exit. It was the exact figure that had been watching them commit their crime early that day.
"Hey! Who the hell are you?!" Imp yelled, annoyed that there was an obstacle preventing him from getting home. "Get out of here!"
The masked figure said nothing, making no movement of any kind away or towards the thieves. If it weren't for the slightest sound of breathing, Imp would have mistaken the guy for a statue.
Imp clinked his tongue. "Fine, if you're not gonna move, we'll make you!" He clapped his partner on the head, similar to that of a jockey on a horse. "Brute crush him!"
However, instead of charging forward at the figure dressed in white, Brute took a trembling step back to the surprise of Imp. Imp looked down to see that Brute wore a scared expression on his face. His eyes were wide and full of a mixture of fear and uncertainty, which was rare to see on the large male. Imp was about to chew out his partner for getting cold feet, but something told him to take a longer look at the mysterious figure.
His eyes quickly scanned up and down the robe, searching for distinguishable features that could indicate who this guy was and if he was a hero. The plain white gown gave him some sense of familiarity, itching the back of Imp's mind, telling him that there was something he was forgetting. His gaze finally landed on the face of the figure, planning to take in the facial features of the one standing against him. Instead, however, the only thing he saw was a mask.
'Wait...Mask?'
Like a switch, that was when it clinked.
Taking a closer look. Imp saw the plain mask the figure wore, hiding everything from view; this included the eyes, nose, and mouth. Hell, it didn't even look like there was a way for the figure to see, as there seemed to be no eye sockets to look through. The mask was very simplistic. It showed no art or design that would make it stand out. It was merely a plain white mask with no eye holes or mouth designs. It was for that reason it unnerved Imp.
Trying to ignore the goosebumps appearing on his skin, Imp bite his lip to stay calm.
'I don't know what a member of the church is doing here, but if we stay here, we're in big trouble!' He thought, clenching his fists before his eyes settled on his partner, who still seemed to be trembling. 'I need to get Brute to calm down. Otherwise, we got no chance!'
Imp breathed in, taking a moment. "Hey, Brute, it's all good!" He yelled, trying his best to get his partner to focus. "There's only one of them, and he doesn't look too tough! So we can still make it!"
Miraculously, this was able to give his oversized partner the courage to stop trembling. Brute shook his head as if trying to break himself out of a trance. His eyes sharpened at his opponent, fixing them with a piercing glare. Brute's body started turning red, with smoke beginning to emit from his head. His figure grew as well, increasing his already massive size into one bigger.
Imp gave a small sigh of relief at the activation of Brute's quirk. Brute's quirk was a basic strength-enhancer, increasing his size and strength. Indicated by the steam coming from his head and the colour change. Imp knew that there was no way for him to escape by himself, and even if he did, there was no certainty that he would be able to evade any heroes looking for him. That's where Brute came in, acting as the brawn in the duo's operation.
"Alright, Brute, let's end this quickly and go home!" Imp yelled, motivating his partner to rush at the still unmoving figure.
Brute lunged forward, quickly closing the gap between him and the masked man before throwing a punch to hammer the masked man into the ground. However, the figure leapt back, easily avoiding the fist which crashed onto the floor and created several cracks around it.
The figure landed a few feet back and tilted its head. It did this for a few seconds before reaching into one of its sleeves and revealing a small dagger.
Imp released a scoff. "What's a thing that small gonna do? Brute, let's crush this idiot!" To which his partner responded with a roar.
The figure shifted into a stance and then suddenly charged at the two at an incredible pace.
Briefly caught off guard by the figure's speed, Brute quickly raised both his hands and slammed them down to intercept his opponent. His fists, however, only connected with the ground once again, kicking up debris and narrowing his vision.
Brute squinted his eyes to prevent dust from getting in and searched for his opponent. But, before he had the chance, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his knee, forcing the large male to kneel down.
"Behind us, ya idiot!" He heard Imp scream, pounding on his head. Brute felt a twitch of annoyance directed at his partner, but he quickly dismissed the thought by swinging his arm at a wide angle behind him.
The masked figure quickly ducked at the attempt and got in close, coming face to face with its opponent, before landing a devastating punch on Brute's cheek. The hit rattled Brute's brownish teeth, forcing him to snap his head to the side, lose his balance, and crash to the ground.
Imp was stunned at what happened. Not only did this guy easily layout Brute, but it was also insanely fast. Imp was lucky enough that he jumped off before the punch connected; otherwise, he would have been squashed by his hulking partner.
Imp made sure to keep his distance from the masked figure, staying a few metres away, near the wall. Imp glanced at Brute to see that his partner was still down and didn't look to be getting up anytime soon. 'Pathetic!' he swore, wearing a scowl on his face. 'He could of at least taken care of this freak before kicking the bucket!' While Brute couldn't battle someone like All Might or Endeavour, he should have been able to take more than a punch before getting knocked out.
His eyes went to the masked figure only to see it still looking at Brute's downed body. 'This is my chance!' Imp thought, turning on his heels and began running for the alleyway's entrance.
He only got a quarter of the way before screaming, feeling something pierce the back of his leg. He collapsed on the floor, whimpering, looking down to find the exact knife the masked figure wielded lodged deep in his calf.
Tears started welling in his eyes as he desperately tried to pull the knife from his calf. However, this only worsened the problem as more blood began to emerge, pooling underneath him. Finally, he looked up to find the masked figure standing over him, merely watching him silently. Imp swallowed. "Please don't kill me!" He begged, eyes only projecting fear. "I'm sorry. Please just let me go. I won't do it again!" Generally, if this was a hero, he'd feel stupid begging for his life. However, this guy wasn't a hero and based on the rumours going around, it was easy to know why.
The figure only stared at him as if attempting to past him. The masked man slowly reached down towards him, its hand ominously drawing nearer. Imp flinched, closing his eyes, waiting for the worst to happen.
Suddenly a massive fist crashed into the side of the figure, launching them into the wall and creating a deep imprint.
Imp shot his eyes open, wondering what happened, only to find his large partner had somewhat recovered. Brute appeared to be relatively okay. That is if you didn't count the massive swelling on the right side of his face. His right eye was completely bloodshot, and his teeth looked chipped, especially the molars and the incisors.
"HOOooo..!" Brute moaned, eyes focused only on the masked figure picking themselves up.
Imp couldn't help but give out a breath of relief, not because his partner was alright, but more of the thought that he would make it out of here. "Nice work, Brute!" He yelled, shifting himself upright. "Now kill that freak, and let's get outta here!"
Brute barely registered what Imp said; eyes narrowed on the masked figure as it slowly raised itself. Brute gave out an ear-shattering roar before charging straight at his opponent.
The figure looked to have regained its senses as it saw Brute and swiftly moved out of the way. Brute's fist just missed the figure's head before his opponent countered.
The first punch glanced at Brute's chin. However, Brute noticed too late that it was a faint, as the second punch doubled him over and expelled the last bit of choked air from his ample belly.
It was a heck of a shot. Outside of having the wind knocked from him, which Brute always hated, Brute still felt the pain from the first hit, which he wasn't used to. After all, he possessed a berserker-like quirk, which increased his strength and numbed the torture his body received. Usually, a blow to the face or even the kidney would cause him a bit of pain...but the gut shouldn't have been more than discomfort.
Fortunately, he was used to it all. A veteran of street fights around the alleys of Japan, even being out of air was something Brute knew how to deal with.
He stood straight, eyes bulging with rage, and stared right into his opponent's plain mask. The figure stood tall as if the punch from before had no effect. But Brute knew that he had him where he wanted him.
"Hoo...Hooo," Brute took a lurching step forward with each moan. Finally, on the third, he swung: "HOOaa!"
The punch felt too sluggish, Brute knew the second it was launched. The spry figure simply ducked under it. Before Brute could even register the dodge, however, another body shot, this one to his ribs, sent fresh ripples of pain through his torso. He didn't fall—Brute made sure of it—but it was much closer than he'd have liked.
The figure went in for another shot, but Brute shoved him off. Seeing his opponent scoot back so far gave him a second wind. He covered the distance between them and drew his arm back, ready to land three hard punches. Although this was not meant to be.
Baaam!
A giant foot landed on Brute, forcing the poor villain to the ground. Imp, who had been watching, gulped as his eyes followed the huge leg upwards. He saw it attached to a woman leaning over the main road.
The woman was young, dressed in a purple and pale tan-coloured skintight bodysuit accented with orange stripes. She also possessed a voluptuous figure and long, voluminous, creamy blonde hair that reached her waist. Imp recognised her immediately. This was the rookie hero who made her debut a few months ago, owner of the quirk Gigantification, Mt. Lady.
Thinking fast, Imp struggled to his feet, wincing as the knife dug deep into his leg. However, before he could get far, he felt something wrap around his waist before completely covering his upper body, making him immobile.
"Surrender now, villains and come quietly!" A voice came from behind him. Imp turned to find that it was non-other than Kamui Woods, who had used his quirk, Arbor, to trap him.
Mt. Lady lifted her foot off the defeated Brute, who looked unconscious. Then, she shrank herself back to her standard size and made her way into the alley, her stride full of smugness.
"Easy way to start the day off, if I say so myself." She said, looking down at the massive villain. "And you said we had to be careful." She mocked the other hero.
Kamui narrowed his eyes. "I already told you that you always need to tackle every villain with all seriousness."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She rolled her eyes before jumping back in surprise. "Wait! why's a member of the Church of Masks here!" She yelled, pointing her finger at the masked figure, who had jumped away before getting crushed by her foot.
Upon confirming his partner's claim, Kamui quickly broke off the wood spurting from his arm. "Quick, catch him before he gets away!" Capturing a Church member would be a big plus, not just in fame but also for society.
As if sensing the danger it was in, the newly identified member of the Church quickly rushed for the exit. However, this was immediately stopped when Mt. Lady reacted fast enough to block the way.
"Sorry, hun, but catching you would raise my rank a ton!" She said shamelessly.
Kamui got behind the figure, readying his quirk to subdue the masked figure. "Don't make any sudden moves and just come with us quietly."
The masked figure glanced back at Kamui before cocking its head and staring at something slightly above Mt. Lady.
The hero, believing it was staring at her, shivered and slightly covered herself. "Don't stare at me like that. I'm not into creeps that wear masks." She said, ignoring the 'ouch' that Kamui gave. She opened her mouth to say more when suddenly the figure charged at her at high speed. She squealed before she tried activating her quirk to stomp on the masked figure. However, she hesitated when the voice of her patrol partner called out.
"Don't enlarge! We're in an alleyway, so your movements will be restricted!" Kamui yelled, running after the masked man.
Mt. Lady chided herself for the rookie mistake and prepared to stop the charging figure. The masked man fired a punch at her, and she reacted by crossing her arms to block. It turned out to be a feint, though, as the figure grabbed her arm instead and pulled her towards them, driving their knee into her intestine.
Mt. Lady spat out some saliva and collapsed on the ground holding her stomach, having had all the air knocked out of her. Instead of continuing their assault on the hero, the figure chose to resume their escape. However, had brought enough time for her partner to use his quirk to wrap wood around the figure's leg and pull them to the ground.
The Church member reacted quickly, pulling out a knife from its robe, similar to the same knife stuck in Imp's leg. The masked figure started to hack at the wood, making its way around them, struggling increasingly more as it continued to spread.
Kamui saw the man wasn't going to come easy and decided it would be best to secure him by completely shutting off all movement. To do this, he used one of his hero moves.
"Great Lacquered Shell!" Kamui announced, using his quirk to expand and cover the masked man in a ball-like prison that prevented the now captured man from further escape. The shell was structured similarly to a giant egg, with multiple layers of wood wrapped numerous times around it.
After securing the figure, Kamui rushed over to his patrol partner. "Hey Mt. Lady, you alright?"
Mt. Lady winced, grabbing Kamui's offered hand and pulling herself to her feet. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't expect the hit," She sighed, standing tall and breathing deeply to get her air back. "I didn't think he would attack me, to be honest. I thought the Church of Masks doesn't attack heroes!" She complained, kicking the wooden prison that held its captive.
"Yea, I'm a bit surprised too since they normally try to avoid hero confrontations," Kamui added, scratching his chin in thought. "From what I've heard, they run off whenever a hero arrives."
"So they're a bunch of cowards, huh?" Mt. Lady replied, still sour from the incident.
"Well, I guess you could put it like that." Kamui chuckled, circling around the wooden ball, for any imperfections. "Though, to be truthful, I didn't think these guys were real. I thought they were just made-up rumours."
Mt. Lady nodded, understanding where he came from. In truth, she wasn't a believer in the group's rumours, thinking they were just fiction created by a bunch of internet trolls.
"So what are we gonna do with him? Honestly, I'm still reeling that we were able to catch a member of the Church. I mean, even some top heroes like Endeavour haven't been able to catch one of these guys!" Mt. Lady said, eyes brightening at the thought of reward she could claim.
The Church of Masks was a controversial group made up of vigilantes that first appeared over a year ago in the Okayama district. It was initially thought to be a single person trying to be a hero without a license. However, as more and more sightings became known, people claimed that there was more than one. Some claimed sightings of a large man; others said they saw a small woman. Each of them branded a catholic robe and a plain white mask. That's how the group was named 'Church of Masks'.
At least to the civilians, the group wasn't dangerous, performing duties similar to heroes. The only difference was that they were not recognised by the government. The Japanese government had been trying to apprehend the vigilantes for many months, even organising heroes' help. However, the masked figures would somehow escape their sight whenever they were close to catching one. Leading to many unsuccessful chases.
That is, until today.
"Hey, how much do you reckon we'd get paid for turning this guy in?" Mt. Lady asked, leaning against the prison.
"The reward we get is knowing we put an end to this man's vigilantism!" Kamui lectured her, checking on the conditions of Imp and his partner.
Mt. Lady rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say, boy scout," She muttered, taking out her phone to notify the authorities.
Kamui silently bristled at the remark but chose to ignore her.
After making sure that the robbers had no fatal injuries, he used his quirk to secure them both, preventing any escape attempt. Then, the hero returned to his patrol partner to see if she had made the call to the police.
"You called them yet?" He asked as he stood facing her.
"Yeah, they're on the way," Mt. Lady replied, pocketing her phone in one of her secret pouches. "So, what should we do with this guy?" She asked, knocking on the wooden prison.
Kamui took a few seconds, "Truthfully, I'm not sure. We could wait for reinforcements to apprehend this guy or try to get some answers now while we wait."
Mt. Lady seemed to jump at the idea. "Yeah! If we get this guy to talk, we could get more bonus points with the media!"
"...Not what I was thinking of. Let's just settle on waiting for the authorities to get here," Kamui suggested, moving towards the downed thieves to apply first aid.
There were a few minutes of quietness as she skimmed through her phone before a message popped up. "The police say they'll be here in 5 minutes." Mt. Lady stated, reading the notification from her phone.
"Okay," Kamui replied, making his way back. "They usually don't take too long. There must be something else going on that's keeping them busy." Kamui reached into his pocket to take out his mobile device. He unlocked it to find several messages sent from a fellow hero. "Death Arms is a bit mad that we left him at the cafe with the bill," he said with a weak chuckle.
"Well, it's his fault that he was in the toilet when we saw what was happening," Mt. Lady said with a roll of the eyes. "He's a pro hero and shouldn't be making such a fuss."
"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Kamui asked with a wince.
"Look, you can make it up with your boyfriend later, alright." She replied, mocking the worrying man.
A tick appeared on Kamui's forehead. "You know I don't swing that!" He shouted with sharp teeth.
Mt. Lady only gave a shrug. "Says the guy that's got a bunch of fans but never goes on any dates." She replied, eyes never leaving her phone.
Kamui felt his teeth grinding. The nerve of this brat was sometimes too much. They had partnered in many operations after her debut a few months back. Her snarkiness and laidback personality, compared to his, were almost always able to get underneath his skin. The Arbor user was about to respond to the girl's accusation before pausing.
Mt. Lady, who had expected her partner's retort, looked up from her phone to see him circling around the wooden prison. He leaned close to the ball-like jail, putting his ear against the wood as if listening for something. Mt. Lady raised an eyebrow, putting her phone away, and followed him.
"What are you doing?" She asked before Kamui raised a single finger to quiet her. A few seconds passed again before Mt. Lady started getting irritated. "What are you listening to?!"
Kamui stayed silent for a bit until he spoke with narrowed eyes. "Do you hear that?"
Mt. Lady inwardly thought Kamui was messing with her but decided to entertain him. Like her patrol partner, she put her ear against the wood creation and tried hearing what her partner had heard. She focused on any unusual sounds coming from inside but heard nothing. She let out a frustrated sigh, pulling away from the ball.
"If you're trying to mess with me because of that joke about you and Death Arms, you're being childish!"
"But can you hear anything?" Kamui asked again, still in the same position.
"No, I didn't hear anything!" She shouted, annoyance resonating in her voice.
"Exactly."
Mt. Lady paused at that, absorbing what he just said. She took a moment to think about what she heard, and she wasn't lying. Mt. Lady didn't hear a single thing. She leaned back onto the prison, putting all her concentration on her hearing sense.
She expected to hear the usual banging of the prisoner against the prison's walls or the crying/wailing of the person inside saying they were giving up or saying they're sorry. However, there was none of that. Hell, there wasn't even the sound of someone breathing, just silence.
As if hearing her confirmation, Kamui desperately started pulling off the planks of wood surrounding the ball. Mt. Lady quickly followed suit, pulling off as many as she could in a show of strength that seemed strange based on her build. The duo continued ripping off planks until the last fell, allowing them to see the inside of the now empty shell.
"Damn!" Kamui swore, clenching his fists in anger.
"How the hell did he get out?!"
"He must have a teleportation quirk or something!" Kamui answered before turning around and sprinting towards the entrance of the alleyway. "He might be close by if there's a distance limit to his teleportation. We gotta search the area!"
Mt. Lady watched as her companion used his quirk to latch onto a building and disappear from sight. Her gaze went to the empty wooden ball which once held their captive.
"Guess they are as elusive as people say there are." She muttered with a shrug before turning away and running out of the alleyway. "Oh well, more rewards for me when I catch one!" Mt. Lady finished with a grin, her pupils taking the shape of yen symbols.
However, the hero didn't notice the eyes that watched her every move until she could no longer be seen.
Silence filled the alleyway, with the only bit of noise originating from the sounds of the city. It stayed like this for a few moments until a hand shot upwards from the wooden ball's shadow. The hand grabbed the ground and began pulling itself up until its owner emerged from the shadow. The one that accomplished this feat was no other than the masked figure from the Church of Masks.
The figure scanned the area for any dangers looking to make an appearance before turning and making his way towards the unconscious Imp. The church member grabbed the purse that was left discarded on the ground, picking it as well as the other items that had been scattered across the ground. It neatly placed each one back into the purse, before turning to the pair of thieves. Imp loosely held the stolen smartphone in his grip to which the figure retrieved as well as the yen that belonged to the purse previous owner. After making sure that it had gotten everything, it moved to the middle of the alleyway, a few metres in front on the wooden cocoon that Kamui made. It set down the purse, making sure it was clearly visible from for anyone entering the alleyway. This only took a few seconds before it noticed the sounds of sirens approaching. The figure made its way to the back wall, where the sun's light was little. It stepped onto the most substantial shadow before slowly sinking into the dark umbra and vanishing from sight. Leaving no traces of the Church of Masks being there.
Excitement and nervousness spread throughout the air as various teenagers from different schools gathered together for an important event.
Today was none other than the U.A Entrance Exam, the final obstacle to entering the number one hero academy in Japan. Many had been preparing for this moment for months, some even years. All were hoping to get in and become pro heroes, like the number one hero himself, All Might.
Many applicants could all be identified in various shapes and forms. Some were depicted by their sizeable physical build that towered over others. Another handful possessed a more petite physique that gave the impression that they weren't old enough to be there.
At the moment, everyone seemed to be making their way inside the massive building. However, more than a few were outside, either talking with friends or just trying to psyche themselves up before heading inside.
An example of the latter was a boy sitting on one of the far-away seats, slouching over his phone. He looked as if he was being isolated from everyone else. It appeared like people were trying to stay away from him. This was either because they didn't notice him or because he was a foreigner.
The boy appeared quite tall in height, with broad shoulders and a relatively lean frame. His overall appearance didn't seem to have many outstanding features besides his darker complexion and black buzzcut. However, the most unique thing about him was his eyes, which, unlike others, were pitch-black in their sclera, and the irises were a cerulean shade, which seemed to give off a glow. Whenever his eyes seemed to catch another, it would give the impression that they were peering right through you, almost like they were looking right into your soul.
The boy was currently on his phone; he played games while waiting for the crowd to pass. His eyes would dart upwards every once in a while, taking in his surrounding before they'd quickly focus back on the device. He did this for a couple of minutes until he saw a notification.
Nerumi - 'Good luck today! I know you'll do great! I'll be watching 3.'-
'Oh yeah, she did say she was here,' The boy thought, remembering earlier in the day. 'She said she was a judge or something?' He quickly replied with a simple 'thanks' before opening the following message that popped up.
Ay -'All the best, Eli, this should be a breeze for you! Also, I know it shouldn't be a high priority, but please try to make some friends. I don't want you to be by yourself. Anyway, break a leg!'-
The newly identified Eli gave a small sigh at the reminder; this was, after all, the fourth time it had been said. He leaned backwards and cracked his back, rolling his shoulders as he noticed the now dwindled number of applicants still outside.
'Better head in,' Eli mused, standing up and starting his walk to the doors of the building. 'Hopefully, it's not too crowded. I don't want to be forced to sit next to someone unlikeable.' He thought, picturing a large male that smelt like puke. He shivered at the thought before he dismissed it, making his way past the statutes of various heroes-
"Get out the way, Extra!"
Eli flinched at the sudden yell before swiftly moving out of the way, so the person could pass.
The boy that shouted was an average-height teenage boy with a lean, muscular build and a fair skin tone. He had short, spiky ash-blond hair hanging over his eyebrows, with choppy bangs. He also had possessed eyes that were sharp and bright red in colour.
Eli kept an eye on the rude blond, watching as he moved past him and disappeared into the building.
'Extra?' Eli questioned, wondering what the blonde meant. 'What the hell does mean by that?' He asked before shrugging. 'Looks like there will be quite a few characters attending today. Best stay away from him.'
"Are you okay?"
A young girl's concerned voice grabbed his attention, pulling it to an event behind him. Apparently, the question wasn't directed at him but at a boy a few steps behind him. He laid his eyes on a curly green-haired teenager who looked to be about to fall on his face, that is, if it wasn't for a girl holding his bag.
Instead of pulling him upright, she let go, to Eli's surprise. The boy started flailing in the air like he was about to fall, but somehow he didn't descend to the ground.
'A floating quirk?' Eli inwardly asked, watching as the girl smiling helped the flailing boy down, allowing his gravity to return. 'Must be touch-based'.
"Sorry for using my Quirk without asking," she apologised, "but if you fell, it would be bad luck, right?"
Whatever the boy's response might have been seemed to have died off, as he could only look hazily at her.
"Are you nervous?" she went on, not waiting for an answer. The teenage boy seemed to have been struggling to answer her, but she cut him off, "Let's do our best. Good luck!"
The girl passed Eli, giving him a bright smile. Eli responded by lowing his head and averting his eyes somewhat timidly. If she was put off by this, it didn't show as she kept her bright smile and went inside.
Eli gave one last glance at the boy the girl helped and found him staring off into space with a dumb smile on his face. Eli only watched for a few moments before letting out a soft chuckle, shaking his head.
'Looks like Prince Charming doesn't have much experience with girls. Well, I shouldn't criticise since I'm in the same boat,' He concluded, turning to head inside. 'I better focus on the exam. If I fail, those two won't let me hear the end of it.'
Eli stopped at the entrance, looking up at the sizeable U.A logo, giving himself some time to take in what was about to happen.
"Well, wish me luck," He whispered to himself, taking the first step toward something that would decide his future.
There you have it, everyone. This fanfiction's first chapter. I'm really grateful you took the time to read this fanfic. Since this is my first story, I am certain that there will be numerous errors. I'll do my best to minimise them, but I can't guarantee it. So stay tuned for the next chapter!