Chapter 12: First Day At School

I'll say now, I'm downsizing Class 1-A to 15. I'm going to focus on the core cast and not include characters like Mineta. Sorry.

It's easier to write and allows for better focus.

Spring had come, the weather was turning nicer, and the Sakura trees were blooming in full. Inko hugged the stuffing out of Izuku and Kiri at the door while Tatsumaki was standing behind her.

Inko: "I'm so proud of you two!"

She was holding back tears.

Inko: "So, so proud."

Tatsumaki: "Alright, Mom, Izu is starting to turn blue."

Inko: "Oh! Sorry, honey."

Izuku: "I-It's okay, Mom."

Kiri pats Izuku on the back to get the air back into his lungs.

Inko: "I wish Fubuki was here to see you off."

Tatsumaki: "Hmph, I don't know what's with her these days. Always some business to take care of."

Izuku: "Go easy on her, Tatsu; things happen."

Tatsumaki: "Yeah, but you getting into UA happens only once."

Tatsumaki sighs and looks off into the distance. She is so tempted to drag her little sister here and force out some answers. She's been acting weird ever since Izuku got his acceptance letter.

Tatsumaki: 'Even her psychic energy is off. What is happening, Fubu?'

Izuku: "Well, we're off! Love you, Mom, Tatsu!"

Kiri: "Later, Onee-chan, Okaa-san.

Tatsumaki and Inko wave them goodbye before the two new students disappear in a flash of green.

Kiri: "Big."

Izuku: "Yeah, it might take us a while to find our class."

After an embarrassing amount of searching, the two finally found their class.

The class of 1-A.

Izuku: "We finally made it! Let's go!"

Kiri: "Nh!"

He opened the door and was immediately beset by noise. The two stare at the surprising but familiar faces.

Ida: "Remove your feet from the desk immediately! Such an act disgraces all the wonderful craftsmen who made our furniture and the upperclassmen who have come before us!"

Kiri: "Glasses and bomber."

Izuku: "Of course both of them are here."

After getting the third degree from Glasses in the exams, he had felt as if they wouldn't get along in the slightest.

Bakugo: "Huh? What do I care about any of that? What school are you from, you extra?"

Ida: "M-my name is Tenya Ida. I hail from Somei Academy!"

Bakugo: "Somei? So, you're a damn elite, huh? I'll have fun crushing you."

Ida: "Cr-crushing? You barbarian! Do you truly wish to become a hero?"

Iida had a little dark-blue shadow on his forehead. He then caught sight of Izuku and Kiri and hurried over to them.

Ida "We meet again! I'm-"

Izuku: "Tenya Iida from Somei. I heard."

Kiri: "I'll still call you… Glasses."

Ida coughed and straightened out before continuing.

Ida: "Midoriya, before the exam began, I completely misjudged you. I wish to offer my sincerest apologies for my words and actions."

He gave Izuku a short bow.

Izuku was now slightly happy since Iida seemed to have turned over a new leaf. While he wouldn't quite forget the treatment from the exam, if Iida was willing to try to make amends, it can be water under the bridge.

Izuku: "Izuku Midoriya. Pleased to meet you, Iida. And this here is Kiri Tae."

Kiri: "Hello."

Ida: "Ah yes, you were the other one who figured out the true nature of the exam."

Kiri: "Um?"

Izuku: "What do you mean?"

Ida: "The hero points."

Izuku: "We didn't know about it. We actually thought we failed."

Ida: "Then why-"

Izuku: "Because Uraraka was in trouble."

Kiri: "Because Izuku was in trouble."

Uraraka: "And you two were so awesome when you did it."

Momo: "It was truly heroic; I was moved to help as well."

Jiro: "And since Momo was going to help, I had to help too."

Izuku and Kiri to see the other Uraraka along with the two other girls who helped them.

Uraraka: "You and Jiro saved me! Thank you so much! And you all got in as well! I was so happy when Present Mic told me!"

Momo: "I have to admit, I couldn't sleep much until the letter came."

Jiro: "Lucky for me, I didn't attack the big robot. So I slept like a baby."

Momo: "Lucky."

The group, minus Kiri, shared a warm laugh. Ida clenched his teeth a little at the sight.

Ida: 'They're… so much better than me. There aren't any words for it.'

Izuku: "I have to thank you all too. Yaoyorozu, thanks for helping me. Kyoka, thank you for helping Uraraka out of the rumble. And thank you, Uraraka, for speaking on our behalf."

Jiro: "No problem. I couldn't just leave her like that."

Momo: "It was my pleasure."

Uraraka: "Haha, it was the least I could do."

Over in his chair, Katsuki was glaring at the group.

Bakugo: 'That means two kids came from our middle school.'

Little crackles flew from his fists as he clenched them incredibly hard.

Bakugo: 'But that means nothing next to Deku! What happened to him? I knew his Quirk was strong when it finally showed up… but he BEAT ME in the exams. ME! And where did he get a girlfriend of all things?!'

It was only the fact that Bakugo had more than doubled Izuku's villain and, therefore, combat score that kept him from literally exploding.

Uraraka: "I wonder if today's the ceremony. Or is it guidance counselor stuff today? Oh, and the teacher, what will they be like? I'm so anxious, like wow!"

"If you're here to socialize, then go home!"

They each froze and turned to look outside the classroom. On the floor was a yellow caterpillar!

Jiro: "What the-"

Kiri: "Large caterpillar."

The group was completely taken aback by the strange sight. A friendly quirk beast like the principal, perhaps?

No.

A second glance later and they realized it was a sleeping bag, and the face staring at them looked decidedly unamused.

"This is the Hero Course."

A hand snaked out from inside the bag with a pouch, which the long-haired man squeezed empty in a single suck. The group backed up and watched him sit up and toss off the sleeping bag.

"You mistook me for a caterpillar, and it took you all more than ten seconds to settle down. Time is precious. You kids are lacking common sense, aren't you?"

He strode inside while everyone wondered who exactly this was. Even Izuku didn't recognize him.

Aizawa: "I'm your homeroom teacher, Shōta Aizawa. Pleased to meet you."

He sounded everything but pleased. He reached into his sleeping bag and pulled out a dark blue uniform with red and white stripes.

Aizawa: "It's a bit sudden, but you all need to put these on and head to the field."

Everyone in the class had varying degrees of confusion written on their faces as the man walked right back out.

"A Quirk Assessment Test?"

Nearly the entire class repeated Aizawa's words in confusion.

Uraraka: "But what about the entrance ceremony or the guidance sessions?"

Aizawa: "A waste of time if you want to become heroes. You have very little time here at UA to learn what you need. Our school prides itself on its 'freestyle' system of education, and that applies to the teachers as well."

Aizawa ignores their confused looks and leads them to the designated area.

Aizawa: "The softball throw, the fifty-meter dash, consecutive side-steps, endurance running, grip strength, the standing long-jump, seated-toe-touches, and sit-ups. You all did these in middle school but were never allowed to use your Quirks. It isn't rational, but the Department of Education loves dragging their feet about changing things and creating new standards."

He glanced towards the group, lingering on Kiri before deciding on his target.

Aizawa: "Bakugo, step forward. What was your record with the softball throw in middle school?"

Bakugo: "Ninety-five meters."

The past year, roughly, had been hell on him. He pushed himself harder than ever before after Deku had shown him up in school.

Aizawa tossed him a ball with a strange little gizmo wrapped tightly to it.

Aizawa: "Let's see what you can do. Go all out and use your Quirk. You're not allowed to step from that circle. Give it all you got."

Bakugo: "Awesome. I think I'm going to like this class."

Katsuki was starting to smirk as he stretched his arms. He wound up before chucking the ball with a roar.

Bakugo: "DIE!"

A massive explosion accompanied it, and it flew nearly out of sight with smoke rings from the explosion accompanying it.

'Die?'

The class collectively thought, utterly puzzled.

It landed almost a kilometer away, and Aizawa showed them his reader. 987.3 meters.

Aizawa: "It's important for us to know your limits. That's the first step in figuring out just what kind of heroes you'll be."

The class erupted into various reactions.

"Wahooo! This is awesome!"

A literally pink girl with horns and golden eyes in black sclera yelled out.

"We get to use our quirks right off the bat!? Nice!"

One of the boys, the one with red spiky hair, says out loud.

Jiro: "Almost a kilometer? Seriously?"

The pink girl yelled again.

"This is going to be so much fun!"

Aizawa: "Fun, you say?"

All of a sudden, a feeling of dread enveloped them. Aizawa was staring at them. His expression hadn't really changed, but there was something about him that made it seem like a bucket of ice had been dropped into their gym uniforms.

Aizawa: "You've only got three years here, and you're thinking about fun? Alright then. If you're just here to have fun, then I'm going to make a new rule. The person who scores the lowest in these exams will be judged as hopeless and will be on a one-way train back home before the day is over."

Shivers ran through everyone's back; this is no laughing matter. Aizawa brushed his bangs back and had a strange smile on his face, his eyes wide and intense. He looked every bit a madman.

Aizawa: "Your fates are in our hands. Welcome to the Hero Course."

Uraraka: "What! But it's the first day, and we're risking expulsion?! That's not fair!"

Aizawa: "Natural disasters… rampaging villains… freak accidents… The world isn't fair, Ochaco Uraraka. Calamity is always just around the corner, and Heroes are the ones who correct that unfairness."

Kiri couldn't help but slightly nod her head. Unlike everyone else here, she knows just how brutal the outside world can be. This is only fair.

Aizawa grins again.

Aizawa: "If you were planning on hanging out for the next three years, you're in for a rude awakening, kids. UA will do its best to put you through one hardship after another, because villains and disasters don't discriminate. The only way we can ensure you survive to be splendid heroes is by ensuring you are the strongest, so bring it on. That's PLUS ULTRA."

Ida: "Trial by fire, huh?"

Izuku: "We fought and bled to get here, sensei! We're not going home without a fight!"

The rest of the class was looking determined, bolstered by his words. Kiri smiles at her big brother; he really is coming into his own.

Aizawa: "Good to hear. The demonstration is over, so let's get it on. First up is the fifty-meter dash."

He turned and led them over to the tracks.

Aizawa: 'They dispelled the aura of fear I created. Now they're all determined to pass. These kids are good.'

The dashes were done in groups of two, one per lane. Aizawa called up the first two competitors.

Aizawa: "Mina Ashido and Kiri Tae, step up."

The two stepped up to the speed lanes.

Mina: "I'm not going to lose!"

Kiri looked back at Izuku, who gave her two thumbs up and a smile. She's almost thankful for her smaller form. She can't use her full power and upstage everyone, risking alienating her and her onii-chan.

But more than that, this smaller form means she doesn't have to hold back. Something she never quite got the hang of. Her best in this form shouldn't be too far removed from the rest of the kids.

Everything should be fine.

She turns back around and gets into a running position alongside Mina.

The robot the school was using to record results fired off the starting gun, and they were off.

Mina was basically skating on the track with a really slick acid. It enabled her to go pretty quick, but not as fast as Kiri, who was running normally.

Mina: 4.92 seconds

Kiri: 2.80 seconds

Mina: "Man! And she didn't even break a sweat. Did she even use her quirk?"

Kiri went back to Izuku and gave him her best smile.

Izuku: "W-Way to go, Kiri. Your physical enchantment quirk is really amazing."

Thankfully, that got everyone to turn back to the tests. Physical enchantment quirk? Checks out.

The next group was Katsuki Bakugo and Tsuyu Asui. Katsuki used his explosive Quirk basically like an afterburner. How he didn't just fall over was a mystery.

He finished the race in 3.13 seconds, with Tsuyu displaying some incredible leaping ability and finishing in 5.58 seconds.

Bakugo looked back at Tae and Deku before clenching his fist.

Bakugo: 'I have to do better.'

Next up was Jiro and Iida. Iida pulled up his pant legs, revealing a thicker-than-normal set of calves, which quickly grew six pipes on each leg. He also rolled up his sleeves, and two larger pipes grew on his elbows.

Jiro knew she wasn't winning this but still put up a decent fight.

Ida: 2.34 seconds

Jiro: 7.50 seconds

Izuku: "Awesome job, Ida!"

Izuku hesitantly offered the boy a high-five, which Iida happily returned.

Ida "Thank you, Midoriya. I'm quite eager to see how you'll do."

Iida replied while sipping from his bottle, but his eyes were on Kiri. Her speed was unreal and is comparable to his. But unlike his, she didn't need to recharge.

Ida: 'She really is something.'

Next was Kaminari and Tokoyami. This was more of a physical test than a quirk test for them. Their quirks just weren't suited for it. And because of that, their times were around average.

Kaminari: 6.26 seconds

Tokoyami: 6.60 seconds

Next up was Eijirō Kirishima, the red-haired, boisterous fourth-place competitor in the Entrance Exam who only missed taking home the bronze by a few points. He has a highly fit body and so has the potential to win against some of the students here. But he's against Izuku.

The little phoenix thought about teleporting but decided against it.

Izuku: 'That would be unfair and not a true test of my speed.'

So instead, Izuku floated up and prepared for takeoff.

Needless to say, the flyer won.

Izuku: 3.10 seconds

Kirishima: 4.30 seconds

Bakugo: 'He beat me, again!'

It took all Bakugo had to stop himself from doing something stupid. It won't solve anything, and he knows he'll reclaim his spot at the top soon enough.

Next was Hanta Sero and Mezo Shoji at the starting line. Despite Mezo's athleticism, Sero's Tape quirk, allowing him to reel himself forward, gave him the win.

Sero: 4.52 seconds

Shoji: 5.67 seconds

The last race had everyone a bit excited. Due to the odd number, this was a three-way between Momo, Uraraka, and Shōto Todoroki. The latter of whom got in due to recommendation.

Something Momo could have done as well but decided to do it the proper way. To prove she could do it without the recommendation.

But don't let that fool you; she is worth every inch of that recommendation. Despite the stiff competition, Momo's creativity won her the day.

But at the cost of some of the boys' noses to bleed. Momo unzipped her top, shrugging it off to reveal a very mature physique. Her black bra started glowing a rainbow of colors, and when it cleared, she instead was wearing bandages that were tightly wrapping her chest. Her shoes also glowed and turned into perfectly fitted skates. Finally, a small glow from each hand had two small tubes grow from her skin.

The gun sounded, and the two top students were off, leaving poor Uraraka behind. Shoto used his ice to skate across the field, but that only helped Momo.

Using her current momentum, she unveiled the two tubes from before. It turns out they were rocket boosters! The result?

She left a trail of smoke behind her and sped far past the finish line before the fuel ran out.

Jiro: "Crazy."

Mina: "Amazing!"

When Momo came back, she had a bit of a sheepish look on her face.

Momo: "Sorry everyone. I used a bit too much."

Aizawa: "Perhaps, but you also took first place."

Shoto: 2.39 seconds

Uraraka: 5.80 seconds

Momo: 2.22 seconds

Momo smiled proudly while Iida clenched a trembling fist before him.

Iida "Second in my own event. How shameful!"

Izuku: "Way to go, Yaoyorozu-san!"

Kiri: "Nh."

Momo: "Thank you. I didn't actually expect to get first place, though."

The first set of exams was over, and so the group headed to the next locale, the gym. Along the way, Izuku asked Momo a question.

Izuku: "Yaoyorozu-san. May I ask about your quirk? I have to say again, you were amazing back there!"

She smiled brightly at him.

Momo: "Thank you Midoriya-san, though I must say the same. I'm quite curious about your own quirk as well. My quirk is named Creation. Using my body's fat cells as a building block, I can create any non-living thing as long as I know and understand its molecular structure."

Izuku: "Holy! You must be a genius, Yaoyorozu-san! That must have been a difficult compound to memorize!"

She grew slightly pink at the acknowledgment of her immense efforts.

Momo: "Thank you, Midoriya-san. Additionally, as long as it doesn't stop touching some part of my body, I can further alter anything I create. That was why I was able to change my bra into those chest-bindings but not the U.A. track suit. It does take a bit longer to do so and requires more concentration, despite the benefits. The second I let go of them or they stop touching my skin, whatever I create becomes a permanent object."

Izuku: "Hmm, can you bring your creations back into your body when you don't need them anymore? That way you regain some of your stores?"

Momo blinked, putting a finger to her lip and biting it lightly. She didn't even notice Izuku turn pink at the cute action.

Momo: "You know, I've never actually tried. I will do so promptly! Thank you for the idea, Midoriya-san."

She gave him a warm smile, and he turned red, starting to stammer. She giggled in response, finding it a bit endearing. However, this little interaction made a certain someone feel a bit… strange.

Kiri began tugging on Izuku's shirt while staring at him.

Izuku: "Huh? What is it, Kiri?"

Momo noticed right away and giggled.

Momo: "I think your girlfriend might be a bit jealous. Forgive me, Kiri, if I overstepped."

Izuku: "W-W-Wait, Kiri isn't my girlfriend; she's-"

Kiri: "I'm not?"

Izuku turned to her and could see the sudden sadness in her eyes. Then he felt the stares. It was at this moment he knew, he fucked up.

Kaminari: "Dude, not cool."

Kirishima: "Not manly at all."

Momo: "You shouldn't play with a girl's feelings, Midoriya-san."

And just like that, Momo's smile turned upside down.

Izuku: "N-No wait… I… she… we… never mind."

Deciding not to dig the hole any deeper, he kept his mouth shut.

Izuku: 'I have to clear this misunderstanding up and soon.'

But that soon won't be now, since the next tests are about to begin.

Grip tests.

Not much of note happened here, since most of the students got decent scores at best and awful scores at worst. The standout, again, was Momo. She completely blew everyone away by creating a functioning JAWS OF LIFE and getting an error reading. It took her a few minutes of reading from a large book she carried with her and quite a bit of concentration before she was ready to create it.

Once she did, it took her a few seconds at best and worked perfectly.

As for Bakugo and Kiri, they broke their measurement devices. Leaving their score for this test, blank. But considering Kiri broke it instead of blowing it up, it was clear she was the strongest one here.

Kaminari: "Dude, for your sake, I wouldn't make that girl mad or jealous."

Izuku could only slap his forehead at the misunderstanding.

The next test was a fun one: the standing long jump.

At this point the class had done away with alphabetical order and were merely taking turns and trying their best. A clear chasm was forming between the top and bottom of the class. It was clear that some of them didn't have suitable Quirks for these types of situations. Sadly, Jiro had ranked last in every single test so far.

Momo tried to cheer her up, but it was looking bleak. The threat of expulsion was hanging heavy on everyone, but mostly her.

The next test was the softball pitch, which Katsuki threw a fit over not being able to try again on, as he felt he still could have done better.

The standout this time was Uraraka, who got infinity due to her quirk, Zero Gravity.

Kaminari: "She got infinity! How can anyone else get first place now? She automatically wins everything with a score like that, right?"

Aizawa: "No. When calculations are done, I'll just give her a meter more than Yaoyorozu."

Yeah, Momo shot her ball out of a cannon. If not for Uraraka, she would have topped the charts, again.

The day finished quickly after that. The last test was a marathon run, which Kiri crushed, despite Momo using a bike and Ida being a living engine. She just never got tired.

The rest of the tests only confirmed what they already had established: the pecking order.

Aizawa: "It would be a waste of time to explain how everything was calculated since it was only your performances recorded. Let's just get to the final rankings."

Aizawa clicked a button on his device, and a holographic screen popped up.

The top 5 were obvious.

1. Momo Yaoyorozu

2. Kiri Tae

3. Izuku Midoriya

4. Shoto Todoroki

5. Katsuki Bakugo

Bakugo: 'Fifth? FUCKING, FIFTH?! Forget first place; I didn't even get second?! FUCKING, DEKU, BEAT ME!?'

The explosive teen was boiling mad, and the only reason he didn't let off some steam was that he was sure Aizawa would punish him for it.

The rest of the results spoke for themselves.

6. Tenya Ida

7. Fumikage Tokoyami

8. Mezo Shoji

9. Eijirō Kirishima

10. Ochaco Uraraka

11. Mina Ashido

12. Tsuyu Asui

13. Denki Kaminari

14. Hanta Sero

15. Kyoka Jiro

Yep, dead last.

Jiro: "No… "

Momo: "Kyoka… "

Aizawa: "Oh, by the way, I was lying about expelling someone."

…

…

HUH!?

Everyone was floored by the admission.

Aizawa: "It was just a rational deception to get you to perform your best!"

"WHHHHHHAAAAAAAAATTTTTT?!"

Jiro: "Yes!"

Momo breathed a sigh of relief. She was pretty sure it was a ruse but didn't want to get her best friend's hopes up in case she was wrong.

Momo: 'Thank goodness I was right.'

But not everyone was celebrating; no, one person saw through the teacher.

Kiri: "Lair."

Silence, a cold silence overtook the area.

Aizawa: "Come again?"

Kiri: "We… are going to be heroes. It's a dangerous job with no…second chances. UA is suppose… to prepare us for that. So… "

Her usually blank expression hardened for a split second, but it was enough to make Aizawa's hair stand on end.

Kiri: "Don't. Coddle. Us. We deserve the truth."

Izuku: "Kiri, what are you-"

Aizawa: "Haha, fine. Have it your way."

He opened his eyes and rooted Jiro to the ground, paralyzed with fear.

Jiro: "Ugh."

Momo: "Kyoka!"

Aizawa: "I was NOT lying about someone being expelled. In my time here, I've expelled a hundred and fifty-four students. Last semester I expelled my entire class in just under two weeks."

Momo's eyes went wide, but she didn't take a step back. Instead, she grabbed Jiro's hand, hoping for the best. That maybe, this is just a warning.

Aizawa: "Understand this: the only reason you are not going home today is that I see a meager amount of potential in you. Yes, you weren't suited for these tests. You may think it's unfair, but life rarely is. So, if I thought you had no prospects at all, I would have cut you loose immediately. There is nothing crueler than letting someone chase around a half-baked dream."

The entire class was shivering under his words, which doubled when he addressed them all.

Aizawa: "And that goes for each and every one of you. If I feel you're slacking off and not being serious about your position here, I won't hesitate to kick you out."

He turned back to Jiro.

Aizawa: "You need to work harder on your fitness. Your quirk will mean nothing if you're caught by a villain or expect a civilian to do half the work when saving them."

Jiro's mind returns back to when she tried to save Uraraka. She did not have the strength to save her alone and needed the one in danger to pitch in. If the others weren't there, what would she have done?

Jiro: "I… understand."

Aizawa didn't respond and instead turned back to everyone else.

Aizawa: "Any questions?"

"N-no sensei!"

The droning from his students sounded at him.

Aizawa: "Good. Have a good day and be prepared for tomorrow. If you thought today was hard, you won't be ready in the slightest for tomorrow's trials."

He whirled around and walked away without a look back.

Several people had lost feeling in their legs and slumped to the floor, hearts racing and adrenaline pumping. Most affected, of course, was Jiro.

Momo: "Kyoka, are you alright?"

Jiro: "Y-Yeah, just… give me a second to collect myself."

Momo helped her best friend regain her footing. Izuku looked on with worry, wanting to help, to comfort them in some way. But it wasn't his place right now.

Izuku knew Kiri was right to do what she did. She, more than almost anyone, knows how dangerous the hero world can be.

Izuku: 'Still… I can't help but feel sorry for Jiro. I can only hope this spurs her on to improve even more.'

Except for a few who weren't affected by the speech and left quickly, it was a much subdued group that finally made it back to 1-A.