Izuku Shimura was bored. Looking around his room, Izuku saw his laptop on his desk, but he didn't feel like bothering his Uncle Nezu for another project. As fun as they were, Toshi was still mad that they hacked the American Department of Heroics just to prove they could. That was a no go. He could do another quirk analysis on a new pro, but that felt like work. Normally, Izuku would be frothing at the mouth to dissect someone like Mt. Lady, but after some of their neighbors found out about his hobby they started buying some of his notes as presents for their bosses, and it lost some of the fun… maybe later. Izuku rolled off his bed and grabbed his gauntlet so he could go for a walk.

The gauntlet in question was a small black computer that could translate his signing into speech for those who didn't understand JSL and had a typing function for more specific topics that JSL didn't cover. The current model was a gift from Power Loader for his twelfth birthday, but his original one, that didn't have the translator in it, now sat in a display case along with his graduation certificate from middle school the year before. He would have tested out sooner, but he wasn't allowed to test out of multiple years at a time according to the Japanese Department of Education.

With only ten months before the Yuuei Entrance Exam, most teens his age were hurriedly training, but Izuku knew he didn't really need to. He was still training just as hard as they were, but it wasn't due to stress or worry like them. No, Izuku trained because he loved it and his body craved it. Pushing himself beyond his limits and getting to a new level of strength or control was like a drug for him, and he was a junkie. On top of that, Uncle Nezu had long since made sure he already had all the academic subjects covered for his entire high school time. That crazy chimera had made it a point to push Izuku just as hard academically as he pushed himself physically, that way they had more time for fun like programming homophobic politicians offices to light up in rainbows, or leaking quirkist leaders' internet histories to the press. Was if petty, yes, but was it fun and hilarious, double yes.

Izuku was strolling around town, helping out here and there like a hero should, when he caught sight of a few people trying to hide the fact they were following him. Izuku's instincts screamed at him to get away… or attack, but he shoved them down. He wasn't a beast… he wasn't a monster, and he sure as fuck wasn't AFO's pet monster. He was Izuku Shimura, little brother of Toshinori Shimura, and future hero like his mother and brother before him. He wasn't some test tube abomination and he'd prove it by being the best hero he could possibly be. He wasn't going to let some evil ass or how he was born determine his worth just like Uncle Nezu taught him.

As he continued to walk, he paid attention to as many details as he could about the ones following him just in case they tried something or he needed to tell his big brother about them. That's why he felt stupid when he recognized first one and then another of the vultures… reporters of the worst kind, paparazzi. It's not the first time he'd had to deal with them since Toshinori's cover was as the number one's personal assistant, and he was his brother, but it always sucked. Izuku knew above all else, he had to remain in control and not show claw, fang, or scale where they could see, or it would cause Toshi a lot of problems.

For the next twenty minutes, he just tried to ignore them, but then he heard screaming and he started running. Screaming meant trouble, and trouble meant people in need. Even if he couldn't use his quirk, he could still be a hero. Crowd control, first aid, comforting victims… he could still help. When he got close enough to see what was going on, he felt his instincts rise up again, and it took everything he had to hold them back.

A large, bulky, and muscular man with short sandy blond spiky hair and a large scar on the left side of his face was laughing as he held a brown haired woman he recognized by the throat. Haruta Izumi was one of the Water Hose heroes, but she was currently crying and begging for Goto Imasuji to not kill her. Goto was a known serial killer, and a few years before the Water Hose duo had nearly died because of him, but they had managed to get away. The villain had escaped, but nobody died, so it was seen as a success. Muscular had continued his killing spree soon after.

Izuku knew this man. He could stop him, but… not with the vultures circling. Looking around, Izuku saw a half dozen heroes, but they were just standing there. Izuku understood the importance of keeping the crowd back, but what about Haruta. She looked so scared. She was begging for Goto to not kill her… to not leave her son an orphan, but Goto just laughed, and then there was a crack and Haruta hung limply before being thrown away like trash. Izuku felt his heart drop and he hid his hands before anyone could see his claws… Why hadn't he jumped in? Why wasn't he jumping in? Why was he forcing himself to not tear apart this murderer?

Izuku growled, but he turned away. He couldn't watch this. He couldn't help anyone. He was an idiot. He wasn't a hero, just a stupid kid. He was just Subject 7691. Izuku walked home in silence. He never looked up, and ignored everything around him. None of it mattered at the moment.

When Toshinori came home that night he noticed how quiet the apartment was. He knew Izuku was around, but he didn't see his little brother anywhere, and the kitchen looked untouched. Normally Izuku would greet him at the door, or have dinner close to ready for them when he felt energetic, but he was nowhere to be seen. Toshinori checked his phone, no text or voicemail. Checked the table, no note, but that's when he heard a faint scratching sound coming from the bathroom, and carefully, Toshinori snuck closer. The door was cracked, lights were off, but he heard faint crying and scratching from the shower. Toshinori sighed, and sat on the toilet next to the shower and knocked once on the door before just waiting.

Izuku didn't respond for nearly ten minutes before he let out a shuddering breath, and the computerized voice of his gauntlets groaned out, "I was so stupid. Why did I think I could be a hero? You should have just let me rot in Tartarus. I hurt you. If I hadn't… you could have saved her. FUCK!"

Toshinori shook his head and let out a long breath, "Izu… what happened? Fill me in, so I can understand."

The voice returned, "I went out to go for a walk. I… I helped Mr. Sashi to unload his truck of the new product for his shop. Got Aiko's cat out of a tree. Brought in Ms. Tanaka's groceries for her. It was… I was doing right, ya know. Helping people like you taught me… trying to live up to the Shimura name. FUCK. I was doing good… but then I noticed I was being tailed. Paparazzi. Aizawa calls them vultures, and I can't say I disagree. I… I ignored them. Kept myself in control. No slips. No mistakes. Why did I run toward the screaming? I knew I wouldn't be able to help much, so why didn't I just go home?"

Izuku whimpered, and Toshinori heard the sound of claws scraping against tile again as he cried. Toshinori clenched a fist, and held back from ripping open the door and hugging his precious little brother until the hurt was gone and the tears ended. There would be time for that later, right now… he needed to know what happened. Toshinori rested his hand on the frosted glass and a moment later felt the warmth of Izuku's hand doing the same on the other side. Toshinori whispered, "What happened after that?"

Izuku growled, and the voice growled too, "It was Muscular. He had Izumi-san by the throat. I could have saved her. I should have saved her, but I didn't. I failed to be a hero, and now… her son will never see his mom again. I'm a monster, so what would it have mattered if I was arrested for vigilantism. I would have been in a cage next to Muscular, but at least she could have gone home to her family. Toshi… is the only thing I'm good for… ending heroes careers? I crippled you. I didn't save her. Maybe this is a sign? Maybe I should just fade away into the dark before someone else ends up hurt?"

Toshinori felt his heart break and he let out a shudder, "Izuku! Please don't talk like that. I need you. I was alone for a long time, but the last seven years have been the best of my life. Izuku, I almost forgot what defines a hero. You heard someone… scared and in need, and you ran to help them. What happened after is irrelevant. You're not a hero yet, but your first response was still to run and help. What happened today was a tragedy, but it's… not… your… fault. Heroes don't always save the day. We make mistakes. We lose people, but that's not what defines us. I've failed… so many times. Lost so many people, both friend and stranger, but I keep moving forward because if I don't… I won't be able to save the next one either or the one after that. You can't let the darkness beat you. We have a responsibility to get back up and keep fighting. Please, Izu… come out. Come out here, and let me help you stand again. Let's stand together against the tide, isn't that what you told me when you said you wanted to be a hero too?"

The room was silent for a few minutes, before the scraping could be heard again, and Izuku stepped out… only to fall into Toshinori's arms. For the rest of the night, they stayed close to each other, and were just there for each other. They would keep fighting, but for tonight they would just rest… and heal.

They both slept on the couch that night with Izuku falling asleep leaning against his big brother for support. In the morning, before Izuku woke up, the pro started his search for answers. He found a video of the event, and it was just as bad as Izuku described, but it didn't end when Izuku left. A few heroes did eventually engage with the villain, but they didn't seem to be what the murderer was looking for, so he ran off. Checking the hero network, Toshinori found the report's from the pursuers and groaned. Muscular was still at large, and had escaped somehow. Toshinori shook his head and grumbled. He'd hoped to be able to tell Izuku that at least the villain was caught… but he couldn't tell him this! It would just hurt him more. Wasn't it bad enough out there with the Hero Killer causing issues, but now they've got a known serial killer just doing as he pleases. Toshinori groaned, "We need a distraction."

That was how they ended up on Dagobah Beach. The beach had become an illegal dumping ground a number of years ago, and Toshinori came up with cleaning it together as a project and a bit of heroic community service. Heck, if they didn't use their quirks, it could even be good training. They went out every other day and in no time they were starting to see results. At first Izuku just seemed to be going along with it listlessly, but after the first week he was starting to return to the smiling happy kid Toshinori adored.

On days they didn't clean the beach, Izuku was still training, but instead of physical training, he was working on his control. His quirks were powerful and prone to raging, so Izuku had spent a lot of time working to dominate them into his full control. He had nearly mastered his first to the point that it almost never went out of control, unless a very specific circumstance happened, and he was careful to avoid it. The next he focused on was about half way there. It could overwhelm him if he let his focus slip, but it was a rush every time he let it out to play. The third was an issue, Izuku didn't know why, but some days it was fully under control and others it was completely uncontrollable, as odd as that was. His last quirk though… he never used it. It was too much for him. It's rage and hate was endless, and the one time he had tried to train it, even Nezu forbade it from being let out again until Izuku had some control. It had been very expensive to replace that entire mock city.

It only took three months to clean the beach, but it had the desired effect. Seeing the beach restored and hearing how much people appreciated its return to a beautiful place of fun and splendor proved the last push Izuku needed to truly smile again. Izuku continued to train normally after that, but he didn't forget how he'd failed, and he swore to himself he'd never let it happen again.

A week before Yuuei's general entrance exam, they were having their recommendation exam. Izuku didn't technically need to take either exam to get a spot since Nezu himself had saved him a seat since he was eight, but he intended to take the general exam anyway just to prove he earned it, but that didn't mean he didn't come to the recommended exam. His uncle had requested his help specifically, and Izuku loved spending time with the stout chimera. As requested, Izuku arrived early to Yuuei to 'get dressed' and discuss the plan over tea and breakfast.

A few hours later, all of the applicants were gathered and waiting for the exam to begin, and the proctors were expecting Nezu to pop out of a random vent like usual. Instead he arrived through the door while riding on a six foot long reptile with sharp red eyes, razor sharp claws and teeth, and a powerful deadly tail. It had on a black bodysuit, but what most people noticed was the thick spiked collar around his neck held by Nezu. If the teachers didn't already know it was Izuku and he was completely safe they might have been as terrified as the others in the room were.

With a laugh, Nezu threw wide his arms, "Welcome everyone to Yuuei's Recommendation Exam for the upcoming school term. Am I a mouse, a bear, a dog? I'll tell you… I'm Principle Nezu and this is a friend of mine. You may refer to him as 'Yoshi' for the day." 'Yoshi' hissed at the crowd threateningly, making them step back. "With that out of the way, applicants please follow me to the written exam room." Izuku turned and nearly broke character as he stomped away on all fours as Nezu kept an eye on the students. When they reached the room, Nezu clambered onto the desk, and Izuku laid down in front of it as he hissed slightly at students that got too close and glared at others.

Once everyone was situated, Nezu spoke up again, "Alright everyone. When I say go, you will open your desks and begin your exam. You'll find a pack of pencils, a sharpener, and a few assorted tools you may use during the exam. Use of anything else is strictly prohibited. If you are caught cheating, you will be banned from the rest of the testing. You have an hour to complete the exam, and with that said… BEGIN!"

For the first few minutes, the room was silent excluding the sound of scraping pencils, but then a different kind of scraping was heard as Izuku slinked between the rows with exaggerated reptilian steps. For the most part he just walked up and down the rows like a stalking beast or hungry shark while people sweat and tried their hardest to ignore him. A few times, he paused and hissed loudly at an applicant, but he didn't attack. Just before the end of the test though two applicants did something odd. A tall girl with a high black ponytail actually pet Izuku's head a bit as he passed, and another with sharp teeth and moss green hair snuck him some jerky from her pocket. Izuku froze for a second each time before going with it, and the jerky was actually top shelf stuff so he actually gave her a small smile before slinking away to sit back in front of the desk like the trained pet he was playing.

Once everyone was done, and the tests were secured in the desks again, Nezu clapped and smiled, "To those moving on, great job. The test will be collected once we leave, but applicants 45, 97, 82, 64, 27, and 55… you may leave. You have been caught cheating. Thank you, have a nice day."

While most of the cheaters slinked away in shame 64 did not. He started stomping toward Nezu with an enraged red face as he sputtered, "How dare you! Do you know who I am?! I have never cheated at anything in my life! Where is your proof?"

As soon as he cleared the desks, Izuku pounced and pinned him under a clawed hand before snapping his teeth in his face and hissing. Nexu laughed, "Yoshi, my friend… right forearm." Izuku's claw slashed and tore away the sleeve he knew hid their proof, and the others saw that 64's arm was covered in written answers from his wrist to his elbow. A few seconds later, Aizawa dropped down from above and Izuku stepped back to release the boy.

After that, Nezu returned to Izuku's back as they guided the remaining applicants out to the practical field, but Izuku noticed that the two girls were now watching him a lot closer, and the green haired one practically had stars in her eyes. Once they arrived at the site, Nezu got a call and had to step away, but before he left he announced, "The life of a principal is never dull. Fifteen minute break everyone while I take this call. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves and rest a bit, and fear not… I'll leave Yoshi here to keep an eye on all of you." Izuku hissed and did a circle like a dog before plopping down in the grass, and the remaining ninety-four applicants just watched Nezu disappear into a bush without a trace.

For the first minute they all just looked around confused before a few scoffed, and all of the teens broke into small groups or stepped away to relax alone. Izuku played his part. He closed his eyes and listened in to all of the conversations going on, mentally making a list of any applicants that set off any red flags once they believed nobody was listening, but then he felt a pair of soft hands playing with his hair. Izuku's eyes snapped open, and he was met again by sharp teeth and dusky green eyes. The girl smiled at him, "Well, aren't you an adorable dinosaur. I hope the principal is treating you well. If not, just follow my scent, ok? Mama Tokage will treat you nice."

Izuku covered his face with his claws, in order to hide his blush, and silently cursed his Uncle. He had not agreed to this! A few moments later, Tokage offered him some more jerky, and he took it. He rationalized it in his head as playing along, and it was really good jerky, but a traitorous voice whispered that he secretly liked being this girls 'pet'.

A short time later, Nezu returned and laughed at Izuku's predicament, making the boy hiss in real annoyance, but then they got back to the tests. The practical consisted of a few physical exams, like an obstacle race and maze. During the tests, Nezu stood between Izuku's front claws as the reptile looking boy stood guard over him while sitting like a dog. In the end both the ponytail girl and… Tokage did well. Only Nezu had any idea who passed, and Izuku knew better than to even try to ask. Nezu started another speech to end the exams, but Izuku lifted him up by the back of his suit with his teeth, like they'd planned, and just sauntered off. More than a few applicants were left wondering if they just saw him get eaten by his pet, but the teachers around didn't look worried, so they just left.

Once they were back in the teacher's lounge, Izuku dropped Nezu on the couch and changed back into his human form before getting dressed. From behind a screen, Izuku's electronic voice started up, "You should give 94, 53, 36, 60, 11, and 8 another look, Nuzu. I think one might be sexist, another a pervert, and a few quirkists tendencies were what I heard. All of these things are correctable, but they need to be noted for the future either way. Even if they don't pass, they may lead us to more targets because some of those are learned habits. Agreed?"

Nezu laughed, "Don't you want to know more about 4 and 99? 99 seemed to find you 'very interesting'."

Izuku growled, "Shut it. That was not part of the plan you told me… You rat bastard! You set me up?!"

Nezu cackled, "Yes and no. I was aware young Tokage had an appreciation for dinosaurs and scaled beings, but it was only a hypothesis. You and I both know I can't help it, anymore then you can stop fighting. Now, what's your assessment of Ryukyu's recommendation?"

Izuku grumbled, but he knew his Uncle was being serious. He really did want to know, "She's… nice. Unlike the others, she never seemed bothered by me. While yes 4 did reach out once, she seemed to only have the courage to take that chance once. Tokage tried to ply me with treats and actually talked to me. It was like a pet, but she was still kind. She even tried to convince me to seek her out if you 'mistreated' me."

Izuku stepped out with a forest green hoodie and black slacks on before walking over to sit and drink some tea with Nezu, who looked deep in thought. Nezu gave him a concerned look, "Should I be concerned you'll replace me with a new partner in crime? Or maybe a mate?"

Izuku blushed and turned away, but Nezu saw hurt in his eyes for a second, "No, Uncle… it's nothing like that. Nobody could understand our scars like each other do, and she doesn't even know I exist. Sure, she seems to like 'Yoshi', well played by the way, but she will probably hate Izuku… just like everyone else. I'm too odd, too violent, and too broken to have a mate, so I think you're safe. Probably shouldn't show up to orientation with lizard skin boots and gloves though, like we planned… she might attack you."

Nezu hummed in thought, before patting Izuku's arm, "I will think on it, but… thank you. I am well aware of my own eccentricities, and I know I can be unnerving and problematic, but you never seem to judge me for it. As you know, I am aromantic. I don't see the point in finding a mate, but… this school is my home, it's teachers my pack, and you young Izuku… you might be the closest thing I'll ever have to a son. You are everything I hoped you would be, and so much more. I appreciate you, and we've discussed my wish to leave you what I leave behind when the great predator takes me, but I know you need people around you even more than I do. You are not broken, anymore than I am. One day you will find a mate, and I only pray that I'll get the chance to see what kind of chaos your kits will be. These humans will never deserve us. At the end of the day, we are still animals and because of that we will always be different, but that doesn't make us less."

Izuku gave Nezu a hug, "Yes, Uncle. Thank you too by the way. Toshi is a fantastic brother, but he can never understand me like you do. Now, I think that's enough feelinge. I found evidence that one of the American ambassadors has a very anti-transgender agenda. Want to help me slip him a worm to fill all of his computers with transgender porn, before we expose him for being hateful?"

Nezu clapped his paws, "As if you need to ask! Pull up your evidence so I can verify it, and I'll go grab my flash drive and some tea cakes."

The next week, Izuku was once more stepping into Yuuei, but this time it was for his own exam. While everyone else around him was in their middle school uniforms, Izuku was wearing a pair of black shorts, and an All Might hoodie his brother had gotten him as a joke, but had become his good luck charm. Izuku walked along without paying attention to his surroundings. This campus had become his second home over the years, and he knew it's ever bump and crack. His instincts would warn him of a threat long before it got close. That's why, when he stepped over an uneven bit of sidewalk and the person behind him did, Izuku was able to jerk around and catch the brown haired girl before she finished falling.

The girl blushed as Izuku smiled and helped her back to her feet, and she started to apologize, "I'm so sorry! I should have been watching where I was going. I'm-"

But Izuku held up a hand to stop her as he started signing, choosing JSL to test the waters, and the girl jumped a bit when she heard his gauntlet start to translate, "Don't worry about it. Heroes help people in small ways as well as large. I'm just happy you're not hurt." The girl gave him a confused look so he sighed, "I can't speak. Quirk issue we think. To compensate I learned to sign. I actually know ASL, JSL, FSL, and SSL and understand English, Japanese, French, and Spanish as a result. I'm working on Chinese and Russian along with their signs, but I'm not there yet. I know what it's like to not be understood, so I wanted to make sure I'd always be able to understand others."

The girl's eyes lit up and she smiled, "That's so cool. Ancha worried it might get in the way of hero work tho?"

The girl covered her mouth and looked horrified at letting her accent slip, but Izuku just continued to smile, "Kansai, right?" The girl looked away embarrassed, but Izuku turned her back with a finger on the side of her face before making a lip zipping motition, "Don't worry… I won't say a word."

The girl laughed, "Ochako Uraraka, and thanks."

Izuku shrugged, "Izuku Shimura. Now we should get going. Uncle is definitely chaotic enough to trap the way in." With that Izuku turned and began to lead Ochako inside, unaware of the confusion he left in her mind at his mysterious 'Uncle' comment.

On the way to their test room, Izuku noticed four familiar students helping direct everyone to their test rooms and he growled a bit. Of course Nezu would invite them to watch the practical, he'd done it before, but why did the cute one with mossy green hair have to be here? Ochako noticed how Izuku seemed to shrink down a bit and use the crowd as cover to avoid the eyes of the girl with sharp teeth, but she couldn't imagine why? She seemed really nice, if a bit intense, as she helped other students.

Slinking into the test room, Izuku guided Ochako in before heading off to his own seat. It took a few more minutes, but the room was soon full and Aizawa came in before Nezu jumped out of his scarf and Izuku face palmed. Nezu had on a pair of lizard skin boots and a vest made of the same, and Izuku almost laughed at him for it. He gave them the same spiel about cheating, but apparently only Aizawa was helping this time. When the test began, Izuku noticed his test was three times thicker than the others, and he rolled his eyes… child's play.

It only took Izuku half an hour to burn through his exam, and he made sure to throw in a few clever wordings to mess with the musculid chimera when he graded it, because they both knew Nezu would grade his test personally. Was it petty to write answers in different languages, yes, but so was having the questions in a cipher of the same languages. Both stuck to the same languages for fairness, but by this point they loved challenging each other for dominance any chance they got. Once everyone was done, Nezu called out applicant's 954, 843, 364, 727, 685, and 27 and had them turned away for cheating. Izuku snorted, but Ochako paled even worse than she already had been.

Izuku guided her to the room they'd hear the explanation for the practical in, and chatted for a bit while they waited, mostly to calm Ochako back down and help her anxiety. Izuku had her check her information card that gave them an overview of the whole exam. Once they were sure they'd be in different test sites they started to discuss their quirks, or more accurately Izuku gave her ideas on how to best utilize her quirk, Zero Gravity. After that, Ochako looked at him quizzically as she waited for him to explain his quirk too.

Izuku only sighed and started to type, "My quirk is… odd. The best way to describe it is a beast with four faces. It's called, 'Monster Soul'. I can turn into one of four monstrous forms, but I only really have control of three and I can't use the last one at all without going on a rampage. Each one is unique in how it looks and what it lets me do, and I have to be really careful how I use it. Quirk suppressants don't work correctly on me. For instance, if you cuff me while I'm not in one of my forms, I'll randomly take on one of the four forms, and since I immediately go wild in one…"

Ochako gasped, "There's a twenty-five percent chance that you completely lose control."

Izuku nodded, "On the upside, if I'm already in a form, it will lock me into it, but more than likely I'll still end up rampaging since the cuffs would make it hard for me to focus. It's better than letting the black dragon out, but anything is better than that." Ochako gave him a look, and Izuku scratched the back of his head for a second, "I nicknamed each form. The other three are Flame Emperor, Thunder Ape, and Raging Dino."

Ochako's eyes sparkled, "They sound so cool! Can I see?"

Izuku shrugged playfully, "Sure… when you pass, I'll show them to you."

Ochako pouted, but before they could continue their conversation, another teacher walked in to explain the practical exam. Midnight in all her skin tight dominatrix clad glory cracked her whip for silence, "Look at all the youthful enthusiasm in this room! I love it. So my dears, here's how this is going to work. You've been divided amongst our training grounds, and will have ten minutes to rack up points. There are four robot villain types, but only three are worth villain points, and they are each labeled from one to three." Midnight licked her lips, "If you want to pass you'd better give us a show, and to encourage you, we have the massive zero point robot. In this line of work, there are just some enemies too large or powerful to contend with, and to replicate that feeling we created a cataclysm of steel. Best of luck, and…" Midnight winked and bit her lip, "Don't disappoint."

With her explanation complete, Midnight started directing applicants to their buses, and Izuku gave Ochako a smile and thumbs up that she returned with a slight blush. Izuku debated which form to use for the exam, since his go to was off the table if he wanted to maintain the surprise that 'Yoshi' wasn't just some exotic pet. By the time they arrived, Izuku had made his choice.

Meanwhile, Tokage was heading into the observation room to watch with the teachers and noticed one that was out of place. A tall skeletal man was sitting on the couch with… before she could take more than two steps, she was bound up in a scarf and couldn't use her quirk as she spit, growled, and raged at the small white figure who dared turn her 'favorite new friend' into a vest, or so she thought. Everyone else watched in a combination of surprise and confusion, except Yaoyorozu who just looked sad, as Nezu turned and looked the raging girl in the eyes, "Tokage-chan, I know you are upset, but I can assure you 'Yoshi' is fine." Everyone watched as she stopped and stared in disbelief. "I wouldn't usually disclose this, but the outfit I'm wearing is actually from a different source altogether. The man who gave me this scar." Nezu pointed to his eye, "Had a 'pet' that he used to discipline me when I was young. I turned it into a vest once I was free as a form of therapy… to prove to myself I am no one's prey."

Yaoyorozu looked relieved and Tokage stopped struggling, so Aizawa let her go. She looked ready to give him a harsh talking too about 'ethical clothing', but she was cut off by the start of the practical and a massive roar combined with a crack of thunder.

A minute before, the people around Izuku looked at him confused as he shed his hoodie and shoes, and started to stretch completely shirtless and with his scars on full display. A blue haired boy was rushing toward him, hands chopping, when the gates started to open and Present Mic yelled, "Go!" Izuku beat his chest, and people watched as a black mask took shape over the top of his face, two crooked horns grew from his head, and black fur started to cover his body as he grew a few more inches. With a crack of thunder, Izuku released a roar and charged forward like a lightning bolt until he slammed into a large three point robot and tore it in half with his bare hands. Any remaining electricity left in its husk flowing into him, and made his fur and hair flash gold for a split second before he turned to the next target.

The recommended students watched in awe as two students seemed completely unstoppable as they roamed their test sites like hunting beasts. The only difference was that one, Shimura according to the teachers, would occasionally pause to rescue a trapped applicant or take a bit of rubble to toss at a robot before it could attack someone. The rubble never took out the target, but it was clear to everyone that was a choice on the apes part. It was protecting and creating openings for others. The other student, Bakugo, was even more wild and destructive though. The blonde didn't seem to care about helping anyone but himself, and actively destroyed other applicants' targets if given the chance with his explosions. It wasn't particularly heroic, but he was undoubtedly going to pass… as long as he didn't accidentally attack another applicant.

This continued for almost the entire exam. Near the end, Nezu slammed a big red button and the whole campus shook. Rising up, they saw skyscraper size robots with painted Zero's on their shoulders enter the fray. While most applicant's did the sensible thing and ran, a few chose to help others escape, and Bakugo impotently blasted at one of the massive robots, but couldn't seem to do much more than slow its approach. One of the students that was trying to help was the teen with engine legs as he tried to save an invisible girl, but he couldn't shift the rubble that was pinning her. Suddenly he saw a black furred hand reach past him and lift the largest piece, allowing him to scoop up the injured girl, and start dashing away. As he did the ape gave him a thumbs up, and the engine boy nodded back.

The ape didn't run though. He grinned as he stood tall and beat his chest. Each hit making his fur flash gold and lightning start to crackle around him… until the flashing stopped and his fur remained gold. In a burst of speed unseen to that point, the gold ape swung up a building and took a deep breath. A bright flash blinded everyone for a moment, but then they saw what he'd done. Shimura had released a massive golden beam that had torn through the Zero's chest and drove it backwards, nothing but scrap. The Ape let out a mighty roar of victory, and Mic yelled for the end of the exam.

The recommended students were lead away to help make sure everyone was escorted out, and Nezu and Toshinori shared a proud smile as they watched Izuku swing down to ground level, and return to his human form looking a bit winded, but exceedingly proud of himself. As the duo stood up, and went to go congratulate him Toshinori whispered, "That story you told the sharp tooth girl was a lie, wasn't it?"

Nezu laughed, "Of course. This is all fake, but I do so love leaving people unaware and off balance. Speaking of which, did you get your certificate yet? Or tell young Shimura of your plans?"

Toshinori sighed, "Yes, though that final test was a doozy. Izuku and I have had multiple conversations about it, and he helped me pick the perfect person to make my successor. Thank you by the way for allowing them to enroll."

Nezu just shrugged, "It was a great opportunity. I would be a terrible teacher if I didn't."

It took a week to get all of the tests graded and acceptance letters prepared, but the top ten heroic scores ended up being…

Izuku Shimura- villain 84, rescue 60, total 144

Katsuki Bakugo- villain 77, rescue 0, total 77

Tenya Ida- villain 52, rescue 24, total 76

Eijiro Kirishima- villain 39, rescue 35, total 74

Ibara Shiozaki- villain 36, rescue 32, total 68

Itsuka Kendo- villain 25, rescue 40, total 65

Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu- villain 49, rescue 10, total 59

Yosetu Awase- villain 50, rescue 6, total 56

Ochako Uraraka- villain 35, rescue 20, total 55

In the Shimura household, they'd just finished listening to All Might announce that Yuuei would be Izuku's hero academia, and to nobody's surprise Toshinori was currently pinned under an excited and annoyed Izuku as he signed with his unoccupied hand, "Why didn't you tell me you were getting a job at Yuuei? Also, did you convince Nezu to institute the dorms behind my back? I remember very distinctly warning him that it was a risky idea to put that many hormonal teens in close proximity."

Toshinori groaned, "I thought you knew! You and Nezu are always scheming and- OW OW OW!"

Izuku increased the pressure on Toshinori's arm that was pinned behind him, "We do not scheme. Scheming is for villains. We plan the downfall of our enemies, totally different thing, and no, Nezu keeps the inner workings of his school very private."

Toshinori sighed and buffed up, freeing himself, "Well, either way. I'm still incredibly proud of you, and I know Nana would be too."

Izuku blushed, "Thanks. That… that means a lot to me. I really want to prove that I can be a great hero and give what happened to her purpose. I just wish I could have met her. That way I could apologize. I know I'm the son she never wanted, but I'll make sure that I never disappoint her again."

Toshinori wrapped Izuku in a hug, "You've never disappointed me, and I get the feeling that if she was here she'd say the same thing. I love you little brother."

Izuku sniffled, "I love you too, big bro. So… steak katsudon, and American action movies to celebrate?"

Toshinori chuckled, "I have taught you well. Maybe a few kaiju flicks too." The duo hugged before heading to the kitchen to get dinner started, unaware of the darkness on the horizon.

A green haired girl with Nana's face knelt before AFO, with a blue haired man standing nearby and sneering. AFO leaned forward and smiled, "It won't be long now. We'll reclaim your wayward brother, and together we'll bring this world to its knees. Are you ready… Inko?"

Inko smiled and bared her fangs, "Of course… Sensei."