Ahsoka looked over at Ochaco as they changed into their hero costumes."So, how did you think you did on your English exam?"

"Fair enough," Ochaco stated with a shrug as she got into her hero gear. "I was a little worried about the essay, since its easier to read and answer questions than it is to compose something new, but I think I did rather well. How about you?"

Ashoka grimaced. "I really hate English. It just makes no sense at times."

"But you still did well?"

"I think so but I didn't do as well as I would have preferred." It was annoying; Ahsoka could speak so many alien languages but English always tripped her up!

"Hey," Momo said as she finished tugging on her boots; Ahsoka had to admit that her new hero outfit was so much better than her old one. Dark blues and blacks, with a head wrap that left all but her eyes covered. The DNA-based fabric allowed her to pull from any part of her body the fat she needed without requiring her to expose her skin, which was also a plus. Momo also seemed far more confident in her outfit. During Heroics Class Ahsoka had seen a dramatic change in the teen, showing off grace and confidence that she had only tried to project in her earlier costume. "Are those new gloves, Ochaco?"

Ahsoka looked down at Ochaco's hands and at once saw Momo was right. Normanlly Ochacho had her hands completely bare when she was in her hero costume but now she was sporting a pair of black gloves with bits of pink filament running through them.

"Oh yeah!" she chirped. "I came up with it during my internship. My quirk requires skin contact but I don't need my whole hand exposed." She held up her hand and Ahsoka could see that just the very tips of her fingers were visible, the rest of her hand covered. "So I can wear these gloves, which is real nice. I looked into DNA-Based material but that causes some problems… a bit of a delay in my quirk activating. Power Loader is looking into it."

"Yes, I had a similar problem," Momo admitted. "They look very stylish!"

"And practical," Ochaco said happily. "Their reinforced to prevent my fingers from being broken; villains will eventually realize that my fingers are my weak point. And they have the added bonus…" She squeezed her hand shut and Ahsoka watched as the knuckles of the gloves suddenly popped out into studded points. "Retractable steel knuckles!"

"Whoa, those are really cool!" Ashido said, craning her neck so she could get a better look. "But, uh, no offense but… I thought you wanted to be a Rescue Hero?"

"I do," Ochaco stated simply as she loosened her fingers, causing the studs to disappear into the fabric, smoothing out so that they no longer posed a threat.

"Then why the knuckles?" Ashido asked. "I mean… unless you plan to punch falling debris."

Ochaco though merely shook her head. "How many different types of heroes are there?"

"Huh?"

"How many types of heroes are there?" Ochaco asked again.

Ashido frowned. "I know this… I know this… it was on the test… uh… can I use a lifeline?"

"There are 4," Reiko said with a smile. "Daylight or Limelight heroes. Nighttime or Underground. Support Heroes. Rescue Heroes. Of course all of those can be further broken down based upon what their focus is."

"Right," Ochaco stated. "There 3 different programs for students wishing to become Rescue Heroes, but they are all highly specialized. And no school offers them. Yet Rescue Heroes on average are highest in civilian interactions… that means that the public will interact with a Rescue Hero far more than a Limelight, Underground, or Support Hero. Do you know why then there are so few programs for them?"

The rest of the female students of Class 1-A just stared at her.

"Because Rescue Heroes have also, in the last 20 years, been targeted by villains at a rate of 2 to 1 when compared to Limelight heroes, with only Underground Heroes beating us."

"Why would they do that though?" Ashido asked, confused.

"Why would a villain be a villain in the first place, ribbit?" Tsu cracked.

Ochaco shrugged. "No one is for sure. Some believe its because Limelight Heroes have become so tough that in order for a villain to make a name for themselves they go after Rescue Heroes since they tend not to know how to defend themselves. Others think its just a matter of bad luck: wrong place, wrong time. More rescue heroes are out there so it makes the numbers go up." She shook her head. "The point is that I'm not going to be a statistic. I am going to save people and if that means beating some villain into a paste and then dragging them out of harm's way as well, so be it!"

Ahsoka grinned at that. "A good way to think of it!"

And yet, as she said those words, she found her thoughts turning to the Jedi.

'Once we were keeps of the peace. Mediators who traveled the galaxy putting an end to fights. Now, thanks to the Clone Wars, we are the ones rushing into fights.' She thought of how different her training had become those last few months before she'd become Anakin's Padawan. The younglings had been taught diplomacy. Negotiation. History and language. But then the Clone Wars had started and everything had shifted to a battle focus. It wasn't merely them having to learn how to fight… everything they did became refocused on how it might aid them in battle. Diplomacy to help them convince systems to remain in the republic. Negotiate the release of Troopers captured by the Separatists. History of planets and their languages so they understood the battle field and the people there that they might need to fight.

It all made her very sad.

'I wonder… what is training like now?' she thought. 'We've been gone for over a year… what must the Jedi be like now? I know that I'll most likely never see any of them again… but if somehow I was able to return home…would I even recognize it? Them?'

And that caused her to look down at herself, in her hero outfit.

She could still feel it, even after her internship and her time with Hound Dog: the taint of the Dark Side. She'd hadn't even used it during her match against Bakugo but it had been there. The Dark Side was like a foul bog and even if one didn't dip their toes into the water it could still cling to you via its stink. And it took a VERY long time to remove the odor from you. Obi Wan had assured her she was fine. He had said that every Jedi came close to the dark side. That part of the Trials to become a Jedi Knight were coming close to the Dark Side and rejecting it.

Yet Ahsoka still felt dirty.

'Would I recognize home? Would they recognize me?'

~MC~MC~MC~

"Alright, alright calm down," Aizawa said as the class came to a stop before them at the entrance to Training Zone C. Obi Wan personally didn't understand why the man always demanded his students instantly stop talking the moment he showed up; yes, there was a politeness factor to be sure but it wasn't that big of a deal. Obi Wan usually gave them a few moments to gave themselves before he started class but Aizawa always demanded they instantly be quiet- "3 seconds," the homeroom teacher said. "We'll need to work on that."

Honestly Obi Wan thought that was rather impressive but from the way the rest of the teachers were looking they weren't startled at all by Aizawa's demands. Curious.

Still, this was Obi Wan's exam and as such he took the lead before Aizawa could say another world. "Well, everyone, it is time for your Heroics Practical Exam." The students murmured to themselves and he let them for a moment before holding up his hand, the group quickly growing quiet. He resisted the urge to turn and look at Aizawa, to silently tell him 'See, they can be quiet without you making them feel like failures.' But he remained the bigger man and instead said, "Now then… in the past this exam involved you facing off against the robots from the entrance exam in teams of two. It allowed us to see how you have grown as Hero Students from when you were just starting your journey.

"However… we believe that you have already far outgrown the younglings you were when you first came to UA. That to simply have you face robots would be an insult to each of you." He smiled slightly as he sensed several students thinking they wouldn't mind the offense at all if it meant an easier grade. "As such, for your final exam of this term, you will instead be challenged with facing one of us."

That got some rather loud protests which Obi Wan completely understood. If he had been told at their age that he had to take on Master Yoda or Master Windu in a lightsaber duel he… well, to be honest he would have been willing to give it a try because he would understand that they would teach him through failure.

'But they believe that winning is everything. Even though many of them failed the final part of the Entrance Exam and still got into UA they believe they must succeed. That there is no room for failure. Perhaps this will teach them that lesson.' Out loud Obi Wan said, when the voices had died down, "Each of us has been given limits on what we can do, to prevent us from going all out upon you. For some of us it is simple weights. For others it is more complex but I will not spoil that. Your teams and your opponents have been selected randomly, so we might do this as fairly as possible."

That had been another debate between him, Nedzu, and Aizawa. The latter two had argued that they should carefully select which students worked together and which teacher they faced. But Obi Wan had torn that suggestion to shreds.

"It risks us using one student to try and teach another," he had stated. "Look at this one… you wish to have Bakugo and Midoriya be a team; if you had read from Hound Dog's reports you'd know that those two have a history. Aizawa, you have been in the classroom when Bakugo screamed at Midoriya that he was a 'worthless Deku' and that he 'shouldn't even be in this school'."

"It will teach Bakugo to work with others and teach Midoriya that he will have to work with people that he can't fully trust," Aizawa had argued.

"Midoriya has already shown he can work with a wide range of people. This is purely just to teach Bakugo a lesson." Obi Wan had shaken his head at that. "I am willing to put some limiters on things, to ensure that certain pairings don't happen. I think we can agree that after their fight at the Sports Festival placing Ahsoka with Bakugo would be like shaking two dangerous chemicals together. And having Nemuri face off against two female students would give those two students an unfair advantage. But… I will not force together partners purely just to help one student."

Aizawa and to a lesser extent Nedzu had tried to argue their point but Obi Wan had refused to budge. And since he was the Heroics Instructor in the end he did get final say on what the breakdown for the exam would be like.

'There are so many wonderful hero students,' Obi Wan thought to himself, 'why do they seem so focused on Bakugo? Because of his quirk? I suppose it could be powerful… but it is very dangerous too.' He sighed, hating that most likely the answer wasn't that they thought Bakugo would be a great hero… but rather it was their fear he would become a great villain. Something Obi Wan disagreed with, based on Padme's reports from Bakugo's internship. He had done very well there and she had sung his praises. He had shown humility and the ability to save people. 'The boy should be given far more credit,' Obi Wan thought.

Well, perhaps the exam would show them that.

"The goal of the exam is simple," Obi Wan said, continuing on with the instructions. "One teacher will act in the role of an escaped villain who has demanded that two heroes face them in a fight. You have two options for completing the exam with a passing grade: capture the villain using these-" He gestured towards Power Loader who produced the handcuffs each student would be given, "-or make your way to the exit."

Tenya raised his hand at that and Obi Wan nodded to him. "Sir, are you saying that we can pass by running away? Because that doesn't seem very heroic."

"A wise hero knows when they are in over their head," Obi Wan said. "Sometimes retreat is your only option. Tell me though… what is the Number One Rule of Heroics."

At once several hands shot up and he called upon Kirashima. "Prioritize the rescue!"

"Correct. And sometimes that rescue is yourself. If it makes you feel better assume that the exit represents the end of a deadzone and you are moving to get there to call in for backup." He saw several students, namely Bakugo, grumble at the idea of calling for backup. They would learn… oh, they would learn. "Now, while each team competes the rest of the class will be able to observe the matches."

Now it was Ahsoka who raised her hand. "Doesn't that give an unfair advantage to those that wait last? They can learn from what others do wrong?"

"Perhaps," Obi Wan said. "But seeing as it will be different teachers, each with a different style, these observations are more to help you gain knowledge for the future. Though I will be considering that when it comes to the first few teams that go first."

At once he saw the students murmuring to themselves. Some were believing that it would be better to go first, so they weren't judged as harshly. Others, such as Midoriya, were thinking that it would be better to go last as it would allow them to better get a feel for the exam. And, if they were truly paying attention, they would realize that it would allow those that went last to figure out who they might be facing and strategize. But of course Obi Wan would already know all that.

It was a delicate balancing act. One the students would have to be careful with.

It made Obi Wan smile to himself to see many of them already weighing the pros and cons.

"Now then, you will be given 10 minutes to strategize about how you will handle the Exam with your partner before you will begin. You are then given 10 minutes execute your plan. At the end we will all debrief and then you will be released for the day." He pulled out a remote and clicked it, causing a hidden screen behind him to roll down so that the students could see what the first exam would be. "First up will be Kaminari Denki and Aoyama Yuga facing off against Midnight."

"Yes!" Kaminari cheered. "First one!"

"That just means you're going in blind," Jiro stated.

"But it also means the easiest match-erk!" He stiffened and grimaced at Nemuri. "Uh… not that you are easy-"

"Oh no," Nemuri said, fully in her Midnight-mode, "I am… very rough."

Obi Wan let out a small huff at that, far too used to his girlfriend playing up her role. "Alright then, Kaminari and Aoyama, begin coming up with your game plan. Midnight, please report to the center of town. Everyone else, follow me to the observation deck." He led the students and the teachers along the way, Inu moving to walk with him.

"How much slack are you going to cut the first few students? Because I can already tell this one isn't going to go well."

"I am basing it on their progress. Obviously, there are some such as Ahsoka or Midoriya or Ida who have had unfair advantages in prior training, so I expect more out of them. And Bakugo, if he should go later, will be graded harder as he is very good at studying his opponents. But… in the end they all must pass or go to Summer School. I am not going to send out a single student who isn't truly ready." Inu merely nodded at that. "I know you can't discuss it but how are they doing with their sessions with you?"

"They are doing well. Some are obviously more interested in attending than others. Thank you for forcing them all to see me; too many heroes see mental health as a weakness."

"The public too," Obi Wan said. "Unfortunately it seems our society has built up this belief that heroes are little more than machines that go out and do the impossible. Never affected and the like. All Might has done so much good and I would never attack him for that… but his need to smile at all times is something I disagree with."

Padme had explained it. That Yagi had been taught by his own teacher that a hero should always smile because it let people know they were safe. If a hero smiled even in the worst of times then they still had control of the situation. Obi Wan could see the logic in it but he also felt that if All Might had, at times, shown that he was sad, that he was mournful, that he had regrets… it would have helped so many heroes in the long run feel like they too could act human.

"OUR society?" Inu said in bemusement.

Obi Wan sighed. "I am dating Nemuri-" And how Anakin had celebrated when Obi Wan had finally said the words out loud; his little troublesome padawan had thrown a party with a cake and everything, "-I have a daughter, I have friends who are not part of the group that came with me to this world. I have accepted that my life has changed. I will never return to that home… so this one must be my home. And I will ensure that it is all the better."

Inu smiled and patted Obi Wan on the shoulder. "I know I've mostly been around Anakin… but if you ever need a friend to talk to I hope you will reach out to me."

Obi Wan returned the smile. "I will… though perhaps after Anakin completes his degree. Then we can swap stories about what a bothersome pain he is as a student."

Inu laughed at that.

~MC~MC~MC~

Katsuki glared at the other members of his study group as they walked up to him, making them stop at once in the aisle of the observation room. It was like a cross between a small theater and the control center in at a television station. There were monitors all over and chairs set up for the students to sit in. There were also snacks and water for them if they got hungry and Kenobi had pointed out where the bathrooms were if anyone couldn't hold it. Katsuki had listened to all of this before claiming a seat right in the front row, staring at the screens.

"If you fucking extras are going to gab and yammer the entire fucking time then had to the back. I need to focus."

Ashido smiled at that, but it was bashful and nervous. "Uh… right. I mean… we can be quiet but… uh… maybe its better if we just… leave you be?" Kirishami nodded and they quickly darted off, leaving just Tsu who quietly sat down. He glared at her but she just shrugged and after a moment he accepted her presence; she knew how to shut up.

Someone sat down two seats away from him and Katsuki felt his hackles rise when he realized it was Deku. He readied himself to yell at the mumbling bastard but spotting Kenobi nearby he snapped his jaw shut. While the other teachers let him get away with ranting and raving Kenobi was VERY firm on how students should act and it had only taken one detention, the first that Katsuki had ever gotten, actually, for him to learn that it was better to just bottle up his anger than to explode.

'But if Deku begins distracting me I'm going to demand someone move him,' he thought darkly to himself as dunce face and sparkle mouth march out onto the field.

"Ooooooh heroes!" Midnight called out, cracking her whip. "Why don't you come out and face me? You can be the latest to submit to me! But certainly not the last."

'At least those idiots aren't rushing out there,' Katsuki thought as he watched from another screen the two extras talk with each other about what their plan was going to be. It was a stupid plan and at once Katsuki was shaking his head at the morons trying to go after Midnight; with her quirk she would be able to knock them out long before they got near her. 'Better if they circled around and used sparkle mouth's quirk to drive her from the exit so they could make it through.'

But the two had decided they wanted to try and take her down. Despite Kenobi working to get dunce face to realize his powers worked better at short range, more like a taser than a tesla cannon, the idiot still tried to send out bolts of electricity at his opponents even though that left his brain fried. Katsuki could already tell that sparkle mouth was going to have to retrieve his partner when he went full moron… and that was assuming that he at least stayed hidden and didn't-

The two fired their attacks from opposite directions at Midnight.

The teacher easily leapt over them, landing and giving a pout.

"Is that the best you can do?" she said in a sultry tone.

On another camera he saw sparkle mouth already moving into a new position while dunce face tried as well but it was clear he was suffering already. 'Another blast will take him out. Idiot!'

He glanced over at the right side of the room up only to notice that unlike everyone else Deku was staring intently at the empty part of the screens. He wasn't mumbling, and Katsuki realized he couldn't remember the last time he'd heard the nerd mumble, and he wasn't writing anything down. He was just searching the screens.

What the fuck?

Getting up he moved over and plopped down next to Deku. "What the fuck are you looking at, you idiot?" he hissed, keeping his voice low.

"Kenobi created this test," Deku said, his own voice low and firm. It was likely he didn't even realize who was talking to him.

"Of course he did."

"He also helped make the updated entrance exam."

"What does-"

Katsuki froze.

"…son of a bitch," he whispered, glancing briefly at their Heroic's instructor before snapping his gaze back towards the screens. "There's a hidden part."

It just made perfect sense. The last part of the exam, the surprise none of them had seen coming, had forced them to talk down a quirk user in distress. They hadn't been warned about it so he could see how they would react to a sudden situation that needed a hero. Of course Kenobi would do the same thing here!

"I think so," Deku commented. He went back to searching the cameras. "There are too many cameras going… maybe the teachers will be in different zones but I think its because the entire zone is in play."

Katsuki quickly nodded to himself, barely noticing Shit Horns and Tsu moving to sit next to them. Shit Horns opened her mouth but Tsu shook her head and thankfully the orange bitch kept quiet, allowing Katsuki to focus as he began to search the cameras.

'A hostage? Or maybe an injured civilian. Perhaps weapons or a bomb… something that if a hero left it would be understandable, because they didn't know and they were going for backup, but if they did find it would be all the better. That would also explain the exit… prioritize the rescue.'

But even as he thought that he considered the situation they were in.

"You missed something, Izuku," he whispered. "Kenobi is smart. He knows if we noticed there being a trapped civilian then word would spread and everyone would focus on that too. People would begin to prepare for that. But that defeats the point of it being a surprise."

"Right… you're right."

The two suddenly looked at each other.

"There's more than one surprise," they said at the same time.