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Psy-Kick: I would not be decent author if I did not torture my characters sufficiently. Unfortunately this Izuku can sometimes react violently under pressure.

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Proofread by 3DPhantom

Chapter 84: Izuku's Exam

Izuku and Hitoshi got back to the observation room. Uraraka had left but to Izuku's great disappointment Ojiro had shown up.

"He came looking for his team to plan," Hitoshi whispered. "How about you take a seat and focus on Tokoyami for a moment."

"Too late," Izuku said with a slight smile and pointed at the screen where ectoplasm had handcuffs attached to his wrist, very wet looking handcuffs, and Asui's mouth was hanging open in strange expression with saliva, hopefully just saliva, dripping from it.

"Uh, did not want to see that," Ojiro muttered. "She should keep that part of her quirk to herself."

Hitoshi pushed Izuku's shoulder, making him approach a chair before he could respond.

"How do you think Tenya and Sero are going to do?"

Izuku kept watching Ojiro with a side-eye for several seconds before giving up on Hitoshi's welcome distraction.

"If the teachers are trying to target our weaknesses and limitations… those two are most likely to be challenged in their ability to move around. Power Loader is certainly someone who can do that. Imagine no tall buildings and no safe ground to run on."

"And how are they going to deal with that?"

"Best case they underestimate how fast Tenya can move or how far he can leap. He hasn't used his brother's engines at school to their top potential. Keeping Sero along is harder but he could help with stopping Power Loader."

"Okay Nostradamus, let's see how it goes," Hitoshi threw Izuku's old words back at him. Izuku really needed him around right now. It did not stop him from sinking into darker thoughts that he wouldn't snap out of even as Tenya's match started. Some analytical nook in his head was aware of the fight and took note of it, but afterwards he would barely remember bits about the match.

Hitoshi shouting with almost Eijiro-like enthusiasm, however, did the trick.

"Yes!"

Izuku blinked. Tenya stumbled to the ground, Sero on his back, behind Power Loader who was wrapped in tape. Some was still attached to Sero's elbow. Hitoshi nudged Izuku's shoulder.

"You predicted it perfectly and they passed."

"Did you ever doubt Tenya?"

"Not really, but I'm worried what the school can come up with for us."

"The exams have been surprisingly thoughtful so far," Izuku had to admit, "at least compared to the entrance exams, and now you are the strongest player in our team."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Really, what you think are my chances at beating All Might, let alone Ojiro's chances? I hate it, but he could still crush us with his pinky finger if he really wanted to. Either you stop him, or we lose. Midnight we can handle. Hope you've got your mask with you."

Hitoshi tapped a pouch on his belt.

"What masks are you talking about?" Ojiro asked. Hitoshi glanced back at him.

"Just gas masks Izuku got to us right as we got our costume. I guess you don't have one?"

Izuku noted Ojiro did not respond out loud and started wondering what it would take for only part of the team to pass and part not.

"If you are plotting against him, it is probably better to focus on us getting through this," Hitoshi whispered almost like he had read Izuku's thoughts. "Shoto is going next. Let me guess, fighting Aizawa forces him to fight beyond just freezing the entire training ground in one go."

"He has over relied on his quirk and using it with overwhelming blunt force. I'm not sure about Yaoyorozu. Her quirk is very flexible if used well."

"I think her weaknesses are more with self-confidence," Hitoshi added, "and Shoto isn't that great with that either. I think just teaming him with someone outside our group is a bit of a challenge."

Izuku tilted his head as the screens switched to another exam ground. This one wasn't as leveled as the last one, but the buildings were smaller and lower than the first one. It was still another small city just for testing two people.

Though with the scale of Shoto's attack the area was somewhat justified this time, except he should have been able to control his power to not damage surroundings.

They struggled more than Tenya or Eijiro to deal with Aizawa. He was a unique opponent with a quirk that might have been one of only a handful that could even threaten someone as powerful as All Might, or Izuku's father. That overwhelming power Shoto over relied on, one stern stare and it was all gone.

Izuku quickly licked his lips like a snake waiting in ambush as he watched the Erase quirk in action. Eventually Shoto and Yaoyorozu successfully trapped Aizawa.

"Seems like everyone passed," Izuku said. It had been the smallest of his concerns by a few magnitudes, but every little good thing helped, and they considered passing much more important.

"Can I focus on worrying now?"

Hitoshi sighed.

"Is…" he glanced at Ojiro and spoke even quieter, "it really that bad? I mean, clearly he has lied about and hid something really big…"

"It isn't that. I… kind of hid the same thing or at least part of it, I've lied to keep it up."

Izuku waited in silence for a moment so Hitoshi would have time to be angry or disappointed at him as he deserved. Nothing came. Izuku looked up.

"What?" Hitoshi asked.

"Aren't you angry? I lied to you."

"Sounds like there was some reason. Just because you can trust us doesn't mean you have to tell us everything you know, especially if someone expects you to keep it secret. Same goes for Eijiro. Having confidence in a person's choices is also part of trusting someone."

Izuku actually sniffed at that.

"I hope you are planning for our exam. Should include your whole team in it, don't you think?" Ojiro complained.

"You can be included when you can talk with Hitoshi without acting like you are walking on a minefield or treating his quirk like a sin; either of our quirks."

"You have to admit they don't exactly inspire trust."

"No less than a tail at least," Izuku shot back.

"Although it is a very nice tail," Hitoshi added.

Ojiro waited a moment before continuing.

"Could you take this seriously? They are expecting us to fight against All Might."

"And Midnight," Izuku added.

"We should at least try to come up with a plan."

"We did."

"To be clear he came up with the plan," Hitoshi remarked, "we just need to figure out how to do it before All Might tosses us all right back to the main building."

Ojiro was quiet for a moment, perhaps a little shorter than the one before.

"So, what is your plan to do the impossible?"

Izuku raised his hand, pointing a thumb at Hitoshi.

"We got the only student in the class with a realistic chance at beating All Might."

The rest of the exams took their time, but eventually it was time for the last one. The trio walked to the excessively sized gate of the exam ground.

"Are you ready?" Izuku asked, tilting his head towards Hitoshi.

"Hope so," Hitoshi responded, tinkering with the vocal cords partially covered by the capture weapon.

"No pressure."

"Yes pressure. You could get a job as a hydraulic press with all this pressure."

"Would you rather take him on with someone else?"

"No, maybe Shoto. That ice might slow even All Might down and at least Shoto wouldn't go berserk the moment he saw the man."

"Hey."

"Don't pretend it isn't true."

Hitoshi ignored Izuku's opposition. The gate closed behind them.

"Team Midoriya, Shinso, and Ojiro, practical exam. Ready: Go."

"So where do you think they are?" Ojiro asked.

"Doesn't matter," Izuku responded, "If they aren't at the exit gate, they will have to come to us to stop us from leaving. Toshi, stay behind me. Ojiro, if anything happens to him while you're still standing it won't be the teachers you have to worry about."

"How about not threatening…" Izuku started running followed by Hitoshi and eventually Ojiro, "…teammates."

"Try not to mind him, you just got yourself on his bad side," Hitoshi said, "well, more like slightly annoyed side. If you ever get on his bad side, run, preferably behind Eijiro."

"He should get help," Ojiro responded. It was technically true and said before by several people, but sounded judgmental and annoying on Ojiro's lips.

"Doing my best," Hitoshi responded.

As they talked Izuku squinted his eyes and suddenly stopped. His hand was on the pouch with his gas mask before Hitoshi and Ojiro were able to stop, almost colliding with him. Izuku raised his hand to push them towards the side of the road.

"GAS!"

They ran to an adjacent road, putting their gas masks on, those of them that had one. Izuku hung back for a moment until he located Midnight in the pinkish cloud of gas from her quirk. All Might was nowhere to be seen.

"I!" The buffoon shouted in the opposite direction, followed by a loud bang and asphalt cracking. "AM HERE!"

Izuku spun around to where Hitoshi's path had been blocked by the oversized man. He did not seem any weaker from having given away his quirk. Had to be some residual power from One For All's stockpiling, but without the quirk that would by definition be a finite supply.

"Could you for once shut up!" Izuku shouted even through the mask. He marched towards the man briskly with hands squeezed into fists. The opponent behind him was forgotten. He only saw All Might and Hitoshi standing by the path to All Might.

"Toshi, I'm going to take him on. Don't interfere," he lowered his voice, "until you are ready."

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea. You sure you are okay fighting him alone?"

"Not at all, but I need it. This might be the only chance I have to let loose on him, legally."

Hitoshi frowned and glanced at All Might.

"Not sure what Mr. Aizawa said, but you have to understand how bad of an idea this is."

All Might did not respond with anything.

"It was worth a try. Izuku, you should leave the…"

Dragon Blades lit bright from Izuku's hands, his legs compressed and jets flared, and then he wasn't next to Hitoshi anymore. For a fraction of a second his blade pointed straight at All Might's heart, but then the man wasn't in front of him anymore. A large hand reached for him as he passed where the man had been. Without even time to think Izuku spun on instinct to slash towards it and push into the opposite direction.

Izuku landed crouching with both feet and one hand sliding against the rough ground. His other arm pointed at All Might and shot out a shining blue hellfire arrow at the man's face. The man did not dodge but raised his hands to block the shot. As smoke cleared it had done somewhere between nothing and absolutely no damage on the giant man. All Izuku's attack had done was to burn a bit of his sleeves. Even Eijiro should have flinched from that shot, at least before he got All Might's power.

Izuku's chances in this fight started looking just as bad as he had logically estimated, but that did not mean he had to accept it. Didn't matter how strong All Might was, he'd at least last long enough. All he had to win was time. He locked eyes with All Might.

"You're just as tough as people say at least, regardless of how you use it."

All Might's mouth twitched to respond but closed quickly in a rare sign of intelligence. The man glanced towards where Hitoshi was. Izuku raised both his hands and shot two Hellfire Arrows, but this time the man dodged and charged at Izuku at high speed.

Not as fast as he could have though. Izuku had seen him move faster. He could actually track the man's moves right now.

Izuku's legs launched him off the ground and his jets flared, pushing him up until he landed on fourth floor windowsill.

"I did not take Toshi's quirk, by the way."

All Might looked up at him from where he had been a second before, but did not say anything. Izuku feigned a disappointed sigh, well the disappointment wasn't fake.

"This is an exam. Do you think I would make his chances worse by taking away something he needs to show what he can really do?"

"Young Midoriya, you should remember this is an exam. Not a place to… take revenge or something like that. You know there is no point."

How dared he. Izuku let himself fall from the window and burst forward, two Dragon Blades extended forward, their hidden vibration rising to levels so high it hurt in Izuku's own bones. If he couldn't blast the man away, he would cut him. He had bottled a tanker ship's worth of rage, and no one able to plug the leaks was within talking distance.

Everything the man had done, everything, was about to collapse around Izuku, whether his fault or not. He was about to pay for it all.

Everything bottled up was now spraying at high pressure, unleashed at the man. His blades sunk deep into the asphalt where All Might had stood as his arms compressed from the impact and bounced him back before molten asphalt or All Might got him. He turned midair to face the so-called hero. All Might flinched, seeing his scowl.

"Young Midoriya what is going on with you?"

"YOU!" Izuku charged again and All Might disappeared again, but this time Izuku did not get a chance to strike again. All Might moved too fast, his hand, not even fist, slammed onto Izuku's side, pushing him against a wall. Fingers closed around his arm and held him up.

Just like he had held Shirokuro back when he was rescuing Anti from the police. Izuku could not release himself the same way without destroying his life even faster than it was already unravelling, but All Might had left himself just as open as then and all that anger pushing its cap off helped Izuku keep from panicking or collapsing. Instead, he gave such a death stare his killing intent nearly activated.

"Young Midoriya! Calm down!"

Izuku's free hand slashed with Dragon Blade but got caught.

"Midoriya what has gotten to you? This is more than your normal anger for your…"

"Mother… " Izuku seethed. "You just weren't satisfied with letting her be killed to show off. Now you have chosen to sacrifice Eijiro to your personal war and legacy."

"Control," All Might muttered to someone, "turn microphones off."

"Oh, are you afraid of people learning what you are up to? You know I almost gave you the benefit of the doubt of being just worried if people found out how weak you were, but I wonder how they would feel about painting a target on a high-schooler, no matter how well he might handle it."

"Young Midoriya, how?"

"Don't tell me you don't already know what happened with his exam. You think I'm blind or wouldn't figure it out? Even if you forgot to mention you didn't need me to transfer your quirk elsewhere."

"I know he is among the people you are always worrying about, but you yourself said he would be a great successor to take my place. Why are you suddenly so…"

Izuku turned up his flame's temperature in a trick that had gotten himself off Eijiro's grip even when physically overpowered by his hardened arms.

Of course that was before One For All. The blades withdrew and thickened into shields, spreading around his hand until touching All Might's hand. There was a sizzle. All Might's expression tensed.

His grips let go. Izuku's leg swung up, kicking All Might with enough force to push himself back before the man could catch him again. The kick itself did absolutely nothing to the man, it felt no different than kicking a concrete wall.

"… Why are you suddenly so angry about it?"

"I…" Izuku briefly snapped out of it. Had All Might got him? No, the danger was there whether he was part of it or not. "Just because he could become way better than you does not change he is still a student. How could you push it down on him?"

"Young Midoriya I assure you I did not force anything onto him. Young Kirishima accepted it very much out of his own choice, enthusiastically even."

Izuku slashed at the man's face. With their height difference it wasn't an efficient attack, and All Might easily dodged just by leaning back, only to have a Hellfire Arrow blast his face before he could even bring his hands up. He jumped back, rubbing his eyes as Izuku shouted after him.

"Of course he did!" Izuku emphasized his words by tossing another blue blast at the man who dodged it this time. "We are talking about Eijiro, and you said he could help people, and that someone else would have to take the risk if he did not. What did you think would happen with that guy?"

"Perhaps, but isn't that part of why you thought he would be so good for it?"

Izuku bit his lip, trying to keep his facts and secrets straight.

"That… Was before All For One was alive and probably still after whoever has One For All."

"How…?"

"Did you think Eijiro could keep that a secret after I found out about the quirk? The guy doesn't have a deceptive bone in his body. It's a minor miracle he could hide a whole quirk this long."

"Oh, that…"

"Didn't think that might be something I'd want to know either way," Izuku shouted, unsure if his anger on that was entirely acting, and moved onto attack.

"Perhaps," All Might stated, carefully dodging a slash and then punching Izuku by what was surely slow and weak by his standards but launched Izuku into the opposite wall. The idiot. With Izuku's expertise on pain he figured nothing was severely broken, at least not enough to hospitalize him for very long or disable a non-regenerating opponent, but it was close, and this was what he did to a student at school. Even with Recovery Girl that was dangerous. Even she could not heal everything.

Izuku started falling away from the wall, stunned, but at the last moment his leg moved forward to catch himself and he remained standing. He reminded himself not to mock Hitoshi for a while if he got tossed around by Eijiro in training.

"But I didn't think it would be best for you. It wasn't easy on you even knowing he existed. Look at yourself. How are you going to save people if you let your anger control you?"

"Don't talk to me about saving people."

A shadow appeared next to All Might and he reached up to grab the approaching tail. With a single swing he tossed Ojiro at Izuku who barely avoided a collision, having just recovered from his own meeting with the wall. Ojiro softened his own impact with his tail in some decent midair maneuvering.

"What are you doing here?" He barked. "You left Toshi alone!"

"Didn't exactly have options. He and Midnight are both in that giant gas cloud. I don't have one of those," Ojiro pointed at the mask still on Izuku's face he had kept even when going after All Might.

"Shit," Izuku muttered and ripped the mask off. He tossed it at Ojiro. "Go help him!"

Izuku returned his attention to All Might who for some reason chose to not interfere with them, seemingly just staring, tracking everything they did.

"You know I am supposed to stop you."

Izuku tensed in a stance, about to charge at the man.

"GO!" He screamed as his jets blasted him forward at highway speed. All Might dodged and looked towards Ojiro, but Izuku twisted around, landing feet-first against a wall hard enough to shrink his legs into less than a quarter of their usual length before launching him at the man even faster.

Perhaps there was a silver lining in Eijiro not getting this quirk, but it would have really helped him had he not received the ultimate power.

Izuku's attack missed, but was plenty enough to distract All Might. Izuku kept bouncing from wall to wall until All Might went on the offence, grabbed his arm midair and, after a spin, slammed him against the ground. Izuku's ribcage might have compressed a bit. It wasn't how he intended to use this quirk. He gasped for air to refill his emptied lungs, but a large hand landed on his face, pressing him against the ground.

All Might stared at him. Blood dripped from a cut across his chin. Izuku had been so close.

"You, have to, calm, down, young Midoriya. You have endured much, but you have to get over it, before you can be a hero."

Izuku grabbed All Might's wrist with his much smaller hand.

"And who said I want to be one? Most heroes are just milking their fame and legal favoritism. I didn't even want to go to hero school."

"Then why are you here?"

"Not why, who. I'm not here for myself, but if it gives me the chance to fight you…"

Dragon Blade, with its full shine, lit up again against All Might's forearm. He yelped and let go for a second and it was all Izuku needed to fly off from under him. Izuku ground to a stop by an entrance to a building. He could have tried to get out of All Might's sight, but that would have given the man an opportunity to go after Hitoshi.

"Remember this is an exam, not..."

Izuku shut him up with another shot. The man was starting to look annoyed. Good, it meant Izuku still had his attention. He scowled.

"So why don't you fight me properly? If you really want to test us, you shouldn't be playing around. Think you can step on me again without even bothering to try?"

"You might not care about your passing, but what about your team?"

"I have confidence in Toshi, unlike this school or you. Have you checked on Midnight recently? Wouldn't be surprised if Toshi was about to get to the gate."

All Might frowned, but did not even glance towards where the other fight had happened. Izuku took that as a personal offence. The man did not believe in Hitoshi enough to even consider the possibility.

"Did you think you could distract me with that?" All Might said with his smug face. It would not have been a bad idea.

All Might continued.

"Direct combat is not going to make you pass here. We gave you the escape option for a reason. You have not even tried to sneak the handcuff on me."

A pair of handcuffs was still hanging on Izuku's belt despite getting tossed around. Even if that would have technically meant winning against All Might, Izuku had still not gotten enough shots at the man to be satisfied. His legs tensed and he bolted. He wanted to give All Might more than the one scratch he managed so far.

The face he was targeting disappeared from his sight and both of his arms got yanked, bringing him to a halt mid-air. All Might was holding him up like a rag, squeezing his arms high enough to be out of reach from any Dragon Blade Izuku had ever formed. All Might could have literally spread his arms and ripped Izuku in half.

It would not have killed him, probably, but would sure have been unpleasant.

Unfortunately his kicks pounding All Might's chest and chin didn't seem to do much. It was like kicking the steel block he got for Eijiro to mangle.

"You asked me to take you seriously, yet faced me head on out of emotion rather than trying to pass the exam. Despite everything I hoped for better, especially with your friend allowed to join you."

Izuku pulled himself higher and delivered a spring enhanced kick straight at the man's face. It… moved his head back. The annoyed stare revealed behind the withdrawing foot sent chills through Izuku. He was trapped, trapped by All Might, mother had, probably, looked at him when she died, the fist holding him had been the last thing father had seen.

Izuku was breathing harder and not for the effort of kicking. All Might held him further away, his long arms beating Izuku's reach so he could only squirm.

"Young Midoriya?"

"Let go of me!"

Izuku's mask of calm had already fallen and now the mask of being in control of himself was breaking too.

"Are you okay?" All Might asked but never let go. Izuku's flames lit despite not being in position to hit the man and shot blasts upwards into the sky.

"All Might!" Midnight shouted from somewhere. "Still not finished? You need some help?"

Izuku stopped just for a second. Those words could mean...

"No…"