Chapter 6: Exams and Expectations
There was only one day left before the entrance exam, and Izuku was bordering on total exhaustion. He had cleared the entire beach, much to Mirio's delight and Mei's despondency. Most of the scrap had been useless anyway, but everything salvageable had been given over to his project. Melissa was watching him intently over the monitor they had set up for her to observe his work, offering occasional tidbits of advice while Mei played a game of shogi with Lynchpin in the other corner.
"That servo on section four looks like it might need to be replaced before the practical, but it should be good for testing for now. Papa mentioned that you were having trouble securing the dorsal stabilizer, right?"
"Uh, yeah," said Izuku, looking over to the screen where his friend who he had never met in person was offering him a patient smile. "There's definitely something in the back throwing me out of balance. Melissa-san, I was wondering, if I were to swap the plating on section 4 for something with a little more tensile strength, do you think that would limit mobility too much? I was thinking about some kind of carbon weave derivative, like in some pros' capture tools, but getting enough might be a bit of a problem."
"Even if we could get some," said Mei from her corner, setting a piece down with a sharp click and looking smug about it, "the time it would take to render it into something more usable is just something you don't have."
"Yeah, sorry Izuku-kun, but she's right. But if you're worried about a tear in the underlining during movement, you could always supplement the material with some of Papa's support weave. It wouldn't be too hard to get some out to you before the day is up, there's a warehouse near you after all."
"Ah, thanks Melissa-senpai, but I don't think I could still count it as my work if I used something David-sama made for me. I'll just have to hope the material is strong enough to handle the hydraulics...and the blowback, now that I come to think of it. Uh, I might be in trouble now, huh?"
"Hah, when are you not in trouble?" Mei snorted, eyes never leaving her game. Izuku could almost swear he heard the electronic equivalent of a chuckle from Lynchpin as well.
"She has a point, Izuku-kun," said Melissa from her monitor. He threw his hands up in the air and let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'm surrounded by traitors," he whined, eliciting laughter from both of his friends, and that same strange noise from Lynchpin. "Hey, I built you, you know."
"Perhaps," mused the computer, its usual green circle display flashing into a thinking emoji for a moment before returning to normal, "but she takes the time to play games with me."
"Mei-chan, stop corrupting my computer!"
"Hey, I wasn't the one who failed to give him enough stimulation. Seems like you programmed him to be more observant than you though, since he can see who the clearly better inventor is." She stuck out her tongue at him, and went back to her game. Izuku was about to offer a reply when a sharp knock came at the side door to their cramped workshop.
"Expecting guests?" Melissa queried, her screen turning to face the door.
"Ah, yes actually. Someone from UA called and said they wanted to inspect my setup and gear before I would be allowed to use it during the entrance exam. I guess they saw the forms and figured I was lying, or that it wasn't mine or something. Which, I guess is fair, but considering some of the stuff that the others will probably be using it seems a little-" The knock came again, sounding a little more insistent, and Izuku moved over to the door to let in the guest. Melissa wished him luck before turning off her screen, and Mei went back to her game. Taking a breath, he opened the door.
The alley that their workshop opened onto was empty. Confused, Izuku leaned forward and glanced up and down the length of the area, noting nothing out of the ordinary. Shrugging, he was about to close the door when a polite cough near his waist caused him to look down.
"Am I a bear, a dog, a mouse? Maybe, but really I'm principal Nezu! It's nice to meet you Mr. Midoriya!" The creature extended a paw up to him, white fur soft and shiny while his boxy ears twitched in what seemed to be enthusiasm. Izuku took the proffered paw, before remembering himself and bowing as well.
"Ah, principal Nezu-sama, thank you for coming personally!"
"The pleasure is mine, young man! I love being able to take a look at prospective students, especially ones with certain aptitudes!" There was a dangerous gleam in the principal's eyes as he spoke, bringing his paws together and grinning maniacally. "If all goes well, I might consider you for personal lessons, should you be willing. A mutual acquaintance of ours spoke very highly of your potential in that regard, and your transcripts speak for themselves." Izuku was blushing furiously as he stood aside to allow the small...mammal to enter into the workshop proper. No one had ever really taken an interest in his academics before, besides his own mother and Saito-sensei.
"Splendid, splendid!" The principal was wandering around looking over everything, occasionally picking up an item from a bench and examining it closely before carefully replacing it. "And you're sure you'll be wanting to do heroics? There's a lot of money to be made in the support field with talent like this." Mei was out of her chair and hovering over the pair in a flash, lightning in her rapidly dilating eyes.
"I heard someone say money, could it be that you are a sponsor looking to acquire one of my babies? My half of the workshop is over here if you'd like to see; it's the better half! I just made a new baby that can transpose items in relativistic space, and it works as an AM radio too!"
"Ah, Ms. Hatsume," said the principal, not missing a beat, "what a pleasure to see you here as well. I didn't realize you shared a workspace with Mr. Midoriya."
"Hm, oh yes, he's really useful for testing my babies! He barely complains, and he has decent ideas too! I told him he could be a subsidiary of Hatusme Industries, but he wants to be a hero or something stupid like that. Also, who are you?" The principal chuckled at that.
"Mei-san, please not now, I'm trying to show principal Nezu my projects!"
"Yes, and you've quite rudely left our game on your turn," said Lynchpin from his corner. "If you don't hurry up and get back here, I'll make your move for you."
"And who is this fellow," asked Nezu, strolling over to the console where Lynchpin was working.
"Ah, well you see, uh, Lynchpin is a search engine interface I made a year or so ago, to uh, help me figure out materials science and engineering questions I didn't know. See, I'm much better at research and observation, finding the way that quirks work rather than actually building something capable of replicating them, so I used him to find information on engineering principles. But with Hatsume around, he's been more of a, uh, I guess logistics interface? He's not that advanced, but he's got a lot of interactions programmed."
"Don't doubt me, sir. I can pass the Turing test in my sleep cycles, just ask anyone."
"He really can't, I think Hatsume-san has just been messing around with his programming, sir." Nezu positively beamed at him as he strolled along, unfazed by the display until he came to the shrouded section of the workshop, which was the most crowded by far. Plates of metal were strewn everywhere along the floor, mingling with discarded tools, stray wires, gas canisters, circuitry, and everything else vaguely mechanical that one might find in such a workstation.
"I take it this is your main support request, hmm?" The principal's gaze had softened somewhat, but there was still a hungry look in his eyes that Izuku recognized as similar to his own when he was analyzing heroes or talking about quirks. They had both stepped past the hastily erected curtains, and were looking over his project, one in terrified anticipation, and the other in sheer delight.
"Very impressive, very impressive indeed Mr. Midoriya, especially considering the circumstances. I'll be asking you a series of questions about the actual workings of the gear, but provided you can answer them and provide sufficient documentation as to the build process, we will be happy to allow the use of your support gear during the entrance exam." Izuku let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding, and motioned for the principal to follow him back into the main workshop.
Several hours and many cups of green tea later Izuku bowed to the principal as he left through the side door, a definite energy present in his steps as he made his way out into the early evening.
"That went better than I would have thought," said Mei appearing at Izuku's shoulder, somehow covered in more grease and scorch marks than usual. He regarded her for a moment, the exhaustion of having to explain his process to someone far smarter than anyone he had ever met weighing against his desire to reprimand Mei for her earlier rudeness to the principal. Exhaustion won out, and all he offered as a response was another heavy sigh as he made his way over to the futon, or the 'crashing couch' as the little note Mirio had taped to the side of it now declared.
Izuku was content to let himself drift off to the sound of Mei returning to whatever unholy abomination she was working on today when his eyes fluttered open as he sensed a sudden presence above him. Looking up, he found himself face to face with the boy who had taken him under his wing, and who happened to be passing through the roof to look down at him at the moment.
"Hey little bro, looks like you made a good impression on Nezu-sensei!" Mirio's fist soon permeated the roof as well, his hand flicking out into a proud thumbs up. "He's hard to impress, but we knew you would do it!"
"Aniki, why are you on the roof? Also, why aren't you falling through the floor?" Mirio's laughter boomed through the small space, causing Mei to look up from the guts of the machine she was working on, while Izuku winced.
"Easy, Nejire flew us here, and she and Tamaki are holding my legs so I can check up on you!"
"Why not just use the door like a normal person though?"
"Ah, come on Izuku, where's the Plus Ultra in that? We gotta get you hyped up for the entrance exam. POWER!" From above, the muffled shout of Nejire echoed his sentiment, and Izuku could have sworn he could hear Tamaki sighing as well.
"Power," he offered weakly, eliciting more laughter from Mirio, and even a slight giggle from Mei, who had stopped her work again to enjoy the shenanigans. The older boy's head pulled back up through the floor, and a moment later the trio of friends were entering through the side door, radiating all the fondness in the world. Izuku thought, not for the first time, how incredibly lucky he was to have stumbled into such a wonderful group of people.
"Hiya Izuku-kun, Mei-chan, are you guys working hard? Are you excited for the exams? Are you nervous? Hey, the beach looks nice, did you know that there's new hermit crabs moving in now that it's clear?"
"Hello Nejire-senpai." The girl giggled as she floated above them, trying to get a peek behind the curtain at the opposite end of the workshop. Tamaki was following behind her, moving with an ease that he never would have before, had he not become so comfortable in their presence. There was even the ghost of a smile on his face.
"Ah ah ah," Mei crooned, waggling a wrench at the pair as they moved to yank back the curtain, "Mr. Lab Assistant wants it to be a surprise on the exam day, so you'll just have to wait until then." Nejire shrugged and flitted back over to where Izuku and Mirio were standing, Tamaki following soon after as the three older students grinned down at Izuku. He was leaning up on one arm on the crash couch, and the scheming look they were giving him was making him uneasy.
"U-uh, senpais, why are you l-looking at me like that?" He let just a tinge of desperation enter his voice, hoping that they might let the futon swallow him completely. The gleam in their eyes were enough for him to realize that this wouldn't be the case. "You're not going to let me sleep, are you?"
"Nope, not until you're relaxed Izuku-kun," cooed Nejire. He gulped as Mirio dragged him from the makeshift bed, shooting it one last mournful glance as his friends pulled him out of the workshop and into the early evening for a night on the town.
The arcade had hardly changed since the last time they had been there together for his and Mirio's birthday, and Izuku found that despite his exhaustion he was enjoying himself immensely. It was easier to keep up with Nejire at the dancing games, though she was still a fiend when it came to matching the steps on the screen. Tamaki had cleaned out a prize dropper, and Mirio had attracted a small crowd around the Hero Fighter console. Izuku had been disappointed when he found the old dog-fighting machine was gone, but had perked up when Tamaki had pointed him towards an enclosed capsule that turned out to be a much more sophisticated flight simulator. By the end of the night, they had had to pry him out of the cockpit with a gentle reminder about getting enough sleep before the exam. As they made their way back to the station, he thought he caught Mirio and Tamaki looking at each other devilishly, and it wasn't until Nejire grabbed his arm that he figured something was off.
"Izuku-kun," she began, the usual interrogative tone dropped for something softer. "We figured that, well, you've worked so hard and come so far on your own, you should know we're really proud of you." He felt his tears rise again, but before he could explode into waterworks he felt himself being picked up into the girl's surprisingly strong grasp. "You carry so much little buddy, so the least I can do is give you a ride home." His eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen, and Mirio gave him a thumbs up while Tamaki looked to the ground, the faint smile playing at his features again.
"We'll see you after the exam Izuku," said Mirio, flashing a thumbs up and a megawatt smile, "give em hell little bro! POWER!"
"POWER!" Answered Izuku. And then, he was flying.
Nejire held him firmly but not uncomfortably as they passed higher and higher, the street below them shrinking away as his two friends were reduced to dots on the ground. They passed through a strange dampness for a moment, and suddenly were breaking through the clouds. Izuku felt his breath stop altogether as he caught sight of the night sky, a blanket of white extending beneath him and Nejire like an unfamiliar, roiling ocean. The stars were everywhere, and this far from the light pollution of the city, it struck him how beautiful it all truly was. The burning pit in him had throbbed uncomfortably at their takeoff, but now that he was up here, safe and protected, he felt it relax.
This was right, being up here. It was familiar, almost, and he felt the phantom pull start from the back of his neck grasping for something that wasn't there. Nejire pulled him a little closer and he relaxed, putting it out of his mind. When she finally dropped him off at his home an hour later he had thanked her profusely, finally letting the tears wash over him as he pulled the girl into a tight embrace. She had simply patted him on the head before wishing him luck and floating away. Once inside, he kicked off his sneakers and found his mother looking over some documents or other on her laptop. She looked up at him in concern.
"Izuku honey, you've been crying, are you ok?" She got up and walked over to him, pulling him into another warm embrace.
"Yeah, Mom, I-I'm just happy." That was all it took before they were both crying, laughing at the absurdity of the situation, and when he fell asleep that night, there were no nightmares. All he could think about was the sky, and how right it had felt to be there, simply letting the starlight wash over him. He would go back there, he vowed. And then, sleep took him.
Izuku stood in front of the massive gates of UA, wearing an oversized uniform that he had gotten a few days before, once he realized how tight the track suit he had been planning to wear had become. It was especially apparent that it wouldn't fit at all when placed over his gear, so he ended up settling for the uniform, even if it was a bit constricting. He rubbed the back of his neck mindlessly, grazing the interface plate in his worry and finding himself reassured by its warmth. As he did so, something near his shoulder whined a little ominously, and he wondered if Mei might have made some last minute modifications to his gear. Getting prepared that morning had been a nightmare, requiring a full fifteen extra minutes of tightening straps and cinching buckles before he was able to move without fear of losing some of his gear.
The MK II designs he and Hatsume had been working on would hopefully alleviate that problem, as well as the limited fuel he had for his devices, but the only way to actually build it would be with access to the support lab and materials at UA. Hopefully he would be able to integrate more quirk replicas into the gear, though ones like Tamaki's were simply impossible to duplicate. There was a good chance he could mimic Nejire's energy dispersal, but for now he would be relying on augmented strength and limited explosions.
"Oi, nerd, you fucking showed, finally," said Bakugo, brushing past him with a glower and pausing momentarily when Izuku didn't follow. He turned back to him with a glare and snarled, "The fuck are you waiting for, an invitation? Get a move on already!"
"U-uh, right Kacchan," said Izuku, hurrying to follow. Things had certainly been better between them since the sludge incident. Bakugo had refrained from insulting or belittling him since then, and had even started to defend him from the remarks of his classmates on occasion. The change certainly wasn't unwelcome, but Izuku still wasn't sure if it wasn't some kind of trick. Deciding not to overthink things, he followed.
In his haste however, his foot caught a loose flagstone and he felt himself pitch forward. This is it , he thought, ground rushing up to meet him when suddenly his forward progress was halted and he found himself tumbling end over end to stare first at the ground, then at a pair of legs behind him, then a soft, concerned face marked by rosy cheeks, the sky, and finally, Bakugo, who looked like he could barely contain his laughter as Izuku continued his rotation.
"Oh, uh, I'm sorry for using my quirk without asking, but it would be bad luck to trip, you know? You're heavier than you look, too." The girl was looking back and forth between Izuku and Bakugo, who had begun cackling fully at that point, and when Izuku was finally facing upright once more, she brought her fingers together and he felt himself drop heavily to the ground. "Do you have some kind of density quirk or something? This sure is nerve-wracking huh?" She paused to consider him for a minute longer before he managed to let out a small affirmation before she nodded and waved to him cheerily as she walked off. "Well, good luck to all of us!"
"Haha, holy shit, Deku, your fucking face, I can't fucking breathe, oh my god, haha," Bakugo wheezed from his side.
"Kacchan, I talked to a girl!" Bakugo fixed him with a steady gaze, then proceeded to laugh even harder.
"A: you talk to Bubblegum-hair and the Float-bitch all the time. B: you didn't even actually say anything. You damn nerd, I can't even, bwahaha, holy shit!" It was another minute before Bakugo managed to stop laughing, and he was still chuckling by the time they found their seats in the massive auditorium. Right next to each other, Izuku noted uncomfortably. When the lights dimmed, the steady murmur that had filled the auditorium came to a stop as a single spotlight ignited the lanky figure of their exam proctor.
"Alright everybody, welcome to today's live performance," yelled the man, much too enthusiastic for the crowd of nervous teenagers before him. "Everybody say 'hey' now!" The silence was almost as deafening as the proctor's voice. "Ooh, the silent types huh, well that's cool little listeners, I'm here to give you the exam breakdown! You ready? Yeah!"
"Yeah!" yelled Izuku, hoping that the others would join in on the second attempt. He was suddenly aware of eyes on him, and Bakugo's immediate outburst of cackling laughter next to him did little to stop him from turning bright red and sitting down as quickly as he could.
"Well, at least somebody had their coffee this morning," said the teacher, not missing a beat. "Here's how the test will go, O.K.?" Immediately he launched into an explanation about faux villains and the battle trial system, while Izuku muttered excitedly to himself, embarrassment temporarily forgotten.
"It's the voice hero Present Mic, I listen to his radio show every week; all the teachers at UA must be pro heroes too! This is so cool! Can you imagine taking classes with them if we get in?" He received an elbow to his ribs at this.
" When we get in, shitty Deku." Bakugo glared at him.
"U-uh, right Kacchan." This was still new to Izuku, who was beginning to question a number of things about his friend. Was he his friend again? Izuku had wanted it for so long, and he was glad for the company, even the prickly encouragement he was offering, but at the same time, there was a lot of pain between them in the past few years, and he still found himself flinching when Bakugo made sudden moves towards him. Evidently, this troubled the other boy to see as well, and it seemed he was attempting to be more restrained in his movements around Izuku.
"Excuse me, sir!" interjected a large boy with neatly trimmed dark blue hair and shining glasses, rising from his seat to address Present Mic. "You mentioned three villains, but this pamphlet indicates the presence of four in the testing site. Is this a misprint?" He gesticulated sharply towards the pamphlet, his free hand chopping the air in time with his words. Suddenly, he pointed an accusatory finger towards Izuku, and the boy's eyes widened. "Additionally, you with the curly hair have been muttering much too loudly this whole time, and it is distracting! If you intend to treat this as some sort of game, then leave immediately!" Izuku opened his mouth to apologize, but Bakugo was already rising from his seat, fists balled in anger.
"The fuck did you just say, shitty extra? You wanna pick a fucking fight 'fore we even get started?"
"K-Kacchan, no! It's fine, I-I'm sorry, it's just a nervous habit, sorry to disturb you," said Izuku, pulling Bakugo down into his seat with him as he tried to hide his face with his free arm. Unfortunately, he had forgotten about the support gear under his clothes, and ended up smacking himself in the head against the armor plating covering his forearm with a resounding thunk , earning him a round of giggling from those nearby.
"Wow, what a lot of youthful energy this year," said Present Mic, "Nemuri's gonna love you kids! And thanks, examinee 7111, I was just about to get to that!" As the hero explained the idea behind the zero pointer, Bakugo fumed next to Izuku, staring down angrily at his examinee card.
"Oi, Deku, we've got sequential numbers, but we're in different testing sites."
"Y-yeah, it must be b-because they don't want people working with t-their friends," he stuttered, looking over the card. Bakugo scoffed.
"Not like it'd be fair if we were in the same arena anyways," he said. They were getting up to leave, heading towards the doors marked with the letters of their testing sites, and the two were about to split up. "Oi, Deku...I'll see you at the finish line, shitnerd. And you better be right fucking behind me, got that?" Izuku swallowed at the sudden flash of intensity in Bakugo's eyes. Was this his version of a pep talk? He felt his mouth drop when the other boy extended his fist to him, glaring. Hesitantly, he reached out with his own, and made contact.
"H-hey, K-kacchan?" Bakugo smirked back at him then, a hopeful look burning behind red eyes. Izuku felt his posture straighten, his shoulders pushing back slightly as he met his eyes. "You're gonna be the one right behind me." They both froze at that, Izuku not believing what he had just said, and Bakugo in much the same predicament. Then, his face split in what was perhaps the most genuine smile Izuku had ever seen on him, and a strong arm clapped him on the back.
"Fuck yeah, nerd, I knew you had it in you. But don't you dare think for a second that I'm just gonna let you get ahead of me. I'll see you at the top, Deku," he said, turning and stalking off towards the marked door.
The bus ride had passed in relative quiet, the examinees each seeming to take time to prepare in their own way. Izuku had looked around for a while trying to gauge the other examinees's abilities, causally analyzing what he could of their quirks. The loud boy who had called him out earlier was sitting towards the front of the bus, his school uniform replaced with a blue track suit that left the exhaust pipes on the back of his calves exposed. He seemed to be double checking that his shoes were tied properly, his already tight face pinched together in concentration. Izuku wasn't sure he disliked him, after all, he could admit to himself that his muttering was distracting at the best of times, but there was something in the way he carried himself that was disquieting. When the bus finally pulled up to the massive gate marked as one of the testing centers, Izuku wasn't the only one with a shocked look plastered on his face.
The site was massive, a practical recreation of a real city, and Izuku couldn't help but marvel at the idea that there were multiple such spaces around the enormous campus. Glancing around, he found some of the other examinees had already recovered, and were either stretching or trying to scope out the competition. One young man who seemed to sparkle in the sun was toying with a complicated looking belt at his waist, and Izuku found himself thankful he wasn't the only one who had brought support gear. As if in response to his thoughts, the interface on the back of his neck pulsed reassuringly, and he felt the servos around his arm begin to warm up as the startup routine prepared his gear for use. He wanted to tear off the covering already, but doing so might cost him the element of surprise with the other contestants, and could make him a target. Though examinees weren't supposed to attack each other during the test, he and Lynchpin had come to the conclusion that it would be best to keep his gear hidden until the last moment.
A flash of brown hair and nervous energy caught his attention, and Izuku recognized the kind girl from the entrance off to his left, hands pressed together as she prepared herself for the exam. He made towards her in order to thank her for earlier, feeling more confident at his chances of actually saying something this time, when a heavy hand fell onto his shoulder. He turned, and stared up at the boy from earlier, a disapproving look on his face.
"That girl seems to be doing some kind of meditation. Why are you here? Hoping to interfere?" The stern glare and rigid posture pushed just a little too hard at that moment, and Izuku decided that he really didn't like this boy after all. Responding to his thoughts, some of the machinery under his clothes began to shift, and the other boy brought his hand back in surprise at the movement.
"I was going to t-thank her for c-catching me from a f-fall earlier, n-not that it's any of your business," he hissed, surprised at himself. It had only been a bit since they had reconnected, but it seemed Bakugo was rubbing off on him. Shaking himself, he settled on a more positive example, and tried to emulate Mirio-senpai. "I'm sorry if there was any confusion about that, good luck to you," he said, flashing him a smile. The other boy regarded the sudden change critically, but stepped back and returned to his stretching routine. Once again, Izuku felt eyes on him, some competitors seeming to relish in his discomfort, writing him off as one less point of competition. Without warning, the gates sprang open with a hiss of hydraulics, and Present Mic's voice boomed out over the arena.
"And begin!" There was a pause as people seemed confused, but Izuku was already running, trying to create space between him and the other test-takers. "What's wrong, my examinees? There's no countdowns in real life! Run, run, the die is cast! Oh yeah!"
This last exultation seemed to be enough to rouse the others into pursuit, the clattering of footsteps behind him increasing as Izuku surged forward, finally breaking free from the oversized uniform jacket, and snapping his helmet on. When not in use, the helmet collapsed into itself in several sections, lying flat against his back, but when deployed it was surprisingly sturdy. Armor plating covered him nearly head to toe, sheets of metal welded together imperfectly, their various origins creating a mishmash of dull metal and the remnants of sand blasted paint. Motors along his arms whined to life as hydraulics and support struts emerged from the body of the suit, and he felt the familiar itch of the haptic feedback in his gauntlets start up.
"Exoskeleton functioning within expected parameters," said Lynchpin in his ear. Izuku grinned beneath the mask, feeling the rush of power as his steps became faster, impacting harder as he tore into the testing ground. This was going to be fun.
Chapter 7: Hard Skills and Soft Power
Toshinori was watching as impassively as he could as Young Midoriya strode into battle, the jacket he had been wearing tossed aside as he revealed what looked to be a suit of full plate mail covered in scratches and complicated machinery. It certainly wasn't as form fitting or as streamlined as a hero costume would have been, but he couldn't deny the brutal effectiveness of it all. The youth currently had his arms up in front of him, casually deflecting a stream of rubber bullets which were being fired at him from one of the one pointers as he stalked closer to the machine. Suddenly, his arms came out, palms sparking as the machine before him was engulfed in a small explosion.
"Some kind of mechanical mutation quirk?" mused Snipe from off to the side. Most of the faculty were present in the observation booth, along with the three newest TA's, who seemed like they were barely able to contain their excitement. Well, two of them looked that way at least; young Tamaki looked closer to wanting to melt into the floor. There was something else in the three students' expression as well however. Pride?
"Ah, actually, no!" chirped the principal, bouncing up and down in his chair. The small creature was smiling wickedly, and the gleam in his beady eyes was hard to miss. "The student in question is currently making use of support gear!"
"You let a kid into the entrance exam with black market support gear like that?" inquired Power Loader, staring in disbelief at the principal.
"Pah, of course not," he replied, turning to fix the teacher in his sights. "The young man followed the rules about support gear, and made all of what you are seeing now, himself."
"Bullshit," was Power Loader's immediate response. "If he's building crap like that himself, why isn't he applying for the support course? I don't see that kind of talent often, and the only whiz kid I've seen around her is a pink menace that's been trying to get into the support lab for the past week."
"Because he wants to be a hero," said Nezu levelly, turning his chair back to face the monitors. "When I saw the request forms I found it hard to believe at first as well, so I personally met with the boy and had him provide me with both an explanation as to the technology he was working on, and his documentation as to the build process. He's been tutored, skillfully I might add, but the work you're seeing now is his own, and to deny him its use would be unfair to both him, and the other applicants."
"Geez, if the kid could build something like that by himself, he must have some kind of quirk similar to High Spec, huh principal-sama?" Thirteen had spoken up, and was rubbing the glass dome where her chin would be thoughtfully. "He'd do well in management if heroics doesn't work out."
"Actually Thirteen-sensei, he's quirkless," said Mirio, unable to contain himself any longer. Most of the teachers remained fixed on the monitors, but a few turned to stare at him.
"Quirkless?" asked Vlad King, disbelieving.
"I confirmed it myself during the written exam," came the tired voice of Aizawa. He was watching the screens with half asleep eyes, a yellow sleeping bag pulled up around his shoulders and a juice pouch sticking out the side of his mouth. "Principal Nezu also suspected an intelligence quirk after his meeting with the boy, possibly undiagnosed or purposefully hidden for some reason, but I spent the entire test period trying to erase his quirk, and he wasn't affected at all." Nezu clapped his paws before he spoke again, returning the attention to himself.
"Indeed, he managed a perfect score on the written exam in a remarkably short period of time too! But now we get to see if he and the others have the mettle of true heroes!" The principal was wearing the sadistic expression that the other faculty had come to dread. Almost joyfully, he slammed a paw down onto a button labelled, 'motivation switch,' and nearly spilled his tea while laughing. Deep in the fake city of each testing ground, something stirred, and then, the screaming began.
Izuku was whooping in delight as another three pointer exploded under him, the resulting fireball from the machine's own fuel igniting causing him to be catapulted further into the mass of robots that had gathered around. To his right, a beam of sparkling energy shot out and burst through one of the two pointers he had already weakened, sending the robot tumbling to the ground. The boy with the strange belt he had noticed from earlier stepped out from behind the wreckage and winked at him.
"Thank you for the distraction mon ami, you are most helpful," he said laughing as another laser burst from his belt and melted one of the remaining three pointers. Izuku was about to offer a retort when he saw a piece of rubble suspended in the building above the young man shift precariously and he was, once again, moving before he realized it. The other boy's eyes widened at the sudden approach and he took an involuntary step back, fearing a reprisal for his kill-stealing.
Instead of striking him like he had thought he might, the metal-covered boy crashed into him and launched them both back into the alley seconds before a piece of mangled concrete and rebar the size of a car crashed down to where he had just been standing.
"You okay?" came the modulated voice, and the sparkling boy looked up to find concerned green eyes staring out at him through slits in the rough metal mask. It was segmented, with small, hinged seams marking joints of the otherwise blank face. It looked like it was made to be folded back into something more compact; practical sure, but it certainly wasn't pretty to look at. He shook himself, getting to his feet as the mechanical figure did the same.
"Oui, I am fine now, merci," he said, bowing his head slightly. "Aoyama Yuga," he offered, extending a hand to the other boy, who grasped it in a tight grip, a whine of machinery accompanying the movement.
"Izuku Midoriya," he said, releasing him from the handshake and beginning to turn around to walk away. Aoyama stared at his shoulder as he retreated back towards the street, noting that a number of the components there seemed to have been dislodged or broken altogether. The groan of metal scraping futilely against metal caught his attention, and he rushed over to the other boy.
"Mon ami, are you injured? Do you wish for some assistance with the rest of the testing?" Aoyama looked down as he said this, a bit of guilt creeping up as he recalled how he had stolen a few of the faux villains from the boy who had saved him. The other youth simply shook his head before he began to reply. A rumble in the streets stopped him however, and soon, a horde of other students led by the loud mouthed runner from the morning's briefing all dashed by in terror. The object of their flight soon became apparent. Rolling into view, the massive form of a zero point villain careened around the corner, much larger than it had been depicted in the pamphlets. One enormous claw gripped the side of a building, shattering concrete and glass like it was nothing more than papier mache.
"We should leave, oui?" he said, looking to the space where his new friend had been a moment before. The sound of metal slamming into concrete drew his attention back towards the zero pointer, and the rapidly retreating back of Izuku Midoriya. Aoyama simply shrugged. Savior or no, he wasn't suicidal. Joining the others, he ran away from the incoming wall of metal death.
"We should leave, oui?" said Aoyama beside him. Izuku was about to respond in the affirmative, legs already beginning to stiffen at the sheer size of the encroaching monstrosity when a flash of movement caught his eye. There, directly in the path of the zero pointer was the kind girl from the entrance, struggling desperately against a piece of debris that was seemingly too large for her quirk to move. His eyes widened, imagining what could happen if she wasn't able to get free, and before he realized it he was tearing down the road, his exoskeleton whining at the sudden acceleration.
"With the current state of your suit, you will not be able to move the rubble before the enemy is on top of you," came the warning voice of Lynchpin in his ear.
"I know," hissed Izuku, mind searching desperately for a way to stop the approaching robot.
"The odds of doing enough damage to the enemy in order to stop its progress are minimal; suggestion, the weak point is likely in the 'head' of the machine. I am registering several sensor devices and radio transmissions originating in that part of the robot."
"No chance of shutting it down remotely?" The tinny voice in his ear confirmed that this was the case. "Didn't think so; Lynch, how do I get up there?" He was getting closer now, only a few more running steps before he was in range of the machine's giant fists. A thought struck him. "How much propellant is left in both gauntlets?"
"Enough," said the machine flatly. Izuku smirked beneath the mask, reaching the girl on the ground then.
"Quick, use your quirk on me, I think I can get up there to stop it," he said, the modulator on his mask causing his voice to come out harsher than he had intended. He would have to rectify that in later designs, if there were later designs. No time for that now though. At the moment, the girl was simply staring at him, seemingly in shock at his appearance, so he did the first thing that came to mind. Reaching back to his neck, Izuku pressed the button that would release the metal covering, allowing the faceplate to fall backwards into its more compact form so that he could address the girl directly.
"You, from the front gate!" she said, recognition dawning.
"I don't have enough power to get the rubble off, but if you can make me light enough to reach its head, I think I can knock it down. Can you do that?" He was talking almost too quickly, but she seemed to understand him anyways, and slapped the metal plate on his arm with all five fingers. Immediately, he felt the mass of his armor disappear, though it was still easy enough to move in, even without the familiar resistance.
"H-Hurry," she squeaked, eyes screwed up in concentration. "It's heavy, I don't know how long I'll be able to hold-"
She didn't get to finish her sentence, as Izuku had already begun to back away from her, snapping his mask back on and gauging the distance between himself and the zero pointer. He shook his head, preparing to do one of the most stupid things he could think of, then took off running. Gathering speed, he was only a little ways away from the girl before he leapt, hands flying out behind him, releasing every last bit of fuel he had stored up for his explosions in one powerful burst.
The blast sent him skyward, and he could feel something in his right arm snap at the force of the impact, cushioning in his armor be damned. Risking a glance down as he flew, he noted that his right gauntlet had been almost completely obliterated by the blast, and he spotted splashes of blood peeking out through the pieces of shrapnel and mangled armor that remained. Gritting his teeth, he returned his attention to the rapidly approaching problem in front of him.
The head of the zero pointer loomed, eight red orbs in a geometric pattern regarding him dispassionately as he raised his left gauntlet, hydraulics nearly breaking as he pushed them to their limit, the underlining tearing at the strain, and as he prepared to let fly, only one word would come to his mind.
"POWER!" he screamed, bringing his fist down into the metal beasts's face, caving it in around his arm as he punched nearly clean through the reinforced steel. His eyes widened in shock as the construct reeled back, its claws releasing their grip on the buildings on either side of them. He willed the gauntlet to ignite, even deprived of fuel. Hopefully, it would be enough to melt something critical in the robot. His answer came a moment later as a series of explosions rocked the robot. It tumbled backwards, falling away from the girl trapped in the rubble beneath him. Beneath him. Ah, right, he was still in the air.
Even with her making his armor weightless, Izuku was still heavy enough that gravity would finish the job that his own recklessness had started, and as he plummeted towards the earth, his only thought was, ah, crap . His mask had come off during the impact somehow, and his eyes were beginning to tear up as the wind whipped past. The asphalt was screaming towards him, and as he reached what he assumed was his terminal velocity he saw something curious. A particular piece of debris was flying up to him faster than the others, and with a start he realized that the girl had managed to free herself. What was more surprising was when she reached out as he passed, slapping him hard across the face.
He hung in the air staring at her for a moment, his momentum cancelled by one desperate ploy, and the sense of relief that passed between the two of them was so profound that neither cared when the girl's hold over gravity finally relented, and they both crashed to the ground. Bruised, and with a broken arm, Izuku groaned in the small crater his impact had made, shattered machinery from both his armor and the faux villains poking into him from every angle. Beside him, draped over the rock she had used to fly up to him, the nice girl was turning green, and began to vomit. Izuku laughed weakly, then turned on his side and began to do the same.
The observation room was in a state of controlled chaos. The principal was bouncing in his chair, a devious, knowing smile splitting his face as the light from the screens reflected menacingly in his eyes. Toshinori had been busy coughing up blood into a handkerchief when he saw young Midoriya rush to defeat the zero pointer, and now he was smiling behind his handkerchief. His successor was by his shoulder, his own smile shining just as brightly as he praised the younger man. For a moment, a small, selfish moment, Toshinori found himself regretting not having met Izuku sooner, wanting to see just what the boy could have done with his power, but the feeling soon passed. Young Togata was an excellent successor, and with Mirai promoting him so strongly, All Might had been forced to concede that he would indeed stand tall as the next symbol of peace.
"You sure the kid doesn't want to work in the lab?" ventured Power-Loader, looking thoughtful behind his helmet. Ectoplasm hobbled over and placed a hand on the other teacher's shoulder reassuringly.
"I'm sure he'll be visiting often enough with how much gear he seems to have need of," he snorted, his face betraying nothing.
"He's far too reckless," said Aizawa from his sleeping bag, not bothering to turn around. "The other candidates are just as deserving of this attention. You're all being illogical." A few of the staff had the good grace to look sheepish at the remark, returning their attention to the other monitors even as Present Mic called an end to the exams.
"Do not be too harsh, Shouta," said Nezu, turning his chair around and hopping down, "it is not often that we have a quirkless applicant to the hero course, much less so one who would seem to be a good contender for first place. Even you must admit it is an interesting development."
"That's just Izuku-kun's way, Sensei," interjected Nejire, flitting about from monitor to monitor while taking notes on examinees that seemed to catch her eye. For all her supposed 'air-headedness' the girl was actually quite dependable, Tohsinori thought. "He's worked harder than anyone I've known ever since we met him."
"All Might, if you please," interjected Nezu, making his way towards the door, "I know neither you nor our TAs here were scoring directly, but if I could request your presence for a moment, I would like to discuss your evaluations of the applicants. You will be helping with grading during the coming term after all, and this is an excellent learning opportunity!"
"Of course, principal Nezu. Come along you three," said Toshinori, buffing up before he made for the door. The TAs trailed dutifully behind, wondering if Nezu really intended to talk to them about their evaluations.
When the five were comfortably seated in the principal's office, a cup of tea ready for each of them and waiting ahead of time, Nezu finally revealed his reason for pulling them aside.
"I am aware that each of you possess a level of familiarity with Midoriya-kun," he said, eyeing them over his own steaming drink. "You three, I believe have had more interactions with the young man overall, but Yagi-san is involved in his development as well. As friends and mentors, I believe it is prudent that you all be apprised of Midoriya's...unique situation." He leaned back in his chair, waiting for one of them to speak.
"A-are you referring to the young man's quirklessness, Nezu-san?" All Might had returned to his more emaciated look now that they were safely out of sight of any passing students, and the deep shadows over his eyes seemed somewhat more sunken than usual. Nezu hummed at him.
"Yes, well, partially. The matter at hand is not the fact of his quirklessness, but rather, the nature of how he became quirkless." Toshinori's eyes widened as recognition hit.
"Became...so you mean he wasn't always quirkless?" His tone was grave, his body rigid.
"Indeed, I believe the young man at one point encountered All for One and had his quirk stolen from him. At some point last year, Midoriya confided his suspicions about his lack of quirk to young Togata and the others here. Since we are all aware of Togata-kun's position as your successor, it should come as no surprise that he recognized the potential for such a claim to be true. He brought this knowledge to Sir Nighteye, who has been investigating the young man's background for me." Toshinori nodded in understanding; if anyone could find out if the boy had been attacked like that, it would be Mirai.
"Sir asked me to pass these along when we had a moment to talk, principal Nezu-san, relating to Izuku," said Mirio amiably, retrieving a thin dossier from his bag and passing it over to the principal. He took them graciously, and began to flick through the documents as quickly as he could. "The items include our own research on Izuku-kun's medical history, as well as materials recovered from a raid we conducted on the quirk evaluation facility where we believe the assault occurred."
"So Mirai is sure then, that the boy had his quirk stolen?" Toshinori was beginning to shake, but not in fear. Rage was burning through him, hot blood rushing to his head, threatening to leak out between his teeth as his blood pressure spiked dangerously high. Nezu looked at him not unkindly, and nodded.
"Yes, Toshinori. It would seem that All for One was responsible. What is more, evidence recovered from Sir Nighteye's investigation would seem to indicate that he survived your battle and is currently still operating, albeit in a reduced capacity. However, laying out the situation is only half of why I have requested your and our distinguished TAs' presence." He withdrew three items from the dossier as he spoke, placing them before everyone on the desk. One was a handwritten note that Mirio recognized from the raid on the old assessment facility, along with the familiar images of the brain scan beside it. When Nezu reached into his desk and retrieved a similar picture, he noted the similarities in the lit up regions on each.
"This note, a seeming confirmation of our fears from one of the doctors that worked at the facility, indicates that All for One's interest in young Midoriya may extend past the simple theft of his quirk. If you look here," he said, tapping the leftmost image, "you will note both the dark area in the image which we believe corresponds to the young man's quirk center, as well as the level of activity relative to the rest of his brain." He clicked his paws together, then turned one of the many monitors on his desk for the other four to observe.
"This," he chirped, pointing to a similar image, though one that was much darker overall, "is the level of activity we see usually corresponding to an individual with above average intelligence in the same age range as Midoriya." He moved his paw to the last, smallest picture. "This is a scan of my own neural activity. You will note that despite possessing no quirk, young Midoriya has a level of activity that begins to approach mine, though, he is not quite there yet!"
The Big Three and All Might exchanged glances at this revelation. Toshinori had known the boy to be smart, more so than was typical of even the most gifted students, but he had also known Dave and little Melissa for so long that the appearance of such a level of intelligence in someone, even someone quirkless, had been more of a pleasant surprise than a ground-breaking discovery.
"I have some theories as to the cause of this development, but that is not the matter that concerns us. Whether or not he had been taken on as a student of UA, I had intended to place young Midoriya under the blanket of our protection. Now that I am positive he has secured his place in the hero course, we cannot afford to be as discreet as I would have liked had I not had to worry about affecting his development as a hero as well as his personal safety. That is why I am asking all of you, as both faculty and as future heroes, to please keep an eye on the young man as you have done so far." The principal rose from his chair and shocked them all by sinking into a bow.
"It shames me to have to ask this of students, but the nature of the danger presented by All for One's return is too great to warrant anything less than the most stringent of security measures. My own preparations are well under way, but I know that having someone the boy trusts watching out for him will be a better option than anything else. With luck, this will all prove to have been for nothing, but with this young man's fortune, I believe he will be in dire need of friends and allies in the future." Mirio was up and out of his chair already, fist held before him in determination, eyes gleaming. Nejire and Tamaki were right beside him, the same fierceness radiating off of them as Toshinori had come to expect of vicious animals defending their young.
"Don't worry Nezu-san! As the next generation of heroes, you can count on us to safeguard those who come after!" Mirio paused for a moment, and relaxed his posture somewhat. "And besides, Izuku-kun is going to be my Kohai, and he's already my little bro! We were already gonna be watching out for him anyways!" The others nodded, and Tohsinori's heart almost burst with pride. Mirai had chosen well when he recommended the young man before him to be his successor. Still, now that he was back, it meant that the wide open future Toshinori had envisioned for the next symbol of peace had narrowed towards a single, unavoidable outcome. Young Togata would have to face him , and it was all Toshinori could do to hope that when the time came, the boy would be ready.
In a pleasant corner office in the Chiyoda Ward, the newly appointed Minister of Information Technology Policy was relaxing as the sun set. Hachirou Eisaku was for the most part an agreeable man, having raised a perfectly average family and having had a perfectly acceptable career in politics. Though his ministry was once much more powerful, the National Public Safety Commission seemed to overshadow virtually every aspect of the cabinet these days. The Diet seemed intent on abdicating its responsibilities as well, which suited him just fine. Better to let the people focus on the threat of villains and the heroes who stopped them than to concern themselves with national policy. Especially when national policy concerned increasing the representatives' annual salaries.
He activated his quirk, a small, insignificant power that let him change the contents of the glass of water in front of him into something more flavorful. Today, it would taste a bit of strawberries, tomorrow, perhaps a hint of lemon. It was nearly useless, even by the standards of weak quirks, but it had been more than he had, and it had let him live his agreeable life and raise his average family. He recalled how his life had been before he had gotten his quirk and shuddered at the recollection. If he was thinking of his quirk like this, then it likely meant that the man who had given it to him would be calling again soon. Hachirou could never tell if it was the result of his own instincts, or if his benefactor was exerting some kind of suggestive power on him in preparation for another of his 'favors'. As if responding to his thoughts, his chair fell through the warp gate that opened under it, and he found himself dropping a short distance onto the immaculately clean wooden floor of Kurogiri's bar.
"Minister Eisaku, a pleasure to see you again," came Kurogiri's unchanging deep rumble from behind the bar. He was doing as he always did, rag in one hand and glass in the other, polishing the crystal until it shone, and then polishing it further. Hachirou's usual drink was already made, sat atop a coaster on the bar, condensation forming on the outside of the glass. He took it gratefully and practically inhaled the beverage, hoping it might calm his nerves somewhat. For a moment, it seemed to work, but then the monitor at the end of the bar turned on, and he was once again staring at the silhouette of the man who, for all intents and purposes, he had sold his soul to.
"Minister, allow me to extend my congratulations on your recent appointment to the cabinet. Such a position is certainly befitting one of your talent and disposition." Hachirou did not respond, only bowing his head in gratitude before looking back up at the monitor. The outline of his benefactor seemed less restrained in his movements than he normally was; a good sign that he was genuinely pleased and not about to mete out some punishment. "Perhaps in time it will be useful for us to have you connect with some of the other members of our organization in the Diet. But ah, my manners, you must be wondering as to the reason for your summons. Kurogiri." The bartender flickered in the corner of Hachirou's vision for only a moment, reappearing in front of him through one of his portals while holding a metal briefcase.
"Inside is a satellite phone and the necessary payment for a contract we have entered into with the Tower Company. It has, in fact, been executed already. Using your new position, I expect you to guarantee the mercenaries' entry through one of the docks at the port of Yokohama, sometime within the next week, but preferably sooner rather than later. You will use the phone to contact them and make the arrangements. When the object is secured you will give them the briefcase, and then you will be free to return to your duties. They will handle the rest." Kurogiri wordlessly placed the case into Hachirou's lap and stepped back through his portal, reappearing behind the bar with a glass already in hand once more.
"I-I do not wish to seem ungrateful," Hachirou began, unsure of himself. To his right, Kurogiri did his approximation of arching an eyebrow and his benefactor leaned forward towards the monitor, the shadows only barely covering his face now. "I, that is to say, my position is not associated with trade or imports, it is not one which can so easily be used to-"
"The shipment is being carried inside a cache of imported electronics, which come under the purview of your office. The mercenaries will appear as contracted security, which in a way is not so far from the truth. Simply press on your authority to personally inspect the technology and your mission will be successful."
"I, I am new to the office, the suspicion that such a move would bring might see me under investigation or in front of an oversight committee." He was pushing his luck, he knew, but his points were valid.
"That is why you have not been introduced to your compatriots within the government, Minister Eisaku. If you fail in this, you will have no information to pass on, and will be of no further use to me."
"But, I-" he barely stuttered out before his words died in his throat. His benefactor had leaned forward fully, and the mass of scar tissue wrapped up in an oxygen mask still seemed to suggest a glare, even though the man had no eyes to speak of.
"If, of course, you feel unable to comply, you need simply return your quirk, and we can part on amicable terms. You will be free to return to your position and will be left alone for the remainder of your life, though I will of course require my property back." Hachirou visibly paled, and again the question of his mind being affected came to the forefront. Regardless of whether he was being manipulated or not though, he could recall his life as a quirkless young man. How things would crumble so quickly if he were to become defective once more. His wife would leave, and take his daughter with her. He would lose his position. He would not, could not go back to that. His only option would be to acquiesce.
"I apologize, Master, I did not mean to speak out of turn. I will do as you have asked." He refused to lift his eyes to the monitor, instead gazing despairingly at the briefcase in his lap. That was how he saw the portal begin to open beneath his chair once more.
"A wise decision Minister Eisaku. You will find that I am a powerful friend to have, especially in these trying times. Provided you are successful, some introductions will be in order, perhaps at the next state banquet. Goodbye, Minister Eisaku. Do not disappoint me." The words were said with all the finality of a slab being laid atop a granite casket, and just like that, Hachirou was back in his office, the glass of strawberry water unmoved from where he had left it. Tentatively, he reached out a shaking hand and grasped the cup, willing its contents to change. Blessedly, they did so, the liquid taking on a yellow tint and the barest taste of lemon. Letting out a shaky breath, Hachirou dragged a hand over his face and leaned back into his chair. He shot off a quick message to his wife informing her that he wouldn't be home that evening, and then set out to perform his task.