It was time. The day Izuku had trained for 10 months had finally come. The day of Destiny.
Hell, he even got the luxury of being driven there by his mom, with a company car.
She had hugged him, and wished him the best of luck before he stepped out, and that she was cheering for him all the way.
The ride itself though had been awkward. Amongst the most awkward things in his life.
Just give her time, he told himself. She needed time to handle it.
He had hoped that he would get to test his powers out yesterday. It hadn't happened of course. He had spent the entirety of yesterday with his mom, first building up the courage to tell her, then doing it, and then dealing with the aftermath.
He'd also learned a lot about symbiote culture and history. There were still a lot of things he did not know though.
Right now was not the time for that though. Right now he had to pass this exam.
**-You actually gonna move, or you planning on staying out here until the last possible second for dramatic effect?-**
The first step, get inside.
"I'm-I'm just psyching myself up."
**-You've been "psyching" yourself up for 5 minutes. Get your ass in gear already.-**
He felt his clothes begin to move, trying to force him to move.
"OK, OK I'll go."
He took one deep breath, and, still shivering with nervousness, he took his first step through the gate.
And he immediately tripped over his own two feet.
With his reflexes having become way better he saw the ground rush up and instantly his arms shot out to catch himself so he didn't face plant into the ground.
However, that didn't happen, as suddenly he stopped falling. He blinked and realized he was floating in the air.
"You okay?" A cheerful kind voice asked.
"Eh?" Was all he got out, before a hand closed around his jacket, lifted him and put him back on his feet.
The person who was speaking was a girl around Izuku's age, with long brown hair, two round pink spots on her cheeks, and scarred hands. She was dressed in a heavy coat, obviously to deal with the February frost.
"Sorry for stopping you with my quirk like that, but well… It's a bad omen to trip and fall."
A girl was talking to him.
Izuku's face went up like a fire, and his body just froze up.
The girl, oblivious to Izuku's discomfort, turned her head towards the main building and continued, still with a big smile on her face.
"Man, this sure is nerve-wracking isn't it."
"Ya… Uh… Um…" Was all Izuku managed to stammer out.
"Well, good luck to the both of us. See ya."
Then she walked off towards the main building whistling a tune.
Izuku just stared after her, processing what had just happened.
He… He had talked to a girl! An actual girl!
Venom was quick to pop that balloon.
**-You didn't say a fucking word to her! Goddamn, you're a loser with women. Fuck, we need to work on that.-**
Izuku bit his lip. "So-sorry." He muttered.
**-Don't fucking apologize to us, get your ass moving!-**
Izuku winced, then finally, he did, cheeks still blushing furiously.
**-So, what do you think her connections are to Toshinori Yagi?-**
"Her… Her what?"
**-You don't recognize her?-**
"Should I…?"
**-The second day of our bonding, when you were walking home with a door over your head. She was the girl trailing behind the man you called Toshinori Yagi.-**
Izuku blinked. He… he did remember a girl who followed after Toshinori that day. That was her?
...
Venom developed a seething hatred for the man called Present Mic. from the moment he opened his damned mouth and started talking.
"WELCOME TO TODAY'S LIVE PERFORMANCE!!! EVERYBODY SAY HEY!!!"
The voice was loud and painful to their senses, though not actually truly damaging to them. It wasn't focused.
It easily could be though.
The room did not reply to the man's request for a "Hey", probably because he asked for it in a foreign language.
Finally, the man moved on after a silence. He did not seem bothered by his audience's lack of reply, given he continued on in that horrible, cheerful, enthusiastic voice.
"WELL, THAT'S COOL, MY EXAMINEE LISTENERS!! I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE GUIDELINES OF YOUR PRACTICAL!!! ARE YOU READY?!"
This time, rather than gambling on them answering, he simply went and shouted "YEAHH!!!" himself.
Izuku, despite sharing a large part of Venom's pain, began to fawn over the man from afar, like he was a cute small animal.
"It's the voice hero Present Mic. Wow…!! I listen to his radio show every week! It's inspiring. I guess all the Yuei teachers are pro heroes."
Then he kept on muttering.
**-Wait, is he that guy who you listen to at the end of every week?-**
"Yeah, he is…!"
No wonder Venom didn't like the guy. They hated listening to that weekly recording with Izuku.
"THIS IS HOW THE TEST WILL GO MY LISTENERS!!! YOU'LL BE EXPERIENCING TEN-MINUTE LONG 'MOCK CITYSCAPE MANEUVERS'!!!"
"BRING ALONG WHATEVER YOU WANT!!! AFTER THIS PRESENTATION, YOU'LL EACH HEAD TO YOUR ASSIGNED TESTING LOCATION!!!"
"O.K!?"
More awkward silence.
"EACH SITE IS FILLED WITH THREE KINDS OF FAUX VILLAINS!!!
POINTS ARE PROVIDED FOR DEFEATING EACH ACCORDING TO THEIR DIFFICULTY LEVEL!!! USE YOUR QUIRKS TO DISABLE THESE FAUX VILLAINS, AND EARN POINTS!!! THAT'S YOUR GOAL LISTENERS!!!"
So, the David guy was right, this was a robot test. Well, unless they had someone with the ability to conjure up enemies for them. That was fully possible too.
"OF COURSE, PLAYING THE ANTIHERO AND ATTACKING OTHER EXAMINEES ARE PROHIBITED!!!"
Well duh, this was a warrior training facility. You didn't hammer out working soldiers by putting them against each other in combat at the start.
"MAY I ASK A QUESTION?"
Venom needed a moment to look around for the source of the new voice. It was a tall man dressed in white, wearing glasses and with well-combed dark blue hair.
Present Mic. gave a thumbs up, signaling that the man could indeed ask a question.
"THERE APPEARS TO BE NO FEWER THAN FOUR FAUX VILLAINS ON THIS HANDOUT WE WERE GIVEN! SUCH AN ERROR, IF IT IS ONE, IS HIGHLY UNBECOMING OF YUEI, JAPAN'S TOP HERO ACADEMY!!!"
"WE ARE ALL HERE TODAY, IN THE HOPES OF BEING MOLDED INTO MODEL HEROES!!!"
It was all sensible stuff to ask about… Right up until he finished that questioning by turning around and calling out them and Izuku.
"AND YOU, WITH THE CURLY HAIR!"
Izuku froze in his seat upon being called out, as the tall boy glared at them.
"YOU'VE BEEN MUTTERING THIS WHOLE TIME… IT'S DISTRACTING!!! IF THIS IS SOME SORT OF GAME TO YOU, PLEASE LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!"
"Sorry…" Izuku said weakly as he stopped his muttering.
Venom, on the other hand, manifested from Izuku's jacket and bared his teeth towards the boy. On one hand, he didn't care for Izuku's muttering themselves. On the other hand, the asshole had insulted them and tried to bully them to quit.
After that, that accursed Present Mic. went and explained that the 4th faux villain was a non-point obstacle to avoid. Venom had assumed the 4th one was some hidden boss, but they were wrong on that account.
Oh well, nothing had really changed. They still had to destroy as many robots as possible. The only thing that had changed was that they knew now that there was only a very limited time. Still, there was more than enough time to rise to the top here.
...
Izuku was shivering like he had jumped into the arctic ocean.
**-Forget the web-shooters, we won't need them today. Not camouflage either. Just stick to kicks and punches. Keep it simple, and we'll triumph over the masses!-**
Keep it simple. Right. Just… Just keep it simple Izuku.
All around him, all his fellow examinees were also prepping for battle.
**-We'll do it Izuku, we'll crush all opposition, and rise as the undisputed masters of this arena, standing in the broken remains of our foes! Remember, you are far stronger than when you faced your first skirmish, and these robots won't even fight back!-**
Right. He had actually been in battle before. Well, he had run away from a battle. He had knocked out the teleporter though. That was something.
He was pulled out of Venom's pep talk by the sight of the brown-haired girl who had prevented him from falling earlier.
Right… He hadn't actually thanked her for that.
**-Wanna try a second round talking to the opposite sex? You can hardly do worse than the first time. At least if you actually say something at all.-**
"I… I wanna thank her for earlier."
**-Then do it now, before things start.-**
Right. Izuku began to walk towards her.
An arm suddenly grasped around his shoulder.
"You there, what do you think you're doing!?"
It was the scary guy from the auditorium.
**-This asshole again?! What the hell does he want now?-**
"...Walking?"
The boy with the glasses wasn't amused.
"That girl is clearly doing her pre-battle meditation, do you wish to interfere with that?"
It… Didn't look much to Izuku like she was meditating, more like she was trying to fan herself with her own hand. It was unusually hot here come to think of it, way hotter than the rest of the city.
"I… I…"
"Why are you even here? You are clearly not mentally prepared for this, you're shaking with fear, you stutter anytime anyone asks you a question, and—"
"Fuck off asshole!"
Venom, to Izuku's shock and embarrassment, came out of the shoulder of his jacket and entered the conversation.
"Pardon?"
"**WE** told you to **FUCK OFF**. Scram. Mind your own damned business, and don't bother us."
Izuku had suddenly stopped shaking completely and instead froze in shock and embarrassment as everyone turned to look at them.
Great. Perfect.
The tall guy was completely taken aback, though perhaps not for the best reasons.
"Such language! You wish to become a model hero with that attitude?"
"No, I—"
"How we choose to speak isn't your damned business boy. Nor is your opinion wanted here. This is a battle test, not a test about communications and public image. Now seriously, **FUCK OFF.**"
The tall boy didn't budge.
"So you think strength is the only thing that matters to be a hero?"
"No, I also think you shouldn't bother someone out of the blue for petty reasons, but as for strength…"
He grinned.
"Stick around, you're gonna see something spectacular today."
At that point, Izuku put an end to the conversation by quickly walking off as fast as he could without actually running.
"What the hell was that!?" he asked Venom in an exasperated tone, the moment they were a bit off from the rest.
"We told him to fuck off, what did it look like?"
"You can't just tell people to fuck off if they're a bit impolite!"
"Well, if you could have handled him, then we wouldn't have to step in, now would we?"
Izuku was about to reply when the words "... AND BEGIN!" were suddenly broadcast with no warning.
**-Showtime!-**
The black mass enveloped him from head to toe, his eyes got that strange feeling he always got when they changed, and beneath his clothes, his second skin formed over his flesh.
He blinked.
-Get going! Now or never!-
He sprang into action before Present Mic was done telling everyone to get a move on.
...
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