Chapter 3: UA Entrance Exam
Ben flexed his beefy arms once more before lowering them to examine with his four eyes. He couldn't help himself from spending precious seconds just examining his new body, relishing in the familiar sensation of power flowing through his body. After a series of quick stretches, Ben used his upper right arm to check the sleeve of his upper left arm to ensure the Omnitrix symbol, the access nodule, was still in the place he last remembered it. Feeling the metal disk lodged into the skin of his arm, and hopping in place a few times, Ben decided it was time to go and show UA just what he could do. Ben bent his legs and back, entering a crouched position as he built up tension in his leg muscles.
Then, with so much force that the ground shattered beneath his feet, he pushed up, performing a mighty leap that carried him high in the air! As he reached the peak of his jump, he scanned the city, noting that most of the examinees went straight and right, where the main streets gave easy access too. So, Ben turned himself left, and aimed for a tall building near the corner of the walled-off city. As the concrete approached, Ben held out his four arms, and braced for impact.
While not a species known for vertical mobility outside of their powerful leaps, Ben had found himself in many situations where he needed to climb as Four Arms. In those moments, Ben had found a simple solution to climbing walls that did not have anything to hold onto, and that solution was to make his own grips! Four Arm's muscle density was spread through his entire body, from his jaw that could output deadly bite force, the tips of his fingers, to the front of his feet. By simply slamming his fingers and toes into a wall, Four Arms could make grips to climb with on nearly any surface, and that was exactly what Ben did.
Bracing his arms out as he approached the building, Four Arm's four arms lodged deep into the concrete, and while Ben felt a bit of strain in his fingertips, his momentum was halted successfully. slamming his feet deep into the building's side to secure himself, Ben then dislodged his right side's arms and surveyed the situation below him in a Spiderman-like pose. On the street of the building he was hanging onto, he saw a large group of surprisingly large robots, varying in shapes, but coming in three distinct sizes. The one-pointers were supposed to be the smallest, but they were much larger than even the tallest of the examinees he could recall. As Ben's eyes narrowed, planning his attack path, a couple one-pointers led by a two-pointer turned a corner behind him. Ben was alerted to this new threat by the noise they were making, and turning his head, noticing the small patrol closing behind him. The robots must also have some sort of communication method built into them, as the other large mass of robots he was initially examining had lights flashing in their 'eyes' and also began to move. The time for thinking was over, it was time to fight!
Ben chose to eliminate the small group first, and dislodged his left arms from the building. As the robotic patrol neared his position, Ben forced his heavy red body off the building's side, and angled his body so that he fell with his right arms positioned downwards, and his body sideways; adopting the form for a devastating elbow drop.
"Take this you bucket of bolts!" Ben's deeper Tetramand voice cried out as two elbows crashed into an unfortunate one-pointer, pulverizing it into oblivion! The absolute destruction of their brother did not cause the other robots to falter, and swung their massive metallic arms with deadly intent. Unfortunately, their attacks did not have enough force in them to make Ben even flinch, as his enhanced skin absorbed their blows easily. Smirking at the pathetic attempt at an attack, Ben lashed out with his fists, catching four separate robot arms as they attempted to bring their limbs back after their attacks.
"Mind if I take these?" Pulling with minimal force caused the robotic arms to be yanked from their bodies, causing showers of sparks to erupt from the mainframes, and those that did not fall upon losing an arm fell to the ground in pieces as Ben used the limbs as makeshift clubs, bashing the rest of the patrol until he was certain they were defeated. The one-pointers were beaten down easily, but Ben had to force one of the robot arms through the 'face' of the two-pointer to take it out completely.
'These things look and sound dangerous, but one solid hit and they crumble like a cookie!' Ben stared at the patrol he had just dismantled in seconds, and couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed at the UA robots. Compared to the alien drones that had attacked him regularly in his summer adventure, these UA bots were child's play!
'Well, then I have no excuse not to set a record, don't I?' Ben turned to see the large group of robots had finally made it to his location, and judging by the five towering robots in the back, it included some of the strongest bots, the three-pointers. Ben crossed each of his set of arms in front of him, forming an X. Yet, he did not move, waiting patiently in his stance for the robots to come to him. As the hoard of one-pointers in the front of the crowd could almost touch him, Ben charged forward, using his arms as a riot shield as he bashed his way into the robot swarm's center.
Despite being surrounded by a mass of screeching metallic bodies, Ben focused on the larger forms of the two and three-pointers. He knew the one-pointers could be cleaned up easily, so he wanted to secure some big kills first. He dropped his guard, and drew back his right arms, preparing a punch! As a two-pointer charged him, he threw his arms forward with a yell, and the two bodies, one of metal, and the other red flesh, collided with incredible force! The moment the two forces collided, Four Arm's strength was made apparent by the sound of bending metal, and the sight of the two-pointer's arm being shredded. Ben did not let up his attack, and followed through with his punch by angling his punch upwards, and forcing his right arms through the metal frame. The resulting follow through ripped the robot's arm off, and sent the body of the destroyed robot through the one-pointer hoard. So powerful was the punch, that the one-pointers in the way of the robot corpse fractured the moment the empty metal husk collided with them, and upon hitting a building on the side, a crater formed as the two-pointer finally slid down, defeated!
Ben's next minute had him clearing out the entire robot hoard, breaking the heads and torso's of the one-pointers as quickly as he could. His large hands were the perfect size to get a solid grip on the robot's heads, and he used that knowledge to decapitate as many of the one-pointers as he could get his hands on, either crushing the metal or tearing it off. His four arms were a blur of red, sending out punches, grabbing, slamming, and smacking anything that was metal and coming his way. When a three-pointer attempted to grab him, Ben flung his arms up, and caught the offending appendage before it could wrap around him. He then crushed his fingers into the metal body, and with a mighty heave, lifted the massive three-pointer, and began swinging it around him rapidly in a defensive circle.
The remaining robots charged him, but met their swift end as the three-pointer's heavy mass removed everything above a robot's torso, leaving bisected robot bodies all around Ben, and scattering the upper-bodies all around. After tossing the wreaked three-pointer aside, Ben put his hands on his hip, and nodded in approval. 'Looks like that year off didn't weaken me a bit! I don't know how many points that was, but I should look for more.'
The glint of sunlight on metal caught Ben's eye, and he turned his head left to see another couple robots entering the street, unaware that they were walking into their deaths. With another leap, Ben threw himself into action once more. His upper left arm's fist crushed the body of one robot, his upper right arm punched a hole in the chest of another and his lower pair of arms caught a third, and tore it apart in one solid pull. Tossing aside the robot bits caught in his fists, Ben saw the rest of the patrol charging him. With a feral grin, and an earth-shaking roar, Ben charged back.
"Come at me, I'll take you all on!"
The UA observation room, somewhere on campus-
"What a promising batch of new talent this year. A shame only 36 of them will pass."
"Such a diverse array of quirks, and many of them are so proficient at wielding them, and at such a young age as well!"
In a dark room in the UA main building, a truly impressive gathering was taking place. Without windows, and the ceiling lights turned off, the only source of light were the many screens that made the entirety of one of the room's walls. There were over 50 individual monitors displaying the actions of various individuals across all 7 zones. The frantic actions of the examinees were contrasted by the cold, evaluating eyes of the people in the observation room. Most of them were sitting in the room's center, with eyes following certain screens, watching for foul play.
These people were no ordinary civilians: they were active pro heroes, and served as the UA faculty! Who better to teach the new generation of heroes than the generations before them?
"A large area to work in, a limited time frame, and lots of competitions will bring out the best in all of them." A hero in a space themed costume remarked, watching a student made of a hard material bash through a one-pointer.
"Indeed, who will rise to the challenge, and who will crumble under the pressure?" Responded a hero dressed as an American cowboy as he looked at a screen displaying the trembling figure of a girl with wings, fleeing away from a two-pointer.
"Yes, it seems that we have our work cut out for ourselves, choosing but a few from this ocean of talent!" Squeaked a voice from the biggest chair at the front of the group. A small, rodent-like creature lifted a paw, holding a cup of tea, and took a small sip. With an 'ahh' of appreciation, the beast set the cup down and turned his attention back to the wall of screens.
"We can clearly see the differences in how each child approaches the exam, depending on their quirk. Some assess the situation from afar, and make decisions from what they see: the intelligence gatherers." One student with many arms stood atop a building, spreading his limbs with what looked like ears and eyes on the tips in all directions.
"There will be those who choose to value speed over planning, getting to the robots faster than the others to secure points as efficiently as possible: the mobility experts." The stern blue-haired student who asked the question about the zero-pointer raced from bot to bot, using powerful kicks to destroy any robots unfortunate enough to run into him.
"Some have generalist quirks that can function in any situation, and just have to pick their fights carefully: the decision makers." A student with a laser from his belly quickly made short work of two one-pointers, before making a retreat as a three-pointer lumbered towards him.
"And then there are the natural-born warriors, who use their strength, ferocity, and quirks to attack everything in sight." Atop a large mass of sparking robot bodies stood a hunched blonde, with bruises all over his exposed skin, and hands smoking from use of his quirk.
"There are also the unfortunate ones, who think they are ready, but falter in the face of real danger." Everyone knew what the rodent was talking about, as they had all seen a terrified green-haired individual running away from every robot he encountered, only to look around in shock as the points around him were swiftly claimed by those who held no fear. A spectator more skeleton than man grimaced at the sight, knowing full well who that person was.
'Come on young Midoriya, where is that heroic spirit you showed me those months ago? I know you only got One for All hours ago, but you have yet to earn a single point!' The skeleton blond thought worriedly as he saw his student unable to acquire any points, despite running all around his test city. The silence prevailed, as the test approached its halfway point and though many of the teachers were impressed at what they saw, no one made any comment. Despite the overall talent of the year's examinees, it seemed no one student stood out anymore than the others. That was, until, a single outraged voice broke the silence in the room for good.
"What the hell is this? This-what? How can any one person do- I can't believe it!" The hero known as Powerloader exclaimed as he brought a small tablet as close to his head as his comically oversized helmet would allow. He had suddenly stood up, sending his chair crashing to the ground. This caught the attention of every hero in the room, even the rodent-hero, who was wearing the beginnings of a smile.
"What is it Powerloader? Something wrong with the machines in one of the cities?" The pro hero Cementoss asked, worried about his fellow teacher's sudden and very uncharacteristic outburst.
"No, it's the robots in City D! Over 60% of the robots have been destroyed, and their remains are barely salvageable!" Powerloader managed to get out, his helmet preventing the others from seeing his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.
"That's it? We've had that issue before. City D just has the best fighters, eh?" Present Mic said, before relaxing back in his seat, seemingly over the news flash. But Powerloader wasn't done.
"No! You don't get it! The vast majority of the examinees in that area account for only about 10% of the total drone kills!" If anyone in that room was not paying attention then, they were now. "It's this one guy-thing-person, he's demolished over half of ALL the robots in his city, and not slowing down at all! It's insane, I've never seen anything like it, and I've seen All Might take this exam!"
Eyes widened, curses were muttered, and talk began to generate. A single student, destroying over half of a city's robots? Sure, the bots weren't deadly, or really durable, but they were designed to give the examinees a reasonable challenge as they were carefully designed by Powerloader himself. A single student with such destructive capabilities was unheard of! A laugh broke out, causing the heroes in the room to snap their heads to the giggling rodent.
"Nezu sir, do you know about this particular examinee?" Asked a disheveled man wearing black, baggy clothing and some strange white scarf wrapped around his neck. While his voice may sound nonchalant, all those present heard the underlying disbelief in his voice at the news of a student single-handedly demolishing their practical exam.
"Oh, but I might Aizawa! Powerloader, if you would?" The hero now known as Nezu managed to get out as his paw gestured Powerloader to the wall of monitors. The rodent's laugh had died down, but in its place was a smile that Nezu could barely fit on his face. Powerloader began fiddling with his tablet, causing all the screens to go black. He then pressed something, and the monitors now worked together to display just one student instead of many individuals. The sight that followed caused everyone's eyes to widen and jaws to drop, and Nezu's laughter returned in full force, his body hunched over with his cackling.
The teachers at UA had seen many transformation and mutation quirks during their careers as both teachers and pro heroes, but had not seen something quite like this. The examinee in question was massive, red and had four arms and eyes. Muscles on muscles bulged out of the simple white shirt it wore, and the two-pointer it was in combat with was literally punched into pieces. The red behemoth then literally leapt through the chest of a three-pointer, somehow with enough force to exit to the other side, with vital wires and electronics clenched in its fists as the three-pointer collapsed, without power to sustain itself.
Another three-pointer loomed above the red humanoid, preparing to strike, but the examinee acted first. In an instant, its fists let go of the 'guts' of the previous machine, and all four hands bunched together as the thing charged forward, puncturing a hole in the robot's chest with its hands. The examinee then twisted its wrists, grabbed hold with each hand, and yanked each set of arms to the side, ripping apart the three-pointers chest, and tearing it in two. In less than twenty seconds, this 'examinee' had torn two three-pointers apart, and showed no signs of fatigue.
"He's been doing that since the exam started! He's unstoppable; he's definitely over a hundred points! That strength, it's-it's-it's inhuman!" At Powerloaders outburst, Nezu's laugh, if possible, grew in intensity, with him almost falling out of his chair, with his paw smacking the armrest as he fought to compose himself.
"Nezu, do you know this examinee? If so, who is it, and what quirk does he, she, or it possess? I find it absurd that someone with a quirk this powerful has gone unnoticed by the hero community!" A large man with a skin-tight red and white bodysuit demanded, tearing his eyes away from the spectacle that was Four Arms. Nezu stopped laughing and turned his grinning face to the man.
"While I'm not in a position to reveal the identity of this individual, I do admit to knowing who he is, and it is a he, as well as being close friends with his grandfather. I've had my eye on him for a year now, and am quite pleased with his performance. Wouldn't you all agree?" Nezu cackled again as he saw many of the heroes present did not even acknowledge what he just said, and continued to observe the Tetramand in morbid fascination as hoards of robots were torn to shreds with just a few punches.
'Well Maxwell, my old friend, it seems that your grandson has made quite the first impression on my teachers. He is everything you said and then some, but I have yet to administer the final test.' Nezu's eyes wandered to a red button covered by a protective glass shield. Confirming the time left in the exam, he once more called Powerloader.
"Powerloader, it is almost time. Let us prepare the last surprise, shall we? I reckon this will give even our red friend some trouble." The masked hero nodded and made his way to Nezu's desk, pressing his tablet to return the wall or monitors back to their original function of observing many individuals.
'Now Benjamin Tennyson, I wonder how you will deal with this?' The glass cover was lifted, and a paw gently pressed down on the button, activating the zero-pointers.
Back to Ben-
"Come on, make me try already!" Ben bellowed, as he raised the still-thrashing body of a two pointer above his head effortlessly. Clenching his fingers, he then tore the robot in half, closing his eyes as showers of sparks and bits of metal and junk clouded his vision. He cracked open one of his eyes, and seeing no more vision impairing debris in the air, tossed the two-pointer aside. He strolled forward, rubbing his wrists as he scanned for more targets.
Ben was so focused on finding more robots that he was unaware that the rest of the examinees had finally caught up to him, and were gazing at him with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and even fear. Ben made his way through the furthest areas of the city, leaving the streets and sidewalks behind him littered with so many robot corpses that in some areas, one couldn't even see the ground through the pieces.
"Holy crap, did that red guy do all this? I don't remember seeing him at the start!"
"There's so many robot bodies here! He must have taken out at least a hundred!"
"That's why there was so little where we were. This guy must have taken all the points."
"How am I going to pass now, there are no more robots to fight!"
"Screw that, I'm not even going to try anymore. I mean, how could any of us compete with that? Whoever that red guy is, he's got strength like All Might!"
"Let's go, maybe there's still a couple bots in the alleyways! We can- wait, what's that rumbling?"
The ground of each mock city began to rumble, and the examinees in each zone were very much aware of the sudden shift. Even Ben grew apprehensive, halting his progress to gaze at the ground, trying to identify where the rumblings were coming from. His posture widened, and his arms fanned out, trying to maintain his balance. Whatever was causing the tremors, it must be close. Then, he heard the sounds of sneakers on the pavement, and turning around, several students passed him, moving towards the entrance. While Ben didn't mind less competition, what worried him was the panic so clearly etched on their faces. Suddenly, a massive crash caused Ben and several others nearby to whirl around, only to stagger back a couple steps; even Ben was shocked at what he saw.
"Oh Kami, get out of my way! Out of my way!"
"It's the zero-pointer!"
"I didn't sign up for this!"
Ben hadn't given the zero-pointer much thought after the exam had started. After easily tearing through the one, two, and three-pointers with very little effort, he had written off the zero-pointer as a joke to keep people on their toes. He was now aware that this was not the case.
The zero-pointer dwarfed even the biggest buildings in the mock city; being almost three times the size of the tallest structures. An imposing figure of steel, blocking out the sun, and slowly moving towards the examinees, destroying everything in its slow, yet destructive, path. Ben had been in life threatening situations much worse than this, but the sight of such a massive threat still had chills running down his spine. He turned around with the others, but for different reasons. Those around Ben wanted to escape, but Ben wanted to use the opportunity to scrape together what little points were left. With everyone panicking, and the zero-pointer forcing everything in a single direction, it seemed to be a solid plan! As Ben crouched in preparation for another super jump, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Please, just go! Leave me, it's too close! We'll all die!"
Ben raised his head, straining to identify where the voice was coming from. Realizing the cry was further up the street, where the zero-pointer was, Ben leapt towards danger, and came across a painful sight.
The zero-pointer's initial movement had caused a domino effect, sending multiple buildings toppling down, and some poor soul had unfortunately been caught. A boy with chubby cheeks, darkened by all the dust and bruised from encounters with robots earlier in the exam, was pinned beneath several large blocks of concrete. From the looks of it, the boy's arms were pinned to the ground, meaning if he had a quirk to break himself free, he was unable to use it. By his head were two others, trying to break apart or lift the rubble to free him. A girl with orange hair, using her quirk to enlarge her hands to lift large chunks of concrete, and a boy with long, ragged silver hair with his skin made of metal was breaking apart large pieces of rubble to brush aside.
They were making good progress, but time was not on their side. The zero-pointer was almost upon them, and they were nowhere close to freeing the trapped boy. In a last act of sacrifice, the boy seemed to accept his fate and wanted the others to save themselves. While Ben was sure there was no way UA would let the robot crush the boy, there was no way to make sure, and no time to waste. Ben had to act, and act he did!
Rushing forward, Ben crashed in between the girl and boy working to free the trapped one, and ignored their startled cries. Bending down, Ben slammed his right arms into a massive concrete slab, and, with a little strain, lifted it. This allowed him to use his left arms to remove the other slab trapping the boy, freeing him.
"Get out of here! I'll slow that hunk of junk down!" Ben hoisted his right arms above his head, and took aim at the approaching goliath. He bent his right elbows, tensed his muscles, and took a couple steps forward to generate momentum to fling the slab at immense speeds, right at the head of the zero-pointer!
"RRRRAHHHGG!"
The slab exploded on impact with the metal frame, and while no damage was done, the robot's movement did halt. As its body slowly bent to give it a clear sight line on what had thrown the slab, Ben hefted his left arms, and chucked the other slab!
"HHAAAAAA!"
Now Ben got its attention! The one-two punch of concrete projectiles had made the zero-pointer identify the Tetramand as the greatest threat, and it began to march towards its new objective. Ben crouched, and hunched his shoulders, lifting his arms into a classic fighting position, readying himself for anything that would be thrown at him. He chanced a look back, to make sure the three others were gone as to allow Ben to fight with no possible casualties, only to see they were still there!
The chubby one had his arms flung over the shoulders of the girl with the orange hair and the metal man, but they were just standing there, with their jaws open, and not moving. Ben internally groaned. This was a common problem when he fought in his alien forms, people just stood around to gawk at the show while they were in real danger. He needed them out of the general vicinity, as soon as possible! As he opened his mouth to tell them that, the girl's mouth opened to let out a gasp, the short-haired boy's eyes shot open in panic, and the metal guy pointed behind Ben.
"Look out!"
Ben managed to turn his head around to see the fist of the zero-pointer racing towards him, ripping apart the asphalt of the street as it performed a punch. Ben flung his hand out and grabbed the metal fist as it collided with him, and began to force him back. This shocked Ben, as nothing bar Vilgax and Kevin had ever challenged Four Arm's strength, and the power behind this kick was enormous! He had really underestimated this machine! In response, Ben dug his heels in the ground, grit his teeth, bent his head, and pushed, forcing the foot to a standstill. Ben was faintly aware that the back of his left foot collided with one of the shoes of the three behind him, but Ben didn't really care at the moment. Without turning his head, Ben grit out one last order.
"Get out of here now! I'm going to take this thing down, and I don't want to have to dig you guys out when I'm done with this sorry scrapheap!" He felt the foot disappear, and heard the pattering of feet, telling him they had finally started to run away. He allowed a grin to grow on his face. Perfect. Now he could hold nothing back.
With a yell, Ben shoved forward with all his might, sending the leg of the zero-pointer so far back that it disrupted its balance, causing it to start falling forward. As its arms slowly spread out to brace for impact, Ben started to run forward, towards the leg he had just shoved back. He sprinted until he saw that he was at about the center of the falling zero-pointers head, and then halted his momentum. He counted the seconds passing as the metal chest of the zero-pointer moved ever closer.
One...two...three!
With a jump, Ben took hold of the chest of the zero-pointer and tore a hole open. Now with a way inside, Ben put his arms through the hole, and pushed himself up, and worked his way inside.
Ben continued to make his way in the vague direction of 'up.' Visibility was poor, but he didn't really need to see in here. Ben threw his arms around with no real purpose other than to climb while causing as much damage to the zero-pointer's interior circuitry as possible. The sparks and crackling of electricity he caused helped light up his way, and Ben took any opportunity to pull apart pistons, or crush any piece of equipment that looked important. He soon felt one of his fists collide with the metal frame that formed the zero-pointer's exterior shell. With a powerful punch, Ben tore open another hole and made his way onto the zero-pointer's back.
The zero-pointer had completely collapsed, and Ben used the opportunity to hurry to the head, running up its back. He must have done a solid number inside, as the zero-pointer was slow to do anything in response, and its limbs weakly thrashed, unable to put up a fight on someone already on its body. Ben got to the base of the head, and as he was about to start climbing, he suddenly felt movement! To his shock, the head began to slide towards Ben, onto the solid surface of its back! The sudden sounds of gears, pistons, and machinery at work alerted Ben that there must be some defensive system at work, trying to get rid of the threat on the machine itself. As the head slowly shifted positions, Ben clenched his fists. He was ending this now!
As the head began to move, Ben felt around the 'neck' trying to identify a weak point. He was not 100% sure, but UA seemed to give the robots human-like weak points: attacking the chest or head of even a three-pointer caused it to crumple and stop moving. So Ben now had an objective. He had to behead the zero-pointer before its personal defense systems came online. While Four Arms could probably handle whatever weaponry it had, Ben wasn't going to take any chances! He had underestimated the zero-pointer, once, and that was one time too many!
Satisfied with a particular point, Ben slammed his right arms deep into the connective area attaching the head to the rest of the zero-pointer. Turning his body, and adopting a running position, Ben tensed his right arms, and began to sprint, with his arms still in the machine! While ripping metal apart with nothing but flesh and force hurt Four Arms, Ben pushed through the pain. Running around in a circle, Ben re-arrived at his starting point, and slid his arms through the last remaining connective piece, and ripped his arms free. Then, sliding all four of his arms into the crack he had created, Ben got firm handles for his hands, tensed his back and leg muscles, and began to pull with all his might.
A Tetramand is terrifyingly strong, and Ben was calling a good portion of it with this maneuver. Four Arms pulled and pulled, ripping apart the finely put together parts that held the neck together and gave the head motion. As the head's last connective parts began to strain, break, and snap, Ben threw back his head and roared with one last heave!
"GRAHHHHH!" With that final, powerful surge of strength, Ben pulled the entire head of the zero-pointer out of its socket, and held it above his head, victorious at last! The moment the head left the main body, the remaining active lights and limbs of the zero-pointer faded and ceased action.
'That was awesome! It's a nice change of pace, going hero without being exhausted afterwards!' Cheered Ben, who still felt great thanks to Four Arm's enhanced endurance and threw aside the severed head of the mechanical giant to the side, and raised his arms in celebration. As the head hit the ground, a single command rang through UA, across all the sites.
"Time is up!"
Chapter 4: The Tennyson Case
'Ah nuts. That zero-pointer ate up my last two minutes! Hope that doesn't bite me in the butt later.' Ben mused as he slid off the unmoving mass that was the zero-pointer he had just beheaded. Dusting his hands, he then put them on his hips and gazed proudly at the most powerful UA obstacle lying motionless before him. 'It was big, and decently strong, but other than that, Vilgax's most basic drones outclassed it by a mile. I guess that's the difference between tech made on Earth and from space.'
'Guess I should head back now. They didn't say where to go, so I guess we are free to go? Hmm, but I want my backpack. Grandpa said I didn't have to bring it back, but still...' Ben began to jog back in the general direction of the entrance to the mock city following the main streets. Thanks to Four Arm's large size and powerful legs, his Tetramand job was more similar to a human's sprint. As he was speeding along, he saw 3 familiar figures: a boy in the middle whose arms were slung around a girl and boy's necks, as they slowly made their way to the entrance as well. Looking more closely at the boy in the middle's body, Ben could see his right foot bent at an abnormal angle. Ben was never one to let an obviously hurt person suffer without offering his assistance, so he doubled his pace to catch up with the trio.
His pace must have generated a lot of noise, for the other examinees turned their heads and Ben saw their eyes widen as he approached. About 5 meters or so away from the group, Ben threw his hands out, leaned back, and dug his heels into the street to slow down. A dust cloud enveloped Ben as he grinded to a halt, and he heard coughs and felt hands waving in the air, alerting Ben that the cloud was also affecting the others too. If a Tetramand could blush Ben would be now as he quickly worked to remedy his mistake. He brought his arms back, and brought them together with a clap that created a shockwave that dispersed the offending dust cloud in seconds. As the trio's eyes adjusted, they gazed up at Ben, with awe in their eyes.
"Hey there, sorry about that! Guess I shouldn't have ran here, but I saw that your foot was broken, so I wanted to offer my help!" A hero always helped those in need, even if that meant the hero was just to fetch another individual who was better suited to the job. Ben did not have an alien that could heal others, but he was certain UA did. If the boy's condition was bad, he could make it out of the city in a leap to get help.
"No, no! It looks a lot worse than it is, it isn't hurting or anything!" The injured boy waved off his offer. "I was going to ask you if you were hurt. I mean, we saw you take a blow from that zero-pointer, and that thing leveled buildings! But you seem fine, your red skin seems free of bruises." Ben didn't mind the boy's eyes wandering over his Tetramand form. He came to terms with how much attention his aliens brought him a long time ago.
"Yes, the way you took on that zero-pointer was incredible! I thought no one would be able to take it on, let alone best it in battle, but judging from the way you removed it's head, I daresay you proved me wrong!" The orange haired girl angled her head up to give Ben a smile. Ben managed a weak grin back as he tried to crouch down to give her a better line of sight. Being Four Arms was so natural due to the Omnitrix that it was easy for Ben to forget he had grown twice his height and then some.
"I am Kendo Itsuka, and I thank you for your assistance in the practical! If you hadn't come along, the zero-pointer would have certainly caused us problems!" With that, Kendo gave as good of a bow as she could from her position. Her formal greetings spurred the other two into motion as well.
"Oh, where are my manners! My name is Shoda Nirengeki, and thank you for saving me!" The boy ducked his head in greeting.
"I'm Tetsutetsu! Gotta hand it to you big guy, you kicked major robot ass out there! Glad you're on our side, that's some quirk you got, reminds me of All Might!" Tetsutetsu gave Ben a feral grin and a thumbs up, causing Ben to turn his head away with an arm on the back of his neck, feeling quite bashful. These guys were 3-4 years older than him, and having them praise him felt awkward, but also really good! During his vigilante spree, he never stayed around after a battle or rescue. Thus, he never got any thanks from the people he saved. The media always portrayed him in a mysterious light, with both the good and the bad. Finally getting some recognition, even if it was just a 'thank you' felt incredible.
"Ah, it was nothing! If I didn't do it, someone else would have, it was the heroic thing to do! I mean, that's why we're here right? To become heroes?" Ben laughed as he tried to play off his work. In all honesty, taking on the zero-pointer was not that hard for Ben. Four Arms had taken on enemies far stronger, larger, tougher, and smarter than the oversized robot, so praise for a comparatively minor feat did not feel earned. Still felt good though.
"Nah man, you killed it out there! I saw that trail of 'bots you left behind, I wouldn't be shocked if you got first place! Bask in the glory a bit, no one'll judge!" Tetsutetsu and Kendo gently set Shoda down on a clean curb, and the metal man walked up and bumped his first into Ben's torso. "Kami, you're like a brick wall! This some sort of transformation quirk? I didn't see you at the start-"
BEW BEW BEW BEW BEW BEW
Ben's head snapped left as he heard the familiar mechanical sounds and flashing red light from the Omnitrix access nodule that indicated his time was up, and was preparing to extract the alien DNA from his bloodstream, and return him to being human. The others didn't know this however. Tetsutetsu leapt back, startled by the noise and lights. Kendo immediately assumed a fighting stance, moving to cover Shoda who gasped and threw his hand up to cover his head. After the initial noise that served as an alarm for the Omnitrix wielder, a bright red light enveloped Ben, so bright that it forced the three others present to shut and cover their eyes. When they reopened their eyes, they were shocked to find the massive red goliath gone! And in his place stood a short, brown haired kid? As the three's expressions morphed into shock and disbelief, Ben patted his biceps remorsefully, saddened at the lack of muscles.
'Good bye super-strength. Thanks for the work Four Arms, I think I nailed the exam thanks to you!' Ben brought his hands back to his sides, and brought his gaze back up to meet the shocked faces of the three people he had saved. Why were they so scared?
"Uhh, you guys alright? Looks like you saw a ghost." Ben tried humor to diffuse the situation. It did not work.
"What the hell! Did you just, turn back, or- I don't understand! How could that awesome red guy be you! You're so small, and skinny, and small, and weak, and small!" Ben frowned at Tetsutetsu's accusations. Just a moment ago, the guy had been singing his praises, but now he was insulting him! Didn't Grandpa Max tell him that Japan was much more accepting of quirks and the people that wielded them?
"Well, that was shocking." Kendo thankfully was much more calm, walking forward to pull the frantically gesturing Tetsutetsu away from Ben. "I do remember you from the start. You were the one fiddling with some sort of watch-support item, the thing on your wrist. That must help regulate your transformation quirk, but I admit I have never seen or heard any quirk quite like your full-body altering one." Ben internally panicked at that. He lost track of time! He didn't mean to turn back in front of anyone, much less three people!
"Well, big or small, red or not, four arms or two, you still saved me back there." Shoda's voice broke through Ben's internal panic, and looking over to the chubby boy, his smile helped Ben relax. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I caught your name. Could you repeat it for me?" Ben facepalmed at that statement. How could he forget to introduce himself? He wasn't some vigilante running from the law anymore, he was a hero-in-training, trying to reveal himself to the public as a force for good!
"Ack, sorry about that! I just got caught up with asking if you needed help, and I got caught up in talking, then I hit my time limit, sorry, sorry. I'm Tennyson, but you all can call me Ben!" Shoda and Kendo responded with a smile and a nod, while Tetsutetsu approached Ben with a gloomy expression.
"Hey dude, sorry about my outburst earlier. I didn't mean to say that you didn't deserve your points or anything, I was just shocked you know? Like the girl said, I haven't seen a quirk like yours before, and I got caught up in my own hype. I hope you can forgive me Tennyson." Ben flinched at 'Tennyson.' Even after a year of Japanese language and culture lectures, it still felt bad to be called by his last name. He looked up to meet Tetsutetsu's eyes.
"I'll forgive you if you call me Ben. The only people who call me Tennyson are teachers and my parents, usually when I'm in trouble." The metal man's grin returned, and he stuck out his hand, angled down for Ben to reach.
"Alright Ben, I can work with that! I hope we get put in the same class, cause I want to spar with you someday!" Ben just smiled as he shook his hand, not mentioning that Four Arms was just one of his many forms. Best not reveal all his secrets, never know when he might need the upper hand. The sound of a throat being cleared broke apart the handshake, and the boy's eyes turned to Kendo as she approached, with her eyes locked onto Ben's wrist.
"I am curious Ten- sorry, Ben, about that device on your wrist." Ben grimaced as all three pairs of eyes burned into him. He didn't have a lie in place yet, Azmuth said he would tell him when he got to meet with Grandpa's friend! He wasn't ready! Kendo also seemed like an intelligent girl, there was no way she was going to fall for any of Ben's impromptu BS. "It doesn't look like anything I've even seen, and it's far too big to be a simple watch. Is-"
"Excuse me dearies, medic coming through! We noticed you four were just standing about, are any of you injured?" A discraction! Ben gave a sigh of relief as an elderly woman hobbled in their direction, drawing the other's eyes to her. The woman in question wore a simple white lab coat and her gray hair styled into a bun. She had two pink contraptions on both sides of her head that held a dark blue glass shield over her eyes. Her walking cane was fashioned to resemble a syringe. This was one of the most legendary heroes of the era, the Youthful Heroine: Recovery Girl, one of the only humans alive who had a quirk with healing properties. Not even Ben could heal others with his current collection of aliens.
"Ah, you're Recovery Girl, it is an honor to meet you in person!" Kendo gave her a bow, before turning to gesture at the sitting Shoda. "Shoda here has something wrong with his ankle, so we moved him away from the zero-pointer before letting him rest."
"Good thinking dear, that was very mature of you to assist your fellow student hopeful. And to you two boys, also a job well done! Looks like injuries were kept to a minimum in this city, Shoda is in the worst shape here. Unlike that green haired boy that obliterated every bone in his arm, you all seemed to exercise restraint even while helping each other!" All four examinees blushed at Recovery Girl's praise. It wasn't everyday that a legendary hero gave you praise for your actions!
"Muwah!" Recovery Girl then proceeded to give Shoda a big kiss to his cheek, and stepped back chuckling as Shoda's face darkened with a blush. Moments later, the embarrassment on his face morphed into disbelief, then into awe as before the group's very eyes, his bruises began to fade, and his foot seemed to realign itself. In less than thirty seconds, Shoda looked perfectly healthy as he experimentally rotated his ankle while holding his foot in the air. He then got to his feet, and gingerly took a few steps, before moving into a light jog. His face held a grin as he proclaimed his newfound health to the others, who cheered with similar expressions on their faces.
"It's good to see you back on your feet dear. Here, have a gummy. My quirk drains energy proportional to the injury sustained, and while you didn't have anything that bad, I don't want to take any risks." Reaching into her lab coat pocket, Recovery Girl dropped a small wrapped gummy candy into Shoda's waiting hand. "Now, move along now! We need to clear out these cities in preparation for the school year, so move along and get on home! Make sure to take it easy the rest of the day, and monitor your health! The results should be mailed out in about a week, so good luck!"
After being waved off by the youthful heroine, the group of four hurried out of the mock city, and returned to the large H building. After waving a hurried goodbye to Kendo, Shoda and Tetsutetsu to avoid any more questioning, Ben asked a nearby assistant where the cubbies for the oversea transfer students were. After being pointed to the right area, Ben quickly picked up his backpack from the blue-wolf proctor who wished him good luck. Hurrying out of the gates, Ben could now get a much better look at the people around him. In stark contrast to the bright and positive energy emitted by the crowd in the morning, the energy of the people leaving was mostly gloomy and subdued. From the downcast expressions, puffy eyes, and clenched jaws and fists, Ben gathered that many either performed badly, or thought their performance would not be enough to get them into the heroics course. Ben knew he did well: Tetsutetsu, Kendo and Shoda's reactions indicated that he did far better than they did, and they were already quite confident in their own scores. However, Ben knew he couldn't afford to be overconfident. There were hundreds, maybe even a thousand participants of the UA entrance exam, and less than 50 got in. Ben also had the consequence of a life in prison should he fail, so he prayed he did enough.
Making his way home was easy enough. The condo Coleson snagged them was conveniently located close to the UA campus, and the foot traffic was significantly less than in the morning. Lost in thought, Ben didn't really pay attention to the people or happenings around him as he slowly made his way home. Walking up the street, making the turns, and maneuvering himself in the stairwells of the complex, he eventually made his way to his front door, and worked his key into the lock. A little old fashioned in this day-and-age, but still a perfectly good security measure. He entered to see Grandpa Max sitting at the kitchen table, with a small pair of reading glasses on his face as he scanned over documents; there were so many that they covered the entirety of the table. Upon hearing the door open, and seeing Ben kicking off his shoes, Grandpa Max put down his pencil and turned in his seat.
"Well, you aren't crying, and Coleson hasn't given me a call. I assume it went fine?" Ben pondered the question. He did waste a bit of time in the beginning, about 40 seconds give or take. He also took 2 minutes roughly to take down the zero-pointer, so that left him with about 7 and a half minutes, during which Ben took down countless robots as Four Arms. While he lost count of his points, he did help save Shoda, so hopefully that made up for lost time. He turned to look at his Grandpa, who remained silent.
"Yeah, I think I did ok."
The UA Faculty Meeting: unknown time and location-
The results were finalized: each written exam was graded, the practical was reviewed thoroughly, and points counted up. The hundreds of applicants that had toiled, fought, and bled for this opportunity were about to be cut down like wheat in a field during harvest day. That was the unfortunate truth of UA, for they only had 40 spots open per year, and four were always reserved for the recommendation program. Over 99% of the examinees were immediately cast aside, with simple messages being sent out all over the country to inform the individual that they did not make the cut. The UA entrance exam was notorious for only allowing the top of the 1% that passed to be given admission, and yet so many hopefuls had their hearts and spirits broken from their failure.
For the ones that did meet expectations however, a further screening process was done. The staff of UA met to further discuss and evaluate the individuals in great detail. Everything that was not examined initially was done so at this meeting: the person's personality, their academic history, their backgrounds, everything that was legally available was fair game. This was all discussed around a long rectangular table, thick with electronics and projectors, with heroes in chairs surrounding it. At the tip of the table was a large leather chair, different from the basic plastic ones the majority sat on, and a control panel available for the person sitting in that chair to manipulate the systems found in the table. This table was where 36 individual students were discussed and then selected by the professional heroes that doubled as teachers. And this year, a new face joined to replace one that had retired: All Might.
"And while she did offer to share her points with Midoriya, his rescue score of 60 does not need assistance. Therefore, Uraraka Ochako will pass with 28 villain points and 45 rescue points, placing her fourth overall." Nods and general murmurs of agreement echoed in the crowd of heroes as they mulled over the finalized points. A clap of hands, or paws in this case, brought the discussion to a halt.
"Excellent, only a few more to go! Here we have Kendo Itsuka, who easily passed the written test in the top 10%, and earned a respectable 25 villain points." Nezu tapped his paw against the control panel in front of him, bringing up Kendo's smiling middle school photo, along with basic information along with her written and practical scores on the holographic projector in the table's center. "She demonstrated great heroic potential as she was the first to go to assist Shoda, and that caused Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu to join her." Another tap brought up a small video clip, where Kendo's bright orange hair was seen rushing against the fleeing crowd, towards the zero-pointer. As she began working to free Shoda, Tetsutetsu sprinted to catch up with her, and also began working.
"Due to her lack of hesitation to assist someone in need, properly assisting the downed examinee, and also knowing when to retreat, the rescue point total given was 40 points. Some brought up concerns that this is unfair to Tetsutetsu, who only got 10 points as discussed earlier, but to those people, observe how these two children freed their friend." Kendo's information disappeared, and the clip was enlarged and replayed. "Notice Kendo carefully lifted each chunk she could, taking great care even in the face of immediate danger. Tetsutetsu had the right idea, breaking up the rubble, but was performing his actions far too close to Shoda's head, and was acting far more urgently than Kendo. If the 'other' examinee had not arrived, Tetsutetsu may have injured Shoda accidently. It is for that reason his rescue points were deducted."
Once again, the heroes present vocalized their agreements. Nezu may have a mischievous and cunning side, but in this important meeting that decided the futures of so many, that side was completely absent. With another command, the holographic projector cleaned itself to enter its default state.
"The last three ladies and gentlemen. I think I speak for all of us that these are the most interesting applicants we've seen in quite a while. The first two are polar opposites, in both personality, exam results, and history. The last one, well, we'll get there when we get there. But, for now let us focus on this interesting applicant: Midoriya Izuku!" Another portrait and information bank was displayed, with a nervous green-haired boy drawing the attention of the heroes, and All Might in particular.
"Midoriya is quite the mysterious contender, with his quirk being unnamed due to him being a late bloomer. His quirk only came in about 7 or 8 months ago, and gives him such strength that he can destroy the zero-pointer in a single strike." Once again, the portrait and information were minimized to let a clip play, showing Midoriya leaping up to deliver a blow, dealing cataclysmic damage to the zero-pointer, shredding it upon impact. This blow came with a consequence to himself as well, with his arm becoming disfigured and slowly fading into an ugly purple. Upon the clip's conclusion, the video disappeared and Midoriya's score was brought up. "Midoriya also is the first-ever examinee to make it to this discussion with a score of 0 villain points. Rescue points were also factored in, but were heavily varied in amount. All Might, you gave Midoriya 100 rescue points, the maximum possible. Aizawa, you gave him 0, and openly admit to wanting to deny admission. Would you two care to explain?"
"The answer should be simple: the problem child has no control over his quirk." Aizawa Shota, the underground hero Eraserhead, and soon-to-be homeroom teacher for a class of hero students began.
"He obviously had less time to acclimate his body to use his quirk without such backlash, but that doesn't excuse his lack of control. His personality is timid at best, but mostly makes him look and act like a coward. UA training can do a lot of things, but it can't change someone's true nature. He acted scared in the majority of the practical, and his 0 score shows he doesn't have control over his emotions either, as they dictate his actions. While I do admit his punch was impressive, it also destroyed his entire arm, and drained all his energy, leaving him defenseless and had to be saved by the person he was trying to help. A hero can't end any conflict with one punch, and certainly not with a punch that then turns him into a liability. I don't see potential." While harsh, the underground hero's statement echoed the majority of the thoughts those against Midoriya had. All Might, in his skeleton form, then spoke up.
"What you say, Eraserhead, is true. Young Midoriya's lack of emotional control in the beginning cost him dearly, and his lack of quirk control is certainly an issue." All Might may have a soft spot for his protegee, but he was not blind to his faults. "However, his actions showed the heroic spirit that UA is so famous for bringing out of their students. He did not hesitate to turn around upon realizing Young Uraraka's predicament and moved with the only intent being to help the one in need. A lack of quirk control is nothing new to UA, and many students that lack control over their quirks in their first year grow into fantastic heroes under UA's tutelage. Just look at Young Togata, who in his first year had next to no control over his quirk, but now in his third year is among the most powerful students to ever grace this school! I know, if given a chance, Young Midoriya will grow into a fine hero." All Might took his seat, amidst a small polite clapping from the heroes for his speech. Nezu cleared his throat to bring the attention back to him, and proposed a plan.
"All things considered, I do agree with both sides. Midoriya scored incredibly well in the written, and his actions in the practical showed his spirit but also his weaknesses. With Aizawa's concerns in mind, I have a plan that I believe satisfies both parties. Midoriya will be granted admission, but will be placed into Aizawa's class. There, Aizawa can test Midoriya on a more personal level to evaluate his potential, and has my permission to do as he pleases with the results. Is this satisfactory?" Both Aizawa and All Might nodded, with the former's expression blank, and the latter a bit worried, all too aware of Eraserheads reputation of expelling anyone at any time. "And on the topic of his score, he will be given 60 rescue points, as Aizawa's argument of Midoriya needing to be saved after his action means he will suffer some point deduction. With a total score of 60, this places him 8th overall. Now, onto another interesting candidate."
"Next on the list, Bakugo Katsuki, the opposite of Midoriya, with a phenomenal villain point total of 77, but one of the few who scored zero rescue points." Midoriya's information was now replaced with that of Bakugo's, whose portrait had him with a cocky smirk. As Bakugo's information was listed out, Nezu continued. "His quirk, Explosion, and his natural warrior-like instincts allowed him to excel in the practical, and it should be noted that he has equally impressive written results. It seems we have a combat extraordinaire on our hands." The group saw nothing wrong with Nezu's initial assessment, but the true discussion was yet to come.
"What is the most concerning, however, is his attitude and history of bullying." No one was really surprised at this, as they had all seen, or rather, heard, the clips of Bakugo, yelling, cursing, and screaming. "While his record is clean at face value, his 'personality' made me launch a personal investigation, which has unveiled a history of bullying and illegal public quirk usage. While no significant or permanent damage has been done, this trend of aggressive behavior is alarming, as my research shows he has had this complex since elementary school."
"Put him in my class." Aizawa suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone. He usually only spoke when prompted or spoken too. "I'll keep him in line. His quirk is an emitter type, so I can erase it. I won't hesitate to use my quirk, or force, to keep him in line. I'll work on reeling in his ego, I've corrected tougher problem children before."
"Well, that is convenient, thank you Aizawa! I would loathe to give up on such potential, as his record is alarming, but I'll place my faith in you. With a villain point total of 77 and 0 rescue points, Bakugo is placed at 2nd overall, just behind our red friend." At the mention of Four Arms, the mood shift in the room was instantaneous; the heroes dozing off or not paying attention focused in immediately, ready to discuss the stand-out applicant of the year. This student was the one many were here to talk about, and the memory of the Tetramand tearing through the robot hoard was still fresh in their minds. Bakugo's information was taken down, and in its place, a picture from one of the many clips taken of Four Arms, serving as the portrait.
"I'll begin by stating what you all already know by now: I do know this examinee, as I know his grandfather who is a dear friend of mine. This particular student has some unique conditions and circumstances, some of which I do not have clearance to tell you all, but I will share what I can." This was not shocking to the heroes paying close attention to Nezu. This examinee definitely had some form of government intervention going on in his life, as how else could someone with such power stay hidden from the hero community? As Nezu began to speak, everyone at the table leaned in to listen as best they could.
"This examinee's name is Tennyson Benjamin, from the United States, born in a small, no-name town known as Bellwood. His quirk was easily identified at the normal age of 4, passed down from his father's lineage. Known as Cellular Adaptability, it allows his cells to accept foreign DNA and neutralize its negative effects, while absorbing any positive attributes the new genetic information has." As the new information made its way into the minds of the teachers, Nezu brought up Ben's new international passport photo, a simple mugshot of his smiling face. Upon seeing the childish face with brown hair and dull green eyes, Present Mic shot to his feet, and Cementoss let out a gasp.
"Yo, yo, yo! Hold the damn phone! This doesn't add up, I can't see this connection at all Nezu sir! I'm not that old, but I've seen lots of quirks in my time in the field and as a teacher, and I can tell you that the Tennyson I saw had no give on such a full-body transformation!" Cementoss nodded along with the vocal hero.
"I concur, while I did not speak with the child as much as Mic did, I also did not see any evidence of a transformation, nor a mutation quirk of that magnitude. Nezu, the quirk you've described does not corroborate with anything we have seen. Are you sure this is the right student?" At Cementoss' question, all the heroes once again looked at Nezu, equally puzzled as to how the kid, only 11 years of age, could be the red beast they had all seen.
"Well Cementoss, your question can actually be answered by yourself and Present Mic right now!" The eyes looking at Nezu now shifted to the two heroes in question. "Tell me gentlemen, when you first saw Tennyson, what did you see?" After a brief moment of eye contact, and some polite gesturing by Cementoss, Present Mic stood, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, aside from the obvious height and age difference from the average student, there wasn't much to the little listener. He was polite, had real good Japanese, and seemed like a good kid. Green eyes are a little rare, but nothing quirk related, just a rare trait. A little scatterbrained, maybe, but I only spoke briefly with the kid. Don't really know what you're getting at here boss." At that, Cementoss spoke up, having even less to say.
"I spoke to Tennyson even less, only giving him directions. Physical traits were nonexistent, and he did not say a word to me. Nothing to say as well." That was odd, usually when Nezu had people recount their perspectives on a case, it revealed all the missing answers. This seemed to be the exception, maybe their principal had made a mistake after all. That was the general unspoken consensus in the room, until Cementoss made one last remark.
"Tennyson did have a strange watch on his wrist. More like a wristband than a watch. Nothing like I've even seen."
"Hey, now that you mention it, that did seem kinda odd! I didn't take too long looking at his medical documents, so maybe it was some sort of health monitor? It was way too big for a watch, the thing was big and clunky looking." This was an interesting development! A device on Tennyson's wrist, far too large to be a simple time teller, but so mysterious that its true function remained unknown. The projector flickered a couple times, and a new video clip emerged, at the starting line of City D, where Tennyson took his exam about a week ago.
"You've hit the nail on the head gentlemen, that watch is the key to Tennyson's success! Observe this clip I saved for today, taken from a secret camera proposed by Aizawa to prevent foul play right before entering the test site." As the clip played out, the heroes were quick to point out how Tennyson lingered behind, and did nothing for almost ten full seconds. He then raised his left wrist, and pressed a button, and the faceplate shot up.
"What did he do? It seems like that watch is some sort of activation switch on it. Maybe it suppresses his natural form, and this depowers the device to let his quirk free?" The 18+ hero Midnight questioned as she watched with all the others, on bated breath, as Tennyson appeared to fiddle with the faceplate for a bit. He then stopped his right hand, raised it high, and slammed it down on the watch. Hard. In a sudden burst of green light that caused some shouts and hands to be raised in order to protect their eyes. When they rescued the clip, in Tennyson's spot stood the red warrior, flexing his arms, and a faint roar could be heard from Nezu's panel that held the only speakers on the table.
"Well, that confirms it. A magical watch that allows the kid to turn into a completely different form with power rivaling that of All Might. Peechy." Aizawa grumbled, slumping back into his seat and rolling his head back.
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it. But, 'Four Arms?' Is that what he calls his transformation? A bit unimaginative if you ask me." Pro Hero Ectoplasm rasped from his seat on the table's far end. His costume's mask kept a perfect poker face as he kept his eyes on the now frozen clip of Tennyson's transformation.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, did this prove without a reasonable doubt that Tennyson is the red examinee?" Nezu asked, and received no responses. As he was about to continue, Present Mic stood up once more. "Yes, Yamada?"
"There is one more thing I have to bring up about Tennyson Nezu. It's about what I found, or rather, did not find, on his transfer forums." Present Mic spoke in an unusually formal and serious tone, without his usual radio host energy, bringing the spotlight right back on him. "There were 3 other examinees from the United States, and they all had nearly identical papers, with their backgrounds, academic records, school names, and the like. Tennyson, on the other hand, had papers unlike anything I've ever seen. Aside from the necessities such as basic information, proof of identification, and the like, there was nothing else about him. No family records. No letters of recommendation. No nothing. It was almost like someone had meticulously gone through his files to make sure he was as blank of a slate as possible, and impossible to track. And there is only one group capable of doing that within the law." Everyone sucked in a breath at the blonde's unspoken declaration. Everyone except Nezu, who gave an empty smile and folded his paws.
"You are right Yamada. Tennyson here is under, shall we say, less-than-pleasant circumstances. Yes, the United States government did contact me about Tennyson, and due to certain pledges I took and signatures I gave, I could not tell any of you anything until today. While UA has taken young students before, and at even younger ages than Tennyson, no one in our school's long history has had such large amounts of government interference in their application. They did not tell me much, but they did offer me information on what they do know of Tennyson and his transformations."
"Wait, transformations? Not transformation, but transformations? As in, more than one?" The hero Snipe's head shot up, alarmed at Nezu's particular word choice.
"Yes, according to the United States, Tennyson has at least 10 different transformations, each with their own unique set of powers and abilities. They observed that Tennyson has access to, by their latest observations: hyper-strength, speed, endurance, durability, intelligence, super sense of smell, enhanced hearing, water-breathing, pyrokinesis, crystal-kinesis, near indestructibility, adhesive spit, flight, intangibility, some form of mind-control or minor possession, technology-assimilation, and regeneration. They claim to be at least 95% accurate, but still admit that they may have missed some powers." The list Nezu rattled off continued to rattle around in the minds of the teachers, long after he finished speaking. Having just one of the quirks in that list would be enough to propel someone into the hero business, but all of those at once? And some, like crystal-kinesis and technology-assimilation, have never been seen before!
"Well, his red guy has strength, durability and endurance. We can scratch those off the list." Joked Present Mic, as he propped up his head on his palms, deep in thought.
"This is insane, how can one human hold that much power? It's like he's an entire catalog of quirks, all pushed into one!" N. 13 blurted out, waving her hands around frantically. "How can we control, let alone teach, someone with a limitless array of quirks?"
"Grrrr, you're not the only one who had that though!" Growled out Hound Dog from behind his black muzzle. "Grrrrr, it smells like the States dumped a problem right on our doorstep because of their fear and incompetence!" The sound of gnashing teeth could be heard from the dog-like hero.
"Now Hound Dog, that's no way of talking to the nation that so gracefully gave us the opportunity to nurture and grow perhaps the most powerful child of this century! UA's reputation spreads so far that many nations choose to send their best to be educated here, and that is something we take great pride in!" Nezu tried to soothe Hound Dog down from his anger. "While a monumental task, this is no insurmountable obstacle; should we take it step-by-step, we should be able to find an easy way to incorporate Tennyson into the school year, regardless of quirk."
"It's a bit obvious isn't it?" Came Aizawa's bored voice, drawing the ire of many around him. "What, Yamada brought it up just a minute ago."
"I did?"
"His red form, with four arms, has strength. While it's strength comparable to All Might, it's all that form can do. We got ways to beat villains with hyper-strength, it's a common quirk type and is even a part of the heroic class' curriculum." Explained Aizawa. "While we only know one of Tennyson's forms right now, we can extrapolate from his red form that each is like a different hero. They have their own strengths, but also their own weaknesses. We just have to analyze the form he turns into and send in the right people. Japan has a massive roster of heroes, we won't need to look far. Not to mention that while Tennyson has that giant list of potential powers, he can not access them all at once. Once he transforms, he gets some powers, but locks away the rest." The tension in the room was cut down by Eraserhead's logical deduction, soothing many festering worries. When explained like that, this task sounded not just manageable, but very do-able!
"An amazing analysis Aizawa, I couldn't have put it better myself! And, to soothe any of your last worries, know that if all else fails, Tennyson has one last, critical, weakness. Observe this clip taken from the middle of City D, after the test concluded." One last clip was played, one that showed three students talking to Four Arms, only for their conversation to be cut by a flashing red light. Four Arms was consumed by a flash of red, and in direct contrast to the first clip, now Tennyson was in the place of the red warrior, patting himself down.
"While I'm not sure of the specifics, it appears Tennyson has a time limit on his transformations. Judging by his late start to the exam, I would say that he has about 10 minutes of time before he is forced back into his normal body." With Aizawa's explanation and the most recent clip, the room finally felt at peace. Tennyson had a time limit; if they couldn't beat him, they just had to out-last him. The heroes finally felt that they could tackle the mysterious, but powerful, student known as Tennyson Benjamin.
"Well, that took a long time, but we have finally come to a conclusion. With a record setting 147 villain points and 25 rescue points, Tennyson comes up with a score of 172, placing him first overall. This score also cements him as the second highest score ever, beaten only by All Might's current record of 178. I will personally do his letter of admission, as I do have some words to give him before the year starts. If there are no other questions, I think-" A voice pierced Nezu's monologue.
"Ah, Nezu, while I do not wish to hold anyone up any longer, there is one last thing you have yet to address." All Might spoke, his voice frail as his body, but commanding an inordinate amount of respect.
"Oh, and what is that All Might?" Nezu politely responded.
"The watch. I, and I assume most of the people here, have never seen anything like what is on Young Tennyson's wrist. A device capable of turning a simple quirk into one of the most versatile and powerful quirks in existence, it's unfathomable! What exactly is it, what does it do, and who made it?" A silence hung in the room after All Might spoke, with everyone not daring to say a word. That question was on everyone's mind, as it was the source of Tennyson's awesome powers, but was so mysterious that it created more questions than it solved. Sure, the watch was how the kid transformed, it answered that much. But what was it made out of? What did it do to Tennyson that allowed him to transform? How did it interact with his quirk? Who made it? Were there more like it out there? Was it unique to Ben, or could anyone use it if they could take it? Those were just a few ideas bouncing around unspoken.
"I will admit All Might, I have some difficulties answering those questions, but I will try to the best of my limited knowledge, to answer you. I have managed to talk to the creator of the device, the name of which has not been revealed, over a secure line. He goes by Dr. Azmuth, a brilliant scientist and researcher somewhere in the United States. He was very secretive, and it took me months to even find a way to contact him. I do not know his location, history, or even what he looks like. I only know that he also knew the child's grandfather, and entrusted the device, his greatest creation, to him because of that relationship. It is not much, but it is all I know." Nezu bowed, seeming to apologize for his lack of answers.
"Dr. Azmuth eh? Can't say I've heard of him, but then again, scientists ain't the type to break the news these days. Smart of him to lay low, if he can make things like that watch, he'd be hounded day and night." Remarked the hero Snipe, leaning back in his chair with hand behind his head.
"While I do appreciate you sharing about this Dr. Azmuth Nezu, you still haven't told us anything about the device!" All Might cried, holding his arms out wide in a placating manner.
"That is because I have no answer to give you."
"If it's about government clearance or Dr. Azmuth's wishes, I understand your reluctance, Nezu! However, we are fellow educators! We have a right to know, nay, we must know if we are to teach Young Tennyson for the next three years!"
"You don't understand All Might. I can't tell you anything about the watch not due to outside forces, but due to my own lack of intelligence. I have no answers to give because I am searching for them myself." This stunned the room back into silence. Nezu, the principal of UA, admitting he didn't know something? It seemed that this meeting was breaking a lot of legends surrounding particular heroes.
"Dr. Azmuth may have been stingy, crabby, and paranoid, but upon learning of my quirk that gives me higher understanding, he told me exactly how his device worked, seemingly happy that at least one other person could understand his genius. He explained everything, holding nothing back, but I couldn't understand any of it! He's a master of not just engineering, but also biology, and merged the two in some twisted, but beautiful combination to form the watch on Tennyson's wrist. Never before had I felt so stupid, so completely inept in the face of true intellect... it was enlightening to say the least. I could study day and night, for the rest of my life, but I fear I will never even come close to the intelligence of Azmuth."
"Well, sir, at least you managed to get a hold of him! Maybe you could talk to him again?"
"Oh yes, I plan to." Nezu's infamous grin reappeared on his face, as he took another look at Ben's smiling portrait. "I'm going to have a very interesting meeting tomorrow, that's for sure..."