Chapter 11
After leaving Hound Dog's office, Izuku did as Mr. Aizawa instructed. Heading towards his homeroom, the teen quickly picked up a gym uniform before making his way towards the field outside. Waiting there was Mr. Aizawa, nestled in his sleeping bag underneath the shade of a nearby tree. As for his classmates, Bakugo could be seen standing off to the side with his back against the school building. His arms were crossed over his chest, those red eyes of his locked onto Midoriya as if to watch him like a hawk. Meanwhile, Todoroki was standing a few yards away from Bakugo, with his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed. Then there was Mineta. The tiny teen was squatting off to the side, arms and legs bent in tight as if to somehow make himself seem smaller. He was also shaking for some reason while looking like he had seen a ghost.
"He's been like that since I got here," commented Yoarashi as he approached Izuku. He then gestured towards Bakugo. "Same with that guy. Tried having a conversation to heat up our blood, but he told me to just 'screw off'. Never thought I'd say it, but his blood might be running a little too hot."
Hearing that, Izuku chuckled. "You have no idea," said the teen. Then, after looking around, Izuku began to do some leg stretches. They were in gym uniforms after all so whatever Mr. Aizawa had planned for them would probably be intense.
"Great idea!" yelled Yoarashi as he moved beside Izuku. After giving his green-haired classmate a thumbs up, the two began to stretch almost in sync. It wasn't anything too intense, just leaning from side to side as far as they could. Then, after a moment, Yoarashi spoke up again. "So, how did it go for you with Hound Dog? It's cool if you don't want to go into details. Just curious."
"Oh, he mainly wanted to see how I was doing," admitted Izuku, feeling no need to keep what they had talked about to himself. "It's a little embarrassing, but about a year ago I got kidnapped by a villain. I managed to get away from him only to get lost in the woods. So Hound Dog wanted to see how I was handling things."
"That," began Yoarashi, only to stop as a contemplative look appeared on his face while they stood upright. Then, as the pair began stretching their arms, his eyes opened. "I think I remember hearing about that on the news! That was you?! And you're still trying to become a hero?! Your blood must be burning with heroic passion!"
Izuku chuckled in embarrassment at that. "Well, being a hero has always been my dream," he admitted before looking at Yoarashi. "So, what about you? Unless it's something private."
"Oh," said Yoarashi, his eyes widening slightly before looking a little embarrassed himself. "Gee, after you telling me all that when you didn't have to, I'd be a real jerk not to do the same!"
"N-No," stammered Izuku, breaking from his stretches to begin waving his hands at Yoarashi. "There's no pressure or anything. If it is too personal just tell me and I promise I won't-"
Izuku was then cut off as Yoarashi shook his head, stopping his stretches as well. For a moment he remained silent before turning to give the green-haired teen his full attention. "You see, my case was a little special," he began. "I didn't take the regular entrance exam like everyone else. No, I got in via Special Recommendations."
"Really?!" exclaimed Izuku, his eyes widening while sparkles seemed to light up within those orbs. He, like everyone else who knew even the bare minimum about U.A., was aware that there were only two ways to get into the school. The first, and most obvious, was to take the standard entrance exam. The other way was if the school received a recommendation letter from a top-ranking hero, a political figure, a high-ranking CEO, or anyone with enough authority. Izuku had even heard that there were times when the chief of a police station would send in their own letters. Now, what the contents of these letters said, nobody knew. All that the public was aware of was that only two students for each class would be allowed in. And to narrow it down to only allow the best inside a special series of tests were performed.
"Yeah," replied Yoarashi, his tone causing Izuku to calm down. "Technically I passed their examination…but I turned down the offer to come here."
"You what?!" yelled Izuku, flabbergasted that someone, anyone, who had worked hard to get into the best school for heroes in the world would then toss away that opportunity on a whim. The same school he had been in a depression after fearing he hadn't been good enough to get into!
Yoarashi winced a little, letting out a deep sigh before continuing. "Yeah. There's this one guy who was also taking the exam who I realized I wasn't going to get along with. When I saw that he passed as well, I didn't think I could tolerate beginning in the same class as him for three years." Yoarashi then let out another sigh. "My parents were…not happy when they heard all this. Actually, that's putting it lightly. I've never seen them looking so angry and disappointed in me that I passed over a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"Ah, if you don't mind me asking, what did this guy do that bothered you that much," asked Izuku, hoping that this would make the whole thing make sense. Did he say something really offensive? Did he try to push their religious beliefs on him? Did he sing a really annoying song when their mind wandered over and over, that would lead to bouts of rage?! That had to be something!
"Oh, that's a little difficult to explain," replied Yoarashi, looking really guilty. "All I can say is that he gave off this vibe."
Never before in Izuku Midoriya's life had he wished he could trade personalities with Bakugo than in this moment.
But he wasn't Bakugo. So, taking a deep breath, Izuku tried his best to remain calm on the matter.
"Sorry if this sounds rude," began Izuku. "But that sounds, ah, like a weak reason to not come to U.A. I mean, did you consider that he was having a bad day or something? Or that there was a chance that you wouldn't be in the same class with him?"
"My parents, Mr. Aizawa, and Principal Nezu all asked me those same things," sighed Yoarashi, his shoulders slumping as he said this. "Well, to be more precise, Mr. Aizawa wanted to know why I was making such an irrational decision. He almost walked out the door when I told him. But, there's more to the story. Maybe I'll tell you about it another day." Yoarashi then let out another sigh. "Anyways, Mr. Aizawa had pulled some strings to get me into the hero course and if I still refused then he didn't want me because I would be 'too irrational to be a hero'. And, as you can see, I said yes. My meeting with Hound Dog was to see how I was doing with this guy and offering to help me work through my issues with him."
"Are you going to take him up on that?" asked Izuku.
"I…It wouldn't be hot-blooded of me not to," said Yoarashi as he turned to glance at the building. But, if he was looking at the window of Hound Dog's office or another student, Izuku couldn't tell. "He warned me if this continued to fester in me, it could cause problems down the road when I become a hero. Like making it more difficult to work with other heroes in critical moments or outright abandoning the people I was supposed to save. I-I don't want to be that type of person."
Hearing that, Izuku smiled before getting back to his warm-ups. "Well, I think as long as you work towards that goal, it'll be ok," he said. "And if you even need a hand or just someone else to talk to, I'm here as well." At that, Yoarashi's positive energy seemed to return as they both went back to their stretches.
As time passed, the rest of the students began to trickle out of the building and onto the field. Some of them seemed to just stand around, keeping to themselves. Other's watched the group of students and cabbit who were in the middle of training. These students included Midoriya, Yoarashi, Kirishima, Uraraka, a tailed teen who had introduced himself as Ojiro, and the pink-skinned girl named Ashido. Standing in front of them, earning a choir of coos from many of their female classmates, was Kyo who was now leading the stretching exercises.
"Ah yes," exclaimed Ida when approached the group, the last to join the group with nearly the entire class now outside. Still, he began to stretch with the rest of them, though his movements were still somewhat stiff and robotic. "Just what I would expect of proud students who have achieved entry into the most prestigious hero school in the country. Many hero alumni would be proud to see us in this moment." Ida looked like he wanted to say more, but Kyo broke from his coaching to bounce over at the bespectacled teen and began pointing a paw at him while meowing angrily.
Then there was Mineta. The small teen had tried twice to sneak behind the group to ogle the girl's butts. Like a cockroach, he had crawled on the ground with his arms and legs moving rapidly in order to reach his destination without too many people noticing. Only, someone did notice. Each time he moved behind either Uraraka or Ashido to get a close-up look of their butts, Kyo made sure he got an up-close look at his foot as the tiny cabbit launched a flying kick right into Mineta's eye! Each time this happened, the purple-haired teen began to whine and roll on the ground each time.
Then, when the last student appeared on the field, Mr. Aizawa instantly rose from his sleep before calling everyone's attention. Soon, the entire class was gathered before him.
"I'm glad to see that not all of you chose to waste this time," he said, shooting an approving look at the seven students. Then, he glanced at the rest of the class as he began to pace before them. "As for the rest of you, know that time is precious. I only have three years to whip each and every one of you into shape. Some may be more trying than others." As he said this part, Mr. Aizawa shot a glare down at Mineta whose legs were shaking under the man's gaze. Then, after a moment, the man's attention returned to his students before resuming his stride. "To begin, all of you need to know your current maximum potential. Bakugo, you scored the highest this year on the entrance exam. What was the furthest distance you got in the ball toss back in middle school."
"I think it was about sixty-seven meters," replied Bakugo, an eyebrow raised in slight confusion as he said this. That confusion only doubled when Mr. Aizawa pulled out a ball from somewhere before tossing it over at the ashen blonde.
"Let's see how far you can throw it now," said Mr. Aizawa as he gestured towards a circle some distance away from them. "I want you to throw it with everything you have. Anything goes as long as you stay in that circle. Including using your quirk."
At that, Bakugo's face lit up as though Christmas had come early. With a savage grin on his face, the ashen-haired teen practically raced over to the circle. As he stood there preparing, everyone stood there watching to see what he was going to do. He could see in a few faces the hope that Bakugo would somehow mess this up, falling right on his face after acting all high and mighty earlier in class. Others wanted to see the power of the person who had come in first place. As for Izuku, he had a feeling on how this would play out so he braced himself for a huge explosion. At the same time, Kyo let out a hiss from his hair as the cabbit buried itself deeper into his locks while covering its floppy ears.
"DIE!" screamed Bakugo once he was ready, throwing the ball high into the air while simultaneously unleashing a massive explosion. As the area around them thundered with the boom of the blast, a large cloud of smoke and flames expanded from where Bakugo stood. At the same time, a hot and powerful wind pushed back on all the students. Many of whom were using their arms to shield their faces. The only exceptions to this were Mr. Aizawa (who acted like all this was no big deal while staring at a new device in his hand), Yoarashi, Midoriya, and a guy with half-red and half-white hair named Todoroki.
A few moments later, while Bakugo stood there in the ring and panting, the device Mr. Aizawa held suddenly beeped. After nodding, the man held it up to show everyone the score: over seven hundred meters.
"It is important that you all understand your maximum potential," said Mr. Aizawa as Bakugo proudly took his place back with the rest of his classmates. "Up to this point, you have all been taking the same physical assessment tests as everyone else in Japan. The ball throw, fifty-meter dash, standing long jump, and so on. However, none of you were ever able to use your quirks. The government is still trying to pretend we are all equal. This is irrational on their part. Thankfully, U.A. is not as short-sighted as they are. Today you will be doing the same assessment tests you have been doing your whole lives. Only this time, you will be allowed to use your quirks. It is the most rational method to determine your current potential as heroes."
At that, an excitement washed over the students of 1-A like a tidal wave. That included Izuku who had a wide smile on his face. While he had noticed a drastic change in his physical abilities during this last assessment, the last one he had was three months before the entrance exam for U.A. So, naturally, he wanted to see how much he had improved since then. Not only that, he wanted to get a reading on just what he was capable of now that he had Ryoko's powers. Sure, he could match his sister in certain areas. But, for his notes, getting an actual number to his speed and comparing it to the rest of the class would be a huge help. And speaking of his class, he'd get to see all their quirks!
"This is going to be so much fun!" declared Ashido, jumping as she said this.
Like that, the wave of joy receded back into the ocean leaving Mr. Aizawa's glaring expression in its wake. "Fun?" he demanded, his tone silencing everyone who hadn't noticed his disapproving expression. "You think that your time here at U.A. will be all fun and games? Alright then, let's play a game. For the assessment test, you will each be given a score based on your performance for each activity. And you will only get one shot at each. At the end of the assessment, the person who scores the lowest overall will be expelled."
"WHAT?!" shouted the entire class, looking at the man with disbelief.
"You can't do that!" shouted a boy with blond hair with black streaks running through it that reminded Izuku of lightning bolts.
"You'll find that I can," replied Mr. Aizawa coolly. "Here at U.A., the teachers are not restricted to the same standards as the rest of Japan. Meaning we are allowed to run our classrooms as we see fit. So yes, I can expel you."
"But that's not fair!" declared Uraraka as she took a step forward. "After we worked so hard to get into U.A., only to be kicked out on our first day?" It looked like she was ready to say more, with Ida getting ready to back her up. However, Mr. Aizawa interrupted her.
"Fair?" echoed the man. "There is little about this world that is fair. Good people who have never committed a crime a day in their lives come home to find their house robbed, set on fire, or tagged by hate groups. Natural disasters that destroy entire neighborhoods, leaving countless people to wonder how they will get through it. Or when parents get that call, saying their son or daughter is dead. Not a single bit of that is fair. I am here to make all of you heroes. People who will combat the unfairness of the world. If you're unwilling to do something simply because it's unfair then I suggest you leave now and begin looking for another career." The man then paused for a moment before speaking again. "Now, show me what all of you can do. That you being here is not a mistake! Plus Ultra Style!"
That seemed to invigorate the students. While none of them cheered, each and every one of them now held a determined look on their faces as they gazed back into Mr. Aizawa's.
With that, the quirk assessment began with the fifty-meter dash. Once everyone was gathered and seated in the correct area of the field, Mr. Aizawa called out the first pair to take part in the event: the girl who looked like a frog named Tsuyu Asui and Tenya Ida. As they made their way up, Izuku's eyes sparkled in pure excitement. He had gotten a glimpse of what Ida's quirk could do as well as knowing just what the teen's family could do. But now he was being given a chance to see it's full strength in action! What's more, he could get to see one of his other classmates!
At the same time, Kyo made his way out of Izuku's locks to watch the events as well.
The race, well, hadn't been all that exciting if Izuku was being honest with himself. Ida easily sped forward, using the quirk his family was well known for with Asui launching herself forward with long leaps. In the end, Ida crossed the finish line first causing the machine at the end of the track, something that reminded Izuku of an old-style camera with arms, to voice his results in a cheerful female tone. Then, a moment later, Asui crossed the finish line as well. While not the most exciting or interesting, it was a good example of a straightforward match
The second round was soon called, this time it was Uraraka along Ojiro. Izuku wondered how they were going to do this match as neither of their quirks could naturally increase their speed. The answer quickly came as he watched Uraraka touching her clothes, making him realize that she had the power to remove the effects of gravity from certain parts of an object. However, this didn't help her as much as she had hoped since Ojiro used his tail to launch him forward. The teen slammed his extra appendage down onto the ground, launching him up and over a large chunk of the field before repeating the process. In the end, Ojiro was the clear winner. Of course, that didn't mean that both he, Ida, and several other of their classmates didn't cheer Uraraka for her own score. Even Kyo joined in, bouncing up and down on Izuku's head as he let out a series of loud meows.
The third match was even more creative. This time it would be the pink-skinned girl, Mina Ashido, going up against a teen who mixed in French with his words, Yuga Aoyama. What made this strange was that Ashido had taken off her shoes while Aoyama had his back facing the starting line. The reason for both their actions soon became very clear as a beam of sparkling blue light shot out of Aoyama's belt, launching him with enough force that he was nearly to the halfway point. He tried to replicate this, but it seemed like there was a downside to his quick: stomach pain. With that, he could only use his quirk in short bursts which drastically brought down his time. Meanwhile, Ashido kept a consistent pace as she slid across the field on a liquid she produced from her feet.
After what felt like forever, Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya were called up. At once, both teens stood and made their way to the starting line while their minds raced. For Bakugo, he thought about how he could use this test as well as the other to prove that Deku didn't belong here. That he had either cheated somehow in the entrance exam or had gotten lucky. That there was no way a quirkless loser like him belonged here in the hero course of U.A. However, his thoughts were derailed when he saw Kyo jumping out from Izuku's hair and landing at the green-haired teen's side. The ashen-haired teen balked when he saw that Kyo was wearing a gym uniform similar to the ones they were wearing, fitting the small creature perfectly.
"Where the hell did he even get that thing?!" yelled Bakugo, pointing at Kyo. "More importantly, why is this furball even out here?!"
"Oh, Kyo said he wanted to take the tests as well," replied Izuku, scratching the back of his head as he turned to look at his teacher. "If that's alright with you Mr. Aizawa."
The man just shrugged. "As long as he doesn't distract anyone, then it's fine," he said before a thoughtful look crossed his features. "Though I do suppose that, if you do plan on having your pet assist you in your hero work, having an accurate assessment of his capabilities would prove useful. But, come to think of it, I too am curious as to where he got that uniform."
"Oh, I made it for him," said the black-haired girl, Yaoyorozu, as she raised her hand while a blush appeared on her face. "He came over to me and gestured that he wanted a tracksuit like the rest of us. I couldn't resist because I thought he would look so adorable."
"He does!" cooed the invisible girl named Hagakure. This feeling was quickly voiced by all the other girls in the class and…did Mr. Aizawa just sneak out his phone to quickly take a picture? No. There was no way. Izuku's eyes had to be playing tricks on him.
Meanwhile, Bakugo just continued to grit his teeth while clenching his fist. It was plain to see that he was unhappy with this arrangement. No doubt taking it as an insult that a creature like Kyo would even be allowed to compete at the same level as him, a person who strove to be the very best.
Then…
"What's the matter Bakugo?" came a call from the teen who had tape dispensers on his arms, Sero. Bakugo turned to look at him, his eyes tiny pinpricks due to the mocking tone Sero was using right now. "Afraid to lose to a bunny rabbit?"
"SHUT UP!" roared Bakugo before turning to look at Aizawa. "Let's start this already!"
At that, Mr. Aizawa nodded as he gestured for the pair to get into position. Both teens and cabbit did as instructed, though Izuku had his own plans on how to get there the fastest.
Once the signal was given, Bakugo was prepared to launch a massive explosion that would have shot him clear across the field as it was filled with his rage. Instead, he nearly tripped over himself in shock as Izuku just vanished from beside him only to appear right at the finish line.
"Time: 0.01 seconds," announced the machine, shocking everyone there. Well, all but Mr. Aizawa and Kyo. As Izuku made his way back to the rest of the students, the underground hero found it impossible to hide the smile on his face as he could tell that Midoriya had continued to explore his quirk since the entrance exam. Meanwhile, with Kyo, the cabbit was happily hopping down the track while letting out plenty of joy-filled meows.
"WHAT THE HELL DEKU?!" screamed Bakugo. His words caused Mr. Aizawa's smile to vanish just in time to witness the ashen blonde racing towards the clear winner of this event. His lips were curled back, revealing all of his teeth and gums. Bakugo's arms swung around, almost like he was trying to swim through air while explosions were released from his palms. "YOU BETTER TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK THAT WAS ABOUT OR I'LL KILL-" But Bakugo got no further as Mr. Aizawa moved into action. The teacher's scarf wrapped around Bakugo, binding him while the man's eyes glowed red.
"That's enough of that," growled Mr. Aizawa, his gaze focused on his problem child. He could see Bakugo's hands twitching, no doubt trying to use his quirk. "I have temporarily erased your quirk." Just then, the device at the finish line announced a time. Kyo had finished the fifty-meter dash in just under fifteen seconds. Hearing that, Mr. Aizawa released his hold on Bakugo before gesturing to the track with his thumb. "Go back to the starting line. You're already far behind in this event as it is."
Bakugo seethed in anger for a moment before storming back to the starting line. He, as well as everyone else there, knew that no matter how good he did Bakugo would receive the lowest score for this event.
Meanwhile, Izuku caught a clearly proud Kyo in his hands before sitting back with the rest of his friends.
"Midoriya, I had no idea you were capable of teleportation," exclaimed Ida. "I thought you said your quirk was energy manipulation."
"It is," replied Izuku at the same time Bakugo's score was announced, causing the ashen blonde bomber to curse. "It's a little complicated and difficult to explain, but I have discovered that one of the aspects of my quirk allows me to momentarily turn my body into energy that I then disperse before recombining it at another location."
"Wow! That's so cool!" exclaimed Uraraka before looking confused. "Though, why did Bakugo call you Deku? I thought your first name was Izuku."
"Ah," began Izuku, feeling a little embarrassed. He had hoped he could escape that old nickname now that he was in High School, surrounded by new people. For a moment, he had thought about just telling her it was nothing and to just move on. But, since Bakugo was in their class, he would be calling him that exclusively meaning he would have to tell her eventually. Well, better sooner than later. "It's a nickname that Kacchan gave me back when we were little. It's based on another way to read my name meaning…useless. It, well, kind of stuck with me since then."
"Such a horrible thing to say to someone," commented Ida, adjusting his glasses as he glanced over at Bakugo who was still shooting Izuku dirty looks.
"Agreed," added Yoarashi who was seated close by. "That's not the sort of thing a hot-blooded hero should be calling another!"
"Well, I think it sounds kind of cute," said Uraraka, surprising everyone. Especially Izuku who turned his head to look at her. Uraraka had her fingers pressing against each other as she looked at Midoriya with the warmest, happiest smile he had ever seen her giving him to date. "It kind of has a 'you can do it' vibe. You know. I think that really suits you." There was then a pause, suddenly looking a little shy that made Izuku blush hard. "Do you mind if I call you Deku?"
"Deku it is!" exclaimed Izuku without a second thought, surprising everyone else around him.
From there, the quirk assessment test continued. Thanks to all the training Izuku had done with Ryoko, he was able to score fairly well in the areas where his powers couldn't help him. Like, for example, in things like the grip strength test or the standing toe touch. But for the others, he was able to get an interesting perspective on what he could do. One of them had been the side-to-side lunge where he had gotten third place as his flight allowed him to move back and forth much faster than if he had been simply leaping from side to side. Another had been the long-distance run where the students had to keep on the track until they were unable to continue. While most of the students had been forced to run, flight proved to be a huge advantage for both Izuku and Yoarashi. So much so that Mr. Aizawa had to say that they didn't have all day to see who would tire out first making it a draw.
Then came the standing long jump. While the rest of the students lined up, Mr. Aizawa had called both Midoriya and Yoarashi off to the side.
"For this test, having you proceed with the rest of the class would be a pitiful attempt to gauge your overall potential in this area," he said while reaching behind him. After a moment, Mr. Aizawa pulled out two devices that reminded Izuku of white smartwatches, with the band appearing to be more metallic than plastic and with a large circular black screen at the top. "These are something special I asked the support department to whip up last week. I want you both to fly straight up as fast as you can and as high as you feel comfortable. The devices will record your progress and, if you somehow become lost, act as a GPS to lead you back to campus."
"Now this is what I'm talking about!" exclaimed Yoarashi as he slid on the device. Izuku simply nodded, a little worried about how the others would feel since he was getting a special test. Thankfully, no one seemed to mind. Actually, they all seemed just as curious as Midoriya was. So, once Kyo had leapt off Izuku's head and gone over to Uraraka, he was ready.
The moment Mr. Aizawa gave the signal, winds swept around Yoarashi before he shot upwards like a rocket. While Izuku didn't have anything that was as flashy, he too shot upwards at his top speed. Though he could already tell it wasn't as fast as his classmates' speed. That much was clear even before he rose above the skyline of the U.A. main building. Still, Izuku went upwards without fear.
After several long minutes, he saw that Yoarashi had reached the cloud line before heading back down. Izuku could see the pride in the other flying teen as he gave Midoriya a grin as he passed him by as well as a thumbs up. Izuku returned the gesture as he pressed on, soon reaching the clouds and passing through them. As he moved through the clouds, he could feel some childish nostalgia at the idea of playing among the clouds. So much so that Izuku had a moment where he wanted to start spinning and tumbling through the masses of white, laughing as he did so. However, Izuku resisted this urge as he pressed forward. He just continued to climb higher and higher.
Izuku began to lose track of time as he continued to fly further up. He could feel the wind whipping his hair around, the sudden waves of heat before becoming colder. Yet, strangely, there was the knowledge that all this should have affected him more. That the powerful winds should have been knocking him around, the heat should have been painful, and that the cold should have chilled him to the bone. But he took all of it as he continued to climb higher, keeping his gaze focused on the sky above him. Soon enough, that blue sky began to darken while stars could just barely be seen. It only took Izuku a moment to realize what this meant, stopping dead in his tracks as he realized he was about to leave earth's atmosphere. While he could still breathe, he couldn't deny that it was becoming slightly more difficult. But, could he go further?
For a moment, Izuku pondered this question before shaking his head. The test was to see just how far he could comfortably go. While he was curious to see just how much further he could go, right now it wasn't worth risking his life. At least, not without checking with Ryoko.
So, with that, Izuku decided not to waste time and simply teleported back to where he had started. When he returned, he found that his entire class, including Bakugo, were huddled close to Mr. Aizawa with their heads raised to the sky. He could hear the anxious murmurs from everyone as they searched for something in the sky.
"Hey guys," said Izuku, raising a hand as he spoke in a slightly timid voice. At once, everyone jumped before turning around.
"Midoriya, do you have any idea how long you were gone?" demanded Ida as he rushed over to the smaller teen while Kyo leapt into Izuku's now damp hair. "How high did you go?"
"Farther than I would have expected," said Mr. Aizawa. While the man's tone had not changed, there was something in his expression that told Midoriya that he too had been worried but was now relieved. "I will say this: when it comes to speed, Yoarashi is the faster of the two. However, Midoriya can go higher at a constant and steady pace. For this, the two of you will be given the highest marks."
Hearing that, Izuku beamed happily while Yoarashi let out a cheer before giving his fellow flier a thumbs up.
Soon after that, came the ball throw. This was one of the exercises where Izuku only had a tenuous idea on how he was going to proceed. So he carefully watched everyone to see if they could help him come up with something better. Sadly, this was not the case as many of them just didn't have the power to throw the ball very far. One such example had been a teen named Kaminari who had an electricity quirk. He had tried to shock the ball into the air…only to give a passable throw before looking like an idiot. A slightly better example had been from a girl named Jiro who had used her ear jacks like a sling before launching the ball. Then came the people who were better suited for this task. Ida had tried using the engines in his legs to spin him around rapidly, building up momentum before launching the ball. Yoarashi created a cyclone of wind which shot the ball out of his hand, breaking Bakugo's score easily. Yaoyorozu had created a cannon which launched the ball just short of Bakugo's score. Then came Uraraka who simply removed gravity from the ball before throwing it, earning her an infinity score!
Finally, it was Izuku's turn. Once he was in the center of the ring, he went over his original idea of creating his sword and using it like a bat to launch the ball as far as he could. However, now that he was here, he realized there were just too many flaws in this plan to even consider trying it. For one thing, the last time he had tried hitting a ball like this was months ago when he and Ryoko had gone to the US to watch a baseball game! At the time he had managed to hit the ball a few times after tossing it into the air, but the distance was not all that great. What's more, he had never tried using his sword as a blunt weapon. He still didn't even know if it could!
So, after sighing in defeat, Midoriya decided to throw the ball just like one of his energy blasts. But, just as he was winding up to throw the ball, he stopped as his eyes widened. Ignoring the confused whispers behind him as well as Bakugo screaming for him to hurry up, Midoriya looked down at his hand while a new wild idea formed in his hand. One that utilized his skills along with the same concept as Yaoyorozu's cannon and Yoarashi's air blast.
After firmly planting his feet, Izuku extended his arm out while aiming for the sky. He felt the power forming in his arm and then…fired! The energy collided with the ball, transferring force to it and sending it flying upwards. Grinning, Izuku decided to launch another of his weaker blasts to help send the ball further. Everyone watched in shock as a green orb of light shot out of Izuku's palm, heading right for the ball and striking it to send it even further into the air. Seeing his plan working, Izuku shot for a third time. Yet, due to both the distance and Izuku's aim being a little off, the blast only nicked the top of the ball changing its trajectory back towards the ground. With a sinking heart, the teen could do nothing as he watched his hard work fail.
"279 meters," announced Mr. Aizawa. Though it was not the highest score, the man sounded pleased. No doubt that he was happy that Midoriya had figured out a way to use his 'quirk' in this exercise and had been trying to push it as far as he could. Though he smiled at the tone, Izuku couldn't help but beat himself up a little. If he hadn't gotten so greedy or had better aim, he might have gotten a better score.
Then, after a few more events, the quirk assessment test came to a close. Everyone gathered around Mr. Aizawa who had pulled out a remote from his front pocket.
"Most of you should have a good idea where you stand," began Mr. Aizawa as he glanced around at the class, pressing the button as he spoke. A moment later, a holoscreen appeared in the air before them revealing their scores and how they ranked.
At first place was Yaoyorozu, something that surprised Izuku a little as she never scored the highest in any of the exams. Yet, when he thought about it a bit more, it began to make more sense. While she herself was not physically strong, her quirk allowed her to create whatever it was she needed to achieve the best possible score. And each one of those scores were fairly close to whoever was at the top.
Second place was held by Yoarashi. It made sense as his wind quirk helped him in most of the events very well. And when it didn't, like the grip strength test, he was still physically strong enough to gain a high enough score all on his own.
Speaking of Yoarashi, the taller teen laughed aloud as he suddenly slammed against Izuku's neck and shoulders in a friendly gesture. Slightly taken aback by this sudden gesture, the teen looked at the wind quirk user who just kept laughing as he pointed to a spot on the screen. Confused, Izuku stared at the hand a bit longer than he should have. But, before he could turn his head to see what Yoarashi was pointing at, he caught a glimpse of Uraraka. The brunette was looking at him expectantly with stars and sparkles in her eyes. Feeling his cheeks starting to burn, Izuku looked up at the screen.
There, in third place, was his name! The sight shocked him as it was beyond anything he could have hoped for. A well of emotions began to make its way up to the surface, causing the teen to release the famous Midoriya tears.
"Wait, do you also have a water quirk?" shouted Yoarashi, while laughing at the same time.
Not wanting to flood the field like that one time during his first year in middle school, Izuku managed to get a hold of his emotions as he began to examine the rest of the list. Kirishima had gotten fourth place. It amazed the green-haired teen as Kirishima's quirk was called Hardening, every time he activated it caused his body to become more rock-like and jagged. Yet despite this, he still showed an impressive level of strength that put people with non-physical enhancement quirks to shame. Heck, he might even be more powerful than someone like Death Arms or a much younger All Might. Below Kirishima was Todoroki in fifth place which wasn't bad for someone who made ice he supposed. Though Todoroki didn't seem pleased about this.
Bakugo was a bit further down the list, just under Asui. While the explosive teen had managed to get impressive scores, the low score he had gotten in the fifty-meter dash hadn't done him any favors. While he was still in the top ten, Bakugo just looked at his name as though he had gotten last place
Also in the top ten were Ida and Uraraka! Seeing that his friends were safe, Izuku offered them both his own congratulations. Uraraka, who was happy to know that she wasn't getting kicked out, instantly jumped over to Izuku before wrapping her arms around him in a big hug.
"Isn't this wonderful Izuku!" cried Uraraka as she began to bounce with happiness, Izuku's body moving along on auto-pilot as his brain had shut down due to the sudden and public contact. "Neither of us are leaving! We get to continue going to school together!" As she said this, neither teen noticed the jealous looks of Mineta or Kaminari.
"Indeed, this is wonderful news," said Ida in a slightly professional tone, his words snapping Izuku back to reality while Uraraka slowly released him. Looking over at his taller friend, Izuku could see a hint of a smile on his face while his eyes appeared to be slightly distant. "Though it pains me to see just how lacking I am in some areas despite all the training I have done with my family. Though, in time, my skills shall improve as they have with all of the other esteemed heroes who have walked through these halls."
With that, Izuku and the rest continued to look at the screen to see where everyone had placed. Or, to be more specific, to see who would be going home. The last place holder made himself known a fraction of a second before Izuku looked at it.
"N-No way," came the voice of Mineta.
Midoriya felt a small pang of pity for the grape-haired teen. He had gotten the highest score in events like the side-to-side lunge while also doing well in events like the long-distance run (where he grabbed the balls on his head, throwing them to the ground, and then bouncing from orb to orb) and standing long jump. However, he had gotten the lowest scores out of everyone there in areas like the grip strength, sit-ups, toe touches, and so on. Any event where he couldn't use his quirk was pretty much an auto-fail.
"Oh, by the way, I was lying about the expulsion," said Mr. Aizawa as he turned off the screen, a creepy smile appearing on his face as he looked at the shocked expressions on everyone. "That was a logical deception on my part to ensure you all did your best."
"I thought that was obvious," said Yaoyorozu. "Guess I should have mentioned it sooner."
"Anyways, most of you are free to leave," said Mr. Aizawa. "Bakugo, Todoroki, and Mineta are to wait here. Midoriya, you don't have to stay here but don't go too far. There's a private matter I wish to speak with you about."
-x-
In just a few short minutes, most of the students had left the field. Aizawa watched them as they left, seeing that some had already formed friend groups. One such group contained Midoriya. The green-haired teen was standing by a tree, just out of earshot as he talked to Uraraka, Ida, and Yoarashi. While the man couldn't hear what they were saying, he could read their lips as well as their body language. Basically, his friends were going to wait for him at the school's entrance before heading to the train station together. Midoriya, on the other hand, was trying to tell them that they didn't have to frantically, if his hand motions were anything to go by. But his friends were persistent and, as they walked away, he could tell that unless it got too late they would be waiting for him.
As they walked away, Aizawa found himself nodding at the interaction before him. As part of his preparations for the new school year, he had spent countless hours reviewing the footage taken during the exam. This was to better gauge them, seeing how they acted when they thought no one was watching. It was pretty obvious to the man that Uraraka had bonded with Midoriya as they supported each other both on and off the exam floor. Which was good in his opinion. While he had told the class that they weren't here just to make friends, he was hardly against it as long as it didn't interfere with their studies. As for Ida, he had seen both the young man and Midoriya getting into a bit of a rocky start, though they managed to patch things up. If Ida hadn't taken that step, the boy might have been on the chopping block to get expelled. Behavior like what he had displayed during Hizashi's explanation of the practical, if left unchecked, would make it difficult for him to work in group operations. As for Yoarashi, Aizawa was glad the two had hit it off. Hopefully, they could form a friendly rivalry that would allow them to push each other to the max without giving him a headache.
Then he turned to look at the three students before him, the man's mood souring almost instantly. Todoroki was standing off to the side, a cold expression on his face. Bakugo seemed to be still seething in anger. Though, whether that was because he was stopped from attacking Midoriya or not being the top dog on day one was anyone's guess. It might even be a mixture of both. Then there was Mineta. His little legs were shaking as if he feared that Aizawa was going to retract his statement that him expelling a student was a lie.
"All three of you, sadly, performed exactly how I feared you would," began Aizawa, glancing around at the three before his eyes finally landed on Endeavor's son. "Todoroki, I know you weren't giving this your all. The point of these exercises was to gauge your overall potential, not just what you felt like. All of your classmates at least tried, even when it ended up failing so that they have a better idea of what to work on." Aizawa's eyes then snapped over to Bakugo. "Attacking a fellow student just because he did better than you in an exam? That-"
However, whatever force Bakugo had been using to suppress his feelings ran out. "Deku is a quirkless freak!" interrupted the explosive teen. "He has to be pulling some sort of trick!"
"I assure you, Izuku Midoriya is not quirkless," said Aizawa, his eyes narrowing further at Bakugo. "I have done my own investigation into the matter. His quirk registration was changed almost a year ago."
"He…He what?" breathed Bakugo with a look in his eyes that seemed to show he was trying to comprehend what he had been told. "All this time. He never told…No, that's impossible. He would have said something. Quirks don't just appear out of the blue this late. But, he was hiding it from me! He was looking down at me!"
"Midoriya has no obligation to disclose his quirk to you," stated Aizawa, his words snapping the ashen blonde teen's attention back to him. "Refusing to show off and brag about one's abilities is not looking down on others. You're in high school right now. It's time you grew up a little and stop throwing tantrums when things don't go the way you want them to."
Aizawa then turned to look at Mineta, eyes filled with…displeasure. "As for you, the behavior I have seen thus far is deeply concerning," he stated coldly. "How you are not on a list right now due to such little self-control you have displayed is beyond my comprehension."
The man then paused, shaking his head slightly before looking at all three. "I will be honest, I had considered expelling all three of you," he continued. At hearing this, even the stoic Todoroki felt his eyes widen in shock. The three teens just stared at their homeroom teacher in slack-jawed shock while the man continued. "None of your behavior is something I would accept in my class. With that said, your potential is not zero. Not yet, anyways. You all showed that you have some skills and abilities that are worth having in the hero profession. With that said, your potential will only suffer if you do not address the issues I brought up. If I fail to see any improvement, then I will expel you without any hesitation. I hope I have made myself clear." With that, Aizawa turned, leaving his three problem children alone to think about their fate.
-x-
Later, Izuku found himself walking across campus right behind Mr. Aizawa. He had no idea what the man had said to Bakugo or the other two. Though, judging by some of the yelling that he had heard from his childhood friend, it wasn't anything good. For a moment, Izuku considered breaking the silence to ask his teacher what he had spoken to them about. However, he quickly shook such thoughts away as he knew that it wasn't any of his business.
So, instead, Izuku decided to ask Mr. Aizawa another question that was burning in his mind.
"Ah, excuse me," began Izuku in a slightly timid tone as the pair made their way back to the main campus building. Upon hearing that, the dark-haired hero turned his head slightly to look at his student as they made their way through the entranceway. "But if you don't mind me asking, where are we going?"
There was silence for a moment as the pair walked through the school. The halls were empty now, with nearly the entire student body having left for home. Because of this, their footsteps echoed in an eerie manner as they moved through the building. All the while Mr. Aizawa never said a thing while his face remained neutral making it hard to guess what was going on in his mind. Then…
"There is something that I would like your help with," said Mr. Aizawa, pausing as they reached a stairway leading downward into the basement levels of the building. Though the pause was brief as the man began walking down the slightly less illuminated passage, gesturing Izuku to follow him. As Izuku tentatively followed him, Mr. Aizawa continued. "I saw your performance during the entrance exam as well as looked over your records. You have done remarkably well to have improved yourself to the point where you can compete with others who have had their quirks for longer. No doubt you worked very hard. What's more, I agree with Principal Nezu that you are resourceful."
"Ah, thanks," replied Izuku with a blush as they made their way to the bottom of the stairs. Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he had a teacher praise him like this.
Now that he looked around, Izuku saw that they were in a barren hallway lit by low, yet thankfully not flickering, lights. After walking for a while they came to a set of metal double doors which the man in black pushed open, revealing a rather ordinary gym. The main floor looked like any regular basketball court with bleachers on either side along with a single student with purple hair struggling to do push-ups in the center. The teen grunted loudly as he raised himself on clearly shaky legs, sweat dripping down his chin as he did so. Around him were scattered items like a jump rope, small hand weights, an exercise step, and a punching bag that seemed to float in the air.
"Shinso, that's enough," said Mr. Aizawa. Upon hearing the man's words, the purple-haired teen's arms gave way as his chest landed on the floor. The teen was panting heavily, so much so that Izuku could hear him clearly. He could also hear the disapproving noise his teacher made.
Slowly, the teen managed to pull himself together to stand on shaky legs showing that he wasn't used to so much exercise. This theory was supported just by glancing at the boy's frame which seemed to be slimmer than Izuku's had been before he met Ryoko. Another thing that stood out to Izuku was the teen's eyes which had heavy bags under them, sort of reminding Izuku of his teacher's.
"Well, I can see you followed my orders to the letter," said Mr. Aizawa as he began to walk toward the boy. "That's a good start." It was then that the heroic homeroom teacher stood next to the boy before turning around to fix his gaze on Izuku. "Midoriya, allow me to introduce you to Hitoshi Shinso. Like you, he tried for the hero course, only he didn't make the cut. Luckily for him, he expected that there was a chance he could fail so he also took the exam for General Studies knowing that he could be bumped into the Hero Course should he put on a good showing at the Sports Festival."
"Ah, hi," said Izuku awkwardly while under the gaze of Shinso. The purple-haired boy seemed to be giving off a vibe that said he did not want Midoriya to be near him, as if the mere presence of the green-haired teen was a sick reminder of where he wanted to be.
"While we were sending out the acceptance letters, I approached Principal Nezu with two petitions," continued Mr. Aizawa. "One of which I believe you are aware of as it involves Yoarashi. The other was to allow Shinso here into the hero program, even if it meant teaching twenty-one students. My reasoning being that the entrance exam favors those with flashy, more destructive quirks and thus not a completely rational method of determining those who would be suited for the Hero Program. His response was equally rational in that, while Shinso was unable to score any villain points, there were plenty of opportunities for him to score rescue points." At that, Shinso made a noise that showed his irritation as he looked away. No doubt kicking himself for this unforeseen part of the exam.
To a point, Izuku understood what Shinso was feeling. He could still recall the bitter feelings he held after the exam, thinking he had lost his shot at getting into the school due to his low villain score. Had he known about the rescue points, he could have clung onto the hope that there was still a chance. Yet, despite feeling like this, Izuku accepted and agreed with the secrecy of the existence of rescue points. The school needed to know if you had the right mindset to be a hero and did so in the most authentic way. What's more, there was always the chance that some examinees would have tried to create situations where they could rescue others, interrupting those trying to score their own villain points.
"In the end, we came to an arrangement we both found agreeable," said Mr. Aizawa, interrupting Izuku from his own internal musing. At least, he hoped it was internal and he hadn't gone on a mumbling spree again. "With the case of Yoarashi, it was pretty cut and dry. We would offer him one chance for him to change his mind and, if he accepted, one student who we had not mailed an acceptance letter to would lose their spot and would instead be offered a chance in General Studies. As for Shinso here, I had to make some…concessions in order for Shinso to have a shot at entering the Hero Program this year."
"Ah, would one of those concessions be attending the orientation?" asked Izuku. For a moment there was silence, causing the teen to wince. Hopefully he had not stepped on a sore subject.
"A good deduction of the facts presented to you," commented Mr. Aizawa after a moment. "Yes, that was one of several things I had agreed to. However, that was only to give Shinso this chance. If he can show enough of the staff that he has what it takes to be in the Hero Program with his overall performance during the Sports Festival then he will be allowed into my class as its twenty-first student. Not just showing them the overall potential of his quirk, but that he possesses the bare minimum physical condition that would allow him to keep up with the rest of the class. As you can see, he is severely lacking in that department while lacking any combat experience. Which is why I would like you to train him."
When he heard that, Izuku's eyes widened in confusion while feeling his jaw hanging open for a moment. Out of everyone in the class, Mr. Aizawa was asking him to train Shinso? And not just that, but to get him ready for the Sports Festival which was a little over a month away? That…That seemed like a very tall order for anyone to do. Even Shinso seemed taken aback by this.
"Ah, sir?" began Izuku once he had regained enough of his wits. "Not that I mind helping, but why me? Surely there are better people who are more suited to this. Also, wouldn't it be better if you trained him?" Once more there was a moment of silence as Mr. Aizawa seemed to mull over Izuku's words.
"You would be correct," said the pro hero with a nod. "However, school policy prohibits teachers from helping specific students for events such as the Sports Festival as it would be preserved as displaying a level of favoritism. Nor am I allowed to bring in outside sources to train Shinso. Thus my options are limited." The man then paused for a moment before continuing. "As for your idea that there are better people who could train Shinso, it is not exactly an unfounded theory. I had considered asking Ojiro as he has had years of martial arts training. With that said, when one breaks it down rationally, you are the better option. The first being that you are a hard worker. Not to say that Ojiro isn't. However, I was able to gather information that points to the fact that you made a great deal of progress with both your body and your quirk in a short amount of time. That is the sort of dedication I am looking for. But, even with that, there is one thing that I observed from you today that Ojiro cannot offer: versatility. To put it simply, Ojiro is best suited for close-range combat. You, on the other hand, will be able to help Shinso train against a wider range of abilities that he may come across."
For a moment, Izuku remained silent as he took in everything that Mr. Aizawa had said. There had been times when Izuku had thought that his homeroom teacher had been giving him too much information. Especially when the man first introduced Shinso. But now, that everything was said and done, the teen was reconsidering that notion. Perhaps that was Mr. Aizawa's way of stressing just how much this meant to him. That he was working so hard to get Shinso into the Hero Program because he believed that the teen had what it took to be a good hero. He just needed to work on his weakness. To become someone who was more versatile. Just like how Ryoko had trained him.
Glancing over at Shinso, Midoriya could see in the teen's eyes that he had come to a similar conclusion. That he was getting a great chance that not many would offer him.
"I missed my first shot at being a hero," said Shinso, speaking for the first time at last. "So, if you believe that this is the best way for me to get into the Hero Program, I'll put my trust in him."
"Then I look forward to working with you," said Izuku honestly as he took a step closer towards Shinso with his hand outstretched. For a moment, the tired-looking teen just looked at the offered hand with bafflement. As if no one had ever done such a thing before in his life. As the seconds ticked by, Izuku began to sweat as he wondered if he had crossed a line or something. But, before he could lower his hand, Shinso allowed a ghost of a smile to grace his lips before finally taking the offered hand.
"I promise I'll give this my all," said the purple-haired teen firmly.
"I know you will," replied Izuku honestly as he kept his gaze locked into Shinso's eyes. Then, when he released his hold, Midoriya turned his head to look up at Mr. Aizawa. "But, there's only so much we can accomplish until the Sports Festival. I don't know if it will be enough."
"I'm not expecting a miracle," stated Mr. Aizawa. "All I am asking for you to help him get to a point where he is more capable. To ask anything more of him would be irrational. Just make sure he's not a one-trick pony."
With everything now settled, Mr. Aizawa went over everything Izuku would need to know. First of all, they could only use this gym for their training after school as all the other gyms were reserved for Hero Course students. With that said, should Midoriya wish to request any additional equipment such as weight machines then all he needed to do was to speak with Mr. Aizawa before the end of class that day. Then the man would see to it that they had everything they needed. As for their quirks, he would have a written and signed permission slip given to the both of them allowing the pair to use their quirks in this gym alone. He also showed them where the emergency button was located, telling them should either of them sustain any sort of serious injury they were to press it. Once they did, a pair of robots would then take the injured to Recovery Girl's office. Finally, he expected weekly reports from Midoriya on their progress. Should Shinso, for some reason, start slacking off he would put an end to all of this.
When they were finished, Shinso had his own questions for the heroics teacher. The first was what would happen to him if he failed to impress the staff. The other question was, should he get into the Hero Course this year, what should he expect.
Mr. Aizawa's response was pretty cut and dry. If he failed to impress them, then he would have to continue working hard for the rest of the year if he still wanted into the Hero Program. Then, if everything went according to plan, he would be joining the Hero Course starting in his second year. As for the second question, all Mr. Aizawa would say was that they would cross that bridge when they came to it. Though he should expect triple the amount of work until he caught up with everyone. Hearing all that caused Shinso to pale slightly, though he quickly resolved his nerves before nodding.
And, with that, Mr. Aizawa told them to head home. That the real training would begin tomorrow.
-x-
By the time Izuku made his way out of the basement gym he discovered that over an hour had passed since the end of school. With a sigh, the teen began moving towards the school's entrance knowing that it would be unlikely for all of his friends to still be there. After all, it was getting late and there was no way for any of them to know when he would be heading out. The only one he could see waiting for him was Uraraka.
So imagine his surprise when he spotted not just her but also Ida and Yoarashi waiting on the path leading towards the school's gates.
"Ah, there you are Midoriya," exclaimed Ida as he lowered what looked like one of those hundred-page mini-notebooks. Only, as he got closer, Izuku saw that it was the school rules. "Uraraka and Yoarashi were starting to get worried about you. I, on the other hand, knew no harm would befall you. After all, this is the most prestigious heroics school in the country run by top-rate heroes. To allow any misfortune to befall one of its students under their watch would be unheard of."
"But he was gone for so long!" insisted Uraraka, cheeks puffing out a little as she looked at Ida. "Anything could have happened! He could have gotten attacked by a janitor who, at one point, was a student here until he got expelled for cheating. Since then, he has had to clean up the messes of other students growing more envious that they all get to achieve their dreams while he remains there. Then, finally, he snapped and attacked Midoriya!"
"…I seriously doubt the school would employ such a fellow," said Ida as he gave the brunette an odd look.
"I thought Mr. Aizawa wanted to put you through another hot-blooded exercise," commented Yoarashi. "Like some sort of weird maze full of robots and death traps."
"That also seems highly unlikely!" Ida stated, causing Izuku to chuckle. It seemed to the green-haired teen that, while they were waiting, they allowed their imagination to run a little wild.
"It's nothing like that," said Izuku as a ringing sound was heard. As he continued to approach his friends, he saw Uraraka pulling out an old pink flip phone which was the source of the noise. "Mr. Aizawa just asked me to help him out with something."
"I see," said Ida with a nod while Uraraka moved besides Izuku as she flipped open her phone. "While I am slightly hurt that Mr. Aizawa did not come to me with such a request, as it would have been an honor to accept, I believe he must have had his reasons. Though I am curious as to the nature of this request. Are you taking part in a tutoring session or something?"
Izuku was about to open his mouth to answer, but stopped when he noticed Uraraka accepting the call. "Hey mom," she said in a cheerful tone. "I'm just leaving school with my friends. Today was great! I can't wait to tell you-" The girl's words were cut short by something that was said on the other end, her eyes going wide as she came to a complete stop. Quickly whirling around, Izuku saw that she was staring into space as her mouth hung open. Then, she spoke. "What happened with the company?"