Chapter 216 - 23-26

Chapter 23: His Starting Line/The Entrance Exam

Izuku settles into a routine not long after the start of the second term. On weekdays, he self-studies in Nedzu's office with the occasional assignment or test from the principal himself. Mr. Aizawa pushed his limits further in physical training. He still spars with UA students, but now his usual crowd had a lower priority than sparring with Class Z or joining the occasional practical lesson. Nedzu always ensures he's present for their weapon training. He and Himiko lead the class—just behind Utsuwa, of course—in weapon use. Izuku is always amazed by Himiko's natural talent with knives. He knows he wouldn't be nearly as good as he is without Mr. Aizawa's training.

His weekly meetings with Mr. Inui are going well. He's starting to accept that the things he went through were wrong.

(There's a difference between knowing something and knowing something.)

He's gaining muscle. He's not going to win any bodybuilding competitions, but he's noticeably more athletic than he was before. The first time he crossed a whole Ground Beta city block jumping from roof to roof, Mr. Aizawa smiled proudly. Izuku was sure he would die on the spot.

Mr. Aizawa isn't the only instructor he's impressed. Nedzu happily informed him that his analysis could now be used to seriously injure or kill the entire Top 100 Pro Heroes. This absolutely terrifyingcompliment served as a segue into encryption, codes, and cyphers. Luckily, the whole point of this was for Izuku to learn and improve. None of his existing notebooks are quite at the National Threat level yet. He'd hate having to burn those.

But Izuku isn't the only one UA is pushing hard.

If Himiko is any indication, Nedzu is quite gleefully dragging Class Z through hell. Not that Himiko seems to mind. She's usually exhausted by the time they get home; crashing in her room until dinner, eating dinner, and going to sleep. But every morning she's not just cheerful again, but ecstatic to go back.

Himiko tells him all about her time in Class Z. Ekitai pulling pranks by making themself look like their classmates (sometimes alongside Himiko herself for extra confusion). Fumen playing music after class. Wani and Utsuwa's friendly but fierce rivalry.

And of course, All Might comes by for guest lectures occasionally. According to Himiko, he struggled quite a lot with the whole 'teaching' thing at first. Izuku brought it up to Mr. Aizawa once and the man just sighed deeply and muttered something about teaching licenses.

(Izuku doesn't know how Himiko would react if she ever finds out All Might was at both their birthday parties.)

Not only that, his sister spends most weekends hanging with friends from school. Izuku doesn't want to say anything, but he was worried. He was afraid she might slip back into her Normal persona while he or mom weren't around. Nedzu assures him this isn't the case. It seems Class Z became somewhat tight knit.

Izuku just knows somehow Nedzu calculated exactly how much each student could take so he could maximize how much he can teach in the two terms he had to prepare Class Z for their second year.

It's not like Izuku can argue with the results.

When Himiko meets him at Nedzu's office after school late into January, just weeks away from the end of the school year, she seems perkier than usual. She's bouncing up and down, her grin showing off her fangs.

"Good day of class, huh?" he asks.

"Did you know Mr. Aizawa expelled his entire Heroics class this year?" she says. Izuku blinks. He had not known that.

"I guess that's why he had the free time to teach me." He steps in line beside her, and the siblings make their way towards the exit.

"It turns out he expels people as some kind of learning experience. He just sends them to Gen- Ed for a bit!"

"And what's this got to do with your good mood?" Izuku asks. Himiko grins wider somehow.

"He decided only half of them learned their lesson and reenrolled them." She leans in close to stage-whisper, "the other ten are gonna be from Class Z!"

"Half your class is getting into the Hero course?" Izuku says. Himiko giggles, nodding rapidly.

"We all said what course we wanted to be in, and we have exactly ten Hero kids!"

"That's amazing, Himi!"

"Mhmm! So, when you get into the Hero course, I'll be a whole year ahead of you!"

Izuku stops. He and mom hadn't pressed what course she was aiming for. He didn't want to pressure her with his own Hero-fanboying. But is she saying—

"That's right, Izu! Nedzu just confirmed our next year classes today! I'm gonna be in 2-A!" It takes Izuku several embarrassingly long seconds to process the statement. The instant he does, he launches himself at his sister, embracing her.

"You're going to be the best hero, Himiko!" She laughs, running a hand through his hair.

"But that's your job!"

"Our final lesson with me as your tutor," Nedzu says. Izuku looks up from his work. "It has been a rather remarkable year, has it not?"

"It's definitely not what I was expecting at the start of last April," Izuku agrees. If you'd told him a year ago his school was run by a Quirk Supremist movement planning to take over Japan to enforce their philosophy… actually, he probably would've believed that. He would not have believed that Nedzu himself would offer to prepare Izuku for the UA Entrance Exam.

"Quite." Nedzu turns away from the window to look at Izuku. "You understand that my pride as an educator—not to mention my position as a member of UA staff—prevents me from discussing the details of the upcoming exam." Izuku nods. Nedzu's smile grows into a predatorial grin. "However, I feel that Aizawa and I have prepared you as best we could. I have complete faith that you will pass the exam with flying colors."

That… is a lot of pressure. But Izuku can rise to the challenge. He nods, determination blazing in his eyes.

"Midoriya. I need you to understand something. Whatever happens, I am impressed by your drive and how much you've grown over these past ten months. I am proud of you. And I expect to see you in here from time to time. I haven't had such a good challenge in Go in years."

"You—you can't just say things like that Nedzu!" Izuku says, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "You knowI cry easy!" Nedzu chuckles softly.

"And it's good to see you express your emotions instead of repressing them. Forcing yourself to hide how you feel for the sake of societal expectation is a common unhealthy habit. Now then." Nedzu claps his paws together. "Let's continue. The best plans are…?"

"Simple and flexible."

"Indeed! Now, let's use your lessons on strategic thinking to destroy the career of a crime boss."

The entrance exam took its damn time getting here. Online school was even more boring than listening to his ass-kissing teachers at Aldera. At least thoseweren't trying to get him to join some damn cult run by an old man pissed that his dad died a failure trying to overthrow the government.

Katsuki rubs a thumb over his palm. Feels like he's built up enough sweat that he'll be able to fight, despite the February chill. He's bundled more than he frankly needs. He runs hot, just like his dad. But the extra clothing helps ready his Quirk.

He walks past the extras crowding the UA entrance. I know it's a general exam, but can't UA screen better? Come on, these extras have no chance. Too nervous, she'll freeze up in combat. Too rigid, he'll start out strong but collapse when something unexpected happens. That guy doesn't even look like he wants to be here. He'll throw his fight. Katsuki rolls his eyes. He didn't expect any decent competition. He's going to be the Best, after all. A flash of green ahead catches his eye.

Holy shit is that Deku?

He barely recognizes him at first. Deku always used to cower, hunch over. Make himself as small as he should be. Now he's standing tall, making confident strides towards the UA entrance like he's done it hundreds of times, a duffel bag slung over one shoulder. The damn nerd put on some muscle. Katsuki can tell even with his winter clothing. Took the bastard long enough. Not like it'll help.

"Move aside, Deku!" He calls ahead. "Get out of my way or—"

"Or you'll kill me, right?" The tone sends a chill up Katsuki's spine. Deku stops moving. He turns his head so he can see Katsuki over his shoulder. Deku's eyes were always filled with warm hope, idiotic optimism, and awe. Now? Directed at Katsuki is cold apathy.

He's reminded of how Aunty Inko looked when she and his parents talked to him about how he treated Deku. Hypocrites, the lot of them. If they cared, they'd have brought it up a decade ago.

"It's been a while," Deku says. The two stay in their bizarre silent standoff for a few seconds before Deku huffs and turns away to keep walking. Katsuki snarls.

"Don't turn your back on me, you bastard!" he shoves his way past Deku and struts into the auditorium where the applicants are waiting.

It seems his 'old friend' hasn't changed much. Izuku takes a deep breath to calm himself.

"Well that wasn't very heroic of him," a chiming voice rings from behind him. Izuku turns to see a girl with short brown hair. Her plaid scarf covers her chin. "This is nerve-wracking enough as it is!" Izuku sighs with a sad smile.

"He's always been like that, unfortunately." She laughs.

"Sounds like a history. Well, good luck to both of us!" she runs ahead with a small wave which he returns. Izuku hopes she passes. She seems kind.

Izuku takes his assigned seat, right next to Bakugou. He sighs quietly.

"Keep your mouth shut, Deku," Bakugou says through his teeth. Izuku rolls his eyes. You could always deafen yourself with your explosions if you don't want to listen to me thinking aloud.

"Hello listeners!" Izuku snaps to attention. At the podium on the large stage is Mr. Yamada—no, he's on the clock, he's The Voice Hero, Present Mic. "Everybody, say 'Hey!'"

Silence.

Everyone must be too nervous.

"That's cool, listeners! I understand exam jitters! I'm here to present the rules of your practical. Are you ready? YEAHH!"

Silence.

Izuku idly wonders if he's ever been in a more awkward call and response. Probably not. Present Mic clears his throat.

"So, here's how the test goes, Listeners!" He gestures to the screen behind him, which displays a simple diagram of seven different exam sites branching off of the main building. "You'll be performing a 'mock villain cityscape attack!' You're allowed to bring anything with you, provided you get it approved! After this presentation, you'll each head on over to your assigned testing location!"

Izuku looks at his exam card. 'Ground Beta Site B,' it reads. That's basically cheating. I know the whole city! Unless they rearranged it. Nedzu would pull something like that.

Bakugou elbows him. He must've been muttering.

"Tch. Probably wanna separate kids from the same middle schools. You get to live another day, Deku." Izuku doesn't bother reading Bakugou's card. He just told him all he needed to know. They're at different sites.

"Each site is filled with a variety of faux villains! Taking them down awards you with points according to their respective difficulties! Use your Quirks to disable the faux villains and earn points!" Present Mic pauses dramatically for effect before holding a finger in front of his face like he's telling a secret. "But there's a catch! These faux villains are robotsunleashed by an evil mastermind! If your team can stop the mastermind, you automatically end your exam! That being said, the mastermind is an optional villain." The screen behind him shows silhouettes of various robots and their point values with a shadowy human figure posed dramatically, arms wide, behind them.

"May I ask a question?" A broad-shouldered student asks, standing up. He points to his handout. "You have only presented three of the faux villains, but this handout features four! Such an error would be unbecoming of the top academy in Japan! Furthermore, you declared we would be in teams but have not explained anything further on the matter!" He suddenly turns to point at Izuku. "And you! With the curly hair! You've been muttering this whole time! It's very distracting! If you cannot bring yourself to focus on this exam, please leave!" Izuku clenches his fist and stands up himself.

"I'm more distracted by you standing up and shouting questions! He probably just hasn't gotten to that information yet! If you can't handle waiting and can't focus if someone nearby is thinking aloud, how do you expect to keep your cool in a fight?" Bakugou looks at him with something akin to surprise on his face. Izuku ignores him, maintaining his glare at the other boy, who flushes under Izuku's accusations.

"Alright, alright! Take a deep breath, Listeners! Examinee 7111, you are correct! I haven't talked much about the other villain or the teams! Examinee 12645, you're also correct! I was just getting to those!" Izuku nods and sits back down. The other boy bows at a perfect 90 degrees.

"Thank you, sir. I apologize for the interruption!"

"The fourth faux villain is the mastermind's ace in the hole! There's only one per site, but it rampages at close quarters! It's worth Zero Points so you're better off avoiding it!"

There's more to it than that. Nedzu would neverintroduce and obstacle just for the sake of there being an obstacle.

"As for teams, you'll be grouped up with up to four other examinees randomly chosen from your exam site! Your team will take the practical together! Working together is encouraged, but you each pass or fail as individuals!"

"That's all from me! I'll leave you listeners with our school motto! Napoleon Bonaparte once said: "True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life."

"In whatever shape they may challenge us to combat," Izuku whispers the rest of the quote under his breath.

"Plus Ultra! Break a leg, everyone!"

The looming cityscapes of Ground Beta tower over the examinees. Izuku hears other examinees awestruck discussions of UA's resources. Eh, you get used to it.

From on top of the observation tower, Present Mic calls out a series of examinee numbers. The five examinees step out from the crowd and take their positions in front of the city. Izuku watches the group run into the city the moment they're given the go-ahead, barely sharing a glance. He clicks his tongue. They hadn't said a word in the few minutes they had before Present Mic told them they could begin. He's not surprised that not everyone wants to play along with the teamwork aspect of the test, especially when Present Mic announced that you pass or fail as individuals, but it's no less disappointing.

Eventually, he hears his own number called and steps up next to—

Wait, did he call 7111 as part of my team?

He did. The tall boy strides out from the crowd next to him. Great. He doesn't know how, but he's certain Nedzu is responsible for this. Oh, he has engines on his leg. Must be related to Ingenium. A familiar voice draws him from his thoughts.

"Wow! We're on the same team!"

"Oh, the girl from the entrance!" Izuku says. She smiles.

"What's in the bag, kero?" says another member of his team. Her posture's a bit weird, and she has green hair like him, but straight, long, and tied.

"My support gear," Izuku says, pulling the Cat's Cradle gauntlets out of the bag.

"I hope you got it approved! It would be unfortunate if you were disqualified for a simple oversight!"

"Of course, Iida, here," Izuku pulls the paperwork from the bag as well and hands it to him.

"Did—did I tell you my name?"

"No, but your Quirk is too similar to the head of Team Iidaten to be a coincidence," Izuku replies. "I was banking on you sharing the name." He fits the gauntlets on and moves to his Jet Boots.

"Oh, you're from a hero family?" asks the girl from the entrance.

"I don't want to be treated differently for it," Iida says.

"That's a lot of gear," drawls a tired voice. Izuku looks up at the purple-haired boy. Must be the last team member. "Wish I thought of that."

"Are you rested enough for this exam, kero?"

"Insomnia," is all he says.

"Present Mic said we could bring anything we get approved. I probably could have shown up in a tank," Izuku replies. "I'm Midoriya Izuku. It'll be easier to plan if we know what we can all do. What're your Quirks?"

"Asui Tsuyu, call me Tsuyu, kero. My Quirk is Frog. I can do anything a frog can. My kicks are really strong."

"My name is Iida Tenya. As you observed, I have engines in my legs that help me move faster."

"I'm Uraraka Ochaco." She holds up her hands so Izuku can see the pink pads on her fingertips. "If I touch something with all five fingers, I remove its gravity." The purple haired boy rubs the back of his neck.

"Shinsou Hitoshi." Shinsou pauses, biting his lip and looking away. "What's your Quirk?"

"Oh, I don't have one!" Izuku says, fitting the Jet Boots on. Shinsou starts and Iida takes a step back. "But I've always loved analyzing Quirks. Fair warning, it's taking all of my willpower not to start theorizing about your Quirks." He pulls the boot on and moves to the other one. "The boots let me launch myself around, and the gauntlets house special cables I can manipulate."

"Oh," Shinsou says. "I uh, I had some bad experiences with classmates at my middle school."

"They thought they were hot shit because of their Quirks?" Izuku asks.

"I, uh, yeah," he says sheepishly. "My Quirk, uh, it's not very heroic. Or useful to this test."

"Mental Quirk? Could be useful against the mastermind." Izuku says. Shinsou sighs.

"It's Brainwashing. If someone responds to me, I can make them do what I say. Not great against robots."

"That sounds useful, kero," says Tsuyu. "If the mastermind is a person, you could defeat them instantly." Iida nods.

"Also," Izuku says, "I'm suing your Quirk counselor." Shinsou's eyes widen.

"What? Why?"

"Brainwashing involves altering someone's way of thinking, usually over a long time. Your Quirk is more like hypnosis, or, more accurately, possession," he says. Tsuyu puts a finger to her lip.

"Calling it 'Brainwashing' does have some pretty negative connotations, kero. Is that why you didn't get along with your classmates?"

"Bullying someone because of their Quirk is reprehensible!" Iida says. Izuku snorts, barely suppressing a full laughing fit. "This is no laughing matter, Midoriya!"

"You remember I'm Quirkless right?" he says. "I've seen Quirk discrimination my whole life. It sucks." Iida flushes. "So! Plan! We're probably on a time limit against the villains. At the very least, they don't want to have to completely repair the city after each team, so they'll probably call the test if enough buildings get destroyed. Early on, our focus should be the robots."

"They did say that catching the mastermind ended the test early. You're planning on finding them, kero." Tsuyu says. It isn't a question. He nods anyway.

"If the mastermind is controlling the robots, then we can narrow down their position by observing how they move." He puts a thumb to the corner of his lip. "Tsuyu, Iida. You two will be our primary combatants. Uraraka, support them. I'll locate the mastermind and help where I can. Shinsou will take the mastermind." He looks up. "Is everyone okay with that?"

"Won't that mean only Tsuyu and Iida pass?" Uraraka asks.

"They did say we pass or fail on our own merits," Tsuyu adds.

"Not quite. They said we pass or fail as individuals, but that teamwork was encouraged. Additionally, they never said that the points we earn from robots are our pass condition, or at least the only condition." Izuku explains.

"So, you think there's more to the test than they're telling us," Shinsou says.

"And you want us to treat it like a real emergency!" Uraraka concludes. Izuku smiles.

"Exactly!"

Before the can discuss it further, Present Mic's voice rings from the observation tower.

"Begin! There are no countdowns in real life! Go!"

Chapter 24: Destroy the Robots/Defeat the Mastermind

The moment Present Mic declares it's open season on the robots, Katsuki propels himself forward, light and heat bursting from his palms. He swings around in midair, blasting a gun robot on a motorcycle—a one-pointer—into oblivion before shooting to a scorpion robot worth two points, then another robot.

"Hey, man! Slow down! Leave some for your team!" shouts the shark-teeth guy with a grin. Katsuki scoffs, detonating another turtle-tank three-pointer. What team? They said he passes by himself. Who cares about the other four extras? Dead weight.

Katsuki doesn't pay them enough attention to see the boy with a tape Quirk grabbing rubble before it can crash into the surroundings.

He doesn't see the shark-tooth boy harden his skin to pummel robots on his own.

He doesn't pay any attention to the others.

Not until a bolt of electricity fries an entire block of robots.

What the hell was that? He whips his head to see the blonde dunce being supported by a large, blocky kid. He looks out of it, his hand still sparking faintly. That guy… His Quirk looks like it takes a lot out of him, but that's just extra training.

In terms of raw power…

Is he… stronger than Katsuki?

Shark Tooth says something to the blond—or maybe the blocky kid, Katsuki can't tell from here—and runs off, smashing straight through a robot with his hardened skin.

"An explosion wouldn't even phase him," Katsuki mutters. He grits his teeth, but his snarl rises into a feral grin. Seems there's some actual competition after all.

There's no point to being the Best if he doesn't have to fight for it.

Hikari begins to wonder if she was born under an evil star or something, because this purple midget is absolutely a demon from hell sent to torture her.

The moment Hikari mentioned recognizing two of her teammates from the beach party, he started salivating at the idea of them in swimsuits. Well, Hikari and the girl with ear jacks. The other girl on their team is invisible, and he'd already been weird about that too. Hikari hadn't interacted with either of them at the party, but they all introduced themselves when they were announced as a team.

Currently, the grape bastard is trying to get close to Jiro's skirt. It's winter, it's not like she isn't wearing pants, too. She sighs, taking a step closer in case she decides physical force is necessary.

"Hey, man. They're clearly uncomfortable. Knock it off," the tailed boy—Ojiro, she thinks—says.

"You're right," says Bastard, but Hikari doesn't get her hopes up. "I'll have prettier babes once I'm accepted."

"If I wasn't sure it would fail me on the spot, I would track down that gimmick robot and use you to clog its gears," Hikari says. The purple boy pales.

"I did not watch a Quirk Supremist Cult get dissembled last summer to be sexually harassed at the UA Entrance Exam," Jiro says.

"Come on, guys! We gotta focus!" says Hagakure, swing her arms wide. As if to prove her point, two robots slide in from side streets, weapons aiming straight at them.

Jiro responds first, blasting a sound wave from her phone at the closest one, shredding it. Hikari runs past, grabbing a thin bit of metal from the scrap and stabbing the second robot as Ojiro attacks it from above.

Izuku isn't sure if there are more robots than he expected or less. He wraps his cables around a three-pointer, crashing it into a two-pointer. The robots fall into a heap of scrap, their flailing damaging each other further.

Tsuyu rockets past him, slamming her legs into the head of a one-pointer aiming a gun at Shinsou.

"Hey, Shinsou!" Izuku calls, grabbing a long piece of scrap metal with a cable. "You wanted a weapon, right?" He pulls it to him, then tosses the improvised bludgeon to his teammate.

"Appreciate it, captain," he responds with a sly grin. Izuku snorts. He glances around. He needs a building with enough height for him to get vantage. Too short, too short, that one! Office building, four stories. Should be enough to get a look at the immediate area.

He silently thanks Mr. Aizawa for the training as he effortlessly pulls himself from handhold to handhold, reaching the rooftop in seconds.

Izuku surveys what he can see, a few blocks in every direction. The robots are swarming everywhere, but that doesn't mean their presence is uniform. To his right, closer to the center of the site, there are more robots than the streets to his left. They're being flanked, then.

"Are they coming from the center or the far side taking the center streets? The far side takes longer to reach, and you can't approach it from behind, so that would be ideal," he says. "But depending on how the robots are being monitored, it would be harder to keep track of them from a distance."

It's probably the far side. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks, which are largely hypothetical.

"Iida!" he calls as the speedster lands a devastating kick on a two-pointer, piercing straight through its carapace.

"Have you determined our goal?" Iida calls.

"The robots are coming from the other side of the city!"

"I'll inform the others! We'll regroup there!" Iida takes off in the direction of where Uraraka is using a weightless robot as a club.

Izuku shoves off, running forward and leaping. It's nowhere near far enough to reach the building across the street, but Izuku has gear for that. He fires a burst of air from the boot, launching all ten cables of the Cat's Cradle to grab the target rooftop. As soon as he feels them connect, he retracts, pulling himself in. At the last moment, he releases the cables, slingshotting past the rooftop and on to the next. Izuku tucks himself in and rolls, landing just how Mr. Aizawa taught him to safely distribute his momentum, and turns the roll into another run.

Like that, it only takes him about a minute to reach a building a few blocks from the far wall of the site.

"Now where are you all coming from," he murmurs, eyes flicking between robots.

Katsuki pants, surrounded by rubble. He's lost count of how many damn robots he's trashed. The corners of his mouth rise in a smirk. There's no way any of them can keep up with my score now! He wipes his mouth on his arm. Back to work.

He takes a step forward and falters as the entire ground starts to shake. He whips around looking for the source when he hears it. Whirring rotors and crushing metal. The gimmick robot. It's taller than the buildings! Massive, rib-like sections line the things' spine. The two treads it has for legs are as big as several busses stacked together. Katsuki can't see any weapons except for its arms, but it doesn't need more than that.

"Worth no points," Katsuki murmurs. "No reason to wear myself out killing it." Smaller robots swarm around the giant monstrosity. Those he'll take. Free points! No one would be stupid enough to fight close to the Zero Pointer, so they're his for the taking.

Katsuki launches himself into the fray, metal and shrapnel flying everywhere as he detonates blast after blast.

"Thanks for the cover, bro!" Shark-tooth says, running past with hardened skin. The fuck is he going? Whatever. Not Katsuki's problem if he runs in and gets himself killed.

A robot behind him suddenly spasms and collapses, sparking. The electric blond stands there, looking dazed.

"I'm nearly at my limit, but I should be good for a few more blasts!" he calls. Another kid swings overhead on—what the fuck are his elbows? That's some uncanny valley shit right there—tape strands, looping around behind the Zero Pointer and out of sight. Katsuki must've broken all the other robots and forced them to get close to the murder machine.

Speaking of which, the Zero Pointer suddenly swings its arm down. Katsuki barely has time to fire a quick blast in front of him to force the debris back. The impact combined with his own attack send him rolling back, but he's largely unscathed.

"You alright?" yells someone, Katsuki thinks it's Elbows.

"I'm fucking fine!" He launches back into the crowd of robots, but before he can kill any more, he hears Present Mic yell out.

"The mastermind in Site G has been captured! Please return to the entrance!"

"Damn it!" he yells. He wasn't done scrapping their damn robots!

"Hey, Koda!" he hears Shark Tooth call. "He was right where you said he'd be!" Shark Tooth waves at the blocky kid, who shyly raises a hand in a rough approximation of a wave. Katsuki clicks his tongue, shoving his hands in his pockets and stomping off to the entrance. Shark Tooth runs up next to him.

"It was pretty manly how you took down all those robots!" Katsuki snorts.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be the Best."

Hikari jabs the improvised metal spear into the join of another two-pointer. The scorpion robot writhes and collapses. She pants, wiping sweat from her brow.

"How many of these damn things are there?"

"Too many," Ojiro says, landing a strong hit from his tail against a one-pointer, toppling it. "At this rate, we'll be overwhelmed."

"It's so annoying!" Hagakure says with a dramatic swoon. "I have to open their control panels and turn them off! At least you guys can hit 'em hard enough!"

"Why don't you use a weapon like me?" Hikari says between breaths.

"I tried! It let them see me!"

"I still haven't heard the mastermind," Jiro says, jogging over to the rest of the group. She's just as run ragged as the rest of the team, sans Bastard. Her clothes are scuffed and lightly torn. Bruises line her visible skin, and Hikari sees she's favoring her left side. Hikari tears another metal bar from the two-pointer she just took down and hands it to her. Jiro smiles gratefully, putting her weight on it like a cane.

"Looks like there's a lull in them right now," Hikari says, dropping down to sit. "Let's take a breather for a minute." The others similarly flop down, groaning.

"We've scoured most of the city now," Jiro says, still propped against her makeshift cane even sitting. "So there's only so many places left that the mastermind could be hiding." Ojiro nods.

"We're in no shape to keep fighting our way through. Is there a stealthier way we can move?"

"The interiors are pretty detailed. We could probably find a roof access or something," Hagakure says.

Then the ground starts shaking.

And Hikari sees the Zero Pointer. A massive robot towering over them, surrounded by a small army of the normal robots.

"Oh, what the fuck is that?" she yells as the group scrambles to their feet again.

"My phone speakers aren't gonna be enough to take that down," says Jiro. Ojiro grimaces, probably considering his own chances of beating that thing. Hikari turns and runs for it. These things are vision-based, she can probably lose it if she makes it into an alleyway or something.

"Jiro! What are you doing?" she hears Hagakure yell. Hikari risks a glance behind her. Jiro isn't moving from the middle of the street, leaning against her cane.

"I can hear it! A heartbeat!" Hikari stumbles and stops.

"It's not the grape bastard, is it?" she calls. Jiro shakes her head.

"His heartbeat is different! I found the mastermind!"

"Midoriya!" he hears Iida call. Izuku grabs the edge of the roof with his cables and repels down. The speedster is there, with the other three members of his team behind him.

"What's the plan, captain?" Shinsou drawls.

"the robots are definitely coming from around here, but I haven't spotted their base yet," Izuku says. "The mastermind has to be close."

"It is unfortunate, but we may have no choice but to search each building—"

The sudden shaking of the ground cuts Iida off. An absurdly large robot rounds the corner, swarmed by its smaller compatriots.

"Oh, hell," Shinsou says.

"Move!" Midoriya yells as the robot's fist dislodges chunks of nearby buildings, raining debris down on the group. He doesn't need to say it twice; Iida and Tsuyu waste no time streaking past him.

Izuku's about to follow when he hears a cry behind him. He whirls. Some of the rubble hit Uraraka. She hit the ground. From the looks of it, she's pinned. Shit. Shit.

"Uraraka!" He charges toward her, eyeing the skyscraper robot. It's rearing a fist back. Shit! He won't be able to get her clear in time. Which means he has to stop the robot.

The streetlight!

Izuku flings his hand out, wrapping his cables around the robot's arm and pulls them around the post. A simple pulley.

"C'mon stupid physics!" he grunts. The arm stalls, suspended in the air by his wires and determination. His arms are on fire. He digs his heels in, trying to stop himself from being dragged.

"Mi—Midoriya…" Uraraka is barely a whisper. Shit! Is she okay? He can't check from here. A green form blurs to her body. Tsuyu!

"I've got you, kero," she says, pulling Uraraka free. The moment they're clear, Izuku releases the cables and the robot's fist slams down into the ground. Izuku uses his other hand to tether himself to the ground.

Then he hears the click of many, many guns.

Oh right.

The robots surrounding the Zero Pointer.

But now that his teammates are clear, Izuku has another idea.

"Cat's Cradle: Diamond!" he mutters, forming a net around an exposed joint in the Zero Pointer's arm, still pressed into the ground, and constricts.

The metal groans as the joint tears and severs. The massive appendage falls, crushing several robots and blocking line of sight of the others.

Huh.

Why does such a massive robot need an escort?

Unless…

"That's exactly the kind of thing Nedzu would do," Izuku says, turning to regroup with the others.

Izuku rounds the corner where his four teammates are huddling. Uraraka smiles weakly at him from where she's lying, Iida checking over her leg. Frankly speaking, they look awful. All of them are exhausted, bruised, and battered. And Izuku is the bringer of bad news.

"I think I know where the mastermind is," he says, panting. Shinsou looks up, eyes wide.

"Where?"

"Inside the Zero Point robot," he says. His teammates look at him with an expression akin to betrayal. "Think about it. The mastermind and the Zero Pointer are both optional villains. The Zero Pointer is supposed to be the mastermind's trump card. And why does it need all those robots protecting it—"

"Unless there was something important that needed extra guards, kero," Tsuyu finishes. Izuku nods.

"Exactly."

"So. Captain," Shinsou drawls. "How do you intend to get me in that thing?"

"Carefully," Izuku responds. He takes stock of his four teammates again. "Okay. Iida and Tsuyu, you two are still in fighting condition. Iida, your Quirk isn't suited to big brawls where you can't build up speed, so stay here and help Uraraka. Tsuyu, you and I are going to cover Shinsou."

"I can still fight!" Uraraka declares, her eyes alight with determination.

"If you got hurt because of a plan I made, I'd never forgive myself," Izuku responds and Uraraka deflates. He puts a thumb to the corner of his mouth. "But there might be something you can do."

"Huh?"

"The Zero Pointer has treads for legs. I doubt there's any easy access point from the ground." Uraraka lights up in understanding. "Are you up for it?"

"Yeah!" she says.

And that's how Izuku finds himself weightlessly flying towards the head of the giant robot, Shinsou on his back. He speeds up with a quick burst from his Jet Boots.

On the ground, he spots several one-pointers taking aim at him when Tsuyu crashes into them. Gunfire erupts in the streets, the robots shooting each other in their efforts to catch a Tsuyu who's just too fast for them.

Then he sees it.

The Zero Pointer rearing up to swat them with its remaining arm.

"Shinsou," he says, "I'm going to throw you."

"What?" the boy yells. "No, no, no, no! Don't you dare—"

Izuku throws him.

The throw forces Izuku back just as much as it launches Shinsou, sending them both clear of the swiping metal arm. Izuku spins, whipping his cables around into another net centered on the robot's exposed elbow. A quick glance at Shinsou confirms he grabbed onto the robot's head.

"Uraraka! Now!" Izuku yells. There's a brief lull and then he feels his weight return. He falls. Izuku pulls the cables taut and the robot's arm falls with him. Two for two on robot amputation. Kicking off the falling appendage with his Jet Boots, Izuku rockets up toward Shinsou, pulling himself the rest of the way with his cables.

"You are insane, Midoriya," Shinsou tells him as he pulls himself onto the top of the giant machine.

"If it's stupid and it works," Izuku replies. "Now let's go take down a mastermind!" he and Shinsou make their way to the rooftop hatch. A quick cable from Izuku easily peels it open, and the two drop inside.

Machinery and electronics line the walls around a central control console, the display above showing what the robot is looking at. At the console sits a man covering a black jumpsuit with a long trench coat.

"Ectoplasm," Izuku says.

"You truly believe you've bested me just by reaching me?" Ectoplasm turns to look at the boys over his shoulder. "No. I will crush you here and now."

With practiced ease, Ectoplasm vaults out of the chair and throws himself at them. Izuku barely has time to react before the teacher plants a kick into his side and sends him flying.

"What the hell! Isn't this just a test?" Shinsou says.

"And I told you I would crush—" Ectoplasm stops, straightening with a blank expression.

Izuku presses a hand to his side as he sits up, groaning. He hears intercoms crackling to life, and Present Mic's voice rings out.

"The mastermind in Site B has been captured! Please return to the entrance!"

Izuku turns to Shinsou, grinning.

"Told you this was the job for you."

"All in a day's work, captain."

"You guys were all so cool!" Uraraka says on the stretcher bot. "You were all Bam! Pow! Woo!" She tries to mime punches, but winces.

"You did well too, kero," Tsuyu says. "You fought just as hard as any of us, and you never gave up. Without you, Shinsou and Midoriya could never have reached the mastermind."

"She's right," Izuku says.

"But you held the robot's arm back to protect me like a valiant knight!" Uraraka pretends to swoon. "And then you cut it off! The whole arm! Twice!"

"I was lucky enough to have these," Izuku taps one of his gauntlets, "and enough practice to use them. Besides, the robots are made to be destroyed. A real robot would've held up better."

"Ah, there you are dear!" calls an older voice Izuku recognizes as Recovery Girl. She makes her way over to Uraraka and kisses her arm. Uraraka lets out a small 'oh' and her eyes flutter before she falls asleep on the stretcher.

"Will she…" Shinsou says.

"She'll be fine, dear. She's just exhausted." Mrs. Chiyo pulls out a bag of gummies and passes them out. "These will give you some of your energy back. From what I can tell, most of your injuries only need a shower and a good night's rest. Are there any more serious wounds?" Izuku raises a hand.

"Ectoplasm landed a solid kick to my chest," he says. Mrs. Chiyo tuts, muttering something about 'going too far for a test' as Izuku lifts his shirt so she can see.

"Hm. The bruising is bad, but not severe. Have you had a gummy yet?" When Izuku nods, she kisses his chest and the discolored area quickly fades.

"Thank you."

"Be more careful in the future, dear. I know you couldn't do anything about that kick, but Heroics is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't wear yourselves out and crash in the field."

Izuku and his team eat lunch together at UA, thanks to Lunch Rush. He comes home with four new numbers in his phone.

Good thing, too.

He forgot to ask about their Quirks.

Chapter 25: UA High School/The Heroics Course

Izuku sets his phone down on his desk. He'd just finished sending questions to Tsuyu about how her Mutation Quirk expresses itself, having noticed her facial features and slightly larger hands already. So far, all he'd received in response was a single frog emoji.

He smiles.

He has friends now! Friends! His own age! Who know he's Quirkless and don't hate him!

Get fucked, MLA!

Having friends that he can talk to helps in other ways, too. For one thing, it's been almost a week since the entrance exam, and his nerves are getting to him. He knows it takes time to grade every applicants' test, but the longer he waits, the more he risks spiraling into self-doubt. If I misjudged the test, I dragged my entire team down with me. He shakes his head. He can't think like that. And since his lessons from Nedzu are now officially over, he hasn't been able to see Mr. Inui. Not that he would right now. It feels weird to consider swinging by UA for personal reasons before the results of the entrance exam come in.

And of course, the explosive elephant in the room.

Izuku sighs.

Bakugou was there at the entrance exam. Izuku knew he would be. They've only ever had their sights on UA since the two of them were toddlers. But seeing him again still hurts. It's not just all the insults and bruises—though there is that. It's remembering Kacchan, his best friend as a child, who left him behind to become something ugly.

And Bakugou passed too. Izuku's certain of that. There are three constants in life: Death, Taxes, and Bakugou Wins.

Izuku feels bile in his chest. He steadies his breathing until he calms down. It doesn't matter that Bakugou will be there. UA is different. There is no secret cult backing him this time. He can't touch Izuku anymore.

Besides, Bakugou isn't the only student he knows at UA.

"Izu!" his sister calls, bouncing on her heels outside his room. "Mom made dinner! Katsudon! Your favorite!"

"Thanks, Himi!" Izuku hops out of his chair and pull her into a quick hug. The two set off down the hall to the kitchen.

He's finishing his meal when he sees Himiko flash a conspiratorial grin at their mom, which she returns.

"Katsudon for dinner and now I see you two planning something? What're you hiding?" he asks. Himiko and mom both blush at being caught.

"Should've known he'd notice," Himiko giggles. Mom chuckles softly, pulling out a wax-sealed envelopeand passing it to him. Izuku feels a thin disc inside the envelope. Interesting.

"Who still uses wax seals?" he murmurs, looking at the symbol. He freezes.

"Apparently, Nedzu," Himiko says.

It's the UA school crest.

It's his exam results.

"Open it, dear," mom says with a smile.

Izuku breaks the seal. He pulls out the small metal disc and a single sheet of paper. He set the paper to the side for now, focusing on the disc.

"What is it?" Himiko asks. "Some kind of toy?"

"It looks like that projector Mr. Shield had," Izuku notes idly, tapping the disc with his finger. The disc lights up, and all three Midoriyas jump. The device projects a holographic screen, which flickers to life. On screen, All Might stands proud, fists on his waist.

"I am here! As a projection!" the All Might recording declares.

"Isn't this from UA?" Izuku says.

"Yes, your eyes have not deceived you!" All Might continues. "In fact, we shall be seeing each other quite often now, for I am proud to finally announce that I am the newest staff member at UA High School!"

"Oh! That's why he kept showing up for guest lectures!" Himiko says.

"Shush!"

"You did quite well on the written test, Young Midoriya! You scored within the top 10% of examinees, guaranteeing a place in General Education! You should be proud! But that's not all! You also took our Heroics Entrance Exam!" The displayed All Might gestures to a tv screen behind him, which begins cutting between clips of Izuku and his team fighting robots. A smile forms on Izuku's lips. They worked well together.

"You scored a grand total of 63 Villain Points! An impressive sum!" The screen behind All Might changes to show 'IZUKU MIDORIYA: 63.' "But that alone is not what we were looking for! You and your allies worked together expertly! Your ability to work alongside others in the field has earned you an additional 43 Cooperation Points!" The numbers in '63' rotate as though on the side of a wheel, counting up to '106.'

"That's a lot of points," mom says.

"He earned 'em!" Himiko says, nudging Izuku with her shoulder.

"And, of course, what kind of Heroes would we be teaching if they did not save others?" The screen changes again. This time to a recording of Izuku holding the Zero Pointer's arm up with his Cat's Cradle while Tsuyu carries Uraraka to safety, then flicking to Izuku throwing Shinsou out of the way of the Zero Pointer. "Your refusal to abandon people in need, and your ability to save them from harm, has earned you a whopping 60 rescue points!" The screen changes back to his score, increasing to 166. "Congratulations, Young Midoriya! You are the top scorer in our Hero Exam! I look forward to seeing you in the Hero Course this year! This is your Hero Academia!"

Tears streak down Izuku's face. He wipes them away with his palm, but they just keep coming. Himiko pulls him in to a tight embrace.

"I'm so proud of you, Izu! My little brother is all grown up!"

"I'm barely a year younger than you, Himi!" he chokes out as his mom wraps around them. They're crying just as badly as he is.

"Still younger!" She hugs him tighter. "I told you that you were going to be the greatest hero ever!"

Once the Midoriyas had calmed down again, Izuku picks up the letter, quickly reading it over. Most of it is fairly standard. What supplies he needs, when the first day is, that sort of thing. Also, UA apparently is shipping him his uniforms. Huh. And, of course, his class.

"I'm in Class 1-A," he announced.

"So you really will be just behind me," Himiko says, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm proud of you, both of you," mom says, pulling them into another hug. "You've both endured so much more than any child should. And you're both still so kind. You'll both be amazing Heroes one day."

Izuku slips back into his room and picks up his phone. He has unread messages from his private texts with Tsuyu and from the group chat. He opens Tsuyu's texts first.

Tsuyu: Sorry I didn't answer your questions

Tsuyu: I know you wouldn't judge me for my Quirk

Tsuyu: but I'm not totally comfortable talking about it

Tsuyu: Kero

Izuku's face falls. He's not surprised by her confession. Mutant Quirks are up there with so-called Villainous Quirks in terms of discrimination. Technically illegal, but only if reported instances are taken seriously. If they're reported at all. It's fairly easy to have an excuse to cover up discrimination. It's sadly not hard for him to imagine that she's hiding aspects of her Quirk because people used to bully her about them.

Izuku: Don't worry about it!

Izuku: You should never share something if you don't want to

Izuku switches over to the group chat. There are enough messages he has to quickly scroll up and read back through.

Iida: I suggest you all check your mail.

Iida: My results arrived today.

Shinsou: Pray for me

Uraraka: It's here!!!!

Tsuyu: My results are here too

The timestamps indicate a few minutes passed without any messages.

Iida: I am in Class 1-A.

Uraraka: Me too!

Tsuyu: I'm also in 1-A

Shinsou: Passed by the skin of my teeth.

Shinsou: Apparently taking down the mastermind got me rescue points cuz Midoriya got kicked

Shinsou: Class 1-A

Uraraka: Wow four of us? What are the odds?

Izuku smiles. All his friends are in his class! He slides his thumb over the keyboard.

Izuku: I'm in Class 1-A too

Izuku: I bet they kept teams together on purpose

Tsuyu: That makes sense

Uraraka: We're all gonna be in class together!

"Do you have everything? Pencils? Notebooks? Folders?" mom fusses.

"Yup!" Himiko says with a small hop and salute.

"I packed last night," Izuku says, glancing at his phone. They're running low on time. He and his sister pull their shoes on and throw the door open.

"Himiko, do you have your knives?"

"Of course! Since Nedzu won't let me take my special one around…"

"Izuku, Himiko," mom says.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Love you too, mom!" Himiko says.

"See you this afternoon, mom! Love you!"

His sister's class is on a different floor from him, so they can't walk together for very long. Izuku hurries down the hall. He knows where he's going, luckily. All the time he spent at UA over the last year helped with that. But they left the apartment later than he would've liked. He's only got a few minutes until the bell.

Finally, Izuku comes to a stop in front of the door labeled 1-A. It's just as large as Himiko told him it would be. Probably for people with mutation Quirks.

"If Bakugou could be in 1-B, that would be great," he murmurs, sliding the door open. He scans the room for the loud, obnoxious blonde-haired boy who's probably screaming at someone over something stupid. But there's no yelling. Just quiet chatter. And none of the three blondes in class are the one Izuku expects to find.

Huh. No Bakugou. Izuku must've finally lucked out. He's been in the same class as Bakugou for as long as he can remember. Having some distance from him puts Izuku a little more at ease. He sends a silent prayer to the poor students in Class 1-B.

Most of his classmates are already in their seats. He recognizes a surprising number of them. Tsuyu and Shinsou from his team, Mina, Jiro—

"Hey, Midoriya, is that you?" a girl calls. Izuku glances over to see a girl covered in glowing markings waving at him from the back corner. "My fated nemeses are here too!" she gestures to an exasperated Tokoyami and a giddy Dark Shadow.

"Joyato! Tokoyami! Dark Shadow!" he waves back.

"Ah, Midoriya!" Iida says, striding over. "I never got the chance to apologize for calling you out in the auditorium!"

"It's fine, Iida!" Izuku scratches the back of his neck. "I was probably too harsh, too."

"Oh, Midoriya!" Uraraka's voice rings out behind him. He turns to see her beaming at him. "I guess I'm the last one here, huh?" Izuku chuckles.

"No, that'd be our teacher behind you."

"Eh?" Uraraka turns to look while Iida and several of his classmates crane their necks to look out into the hallway, but there's no one there. Izuku quickly slips over into his desk, right in front of where Shinsou is trying to sleep. He nudges the insomniac, gesturing to the door when the boy looks up at him.

"What's that, kero?" Tsuyu says, having finally noticed the yellow sleeping bag Izuku had spotted on the floor.

A deep-suffering sigh echoes through the classroom as the tired looking man emerges from the bag.

"It took you all eight seconds to notice me," Mr. Aizawa drawls, massaging his neck. "Illogical. Only Midoriya over there has any situational awareness. I'm Aizawa Shouta, your homeroom teacher." He reaches into the yellow bag and pulls out gym uniforms. "Put these on and meet me at the P.E. Grounds."

Izuku reaches the field first. He knows where it is, after all, and years of hiding from other kids at Aldera taught him how to change clothes in a hurry. Mr. Aizawa doesn't seem at all surprised to see him on the field so soon. The both of them stand in comfortable silence watching the other 19 students trickle out towards the field.

"That took a total of 14 minutes, 39 seconds," Mr. Aizawa drawls. "In that time, hundreds of civilians would have died."

The chatter from his classmates dies.

Mr. Aizawa rolls his eyes.

"We're doing a Quirk Apprehension Test," he says.

"What about the opening ceremonies? The guidance counselor?" Uraraka cries.

"You're here to learn how to be Heroes. You only have three years to do it. We don't have time to waste on frivolities." He pauses. "Inui, our counselor, keeps his door open unless he's in a meeting with a student."

Mr. Aizawa goes on to explain the basics of the Quirk Apprehension Test. The same exercises he had Izuku do once a week during their training, but everyone is allowed to use their Quirks. Get as a high a score as you can through creative use of your Quirk.

"Yaoyorozu, how far could you throw a softball in middle school?" their teacher says, tossing one to a girl with a black ponytail.

"Around 35 to 40 meters, sir," she responds.

"You're a recommendation student. Throw it as far as you can, but with your Quirk this time. Anything goes as long as you stay in the circle."

Yaoyorozu hands something to Jiro—headphones? —and moves to the center of the ring drawn on the ground. She takes a deep breath and pulls a 15th century cannon out of her abdomen, tearing her uniform in the process.

That may be the single coolest Quirk Izuku has ever seen. No, second coolest. Himiko's is cooler. But what are her limits? What can she make? What can't she make?

"Don't worry about the uniform," Mr. Aizawa says when she looks to him. "I'll see about getting ones made with your Quirks in mind." She nods and loads the ball into the weapon before firing it into the distance with a loud bang.

Mr. Aizawa stares at the device in his hand for a few seconds before holding it up so the class can see the 16184.56m displayed on the screen.

"Whoa!"

"We really get to use our Quirks?"

"This looks like fun!"

Izuku cringes. He knows Mr. Aizawa enough to see where this is going,

"Fun, you say?" Mr. Aizawa's glare could probably kill a man. "I'm sorry, I thought I was training Heroes, not taking children out to the playground. So, let's up the stakes a little since this is a game. Whoever places last will be deemed hopeless and expelled."

There's a moment of silence before everyone starts yelling at once.

"You can't do that! It's our first day!"

"That's not fair!"

"Unfair, you say? Natural disasters are unfair. Villains are unfair. Accidents are unfair. It is the job of Heroes to correct unfairness," says Mr. Aizawa.

"He expelled his entire class last year," Izuku says nonchalantly. "My sister's in the second year, she told me about it."

Yaoyorozu pales, while several other students look ill. Izuku could also mention that expulsion means being sent to Gen-Ed, and that he reenrolls the students who've learned their lessons from the experience, but he doesn't want to ruin his teacher's fun.

Izuku's been training this whole past year. And he's been doing these particular tests once a week. He's fairly confidant in his ability compared to his classmates. Only Yaoyorozu and Todoroki seem exceptional at every test. Everyone else is either only barely affecting their results or excelling at only one particular kind of test.

Shinsou seems to struggle. Izuku noted he wasn't exactly the most physically fit back at the entrance exam. Something that's now coming back to bite him. Izuku grimaces. He should've put more effort into body training. The invisible girl, Hagakure, could've done more in that department too, but Izuku can tell she's at least put some effort into it. Mostly her flexibility. Maybe she was a cheerleader?Shinsou does at least use his Quirk on Uraraka to do the ball throw, so he has one good score. He and Uraraka both got Infinity. Weird that the device measures for that.

In the end, Izuku places 15th, right above Joyato. Shinsou came dead last and looks incredibly relieved when Mr. Aizawa declares it was a logical ruse to encourage them to work their hardest.

"You said he expelled his whole class!" Ashido groans.

"I did," Mr. Aizawa interjects. "None of them took things seriously enough. Shinsou used his Quirk despite his clear dislike of doing so. I deemed he has potential, so he stays."

Shinsou promptly falls to the dirt and groans. Izuku walks over and sits next to him.

"That's a compliment from him, just so you know."

"You seem awfully familiar with him," Shinsou says, turning his head to meet Izuku's gaze. Izuku shrugs.

"I told you my sister goes here, didn't I?" Izuku rubs the back of his neck, grinning. A true statement that doesn't actually answer the question. Nedzu would be proud.

"You mentioned it, yeah."

"If you're done socializing," Mr. Aizawa calls out over his shoulder as he walks off, "Your syllabi are on your desks in the classroom. Read them over. Inui's office is marked on the map on the last page. I'll see you all in class for the first day tomorrow."

Izuku slips his syllabus into his backpack and slings it over his shoulder. Himiko's probably almost done with the orientation by now; he'll go wait near 2-A for her.

"I didn't know Himiko was your sister," Jiro says, twirling one of her jacks around her finger. She's waiting around his desk with Iida, Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Shinsou. Izuku lets out a low chuckle.

"At the time, she wasn't. Not officially, anyway. Mom adopted Himiko back in August." Jiro raises an eyebrow.

"Huh. Good for her."

"I noticed earlier but there wasn't enough time to ask. You know each other?" Iida says.

"Met him and Himiko at the mall last year. Saw each other once or twice after that," Jiro explains.

"I don't think you mentioned a sister at the entrance exam, kero," Tsuyu places a finger to her chin. Izuku shakes his head.

"She didn't really come up. She was in Class Z, that special cram class Nedzu made? She's in 2-A now. I was about to swing by and wait for her, if you want to meet her."

So Izuku finds himself with a small group of friends—friends! In school! Imagine! —outside the door to the classroom of Class 2-A. Wani walks out of the room, looking back and waving to someone inside.

"Later, Fuwa!" Wani calls. She almost bumps into the group but catches herself at the last second.

"Oh, the little Midoriya!" she says. "Himiko's in there waiting for you." Her eyes flick to the others. "Gotta say, didn't expect you to work so fast, but with your looks, I'm not surprised." She waltzes of cackling as Izuku turns bright red. Tsuyu keeps her eyes trained on the girl until she rounds a corner and vanishes.

"Well that was something," Jiro says, breaking the tension. Izuku sighs.

"That's Wani Numachi. She's a notorious flirt but doesn't actually mean anything by it." The others nod, digesting that information.

"I don't often see others with such strongly expressed Mutation Quirks, kero," Tsuyu says quietly. He shoots her a reassuring grin and herds his gang of friends into the room.

"Indeed. It is quite uncommon," Iida notes. Sometimes Izuku forgets his engines are a Mutation Quirk.

"Hey, Himi! How was it!" Himiko looks up from the syllabus she's reading at her desk. When she sees him, she breaks out into a wide grin, showing off her fangs.

"Izu!" She vaults out of the desk and quickly moves in front of him, bouncing giddily. "It was fun! Well, Nedzu's speech was long, but I got to see all my friends again!"

"You see them almost every weekend!"

"Oh! Jiro!" Himiko finally registers who's with Izuku. "You got in!"

"And you became a Hero kid. Good to see you looking better."

"And you must be Izu's team from the entrance exam! I'm Midoriya Himiko, but I went without a family name for a while, so I'm used to going by Himiko." She moves down the line, eyes alight. "You must be Uraraka! With the fun gravity Quirk! You're Iida! Shinsou! You're like me!" she points to her fangs. "And that leaves Asui!"

"Call me Tsuyu, kero."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya!" Iida says.

"Fun?" Uraraka mutters, confused.

Shinsou shoots a quick glance at Izuku.

"When you said, 'I'm like you,' you mean…" Himiko's face falls for a moment. Izuku surreptitiously takes her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.

"Did Izuku tell you I'm adopted?" she asks quietly. When the group nods, she continues. "There's a reason I'm not with my… the people who gave birth to me." They all wince, Iida sucking in a breath.

"I got lucky," Shinsou says. "Good parents. Alright teachers. Just bad classmates." Sadly, that is lucky. There aren't many Quirks considered Villainous on their own, but any mind-altering Quirk will inherently come with a stigma.

"Well, I have good parents now!" Himiko says, her cheer returned. "And a brother! A pretty good deal!"

Sadly, they couldn't stay and talk forever. Trains have schedules to keep, and his friends have to go their separate ways. He and Himiko wave goodbye to Iida and Uraraka, the two who use the same train station. Once it's just the two of them, Himiko nudges him.

"Are all your classmates that attractive?"

"You should see Todoroki," Izuku chuckles. "I think they used a photo of him in the dictionary for 'Prettyboy.' He doesn't talk much though." Himiko whistles.

"Those girls you were with—Tsuyu and Uraraka? —they're pretty cute." Izuku blushes. "Oh, you noticed!"

"Don't make me start ribbing you about Wani or Inazuma!"

"Wani could snap me like a twig over her knee and I would thank her!"

Chapter 26: Practical Heroics Lesson/Limelight Heroics Introduction

"Alright, listen up," Mr. Aizawa drawls from the front of the room. "Heroics as an industry is usually simplified into a few distinct fields. You should all be familiar with Limelight Heroics, or Spotlight if you prefer. These are the Heroes who go out in public, visibly patrolling cities and dealing with situations as they arise, or as they are called in." Mr. Aizawa writes 'Limelight' on the board. "Then there's Underground, like what I do. We patrol at night, generally dealing with street crime. We're also more likely to get involved with vigilantes or investigations compared to Limelights." He writes 'Underground' on the board under 'Limelight.' "Anyone know any others?"

Several hands raise, but none as fast as Joyato's. Mr. Aizawa raises an eyebrow but gestures for her to speak.

"Rescue Heroics," Joyato says with a self-satisfied grin. Mr. Aizawa turns and adds it to the board.

"Rescue is as the name would suggest. They focus on disaster relief or minimizing collateral from particularly dangerous villains. There are also Heroes who specialize in acquiring and distributing information. You're likely to know Sir Nighteye, who was All Might's sidekick for a while," Izuku holds himself back from flinching at the thought of the Hero, "as well as our principal. These Investigation Heroes are likely to lead, you guessed it, investigations, as well as deciding which Heroes to bring onto cases or raids." Mr. Aizawa finishes adding 'Investigation' to the board and turns back to the class. "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm talking about something so basic," he says.

"I mean, a little," Kaminari says. One of Jiro's jacks pokes him.

"As first years, you aren't expected to know how you intend to specialize just yet." Mr. Aizawa's gaze passes over the room. "I'm sure many of you already have some idea of what you want. Probably shaped by your Quirk. I'm here to tell you that just because your Quirk has obvious implications for one set of Heroics does not mean you will be happy there. I know for a fact Miruko had to fight tooth and nail not to be thrown into Rescue Heroics."

The thought of the Rabbit Hero doing anything other than bashing in villain faces makes Izuku's head spin. She's done rescue work before; every Hero has at some point. But it's clearly not her calling as a Hero.

"Foundational Heroics has two purposes," Mr. Aizawa continues. "First, you learn the absolute basics of the industry, gain experience, et cetera. Second, you get hands-on experience with each kind of Heroics and can make an informed decision of how you want to specialize. This week, we'll be doing a variety of exercises based on each field. Today is Limelight. And we have a special guest for this activity, so I'll see myself out." Mr. Aizawa picks up his sleeping bag, tucks his folders under one arm, and leaves down the hall.

"Mood," Shinsou whispers.

There's a moment of uneasy quiet before the class begins chatting amongst themselves.

"So, Midoriya!" Uraraka says, "Who do you think our guest is?"

"Definitely a Pro Hero," Izuku says without hesitation. "Almost certainly Limelight, given Mr. Aizawa told us that's what we're doing. It has to be someone the school could feasibly call in, so probably someone in Mustafu. Any further and they might interfere with patrol."

"That's still a lot of Heroes, kero," Tsuyu points out. Izuku nods, placing a thumb to the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, I can think of thirty off the top of my head."

Before anyone can discuss further, a deep booming laugh echoes through the room. A very familiar laugh.

No. Way.

"I am here!"

No way!

The door slides open as All Might leans through the doorway, wearing one of his classic costumes. "Coming through the door like a normal person!"

"Damn, he's even more buff in person," Joyato mutters.

"Alright, you youngsters!" All Might strides to the teacher's podium. "Normally I teach Heroics to the Third Years, but we decided to make your first Fundamental Heroics lesson extra special! So to ensure that, I will be your teacher today!"

He clears his throat before continuing.

"As Aizawa said, I'm here to give your introduction to the world of Spotlight Heroics! And while the Heroics Industry may be highly competitive, the ability to work with others is imperative! As you all saw during the Entrance Exam! Therefore, today we will be performing Team Battles!" All Might gestures to the wall as four long panels pull in and racks holding numbered cases slide out. "And what's more, we've prepared the costumes you've submitted! Get changed and gather at Ground Beta!"

Izuku smiles as he pulls on his gloves. He, mom, and Himiko had all worked together to design his costume. He'd borrowed a few ideas from Himiko's design as well, even if she hasn't worn hers yet.

(Or maybe she is right now? She's probably in herHeroics class right now.)

His costume is a green reinforced jumpsuit with armor on his chest, shoulders, and knees. Around his waist is a sort of half-cloak, open in the front and secured by his belt. His belt, naturally, carries pouches for him to keep any gadgets or Support Items he ends up adding to his gear.

Izuku clicks his neck guard into place. He reaches up and slides on his red mouth guard and his visor. Adjusting his Cat's Cradle, he moves to join his classmates emerging from the locker room.

"Outstanding!" All Might bellows. "You all truly look the part of Heroes!"

"Sir!" Iida says. "This is the same area as the Entrance Exam? Will we be conducting more cityscape battles?"

"In a manner of speaking! Now, can anyone tell me where most battles between Heroes and Villains take place?"

"Out on the street, right?" Kaminari says.

"Not so! However, those fights receive the most media attention," All Might says.

"It's inside," Yaoyorozu says. "Most dangerous villains will have some form of hideout for themselves and their minions or supplies."

"That is correct, Young Yaoyorozu!" All Might laughs. "And as such, today's exercise will be Indoor Battle Training!"

"What about basic training?" Tsuyu asks, tilting her head.

"You are all at very different levels," All Might replies. "Part of the reason behind starting with the exercise is so I can observe where you all are. Not to worry, Young Asui, I will be on hand to prevent any accidents." Tsuyu nods, a little hesitantly. Her eyes flick to Uraraka for a moment. Izuku wonders if she's remembering the same thing he is: her trapped under the rubble with the Zero Pointer almost on top of her.

"The scenario is this: A Defense team has an objective they will hide inside a designated building. Their goal is to protect the objective until time runs out. The other team is the Assault Team, who must enter the building and secure the objective. If the Defense Team captures both members of the Assault Team, or the time limit expires, the Defense Team wins. If the Assault Team successfully makes contact with the objective, they win."

"What is this objective?" Yaoyorozu asks.

"Are you going to threaten to expel us?" Uraraka says.

"How are teams determined?" Iida says.

"Isn't my cape magnificent?"

All Might laughs. "Not all at once, or I won't be able to answer! Let's see… the objective is represented using a prop bomb, although it could hypothetically represent any number of things. No, I will not threaten expulsion for anything less than disciplinary reasons. Your cape is superb, Young Aoyama. And lastly, we shall determine teams through random lots!"

"Is there not a better way?" Iida sputters.

"It's pretty common for Pros to not know who they'll be working with ahead of time," Izuku says. "It's usually just whoever's closest, unless a full raid team is being assembled."

"Young Midoriya is correct!" All Might says. "But I have another reason as well. I have yet to see how you all perform with or against each other, outside of the Entrance Exam of course. As such, pairing you myself would be indistinguishable from random lottery! Another part of this lesson is working with those you may not have worked with before!"

All Might produces a small white box labeled 'Lots' and places it on a table he must've set up for this purpose.

"Pay attention, I'll only announce your teammates once!"

Team A: Aoyama and Uraraka

Team B: Asui and Koda

Team C: Kaminari and Todoroki

Team D: Ashido and Sero

Team E: Sato and Shinsou

Team F: Hagakure and Shoji

Team G: Ojiro and Yaoyorozu

Team H: Joyato and Midoriya

Team I: Iida and Tokoyami

Team J: Jiro and Kirishima

"Before we begin, there is one last important thing I need to tell you. How many of you have ever used your Quirk on another person?"

Only a few hands go up. Uraraka, Todoroki, Shinsou, Kirishima and Sero. That's… fewer than he expected. He was there for two of those five.

"As I thought. Proper training is expensive, so many of you train your Quirks on your own. This exercise today is the first time you've ever truly fought another person. If you go all out right from the start, you will quickly find your classmates may not be as durable as you expect. A single mishap could cause serious injury. Possibly worse."

The entire room pales. Izuku doesn't have a Quirk, but he's seen his Cat's Cradle shear through concrete and metal like a hot knife through butter. He knows Melissa made it safe to use on people, but that's entirely based around how he uses it. Their Quirks are the same.

He clenches his fist to stop it from trembling.

"However!" All Might yells. "Quirks are extensions of ourselves! It is how we use them that matters. Do you think I use all of my strength every time I Smash a villain? Of course not! Today, no, for the first few weeks, restrain yourselves. Hold back. Try your best to avoid serious injury. If I tell you to stop, you stop. I said earlier I would only threaten expulsion as a disciplinary action. Ignoring orders and risking the lives of yourselves and your classmates is one of the few cases where I would do so." Everyone nods emphatically.

"Our first round!" All Might dramatically shoves his hands into two boxes, labeled 'Assault' and 'Defense.' "Team B will be our Assault Team, and our defenders are Team H! Take your communicators! Defenders have 5 minutes to prepare!"

Izuku makes eye contact with Joyato. She nods with a fierce grin. They'll do this.

The five-story building turns out to be a maze on the inside. Izuku wonders if actual villains deliberately make maze-like lairs or if this is a way UA trains for unexpected circumstances.

"That's some neat gear you got there, Midoriya," Joyato says, leaning in close to his gauntlets. He smiles.

"Yeah, they're pretty versatile. Where do we want to hide the bomb?" he says. Joyato shrugs.

"The top floor, I guess? Then they'd have to go up four floors to find it?" she says, looking up and down the building.

"That seems a bit too obvious, and Tsuyu's Quirk lets her jump high and stick to walls. She could enter from the top floor that way, and we'd be in trouble." Joyato blinks.

"You know her Quirk?" she says. Izuku rubs the back of his neck, or at least tries to with the neck guard in the way.

"Yeah, she was in my Entrance Exam team. Her Quirk is an animal mutation, Frog."

"What about Koda?"

"Not my team. Didn't really figure out what he did during the Apprehension Test either."

"He seems pretty timid though," Joyato hums. "Think he'll actually be up for a fight?"

"It'd be great if he weren't. Two on one gives us a real advantage. But we shouldn't count him out yet." He places a thumb at the edge of his lip. "It all comes down to how they intend to breach. If they separate, Tsuyu from the top and Koda from the bottom, keeping the bomb on the third floor makes the most sense. But if they both come in from the bottom, the top floor is best."

"But that runs the risk she'll just reach it."

"Right. We'll have to go with the third floor. It doesn't have any inherent risk like the other two. But it also means they'll reach it sooner."

While Joyato sets up, Izuku heads to the fourth floor to watch the Assault Team through the windows. If he gets spotted, they'll assume the bomb is on the floor he's on. Tsuyu and Koda are still standing around, keeping an eye on the building. Izuku leans so it looks like he's trying to remain out of sight without actually hiding himself. It may not make a difference, but it's worth something at least.

"The Preparation Time is over! Assault Team is cleared to enter!"

They don't. The two of them move closer to the building but stop just outside. I don't like this.

"Joyato, something's up. They aren't coming in. How are things on your end?"

"Nothing here. The bomb's in position. I haven't seen—hold on—never mind. Just a rat."

"Huh."

Izuku doesn't like this. He's working with unknown variables. Koda's Quirk could be anything. They must have a plan already. There's no other reason for the delay. They're either gathering information, or they're waiting for an opportunity. The latter is unlikely, unless they intend to draw him and Joyato out through boredom. But that plan only works if the Defenders need to move, which is not the case.

So they're collecting information somehow.

And the fact that neither of them have moved bothers him. They must have a remote means of information gathering so they don't have to waste time checking individual rooms.

Something moves.

Izuku snaps to it. A small creature scurries out from somewhere towards Tsuyu and Koda. A rat? It stops in front of them. Seconds pass. Then Tsuyu crouches like she's prepping a jump.

Wait.

A rat!

"Shit! Joyato, they know!" Izuku takes off at a sprint. His earpiece buzzes.

"What? How?"

"Koda can talk to rats!" He rounds the corner and takes the stairs down two at a time.

"Shit!"

Glass shatters on the third floor. Tsuyu. Izuku barrels out of the stairwell and sees his friend crouching on the ground, surrounded by glass shards. He takes stock of her outfit, a green bodysuit with tan gloves, long black boots with frog-like toes on the ends of her feet. That last detail sticks out to him. Izuku files that away for later. Now, he has a fight to win.

"Joyato, I have visual. I'm engaging," he says.

Izuku doesn't hear if Joyato responds. He flicks his wrist, sending a single cable shooting towards Tsuyu. She bounces out of the way, rapidly switching between the floor, walls, and ceiling. She darts forward in a tackle. Izuku sidesteps with a burst from his Jet Boots and moves to pin her. Tsuyu spins, kicking him back with her heel.

Tsuyu hops backwards and turns to run. She's prioritizing the bomb! Izuku runs after her.

"Joyato, she's moving to your position." She doesn't respond. Izuku swallows. Hopefully, she's alright.

He gets his answer a second later.

Joyato bursts out of a room just before Tsuyu can pass it, clotheslining the girl. Tsuyu rolls, trying to correct herself. Izuku boosts himself over her head, spinning in midair. His cables straighten him out, and he lands just beyond Tsuyu. She's now stuck between him and Joyato.

Tsuyu fights hard, but with Izuku limiting her movements with his cables, and Joyato rushing in close, she can't keep up with both of them at once. Joyato pins her, and Izuku wraps her wrists in capture tape.

"Asui has been captured! Half the time limit remains!" All Might bellows.

"Neither of you are hurt, right?" Izuku asks.

"I'm fine, just a little winded," Joyato says. She's breathing hard, but not panting. She nurses a bruise on her side.

"You're a kind person, kero," Tsuyu says.

"Huh?"

"You always care about people around you. Even back at the entrance exam. You're not as fast as me or Iida, but you were the person who helped Uraraka first, kero."

"Thank you, Tsuyu," Izuku says.

"Where's Koda?" Joyato says. Oh yeah, the exercise. That.

"Koda has chosen to surrender! The Defenders win!" All Might suddenly announces. Tsuyu croaks sadly, hanging her head.

"He said he doesn't like fighting, but I hoped he would at least try." Izuku helps her up, loosening the tape he had just put on her.

"You did pretty well, Asui," Joyato says. "I figured it was over once we were both here together, but you made us work for it."

"Call me Tsuyu, kero. And thank you."

Joyato chooses not to see Recovery Girl after the fight. She says the injury isn't that bad since she's just watching for the rest of class anyway. All Might accepts this, but makes her promise to see her afterwards, to which Joyato agrees.

The next battle is Team E as the Assault Team and Team I Defending. Izuku wonders if Iida will tell Tokoyami about Shinsou's Quirk. Iida's pretty strait-laced. Izuku could see him deciding not to out of a sense of fairness.

It becomes apparent quickly that a sense of camaraderie with his teammate outweighs any previous obligation. Tokoyami very clearly doesn't speak when Shinsou approaches. Izuku remembers Tokoyami being quite verbose at the beach party, so he must know how Shinsou's Quirk works. His one use of it the day before wasn't likely to tip off the activation condition.

With Shinsou unable to brainwash Tokoyami, Sato quickly consumes a few packs of sugar and engages Dark Shadow head on. The shadowy bird grapples the hulking classmate. Izuku can't tell which one is stronger.

Then Iida joins the fray. Shinsou tries his best to avoid getting hit while trying to get a rise out of someone. Something he says gets a response out of Iida, but Izuku is only watching the screens. He can't hear how he did it. With Iida under his control, it takes a single order for Dark Shadow and Tokoyami to be knocked off balance, and Sato quickly overpowers the duo.

"Assault team wins!"

"How'd you get Iida?" Izuku asks when Shinsou comes back to the observation room.

"Remembered you mentioned his connection to IidaTen and insulted his family." Shinsou awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. "I only did it for a response, but it still feels shitty."

"Did you apologize?"

"Yeah, and he wasn't mad. He knows why I did it, but…" Shinsou trails off. Izuku nods.

Uraraka and Aoyama are the third Defense team. Their opponents, Shoji and Hagakure, make for an interesting pair. Izuku's very curious about both of their Quirks. Then Izuku sees the Defense Team's plan. He smiles. An interesting strategy! How will they deal with it?

The bomb floats, suspended in the air high above the building. To get the bomb, they'd have to force Uraraka to release her Quirk, or wait out her limit. Which is exactly what she wants.

Unfortunately, the match is called a draw when Aoyama hits Hagakure with his laser, and the beam refracts, splitting into smaller blast in every direction. Hagakure insists that she's fine, but All Might takes her to Recovery Girl for an examination, just in case.

"That was a good plan with the bomb!" Izuku tells Uraraka when she joins him again in the observation room. She laughs.

"I thought, 'what would Midoriya have me do?' and remembered how you and Shinsou dealt with the Zero Pointer. I can't really take credit…" she scratches her cheek sheepishly.

"Nonsense! You observed and applied an idea from another source! This is the basis of all improvement!" Iida says. "Midoriya was not born knowing strategy either."

"They're right, kero. It was a smart move." Tsuyu says. Uraraka blushes under all the praise, letting out an awkward laugh.

Eventually, All Might returns, and the lesson resumes.

The next round has Todoroki and Kaminari on the Defense, with Kirishima and Jiro on Assault.

"I saw Todoroki at the recommendation exams," Yaoyorozu says. "What he did yesterday at the Quirk Apprehension Test seems to be his modus operandi."

Ah. Overwhelming force. Okay.

So Izuku can't say he's too surprised when the moment All Might declares the preparation time has begun, the entire building freezes over. Izuku flicks his eyes between the cameras. There are new walls of ice in addition to the frozen walls already present.

"Aw jeez! He's won already?" Ashido moans.

"I don't think so," Izuku says slowly, remembering Jiro and Kirishima's Quirks. He's already seen what Jiro can do with her Quirk. And yesterday, he saw Kirishima's Quirk up close during the Apprehension Test.

And Todoroki is panting, frosted breath coming from the exposed half of his mouth. Why does his costume cover half his body in ice?

"Is he already at his limit?" Yaoyorozu caught it too.

"I think it's based on his temperature. He supercooled the building, he's trapped all the heat outside, and with half his body already frozen…."

"He can't keep that up," Shinsou finishes.

"Ice doesn't conduct well," says Uraraka. "Kaminari's Quirk won't work as well." When she sees several classmates staring at her, Uraraka flushes. "I just like physics," she murmurs.

"You're right," says Izuku. "That's the other thing. I think… Todoroki might have just won this match… for the other team."

It doesn't take long for Jiro to hear the Defense Team's location with her jacks, and a hardened Kirishima smashes his way through the ice without issue. Soon, the two of them charge into the bomb room to Todoroki's visible surprise. Kaminari tries to discharge but ends up dazed somehow—a Quirk drawback? —without hitting either opponent. Todoroki fights hard, but his ice production is much slower and Kirishima keeps breaking through the new constructs. Eventually, Kirishima breaks past him and his ice is too slow to stop him from touching the bomb.

"Assault Team wins!"

The final round is Ojiro and Yaoyorozu on Assault and Sero and Ashido on Defense. They put on a good attempt, Sero placing walls of tape and Ashido melting through the floor in places to block progress. But in the end, Yaoyorozu just makes two grappling hooks and swords to cut the tape. While Ojiro subdues Sero, she makes a base to neutralize Ashido's acid.

"Assault Team wins!"

"You all did splendidly today!" All Might says once the last four return. "Even if some of you don't see it that way, I assure you, you all truly went Plus Ultra! Tomorrow, Aizawa will go over our notes about your performances. Change back and return to the classroom! And Joyato, don't forget to have Recovery Girl check over that bruise." All Might speeds away. Izuku cringes. He hadn't thought about it, but how much time had he used up with this lesson? About an hour? That's a whole third of his day.

He hides his concerns. No one else knows about the time limit.

"So Uraraka floats the bomb! We could barely see it!" Izuku says. Himiko laughs.

"Sounds like you a good day!" she says. They've just left UA. Izuku insisted his friends go on ahead. Himiko had ended up at Recovery Girl's during training. She's fine now, just a minor injury, but it held them up. "Any clubs catch your interest?"

"Dunno. Maybe I'll use the time after school to play more Go with Nedzu."

"Do you know when the Support Club starts?" Izuku asks.

"No clubs the first week, so we'll start meeting next week," she responds. Himiko found a way to continue Support Items as a hobby through some of the extracurriculars at UA. Izuku can't wait to see what she makes.

"Deku."

Izuku stops walking.

Himiko slows to a halt in front of him, worriedly flicking her eyes between Izuku and Bakugou behind him. Izuku turns to meet Bakugou's fiery gaze.

"Can I help you?"

"How'd you do it?"

"More specifically."

"I'm asking," Bakugou snarls, "How the hell your shitty Quirkless ass cheated your way into the Heroics course!" Himiko growls, stepping in front of Izuku.

"How dare you accuse him of something like that!"

"Haah? What're you, the shitty nerd's girlfriend?" Izuku and Himiko recoil with matching expressions of disgust.

"Hell no! That's my sister!"

"You don't have a sister!"

"I'm adopted!" Himiko says proudly. "Because mom wants me."

"And your mom never told us? Tch."

"Why would she tell you anything, Bakugou?" Izuku says, voice razor sharp and colder than Todoroki's ice. Bakugou looks like he's been slapped.

"What the hell's this 'Bakugou' shit? You always call me Kacchan like the loser you are!"

"Kacchan was my brother in all but blood," Izuku says. "Bakugou Katsuki is just some kid who used to beat me up after school." A hollow silence hangs over the three of them. Bakugou looks like he's teetering on the edge of a cliff. A strange, rapidly changing state of shock. Then raw fury overtakes his features again.

"You must've cheated! No way a Quirkless weakling like you got in! How the hell'd you do it? Ask your rat friend to let you in?"

Izuku stands there, silently, for fifteen seconds.

"I didn't cheat," he says at last. "And don't let Nedzu hear you insulting his ability as an educator like that. UA made their test to weed out Heroes from people who just wanted a license to use their Quirk without consequence. I always thought I knew what you'd be. But you really are just another MLA thug, aren't you?"

And Izuku leaves Bakugou behind.