Chapter 4
"No matter how long you train someone to be brave, you never know if they are or not until something real happens."
- Veronica Roth
Fort Erskine, CA - June 2042
Izuku couldn't help but nervously twiddle his thumbs as he sat in his seat in the dimly lit room. He was unsure of what to make of his predicament as he sat with a dozen other people at a long table all on one side, waiting in silence.
Dr. Hatsume had dropped him off at the designated bus stop. The ride to the base was an uneventful one, but it gave Izuku time to calm his nerves to a degree. The dozen or so occupants on the bus (the same that were in the room with him) were relatively silent and didn't speak a word to each other. It was a bit weird that no one was talking but Izuku figured it was Army procedure, so he remained silent as well.
After a long drive, they finally arrived at the base. Located in northern California and nestled in a hilly forest, the military facility designated as Fort Erskine was secluded well from civilization; the nearest town was half-an-hour drive away. The barbed wire fences, constant MP patrol, and the "restricted area" signs reinforced the impression that this place was not for civilians.
In the couple hours since arriving, Izuku had gone through the standard procedure of onboarding new Army recruits. He had filled out various forms of paperwork, taken a physical exam, and had been presented the military's code of conduct, policy, and guidelines that he was expected to follow. He was also required to turn over any inappropriate material, not that Izuku had any.
Though the personnel he had interacted with had been professional, Izuku could see the shocked confusion in their eyes when they first laid eyes on him. He couldn't really blame them. He wasn't exactly an ideal Army candidate physically.
The only thing that deviated from the onboarding protocol was the dreaded Army haircut, or the lack thereof. Just as he was about to get his head shaved, Dr. Hatsume swooped in at the last second to stop it. She ordered the barber to only take off enough to where Izuku could comfortably put on his uniform's cap and nothing more. The barber merely complied with an uncaring shrug.
Izuku was both grateful and surprised; grateful that he wouldn't have to sport a crew cut (he knew he couldn't do it), and surprised that Dr. Hatsume had such authority on the base.
When he asked the doctor about it, she nonchalantly waved it off while stating, "We do things a bit differently here. You'll see soon." She winked.
It was confusing, but he supposed he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Meanwhile, Izuku's brown eyes darted left-to-right from his place at the long table, studying the room and the people sitting with him. There were a dozen or so, some late teens and a few young adults, all dressed in standard US Army combat uniforms. He was in one as well, though his uniform was comically baggier on him. Apparently, his current uniform was the smallest size they had on base until they could acquire a custom one to fit his smaller size.
He hoped it would come soon. He felt like more of a dork than usual in these baggy clothes.
The astute teen took note of the badges on the group's uniforms, signifying their ranks as privates. Each of them sat straight with correct posture and neutral facial expressions.
'What's going on here?' He anxiously wondered. 'This isn't a training camp for cadets; at least, not from what I've seen so far. Where am I?'
He wished that whoever was in charge would show up. The silence of the room and stiffness from everyone present was making him mildly uncomfortable.
As if his wish had been answered, the room's door off to the side opened. Immediately, everyone at the table stood up at attention. Izuku momentarily stumbled out of his seat before doing his best to mimic the others' stance; despite his best efforts, it was clear that he stuck out like a sore thumb.
'Man, this is so embarrassing!' Izuku inwardly fretted. 'I look like such an idiot!'
Izuku didn't have long to lament on his improper stance as he laid eyes on who walked in. His eyes snapped open while his breath hitched. 'Is that - No way!'
Gracefully stepping into the room was a young woman with glossy black hair tied into a bun with a large strand hanging on the right side of her face. She wore a USMC Blue Service Uniform (USMC Blue Service A, to be specific). It consisted of a midnight blue long-sleeve coat, a white collared shirt, a white belt around her waist, a midnight-blue dress skirt, black tights and black pumps. To top it off, she wore a USMC white peaked cap.
She stopped by the projected screen on the wall and turned to face the group. "Recruits, welcome to Fort Erskine. I'm Corporal Peggy Yamamoto of the Marine Corp. I have been tasked with -" She trailed off as her professional demeanor instantly vanished when she spotted Izuku at the table.
A tense moment of silence passed as the two childhood friends stared at each other in shocked disbelief. Neither could believe what they were seeing.
'P-P-Peg-chan!?' Izuku felt himself tremble. 'W-W-What is she doing here?!'
'What the hell is Izu-kun doing here!?' Peggy inwardly screamed.
Meanwhile, everyone else in the room looked on at the scene in confusion. What was going on? Should they speak up? Did those two know each other?
At the end of the table was a young Caucasian man shorter than Izuku at 5'3" (161 cm) yet was gruff and burly with dark brown hair. His bushy eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. Unlike his fellow candidates, he had no quarrel in speaking up.
"Uh, Corporal? You were saying something?" He gruffly asked.
Snapping out of her stupor, Peggy coughed and quickly recomposed herself. "Right. Anyways, I have been tasked with overseeing your training for the next 10 weeks that you're here."
'T-This is what she was reassigned to!?' Izuku inwardly yelled.
"Though most of you are already in shape," Peggy's eyes briefly lingered on Izuku (which didn't escape his notice) as she continued, "I assure you that this intense training regimen will be necessary to ensure your bodies and minds are fully prepared for the coming procedure."
Izuku blinked. 'Procedure?'
"To elaborate further, I'll leave that to the director of this program." On cue, another figure walked through the door. "Colonel Chester Phillips, US Army."
An older Caucasian gentleman wearing a US Army Green Service Uniform that consisted of a green Army peaked cap, dark green jacket over a tan shirt and black tie, green pants, and dark brown shoes. The "colonel" insignia was stitched onto his jacket with other noteworthy badges of achievements as well.
"Thank you, Corporal. At ease, recruits." With that said, everyone relaxed and returned to their seats.
Colonel Phillips looked at the recruits with a serious, impassive expression. "The great General Patton once stated that 'wars are fought with weapons, but they are won by men'."
Reaching into his pants' pocket, he pulled out a clicker. A ceiling mounted projector then displayed various video clips and photos on the wall in front of the table. All of them revolved around meta-human riots and protests in communities across America and the rest of the world.
Meta-humans and police/National Guard fighting each other. Violent protests and riots from various sides, one calling for equal rights for meta-humans while the other demanded segregation. The extreme sides included meta-human supremacists calling for their fellow brethren and sisters to unite against regular folks while the pure-blood supremacists pushed for the extermination of meta-humans altogether. Other clips displayed the carnage and damage caused by these incidents.
One of the candidates sitting to the right of Izuku was a young Caucasian man (only two years older than Izuku) 5'9" (175 cm) tall with short brown hair and a relatively attractive face. When one of the clips displayed a massive fire breaking out in a Brooklyn neighborhood, his fists clenched tightly as his face scrunched up.
Though Izuku was no stranger to the current climate, it was impossible to not grimace at the awful scenes. It pained him to see so many people, brothers and sisters, American citizens, people in general all fighting one another - killing each other. All because some were born with abilities they never asked for. Did that make them any less human?
It all stemmed from one thing: fear.
"That being said," Colonel Phillips continued, "today we are faced with a different kind of war. Ever since the first meta-human was born in 2014, more and more 'exceptional individuals' have been born. The meta-human phenomenon is one that the world is currently unprepared to handle. That is where we come in, ladies and gentlemen."
With a click, another slide appeared displaying a black circle with an eagle spreading its wings. A shield with the letters "SSR" was positioned over the predatory bird's breast. Izuku, the military geek he was, had never seen that logo in any of his readings.
"The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an effort made up of the best minds in the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history. Its purpose isn't to conquer, rather, to reestablish order and maintain peace." Colonel Phillips explained. "It will give the US and her allies the time needed to overhaul their legal systems to account for meta-humans before total anarchy consumes the world."
'I see. They want a force that can effectively combat meta-humans, preventing them from overthrowing governments on a whim.' Izuku nodded in understanding.
"However, every army starts with one man. And yes, when I say man, I am including women too. Don't lecture me!" It took every fiber of Peggy's being to suppress an eyeroll and groan. "At the end of these 10 weeks, we will choose that person. They will be the first in a new breed of super-soldier."
This caught everyone's attention. Super-soldier?
"Yes, you heard me. Super-soldier." He seemed to have read their collective minds.
Clicking the remote, the screen changed to display the acronym A.M.P, under it was an animated outline of a human body.
"The Artificial Meta Project, or A.M.P, as you've seen in your paperwork, was created and is led by Dr. Teruko Hatsume; the world's most renowned scientist in meta-ability research. Without getting technical, candidates will undergo a procedure by Dr. Hatsume that will push the human body far beyond its natural limits into the realm of superhuman."
The animated human grew taller with bigger muscles, a turquoise glow shimmering off it.
Even the more stoic recruits at the table couldn't help but react to this revelation with shocked expressions. An artificial meta-ability? It was possible!?
Izuku himself couldn't believe what he was hearing. His eyes widened as his facial expression contorted from shock. 'W-what? Wait… t-that's impossible! Isn't it?!'
Ever since he started studying meta-abilities, the thought of a normal person acquiring one never occurred to him as a realistic possibility. It was something you had to be born with. If you weren't born with an ability, you weren't getting one. End of discussion.
This news, however, changed everything.
Izuku wished he had his notebook on him. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he didn't dare interrupt the colonel and digress into one of his infamous "mutter-storms" as Peg-chan called them. So, he remained silent and listened carefully.
"Now when I say superhuman," the colonel further elaborated, "I don't mean you'll be flying, shooting lasers from your eyes, lifting buildings, or any nonsense like that. Though you will be capable of physical feats that no normal human being would ever be capable of, we're still in the real world here."
'He says it's nonsense, but there likely are meta-abilities that would make those feats possible for some.' Izuku reasoned. 'Or at least there could be one day…'
"This super-soldier army will turn the tide in the growing conflict with meta-terrorists and human purists alike, and reestablish peace to the world." Colonel Phillips stated.
The screen returned to the SSR emblem as the colonel walked from one side of the table to the other to look at the recruits closely.
"All 13 of you have been selected because you stand out amongst your peers. You exemplify qualities that make you the best candidates. Whatever challenges may come, we will win because we will have the best… men…"
Colonel Phillips trailed off when he finally noticed Izuku's presence. The Asian-American teen remained upright in his seat and tried to look composed and not meet the colonel's gaze.
Phillips blinked twice to snap out of his stupor. "A-and because they're going to get better. Much better."
As he walked away, Izuku side-eyed the colonel. 'Subtle.' He sweat-dropped.
Colonel Phillips returned to the front of the room. "Any questions?"
One hand went up; the brunet sitting by Izuku. "Yes, Private Barnes?"
"What exactly is the criteria for getting selected first?" He asked.
"I can't say. That decision will not be up to me. Ultimately, Dr. Hatsume will be the one who decides." the colonel answered.
It might have been Izuku's imagination, but he could've sworn the colonel looked annoyed upon giving that response. He was probably just imagining things though.
Another hand went up. This time, it was from an attractive, athletic-looking 6'0 feet (183 cm) tall young woman with piercing blue eyes and long blonde hair tied into a bun.
"Yes, Private Carter?"
"Is this procedure even safe?" She asked evenly. "You're talking about changing a person down to the molecular level. Has anyone survived? Are there any side-effects? Is this permanent? This is just a lot to take in, sir."
Everyone at the table nodded in agreement.
'She's not wrong.' Izuku inwardly agreed. 'I'm skeptical as well. This all seems too unbelievable to be real.'
Then again, meta-abilities in general were considered fantasy not even three decades ago. So, he supposed he should have an open mind.
"Dr. Hatsume can give you a more thorough explanation for the procedure's specifics at a later time. But, I can reassure you, this procedure is indeed safe." Colonel Phillips replied. "This project wouldn't exist otherwise."
'Well, it's 95% safe. For what that's worth.' Peggy sardonically thought, reminded of her conversation with the bubbly doctor in San Francisco.
Peggy's eyes widened as the realization struck her like lightning. The same night that Izuku was unexplainably accepted into the Army was the same one she turned down Dr. Hatsume's offer. It was highly possible she was in the same area when Izuku went to the recruitment station. Given the mere fact that Izuku was in the SSR, the puzzle pieces immediately came together. It all made sense now.
'Hatsume…!' As Peggy remained outwardly composed, a hot fire was raging within her at the eccentric military scientist. 'You b*tch!'
Though no one else in the room seemed to notice Peggy's inner turmoil, Izuku immediately sensed it. A few beads of sweat raced down his face as he involuntarily shuddered. 'She's pissed! What's up with her?'
"If there are no more questions, all of you head to training ground beta and await further instruction from your drill instructor. Dismissed." Colonel Phillips instructed.
"Yes sir!" The group responded.
With that, the recruits walked in a single-file line out of the room. Izuku couldn't help but glance back to Peggy, seeing her steely gaze was locked onto him like a hawk. He quickly looked away, focusing on staying in line.
'I don't think she wants me here.' He thought more about his situation. 'So this… this is what Dr. Hatsume recruited me for? A super-soldier project? But… Why me?'
After the 13 recruits exited the room, Colonel Phillips walked up to Peggy. "Corporal, will you please accompany me to Dr. Hatsume's office? I need to have a talk with her about her choice in candidates. I'm sure you know what I mean."
"Yes sir. I was actually about to head to her office myself." She replied.
The older Army veteran curtly nodded, and the pair walked out of the room and down the corridor in the direction of the science division.
"Do you know that skinny kid, Corporal?" Phillips inquired.
"Yes sir." She nodded. "Izuku Midoriya. 17. From Fresno, California. Recent highschool graduate. Quite intelligent. Physically he is on the… frail side." She truthfully admitted.
Phillips huffed. "That's an understatement. Any clue why the good doctor would think it's a good idea to bring that kid here?"
Peggy didn't respond immediately; many thoughts raced through her head. "No… colonel." She then adopted a determined expression. "But whatever thoughts Dr. Hatsume may have in regard to cadet Midoriya, I'm going to make her see reason."
Musutafu, Japan - February 2197
The train ride to UA University was around twenty minutes by train. Midoriya and Uraraka used that time to quiz each other over a few topics to refresh their memory. The written exam was first, so the pair wanted to be clear-headed and ready to cover any topic that would appear.
Shortly after disembarking from the train station, Midoriya and Uraraka were both standing before the school entrance. The main building consisted of 4 skyscraper-sized towers with blue windows connected by enclosed bridges in the center. A giant wall lined the campus's perimeter, with the only point of entry being the blue gate with the golden UA emblem on top.
Though Midoriya had seen the facility from the outside and pictures online, he couldn't help but marvel at the sheer scale of the campus. They must've been racking in a lot of money to afford all of this, he imagined.
But he couldn't get sidetracked. He had a mission.
"Well, this is it." Uraraka said, sounding nervous.
Midoriya nodded. "Yeah. The start of our journey."
"This is pretty nerve wracking, huh?" She rubbed the back of her head nervously.
"No kidding." He admitted.
Despite living through war and combat, Midoriya would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a tad nervous. After all, over 14 months of training and studying had been dedicated for the purpose of passing and being accepted into UA's Hero Course. He couldn't let it all be for nothing.
He steeled himself and took a deep breath. Panicking would not resolve anything. He needed a clear mind to have the best chances of success. After all the studying on his own, and with Uraraka and Yaoyorozu recently, he was sure he'd pass the written portion; in addition, after all the training with All Might, he was feeling confident regarding his chances in the practical exam.
However, he knew he was walking into unknown territory. What type of Quirks might the other applicants have? It was quite possible that he'd be completely outclassed by some, if not most of them. Deep down, he wondered if he would even be able to keep up.
The verdette shook his head to dispel those pessimistic thoughts. 'No. I can only focus on what I can do. I'll give it my all and let the chips fall where they may.'
A vibration from his phone snapped him out of his musings. He pulled it out and saw two messages. One was a message from Yaoyorozu in the group chat, and the other one from Coulson. Uraraka pulled out her phone as well.
Yaoyorozu: Good luck, you two! I know you will do well. I'll be cheering for you!
Midoriya: Thank you, Yaomomo! We'll take all the power of friendship we can get
Uraraka outwardly snickered.
Uraraka: "^"
Uraraka: 😂
Uraraka: You're the best, Yaomomo! #FriendshipPower
Yaoyorozu: #FriendshipPower Do your best! Plus Ultra! ᕙ(‸‶)ᕗ
Midoriya and Uraraka felt a bit of their previous tension melt away. Yaoyorozu had taken the Recommendation Entrance Exam a week prior and had passed with flying colors. So, at least one of their trio was guaranteed a spot in the Hero Department.
Midoriya took one last glance at his phone to see Coulson's text.
Coulson: You'll do great today, Cap! Break records and turn heads!
Midoriya couldn't help but smile at the agent's enthusiastic message. He could practically feel the agent's otaku-ness coming through the text.
Still, he hoped SHIELD would honor their agreement and not pull any strings. The verdette had made his desire to earn a spot in UA's Hero Program on his own very clear from the beginning of the mission. So far, they had seemingly honored it. However, if he smelled any foul play, he wouldn't be afraid to call them out on it.
"Anything wrong, Midori-kun?" Uraraka asked, noticing her friend's serious expression.
"Huh? Oh, no, I'm fine." Midoriya switched his phone off, placing it back in his pocket. "Just got a text from a friend. That's all."
"Out of the way extras!"
Midoriya immediately recognized that brash voice. Turning around, his green eyes widened slightly. "Bakugo?"
Bakugo furrowed his brows in confusion. "Green hair?"
"It's been a while. I had a feeling you'd be here. Good luck today." Midoriya held out his hand.
Bakugo didn't acknowledge the handshake and sharpened his gaze. Midoriya realized that the ash-blonde was sizing him up; although, it didn't look like he wanted to fight.
"You've gotten taller." Bakugo tersely noted. "And your Japanese is better."
Midoriya pulled his hand back before he smirked. "I couldn't stay as I was. Now could I?"
Bakugo didn't respond immediately. "Whatever. It won't matter." He trudged past the verdette. "I'll crush any obstacles in my way, especially you."
As he stomped away, Midoriya shook his head. 'Seriously, what's his deal?'
"Um… what was that?" Uraraka was confused over what she just witnessed. "You know that guy, Midori-kun?"
"Not really. He's the guy from that Sludge Villain incident, remember?"
The brunette's eyes widened when she remembered Midori-kun telling her that story. "Then… why was he acting like such a jerk just now?"
Midoriya shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." He then returned his attention to the large gate, "We should start heading inside now. Don't want to be late."
"Yeah, I guess we should."
The pair proceeded through the gate with the other examinees. Their exam cards were hung around their necks via lanyards, allowing them entry onto the campus.
Before entering through the main doors, Uraraka stopped and turned to Midoriya. "Well, Midori-kun," she held out her fist, "best of luck!"
Midoriya smiled and fist-bumped her back. "Same to you, Uraraka-chan."
"Remember, all three of us are getting into the Hero Course together." She pumped her fist excitedly. "Yaomomo kept her end. Now we both gotta keep our ends. Right?"
Midoriya smiled and nodded. "Right. Let's ace this thing."
With that, they walked through the massive doorway and into the building. 'I can't waste this opportunity. I have to make it count.'
After following the signs, Midoriya and Uraraka arrived at a large auditorium reserved for the Hero Program's exam orientation. It had many levels of rows and seats, and there were already hundreds filling the room.
The super-soldier was impressed by how many applicants there were. 'And to think only 40 out of all these people will be accepted. Crazy...'
A message on a projected screen at the front directed students to sit at their assigned seats and not to touch the exam in front of them. Midoriya and Uraraka gave each other one last fist-bump before heading toward their assigned seats. Thanks to his eidetic memory, he didn't need to double-check his exam card that had come in the day before.
Exam Ticket, Examinee No.: 7418
Test Location: Battle Center B
Glancing at the row numbers on the outer seats, he determined that he'd be closer to the front of the auditorium. Descending down the stairs he passed by a student with a bird for a head and… a floating set of clothes? Meta-abilities were certainly more varied nowadays, he thought. He was very tempted to break out one of his Quirk notebooks and start jotting down as much info as he could but restrained himself.
After finding his row, he dropped his things at his designated seat near the center.
He was sitting next to a short girl at 155 cm (5'1") tall with a cute round face and a short equine muzzle and had a mix of Asiatic and Caucasian features. Her face was framed by thick, wavy blonde hair reaching halfway down her back with shorter bangs hanging down her forehead. He noticed that her calves were similar to those of a horse, sported brown hooves for feet, and a short horse tail poked out behind her. Her notable features were her large, round blue eyes and the two tall, lyre-shaped horns on her head.
Like him, she wasn't wearing a school uniform. Instead, she wore a light blue dress jacket over a white-collar shirt, a blue dress skirt, and silver horseshoes on her hooves.
'Guess it wouldn't hurt to say hi, right?' He thought. 'Lighten the mood and all.'
"Ah, hello." He tried.
"Uh, hi." She shyly muttered.
"Nervous?" He asked, smiling.
"Y-yeah… just a little." She didn't look at him, keeping her gaze on the desk. "H-how about you…?"
'She must be shy. I can relate. Wait…' He then noticed something. 'There's definitely an accent in her voice too, right?'
"Definitely. But I'm pretty eager to get started too." He figured it wouldn't hurt to ask what was on his mind. "Forgive me for asking, are you a foreigner?"
The pony-girl went stiff and turned away. "Y-yes?" She was expecting him to start mocking her. After all, foreign exchange students weren't always treated well in Japanese schools.
He nodded. "I thought so. I'm here from the States myself."
That statement caught the girl's attention as she turned to face him, surprised. "R-really? Me too. W-where from?"
"California. Fresno, to be specific."
"Oh wow, that's cool!" She shifted in her seat, letting her walls down. "I'm Pony Tsunotori. Oh wait, my name is backwards over here. My bad!"
He chuckled. "No worries. I get it." He raised an eyebrow. "Pony? Like the horse?"
"Y-yeah…" she sweat-dropped before shaking her head and holding out her hand. "S-sorry, let's start over. I'm Tsunotori Pony, from Austin, Texas."
Midoriya took the hand, giving it a firm squeeze, "I'm Midoriya Izuku. Nice to meet you, Tsunotori-san."
"Please is all mine, Midoriya-san. Oh, I can hear the accent in your voice too." She beamed.
"I've been told that I still have it." He chuckled a little before asking, "So, what brought you to UA?"
Tsunotori perked up at the question, only to turn her gaze back to the table. "I came here from Texas to live with my mom and get adjusted to living in Japan. I… I've always wanted to go to the same college that All Might went to." She laughed timidly and rubbed the base of her horns. "Silly, isn't it? A foreigner trying to get into Japan's top hero program."
Midoriya shook his head, smiling confidently. "No. Trust me, it's not."
Pony looked back, her lips curling upward into a smile, her horse-like tail subconsciously swishing.
Meanwhile, after finding her seat near the back of the auditorium, Uraraka scanned the crowd in the hope of finding Midoriya somewhere. She finally found him near the front rows, too far for her to call out to him. She then noticed that he was talking with a blonde foreign-looking girl with horns on her head. They both seemed to be having an animated discussion, given their smiles.
Uraraka blinked twice. 'Huh… Midori-kun seems to have made a new friend… with another girl...' She wasn't sure how to feel about that.
The brunette, however, didn't have any more time to ponder on that thought.
"Alright boys and girls, this is your school DJ coming to you live from the monitoring room!" a voice came from the loudspeakers. "This is your official message to get rockin' on those tests in front of you! But no cheating! This is a hero course, so I'll be keeping a groovy eye on everyone here! You've got two hours to complete the written exam before we get to the main course! Your time begins… RIGHT NOW!"
The monitor switched from the UA symbol to a digital countdown clock, and the auditorium was filled with the sounds of scratching pencils.
Midoriya flipped his test over and swiftly began answering the questions.
"Time's up! Pencils down!" The voice said in thick English.
Midoriya placed the pencil down and let out a deep breath he didn't even know he was holding. His test was complete, down to the last period. It was certainly harder than any test he had taken at his old public school or at the community college, that's for sure. UA University was not only the top Hero academy in Japan, but it boasted some of the best academic scores in the nation for good reason.
Nevertheless, he felt confident that he performed very well on it. All the time spent studying had paid off. Now, it would soon be time to take the practical portion. He imagined it was the most important part of the entrance exam.
Moments later, the lights suddenly cut out with the exception of a spotlight shining onto the stage. Everyone's attention was drawn to a tall, slim man with long blonde hair spiked upwards, in addition to a small brown mustache. His outfit consisted of a black leather jacket with a tall collar, upturned and complete with studs, as well as matching black pants and knee-high boots. He sported tan shoulder pads, a red belt, and elbow pads, all of them studded, and lastly a pair of black fingerless gloves. His neck was obscured by what appeared to be a directional speaker which was likely used with his Quirk. He also wore a pair of headphones with the word "HAGE" written on the headband and a pair of orange-tinted shades.
Midoriya's slightly eyes widened in recognition. 'Oh, it's Present Mic: the Voice Hero! I thought I recognized that voice from somewhere.' He had listened to a few of his podcasts before, noticing that he tended to combine English with his speech. Perhaps it was considered groovy to do that in Japan?
"WELCOME TO TODAY'S LIVE PERFORMANCE! EVERYONE SAY HEY!"
"Hey!" Midoriya shouted with a wave.
He then immediately realized that literally no one else in the auditorium responded to Mic's request. There were several moments of dead silence before a good portion of the room started laughing.
Midoriya lowered his head, feeling his flush in embarrassment. 'Was I… not supposed to answer? Was that part of the test? Did I fail already?' He was confused.
Next to him, Tsunotori patted his back reassuringly, giggling to herself.
Bakugo, from his seat in the back rows, rolled his eyes in annoyance. 'Stupid stealth gaijin.'
"PFFT!" Uraraka, at her seat, held her hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to contain her laughter. 'He's such a cute dork!'
After getting the laughs out of their systems, the room soon quieted down once more. Present Mic didn't seem affected by the scene at all. If anything, he relished in it.
"Hey, I got a live audience! Love it! Now, I'm here to present the guidelines of your practical exam. Are you ready?! YEAH!"