Yaoyorozu looked at her verdette friend in empathy. He clearly wasn't enjoying being in the limelight; however, that was the price for being Number One. Looking around, the reaction might have been missed, but she heard the collective thought.
Midoriya Izuku, out of everyone trying to get into UA University, out of everyone in the class, in the Hero Course, got first in the Practical Exam. He, out of every freshman, was the closest to being a Pro Hero and everyone knew it.
Midoriya, meanwhile, lowered his head and tried to ignore the stares. 'Not how I was expecting my first day to start off. Already got a bullseye on my back…' He inwardly groaned.
It was never his intention to say anything related to his practical exam score. He was just answering a question in a conversation. He wasn't one to brag or anything.
Well, it wasn't the first time having the spotlight shined on him. Memories of the tour flashed through his mind. Yeah… this really shouldn't be a big deal compared to all of that. He could walk this off, right?
"If you're here to talk about points, then pack up your stuff and leave."
Dead silence filled the room. Everyone turned to the source of the voice. It was a scruffy, black-haired, baggy-eyed man inside a yellow sleeping bag lying on the floor. This guy was definitely missing out on sleep, Midoriya deduced.
Who was he? Another student? Taking a headcount, he quickly dismissed that thought. There were already 20 people present. That meant… oh boy…
The tired man stared at the class before scrambling for something in his bag. "Welcome to UA University's Hero Department..." he muttered tiredly. He brought his hand out, holding a juice box. One suck drained the entire container, slurping loudly in the process.
Everyone in the class blanched at the sheer randomness of what they were seeing; some babbled about the "yellow caterpillar" while others just stared.
Who was this hobo? The class steadily went silent, waiting for the man to speak.
"It took you 8 seconds to quiet down," Rolling into the room, he crawled out of the yellow bag, revealing himself to be a haggard man with long, unkempt hair and looked like he hadn't shaved in at least two days. He wore black, practical clothes, and what looked like an incredibly long grey scarf around his neck and shoulders. "Not good enough. Time is precious. Do me a favor and be rational. I'd greatly appreciate that."
'Is this guy seriously our-'
Midoriya didn't complete his thought as the man continued speaking. "Anyways, I'm Aizawa Shota, your Foundational Heroics instructor… for the class portion, at least. Nice to meet you, I guess." He sounded bored, and utterly devoid of emotion.
Midoriya had joined the rest of the classroom in surprise at this point. He was their instructor? Granted, the super-soldier had dealt with his fair share of… quirky people in his time of service… but this guy looked like he was about to fall over from exhaustion at any moment! Certainly not someone teaching a class at a prestigious Hero academy!
Aizawa's eyes fell on Midoriya. "You're not in a seat. In fact," he glanced around, "most of you aren't."
They didn't need to be told twice. Midoriya quickly found his desk along with the others. For some reason, he got the feeling that someone was staring at him. Maybe he was just imagining things? Of course, his instincts had often not failed him before.
Aizawa reached into his sleeping bag to pull out a blue uniform with white trim. "Right… I want all of you to head to the locker rooms, get changed into your gym uniforms, and meet me at the training grounds; we have work to do."
"..."
Everyone was confused. What about the entrance ceremony? It was going to start within 15 minutes.
"Why are you all just sitting around looking clueless?" Aizawa demanded, sounding irritated. "Get to it!"
"Yes sir!" Replied most of the class.
'Welp, guess we're hitting the ground running.' It looked like the verdette's intuition was proven correct. 'Feeling a sense of deja vu right now.'
After changing in the locker rooms, the 101-A students made their way to what appeared to be a fairly regular PE field; the only difference was that the field at the center of the track had several different machines in place.
Where the Hero Department uniforms were somewhat subdued, the gym uniforms were loud and bright. They were blue with red and white highlights, the white parts spelling out UA across their bodies.
Aizawa waited for them with a scowl. "It took all of you 10 minutes to get here, even with those basic gym uniforms. A Pro Hero can get into the most complicated costume and respond to a crisis in 5; not a good start." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the field. "Follow me, we'll be taking a Quirk Apprehension Test today."
"Quirk Apprehension Test?!" Most of the class shouted. Aizawa was irritated but maintained his composure.
"Um, excuse me, Aizawa-sensei?" Uraraka hesitantly held up her hand. "What about the entrance ceremony?"
Aizawa shrugged uncaringly. "If any of you want to leave to attend it, go ahead. I technically can't stop you. You're all adults, young, but adults nonetheless. Just know you'll be kicked out of the Hero Course if you do decide to leave."
Some of the students gaped in surprise.
"That's right. I have the authority to do that. At UA, we're not bound by convention." Aizawa explained. "We have a more freestyle approach to education. That applies to instructors as well, so I can run my class however I see fit."
Midoriya stood up straighter in line and kept his expression neutral, remaining silent. He felt like he was back in the SSR training camp right now with the no-nonsense vibe Aizawa was giving off.
After a short walk, the class was now standing near a drawn circle in the training field.
"Alright." The disheveled man turned towards the group. "Ball Throw. Standing Long Jump. 50-Meter Dash. Distance Run. Grip Strength. Side-To-Side Stepping. Sit ups. Seated Toe Touch. You did all of these in high school during your Standard Non-Quirk Gym Tests."
Aizawa took a deep breath. "Japan still insists on prohibiting Quirks when calculating the averages of those records so as to give those with less power more of a chance. It's not rational. The Department of Education is just procrastinating and wasting time for those who should be ahead of the pack."
He pointed at Bakugo. "You. What was your record for the softball throw in high school?"
"75 meters, give or take." Bakugo said resolutely [1].
"Right." Aizawa reached into a bucket beside him and tossed him a UA Quirk Test softball. "Go stand in the circle over there. Use your Quirk to send the ball as far as you can; as long as you don't leave the circle, I don't care what you do." He stepped back, grabbing the work phone that would track all the results of the test.
Bakugo grinned. "Awesome." He stomped over to the circle that surrounded a solid mound of dirt. He stretched his limbs, walking into the circle. "Alright then, here goes…" He drew his arm back, and then hurled the ball skyward; just before it left his hand, he unleashed a massive explosion.
"DIE!" Everyone was bemused by that exclamation.
Everyone watched as the ball rocketed out of sight, most of them beginning to murmur amongst themselves. Midoriya's gaze fell to Bakugo's hands; he couldn't help but feel impressed.
'So he can create explosions? I wonder how he does it. Is it just from his hands, or can he fire them from other appendages too? How much backlash can his body handle? Is his body fireproof?' Midoriya's mind was racing a mile a minute, fascinated by the blonde's Quirk.
The ball finally landed and Aizawa looked down at the result. "Knowing the limits of your abilities is crucial." He showed them the phone, displaying 750.2 meters (~2461 feet) [1]. "That's the first step to figuring out what kind of Heroes you'll be."
'Ah… makes sense.' Midoriya thought. 'Find out our maxes so we know where to improve on going forward into the semester.'
The rest of the class was getting excited.
"Man, did you see that explosion? That was so awesome!" Kirishima exclaimed.
Bakugo only smirked as he walked out of the circle.
Midoriya watched Bakugo carefully. On the one hand, the ash-blonde's potential was practically oozing off of him like water from a wet sponge. On the other hand, he was an abrasive egomaniac who loved to preen like a peacock when given praise.
'Lovely…' Midoriya internally groaned. 'He'll be fun to be around...'
"I wanna go, this looks fun!" Pink Girl clapped her hands together.
"This is what I'm talking about! Getting to use our Quirks as much as we want!" a black-haired dude cheered.
The comments continued like that for a while until Aizawa gave them a terrifying glare; Midoriya wasn't sure what the man's Quirk was, but it had something to do with the way his eyes glowed red and his hair rose up.
"Fun? You think this is all about fun?" The man seemed to ooze killing intent, to the point that most of the class was immediately terrified.
A few students were able to meet his gaze. Bakugo had already been exposed to near-death, thanks to the run-in with that Sludge Villain 10 months ago. The dual-haired young man also remained stoic as if he had gone through worse in his life. Midoriya was the least deterred of the group as he had already been through many deadly battles before.
"Here at UA, you've got 4 years to become the best Heroes you can be. You think it'll be all fun and games?" he demanded.
The question made the class shut up, and Aizawa shot them a creepy grin that promised untold pain. "Idiots... We will be taking 8 physical tests. The one with the lowest score across all 8 events will be judged hopeless and will be expelled on the spot, no questions asked."
"Whaaaaat?!" Most of the class's air was deflated.
Midoriya blinked twice as he too was taken aback by the declaration. 'That seems way too extreme… Heck, even a normal bootcamp back home wouldn't do something so drastic on the first day.' His thoughts shifted to his first day at the SSR. This situation felt kind of similar, strangely enough.
Aizawa shifted his attention to Midoriya. "I have an additional challenge for you." He pointed to the verdette, making him perk up from being suddenly singled out. "Midoriya, right?"
"Y-Yes sir." Additional challenge? Why?
"You earned 1st place on the Practical Exam but earned the least amount of Villain Points in the Top 3. Also, you used that support item to take down most of your targets. Is that right?"
"Yes sir…?" He was confused. Where was he going with this?
"I'll cut to the chase then," Aizawa's gaze narrowed, "if you fail to impress me with your own ability in these tests, I'll expel you on the spot, regardless of where you rank at the end." Aizawa stated flatly. "Understood?"
Midoriya's neutral expression slightly faltered. He never expected to be called out in such a way; on the first day, no less. He looked closely at Aizawa's face for any sign of deceit and came to a quick conclusion: he was dead serious.
He recomposed himself and nodded. "Yes sir."
Tsunotori glanced over at her fellow foreign exchange student worriedly. She didn't understand why Midoriya was being singled out in such a manner. Hadn't he already proved that he deserved to be here in the entrance exam?
Yaoyorozu's eyes slightly widened in surprise. So far, she had been the least affected by Aizawa's challenge to the class. In her mind, she could see it for what it truly was. But this… it was as if an unknown variable had been suddenly introduced and screwed up all the equations and calculations she was seemingly performing in her brilliant brain.
'But why? What's the purpose in giving Midori-kun such a test when he's already aced the Practical Exam?' Yaoyorozu pondered. 'I… don't understand.'
Uraraka, meanwhile, was at a loss for words. "Y-You can't do that! It's only the first day… I mean… I even… That isn't fair!"
"Fair, you say? Are natural disasters fair?" Aizawa immediately retorted. "How about Villain attacks? Highway accidents? The world is full of unfair things. It's better you learn that now while you still have opportunities in life. If you really want to be Heroes, you have to push through your comfort zones."
His grin turned even more menacing. "That's what it means to go beyond, to be Plus Ultra. Your fate is in your hands. Now show me what you can do."
That phrase again. Why was the school using it? He'd look into it soon. But for now, the super-soldier had more important matters to worry about.
Midoriya adopted a serious look and steeled himself. 'So, not only do I have to do well in the tests, but I have to impress Mr. Aizawa too. Well then, time to show them what I'm made of. No holding back.'
Several minutes later, the class prepared for the first test: the 50-Meter Dash.
Two students went at a time, and the matchups were selected at random on Aizawa's phone. For the first matchup: Iida Tenya vs Midoriya Izuku.
Midoriya remembered how fast Iida ran during the Practical. He wasn't a radar gun, but he estimated Iida had to have reached 90 kmh (~55 mph) at some points. Iida could probably go faster in a straight line and with enough distance. But he only had 50-meters to run, so Midoriya was feeling confident he could overtake him.
As the two approached the starting line, Midoriya was about to wish Iida good luck until he surprised him by beating him to the punch, so to speak. The bespeckled teen earnestly bowed, and then shook his hand before getting ready. He could appreciate the gesture, but Iida could stand to tone it down a little, he thought.
Getting down into a sprinter's position and placing his feet on the kickstands, Midoriya spotted Aizawa standing at the far end with robots to measure their speed. 'Right… robots are commonplace in some places these days. That's kinda cool. Wonder if Terminator is a thing anymore? No wait, focus! You can research old movie franchises later.' He internally prepared himself.
"Runners on your marks!" The robot shouted out. They got set. "Ready!" Then, the gun fired.
Midoriya dashed forward as hard as he could, pushing himself to full speed as fast as possible. Iida rushed forward in a flashier burst of speed from his leg engines. As soon as the race began, it was already over as both young men crossed the finish line. Iida stopped to look at Midoriya, wide-eyed.
"Midoriya: 2.78 seconds!" [2] The robot chimed. "Iida: 2.98 seconds!" [1]
The class was impressed by their fast times, with the obvious exception of Bakugo, who clenched his jaw in annoyed frustration.
'Not bad.' Aizawa was impressed with both students, looking at the times on his phone. 'Still, Midoriya needs to show me more than just speed.'
"Alright, next matchup: Ashido vs Aoyama." Aizawa shouted. "Mush, people!"
"Well done, Midoriya-san!" Iida earnestly congratulated him. "I had no idea you possessed such speed!"
"T-thanks," He smiled as the duo walked back to the rest of the class. "You were right on my tail at the end though, Iida-san. Guessing you couldn't reach your top speed?" He asked as both young men walked back to their fellow students.
Iida shook his head, pushing his glasses up. "No. I'm afraid I was only able to reach 3rd gear. I need more room to reach my top gear."
'Only his 3rd gear, huh? How many gears does he have then?' Midoriya shortly pondered, and then realized something. 'I may have won this match, but Iida is definitely the faster one.'
As the test continued, Midoriya and Iida maintained the top two times.
Yaoyorozu and Tokage were matched up and the former created a pair of rollerblades to finish at 4.90 seconds while the latter shockingly split her body into several pieces and flew toward the finish line in 4.01 seconds.
Some students gaped at Tokage's Quirk as she effortlessly put herself back together at the finish line; unphased by having her body split apart. Midoriya was definitely going to seek Tokage out later and ask about her Quirk. What an amazing ability!
Tokage seemed quite satisfied with her time but didn't brag as she showed good sportsmanship by shaking Yaoyorozu's hand.
Bakugo used his explosions to propel himself to a 4.03 second finish but seemed frustrated with himself. Maybe because he wasn't in first, nor the top 3?
Uraraka and Tsunotori were matched up against each other; the former used her Quirk on herself and pushed herself off the kickstands while the latter used her horns to fly to the finish line. It was a photo finish as Uraraka's 5.07 seconds edged out Tsunotori's 5.10 seconds.
Both girls congratulated each other and seemed pleased with their times; however, Midoriya noticed Uraraka looked a little extra chipper from her victory, as if she were pleased to come out on top against the foreign pony-girl. Eh, probably nothing.
The second test: Grip Strength.
This test was straightforward: grip as hard as you can on a dynamometer to measure out your highest reading.
He looked around and saw his classmates gripping their devices. One student, the robust guy with big lips, Sato Rikido, was allowed to eat a cupcake for his Quirk, granting him a sugar high that pushed his max to 700 kilograms (1543 lbs)! He also noticed some other students gathered around the silver-haired man with multiple appendages, Shoji Mezo, who was gripping nearly 570 kilograms (1256 lbs) [1].
Not bad at all!
Midoriya looked down at his hand-held dynamometer. 'Been a while since I've done a grip test. I recorded a little over 1500 pounds (~680 kg) back at the SSR. Course, that was over 150 years ago.' He glanced at his device determinedly. No holding back!
He gripped as hard as he could until he heard a loud beep. He looked down and was surprised.
999.99 kilograms!? [3]
Midoriya blinked in surprise, his mouth slightly agape. 'I know I got stronger doing all that training with All Might… but this?! It's over double my record! Is it broken?'
"Uhh… Mr. Aizawa." He accidentally slipped into English, and quickly corrected himself, speaking in Japanese, "I-I mean, Aizawa-sensei."
The tired man lazily looked over at Midoriya showing him the device's results. He then looked down at his phone.
"Sorry, I may have broken it. Is there a stronger dynamometer or-"
"You're fine. Just put it back." Aizawa instructed.
Midoriya nodded and then placed the dynamometer back on a table.
"Whoa!" The pink girl, Ashido Mina, exclaimed as she looked over at Midoriya's device while turning hers in. "That's a lot of 9s!"
"Huh? Someone beat my score?" Sato walked over, recovered from his sugar-induced craze. "Wow! That's cool!" He was impressed.
"Hehe… yeah, I guess it is." Midoriya laughed, bashfully rubbing his neck.
Uraraka overheard the conversation as she moved to return her device. "What mark did you get, Midori-kun?" She looked over and was stunned. "Whoa! Did you actually get 999 kilos?!"
"That, or maybe he broke the machine?" Ashido mused.
Kirishima finished his test and checked Midoriya's score out of curiosity. "Break? Dude, you totally went beyond that! You did more than Sato or Shoji!" He slapped Midoriya's back. "Nice one!"
"Thanks. Just doing my best." Midoriya replied. He did his best to avoid Bakugo's simmering glare, who was gripping his device over and over, futilely trying to match Midoriya's measurement.
After everyone completed the test, Aizawa quickly went over the scores on the phone. Midoriya and Yaoyorozu had both broken their dynamometers as their scores were unreadable.
Yaoyorozu had created a miniature hydraulic clamp that kept applying pressure until her machine broke. As expected of a Recommendation Student with versatility and intelligence.
As for Midoriya… 'His speed. His strength. I suppose his enhancement Quirk is nothing to scoff at. Still, out of curiosity, let's see how he does with the rest of the tests…' The black-haired man mused.
He altered the score, adding a note saying 'Enough' to Midoriya's and Yaoyorozu's Zeros.
The third test: Standing Long Jump.
Crouching low, Midoriya leapt forward as far as he could and managed to clear the 4-meter long (12 feet) sandpit by 5 meters (15 feet).
However, his impressive mark was blown out of the water by his friends and several classmates. Uraraka, Tokage, and Tsunotori used their respective Quirks to fly across the sandbox; Uraraka made herself weightless, Tokage simply split herself up and flew across, and Tsunotori scaled the pit using her horns. Yaoyorozu simply conjured a javelin to get air and cover the distance. Not much he could do to beat that, he thought.
Additionally, Iida, Bakugo, the sparkling blonde-haired guy, Aoyama, and the frog girl, Asui, used their Quirks to easily scale the jump. The dual-haired dude, Todoroki, amazingly summoned ice to ride across the sandbox, shocking the verdette.
'He can summon ice and ride on it like Frozone from The Incredibles? Amazing!' He inwardly gushed. Maybe he can find out more about his ability later?
Aizawa looked over the distances on the phone. Very impressive crop this year, he thought.
The fourth test: Side-To-Side Stepping
Midoriya did very well on this test. He'd made it a priority to never skip leg day.
He was able to reach incredible speeds without the long wind up that Iida required. The only two students able to match him near the end were Mineta Minoru, a small dude with purple balls on his head, and Bakugo. Mineta used the detachable balls on his head to rapidly bounce himself back-and-forth while Bakugo was just in good shape and very determined.
Regardless, with enhanced stamina, Midoriya was able to outlast both classmates and would've kept going until Aizawa told him to stop so they could move onto the next test.
The fifth test: Ball Throw.
It was a simple, straightforward test. Stay in the circle and throw the ball; anything goes. Many of the students used their abilities in creative ways to throw the ball; some going far, others not so much.
Thankfully, for Aizawa, the event was going by fast. Things got very interesting, however, when it was Uraraka's turn. Rather than throw it, she gave Midoriya and Yaoyorozu a nervous smile, pressed her fingers against the ball, and gently tossed it up.
It never came back down.
Aizawa tried to get a read on how far it went, but his sensor just flickered and spouted a series of numbers and letters. He frowned and slapped the phone a few times; the screen fizzled, and then settled on an infinity symbol.
"Infinity?!" the majority of the class yelled simultaneously.
Midoriya and Yaoyorozu were the only ones not shocked as they looked at their brunette friend with proud smiles. Though Midoriya did feel a little bad for Uraraka because she looked incredibly embarrassed from the attention.
Yaoyorozu's turn was just as interesting as she had created a bazooka of some kind, expertly placed it on her shoulder, and fired the ball out of it. The ball soared out of sight until Aizawa held up the phone to display 3 kilometers (~1.85 miles), earning several cries of surprise.
Midoriya couldn't help but whistle in amazement. 'Uraraka-chan and Yaomomo are incredible.'
Yaoyorozu received an equal amount of praise from their classmates as she walked back, but Midoriya noticed she seemed fairly tired. Likely due to her depleting a significant amount of her lipids in her creations over the tests.
Bakugo could barely contain his seething rage from losing to Round Face of all people! Then Ponytail had to cheat and knock him down to 3rd place. 3rd place, just like in the Practical Exam. He could feel his blood boiling as his nails dug into his palms.
Whatever! It didn't count. 'Damn cheaters!' He inwardly cursed.
Then, it was finally Midoriya's turn. 'I'm definitely not beating Uraraka-chan or Yaomomo's scores. The next highest one is Bakugo's.' He thought while approaching the circle with a ball in hand. 'That'll be tough to beat. Let's see…my previous record was around 1800 feet (~550 meters). Maybe that's gone up too?'
Standing in the circle, Midoriya looked down at the long expansive field in front of him. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. Memories of watching Zak throw pitches when he was younger played through his mind. 'Jacka** or not, the guy knew how to throw a ball. So… I'll throw his signature fastball, only higher!'
The verdette got into a windup stance, bewildering the class. They hadn't seen a stance like that before.
Even Aizawa cocked an eyebrow in intrigue. 'Interesting stance…' He mused. 'Is he using a technique to put extra power into his throw? Smart.'
Tsunotori lightly gasped as she recognized the stance, and her tail involuntarily swished from excitement. 'He knows about that old game too?!'
Lifting his left leg up and smoothly placing it down, Midoriya followed through as he wound up his arm, corked his entire body, and threw the ball upward with as much torque as he could. A fastball pitch only released at a higher angle, similar to an outfielder's throw just with extra steps.
With no flashy explosions or cannon fire, the ball quietly went sailing through the air. It flew further and further until they could barely see it.
Aizawa turned around and displayed the result.
800.5 meters (~2626 feet) [4].
Midoriya's eyes widened. 'Whoa… I really have gotten stronger. Thank you, All Might!' He couldn't suppress an excited grin. All that training at the beach and constantly wearing those 200-kilogram resistance bands had really worked wonders!
"Nice, dude!" Tokage grinned. "That's some serious raw power."
"Well, he got first in the practical, so it's not too surprising." Shoji added, creepily talking through a mouth on one of his arms.
"Huh, and here I thought I was going to be the strongest." Sato mused. "UA really is full of surprises."
Midoriya bashfully smiled at the praise as he walked back toward his friends.
"Great job, Midori-kun!" Uraraka beamed.
Yaoyorozu nodded. "Your Augment Quirk is truly something special."
"T-thanks guys… but you both deserve more praise. You've been awesome so far!" Midoriya excitedly replied, making both girls blush.
Bakugo, meanwhile, was not a happy camper. 'Are you f**king kidding me!?'
He blinked, ensuring he wasn't seeing things. The number remained the same. 800 meters, a full 50 ahead of his own score. His jaw dropped and his eyes were as wide as plates. How could he have thrown that ball so far with just raw strength alone?! It wasn't possible!
He was like… the realization hit Bakugo like a lightning bolt, and he felt himself freeze up. He was like a mini-All Might. The blonde struggled to breath as it felt like his airway was restricted. He couldn't deny what he had just seen now and in the prior tests.
The stealth gaijin was stronger than him. His own raw strength had beat out his Explosion Quirk. His physical feats surpassed him. Was his first place in the Practical Exam not a fluke?
Bakugo clenched his fist and ground his teeth. No, that couldn't be it! He was just dumb muscle, fumbled in his speech when flustered, and had that stupid western accent of his when he talked! It was infuriating!
He may look Japanese and speak the language better than he used to, but he refused to acknowledge him as a fellow Japanese. He simply wasn't! Just a stupid American sojourner that belonged back overseas.
Besides, his dumb enhancement Quirk, or whatever it was (he didn't care), had nothing on Bakugo's raw power and versatility. He could use his explosive blasts to fly, and fight in close quarters or long range!
The stealth gaijin was just a severely watered-down form of All Might. Nothing more, nothing less!
Bakugo glanced over at the verdette, who looked flustered while conversing with Round Face and Ponytail. That trio together had knocked his amazing score to 4th place. In his mind, it didn't count! All three of them were cheaters!
'Enjoy your time at the top while you can, stealth gaijin.' Bakugo's snarl shifted into a devilish grin. For the first time in his life, he had a true challenge. A worthy obstacle for him to overcome. Fine, bring it on! All Might, his idol, faced challenges with a smile. He would do the same! 'I will surpass you! I'm gonna relish knocking you off that f**king ivory tower and send you packing back to America where you belong! Just you wait… Midoriya Izuku!'
The sixth test: Sit Ups.
Midoriya aced the test with ease. He beat out everyone including Iida, Sato, Shoji, and finally Bakugo. Bakugo hung in there for a while, but he finally collapsed after 110 reps; however, the super-soldier kept going with no sign of slowing down. Uraraka, who had been the one holding his legs, looked on with a flustered expression.
Midori-kun's strength and stamina was something else, she thought.
Aizawa eventually told him to stop, saying he had seen enough.
The seventh test: Seated Toe Touch.
Again, this test was no issue for him. He kept doing toe touches effortlessly and beat out everyone. He made it a priority to be as flexible as he could, and never skipped stretches. After 150 reps, Aizawa told him to stop again to move onto the final test.
Midoriya could practically feel Bakugo glaring daggers at him. What was his problem?
The eighth and final test: Distance Running.
Yaoyorozu summoned a moped and drove around the track, taking the lead.
Midoriya and Iida managed to keep up with her at a fast pace, neither one slowing down. Although Iida technically was faster, the true test was endurance, and both were exhibiting that in spades. Bakugo was trailing not too far behind the trio as he used his explosions to propel himself forward.
Tsunotori flew around the track on her horns and was keeping up with the leaders for a good portion of the race. However, exhaustion from overusing her Quirk had taken over and forced her to complete the race on foot before she eventually ran out of steam.
Tokage was in a similar spot as Tsunotori as she had split her body into multiple parts and flew around the track until exhaustion finally crept up.
Uraraka, however, couldn't use her Quirk in this setting and was the first of their group to tap out from exhaustion.
At the end, only Midoriya, Iida, Yaoyorozu and Bakugo remained on the track while everyone else was catching their breaths on the field. With the end of the class period approaching, Aizawa was forced to tell the quartet to stop.
"It's obvious all of you can keep going. Stop wasting my time." Aizawa had said. "I'll display the final results shortly."
Iida gave Midoriya an impressed nod and Bakugo merely sneered at him, which he ignored. The ash-blonde was drenched in sweat and exhausted while Midoriya and Iida were holding up just fine; they could run extra laps if they wanted.
Yaoyorozu dismounted her bike and smirked at Midoriya. "Thanks for giving me the motorbike idea back then." she whispered, shooting him a wink. "It really is a handy creation."
Midoriya chuckled lightly, blushing slightly. "Heh, you're welcome. Glad it's working out for you."
"If you're all done standing around, the results are in." Mr. Aizawa called out.
This was it. Whoever received last place in the test would be expelled… and if Midoriya hadn't impressed Mr. Aizawa, he would be too.
Midoriya was feeling slightly anxious but maintained a calm composure. He was confident he did well enough. He didn't get first in every test, but he had gotten in the top 3 in the rest; not counting the Standing Long Jump. Several people had beaten his jump by a wider margin in that particular test.
Even so, that was still enough to impress Mr. Aizawa, right?
"I'm just going to bring up the whole list. It's not worth going over each individual score." Aizawa informed the class as he clicked the device in his hand. A hologram appeared and listed off their names from first to twentieth place.
1. Midoriya Izuku
2. Yaoyorozu Momo
3. Todoroki Shoto
4. Bakugo Katsuki
5. Iida Tenya
6. Tokage Setsuna
7. Tokoyami Fumikage
8. Shoji Mezo
9. Tsunotori Pony
10. Uraraka Ochako
11. Kirishima Eijiro
12. Ashido Mina
13. Koda Koji
14. Sato Rikido
15. Asui Tsuyu
16. Aoyama Yuga
17. Sero Hanta
18. Kaminari Denki
19. Jiro Kyouka
20. Mineta Minoru
Midoriya couldn't help but smile at his and his friends' placements. He and Yaoyorozu got first and second!? That's great! Meanwhile, Uraraka and Tsunotori both placed in the top 10 as well. Not a bad way to start freshman year.
His eyes went down the list to see who had unfortunately placed last. Ah, the short guy with purple balls for hair, Mineta.
Midoriya sympathetically glanced over at Mineta. 'Poor guy. To get this far and to have it-'
"NOOOO!" Mineta screamed at the rankings. "I can't be expelled! How will I get popular with girls and touch their bodies now?!"
Midoriya blanched. '...uh, nevermind.'
Needless to say, that declaration was met with less than pleasant reactions from the girls of the class.
"Degenerate." Yaoyorozu huffed, looking away from the wailing boy.
"You're gross." Earlobes Girl, Jiro, glared at the panicking Mineta.
"That's not very heroic." The frog-like girl, Asui, admonished.
"Pervert." Ashido scoffed.
Tokage rolled her eyes and turned away from Mineta. "Serves you right, shorty."
"That's just wrong." Tsunotori backed away from the short boy.
"That's why you're here?" Uraraka looked creeped out and unconsciously moved closer to Midoriya.
"Also, I lied about expelling the person in last place." Aizawa grinned like a troll.
The class looked utterly stunned, save for Yaoyorozu.
"Wait, really?" Midoriya slipped into English. Shaking his head, he switched back to Japanese. "I mean, really?" No one seemed to have noticed his faux-pas.
"It was all a logical ruse, meant to bring out the best in all of you." He elaborated with a toothy grin.
"WHAAAAT?!" Iida, Uraraka, and Tsunotori shouted with various shades of pale and surprise.
'Ah… I see now.' Midoriya understood the situation. 'He threatened last place with expulsion to motivate everyone. Dirty move, but effective.'
To the side, Yaoyorozu sighed in disappointment at her classmates. "Of course he wasn't serious about that. They wouldn't expel one of us that easily."
Aizawa raised an eyebrow at Yaoyorozu's statement, as if he was tempted to expel someone just to prove her wrong.
Midoriya nodded. "If that threat hadn't been hanging over us, everyone wouldn't have given it their best."
Yaoyorozu discreetly turned to Midoriya looking slightly worried, remembering Aizawa's direct challenge to him. Surely Mr. Aizawa wasn't serious with that challenge either. But the look on Aizawa's face, and the fact he had singled Midoriya out made Yaoyorozu wonder if their instructor was indeed serious about it. He scored first, so he should be in the clear, right?
"I'm saved!" Mineta cheered loudly.
Without warning, he was wrapped up in Aizawa's scarves and dragged in front of the teacher. Aizawa's eyes glowed red with his Quirk as he held Mineta off the ground at eye level.
"That being said, if you don't improve your behavior you'll be out of here before you know it!" He informed the, once again, panicking boy. "Just because you're not going home today doesn't mean you aren't the first one on the chopping block! Do you understand?"
Mineta nodded rapidly before being released from Aizawa's scarves and dropping to the ground. He then remembered something. The other challenge he issued.
"Oh, Midoriya." Aizawa called out.
The super-soldier perked up at his name, as Aizawa looked at him tiredly. "Good work today. You're off the hook…for now."
Midoriya blinked before he bowed. "Oh…um, thank you, sir."
Yaoyorozu and Uraraka both sighed in relief while Tsunotori's tail happily swished from this news.
"Anyways," Aizawa sighed, turning to face the class, "we're done here. Your syllabus and documents regarding the Hero Course are on your desks in the classroom. Give them a look when you can. Class dismissed."
The class began to make their way towards the locker rooms to change out of their gym uniforms.
'Underhanded trick, but I can see where he's coming from…' Midoriya mused. '... this semester should be interesting.'
Meanwhile, Aizawa was walking back towards the teacher's lounge with a certain green-haired student on his mind. He didn't know why, but something just seemed… off about Midoriya, and he couldn't quite place it.
His powers weren't the question mark, no. Speed, strength, and agility were traits many strong Heroes acquired. The incredible endurance and stamina he displayed wouldn't raise much concern either if he was just a strong individual.
However, it was the factors outside of the Quirk Apprehension Test that had caught his attention.
For one, he had noticed Midoriya seemed to carry himself like a soldier. Always standing straight and normally keeping a calm, collected demeanor… well, when he wasn't talking to the girls. He needed to work on that. Still, that wasn't too big of a deal in itself as UA had had trained individuals come in as freshmen before.
That support item of his, the shield, was another. Whatever metal it was made of was able to tear through the Faux Villains like nothing while still bouncing off objects like a pinball. Even Power Loader seemed befuddled about it. The only times he ever remembered seeing anything like it were in those old movies about the First Hero he had seen when he was younger.
That thought made Aizawa pause. The skill Midoriya displayed while utilizing that shield during the Practical Exam was remarkable. So remarkable that he had been initially concerned that Midoriya was relying too much on it to cover up potential physical downfalls, but those concerns were clearly no longer valid.
Where could he have gotten such an item and learn to use it so well? He'd have to check Midoriya's files this evening. Maybe he'd find some answers there.
"Aizawa, you liar!"
The black-haired man snapped out of his reverie, unsurprised by the Number One Hero's appearance. He had noticed the large man peeking out behind the corner during most of the tests.
"Something you need, All Might?" Aizawa droned, hands pocketed as he looked up at the blonde titan of a man.
"A 'logical ruse'? Nice try, but April Fools was last week. You expelled an entire class of freshmen last year!" All Might exclaimed accusingly.
"Yes." Aizawa casually replied.
"You toss aside those with zero prospects without batting an eye, and go back on your word?" All Might cocked a brow. "Also, you singled out young Midoriya from the start for seemingly no reason. Why?"
Aizawa looked at the blonde Goliath closely. "I wanted to ensure he was more than that shield he was using for the exam. He proved me wrong." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Simple as that. In fact, his abilities…" he narrowed his gaze, "... are similar to yours, All Might."
"Huh…?" All Might flinched slightly. "You think so…?"
'I know he said that serum made him stronger, but enough for Aizawa to make that comparison?' All Might mused. 'I suppose my Aim To Pass plan was very effective then.' He couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself for that.
"What's your connection with him?" Aizawa asked, getting straight to the point.
"What do you mean? He's my student." He tried to play off, but the Underground Hero wasn't buying it.
"Fine." He walked past the hulking blonde. "Don't tell me. I'll get answers one way or another."
'Clearly there's a connection between those two. I'll find out what it is.' Aizawa thought as he stalked off. 'The Field class is tomorrow. I'll review the footage after and see how Midoriya performs… Why do I have a feeling that more sleepless nights are coming?'
Well, he'd worry about that later. For now, his sleeping bag was calling to him. He would not keep her waiting any longer.
All Might, meanwhile, watched as Aizawa sauntered off.
"Hmm," he tapped his chin, "hopefully Aizawa doesn't get too suspicious of young Midoriya. Perhaps I should warn him? But if I do… he may hold back in the Field class tomorrow, which may garner even more suspicion, and possible disciplinary action from Aizawa."
The blonde giant groaned and slumped in anxiety.
Yeah… they may have a problem here. Why did young Midoriya's Foundational Heroics instructor have to be Aizawa of all people?
The rest of the day had thankfully been uneventful. The instructors for Hero Class A's remaining classes, who were all active Pro Heroes, handed out syllabuses and explained how their respective classes would be taught before dismissing them early. Even the Field portion of the Heroics class that afternoon consisted of just picking up a syllabus with a teacher's note stating to come ready for tomorrow.
Midoriya assumed that All Might was too caught up in something else to attend the class, used up his 3-hour time-limit for the day, or both.
As a result the students had plenty of time to greet and converse with one another. After being dismissed from their last class, Class A walked down the halls to begin their trek home. Midoriya was currently walking alongside Uraraka and Yaoyorozu with a few others close by.
"So, Midoriya, what is your Quirk exactly?" Pink Girl grinned at him. "The name's Ashido Mina, by the way."
"Yes," Iida pushed his glasses further up on his nose, "I was also going to ask that question. The strength, speed, and endurance you displayed in the tests today were truly exceptional!"
"You could just say it was really cool, Iida-san." A fairly normal black-haired boy standing at 180 cm (5'11") with large, canister-shaped elbows and an easygoing smile rested his hand on Midoriya's broad shoulder. ""Oh, I'm Sero Hanta."
"Pleased to meet you guys." Midoriya smiled. Both Sero and Ashido had friendly auras around them that made it very hard to dislike them. He started the Quirk explanation he had committed to memory. "Well, my Quirk, Augment, isn't anything too special. It just enhances every facet of my body, both physical and mental."
"I see." Iida held his chin in a contemplative manner. "That would mean your Quirk doesn't just enhance your physical strength then, but your mind as well. An exceptional ability indeed!" He rigidly flailed his arms, briefly confusing Midoriya. Was this just one of Iida's quirks… aside from Engine?
"Nothing too special, huh?" Tokage cocked an eyebrow, smirking. "Sure didn't look that way with you crushing all the tests today."
"Yeah, Mr. First Place." Uraraka teased.
"C'mon, guys," Midoriya rubbed his neck bashfully. "Your Quirks are way more interesting than mine."
Bakugo, who was walking past them, overheard Midoriya and scoffed. "Ain't that the truth."
Before anyone could retort, the explosive teen had already stomped off with his hands in his pockets.
"Geez," Ashido shook her head, frowning. "Such an a**hole. I don't get why Kirishima-kun is trying to befriend him."
"Kirishima-kun, huh?" Tokage turned to the pink girl with a sly grin. "By the way, are you two dating or something?"
Ashido looked back at the greenette with a proud smile. "Yep! We went to the same junior high and high schools. We started dating in our 2nd year of high school."
The group continued to converse as they walked down a flight of stairs.
"I see…" Tokage was definitely interested. "Highschool sweethearts, huh? You'll have to give us the rundown soon."
"Sure thing!" Ashido beamed.
"But," Uraraka interjected, "you're not worried your relationship will get in the way of your future Hero careers?" She looked mildly concerned.
"Well, at first, we were when we started dating. But…" Ashido smiled wistfully, "Kirishima told me that people shouldn't live with any regrets and that included Heroes. He's pretty good at giving inspirational phrases like that sometimes." She giggled. "It just really resonated with me, yah know?"
Iida nodded in agreement. "Yes! The path of a Pro Hero is a dangerous line of work. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed, after all. I'm not an expert in romantic relationships, but I imagine it'd be awful to die without telling someone you care for how you feel, or worse, vice versa."
No one noticed, but Midoriya frowned at that statement. 'You have no idea…' His expression didn't go unnoticed by a certain heiress, who glanced at him worriedly, but Midoriya seemed to recover quickly before she could ask what was wrong. Maybe she could bring it up later?
Reaching the first floor, they walked through the main lobby and towards the main doors.
"I suppose that makes sense." Yaoyorozu refocused on the topic at hand. "And you're both aiming to be Heroes, so there should be an understanding between you two when you sometimes can't spend time together. Unless you sign on at the same agency, of course."
"Now that would be cool!" Ashido lit up at that suggestion.
"Besides, there's plenty of Hero Power Couples out there." Tokage pointed out. "It can work as long as you're both reasonable about it."
They walked outside and down the long pathway that stretched toward the main gate.
Ashido felt her skirt vibrate and reached into her pocket. Pulling out her phone, she read a text message and looked back at the group. "Oh, sorry, I gotta run! Kirishima-kun and I are meeting somewhere this evening. Catch ya guys later!" She ran down the pathway and through the gate, disappearing around the corner.
"I guess I better get going too." Sero spoke up. "Don't want to miss my train. See you guys tomorrow!"
They waved goodbye, and then Iida nodded to them. "I am afraid that I must say goodbye as well. My own train is at a different station."
"Alright, see ya tomorrow then, Iida-san." Midoriya waved.
Once Iida had left, only Midoriya, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and Tokage remained. Then, before anyone could say anything, someone called out to the group.
"Hey! Wait up, guys!" They turned to see Tsunotori running up to them, smiling brightly.
"Oh hey, Pony! Was wondering where you ran off to after class." Midoriya offhandedly said.
She stopped in front of them, and wasn't even slightly out of breath. "Sorry! I was actually talking to a few students from the 101-B class in the hallway. They seemed pretty nice. I even exchanged numbers with a couple of them."
"That's neat! Maybe it would be a good idea to talk with some students in the 101-B class at some point?" Midoriya suggested. "I mean, they're in the Hero Course too, after all."
Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, and Tokage all approved of the suggestion.
"Sure! Why not?" Tokage shrugged, with her usual proactive grin.
"Yeah, that sounds like it could be fun." Uraraka agreed.
"I am admittedly curious to see what they're like." Yaoyorozu said. "Perhaps we can even help each other when we're not competing?"
"Competing?" Midoriya questioned. "Like in games or something?"
"Kind of. It's sort of been an UA tradition for the A and B Hero Course classes to compete against each other. Both in grades, joint training, and overall performance." Yaoyorozu elaborated. "A rivalry of sorts."
"Huh, I think I heard about that, actually." Tokage mentioned. "It's supposed to mimic the competition that Pro Heros face in the field in some ways. Gets us in the competitive mindset before we even enter the field."
"Right… makes sense, I guess." Midoriya dubiously noted.
Midoriya had thought it over many times and each time, he arrived at the same conclusion. He wasn't a supporter of the Pro Hero ranking system as it essentially forced Heros to compete against each other in order to earn higher wages and notoriety. On one hand, it could motivate Heroes to improve themselves and be more mindful about their jobs - which was good. On the other hand, that kind of competition where livelihoods and pride were on the line often bred corruption and resentment.
He thought that kind of system worked fine in settings like professional sports which were entertainment businesses, but it didn't have a place in a public servant setting that firefighters, police officers, and Pro Heroes occupied. At least, that's what Midoriya believed.
Of course, the super-soldier would admit that he was biased in that belief. After all, he did come from a team-first environment in the Army. Additionally, he recognized that perhaps there's something he's not taking into consideration with the ranking system. For now, he'd wait and withhold judgment.
"Izuku, by the way," Tsunotori looked up at the verdette with sparkling eyes, "that stance you used in the Ball Throw exercise! It was from baseball, wasn't it?"
'Why does she sound impressed? It was nothing special.' He wondered.
"Oh, y-yeah. Just a simple windup pitch." He replied as if it were common knowledge. "Course, I changed up the normal throwing motion a bit so I could throw the ball higher rather than straight ahead."
"Windup pitch?" Uraraka repeated. "You mean the way you threw the ball earlier?"
"Uh… yeah. It's a stance nearly all baseball pitchers use to efficiently throw balls." Midoriya answered.
"Baseball?" Uraraka tilted her head, a question mark appearing over her head.
"Never heard of it." Tokage shrugged, equally clueless. "Is that a game or something?"
Midoriya's eyes slightly widened. 'What are they talking about? Even if they don't follow baseball, they should at least be aware of what it is. Baseball has been popular in Japan for a long time!'
Yaoyorozu hummed thoughtfully. "It does sound familiar. I believe it was a sport that originated from America nearly 3 centuries ago. It was popular for a long time, even in Japan… but faded away after Quirks started becoming the norm."
'... What?!' The super-soldier couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Yeah, it was." Tsunotori confirmed, shocking the verdette even further. "Though no one really plays it anymore, it's still a part of American culture, in some ways. Every 4th of July a lot of communities will organize a mock baseball game for people to enjoy; for tradition's sake and all. I recognized Midoriya's stance from one of those games I watched when I was younger." She smiled fondly as if she were reminiscing on a cherished memory.
'Baseball isn't a thing anymore…?' Midoriya felt disheartened hearing this news. Granted, he wasn't a huge baseball fanatic or anything like that. The reality that a sport that was always a constant in his time was no longer around greatly emphasized how he was in a new world. Many things he was familiar with and loved were either gone or displayed in a museum. 'What else isn't around anymore…? Do I really want to find out?'
"Um… Izuku, you okay?" Tsunotori asked, noticing his spaced out look.
Midoriya didn't respond as he was lost in his thoughts. The girls looked at each other, bewildered. What was up with him?
"Midori-kun," Yaoyorozu sounded concerned, "are you alright?"
"Oh!" Midoriya snapped out his stupor, and became flustered when he realized that he had spaced out. "Uh… y-yeah, I'm fine. Just got lost in thought there for a second."
"Must've been something important for you to space out like that." Tokage pointed out.
"No… not really." Midoriya half-lied, and looked up with a small smile. "Anyways, to answer your question, Pony, I knew someone who could pitch very well when I was younger. I based my throw off his stance and everything. That's all."
"Oh, I see." Tsunotori's smile widened. "Well, I thought it was really cool to see that stance. And your throw was awesome!"
"T-Thanks." Midoriya smiled sheepishly before he turned to Uraraka and Yaoyorozu. "Although, I think you both really killed it in that test!"
"Yeah, it is kind of hard to beat Infinity and 3 kilometers." Tsunotori chuckled.
"Though they technically didn't throw the ball like we did, so does it really count?" Tokage jokingly argued.
"Aizawa-sensei stated he didn't care how we did it as long as we stayed in the circle." Yaoyorozu pointed out.
"And we did, so it definitely counts!" Uraraka affirmed.
A thought occurred to the pony-girl. "By the way, do you know why Aizawa-sensei singled you out in the tests today, Izuku?"
That question made the other girls perk up.
"Yeah, that was really unfair of him." Uraraka added.
"I'll admit," Yaoyorozu chimed in, "that did throw me for a loop."
"It was pretty random. Did it have something to do with you being 1st in the Practical?" Tokage inquired.
"Sort of. I think Aizawa-sensei wanted to test how strong I was without my shield." Midoriya answered. "I used it to acquire nearly all of my Villain Points in the exam, so he may have thought that my Quirk wasn't strong enough to be in the Hero Course or something along those lines."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense. Still," Tsunotori cutely pouted, "that was pretty mean to threaten you and everyone else like that."
"Yeah, I didn't like his methods either… but I get why he did it." Midoriya played devil's advocate. "Urgency brings out the best in others."
Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement. 'Yes, I suppose that makes sense. So, that means Mr. Aizawa was serious about expelling Midori-kun if he didn't impress him. Does that mean he may have been serious about expelling last place too? I wonder what could have changed his mind?' She contemplated.
"Well, it certainly brought out our best." Tokage grinned. "All of us placed in the top 10, right?"
"Oh yeah, that's right!" Uraraka smiled widely.
"It is nice to know we're not starting off at the bottom, but we shouldn't get complacent." Yaoyorozu sagely said. "Much is expected of us going forward. We have to keep improving."
"Got that right!" Tokage playfully patted the ravenette on the back. "I can't stay at Number 6 forever, now can I?"
Tsunotori nodded, smiling determinedly. "And I can't stay at Number 9 either."
Recalling her 10th place ranking, Uraraka realized it was neither bad nor great, just average. She frowned; that wouldn't do! She had plenty of work ahead of her if she wanted to catch up to her classmates and friends' level. Perhaps she would take up Midoriya on those morning training sessions that he had offered to her earlier. She might lose a couple hours of potential sleep every day, but that sacrifice was totally worth it if she got stronger.
"Right!" Uraraka turned to smirk at her verdette friend. "Hear that, Midori-kun? Don't get too comfortable at the top. We'll be coming for you! Yaomomo might be the closest, but Tsunotori-san, Tokage-san, and I aren't far behind either."
Midoriya nodded. "Good! Glad I'll have you guys to keep me on my toes then." He smiled confidently. "Just know I won't make it easy on you. If you're going to beat me, you'll have to train hard and bring your A-games."
'With how amazing all of you are, you'll catch up in no time. You'll get way stronger than I ever could.' Midoriya happily mused. One might think that he'd be discouraged or even a bit dismayed by most of his friends and classmates overtaking him. However, the First Hero knew from personal experience that he didn't need to be the strongest Hero around to help others.
The door to Midoriya's apartment opened as the verdette casually walked inside. Closing the door and locking it, he laid his yellow satchel by his work desk. He had just returned from a small tea shop close to UA's campus with Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, Tsunotori, and Tokage at the former's request.
It was a good time! He enjoyed talking and getting to know his new friends in Pony and Tokage a little better. He even asked them both questions about their Quirks, and had already started entries in his notebook. There was still more to fill out, but he had plenty of time to do so. He'd also made entries for his other classmates as the semester progressed.
He, Yaomomo, and Uraraka-chan even exchanged numbers with both of them and started a group chat for organizing study groups or just friendly conversation. They planned to ask Iida, Ashido, Kirishima, and Sero if they'd be interested in exchanging contact information as well. Perhaps they'd even ask a few others in the class if they'd be interested too. Midoriya was hoping at least Iida would accept as he could use another guy in the group to talk to.
While he wasn't as by-the-book as his bespeckled classmate, during their talks today he and Iida had discovered that they were both equally enthusiastic about Hero protocols and patterns. He thought it'd be fun to discuss team-up ideas and strategies with him using their classmates as examples.
Midoriya would ask him tomorrow. He had plenty of reading to do tonight with the Hero Course syllabus and UA University's history. Seriously, when did they start using that phrase, Plus Ultra?
First, he needed to check an item off of his itinerary.
Taking a seat at his work desk, he reached into the drawer and pulled out a notebook with the title 'Reports' written on it. Turning to a blank page, he picked up a pen to start writing in English.
FROM: CAPTAIN AMERICA
TO: COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
PROTOCOL: ACTIVITY REPORT
THE FIRST DAY AT JP'S UA UNIVERSITY HAS CONCLUDED. WHILE MOST OF THE REGULAR CLASSES STARTED OFF IN A CONVENTIONAL MANNER NOT WORTHY OF MENTION, THIS WAS NOT THE CASE FOR FOUNDATIONAL HEROICS 101-A. THE INSTRUCTOR FOR THE CLASS, AIZAWA SHOTA, HAD US RUNNING RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE BY GIVING US A "QUIRK APPREHENSION TEST" TO TEST THE LIMITS OF EVERYONE'S CURRENT STRENGTH AND ABILITIES.
I EARNED THE TOP SPOT IN CLASS, SOMEHOW. AS I SUSPECTED, THERE ARE SOME POWERFUL INDIVIDUALS IN MY CLASS OF 20.
THE OTHER 20 OF THE 40 HERO COURSE STUDENTS ARE IN A SEPARATE CLASS CALLED 101-B, AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THEIR ABILITIES ARE.
I'LL HAVE TO INCREASE MY GYMNASTICS AND MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING IF I WANT TO STAY AHEAD, OR EVEN KEEP UP. THEY WILL NOT BE MAKING IT EASY ON ME, AND I AM RELIEVED BY THAT FACT.
TOMORROW WILL BE THE FIELD PORTION OF THE HEROIC CLASS, TAUGHT BY JP'S NUMBER ONE HERO: ALL MIGHT. IF TODAY TAUGHT ME ANYTHING, I SUSPECT HE LIKELY WILL HAVE US DOING A FIGHTING EXERCISE TO TEACH THE CLASS HOW TO USE THEIR ABILITIES IN COMBAT, OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. THAT'S JUST MY HUNCH THOUGH.
NEVERTHELESS, A SOLDIER DOESN'T BACK DOWN FROM CHALLENGES, AND NEITHER WILL I.
MY NEXT REPORT WILL SUMMARIZE THE AFTERMATH OF TOMORROW'S FIELD CLASS.
Finishing his report, he closed the book and placed it back in the drawer.
'Okay,' He reached into his satchel to pull out his laptop, 'time for some more research. In hindsight, I probably should have done this sooner.' Navigating to a popular search engine, he typed in the phrase "UA University History" and pressed the enter key.