Coming out of the exam room and into the courtyard, Izuku took a long breath of relief that it was finally over. The UA written exam consisted of a 2-hour-long session, and the rumors about the difficulty of the exam were not wrong. The exam was less about information you can find in books and the internet and more about ethical views and ways to conduct yourself when dealing with the population.
Of course, that is not to say the exam didn't include some real questions or problems either. It asked quite a few questions regarding the authority of heroes and how exactly they are allowed to use their Quirks in public. Safe to say that was the easy part, where, if you studied, you wouldn't have much of a problem.
"Detecting increased stress levels. Do you wish the Omnitrix to increase the amount of Beta-Endorphin?"
"No!" Izuku replied quickly. The Omnitrix was programmed to look out for his well-being, and that included his mental health. But then again, using what is essentially drugs to keep going was wrong, so he worked hard not to depend on that specific function of the Omnitrix.
"Understood." The Omnitrix, luckily, can only be heard by him unless he states otherwise.
"I'd better get to the next part of the exam," Izuku said, checking the time on the Omnitrix-provided HUD. From what they were told, there was only a 30-minute break period between the written and physical parts of the examination.
Arriving at the examination area, Izuku was met with the sight of several other people preparing themselves. Most of them seemed to be either stretching or reading their Quirk for when the exam was to begin, truly. Izuku simply stood there, watching everyone and waiting.
"Hey!" That is, until a familiar voice called out to him. "You're here!" The girl from before walked up to him, greeting him. She was now dressed in a tracksuit for the exam. "I didn't think we'd have the same area for the practical!"
"Me neither," Izuku replied in kind. "How do you feel? Any emotions?"
"Oh, plenty!" The girl replied with honesty. "We don't really know much about the practical exam. Although I heard they'd have us fighting robots! Can you believe it?! Robots!"
"Wasn't that mentioned somewhere, however?" Izuku asked, rubbing his chin.
"Not that I can remember. We also weren't told anything. I heard we usually had to be explained by the staff in an assembly before the exam."
"They are skipping steps?" Izuku asked.
"I don't know." She replied.
"You two!" Suddenly, a voice got their attention, and they turned to see another boy walking toward them. The young man in question was relatively tall and muscular with a wide frame. Short, dark blue hair flattened neatly down and parted on the right side of his head, a small patch completely shaved near the base of his head, and square eyes that matched the notably pointed shape of his jaw.
He seemed quite serious, with his thin, long eyebrows pointed inward and the far ends sharply hooked inward. He also wore glasses with rectangular lenses.
What drew Izuku's attention, however, was his obvious Quirk. He possessed calves that were incredibly thick and shaped like automobile engines, with six silver exhaust pipes protruding from each leg in columns of three.
"Yes?" Izuku asked.
"Aren't you two ashamed of yourselves, flirting in such a place? Have you no sense of decency?"
"What- Flirting?!" The girl next to Izuku blushed furiously at the accusation.
"We were not flirting! We were just talking!" Izuku argued, but then the boy zeroed in on the Omnitrix.
"Is that an accessory?" The boy asked, reaching for Izuku's arm, but the green-haired boy was swift to react, pulling his arm away and taking a step back from the boy. "Accessories are forbidden during the exam! I will ask you to hand that in!"
"To you?" Izuku asked.
"To the proper staff!" The boy pointed out.
"Hey, that is part of his Quirk! Did they ask you to hand over your leg pipes as well?!" The girl pointed out.
"Nonsense!" The boy claimed. "And if you do not turn it in, I will be forced to report you to the-"
"Hello, listeners! Present Mic here!" Suddenly, a large screen came from the ground, revealing the face of none other than the Pro Hero, Present Mic. "Sorry, I can't be there in person! Every area has its announcer now, ever since we had an incident two years back. Anyway! Welcome to the UA practical exam, listeners! I am here to answer any questions you might have before the exam and to state a few things! Some ground rules for you to follow. Are you paying attention? Good, 'cause here I go!"
"Excuse me, Sir! I wish to report a rule violation!" The boy who was pestering Izuku barely missed a beat. "This boy and girl here and not conducting themselves properly, and this boy here is obviously breaking UA standards and rules by openly wearing accessories! I request he be removed from the exam at once!"
"Hey!" Izuku shouted in protest.
"Hold on, there, little listener! From where I'm standing, I see a choker with an interesting design, but that is within UA regulations to have! As for the thing on his wrist? It looks like it might be part of his body! Part of his Quirk! Also, what proof do you have of this conduct you speak of?"
"They were disturbing the other contestants!" The boy pressed on. "Their idle chatter provided nothing short of a distraction to-"
"So, you are telling me you were pestering them for simply chatting? What, is speaking among yourselves before a physical exam illegal? I'd understand if it were during a written exam, but this? Calm your jets, man, and get yourself ready! From where I'm standing, you are the only nuisance here!"
The boy in question seemed to back down, allowing Present Mic to continue.
"Now that that's dealt with." He cleared his throat. "As I was about to say, we won't tolerate toxic levels of competition here! What does that mean? It means you are not allowed to attack the other applicants around you! If you are caught intentionally attacking someone else, then you will not only be disqualified, but the authorities will be notified. Did you get it? Good! Now, onto rule number two! The exam will only last 10 minutes! In that timeframe, you must gather as many points as possible to pass! How many points do you need? Not saying! So aim high! There are three robots you must destroy, each offering a certain amount of points from one to three!"
"Excuse me, Present Mic!" The boy spoke up again.
"Kid, you are trying my patience here!"
" I read on the UA website that there are FOUR robot types, so what is the matter with that? Is it a mistake? If so, then UA should be ashamed for making such a mistake and not taking action to correct it!
"Ah, that. That is the zero-pointer! I was about to get to it! There is no mistake, but rather, a secret challenge. Destroying it, however, gives no points! So, you should not bother with it!"
"I-I see…I have no further questions."
"In that case, I will continue! But there isn't anything worth continuing upon. Any other questions? No? Then be ready to go Plus Ultra!"
Suddenly, the doors to the area opened, and everyone stared in disbelief as a large replica of a town was revealed to them. Upon seeing it, Izuku's eyes widened, but the Omnitrix chimed in immediately.
"The exam has started."
"Right!" Izuku dashed into the city.
"Hey, he is cheating!" The boy from before shouted. "The exam hasn't started yet!"
"It has! The moment those doors opened, you were supposed to dash in! In real life, there is no start signal, so get in there!"
Only now that everyone had heard the confirmation did they start moving. The exam had a time limit of ten minutes, not a second more. And Izuku was going to make full use of every minute. He had a time limit on the Omnitrix of 30.
"Boy…That was a slow start." Present Mic stated that he joined the others in the observation room, where they would not only observe but also grade everyone. Several other heroes were there, including a rather surprising addition.
"Those little shits can barely move! If I didn't shout at them to get a move on, then they'd have stood there, waiting for the robots to come to them!" The one who complained was a woman by voice, although her level of aggression spoke volumes. She was a tan-skinned woman of average height with narrow red eyes, long, defined eyelashes, and straight white hair reaching her thighs with bangs that extended to the left of her face. While slender and curvy in frame, she also sports a lean, athletic, and well-defined build, especially in her arms and legs. Her Quirk was made obvious by her long white rabbit ears pointing upwards above her head, along with a small, white, round tail behind her back.
Her attire consisted of a sleeveless white leotard with dark purple trim around her shoulders and waist, a wide yellow crescent moon design over her chest, and a single thick metal plate wrapped around her midriff. She wore purple thigh-high boots to complement her leotard, with more plating around the heel and toe areas, making her feet look like those of a rabbit. She also has a pair of thick, white gloves on her hands with long cuffs, sporting small triangular protrusions around their edges.
She was Rumi Usagiyama, AKA the current Number 6 Hero, Mirko.
"Please, Miss Usagiyama, be patient with them," Nezu told her, but Mirko simply crossed her arms.
"Please, patience is the last thing those brats need!"
"Brats? You are not even ten years older than them!" Midnight pointed out.
"Regardless, my point stands! With such a slow start, things are already not looking good for them!" Mirko stated strongly. "When I accepted your offer, rat, to come teach those brats a thing or two about being a hero, I thought they'd be more worth the time. I feel cheated now."
"Miss Usagiyama, that is premature to assume," Nezu stated, watching the screens. "After all, you might find a pleasant surprise or two."
"Speaking of surprises…" All Might said slowly, watching one student in particular. Izuku Midoriya.
"Isn't that the Midoriya kid?" Midnight asked, seeing All Might focus on him. "I can understand keeping an eye on Aldera students, but didn't we establish that Izuku is not a risk? Katsuki Bakugou should be more of a concern."
"Still, what is he doing right now? It looks like he is just running around." All Might stated, watching closely.
"Not yet…" Izuku told himself, waiting for the right moment. Then, it came. A 3-pointer robot burst from one of the buildings, and Izuku didn't waste any time. "Now!" Slamming the dial, a green light enveloped him, and the robot found itself losing its target.
Until a substance of some kind splattered all over itself, making it back away. "Sorry about this." Izuku had turned into Hack, and he was now taking the robot over. "But I require your frame."
Sure enough, when the black substance with green lines finished enveloping the robot, he changed its shape. The large arms of the robot were converted into legs, and the back section expanded. The launchers that were on its back before expanded their barrel, and a new head appeared, with a green circle in the center.
Izuku began to fire missiles he generated at the other robots, destroying them one by one and rushing through the landscape. "Let's see…Oh! Useful! It has a tracking system for the other robots! Don't mind if I do."
He kept rushing through the exam area, firing his missiles at the surrounding robots to destroy them. But he also saw something else. He focused on a student being overwhelmed by several other robots, and so, Izuku acted. He rushed toward it, and when he got close enough, he leaped from the 3-pointer he was possessing, destroying it in the process, and took over the 1-pointer that was about to attack the boy on the ground.
"Are you alright?" Izuku asked after fully taking over the robot.
"Dude, what the fuck?!" The boy backed away from him.
"Don't worry, I am in control-" Suddenly, a robot tried to flank Izuku, but turning around sharply, he swung the arm of the robot, exposing a blade from it. The 3-pointer that just tried to attack them fell to the ground in two cleanly cut pieces. "As I was saying, I am now in control of this robot!"
"This is crazy…Crazy! UA can't do this to us, man! This is beyond insane for a simple Entrance Exam!" The boy argued, raising his voice. "I have barely managed to get a 1-pointer down! This is bullshit!'
"Didn't you research UA before coming here?"
"As if! I just wanted the bragging rights! This is too much, fuck this!" The boy ran off, likely to find a safe spot to hunker down until the exam was over. This sight disappointed Izuku.
Ultimately, UA was not for everyone. And not everyone here came to be a hero for the right reasons. Still, that was not him. He wanted to be here and become a hero for the right reasons!
He left the robot, then turned back to normal, only to bring the dial right back up. Doing it like this made him able to avoid cutting his time in half. "Time to take this with some speed." Slamming the dial, Izuku was replaced by Accel, who put his visor on before speeding away, striking and destroying robots on his way.
"Did he just change Quirks?!" Rumi shouted, seeing Izuku change forms. "First, he was that slime thing that possessed robots, and now he is some super-fast thing!"
"According to his file, that one is called Accel. It specializes in speed." Aizawa stated as he used Izuku's file, which contained information on his alien forms. "Though, seeing it first-hand is something else. He is fast."
"Already, he has destroyed enough robots to earn 20 points in less than a minute. At this rate, he might just beat the UA record." Nezu stated, but then he noticed All Might's expression. "Toshi?"
"Multiple Quirks?" He said softly, then shook his head."Forgive me, I need to get some fresh air."
After All Might left the room, Rumi spoke up. "What got him spooked?" She asked.
"Hmmm. I sincerely hope he doesn't do anything stupid."
"Oh yeah!" Izuku shouted as he pushed another robot into the debris, then crashed the debris onto the robot, destroying it. "Now, let's see, how many did I destroy again? Umm. A lot, I think I scrapped a lot of robots."
"Hey!" Someone shouted from the side, another small trio of students. "Thank you. Our friend got hurt, and we were trying to get them to the infirmary."
"What? Are you quitting?" Izuku asked, facing them.
"This is too much…" He admitted. "We wanted to become heroes because we all admired them, but underestimated how difficult it'd be. If just the exam to get in is this difficult, I dread to think how four years of this will be. We don't belong here…"
"I see. Want a hand reaching the other side?" Izuku offered.
"No, thanks. We will manage. There is not a lot of time on the clock anyway." The boy pointed out, and sure enough, Izuku saw there were less than 2 minutes on the clock for the exam.
"Already?! My, how time flies." Izuku stated. He still had a fair bit of time on his Omnitrix as well. This was perfect! So long as nothing too crazy happened, he ought to be able to pass the exam with no problem! At least, he hoped he passed.
"Hmmm." Nezu grinned, then pressed a button on his chair. "It's time."
"Attention, all students!" Nezu's voice played out in all testing zones. "There is one minute left on the clock! The 0-pointer, codename Executioner, has been unleashed!"
"Executioner?" Izuku echoed, then felt the ground beneath him tremor. "Whoa there!" Turning back into himself, he looked up, trying to spot the 0-pointer. Then he spotted it. His eyes widened as he saw the absolute behemoth of a machine hovering above, destroying everything in its path. Students were rushing away, likely not wanting to fight such a thing.
And he couldn't blame them. That was the 0-pointer. Logically, not only did it yield no reward, but it was also so big that there was no way an average student could take it on and win. Izuku was about to join the others in escaping it by turning into Accel again, but that was when he stopped.
"Help!"
A familiar voice called out for aid, and he turned to the side, seeing the girl from earlier there, her leg stuck under a piece of rubble. And the 0-pointer was drawing closer to her. Izuku knew what he had to do. With a flash of green, he rushed to the girl, effortlessly lifting the rubble from her. "Are you alright?"
The deeper voice threw her off, but looking up, she saw the diamond-like skin of Diamond Soldier. "Who are you?" She asked.
"It's me!" he pointed at the Omnitrix badge on his belt. "Can you walk?"
"I don't think so. My ankle hurts." She replied, and Izuku knew what he had to do. He found the boy from earlier. "Hey, you!"
"What?" The boy looked at them, seeing Izuku pick up the girl and go to him.
"Take her and go." Izuku gave the girl to the boy. "Your Quirk! You are from the Ida family, right? A relative of the hero, Ingenium!"
"Y-yes!" The boy confirmed.
"Then go! I will take care of that thing." Izuku turned to the zero pointer.
"What?! Are you crazy? That robot is not worth anything!" The boy argued.
"Maybe, but if I allow it to rampage, it will cause more damage and possibly harm others. I cannot take that chance!" Izuku declared strongly. "Now go!"
"I…Fine!" The boy sped away with the girl, leaving Izuku to deal with the 0-pointer.
"Just you and me now. Come on!" Izuku punched the ground, causing a diamond pillar to erupt and launch him high toward the head of the robot. Once he got close enough, he pulled his fist back and changed its shape. This body, as he learned, could change shape in limited ways. But one such way was shaping his hands into weapons.
His fist took the shape of a hook, and once he landed, he hooked himself to the robot. He climbed higher and higher on its massive metal hull until he eventually reached the top of the machine. "Time to go- Gah!" The robot, however, managed to swat him off, resulting in Izuku free-falling to the ground. "Not yet!" Slamming the dial, he swiftly changed shape. The green light flew higher, and when it died down, Polar Ghost revealed himself. "Now you will feel the chills!"
He flew right at the o-pointer, the robot trying to squash him. It clapped its hands together, catching Izuku between them, but turning intangible, he not only escaped the deadly trap but also froze the robot's hands together. "Chill out!" He shouted as he began to breathe out his icy breath all over the robot, trapping it in ice.
He kept going, again and again, until the entire machine was trapped in ice. Then, he flew above it and tapped the Omnitrix again, turning into Quake. And Quake could not fly, resulting in him falling toward the o-pointer. But this time? He pulled his fist back, the piston going back as well, and when he landed, he landed fist-first into the 0-pointer. The ice cracked and broke, and with it, the robot also broke into pieces. Izuku fell together with the pieces of the robot to the ground, but his thick armor as Quake protected him.
"It's over!" Present Mic shouted through the intercom, announcing the end of the exam. "Hey, is the kid who took on the zero-pointer alright?!"
"I'm fine!" Izuku shouted as Quake, but the Omnitrix began to beep and blink red. "Just in time…" And the red flash that followed saw him return to normal.
"Omnitrix entering DNA reparations. 10 minutes until full recovery."
"Not a problem…" Izuku sighed as he made his way to the front of the exam area. That was intense.
"That was…" Rumi began. "AWESOME! First, he turned into some diamond-like dude-"
"Diamond Soldier," Aizawa said, giving the alien's name.
"Then into some big bug that froze shit and could go through stuff-"
"Polar Ghost."
"And lastly, he turned into some super bulky heavy hitter!"
"Quake."
"Please, tell me that kid will be in 1-A! I might be only an assistant, but I have to see that stuff again!" Rumi told Nezu with clear excitement in her voice.
"We shall see, Miss Usagiyama. What about you, Aizawa?" Nezu asked.
"Kid's interesting, I'll give him that." The hero admitted. "Versatile, and he seems to have a good grasp of his abilities."
"Well, we shall happily welcome him into UA."
"Man…" Izuku rubbed his arm a bit. That last strike as Quake took a bit from him, but luckily, he wasn't hurt badly. Only a few scrapes and bruises, which will heal. Walking back to the starting area, Izuku saw multiple students there receiving treatment or lamenting their poor performance.
"You!" The boy from earlier shouted, going to him.
"For the love of- What do you want now?" Suddenly, however, the boy bowed to him deeply. "What?"
"I deeply apologize for my rude behavior! I failed to understand your intention during this exam, and even accused you of bringing in unauthorized items when they were truly part of your Quirk! My words have no excuse or justification, so I sincerely apologize!"
Izuku took a step back as the boy spoke in a loud tone of voice. "Raise your head," Izuku replied. "Look, I won't say you weren't rude, but at least you apologized. So, how about it? Let's try again, and this time, let's properly introduce ourselves as well."
"Right! Allow me. I am Tenya Ida, from the Ida family. Although I see you managed to figure that out easily from the looks of my Quirk, correct?"
"And I am Izuku Midoriya. And yes, the Ida Quirk is easy to recognize. There are not a lot of Quirks like yours that cause literal engines to sprout from your body." Izuku replied.
"Well, your Quirk seems quite…Unique." Tenya added. "I've never seen such a transformation type before!"
"Yeah, I guess my Quirk is unique, huh?" Izuku said, looking down at the Omnitrix as he did so.
"Huh? Why is it red?" Tenya asked. "Wasn't it green before?"
"I overused it," Izuku said, trying to give an excuse. "I cannot stay transformed for more than 30 minutes or so. Though, depending on how I manage my time, I can either recover fast or, if I push it, I usually cannot use my Quirk for 10 minutes."
"I see. It makes sense that such a powerful Quirk would not be without its issues." Tenya said further.
"Hey!" The girl from earlier went to them as well, getting their attention. "I wanted to thank you for saving me." She bowed to them. "I am grateful for your help."
"Please, Ida here was the one to carry you to safety," Izuku said, but Tenya was quick to intervene.
"Not! I deserve no credit! Not only did I not see her, but had you not gotten my attention, I would have run past her and left her there!" Tenya admitted with some shame in his voice. "I was terrified of the zero-pointer."
"It's ok." She replied. "Oh! My name is Ochako, by the way. Ochako Uraraka."
"A pleasure to formally make your acquaintance," Izuku said with a smile. "I am Izuku Midoriya."
"Tenya Ida!"
The boys introduced themselves to her. However, as they stood there, someone unexpected came up to them.
"Excuse me, are you Izuku Midoriya?" The man in question was a very tall, wide-set man of a bulky, muscular build, with lightly tanned skin, a few visible scars showing on his left cheek and the left side of his notably thick neck.
He had short pale gray hair spiked upwards, away from his face, the only exception to this being the small clump of hair that hung down over the left side of his forehead. His eyes were small and thin, and he had a wide mouth with two prominent lower canines, which appeared even when his mouth was closed.
His hero costume consisted of a dark red skin-tight suit with a very low U-shaped collar, which exposes the middle of his pectoral muscles and is lined with a thick black Y-shaped trim, which matches the one over his shoulders.
He wore white over-the-knee boots and thick vambraces over his lower arms, a thin wire snaking from one of the two small protrusions on the left one to the back of his neck, and red gloves. Around his waist, he had a three-piece metallic belt that dipped downwards in the center, and he wore an orange mask over his eyes.
"Vlad King?!" Izuku gasped.
"The Pro Hero?!" Uraraka gasped as well.
"Yeah, yeah, can we not? I am here for Izuku Midoriya." Vlad King repeated himself, not wanting to make a big deal out of everything. "Will you follow me, please?"
"Of course, Sir! Am I in trouble?" Izuku asked nervously.
"No, we just want to have a word with you." Vlad King replied, and with that, Izuku left with him.
He was led to a separate room in the UA main building. "Here." Vlad King said, opening the door, and before Izuku stood none other than All Might himself, along with another member of the UA staff: A humanoid block of cement with black, seemingly shut eyes and gray hair tied into a short ponytail.
His body shape was evenly blocky all around his body. His lips were pulled upwards, and his hero costume consisted of a sleeveless brown suit including yellow stripes, shorts, and an elongated collar. He also sports gray shoes with yellow soles.
The three heroes were seated behind a long desk. "Please, have a seat." All Might said, gesturing for Izuku to sit across from them. "I must say, Young Midoriya. Your performance during the practical part of the exam was quite something."
"T-thanks." Izuku replied nervously.
"However, we have reason to believe there might be an issue," Cementoss said.
"An issue? What issue?" Izuku asked.
"Young Midoriya, I will now ask you a set of simple questions, and I want you to answer me truthfully. Can you do that?"
"Of course!" Izuku replied swiftly.
"Good. First, you claim that your Quirk allows you to transform into several other beings, each with a different power set, correct?" All Might asked his first question.
"Correct. The cooldown has also ended, so I could demonstrate if you want." Izuku replied, even offering a demonstration to the teachers.
"No need."
"Next question is simple. Is it true that, until around a year ago, you were Quirkless?" Vlad King asked, putting Izuku in a tough spot.
"I was, but then my Quirk manifested one morning. I just woke up with this on my wrist." Izuku replied, showing off the Omnitrix, but at that moment, Cementoss seemed to be humming in deep thought.
"It is rather uncommon. I'd dare say unheard of for a Quirk to manifest so late in one's lifetime." Cementoss stated. "Are you certain your Quirk didn't come from a different source?"
"Different source?" Izuku echoed, growing nervous. "What source, Sir?"
"Young Midoriya, answer truthfully: Did anyone give you any of those abilities?"
"W-w-what?! That's absurd. How could someone give Quirks?" Izuku asked, feeling the pressure in the room. The three heroes exchanged looks with one another, then All Might pressed on.
"Answer the question."
"Of course not!" Izuku replied. "Something like that is not even possible! Or is it?" He replied, showing a bit of doubt in his reply, but overall, his reply didn't seem fake to the teachers. Except that is exactly what All Might didn't want to hear. He hoped he was wrong, but something was fishy.
"In theory, it is possible," Cementoss replied. "Through an outlawed procedure."
"One which, the three of us, suspect you might have undergone." Vlad King added.
"Procedure?" Izuku echoed again, growing increasingly nervous as they continued.
"Detected increased levels of stress!"
He covered the Omnitrix with his hand out of reflex, but All Might saw that. However, he didn't act on it; rather, he just kept speaking. "Young Midoriya, know that this procedure implies the ruin of one's life to grant another person more power. Have you undergone such a procedure?"
"Of course not!" Izuku replied.
"I see…We will continue to discuss the matter, but for now, you are free to go."
"I…Ok," Izuku replied, leaving the room silently.
"He is hiding something," Cementoss said as soon as Izuku left. "When we mentioned him gaining his abilities from a different source, he grew tense. Nervous. He was losing his composure."
"He was either the best actor there is, or the worst spy." Vlad King added. "Either way, I agree. Something was off about him."
"He didn't come forth with the truth." All Might sighed. "I am sorry, Young Midoriya. But I must protect this place."
The next day, when Izuku received his letter from UA, he expected to get his results. Instead, what he got was utterly shocking. It was a letter, alright, but not the kind he expected.
"Due to the circumstances surrounding the nature of the applicant's Quirk, the UA commission has hereby suspended your application."
"What?" Izuku said softly, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"What did you do, Toshi?!" Nezu shouted angrily at All Might in his office, together with both Vlad King and Cementoss. "And you two! I expected such a stunt from Toshi, but you two?!"
"We know of All for One, Sir," Cementoss explained. "All Might told us everything, and how he suspects that Izuku Midoriya is a potential agent."
"We used the right to suspend his application. According to UA's rules, we are allowed to do so, so long as we have three staff members backing up the procedure."
"And we are all staff members of UA." All Might said after Vlad King. "Forgive me, Nezu, for not telling you, but I acted with the good of UA in mind."
"Good of UA?! How is this for the good of UA? Izuku Midoriya had managed to break the UA record! He scored 102 Villain Points, and due to him saving several of his fellow applicants, not to mention taking down the zero pointer to prevent anyone else from being endangered, he was granted an additional 99 Hero Points for a total of 201 Points! He scored first in the Practical and second in the Written exam!" Nezu explained. "I also had Hound Dog put together a psychological profile of Midoriya, and it came back, in short, saying there is no way he can be an agent of that man! And yet you went and suspended his application?!"
"We made a decision. And we will stick by it." All Might stated again. "And you cannot overturn it, Nezu."
"Toshi…Do you want me as your enemy?" Nezu asked.
"I don't, old friend. But I trust you will respect our decision." All Might added further.
"I cannot respect such a decision. But you are right in saying I cannot overturn your decision. No, to do that, I'd need to get at least one of you to revoke your vote. And right now, I doubt I can do that by threatening your positions. Go. You all need to prepare for the school year. But be warned, I will not take kindly to this blatant backstabbing maneuver." Nezu told them, then, without much conflict, they left.
This allowed Nezu to slump onto his chair, letting out a long, frustrated sigh. "I haven't seen that coming." And sure enough, his guest was swift to show himself. Paradox introduced himself to Nezu shortly after he gave Izuku the Omnitrix. Nezu not only knew the truth but also a few extra things. "What will you do?"
"I am unsure at this moment, Paradox," Nezu replied honestly. "Without Midoriya, this leaves Katsuki Bakugou as the highest ranking in the practical exam, with an astonishing 100 Villain Points, but 0 Hero Points. I wanted to test him by seeing how he might react to being overshadowed by someone he previously used to bully, but that plan is now worthless."
"It is troublesome," Paradox added further. "Still, best we fix the situation as quickly as possible! You and I know very well this is an injustice. All Might's paranoia taken to new levels."
"The fact remains he is growing weaker by the day," Nezu stated bluntly. "His body won't be able to handle the strain of One for All for much longer; he needs to find a successor."
"Izuku is not an option," Paradox stated immediately. "Due to the damaging nature of that Quirk, it could make the Omnitrix react and erase it from Izuku's DNA."
"I know, I know," Nezu replied, trying to think of a way to help Izuku. "Wait…I think I have an idea!" The grin on his mouth gave Paradox the chills. "Something neither All Might nor anyone can argue or veto in any shape or form! I just need to make a call, but considering her reaction during the exam, I doubt she will argue against it much."
"Oh?" Paradox was intrigued by Nezu's thinking. "Well, I did make him a promise to meet after the Entrance Exam is over."
"You can meet here, in my office. I'd rather let him know I am aware of his secret." Nezu told Paradox. "That way, he will feel more comfortable knowing he has allies."
"A good point!" Paradox agreed. "Well then, I guess I should make myself comfortable."
"Tea? Coffee?"
"Tea, please. You'd be appalled to learn what caffeine can do to a time traveler."
"Izuku, sweetie, are you sure you are okay?" Inko asked her son, as he had not gotten out of his room for the last five hours since getting that letter. For whatever reason, UA decided to suspend his application. It meant that everything he did on the exam amounted to nothing, as he was rejected! "Please, Izuku, at least come eat something."
"I'm fine, Mom! I just…Need some time to myself." Izuku replied to his mother as he was sulking in his room. That damned letter is still in his hands. What did he do wrong? Nothing. Nothing came to his mind when thinking about any possible mistakes he may have committed during the exam. He didn't break any rules, nor did he harm any fellow student during the exam, either! If anything, he saved other people!
So why was he rejected?
"Detecting dangerous levels of stress. The current chemical make-up of the wielder's brain indicates an unstable state of mind! Preparing chemical correction."
Izuku sighed. Right, the Omnitrix won't even let him be depressed if it could help it. "No need, Omnitrix. I am not going to do anything stupid." He told the device.
"Lie detected."
Fuck. Wait, he didn't lie! Or did he? "I don't even know anymore…" Izuku buried his head in his arms again.
Several knocks were heard against his door.
"Mom, I told you, I am fine."
But then his door got wrecked as it was blown off its hinges. This also meant it fell on him, but the Omnitrix had a word about that. "Danger detected! Initiating transformation!"
A flash of green erupted from under the door before it touched down, and sure enough, Izuku rose as Polar Ghost, turning around to see who broke down his door. And his eyes widened. "How?" He asked, forgetting to turn back. Before him, standing in his house, with a wide grin and red eyes fixed on him, was none other than the Pro Heroine, Mirko.
"How? Because I fucking did it, that's how!" She replied, not shying from using vulgarities. "Are you Izuku Midoriya? Who the fuck am I asking? I saw that form before during the exam!"
"Why are you here, Miss?" He asked, turning back to normal.
"Drop the 'Miss' part! I am only 26, not even ten years your senior!" She replied strongly. "And I am here to drag your ass to UA!"
"B-but…" He put the letter forward, but Mirko took it and ripped it to shreds.
"This means jackshit!" She declared.
"Excuse me, but what exactly is going on?!" Inko asked, confused about the entire ordeal currently unfolding before her.
"You're his mother?" Mirko asked.
"Y-yes." Inko replied.
"Well, be proud to know your son will become a hero!" Mirko stated loudly.
"But my application was-"
"Shut it!" Mirko shouted at Izuku before he got the chance to finish. "This is not you getting into UA, but the next best thing! And if you ask me? The BEST thing."
"N-namely?" He asked.
"The Hero Apprentice Program."
"Hero Apprentice Program?" Paradox echoed with confusion.
"HAP for short," Nezu replied. "It is a program supported here at UA, which allows teachers to take in promising individuals under their direct wing. Best part? They do not have to be students of UA to be taken under a Hero working here. Many argue it is useless, considering Hero Interships, but the main goal of this program is to encourage teachers to seek out and nurture talents that were unable to pass the Entrance Exam or failed to get into the Hero Course."
"I see. Seeing how the exam's main event is battle-focused against lifeless robots, it stands to reason some Quirks couldn't shine." Paradox pieced things together. "Still, how does this differ from the normal curriculum?"
"Everything is different," Nezu said. "And that is the only downside. Our staff are heroes who essentially gave up on patrols and the like to teach the next generation. They only respond to calls of importance. Under this program, the hero is responsible for everything from academic teachings to physical training."
"And if something were to happen, such as them being called on a mission, that'd leave their protege without their mentor," Paradox stated. "It sounds like a slower teaching rate, but more hands-on. More direct."
"The hero in question can benefit from the support of the academy. Namely, we can house their protégé in one of our boarding houses." Nezu added further. "They can eat at our cafeteria, use our facilities, and so on! However, they are NOT under the academy's direct scrutiny. If they do something that requires punishment, their mentor will shoulder the consequences."
"I see. Anything else?"
"Yes. As I said, they are not technically part of the academy. They do not follow our schedule. Or any schedule, for that matter! They are free to do what they want, but they must meet certain expectations." Nezu added. "They will have to take a Bi-Annual exam to evaluate their growth, both on the academic front and the practical one."
"A fair system. And who will be Izuku's-" Nezu slid him the folder, and Paradox immediately took it and read it. His eyes, however, widened upon seeing it. "Is- Is this wise?"
"Miss Mirko might be a wild card, but reading Izuku's file, I judged that this is the best approach. Izuku is a good boy, but I feel he needs to learn to fight back more. To have a stronger backbone. Hopefully, Miss Usagiyama can teach him a thing or two."
"I mainly hope she doesn't ruin him!"