Some time later.
Denki was curled up under the sheets, barely poking his head out, his eyes wide open.
"Goo… open the letter…" he murmured, his voice trembling a bit as he tried to stay hidden.
Goo, sitting at the desk with his back relaxed and a chocolate in his hand, raised the other to take the letter. A small crooked smile formed on his lips.
"Why so scared? It's not a big deal," he said, his laid-back tone contrasting with Denki's anxiety.
With a simple motion, Goo created a pair of floating light scissors that cut the letter with a subtle buzz. As the pieces fell, a small device on the desk activated and projected a bright hologram.
The air in the room seemed to charge with the energy of the reflected hero: All Might, Japan's number one, appeared before them, smiling with his usual unshakable charisma.
"It's… it's All Might!" exclaimed Denki, jumping out of bed and leaving the sheets behind like an abandoned cloak, his eyes shining with excitement.
Goo sighed and rolled his eyes, turning his head to glance at him sideways.
"Calm down, Denki… you're not a kid anymore," he said, his voice full of laziness and a hint of irony, watching the hologram as if it were just another decoration on his desk.
"Greetings, young heroes! Congratulations on your performance in UA's entrance exam. Denki, you scored 50 points on the written test. Goo… you got 90!"
Denki froze, blinking in disbelief. "What?! But… you finished marking everything super fast! I thought I was going to score higher!"
Goo, still holding the letter, leaned back in total calm, letting a mischievous smile draw across his face.
"Yeah, I marked everything fast… and I was the first to finish," he said nonchalantly, playing with a lock of hair. "But it wasn't just about speed, brother… I also paid attention to details and avoided dumb mistakes."
Denki frowned, incredulous, crossing his arms. "No way! I marked fast too!"
Goo leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his glasses reflecting the light of the hologram. "Sure you did… but being fast and being accurate are two different things. That's the difference."
"Now, let's talk about the practical exam!" said All Might in his trademark voice. "Denki, you scored 60 points."
Denki's eyes widened in surprise, but soon his face lit up.
"Sixty! That's not bad at all!"
All Might continued from the hologram, wearing the same steady smile:
"Yes, your performance was solid. You destroyed several robots and stayed in control the entire time. But remember, this exam doesn't only measure strength, it also measures the ability to protect and rescue. In that aspect, you still have room to grow."
Denki nodded, furrowing his brow slightly as he processed the information.
"Ah… right, I focused too much on knocking down robots."
Goo, still sitting with his chocolate in hand, calmly adjusted his glasses.
"Goo, you scored 147 points."
Denki blinked in disbelief, as if the ground had opened beneath him.
"One hundred forty-seven! H-how…?"
Goo let out a confident smile, the yellow light in his eyes glowing faintly.
"Strength, strategy, and rescue. That adds extra points. Everything was planned."
[Liar, you didn't know anything.]
"Shut up," Goo thought.
The voice of the hologram sounded again, reinforcing the explanation:
"Exactly. Here, we value both combat and protection. Goo combined both in an outstanding way. Denki, sixty points is a good result, and it shows your skill and potential."
Denki sighed, crossing his arms with a mix of frustration and admiration.
"Damn it… you always have to beat me, huh?"
"It's not about beating you… I just do what needs to be done."
Denki scoffed, but there was determination shining in his eyes. "Next time I'll catch up to you…" he thought to himself.
The hologram ended with All Might giving a thumbs-up, accompanied by his firm voice:
"Remember, candidates: strength, strategy, speed, and protection are the key. Keep it up, and the world will have heroes it can trust."
Just as the hologram finished its last gesture, the device projecting it began to spark.
A sharp buzzing filled the room, and small sparks jumped from the edges of the device.
"What…?" murmured Denki, stepping back.
Goo slowly stood up, with a smile that was half amused and half concerned, and extended his hand toward the device.
"Don't touch it… yet."
But it was too late. A bright flash and a "BZZT-CRACK!" echoed, followed by a small explosion that filled the room with smoke and a burnt smell.
All Might's hologram flickered and distorted as the device shut down, leaving only a faint yellow glow in the charred remains.
Denki coughed, waving his hands in front of his face.
"Whoa! That was close!"
Goo, without taking his eyes off his chocolate, stepped back, calmly adjusting his glasses.
"Well… looks like technology needs a hero to protect it too."
"Hey, have you thought about what hero costume you're going to wear?" asked Denki with eyes shining with excitement, watching Goo sweep the device's remains with a broom and dustpan made of light.
"Honestly… no. I haven't thought of anything yet." Goo replied in a flat voice, as if talking about it bored him.
"Whaaat?! But that's the most important thing to stand out!" exclaimed Denki, throwing his hands dramatically to his head.
[Tell him to shut up. My ears are bleeding.]
"Idiot… do you even have ears?" Goo thought with a mocking smile, still sweeping.
[Next time, I'm putting on a Barbie Girl playlist during your next fight.]
Kuro said it with sarcasm and a hint of playful rage.
"That song again… don't y—" murmured Goo, but before he could finish, the room door burst open.
"Kids, how did it go?! Did you pass?!" their mother asked, stepping in with eyes full of excitement.
"Of course." said Denki, raising his thumb as if he were already signing autographs.
"Well, obviously. That was no challenge for me." added Goo with a half-smile, shrugging like it was no big deal.
Some time later, Denki and Goo were walking through UA's gleaming hallways in their spotless uniforms.
The white walls and wide windows let in the morning light, and the bustle of other students filled the air with vibrant energy.
"Why are the doors so huge?" asked Denki, looking up as if he were standing at the gates of a castle.
"For Quirks with gigantism," answered Goo calmly, opening a chocolate bar and taking a bite like he had all the time in the world.
[Damn it, you've eaten so many of those All Might chocolates you've made me crave them.]
Goo raised his middle finger in the air without even looking, mocking Kuro with a lazy gesture.
"Here it is. Class 1-A." said Denki with a wide smile, pushing the door open with both hands.
But his excitement vanished instantly. Sitting there with his legs up on the desk like he owned the place was Katsuki Bakugo, relaxed with an expression dripping arrogance.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, IDIOT?!" shouted Denki and Bakugo at the same time, while one started crackling with electricity and the other released smoke and small explosions from his hands.
The atmosphere tightened like a rope ready to snap.
"Calm down, brats." said Goo without losing his composure, walking right between them as if nothing was happening, giving them a slight shoulder shove to push them apart.
He dropped into a seat in the middle of the classroom and put his feet up on the desk with an air of complete nonchalance. "Or do you want me to put you both to sleep right here?"
"Take your feet off the desk," ordered the dark-blue-haired student, adjusting his glasses with a serious expression.
[Student. Tenya Iida, Quirk: Engine]
"Eh?" scoffed Goo, tilting his head just enough for his eyes to show while raising an eyebrow with blatant cheek.