Chapter 5: Start Line
Izuku shook off his nerves after slapping himself, "OK, this is it. A mock battle." He looked around at the other candidates, "How come none of these guys seem nervous at all? Are they that confident? Oh, some of them even have special gear." Then he noticed a familiar face, "Hey, it's her! The nice girl I met at the school gates! The one who kept me from falling. I should probably thank her for helping me back there."
Izuku started to walk over to the girl, but a hand held him back. Izuku turned to see Tenya, who said, "She looks like she's trying to focus on the trials ahead. What are you going to do? Distract her and ruin her chances to succeed?"
Izuku shook his head, "No, of course not!"
The other students noticed Izuku and started to mock him after seeing his behavior earlier. Izuku felt like everyone was already writing him off.
Present Mic's voice boomed loudly over the speakers, "Right, let's start. Get movin'! There are no countdowns in real battles. Run, run, run, listeners! You're wasting airtime here!"
Izuku turned around and saw that everyone had already started running into the battle center, "Crap, I'm already behind. Hey, wait up! Save some villains for me!"
Over at the battle center where Danny was, he stood at the back of the crowd so no one would notice him. He had just transformed into Phantom when the battle started. He turned invisible and flew right through all the other candidates.
"Now," Danny thought. "If I was a villain robot, where would I be?" Suddenly a 2 point villain popped out of nowhere and Danny shouted, "Perfect!" He shot an ecto blast, destroying it instantly. The other combatants were confused as Danny was still invisible so they couldn't see who made the shot. Danny chuckled and his voice echoed, making the other contestants shiver a bit with fear.
Danny saw another villain robot, a 3 point one, come toward some contestants who weren't paying attention, and Phantom turned visible and flew down and grabbed the contestants before they were crushed. He shot an ecto beam from his eyes for good measure and destroyed the robot. He flew to the ground and dropped the contestants off, "You guys should probably be more observant. These robots are coming out of everywhere."
The guys he saved were stunned at the ghost boy standing before them. Other contestants nearby were murmuring debating where Phantom came from and how strong he looked. Phantom flew away looking for more robots to fight.
Meanwhile, Izuku was still running far behind the crowd in his group, "Just calm down. This is fine. I have plenty of time. I'll catch up to them. After all, I've got All Might's power in me."
He thought back to earlier that morning when he got All Might's power through swallowing a lock of his hair. All Might told him that the power should kick in maybe two to three hours after ingesting the hair. The hero also warned him that even though he molded his body into a proper vessel, he did it in a hurry so he had to be cautious as he hadn't even taken the power for a test drive. As the physical backlash of One For All can be intense.
As Izuku was thinking about what All Might said, a 1 point robot charged out from the building in front of him. "Whoa, a one pointer!"
The robot charged at him, but Izuku couldn't move his feet for some reason. "I'm gonna die!"
But then the robot was destroyed by a contestant named Aoyama, who had the Quirk: Naval Laser. "Merci," Aoyama thanked Izuku. "We make a great team with you as my decoy. Although, I doubt I'll be seeing too much of you in the future. Adieu!"
He sped off leaving Izuku there alone. Present Mic's voice came over the loudspeakers, "Six minutes and two seconds left!"
Izuku started to freak out, "Not good, not good!" He started to run again, looking around for robots to destroy for points, but all he could find were robots already destroyed.
He looked and saw the girl from earlier. She was using her Quirk: Gravity to levitate the robots in the air then drop them to the ground, destroying them. She saw her progress, "OK, that should be at least 28 points."
Tenya came running in, thanks to his Quirk: Engine, and hyper kicked the robot destroying it. "That puts me at 45!"
Izuku really was starting to freak out, "How'd they get so many?" He looked around and saw students everywhere destroying robots left right and center. "At this rate, there won't be any enemies left. I'm gonna fail!"
What the contestants didn't know was that they were being monitored by the principal and the other teachers of the school. The principal commented, "Clearly the examinees have no idea how many villains are present, or their locations. They have limited time, must cover a vast area, and hunt down every last target. Some use information gathering to plan out their strategies, while others rely on speed to pull ahead of their peers. Of course remaining calm under pressure can be a huge advantage. As can pure power and combat ability. The most successful students use a combination of all these tactics. They're the ones who rack up the highest scores."
One teacher commented, "Hmm. I'd say this year's group looks promising."
"Well, there's still plenty of time before it's over," Another teacher commented. "The real test is yet to come."
"Also," a third teacher added. "It seems there is at least one student using all the tactics in the book. That white haired kid flying around knocking robots down like they're nothing. But he's also being observant of his surroundings and keeping the other contestants safe. Even rescuing them if he needs to. He's almost like a seasoned pro."
Danny was indeed fighting his way through all the robots quickly and rescuing students at the same time. He was only using his flying, phasing, strength, and ecto blast powers during this mock battle. He had no need to go full strength. Plus, he wanted to give the other students a chance to get some points as well.
He floated in the sky slightly above the buildings looking down below, "Well, I haven't been fully keeping track, but I know I have at least 60 points from those robots I destroyed. Not to mention I've saved a few people here and there that weren't paying attention. Now, I wonder how Izuku is doing."
Back where the teachers were watching, a teacher pushed a button that released the 0 point robot to all of the battle centers, but it was enormous.
Izuku looked up at the one that emerged in the battle center he was in, "Isn't that a little extreme?" Other examinees started running away. Izuku realized he had to do the same, "This is a disaster! I've gotta run and find some smaller villains. I'm still at zero points!"
Present Mic's voice boomed over the speakers, "Less than two minutes remaining!"
Izuku really started to panic, "What? Two minutes remaining? Everything All Might and Danny did for me, all that training, it'll be wasted!"
Suddenly he heard a voice cry in pain. He looked behind him and saw that the girl from earlier was trapped until some rubble. In an instance, the same feeling he felt during the sludge monster incident came back to him, and his feet started moving on their own, toward the giant robot. One For All activated in his legs and he jumped high into the sky.
All Might's words rang in his ears as he drew back his arm to throw a punch, "There are no combat points rewarded for taking down the humongous villain. But there is opportunity. A chance to shine. To show what you're really made of. So clench your buttcheeks, kid. And yell this from the depths of your heart!"
"Smash!" Izuku shouted. He punched the robot right in its face and it toppled to the ground.
All Might was watching this along with the other teachers, "That's right. Show who you are. Embody what it means to be a hero. Nothing is nobler than self-sacrifice."
The principal was sitting next to All Might, "It looks like he's not the only one going after the zero pointer." He pointed to a screen that showed Phantom, holding back one of the robot's arms.
Phantom had been up in the sky when the giant robot popped out. He saw the other examinees running away. But then he heard a cry for help. Peering his eyes to the ground, he saw a sleeve waving erratically. Focusing his vision, what was invisible became visible to him and he saw a girl trapped under some rubble. Realizing the danger she was in, he flew down with incredible speed and held back the hand that was about to crush the girl.
"Silly robot," Danny said. "Don't you know it's impolite to raise a hand towards a lady?" He focused all the ecto energy he had left into his hands and sent it all to the robot, obliterating it into ash.
Phantom took some deep breaths, then turned and pulled up the rubble and threw it to the side. He reached a hand down to the invisible girl, "Are you alright?"
The girl took Phantom's hand and stood up, "Yes, thank you. How did you see me?"
"Part of my Quirk," Phantom answered. "Since I can become invisible myself, I also can see things that are invisible. Speaking of which, you might want to fix your shirt."
The girl looked down to see her shirt was ripped in the front, so her boobs were exposed, but since she was invisible, no one else could see them. She glared up at Phantom, "Are you a pervert?!"
Danny shook his head, "No, I'm not! I didn't notice until just now. I didn't mean to offend you. I was just trying to be courteous."
The girl fixed her shirt, "Fine. I'll accept that, for now."
Back with Izuku, he was still in the air, "This is kind of like when I tried to save Kacchan. I moved without thinking. But now I have a Quirk, real power."
"Just one minute left!" Present Mic's voice boomed out.
Izuku realized he was now free falling and started to freak out. He tried using One For All, but his arm and legs were broken. He tried thinking of a strategy to stop his fall, but then the girl he saved slapped him in the face, using her Quirk to stop his fall. She herself was floating on a piece of a robot. She held her hands together and released her power, safely putting herself and Izuku on the ground. But then she threw up, as using too much of her power causes her to get sick.
Izuku laid motionless on the ground, "I'm alive. That girl….She stopped my fall again. Sure seemed to take a lot out of her. But at least she doesn't look injured. That's a relief. Now, I just need to go earn one point…"
He tried to get up so he could earn points, but then Present Mic's voice boomed, "And that's it! Time's up!"
Izuku started to sob as he realized he got zero points, then he fell unconscious. Other examinees gathered around him, talking about what he did. They were surprised that he had power like that, but felt pity that he got zero points, even after showing off a move like he did.
Tenya was standing nearby, "They're all missing the point. Don't they see what he did? He sacrificed everything. Just to save that girl. He must have known how little time was left, how many points he needed to pass, that he was putting his life on the line. But despite those concerns, he didn't hesitate to jump. If this hadn't been an exam, then, of course, I would have done the same thing! Wait….the exam….the judges. They saw that."
"Very nice." An old woman, named Recovery Girl, walked up. "Good work all around. You're heroes in my eyes, every one of you. Here, reward yourselves. Have some gummies." The students mumbled their thanks. She walked over to Izuku, "Oh, my goodness. You were hurt this badly by your Quirk, sonny?" She puckered up her lips as they extended right onto Izuku.
Other examinees were grossed out, but Aoyama said, "That mademoiselle is the heart of UA. You all are watching a school nurse in action. The Youthful Heroine, Recovery Girl. Her Quirk has a tremendous boost of healing power. She's the only reason UA can hold these reckless exams. Look, she's saving him months of recovery time."
Recovery Girl smiled at her work, "All right. He'll be fine now. Anyone else injured?"
Tenya was still thinking, "I wonder. What if the exam had other parameters I didn't take into account? It's possible."
Danny met up with Izuku outside of the school. He saw the somber look on his face. Izuku told him what happened and how he didn't destroy any robots worth points, but did destroy the giant zero point robot. Danny reassured Izuku that what he did was still heroic and hopefully the judges will see that. But Izuku wasn't 100% convinced. They both went back home for a well earned rest.
One week later, Izuku was sitting eating dinner with his mother. But Izuku was just staring at the eyes of the dead fish sitting in front of him. Izuku's mother was trying to get his attention, "Izuku? Snap out of it. Izuku. Why are you smiling at that fish? Should I be worried about you, honey?"
Izuku shook his head to clear his thoughts, "Oh, sorry, no. I just spaced out for a minute." He then started to eat his dinner rapidly.
Later when his mother was doing the dishes, Izuku sat on the couch thinking to himself, "Based on my own estimates, I barely passed the written part of the exam. Not that it really matters, since I ended up with a big fat zero in the mock battle. Not a single point. And ever since the exam, I haven't been able to get in touch with All Might. Danny-kun can't either. At least Danny has been keeping my spirits up. But I bet he aced that mock battle. Given how awesome he is."
He sighed, and his mother noticed, "I know. Waiting for the results is terrible."
"I guess," Izuku muttered.
His mother continued, "No matter what, I just want you to know that I'm proud of you and I think you're really cool, sweetie."
She walked to the front door while Izuku thought, "I haven't told my mom about All Might or his secret. Neither has Danny to his sister. We want him to continue being the Symbol of Peace for everyone, the number one hero. Besides, he trusted us. So, we've been keeping our mouths shut."
He picked up a set of weights and started to do an arm workout, "All Might. Somehow, someway, you saw potential in me. Same with you, Danny-kun. But I failed. I let all of us down. I'm sorry. But I'll keep trying."
Suddenly his mom came rushing in, "A letter, Izuku. They came, Izuku. Look! You got a letter! They're here! Your test results from UA!"
Izuku took the letter and went straight to his room and sat down at his desk. His mother started to pace outside his door. Izuku took a deep breath and tore open the letter, revealing a strange looking device.
Suddenly a projection started to play, and All Might's face popped up, "Booya! I am here as a projection now!"
Izuku was confused as to why All Might was on the projection, "Wait, All Might. But this is from UA, isn't it?"
All Might on the projection continued, "I know it's been a while, but with great power comes a great amount of paperwork. My apologies, young man. The truth is, I didn't come to this city just to fight villains. You're looking at the newest UA faculty member."
Izuku was shocked, "You're seriously going to be working at UA?"
Someone outside of the shot was miming to All Might, who said, "Huh? Yes, what's the matter? Who's showboating? Oh, sorry, I'll wrap it up, but I have to show him something first. Wait, I have to do how many of these things? Right! So, moving on! Even though you passed the written test, you got zero combat points in the practical exam. Sorry."
Izuku started to cry, "I know that. That's all I've been thinking about. I'm a failure."
But All Might continued, "Fortunately, there were other factors. But before we get to that, I have another surprise. Here, look! A short clip for your viewing pleasure!"
The clip started at the brown haired girl popped up, "Um, do you have a sec? Sorry to interrupt."
Izuku realized, "It's that nice girl."
All Might said, "She showed up after the exam to talk about you, young man. What did she have to say? You'll have to stay tuned to find out!"
He pressed play and the clip continued where the girl was talking to Present Mic, "You know that boy with the really messy hair and all the freckles? It's hard to describe his face. He's kinda plain-looking. I was wondering, would it be possible to give him some of the points I earned in the exam? I heard him say something about wanting to just get one point in, which just seems crazy. How could someone who took down that huge villain all by himself not have any points in the end? He would've had a better score if he hadn't stopped to help me. He saved me. I have to make it up to him. Please, sir. Can't you just give him my points?"
All Might stopped the clip, "You have a Quirk now, yes. But it's your actions that inspire others. And that's why I am here. You see, the practical exam was not graded on combat alone."
That shocked Izuku. All Might pressed play on the clip and Present Mic spoke, "Thanks for showin' up to the station with your request. But there's no reason to give him your points. The kid's chartin' well on his own."
All Might stopped the clip and stepped in front of the camera, "How could a hero course reject someone who is committed to saving others, no matter the consequences for himself? After all, that is what makes a hero. And that's what my alma mater is all about. Training those who would risk their lives for the greater good. So, we have rescue points. A panel of judges watches, and they award points for heroic acts beyond just fighting villains. Izuku Midoriya, 60 Rescue Points! And Ochaco Uraraka, 45 Rescue Points! You both passed the exam!"
Izuku couldn't believe what he was hearing as he started to cry, "Is this some kind of joke?"
All Might looked at the camera, held out his hand, and said, "Welcome, Izuku. You've made it. You're now a part of the hero academia."
Izuku's tears started to roll down his face as he realized he just got into the school of his dreams. He nodded his thanks and dried his tears. He got up and opened the door to where his mother was waiting. He simply smiled at her, which told her that he passed. She started to cry and gave him a big hug.
Over at Danny's apartment, he was thinking about Izuku mostly. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would get into UA, but he was worried that Izuku would not. But the cries of Izuku's mother shouting, "Oh, my baby! Congrats!" was heard through the walls as Izuku's apartment was really close to his.
Danny smiled, "Congrats, Dude. You've earned it."
Jazz then came walking into his room, "Danny, a letter just arrived from UA. It's your test results." She handed him the letter and walked out to give him some privacy.
Danny sat up and ripped the envelope open and a small device fell out. A projection started to play, as All Might's face appeared, "Booya! I am here in this projection! Sorry for the delay. With great power comes a great amount of paperwork."
Danny snorted, "Did he seriously just parody Spiderman?"
All Might continued, "Now, you have not only passed the written exam, but you passed the practical exam with flying colors. You earned 70 Combat Points. But that wasn't the only factor that was judged. There were also Rescue Points, and you impressed the judges greatly. Danny Fenton, 70 Rescue Points! You looked like an experienced pro out there. Not only did you take care of beating those villains, but you also showed your compassion for your fellow man with all those rescues. Why, you even took down that giant robot just to save someone. That is what I'd call self-sacrifice. Now, Danny Fenton. Welcome to UA. Congratulations."
Danny smiled as Jazz ran into the room and hugged him, "Congrats, little brother. I knew you could do it."
"Yeah," Danny replied. "I did it. I didn't realize they were giving us points for rescuing people. I mean, that is part of the job too. It looks like I'm going to UA with Izuku. Let's see what this hero academia is made of."
Chapter 6: What I Can Do For Now
The teachers of UA were looking over the results of the practical exam. "These are some pretty interesting results of the exam," One teacher commented.
A female teacher said, "The highest scorer of villain points didn't even get any rescue points." She was referring to Katsuki Bakugo.
Another teacher said, "He took down those faux villains like an ace. When most of the other examinees were running from the big obstacle, he stayed focused on letting the smaller targets get in close and then counterattacking. That kid is tough."
The female teacher commented again, "On the opposite end, the eighth place student had zero villain points." She was referring to Izuku Midoriya.
The other teacher replied, "He's not the first UA hopeful to take out that giant robot. Though, it's been a while since I saw someone blow it away with one attack."
"But at what cost?" Another teacher asked. "Did you see how badly he injured himself? If you ask me, it's like his body isn't used to his Quirk."
One teacher, with long black hair and bored eyes, stood in the back of the room, taking note of Izuku's results.
"Speaking of taking out that giant robot," the female teacher commented. "There was another student this year who took it out with one attack. The first place student. He scored equal points for villains and rescue. He's definitely acting like an experienced pro. He's focused yet compassionate. The makings of a true hero."
All the teachers stared at Danny's results. He scored a total of 140 points, 70 for villain, 70 for rescue. Some of the teachers were thinking of who this mysterious Danny Fenton is.
Speaking of the ghost boy, he was sleeping in his room when suddenly his ghost sense went off. Something that hasn't happened in a little over a year. He immediately woke up and looked around. Then he heard a voice say, "Calm yourself, young Phantom."
Danny turned to see Clockwork floating there. The boy smiled up at the ghost, "Clockwork. I didn't expect to see you here. Just checking in, I assume?"
The time ghost nodded, "Yes. I am glad that your first year in this new world went well, although I knew that would happen, as I know everything. But I just want you to be cautious for this upcoming year. It won't go as smoothly as this year did. You will be challenged in ways you couldn't possibly imagine."
Danny sighed, "I figured as much. And I guess you won't tell me what I am going to be up against this year?"
Clockwork shook his head, "You know I cannot. I may get in trouble with the Observants for even giving you this warning. Young Phantom, be on your guard. And prepare for the unexpected." Then the time ghost disappeared back to the Ghost Zone, leaving Danny there alone with his thoughts.
The night after the letters went out, All Might contacted Izuku and Danny. Both boys ran to the beach where All Might was waiting, in his normal form.
"Hi, All Might!" Izuku shouted.
"Too loud, kid," All Might hushed him as he coughed up blood.
"Seriously," Danny added. "You need to get that blood thing taken care of."
They heard some murmuring from the pier behind them, as they heard All Might's name and were looking for him.
All Might glared at Izuku, "Way to blow my cover. Say it was a mistake."
Izuku nodded and started to wave his arms around, "I was just kidding. Nothing to see here."
That seemed to get the bystanders to walk away, with Danny saying, "Smooth."
All Might then said, "Congrats on getting in, you two."
Danny shrugged, "Thanks, but I figured I'd get in. I'm just glad Izuku will be going with me."
Izuku added, "I couldn't have done it without your help, All Might. Same goes for Danny."
All Might nodded, "Speaking of which, I didn't tell anyone at UA that I've been training you or anything. Really. I wasn't one of the judges, and I didn't pull any strings for ya. You earned that spot on your own. Same goes for you, ghost boy. Although from the display you showed, you wouldn't have needed any help getting in."
Danny nodded as Izuku bowed, "Wow, thanks for telling me. I'm glad to know. Oh, yeah! I was really surprised to hear that you're gonna be a teacher at UA this year! I was wondering what brought you here all of a sudden. After all, your agency is in Minato, Tokyo and everyone knows…."
Danny whacked Izuku on the side of the head, "You're starting to get creepy, Dude. Chill."
All Might then said, "The school didn't want me telling anyone about the job until they made an official announcement. It seemed like fortuitous timing. An easy way to find someone new to inherit One For All."
"Ah," Danny replied. "That's why you said that you considered someone like me. Your original intention was finding a student at UA to inherit the Quirk."
Izuku then said, "Your power completely wrecked my body. And all I did was jump and throw one punch. I can't control it. What do I do?"
All Might turned to Izuku, "You'll learn to manage it in time. Hoping to master it right away is like asking a baby to run a marathon. You still have to go through the process of learning how to walk."
"So baby steps need to be taken," Danny suggested.
Izuku suddenly realized, "Wait. You knew I was gonna get hurt that badly?"
All Might shrugged, "Well, we were in a time crunch. But it turned out alright. Plus, now you know what you're dealing with."
"You could have at least warned him," Danny replied.
All Might shrugged again, "Con of being a hero. Sometimes, you have to go in unprepared." He then picked up two cans from the ground. "Right now, your Quirk is either all or nothing. One day, you'll learn to control your output. Then you'll be able to adjust exactly how much power you're using."
"I just need control?" Izuku asked.
All Might explained, "You're overflowing with energy at the moment. With training, your body'll hold it better. Then it's yours to command." He turned into his hero form and smashed the two cans in his hand.
The bystanders looked back and noticed All Might really was standing there. The hero then said, "Right, time to run!" He ran off in the other direction and Izuku and Danny ran to catch up.
"I could have just turned all of us invisible, you know!" Danny shouted as they continued running.
All Might looked behind him at Izuku and thought, "The torch I passed onto you is but a small flame right now. In time, it will be kindled until you wield an enraging inferno. The more before you become, the more you'll outshine me. Eventually, I'll retire. My job complete. Hoo! Deep stuff, All Might."
They had a month before the new school year started. Danny helped Izuku train his body so that it could accept One For All better. Danny didn't have Izuku use his Quirk as he didn't want him to get hurt again, especially before the new school year started. So he had Izuku do regular combat training and gradually step up the intensity.
Then, the first day of school came. Danny was finishing putting his new school uniform on, "I still hate that I have to wear uniforms to go to school. Man do I miss American schools."
Jazz chuckled as she walked over, "If you went to a private school then you would have had to wear a uniform as well. Just think of it like that. Now, do you have anything you need, Danny?"
Danny nodded, "Yeah I do. Well, wish me luck. Oh, and good luck for your first day of your new semester, sis."
Jazz pulled Danny into a hug, "Stay safe, little brother."
Danny hugged her back and got his shoes on, pulled his backpack onto his back, and walked out the door.
Izuku was also finishing getting ready for his first day of school. His mother was hovering over him, "Izuku? You're all set? Are ya sure? You didn't just pack action figures, did ya?"
"I have everything," Izuku answered. "Now I gotta go. I'm gonna be late. Danny's probably waiting for me."
He stood up and opened the door, but his mother stopped him. "What?" Izuku groaned.
He turned and saw tears in his mother's eyes. She smiled and said, "I'm really proud of you, son."
Izuku was shocked, as those were the words he had waited so long to hear from his mother. He smiled back at her, "I'll see you soon."
He walked out the door, where Danny was waiting, "There you are. Let's go! We're gonna be late. Man, to hear myself say that about school is amazing."
The two ran off to UA. Izuku mentioned to Danny that the acceptance rate was just as low as it always had been. Only 1 in 300. While 36 people got into the hero course through the exams, four people got in because of recommendations. Danny felt that was a little unfair to the other students who had to prove their worth, but understood that maybe those recommended students did as well in their own way.
Izuku ran through the hallways looking for his classroom, with Danny following as he was in the same class as Izuku, Class 1-A. Izuku stopped in front of the classroom door, "Here it is!"
Danny walked over to Izuku and looked up, "Man, this is one tall door. I hope they don't have giants here."
Izuku took a deep breath, "The most promising students in the country are waiting behind that door. I just hope Kacchan and that kid with glasses aren't in this class. Hopefully everyone here is nice."
Danny put his arm around Izuku, "Relax, Dude. We won't know until you open the door. If Katsuki is in this class, if he gives you crap, you have me for backup."
Izuku slid open the door and he saw Tenya yelling at Katsuki about putting his feet on his desk, with Katsuki telling Tenya that he had a stick up his butt. Izuku groaned at the sight of the two people he didn't want to see again.
Tenya realized he was being rude and said, "Let's start over. I'm Tenya Iida from the Somei Private Academy."
Katsuki chuckled, "Somei, huh? You must think you're better than me. I'm gonna have fun tearing you a new one."
Tenya gasped, "You would threaten me? Your own classmate? Are you sure you're in the right place?"
"Maybe Katsuki's got his own stick up his butt if he's threatening students again," Danny said from the doorway. Katsuki saw Danny standing there with Izuku and huffed.
Tenya saw Izuku and said, "Huh? It's him." All the other classmates turned to Izuku and Danny, making Izuku feel awkward.
Tenya walked over to them, "Good morning. My name is Tenya Iida from…."
"Dude," Danny stopped him. "We know. We heard you from across the room. I'm Danny Fenton."
Izuku introduced himself, "And I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's super nice to meet you."
Tenya stared at Izuku, "Midoriya. You realized there was something more to the practical exam, didn't you? You must be very perceptive. And I completely misjudged you, I admit. As a student, you're far superior to me."
Izuku was super confused while Danny was trying not to giggle.
Suddenly Ochaco appeared behind the boys, "Hey, I recognize that messed up hair! Falling Boy!"
Izuku was speechless as Ochaco was talking to him. He started mumbling his thanks about her going to talk to the teachers about giving him points, and Danny just stared at the two and thought, "I'm calling it now. Lovebirds."
Meanwhile, Katsuki was pouting in his seat. He remembered back when he was summoned to the head teacher's office at his junior high and Izuku and Danny were there as well. The head teacher was impressed that not one, but three students from his school were going to UA, and was surprised that Izuku was one of them. Katsuki later cornered Izuku outside of school and demanded to know how he passed the exam. But Izuku surprised him by standing up to him and telling him that someone once told him that he can become a hero, and no one would stop him. Danny had later separated them before things escalated.
Getting back to the present, Katsuki glared at Izuku, "I'm gonna ruin that little bastard. Right after I figure out how he got in."
Izuku and Ochaco were still talking to each other when a voice called out, "If you're just here to make friends, then you can pack your stuff up right now."
Izuku and Ochaco stopped talking. They looked next to the classroom door and saw the black haired teacher lying on the ground in a yellow sleeping bag. They stepped back in shock as Danny muttered, "That's an interesting sight."
The teacher, named Aizawa, continued, "Welcome to UA's hero course." He took a sip of yogurt and then stood up, stepping out of his sleeping bag, "It took you eight seconds before you all shut up. That's not gonna work. Time is precious. Rational students would understand that."
Izuku was thinking about who this guy could be, he had to be a pro hero, but he looked so worn out.
Aizawa turned to the rest of the class, "Hello, I'm Shota Aizawa. Your teacher."
The class was shocked at that.
Aizawa reached into his sleeping bag and pulled out a workout uniform, "All right, let's get to it. Put these on and head outside." The students just looked at Aizawa dumbfounded.
Over in the teacher's lounge, All Might was reading, "UA's course doesn't follow the normal academic path. Get the wrong homeroom teacher, and life is hell."
Aizawa led Class 1-A out of the workout field and told the class what they would be doing. The class was shocked, "What? A Quirk assessment test?"
Ochaco argued, "But orientation! We're gonna miss it!"
Aizawa countered, "If you really want to make it in the big leagues, you can't waste time on pointless ceremonies. Here at UA, we're not tethered to traditions. That means that I get to run my class however I see fit."
"Harsh," thought Danny.
Aizawa continued, "You've been taking standardized tests most of your lives. But you never got to use your Quirks in physical exams before. The country's still trying to pretend we're all created equal by not letting those with the most power excel. It's not rational. One day, the Ministry of Education will learn." He then turned to Katsuki, "Bakugo, you scored the most villain points in the exam. What was your farthest distance throw with a softball when you were in Junior High?"
Katsuki thought for a moment, "Sixty-seven meters, I think."
Aizawa nodded, "Right. Try doing it with your Quirk. Anything goes, just stay in the circle. Go on, you're wasting our time."
Bakugo took a softball, walked over to the circle, and stretched his arms, "All right, man. You asked for it." He wound up his arm and threw some of his power into the throw, releasing the ball with some fiery power behind it, shouting,"Die!" as he threw it.
Izuku froze with amazement. Danny just thought Katsuki was showing off a bit too much.
Aizawa said, "All of you need to know your maximum capabilities. It's the most rational way of figuring out your potential as a pro hero."
He showed the class Katsuki's results: 705.2 meters, making the class gasp, minus Danny.
"Whoa, 705 meters?" One boy, named Denki Kaminari, said. "Are you kidding me?"
A girl, Mina Ashido, added, "I want to go. That looks like fun!"
Another boy, Hanta Sero, said, "This is what I'm talkin' about, using our Quirks as much as we want!"
Aizawa was not impressed, "So, this looks fun, huh? You have three years here to become a hero. You think it's all gonna be games and play time? Idiots. Today you'll compete in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none, and will be expelled immediately."
The class gasped, with Danny thinking, "OK, this guy's way too harsh. But at least he's right about not everything is fun and games."
Back in the teacher lounge, All Might was looking over the class roster and noticed, "Aww, crap. Midoriya's got Aizawa. He's going to be singled out from the start. Hopefully Fenton can sway him away from the poor boy."
Izuku was freaking out on the inside, "Immediate expulsion? No way. This is not good. I can only use One For All either at 0 or 100. Danny's training may not be enough for this."
Aizawa continued, "Like I said, I get to decide how this class is run. Understand? If that's a problem, you can head home right now."
"Not gonna happen," Danny thought.
Ochaco argued, "You can't send one of us home! I mean, we just got here! Even if it wasn't the first day, that isn't fair!"
Aizawa counter, "Oh, and you think natural disasters are ? Or power hungry villains? Or catastrophic events that wipe out whole cites? No, the world is full of unfairness. It's a hero's job to combat that unfairness. If you wanna be a pro, you're gonna have to push yourself to the brink. For the next three years, UA will throw one terrible hardship after another at you. So, go beyond. Plus Ultra style. Show me it's no mistake that you're here."
"Yeah," Katsuki said. "Time to blow you nerds away. I'm gonna show all of you how the person who got first place at the exams does things."
Aizawa turned to Katsuki, "You didn't get first place at the exam. I just said you got the most villain points. 77 to be exact. But you didn't get any rescue points to add to that, so 77 was your final score." He then turned and pointed at Danny, "Fenton here got first place at the exams. 140 points."
The class gasped in shock. Katsuki was about to blow a gasket. Izuku looked at Danny with amazement.
Danny sighed, "Thanks for that, teach. I really didn't want anyone to know that. Didn't want to be a show off, like some people here." He directed that last part at Katsuki, whose hands were sparking as he glared at the ghost boy.
Aizawa was actually impressed by Danny's statement, "Ah. It seems we actually have a student who understands what I am trying to say to all of you. Look to him as an example. But Fenton, that means I'm keeping an extra close eye on you to see if you live up to what you preach."
Danny just stared back at Aizawa, "Fine by me."
Aizawa turned back to the rest of the class, "Now then. We're just wasting time by talking. Let the games begin."
The first test was the 50 meter dash. This was a piece of cake for someone like Tenya, since his Quirk is Engine. Aizawa noted, "Well, he's in his element. But speed won't help him in every test."
The girl Tenya was running against, Tsuya Asui, wasn't far behind him, as her Quirk: Frog, let her leap far distances.
Ochaco touched different parts of her body, "I'll lighten up my clothes. Oh, and my shoes, too." As her Quirk: Zero Gravity, would help her be lighter for the run. She ran against Mashirao Ojiro, whose Quirk is Tail, which meant he had a large, long tail like a kangaroo.
Yuga Aoyama was up next against Mina Ashido. He was already trash talking, "Nice attempts, mon amis. But you're just not showing enough panache! Let your power shine!"
He shot a laser from his navel to propel him towards the finish line, but he couldn't get there in one go. He had to fire again to make it. Mina, whose Quirk is Acid, skid along the track quickly using said acid. She first just before Yuga.
The French born student stood tall at the finish line, "Shooting my beautiful beam for more than a second hurts my tummy."
"What a tool," many students thought at the same time.
Izuku and Katsuki were up next. Bakugo used his Quirk to push him to the finish line, "Burst speed!" Izuku just ran normally and finished almost 4 seconds behind Katsuki.
Bakugo commented, "My power has more uses than anyone else's in this school."
Danny walked past him to get to the starting line, "Showing off again, Dude. Not the attitude to have if you want to be a hero."
"Shut it, nerd!" Bakugo shouted.
Izuku was trying to catch his breath, "There are still seven tests. Everyone's gonna be using their Quirks on all of them and getting awesome results. So what do I do? I've got a ton of power, but I can only use it once. And it'll break me. Control! That's what I need. Like All Might and Danny said. Take baby steps. Just stay focused."
Danny stood at the start line next to a girl named Momo Yaoyorozu, whose Quirk is Creation. The ghost boy looked over and saw she was pulling her shirt off a little, making Danny question what the heck she was doing. Suddenly two hand gauntlets came out of her and she quickly put them on.
"You made those?" Danny asked Momo.
Momo turned to Danny, "Yes, if I know the exact specifications of an item I want to build, my body can make it."
Danny was impressed, "That's cool. In fact, those gauntlets look like something my…." He suddenly remembered that the gauntlets he was referring to were the ones his parents made, the ones that….he….used to kill his dad. He shook his head to bury the memory, "Never mind."
Momo noticed the sad look in Danny's eyes for that brief second, "These must remind him of something from his past that pains him. Poor guy."
Danny refocused and quickly turned into his Phantom form. When the race started, he flew as fast as he could toward the finish line. If he remembered correctly, last time Tucker timed him, his fastest speed was 112 mph. After Danny passed the finish line, everyone noticed he crossed the line in just under a second. They were all shocked, even Aizawa. Momo finished just 3 seconds later.
Aizawa just said, "Next test, let's go."
The tests flew by fast: grip strength, standing long jump, repeated side steps, etc. Danny aced all of them, much to the amazement of everyone, except Katsuki. Izuku was trying to stay focused but wasn't using One For All in any of the tests.
The ball throw test was next. Ochaco got infinity thanks to her Quirk. Danny got 1000 meters just before the ball burned up thanks to his ecto energy.
Finally, Izuku was up. He was freaking out, "This is bad. I've got to come up with some sort of game plan. Everyone's had at least one crazy good score already. Except Danny, who's aced all of them. All that's left is this, the distance run, sit-ups, and the seated toe touch. It's now or never. This is my best chance to use One For All."
Tenya commented, "If Midoriya doesn't shape up soon, he's the one going home."
Katsuki agreed, "Huh? Of course he is. He's a Quirkless loser."
Tenya countered, "He has a Quirk. Did you not hear about what he did during the entrance exam?"
Danny gave both boys a green glowing death glare to shut them up so Izuku could concentrate.
Izuku wound his arm back, activated One For All, then threw, but he only got 46 meters.
Izuku was confused, "What gives? I was trying to use it now."
Danny looked over at Aizawa, "There's the culprit right there."
Aizawa activated his own Quirk, "I erased your Quirk. The judges for this exam were not rational enough. Someone like you should never be allowed to enroll at this school."
Izuku turned to Aizawa, then realized who he was, "Wait, I recognize those goggles. I know you. You can look at someone and cancel out their powers. The Erasure Hero. Eraser Head!"
The class was murmuring about Eraser Head, while All Might was secretly watching all of this from behind a bush, "Aizawa's one of those guys who doesn't like the media because he thinks they interfere with our work. And he judges celebrity heroes like me because I look good in the spotlight."
"You're not ready," Aizawa continued. "You have no control over your power. Were you planning to break your bones again? Counting on someone else to save your useless body?"
"No," Izuku argued. "That's not what I was trying to do.
Aizawa used the wrap he wore around his neck to grab Izuku and drag him closer, "No matter what your intentions are, you would be nothing more than a liability in battle. You have the same reckless passion as another overzealous hero I know. One who saved 1000 people by himself and became a legend. But even with that drive, you're worthless if you can only throw a single punch before breaking down. Sorry, Midoriya. With your power, there's no way you can become a hero."
Danny's eyes started to glow green with anger, but he saw the determined look in Izuku's eyes and backed down.
Aizawa released Izuku, "I've returned your impractical Quirk. Take your final throw. Hurry and get it over with."
Izuku picked up another ball, but looked up and saw Danny staring straight at him. Danny nodded at him, giving Izuku a confidence boost. He then thought, "I've only got one shot at nailing this. Aizawa expects me to either use my Quirk and break myself, or not use it and fail. I know that I still can't control my power. But I am not going to give up. I have to try something. No matter what the consequences."
Izuku wound up his arm and threw the ball, but released his power at the last second, only using it with his finger, "Mr. Aizawa was right about what he said. If I can't control my Quirk, there's no way I'll ever become a hero. I have to work harder than everyone else here if I want to succeed. Even if I have a lot to learn, I'll focus on what I can do right now. Take baby steps, like they said." He then yelled, "Smash!" as he released his power into his finger and the ball went shooting off into the distance, surprising everyone.
Izuku felt pain coming from his finger, "It hurts, but not as bad as before."
Aizawa noticed that he got the same score as Bakugo, 705 meters.
He looked up when Izuku talked directly to him, "Mr. Aizawa, you see? I'm still standing."
All Might sighed from his hiding spot, "I was worried about you, young man, but you're doing a great job. You knew you had to use One For All, but not at full power, otherwise you'd be KO'd. So, you propelled the ball at the last possible point of contact, by sending the power of your Quirk shooting through your fingertip. Minimizing the injury to your body while maximizing your throw. What the heck, young Midoriya? How did you go and get so cool?"
Danny smiled at his friend, "He did it. He took a baby step and focused his power into one small place. Nicely done, Izuku."