The month leading up to U.A. passed quickly. With his acceptance into U.A. confirmed, Jun increased his total training load by spreading it across himself and his clones.
Jun focused most of his own time on the gym. He continued building the same muscle groups he had already been working on, but pushed much harder with Heavy Touch, testing how much his body could handle. When he wasn't working out or pushing his limits with Himiko and Kirishima, he and #1 talked about how their hero suit would work when they operated as a duo.
The suit needed a way to carry both sets of escrima sticks without getting in Jun's way. They had already tested how Perfect Duplicate interacted with clothing and equipment. The Quirk duplicated clothing and some fitted equipment, but it still had limits. Anything fitted closely enough to Jun's body seemed to duplicate with him. Larger weapons did not, including the escrima sticks. The fitted parts of the suit would duplicate with #1, but the sticks would not.
Because of that, Jun would carry two sets of escrima sticks, with one set strapped to each thigh. When he created #1, they could each take a set. Their gloves would be reinforced across the knuckles, allowing them to fight with their fists if they ever lost their escrima sticks. The bracers along the outside of their forearms would also be reinforced and rounded so they could use them to block.
The suit would also include knee pads, combat boots, and other protective padding. A retractable restraint rope would be spooled into a reinforced belt at the back of Jun's waist. It would have a clip he could secure to an anchor point before using the rope as a rappel line. He could also detach it completely and use it to restrain someone.
Jun and #1 looked over the design. "This is only the first draft," Jun said. "We'll get more advanced stuff soon."
They still needed to submit the design to U.A. and learn what support equipment the school would approve for a first-year student.
#3 returned from his own training and looked over the design. "Isn't that just Captain America's suit with a little bit of Winter Soldier?" He looked at the escrima sticks. "Or Nightwing with the escrima sticks?"
Jun and #1 looked over at him. "Shut up," Jun and #1 said together.
#3 touched Jun and remerged with him.
Throughout the month, #2 and #3 focused on their own training. They scheduled multiple sessions a day across their different disciplines, funded by #2's winnings from the den. Whenever they trained in public, both of them presented themselves as Jun. Jun smiled whenever #2 and #3 returned and remerged, adding their training memories to his own.
#2 used the money for combat training, filling his schedule with boxing classes, close-quarters combat lessons, and supervised sparring. He trained until he was exhausted or hurt, returned home, remerged with Jun, and was created again without any of the accumulated exhaustion or damage.
"Does remembering all that exhaustion ever get tiring?" #2 asked.
"The memory is kind of like I've just woken up," Jun said. "It's overpowered."
Jun reached toward his ribs as one of #2's memories settled into his mind. During one sparring session, #2 had taken a hard hit to the ribs. He had kept going despite the pain.
Jun looked back at him. "You've gotta block those."
"I tried."
The memory continued. After the sparring session, #2's coach approached him. "Yo, are you all right?"
#2 gave him a thumbs-up. "Yep. I'll see you tomorrow."
The last thing Jun remembered from that session was the concerned look on the coach's face as #2 left.
#3 focused on freerunning and parkour, learning how to move efficiently without a movement-enhancing Quirk.
When #3 returned and remerged, Jun received the nasty memory of #3 pushing himself past exhaustion during one session. The tip of #3's foot caught on the edge of a mat. He pitched face-first into another mat, twisted sideways into a beam, and landed hard on his back.
The parkour instructor rushed over. "Yo, are you good?"
#3 gave him a thumbs-up. "Yeah. I can walk this off. I'm probably just done for the day."
#3 got up, returned home, and remerged with Jun.
After Jun remade #3, he looked between the two clones. "I know I said to train until you were exhausted to take advantage of the Quirk, but are you really going to hurt yourselves too?"
"Just think of it as mental conditioning," #2 said.
#3 brought a hand to his chin and looked up thoughtfully. "Is this basically torture?"
Jun rolled his eyes and waved them off.
Both clones shrugged as they left for their next training session.
[First Day at U.A....]
[Jun (Prime) | Active Bonds: 3/3]
Perfect Duplicate | Stage 2
Biological Blueprint | Stage 1
Empath | Stage 5
Jun stepped out of his room dressed in his U.A. uniform and headed downstairs.
Himiko was waiting in her own uniform.
"You ready to eat?" Jun asked.
"Nope. I was waiting for you."
"Cool."
Jun walked into the dining room, where his mother had made breakfast. "Thanks, Mom."
Breakfast passed quickly as Jun scarfed down his food.
His mother watched him. "Is someone chasing you? Slow down."
"I kind of want to get to U.A. quickly," Jun said. "First day and all."
She rolled her eyes.
Himiko began eating faster as well, matching Jun's pace.
Once Jun finished, he gulped down his juice, carried his dishes to the sink, and set them inside. "Thanks, Mom. See you after school."
Himiko followed right behind him. "Bye, Mrs. Mori."
They grabbed their bags and hurried toward the train station.
When they arrived, Mina and Kirishima were already waiting for them. "Yo, what's up, slowpokes?" Mina asked.
"Sorry. Big breakfast." Jun patted his stomach twice before approaching Kirishima. They clasped hands, squeezing each other's hands as they flexed their arms.
After releasing him, Jun turned toward Mina and exchanged a quick backhand slap, palm slap, and fist bump with her. "You guys ready for your first day?"
Mina pulled Himiko into a side hug. "Yep."
"I've been ready since the exam, man," Kirishima said.
The train pulled up, and the four of them boarded. They found Jiro already inside.
"Yo, Jiro," Jun said.
Jiro nodded. "Yo."
They settled in as the train started moving. "What do you guys think the Hero Course will be doing today?" Himiko asked.
Jun half-smiled. First day at U.A. The Quirk Apprehension Test and Aizawa's threat to expel a student. Man, not an easy day for anyone who isn't confident.
Jun shrugged. "Whatever it is, I'm sure all of us are ready."
Kirishima held out his fist. "Hell yeah, man."
Jun bumped his fist against Kirishima's before turning to Himiko. "What do you think you'll be doing?"
Himiko tapped her cheek as she thought. "General Studies, right? Maybe it'll be like middle school or just standard high school. We might learn more about heroes and the legal side of everything."
"Actually, yeah," Jun said. "What is the difference between U.A.'s General Studies and a regular academy? I bet it's something like that, right?"
The others agreed. "Yeah," Mina said. "They probably still teach you about hero society and give you a chance to transfer into the Hero Course later, right?"
The conversation shifted to what everyone had been doing and what they expected from U.A. Eventually, the train came to a stop, and the group began making their way toward U.A.
When they reached the main building, Himiko faced the others. "Well, I guess this is where we split, right?"
Jun reached over and gave her a half hug. "See you after school, then."
"Yeah."
Himiko walked away while the others started heading toward their classroom.
Jiro glanced at Jun. "You're close to Himiko. Are you guys, you know, a thing?"
"Nope," Mina answered just a little too quickly. "They're just childhood friends."
Jun chuckled. "Yeah. I've known her since I was eight."
Jiro raised an eyebrow before shrugging and continuing forward.
Jun slid open the door to Class 1-A, and the group walked inside. Jun immediately noticed that quite a few students were still missing.
Iida stood from his seat. "Hello! I am Tenya Iida. I come from Somei Private Academy."
His eyes settled on Jun. "I recognize you. You're the student who told me to stop interrupting Present Mic's presentation."
"Yeah. I'm Junya Mori. I go by Jun."
Mina, Kirishima, and Jiro introduced themselves after him.
"The homeroom teacher has not arrived, but the desks appear to be assigned," Iida said. "Your surnames should be written on them."
Jun scanned the classroom, recognizing several of the students who had arrived. Well, I won't know who I replaced until everyone's here.
The group separated to find their seats. Jun found his surname on the desk in the fourth row, along the right side of the classroom.
Mineta sat directly in front of him. Oh.
Todoroki sat to his left, staring straight ahead with a blank look on his face. Oh. There's the famous Half-Cold Half-Hot.
Toru was diagonally behind Jun, with Momo seated directly behind him. Jun sat down and glanced over his shoulder. "Yo, Hagakure."
Her clothes shifted to face him. "Huh? Jun! Looks like you made it."
"You did too. I told you I'd see you in class."
Toru's uniform pivoted as she watched Mina, Kirishima, and Jiro find their seats. "Oh, you already made friends?"
"Yeah, we all live in the same area."
Jun pointed toward Mina and Kirishima. "I've known these two since middle school."
Then he pointed toward Jiro. "I met her on the way to the entrance exam last month."
"Oh," Toru said.
Jun shifted toward Momo and held out his hand. "Hello. I'm Junya Mori. My friends call me Jun."
She briefly shook his hand. "Momo Yaoyorozu. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Before they could continue, the classroom door slid open with a bang, drawing everyone's attention. Bakugo entered and headed toward his seat at the front of the classroom. He sat down and kicked his feet up onto the desk.
Iida immediately stood and pointed toward Bakugo. "Take your feet off that desk! Such an action is insulting to those who came to U.A. before us, as well as the people who made it!"
Bakugo tipped his head back with a cruel smile. "Like I care. What middle school are you from, you extra?"
"I am Tenya Iida from Somei Private Academy."
While they spoke, Jun noticed Midoriya standing in the classroom doorway. He stood from his seat. "Hey, I'll be right back."
"Huh?" Toru asked.
Jun walked over to Midoriya. "Yo, Broccoli. You waiting for something?"
Midoriya blinked at him. "Broccoli?"
He reached up and touched his hair.
Iida walked over to them. "I am Tenya Iida from Somei Private Academy."
"I heard you earlier," Midoriya said. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you."
Midoriya looked back at Jun. "What do you mean by Broccoli?"
"Your hair. Well, that was what I was going to call you before you introduced yourself. Midoriya, right?"
Midoriya nodded.
"Midoriya, you perceived the true nature of that practical exam while I did not," Iida continued. "I misjudged you! I hate to admit it, but you were the superior candidate!" Iida gritted his teeth, looking disappointed in himself.
Midoriya held both hands up, unsure how to respond.
Jun reached out his hand. "Anyway, I'm Junya Mori."
Midoriya shook his hand. "Should I call you Mori-san?"
"Most of my friends call me Jun."
"Jun."
Before Midoriya could say anything else, a girl's voice came from behind him. "Ah, that curly hair!"
Midoriya released Jun's hand and jolted upright.
Ochaco stood behind him. "You're that plain-looking boy from the exam."
As Midoriya and Ochaco began talking, Jun scanned the classroom again and mentally counted everyone. That should be all twenty. So who did I replace?
He worked through the Class 1-A roster until the missing student came to him. Ah, the tail guy. What was his name? Ojiro?
Jun counted the students once more. I took his spot?
His eyes settled on Mineta. I didn't take that guy's spot? Damn.
Jun looked back toward the doorway, then down at the floor. Aizawa lay inside a sleeping bag near the entrance.
Aizawa raised his eyes to meet Jun's. "Oh. You noticed me."
Everyone heard him and began turning toward the doorway. A few conversations stopped immediately, but scattered whispers continued as students shifted in their seats and tried to find the source of the voice. The last few voices finally faded.
Aizawa raised a juice pouch to his mouth and sucked it empty. "If you're here to socialize, then get out. This is the Hero Course."
He climbed out of the sleeping bag, stepped into the classroom, and made his way toward the podium. "It took you eight seconds to quiet down."
Aizawa's tired eyes drifted toward Jun. "One of you managed to notice me before I had to announce myself."
Aizawa looked over the rest of the class. "Time is a precious resource. You lot aren't very rational, are you?"
He continued in the same flat tone. "I'm your homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa. Pleased to meet you."
Aizawa reached into the sleeping bag he had dragged inside the classroom and pulled out a U.A. gym uniform. "Quickly now. Change into your gym clothes and head out to the P.E. grounds."
Everyone scrambled to gather their gym clothes and get out of the room.
Jun stayed where he was for a moment, watching Aizawa as the rest of the class rushed past him.
Aizawa watched them leave before looking back at Jun. His expression stayed blank. "Didn't I say time was a precious resource?"
Jun shrugged. "So is stamina."
Aizawa glanced at the bag already secured at Jun's waist.
Jun started for the door. He followed his classmates to the locker room, changed into his P.E. clothes, and headed toward the grounds with the rest of Class 1-A.
When they arrived on the field, Aizawa was already waiting for them with the same tired expression. He looked across the class. "We're going to test your Quirks."
"A test of our Quirks?" someone behind Jun asked.
Ochaco, near the front of the group, raised her hand. "What about the entrance ceremony or the guidance sessions?"
"There's no time to waste on that stuff if you want to become heroes," Aizawa said.
He turned slightly, looking back over his shoulder at them. "U.A. is known for its freestyle education system. That applies to us teachers as well."
The students looked between one another. "What?"
Aizawa listed the eight events. "You did all of these in middle school, yeah? Your standard no-Quirks-allowed gym tests."
He turned toward Bakugo. "Bakugo. How far could you throw in middle school?"
Bakugo stepped into the designated throwing circle. "Sixty-seven meters."
Aizawa tossed him a softball. "Great. Now try it with your Quirk. Do whatever you need to do, just don't leave that circle."
Bakugo stretched his arm as a smile spread across his face.
"Give it all you've got," Aizawa said.
Bakugo reared back and threw the ball with an explosion. *"DIE!!!"*
Jun lifted a hand against the burst of dust.
Aizawa pulled up a handheld tablet. "It's important for us to know your limits. That's the first rational step to figuring out what kind of heroes you'll be."
"Seven hundred and five meters? Seriously?" Kaminari asked.
Kirishima grinned. "So we get to use our Quirks for real? Man, the Hero Course is awesome."
Aizawa locked eyes with Jun again.
You're being a little hard on me. But I guess I'm the only one not celebrating.
Aizawa looked away. "Awesome, you say..."
He loomed over them as he continued. "You're hoping to become heroes after three years here, and you think it'll be all fun and games?"
Aizawa pulled his hair back from his face. "The one with the lowest score across all eight events will be judged hopeless and will be expelled."
"What?!" several students shouted.
Jun kept his eyes on Aizawa, but he could feel everyone's nervousness around him. For all they knew, someone was about to be expelled.
"Your fates are in our hands," Aizawa said. "Welcome. This is the real Hero Course at U.A."
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