Jun stared at Aizawa, trying to see if there was any tell that he was lying.
Aizawa kept a straight face.
"The lowest score will be expelled?!" Ochaco shouted. "It's only the first day! I mean, even if it weren't, that's totally unfair!"
"Heroes are the ones who correct all that unfairness," Aizawa said. "If you were hoping to spend your evenings hanging out, I'm sorry to tell you that U.A. will run you through the wringer for the next three years." He crooked one finger, beckoning them forward as he spoke. "That's Plus Ultra. Use your strength to overcome it all. So bring it. The demonstration is over. Now it's for real."
Aizawa looked across the class. "First up is the fifty-meter dash. Iida. Asui. Take your places."
Jun kept his arms crossed as Iida and Tsuyu took their places.
His thoughts returned to the conversation he had with #1, #2, and #3 the previous day about the Quirk Apprehension Test. Most of the conversation had been about whether they should use more Quirks than necessary or do their best with the Quirk everyone already knew about.
"It's not worth attracting Aizawa's scrutiny," #2 said. "I would stick with Perfect Duplicate, just in case."
"Yeah," #3 said. "There's no reason to get MHA Batman on our case."
They went over the events one by one. When they reached the fifty-meter dash, #1 gave him a simple answer. "Throw me."
Aizawa's voice pulled Jun out of the memory. "Mori. Uraraka. You're up."
Jun stretched as he and Ochaco headed toward the starting line. He noticed Ochaco touching her shoes and clothes.
She's making her clothes lighter. That's similar to how I use Heavy Touch.
Jun took his position at the starting line.
Five seconds. Summon clone. Throw clone.
The starting signal beeped. Jun took off, sprinting ahead of Ochaco despite her making her clothes lighter. He counted the seconds in his head.
When he reached five, Jun slid and created #1. #1 immediately positioned himself to be launched. Jun interlocked his fingers beneath #1's feet, then threw him forward with the momentum of his sprint.
#1 flew across the finish line, rolled onto his feet, and gave Jun a thumbs-up.
*Middle School Record: 7.1 Seconds → U.A. Result: 6.3 Seconds*
#1 remained active as they moved directly to the grip-strength test. Jun was handed one of the grip-strength meters. He wrapped his hand around it and squeezed.
The display jumped to fifty-nine kilograms, flickered briefly, and settled on sixty.
#1 reached over and took hold of the meter as well. Jun adjusted his grip before they both squeezed. The number climbed past one hundred before settling at one hundred and thirteen kilograms.
*Middle School Record: 51 Kilograms → U.A. Result: 113 Kilograms*
The standing long jump came next. #1 stepped in front of Jun and lowered his hands.
Jun jumped and stepped into #1's hands. #1 cradled him before throwing him forward. Jun landed near the five-meter mark and looked toward the machine.
*U.A. Result: 4.7 Meters*
They quickly moved over to the repeated side-step lane. #1 stood directly behind Jun.
When the test began, they moved back and forth at the same time, performing each side step in perfect sync. The number climbed higher and higher until the test ended.
*U.A. Result: 128 Side Steps*
Jun walked alone into the throwing circle, spinning the softball on one finger.
Yep. There's no clean trick to help with throwing.
He caught the ball, spun, and threw it as far as he could. Aizawa showed him the result.
*U.A. Result: 54 Meters*
"Better than I thought." Jun shrugged and rolled his shoulder. He hadn't injured it, but he could still feel the strain from the throw.
As Jun stepped out of the throwing circle, Aizawa called Uraraka next. Ochaco walked into the circle and took the ball.
By the time Jun turned around, it was already heading into the atmosphere. "Okay, Miss Infinity."
Ochaco turned toward him. "What? What'd you call me?"
Jun pointed behind her. Aizawa held up his tablet, displaying an infinity symbol.
"Infinity?" someone asked.
"The infinity symbol actually popped up?"
The class started talking over one another. Jun's attention shifted to Midoriya, who was walking toward the center of the throwing circle and already breaking into a cold sweat.
"Midoriya isn't doing very well," Iida said.
"Well, duh," Bakugo said, pointing toward him. "He's a Quirkless runt."
Jun tuned them out and continued watching Midoriya. Midoriya looked determined as he stepped into the throwing circle and threw the ball.
It only traveled forty-six meters.
"Forty-six meters," Aizawa said. Aizawa began talking to Midoriya, but Jun already knew how the conversation would go.
Yeah. Just like canon so far.
Aizawa gave Midoriya the ball again.
"Yo, Broccoli. You got this."
Midoriya stopped and looked back at him.
Jun gave him a nod.
Midoriya focused forward again and deliberately pulled his arm back. Jun knew what was about to happen.
Midoriya threw the ball, launching it into the distance. Aizawa's tablet displayed the result.
*705.3 Meters*
"Sensei! Mori-san!" Midoriya said. "I can still move!"
Jun gave him a grin. "Yeah, but you're kind of an egg."
Midoriya froze.
Aizawa looked back toward Jun.
"What?" Midoriya asked.
Jun shrugged.
Bakugo stared at him for a second before laughing. "He called you an egg!"
Then Bakugo did a double take. "Wait a minute. What the hell? Explain yourself, Deku!"
He exploded toward Midoriya.
Jun did not move. He only watched Bakugo charge forward.
Three. Two. One.
Aizawa's capture weapon wrapped around Bakugo. Bakugo strained against it, but it held firm.
"It's a capture weapon made of carbon fibers and a special alloy wire," Aizawa said. "Jeez, stop using your Quirk already. Getting dry eye over here."
Bakugo stopped struggling. Aizawa's hair fell back down, and his capture weapon loosened around Bakugo.
Ochaco and a few of the other students moved toward Midoriya.
"All right, let's move on to everyone else's throws," Aizawa said. One by one, the rest of the class completed the softball throw before they moved on to the next event.
For the sit-up test, #1 knelt in front of Jun and held his feet in place. When the test began, Jun completed fifty-one sit-ups in thirty seconds.
*U.A. Result: 51 Sit-Ups*
The seated toe-touch came next.
*U.A. Result: 53 Centimeters*
They moved on to the endurance run.
Jun sat down and watched #1 get ready to run. "You take over this one. I'll rest until you need me."
#1 rolled his eyes. "Of course. You've been doing most of the work so I'd be fresh for this. Just like the plan."
#1 got into position and started running with the rest of the class at a moderate jog. Momo created a pair of skates and took off around the track while the other students used their Quirks however they could.
Aizawa approached Jun and watched the students run around the track. "You're unusually composed for your first day."
Jun looked up at him from his seated position. "Yeah. I've wanted to be a hero since I was eight. I've had time to prepare."
"You don't seem as awestruck as everyone else."
Jun laughed. "Oh, I'm impressed. But Perfect Duplicate isn't naturally overwhelming."
He pointed toward the students running around the track. "I don't create ice. I don't create explosions. I can't pull off insane feats of strength. So I've had to put a lot of effort into learning how to make a second body useful."
Aizawa looked toward #1. "A second body still gives you options."
"Yeah, but numbers only take you so far. Put two regular people against a villain who controls fire or creates explosions, and they won't do much without something else to close the gap."
Jun nodded toward Aizawa's capture weapon. "You can erase someone's Quirk and force them to fight on your terms. Then you have the training and equipment to win once their advantage is gone. Perfect Duplicate doesn't level the field for me like that, so I'm still playing catch-up."
Aizawa turned toward the students as some of them started dropping out.
#1 ran past them. "One more lap, then I want to rest."
"Sure."
#1 finished the lap and slapped Jun's hand as they switched places. #1 collapsed onto the grass while Jun took off around the track.
They kept switching places until Jun was the last one running.
Aizawa caught up to him. "You're the last one running. Keep going, or call it?"
Jun slowed to a stop while #1 lay worn out on the grass. "I think I'll stop."
Aizawa checked the machine. "Forty-one laps. That's over sixteen kilometers."
Jun braced his hands on his knees, breathing hard. "That's a personal best."
*U.A. Result: 41 Laps, 16.4 Kilometers*
Once Aizawa recorded Jun's result, #1 remerged with Jun before Aizawa called the class together.
"Moving along. Time for the results."
"Oh, also, I was lying about expelling someone."
The class exploded. "What?!"
Aizawa let out a short laugh. "That was a rational deception to bring out the best in all of you."
Momo looked over at Jun. "When did you figure out it was a lie?"
Jun shrugged. "I don't think it was a lie. Not fully. But I think everyone here impressed him enough to continue on."
There was a reason this scene was tense in the anime. Aizawa has expelled people before. So I'm guessing here.
Aizawa stared at Jun.
Jun gave him another shrug and smirked back.
Aizawa turned away and pushed a button. A holographic display appeared with the final rankings.
1 - Momo Yaoyorozu
2 - Shoto Todoroki
3 - Katsuki Bakugo
4 - Tenya Iida
5 - Fumikage Tokoyami
6 - Mezo Shoji
7 - Junya Mori
8 - Eijiro Kirishima
9 - Mina Ashido
10 - Ochaco Uraraka
11 - Koji Koda
12 - Rikido Sato
13 - Tsuyu Asui
14 - Yuga Aoyama
15 - Hanta Sero
16 - Denki Kaminari
17 - Kyoka Jiro
18 - Toru Hagakure
19 - Minoru Mineta
20 - Izuku Midoriya
"Anyway, we're done here. Your curriculum documents and everything else are back in the classroom. Give them a look."
He paused, reached into his pocket, and handed Midoriya a note. "Midoriya, have Recovery Girl fix you up. Tomorrow's trials aren't going to be any easier."
"Seventh place?" Jun said. "Not that bad."
"Dude, you beat me," Kirishima said.
Mina came over and looked at the rankings. "Whoa. This class is insane."
Jun looked toward Momo. She was still studying her score as everyone started heading back toward the classroom.
I forgot she was able to get first place. I mean, it makes sense.
She had created support equipment for nearly every event and performed well across the board. Jun had barely beaten her in the endurance run.
Jun started walking toward the locker room to change back into his uniform.
I get to see stuff that wasn't in the anime.
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