Green Son

One of the first things I can remember, is my mom being afraid.

I never really knew what of, but I can always remember her having this feeling of anxiety around her. I always wanted to relieve it, but I never knew where it came from.

It took me years to understand her. To understand that she was afraid, but not because of me and what I could do - my oldest fear - but for me. She'd heard the horror stories and the rumours of what happened to individuals that stood out for their powerful Quirks, and when she discovered what I was capable of, she lived in perpetual fear of what could become of me.

Yet, despite all of that, I know that Mom never once considered giving up on me.

She wasn't a perfect mother, I know that, but she did her best and I think that her best was pretty good. She was never cruel, or harsh, and she never wanted to stop us from doing what we loved. She worried about us both, though for very different reasons, but she always tried to find a way to support us, and in the end, I'd like to think that we turned out okay.

Some of her worries were well-founded. In the time that made up my teenage years, a lot of bad things did happen. That doesn't mean that good things didn't happen, but a lot of the worries she'd carried were realised at one point. We got past them too, but I think that just made her worry about my sister all the more.

I can't blame her though, I worried too.

And that was before she was old enough to start dating.

=== === === === ===

As he was applying to both, the heroics course and their general education department, Izuku was given a priority placement and during U.A.'s designated exam week, he was given one of the Monday exam slots. He made sure to arrive at the check-in time they'd specified and joined the queue for screening, making sure that he had his student ID ready, so that they could verify his identity and give him his examinee number.

He took a moment, stood under their gateway, to catch his breath and appreciate where he was standing, because the day was February Nineteenth, and he hoped it would be the day that everything changed.

Because it was the day of the U.A. Entrance Exam.

And no matter what else happened around the world that day, Izuku was determined that in his little slice of Japan, everything was going to go well.

He handed over his ID card when asked, and after the bored looking administrator took a moment to check his name against their registry, he handed it back with a freshly printed sticker that contained his examinee number and told him to wait for group lambda to be called to enter.

He thanked him for his time, which either went ignored or unheard, (he wasn't sure which), and made his way over to the entrance area, so that he could move when he was called for. He had to slip through gaps as people rushed past him, careful to twist with them, lest someone slam into one of his shoulders and hurt themselves.

Thankfully, he found a relatively isolated spot besides a lamppost, and leant against it, happy to be out of the mass.

He stood for a moment, trying to calm his own nerves, before his phone buzzed in his pocket, and he fished it out.

=== === === === ===

TRUTH & JUSTICE

Truth

GOOD LUCK!

KICK SOME EXPLOSIVE ASS!

Justice

Thanks!

I don't think that's how

the exam works though.

I haven't signed in yet,

but I'm sure that'll get

me disqualified before

I'm allowed to start.

Truth

Kicking ass is a no go?

Fuck that.

Justice

If I target Bakugo, for

no reason, then yes. They

will probably disqualify

me for 'kicking ass'.

Truth

Hang on…

Who said anything about

targeting Bakugo?

Justice

^ EXPLOSIVE ^ ?

What else could that mean?

Truth

But…

I mean…

He's an asshole?

Justice

I need to go now, they're

calling my group in now.

Wish me luck?

Truth

GOOD LUCK!

AGAIN!

AND KICK ASS!

=== === === === ===

While she saw students everywhere piling through the main gate, dressed in an abundance of uniform styles, Mitsuki was glad that she didn't have to make Katsuki go through that. He could be considered irritable on his good days, but thankfully, U.A. had arranged for them to be able to use the private car park.

She buzzed in at the gate and was let through almost immediately.

Backing up, she reversed into one of the larger parking spaces near the door, ignoring the grumbling about her parking skills from her backseat driver.

It was times like this that she missed her much smaller sedan.

Usually, she had the smaller car, given that Masaru was more often at home than she was and acted as their son's primary caretaker, but as he needed to work on editing his latest shoot, and she didn't have any work planned until next Thursday, the duty of making sure that Katsuki arrived at U.A. for his entrance exam fell to her.

Putting the minivan into park, she tried not to sigh in relief, now that she was able to stop. She turned to face her son but found that he was already working on the door to get out.

"For the love of- Kat, will you just wait and I'll-"

He yanked the door open, with far more force than was necessary, and all but threw his wheelchair out of the door and used the door to pull himself out and into it, before she'd even managed to get around the side of the car.

"I'm fine", he growled out, "now let's do this shit".

"Kats-"

"Language", a voice cautioned, "but otherwise, that's what we like to hear".

She span around, Katsuki having no bothered to tell her that someone was behind her, finding that there was a man approaching them, and the first thing that she noticed was that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Short and skinny, she could make out a mess of ginger hair beneath his dumb looking helmet, which she assumed meant that he was one of the Pro Heroes that worked at U.A., or at least, he was someone they'd brought in to help on exam day.

His hands were ridiculously large when compared to his small frame and appeared to be capped in orange L-shaped pieces or armour.

He drew close to them, and she just make out a pair of dull blue eyes behind his helmet, which now that she took a moment for a better look, she felt looked like a digger bucket. Just because she knew what it was though, didn't mean that she didn't think he looked any less stupid.

"Greetings, I'm Higari Maijima with U.A. High, though you might know me better as-"

"The Excavation Hero: Power Loader", her son cut in, identifying him with ease, though even knowing his name, she still only had the vaguest idea of who he was, "you run the U.A. support courses, right?"

He grinned, "Got it in one kid, and you", he held out his hand to shake, "are Katsuki Bakugo, prospective hero course and support course student. I took a look at the designs you submitted, and I gotta say", he gave a once over to the obviously heavily modified wheelchair, which was steel grey in colour, "they were impressive".

Below them, he grunted, while she shook the man's hand, "So… where do we go from here?"

"Right this way ma'am", the Pro Hero told her with a sweep of his arms, before he began leading them inside, "we've got a space reserved for those who need more than the standard designated space. After that, your son will be taken to his heroic's physical exam centre on one of our coaches, all of which are wheelchair accessible. Following that, he'll be escorted back here. You're aware that the practical exam for support won't start until Wednesday?"

"We're already booked in", she confirmed, as her son said nothing, and she knew that he was already hyper-focused on the exam in front of him.

"Excellent, well then, Youngest Bakugo, this is you", he held open the door, which would lead him to his exam station, "and if you'd like to come with me", he told her, "we can set you up in the waiting area with some light refreshment".

"That sounds lovely", she bent down to press a kiss to Katsuki's cheek, ignoring his attempt to pull away, claiming that he was 'too old' for that, before angrily rolling himself inside as she called out, "good luck Kats!"

"I don't need your damn luck!"

"Don't be ungrateful!"

"Just get out of here!"

=== === === === ===

Returning his phone to his pocket, Izuku nodded to himself, as he walked forwards, through the dozens upon dozens of other students, all of whom were also heading towards their designated entrance points.

When they called out for the 'Lambda' group, he patted himself down, making sure that he still had his trusty backpack, pencil case and wallet, before switching off his phone. He joined the, thankfully much calmer, group that was making their way inside.

He missed the uneven paving stone beneath his feet, nervous as he was, and wasn't able to control his strength to stop it. In another life, he might've tripped and fallen, but as it was, all he did was sheer off the edge of the slab and sent it skittering away from him.

Behind him, a brunette girl had reached out her hand to stop him from falling, having seen his foot hit the edge of the slab, but she brought her hand back to conceal her giggle, as she saw his foot completely destroy that particular piece of uneven flooring.

Whoever the boy was, he was going to be fine.

She saw the amused looks people were giving her, and knew that they were laughing at her forwardness, but she wasn't going to let someone trip over if she could help it. Still, they were inside now, and everyone else was starting to get ready for the most important test of their lives.

It was about time she did the same.

=== === === === ===

"Time is up! Everyone, place your pens and pencils down! One of our proctors will be by shortly to collect your exam paper. Until then, please remain seated and please refrain from making any noise. Failure to follow directions will result in your immediate disqualification from this exam. Thank you!"

The announcement rang out across the enormous hall that U.A. were hosting their exams in, with the softspoken voice using the PA system to reach everyone. It repeated itself twice, before moving onto English and delivering the exact same message.

While, he waited, Izuku also listened to the same announcement in Mandarin, Spanish, French, Russian, Hindi and Arabic, before it turned back to Japanese and started all over again, for the second time that morning.

While he waited for Ectoplasm, (and wasn't it just so cool that all of the exam proctors were Ectoplasm's clones), to collect his test paper, he double checked that all of his personal details on the front cover were correct and that he hadn't accidentally left any of them blank. Satisfied, he put his pens away and returned to waiting, as he tried not to run over the exam in his head.

He'd known that any test at U.A. wasn't going to be easy, and what he had just done was certainly harder than any other set of exams that he'd taken at Aldera, but despite that, he was quite confident that he'd managed a passing grade, or at least, he had on the standard questions; his answers to the essay questions at the end would be open to interpretation by the marking team.

The General Education exams earlier that morning had been set-up the same way: a series of multiple-choice questions, followed by short sentence responses and then finishing up with a pair of essay-style questions, but now that he'd finished both sets of written exams, all that was left was for him to pass the practical exam.

The most important part of the heroics' exam.

So, there was no pressure.

None whatsoever.

It only took a few minutes for Ectoplasm's clones to finish collecting their exam papers and Izuku could feel himself grinning as he got to watch all thirty-six clones recombine into a single being. The hero spoke into a radio he had clipped to his coat, and moments later, the lights cut out, blanketing the room in darkness, with the sole exception of three spotlights that were now shining onto the stage, all focused on a single position.

Izuku felt his and everyone's attention being drawn to a tall, slim man who strode onto the stage with swagger. His long, blond hair was styled upwards, ending in a curved spike, which he kept alongside a small moustache. He wore a studded, black leather jacket with an upturned collar, alongside a pair of matching leather pants, which he had tucked into a pair of thick, knee-high leather boots. His neck was hidden and protected by a custom-designed directional speaker, which Izuku knew was not only armoured, but was also used to augment the strength of his Quirk. He finished his signature look off by wearing a pair of the HAGE branded headphones, which were undoubtedly provided by his sponsorship deal, as well as a pair of his own branded, orange-tinted rectangular sunglasses.

It was the Voice Hero: Present Mic.

He was so cool! He and JJ loved listening to his radio show on Friday afternoons while they were editing their work for the ASN. It really was crazy that every teacher at U.A. was a former Pro Hero-

"He-hem".

Beside him, a bored looking candidate, whose uniform included a vest and blazer cleared his throat, staring at him in annoyance, and Izuku realised that he had been muttering. His hands flew to his mouth, and he muttered a quick, "Sorry", before pinning his tongue in place with his teeth, and refocusing on the stage.

"WELCOME U.A. CANDIDIATES! THANKS FOR TUNING IN TO ME, YOUR SCHOOL DJ! NOW COME AND LET ME HERE YA… EVERYBODY SAY HEY!"

Nobody responded.

There was an awkward pause, and Izuku found himself glad that he hadn't called out the way he wanted to, his hands still covering his mouth.

"ALRIGHT, KEEPING IT MELLOW, HUH? THAT'S FINE, I GUESS WE'LL SKIP STRAIGHT TO THE MAIN SHOW. LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW THIS PRACTICAL EXAM'S GOING TO GO DOWN, NOW… ARE YOU READY?!"

Once again, nobody responded.

Present Mic didn't seem affected by the lack of response at all though, if anything, Izuku was impressed by the way the man responded by simply moving on as though everything was happening just the way he intended.

"LIKE YOUR APPLICATIONS SAID, TODAY YOU BOYS AND GIRLS WILL BE OUT THERE, CONDUCTING TEN MINUTE MOCK BATTLES IN SUBURBAN SETTINGS. GIRD YOUR LOINS FRIENDS, AFTER WE'RE DONE HERE, YOU'LL HEAD TO YOUR SPECIFIED BATTLE STATIONS, PRINTED ON YOUR EXAM CARDS. SOUND GOOD?!... OKAY!"

For the third time in less than two minutes, Present Mic received no response, as everyone pulled out their exam cards to check where they would be going for their practical exams.

=== === === === ===

EXAM TICKET

EXAMINEE NUMBER: #2234

EXAM(S): Heroics + General Education

Name: MIDORIYA, Izuku

Quirk: Tactile Telekinesis [E]

Exam Date(s): Monday 19th February 2235 (AM)

Test Location: Battle Centre B

Additional Requirements: n/a

Present Mic gave them all a moment to check their exam tickets, and despite having his details memorised, Izuku was quick to do the same. As they placed them back down, Present Mic switched on his directional speaker and adjusted its settings to allow him to speak to the room without needing to yell.

"Okay, okay, let's check out your targets", the display screen behind him lit up with the sight of four robotic outlines, "there are three types of faux villains in every battle centre. You earn points based on their level of difficulty, so choose your targets wisely", the image switched to a video designed to look like a retro video game version of Present Mic running about, decimating robots with his voice Quirk, "your goal in this exam is to raise your points by using your Quirks to shred these targets like a mid-song guitar solo. But check it", he warned them, his voice taking on a more serious tone, "make sure you're keeping things heroic! Attacking other examinees is a U.A. no-no!"

He wagged his finger at them, and despite the serious tone, Izuku found himself smiling at the sight of it. He was just about to continue, when a hand shot up in the crowd, a few rows behind of where Izuku was sat.

"Excuse me sir, but I have a question!"

Present Mic's grin widened at the attention, "Hit me!"

One of the three spotlights swing around, until it was shining down, onto a blue-haired student wearing glasses, who rose to his feet with one hand raised and the other clutching a piece of paper in his grasp.

"On the printout, you've listed four types of villains, not three. With all due respect, if this is an error then it is shameful. We are exemplary students, so we expect the best from Japan's most notable school! A mistake such as this won't do. Also, you with the mossy hair", his gaze snapped over and Izuku blinked, surprised, when he stared directly at him, "we heard you muttering earlier. Stop it! You're distracting the rest of us! Either take this seriously or leave".

"Sorry", he murmured, ducking his head down when people started to laugh.

"Alright, alright", Present Mic said, raising his hands and silencing the hall, "Examinee number seven-one-one-one, thanks for calling in with your request", he gave him a thumbs-up, "the fourth villain type is worth zero points! This one's just an obstacle to get in your way. There's at least one in every battle centre, and while it's not impossible to beat it, you're on the clock and there's really no point, so I recommend that my listeners ignore it and focus on the ones that'll help you in topping the charts!"

Murmurs broke out across the hall, and Izuku saw more than one person nodding to themselves.

"That's all I got or you today, listeners! Head to your battle centre with a little gift: a sample of our school motto", Present Mic shot everyone a reassuring grin, "As General Napoleon Bonaparte once laid down, 'a true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes'. Mmm, now that's one tasty soundbite".

The Voice Hero cocked an eyebrow, leaning against his podium, as his eyes swept the room, and Izuku felt as though he was making eye contact with each and every one of them, "So, are you all ready to go beyond? Let me hear a PLUS ULTRA!"

Present Mic smiled through his fourth bout of silence, "Alright then", he murmured, "GOOD LUCK!" I hope you all practiced hitting more than just the books!"

=== === === === ===

The blue-haired guy from the exam hall kept sending him looks of contempt as they boarded the same bus. U.A. had provided them with transportation from the exam hall to their battle centres. There were eight battle centres, labelled A to G, and each one had a maximum student limit, so there were multiple exams taking place throughout the afternoon. They had to be broken up into groups and set off at ten-minute intervals, and Izuku was just thankful that he was in the very first group.

He didn't know if he could take the waiting.

He hadn't formed part of the rush to board the school bus, so he'd ended up sat in a seat that was near the front of the bus, which he didn't mind. He didn't use buses enough to have a favourite place to sit, and they weren't like the trains he was used to, where it didn't matter where you were sat, but it was odd to be sat in a section where the seats were facing inwards. He knew that it was designed for anyone that required lifestyle support items, including the likes of a wheelchair, or they simply needed some additional space due to their Quirks.

He just wished that the guy with the blue hair hadn't chosen to take the seat opposite him.

He'd smiled when he sat down, trying to come across as friendly, but he didn't seem interested. If anything, his attempt at politely disarming was met with even more irritation, and when the bus came to a stop a few minutes later, Izuku found that he couldn't get off the bus quickly enough.

He stepped onto an open area with a dirt floor, in front of a large gate, over ten metres tall, with a large letter 'A' printed onto the front and began to stretch. He couldn't remember ever having sore muscles, which he assumed was due to the durability part of his Quirk, but his mom had long since imbued him with all of the knowledge surrounding taking care of your body that he could ever need, and 'just because he'd never needed to stretch before didn't mean that he wouldn't need to do it now'.

He could practically hear her voice in his head.

He was wearing a white t-shirt underneath the new tracksuit she'd bought him as a good luck charm. It was mint green in colour, with a thick white stripe running down the edges of his legs and sleeves. He made to zip up his jacket and double-checked that the laces of his Air Might sneakers were properly tightened. He finished up a set of hip twists when he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder.

His own hand was on it a second later, clamping the wrist of whoever had grabbed him and squeezing down, careful to just break the grip, without being enough to damage the wrist.

"GAH!"

As he turned around to look into the face of whoever had grabbed him, he did his best not to grimace, as he loosened his grip.

He might not have made a nice impression on the guy with blue hair, but he hadn't meant to hurt him either.

"Are you okay?"

The boy groaned through gritted teeth, "My wrist", he managed to let out, and Izuku could already see that the area beneath his thumb was beginning to bruise. He'd seen enough sprained wrists over the years to know when he was looking at another one.

One that he'd caused.

"Does anyone have any ice? Or can make it?"

A few people shook their heads, but most of them chose to ignore him.

"You both okay there, listeners?"

Present Mic, who was apparently going to be their proctor for the practical portion of the exam, made his way over to the two of them, staring at where Izuku's hand was still gripping the other boy's wrist.

"Looks like a sprained wrist", he told him, "needs ice for the inflammation, a bandage for support and to rest it, the sooner the better".

"First aid kit", the Hero said, holding up a bright red box, before he snapped it open, "I'd step in, but it sounds like you know what you're doing".

"My mom's a nurse", he told him in response, taking the offered icepack, which he place against the other boy's wrist, who let out a hiss of pain, "I grew up learning about this stuff".

"A nurse's son", the other boy managed to say, breathing out, "and yet you injured me?!"

"You grabbed me", he told him, as he started on the bandage, "maybe you shouldn't go around grabbing hold of strangers from behind", he raised one of his eyebrows, "people might get the wrong idea about your intentions".

"I simply wished to speak with you".

"And saying 'excuse me' was too difficult for you?"

"Are you always so-"

"Okay boys, that's enough", Present Mic stepped in, bending down to check on the bandages, "you can go finish your warmup now, if you like. Ida, if you're still planning on taking the exam, would you like a painkiller before you start?"

Izuku took a few steps back, leaving the Pro to it, as the other boy - Ida, apparently - declined the offer of a painkiller, and simply wanted to get started.

Izuku put a bit more distance between them, as Ida started his own stretches, and Izuku did another check of his sneakers and tracksuit. Present Mic climbed back into the tall column that served as his proctor's podium, where he could see them all.

Izuku saw him reaching for a radio, and mentally began to get ready to start. The blue gate in front of them began to swing open, and moments later, revealed an entire cityscape to their gaze.

"AND START!"

Present Mic called down to them, shaking his head when nobody moved, and Izuku blinked, unsure when nobody else moved that he was permitted to, "WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR?! THERE ARE NO COUNTDOWNS IN REAL LIFE! GO! GO! GO!"

=== === === === ===

EXAM TICKET

EXAMINEE NUMBER: #2233

EXAM(S): Heroics

Name: BAKUGO, Katsuki

Quirk: Explosion [H]

Exam Date(s): Monday 19th February 2235 (AM)

Test Location: Battle Centre A

Additional Requirements: Support Equipment (#BK/001) + Wheelchair Access

=== === === === ===

There were few benefits to being in a wheelchair. When he was four years old, Deku had robbed him of the use of his fucking legs and gotten away with it, scot-free, just because he was a little shit at the time, who hadn't figured out how to control himself.

He hadn't lost quite everything in them; he was actually capable of taking a handful of steps, but that was about it, before his weak little legs would give up on him. Even after a decade of rest, recuperation and physical therapy, that remained all he was capable of.

He'd never again be able to walk unaided, and for the rest of his life, his doctors had all told him that he'd need the use of a wheelchair. His parents had done the usual 'you'll be fine' song and dance routine, but he'd known for years that he wasn't improving.

When he'd moved up to Aldera and they began making him look into career options, every teacher he'd ever had, told him the same damn thing.

"You have a lot of potential Bakugo, but I'm sorry, I just don't see how you can become a hero".

He'd told them all to fuck off.

Wheelchair or no wheelchair, he was still going to become the next number one Pro Hero.

His Quirk didn't even need the use of his legs. In fact, he'd found that being in a wheelchair had actually helped him with his Quirk. He'd built up more arm strength than anyone else in their school, (Deku, Grey Skin and Nutty all had strength Quirks - they didn't fucking count), and that had allowed him to build up to stronger and stronger explosions. He'd bought a disused chair, and after joining the Engineering Club, spent almost all of his spare time in their school labs modifying it with twin car exhausts and fuel tanks.

He'd turned himself into a self-driving tank, built on the back of his own explosive power.

He was going to power himself into that battle centre, kill the villains, gain absolute victory and prove to the world why he was going to surpass All Might and become the greatest Pro Hero of all time.

"Okay everyone, if I could have your attention, please", he glanced upwards, where he found the Pro Hero, Cementoss, was standing ready to proctor their exam, "the practical portion of the U.A. Heroics Course entrance exam will begin in ten, nine, eight, seven", he shook his hands, working up as much of a sweat as possible, "six, five, four", he grit his teeth, feeling the heat build in his hands, "three, two, one, GO!"

Clamping his hands down onto his exhausts, he exploded forwards.

=== === === === ===

"GO! GO! GO!"

Izuku ran, moving with everything he had, but he was shocked to see that there was someone keeping up with him.

He turned his head, found that was the other boy from earlier - Ida - who was able to match him, pace-for-pace, and step-for-step, as they raced into the battle centre, both of them well ahead of the other examinees. Ida seemed equally as shocked that he was keeping up with his pace, and with a glance, Izuku saw the miniature exhausts that were sticking out of his legs.

Izuku knew of a Pro Hero called Ingenium, who operated out of Tokyo with a Quirk like that, only his exhausts were in his arms. Technically, he was the third Ingenium, having succeeded both his father and grandfather in the role as the leader of their agency.

In fact, wasn't their agency called Idaten?

The newest Ingenium had only taken over a few years ago. He'd spent a few years serving as his father's primary sidekick, before he'd ascended to the mantle of Ingenium himself. He was probably thirty now, if that old, so he couldn't have been this Ida's father, but he could certainly be an older brother or a cousin, possibly even an uncle.

A pair of one-pointers swung out in front of them, and both of them barrelled into them. Ida shifted his body, leading with an engine powered kick, which shattered the robot's torso into pieces around his leg. Keeping his momentum, he used the kick as a stepping stone and kept running as he landed.

Still, seeing him kick through the robot was reassuring.

He cocked his fist back, mindful of his need for control and as he stepped up to the one-pointer, he punched forwards, and was glad to see that even with that little bit of strength, the machine tore like paper around his fist.

He grinned.

As the sounds of his other examinees catching up to him began to reach his ears, he spotted a three-pointer up ahead, already spinning around to face him.

He raced forwards.

He could do this.

=== === === === ===

"Is it time yet? I still get to push the button this year, right?"

"Yes, Midnight", the Principal of U.A. replied, taking a sip from his tea, "you get to push the button, though not just yet I should think".

"Little over thirty seconds, sir", Power Loader called, his eyes unwavering from the robot control system.

"Thank you… but Ectoplasm has an excellent point, this year's crop is most excellent", he took another sip of his tea, as his toes of one of his glossy white paws tapped at the keyboard in front of him, "we have set up a scenario with an unknown number of adversaries of varying values within unknown locations inside of a previously unknown area. They have limited time to find and defeat them, while covering a vast area. Some people use reconnaissance to plan out their attacks", he brought up several images, including a tall young man with multiple arms, who seemed to be growing additional appendages to aid him, "while others seek to use speed and quickness", the images changed, now showing them the sight of Ingenium's younger brother racing around the arena, "of course, remaining calm under pressure can be the key to success", the images changed yet again, showing off a young woman, whose giant fists were turning robots into scrap, before it changed one more time, to show a boy in green running and punching his way through his robots with ease, before stopping to yank another student out of the way of some rubble, "and of course, there can always be something said for pure power".

The other teachers nodded along as their principal spoke, before he continued, "Of course, it's the students who use a combination of all of these principles that find the truest success".

Midnight leant over the monitors, "I'd say this group of hopefuls looks promising".

"Well, there's still plenty of time before the exam's over", Power Loader chided her, sounding amused, as he flicked open a switchbox to her delight, "besides, the real test's only just about to begin".

Relishing her moment, Midnight's thumb pushed the big red button.

=== === === === ===

"TWO MINUTES REMAINING!"

Present Mic's voice, aided by the battle centre's placed microphones, rang out across the training area, warning them all of just how much time they had left.

He nodded to himself, doing the math in his head, he was certain that he'd already gained eighty-eight points-

He barrelled into another one-pointer as he turned the corner, accidentally smashing it apart with his shoulder.

-eighty-nine points.

As his shoulder tore apart the fragile metal, the floor beneath his feet started to rumble. For a moment, he thought it was simply the feeling of the debris bouncing off the floor, before spinning on the spot, as she realised that the vibrations he could sense were coming from behind him.

It was the zero-point robot.

And it was enormous.

It looked almost twice the size of the nearest building, towering over the battle centre and casting a shadow so long that it seemed to encompass half of their arena in darkness. Izuku swallowed, aware of some of the other contestants running past him, and as it rested one of its robotic limbs upon a nearby apartment block, Izuku watched on, as the top of the building crumbled into dust.

It was then that he understood the joke.

The zero-pointer had been labelled, '0-P', on Present Mic's display screen, but if you read it differently, then letting them all know that it was, 'OP', was almost amusing in its own way.

Around him, while he contemplated U.A.'s sense of humour, everyone continued to flee away from the obvious danger, but Izuku didn't know what he should be doing. It didn't seem right to let the giant robot wreak havoc, but at the same time, Present Mic had told them that they would all be better off not trying to challenge it, and that it was best to avoid it outright.

So… he should do what his teacher said, right?

If they'd been warned away from it, then surely, U.A. had a reason or reasons, (probably ones relating to safety and liability), to want to keep their prospective students away from it.

So, he best thing he could do was to move out of the area, stay safe, not find a reason to worry his mom, and pick up as many robot stragglers as he could, with what little time he had left available to him.

In response, the giant machine punched the floor, spitting up dust and sending down debris that coated the area, and sent people tumbling down. Keeping his speed to a fast jog, (for a normal person), he scooped up two of his fellow contestants, moving them to safety, before turning back to face the way he'd ran.

Ida ran past him, seemingly surprised to have seen him stop, but Izuku only had eyes for the looming danger.

"Ow!"

His head snapped up, seeking out the source of the pained cry that had reached his ears, and it only took him a moment to find her.

It was a girl, a brunette, dressed in a dark blue tracksuit, and she was trapped beneath some of the broken rubble that had been dislodged, with her leg seemingly pinned beneath a particularly large slab of concrete and rebar.

"Here", he was at her side in an instant, kneeling down, he used his strength to pull the concrete off of her, unseating the smaller pieces atop it and chucking it off to the side.

He put on his best calming smile, the one he saved for the kids who were stuck in hospital beds for something they couldn't control, angry at everything around them, but didn't know how to express it properly, "Are you alright?"

"Yuh", she cleared her throat, staring at him, wide-eyed, "I mean, yes, I think, but there are still some people trapped underneath there!"

The ground shook as the zero-pointer sheared the top off of another building, sending more dust and debris into the atmosphere. Izuku took a look at the building, and he could see that the girl was right. There was no one pinned beneath the rubble, the way she had been, but they were trapped in the building, their exit cut off by large slabs of debris.

"It'll be okay", he told her, noting how she was shifting her weight from her right leg and onto her left, "but you're injured. You should get yourself out of here".

She ignored him, moving to slap her hands against more of the debris, causing it to float from when she made contact, and she began to push it out of the way.

"There are people trapped in there", she told him, pushing the pads of her fingertips together, "and release!"

The debris she'd been floating away from her, crashed to the ground, "They need help!"

"Yeah", Izuku murmured, looking up at the enormous robot, as it drew closer by the second, "they do".

=== === === === ===

I remember, during the exam, there was a moment, when that giant robot was lumbering towards me and the girl that was trapped under all that rubble, and I didn't know what to do.

I just stared at her.

Should I have hid from it? Ran away? I didn't know, and then, she cried out in pain.

I moved the concrete slab pinning the girl down, and then she could walk, even if her ankle was busted, but she wasn't the only one pinned down. There were other people trapped in the buildings, her Quirk was perfect for manoeuvring the rest of the debris out of the way, and she was determined to help save as many people as possible.

It would've been safer for her to get away from the battle, and the people inside would've been safe from the zero-pointer passing overhead - but she wanted to be certain that it wouldn't hurt them.

She kept trying to help them, even as the giant robot kept coming, and as those people called out for help, I didn't think about what I had to do. I saw that they needed help, and I knew that I was someone who could give it to them.

From there, my body just kind of moved on its own.

=== === === === ===

Izuku knew that he had power.

He lived with it, every day.

Every day he spent at Aldera was a reminder of just what his power was capable of, if he ever decided to lose control.

He'd read about other people with superstrength and augmentation Quirks. He'd even messaged a few of them, asking them for advice on how they lived with them, and even how they controlled them, but nearly all of them simply made do with not using them.

They simply never activated them.

Izuku… well, he didn't have that luxury.

Some of them struggled to turn their Quirks on.

Izuku couldn't turn his Quirk off.

It was always there, a part of him that couldn't be switched on and off at will. He had over a decade of ever-ongoing practice of using his Quirk, always making sure not to squeeze too hard when he picked up a glass, or grabbed a handle, or shook someone's hand.

And it wasn't just his hands.

The power resided in his arms, in his legs and his feet.

He tried to never kick a door closed, in case he shattered it, or stamp his feet on the ground, lest he break the floor he was standing on.

He had power, power in everything he did, and if wasn't careful with it, people would suffer for it. He had to hold back with everything he did, or people would get hurt.

But right now, none of that mattered.

There were people that needed his help.

That needed his power.

And his body answered the call.

He bent his knees and the concrete ground beneath his feet cracked, shattering apart as he leapt into the air, using every bit of power he could summon from his legs, until, in a single bound, he was higher than the tallest building. The zero-pointer turned to face him, tracking his movement, but its great size had come with the cost of its speed, and Izuku may as well have been a bullet, speeding towards its defenceless chest, with his fist clenched, his right hand cocked back, until the moment he was close enough to strike with all the power of a steaming locomotive.

His fist met the solid steel that the zero-pointer was made out of, but Izuku had swung with more of his strength than he had intended. The metal folded around his fist like tissue paper, the entire front face caving under his touch, as he lifted the machine into the air and sent it flying backwards, smoke rising from the core of its remains, as it crashed back to the ground.

For a moment, Izuku seemed to hang in the air, almost floating, before gravity reasserted itself on his person.

He brought his hands up to protect his eyes, mouth and nose, but braced himself as he fell. He knew that his Quirk came with enhanced durability, but he'd never had a chance to test it by falling.

He didn't like heights.

But then, how did the saying go? There was no time like the present?

The concrete floor grew closer, and Izuku couldn't help himself, he closed his eyes, waiting to feel the impact.

He clenched up, ready for the impact, and then, just as he should've hit the ground, he felt someone slap his arm.

Instantly, he ceased falling, his momentum halted in a single moment, and he looked up into the face of his rescuer.

It was the same girl as before.

She smiled at him, strained, as she brought her fingertips together, "Release!"

She dropped him the last two metres to the ground, and he rolled through with it, tearing one of the knees of his tracksuit pants, but otherwise unharmed. He took note of the concrete slab she was kneeling upon, obviously having used it to manoeuvre in spite of his injured leg.

"Thank you", he murmured.

She smiled in response, but it seemed to take her a great deal of effort, before she turned her head, and emptied the contents of her stomach off to the side.

Despite the general sense of disgust that would usually accompany the smell of fresh vomit, and the worry that came with seeing someone throw up, Izuku couldn't stop himself from laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. The girl turned back to glare at him, but it was half-hearted at best.

"Come on", he reached over, effortlessly plucking her up into a bridal carry, as she wiped her mouth on her sleeve, "let's see if we can find you the nurses' station".

=== === === === ===

Naturally, JJ loved the story of his rescuer throwing up immediately after saving him.

He'd been so nervous about his application to Seijin, but when Izuku had told him the story about the floating girl who threw up after saving him, he'd gone from worrying about his interview, to loving the story of him punching the giant robot's face in, to falling from his chair, laughing like a madman, when he revealed that not only did he not like heights, but that his last-second rescue had come at the hands of a girl who then taken one look at his face and immediately threw up.

Still, his story had succeeded in getting his friend's mind off of his upcoming entrance interview, so Izuku decided to count it as a success.

The day of the interview came and went, and despite JJ's nerves, Izuku knew that despite what his friend thought of his interview skills, he'd passed with ease. JJ loved heroes, photography and getting to the truth, and any journalism programme in the country would be lucky to have him.

When his offer letter had come in two weeks ago, he'd been vindicated.

Jimu Juden would be starting as a First-Year student in Seijin High School's General Education Department, with a focus on studying photography and journalism. He'd already sent off his own acceptance letter, ordered his uniform and then spent two days walking around with an enormous grin on his face.

Izuku was happy for him, but every day that passed without Izuku hearing from U.A., he felt his nervousness increase. It wasn't that he thought he'd done badly, but the waiting was killing him. Still, the waiting didn't mean that he wasn't allowed to slack off from the rest of his life.

His mom flicked on the lights as she led the way into their apartment, and Izuku slipped out of his Air Mights and into his slippers, while his mom checked their mail. He moved into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, setting a second on aside for his mother.

"Izuku! It's here!"

There was a bump, and a second later, he was back in the hallway, where he found his mother on her knees, having seemingly slipped on her way in.

"Mom! What's wr- wr-", he stuttered off, as he saw the envelope she held in her hands.

Bright white with a red wax seal.

"There here!" His mom told him, half-yelling, "Your test results! From U.A.!"

A red seal that had the U.A. logo clearly embossed in the centre.

His mouth was dry, and he took a deep breath to steady himself, before helping his mother up from the floor.

"Oh…", he said, as he took the letter from her trembling hands, noting the weight of it, hoping that was a good sign, before he turned to face her, seeing her look every inch as nervous as he felt, "I should probably open this".

=== === === === ===

His mother made them both tea.

He'd drank his water, gulping it down greedily, but that hadn't helped him in calming down, if anything, it made him feel more nervous, so his mother told him that a nice cup of calming tea would do the trick.

The letter sat on their coffee table, right in front of his face with the wax seal facing upwards.

It took everything he had not to tear into it.

Or to run anyway.

Whichever impulse came first.

"Here you go, Sweetie", his mother handed him a cup of green tea, and he took a moment to simply enjoy its presence; the warmth against his fingers, the faint steam in his face, the subtle scent that reached his nose. All of them were welcome for the respite they granted, but not even a soothing sip of the best tea his mother had ever made was enough to calm his nerves.

"Okay", he said, speaking more to himself than to his mother, even as she nodded along, "I can do this, all I have to do is open the letter. That's it. It's not like my entire future could be dictated by its contents or define the entire course of my life. It's just a letter… from Japan's premier high school… possibly the world's premier high school… the school that has less than a nought-point-three acceptance rate… oh god, why did I even-"

"Izuku", his mother reached out to touch his shoulder, "you're spiralling… why don't you start with opening the letter and we'll go from there?"

"Right", he nodded, "right".

And with that last bit of reassurance, he tore open the letter.

There were a few papers inside, and he took hold of them, but what surprised him was the holo-disc that slipped out.

Holo-discs weren't exactly new technology, but Izuku wouldn't have described them as being common either, so it was shocking to see a miniature one slip out of his letter and land on the coffee table, where it immediately, lit up with the image of a white-furred creature that Izuku instantly recognised.

"It's me! The one who could be a mouse or a dog or a bear, though the only important thing is… I'm Nezu, the Principal of U.A.! Greetings Izuku Midoriya. I am here to deliver your test results".

The Principled Hero: Nezu

An animal of unknown origins who had developed a Quirk and been ruthlessly experimented on. He'd fought his way to freedom and was now recognised not only as a Pro Hero, but as one of the most talented and experienced educators in the world.

And for the last seven years, the Principal of the Ultra Academy for Heroics.

"Now, your written examination scores are as follows… Japanese Language: ninety-eight percent. Mathematics: one hundred percent. Science: ninety-seven percent. Social Studies: ninety-three percent. English: ninety-one percent. Ethics: ninety-six percent. With a score of five hundred and seventy-five out of a possible six hundred, you are also this year's highest scoring entrant for the standard written exams, with an average score of ninety-five-point-eight-three. Congratulations Izuku Midoriya, with these results, you have been accepted into the U.A. Programme for General Education".

"However, you also signed up to take the Heroics Course entrance examination. You passed the additional written examination, and with a total of eighty-nine villain points, you have also managed to destroy enough robots to pass the physical exam and have made it into U.A.'s Heroics Programme… but that's not all, for you see, this entrance exam features a secret panel, one which awards additional points to those who go out of their way to assist their fellow examinees, for what sort of heroics school would we be, if we did not recognise those individuals who risked scoring lower than they could to aid their fellow man and for that reason, our panel of judges has also awarded you… seventy-five rescue points. Mister Midoriya, I can confirm that with a final total score of one hundred and sixty-four, you have also claimed first place in heroics entrance exam, and the placement is yours to choose! We look forward to seeing you this coming school year. Congratulations once again, and welcome… for this is your hero academia!"

=== === === === ===

There were more words that followed, this time delivered by a mass recording that provided Izuku and Inko with the knowledge they would need to accept U.A.'s offer for a place in the new school year. The papers that had come with the holo-disc were information sheets, covering everything an incoming student should know before arriving at U.A. for their first day.

Izuku hung onto every word.

Inko said nothing as the recordings played, or as her son read through the paperwork, or busied himself with texting his friend from the school news site, knowing that he would want to know the outcome as soon as Izuku himself did.

Her son abandoned his place beside her to pace, trying to work off his own nervous energy, which she knew had been building ever since he'd taken the exams in the first place.

"Izuku", she did her best to swallow down her nerves, which threatened to overwhelm her, but she knew that this couldn't wait any longer, "could you come and sit with me please?"

If Izuku was going to do this, then he needed to do it with all of the information she had, not just part of it.

Her mother had encouraged her to tell him when he'd started at Aldera, but she'd held off, not wanting to potentially spoil everything around him. He'd been too young in her opinion. It hadn't mattered then, she'd told herself, not for attending junior high school, but this was more than that now.

This mattered now.

"Sure mom", she heard the noise of her taps turning on, "sorry, I just felt like I needed another glass of water. Would you like me to get you anything?"

"No thank you, Sweetie", suddenly, her mouth felt dry, her tongue was sandpaper in her mouth, and yet, she knew that no amount of water in the world would be able to fix it, "but please, come sit down. I need to talk to you".

Walking back around the counter, he took a seat beside her on the sofa, "Is everything okay?"

"Izuku", she began, taking a deep breath to prepare herself for what she had to say, "I'm so proud of you".

He smiled, "Thanks Mom".

She smiled back, but it felt sad on her face, "You're well on your way to becoming a man now. You're capable of making adult decisions, and you deserve to have the information you need to make those decisions clearly", she swallowed, "so with that said, there's something that I feel we need to talk about".

Instantly, Izuku was back on his feet, "Look, Mom, I already had the talk with Doctor Kato, like three years ago. I know that I'm starting high school now, but please, trust me when I say that I didn't forget any of it, okay. I mean, I haven't used any of it, but still, I have a great memory, remember and I can-"

"Not that talk", she cut in, and despite knowing that there was nothing shameful about sex or puberty, she still felt her own cheeks burn red with faint embarrassment, "no, it's- there's something else we need to talk about".

"Oh", with his own embarrassment, Inko felt that Izuku's red freckled face and green hair made look like an overgrown strawberry, and he was every bit as adorable to her now, as he had been ten years ago, but she knew better than to say it aloud, as he sat back down beside her, "what is it?"

She reached out, and took his hands in hers, "Izuku, there's something I need to tell you. Something that I should've told you years ago".

=== === === === ===

Author's Notes:

Parts of Present Mic's exam speech are lifted directly from the manga and anime.

As for the exam itself: Izuku Midoriya and Kal-El… nervous? Check. Unsure of themselves? Check? Worried about their power? Check. Willing to drop whatever they're doing and do anything to save someone, even if the danger might not be real? Check.

Some things are just multiversal.

Able to leap tall things in a single bound? Check. More powerful than a locomotive? Maybe. Faster than a speeding bullet? Probably not. So, the 1940's Adventures with Superman doesn't completely apply here, but I loved having the chance to include the reference and felt it made for a great shout-out here.

There's a mention to Ida's family in there, and you may have noticed that I listed Tensei as the third Ingenium. Now, there is absolutely no basis for this in the actual manga itself, other than the fact that Tensei passes the name onto Tenya, after he becomes injured. As their Quirks are inspired by The Flash, who passes his mantle from mentor to student, in the Deku-Verse, you'll find that the Ida's have done the same, with their grandfather passing the mantle to their father upon his retirement, who has now passed it onto Tensei.

With that all said, we've now reached the end of Part One, so I will see you all back here for… Volume One, Part Two: Birthright.