Chapter 4
"What is that?!" yelled Izuku, his heart pounding. Quickly raising his shield in preparation of the worst as the false city around the duo began to shake. While Raphtalia readied her sword, a massive blast of wind and smoke raced down the street towards the pair. For a moment, their vision was completely obscured, their other senses on high alert for any danger that might be heading their way. Both could hear various crashing noises and shouts before the smoke cleared, revealing a sight that would forever be burned into their memories. The other students taking the exam were running toward them, their expressions full of fear and panic as they fled. And behind them, rising from the streets, was the zero-pointer.
"That's worth zero points?!" Raphtalia gapped at the still-rising zero-point robot in disbelief. Already the large robot was towering over the other buildings, its massive metal claws gripping the roofs of the buildings before it. It's red, eight eyes upon its gigantic rectangular head seemed to look out and watched those so much smaller than it fleeing.
"Oh man. Come on Raphtalia, let's…" began Izuku before his eyes widened in panic. Just up ahead of them was one of the examinees laying face down on the ground. No doubt having been shoved to the ground in the mass rush to get away from the zero-pointer. But that wasn't what was scarring the teen. "AIR STRIKE SHIELD!" In the nick of time a green, shield-shaped barrier appeared above the student large chunks of falling buildings collided with the barrier and shattered, leaving only much smaller pieces to land on the student when the barrier faded.
"That was close," breathed Izuku in relief as he watched the student get to his feet before running off. That was until more, louder crashes and screams reached their ears. The duo looked at each other, their gazes holding a silent conversation as more people passed them by without so much as a second glance. Then, as one, they nodded at the other before moving. Not away with the rest of the crowd, but towards the behemoth of a robot.
Running in the direction the other had come from, Izuku and Raphtalia saw that things seemed to be in a state of chaos. Those who were still able to run seemed to have a bad case of tunnel vision, ignoring the debris falling down from the buildings as well as the other test robots still in the streets. As for the rest, they were either on the ground clutching at a bloody arm or leg or else buried under something too heavy for them to lift off all by themselves.
"Air Strike Shield!" shouted Izuku once again. Another barrier appeared next to a group that was running away, creating a wall between them and two two-point robots that charged at them. Leaping into action, Raphtalia charged at the foes ready to slice them into several pieces. At the same time, Izuku began to inspect those that had fallen to the metal foes or had been struck by crumbling buildings. Izuku helped as many as he could get off the ground at once before telling them to evacuate. After helping them, both he and Raphtalia went to free the remaining students who had been trapped. Those students, once freed, ran off without so much as a word of thanks. Not that either of the two minded as they continued onward towards the zero-pointer.
Seconds ticked by as the two ran as fast as they could. Thankfully, there was only a small handful that had been injured and limping along or trapped which they instantly helped before proceeding.
Then, finally, Izuku and Raphtalia came upon the zero-pointer where they saw it in all of its terrifying glory. Both of them trembled, their weapons shaking as they gazed up at the giant mass of metal monstrosity before their eyes. Izuku could face down people like Kacchan and that blue-haired teen easily for he had known and seen far scarier things in his life. But now, as he stood there, he felt that fear again as the looming zero-pointer took on the form of the villain who had tried to capture them so long ago.
"Izuku, we should run-" began Raphtalia only to cut herself off, her ears twitching as if they had picked up something. The green-haired youth then watched as the girl next to him gazed at something in the path of the zero-pointer. He turned his attention to it as well, eyes widening at what he beheld. Rubble littered the streets and, in one of the massive piles was a girl with short brown hair. Squinting, he quickly corrected himself, that it was just her foot that was caught.
Neither of the two even bothered looking back up at the robot, their legs seeming to move on their own. As the two ran, their heroic hearts screamed at all the fears and doubts within their heads, chasing them away. Of course, the two cried out in the real world as well as they put all the energy they had left into this final sprint.
Once at the pile of rubble, Raphtalia went to work prying away the debris while Izuku stood between the two girls and the towering zero-pointer. Quickly the teen began going through his list of shields, trying to decide what was the best one to use. However, the majority of his arsenal were counter-based, meaning that the zero-pointer would have to strike the shield in order for it to activate. And he was pretty sure he'd get crushed if he ran up to the massive machine to smack it with his shield. He then thought of the Shield Prison. Could he make it large enough to contain the monster before him? He had never tried before and it was getting closer. Could he use it to protect him, Raphtalia, and the other girl? It might work, but if it didn't hold long enough they would all get crushed! And he was running out of time!
"Air Strike Shield! Second Shield!" In front of Izuku appeared not one, but two of his green energy shields each one as far as Izuku could place them before him. The young man then held up his shield, his body tensed as he braced himself for what was to come.
The zero-pointer's treads hit the first shield, stopping it for only a second as millions of sparks appeared around it as the massive treads began grinding against it. When the barrier shattered, Izuku nearly felt himself being forced backward yet still kept its ground. Breathing hard, Izuku watched as the zero-pointer quickly made its way towards his last remaining shield. Now it was so close that Izuku could feel the hot air blasting all around it along with the scent of oil. The same thing happened again, his barrier lasting only a moment before pushing the freckled-faced teen backward. With nothing left to protect them and hoping that the few moments he bought them were enough, Izuku turned to Raphtalia. Thankfully, she had the other brown-haired girl in a standing position.
"I got her. But her leg! I think it's sprained!" said a panicking Raphtalia.
Without saying a word, Izuku raced over to the two of them. Quickly, both of the stranger's arms were placed over their shoulders and together they began to run as fast as possible. But it wasn't fast enough as the shadow of their foe never left them, the rolling of its treads creeping closer with every breath they took. All it would need to do was speed up just a little bit more and the three tired hero hopefuls would become nothing more than smears on the pavement.
Then…
"TIMES UP!" As Present Mic's voice echoed through the testing ground, the giant robot came to a complete and sudden stop. At the same time, the trio fell forward with relief on their sweating faces.
"We did it," panted Raphtalia. "We did it."
Izuku could only gulp and nod at Raphtalia's weak voice, a smile appearing on his lips as an old woman with a syringe-shaped cane began to slowly approach them.
Later, after the exam had finished and all those injured had been healed by Recovery Girl, Izuku and Raphtalia walked past the security gate of U.A. along with the hundreds of other examinees. The two walked tiredly, dressed in their respective school uniforms, before making their way around the corner.
"Wow, U.A. really doesn't pull their punches in these exams," said Izuku as he gave one last glance at the school. "Guess that's why they're the number one hero school in all of Japan."
"I know. I just hope we did well enough to impress them," said Raphtalia as she too glanced back at the building before turning to look at her friend. "Do you have any idea how many villain points we achieved? I sort of…forgot after the zero-pointer."
Izuku's shoulders slumped. "I know I got over ten points myself. You probably got way more than that." Then, Izuku lifted himself upright as his warm smile reappeared. "But still, I don't regret what we did back there. I mean, we helped a lot of people . All the people we saved. It might not have given us the points, but that's what a hero is supposed to do!"
"You're right!" agreed the tanuki girl, her eyes beaming as she looked at her partner during the exam. Then, quickly, she pulled out her phone before holding it close to her chest. "In case we don't get into U.A., would you like to…possibly exchange numbers? I'd rather not wait another ten years to talk to you again."
Izuku was flushed as he looked at the device in Raphtalia's hand. He had given his number to girls before, but only so they could contact him whenever they wanted to know about their commissions or to check on a homework assignment. This, along with the way Raphtalia was looking away from him, her own cheeks dusting a slight reddish hue with tail wagging slightly, caused his heart to nearly leap out of his chest like a certain alien from a certain franchise. While what followed was awkward, the young Midoriya somehow managed to type his number into her contacts while she did the same with his own phone.
The next week or so went by uneventfully for Izuku. Classes at school continued as normal, though a certain ashen-blonde teen seemed more confident as of late. Though, to be fair, it was hard for most people to tell, given that Bakugo was not one known for his lack of confidence. The entire class silently came to the collective conclusion that the explosive teen had done well in the exam.
The only thing that was really different was that Midoriya was now on his phone more often as he talked to Raphtalia. The two talked like two old friends who hadn't seen each other in years, catching up on everything the other had missed while also telling each other about their day-to-day life. Izuku was amazed when he had heard that Raphtalia had placed highly in a few mixed swordsmen tournaments, though not entirely surprised given the skill he had seen. He also got to hear a few of the more exciting fishing stories that the girl had had over the years.
The one thing, however, that both of them avoided talking about was speculation about how they did on the exam as both of them were nervous about it.
Then, finally, the day came when Inko found an envelope in the mail with the U.A. seal stamped on the back. Feeling nervous, Izuku took it to his room where he shut the door before proceeding toward his workbench. For a few minutes, he sat there staring at the object that held his future from within. Then, finally, his hands went to rip it open revealing that inside was a silver device which landed with a clunk on the table before coming to life. Izuku jumped off his seat, finding the image of All Might being projected into his room!
"I AM HERE…as a holographic recording!" boomed the man's voice within the room, his hands at his sides in a heroic pose as he made this announcement. Despite being dressed in a yellow pin-stripped suit, he looked every bit as impressive since it looked like at any moment the man's mighty muscles could barely contain them.
Izuku's mind went into overdrive as he looked up at the hologram in both wonder and confusion. The letter was clearly from U.A., so why was All Might the one they chose to tell him if he passed or failed? Shouldn't that be a teacher or the principal? Was this some sort of favor he was doing for the school?
"In case you were wondering why I, ALL MIGHT, am here now on this recording is because, starting next semester, I shall be joining the staff at U.A. as a heroics instructor!" announced the number one hero.
"Really?!"
"Yes, really!" said the recorded image of All Might with a nod. "Now then, young Izuku Midoriya, let's get to your test results. For the written portion, you placed extremely well. But, I'm sure that's not what you're really interested in. No! You want to know how you did on the practical!" It was here that All Might's smile then faltered slightly. A sight that didn't go unnoticed by Izuku causing his heart to drop. "On the practical, you scored fourteen villain points. I'm sorry to say that alone will not be enough to allow you into the hero course."
'I knew it,' thought Izuku as that one sentence rang through his mind, head slumping downward, falling onto his knees. In his pocket, he could feel the familiar ring telling him he had gotten a text message, but paid it no mind as he just stared at the floor. Really, he should have known that he wouldn't get in. His shield was useful to protect himself in a fight. But defeating villains was a completely different story.
"A-At least I get to keep the disk, right?" said Izuku, trying to look on the bright side. "A personalized message from All Might is not something too many people have."
"Huh? What do you mean hurry up?" came the recorded voice of All Might. Izuku's head lifted to see the Symbol of Peace looking at something or someone off-camera, his expression looking confused. "How many more of these are left? That many?!"
Again, Izuku's heart sank yet got back onto his feet. With his head down, he prepared to walk over to the device to see if he could turn it off before the battery powering it ran out. But then…
"Well, young Midoriya, before we continue there is someone here who wishes to have a word with you," continued All Might. Izuku paused, his hand outstretched and ready to turn off the device, as he looked up. Then, from off to the side the pro-hero Midnight walked into view as if she were walking onto a set! Dressed in her hero costume, she looked exactly the same as she did all those years ago. Once she stood next to the larger hero, her image smiled in his direction and waved.
"Well, well. Looks like we meet again, little hero," said Midnight, her tone playfully. "It seems like only yesterday I was sitting on your hospital bed, listening to you ask me so many personal questions that plenty of naughty men have been asking me for years. Or how red your face turned when I explained what R-Rated meant."
All Might, who had been just standing here, just nodding his head, suddenly snapped it in the direction of Midnight so fast that Izuku thought he heard it crack. His smile was gone, replaced with utter shock. "…He seriously asked that? And you seriously told him?"
Izuku's hands flew to his face, covering it as it quickly turned red with embarrassment. Though he was thankful that Midnight didn't answer All Might, just waving him off slightly as her eyes seemed to focus on the young shield user.
"I am glad that, despite how many years have passed, you're still the same person I met in that alleyway." continued Midnight. "Still standing tall, shield raised to protect others with everything you have. Only now, your body has finally grown to match your heroic heart."
At that, dozens of smaller frames appeared around the two heroes who were now smiling. With wide eyes, Izuku saw that each of them showed footage from the exam. He watched as a recording of himself moved to block a strike from a one-pointer from striking Raphtalia on the side of the head. Another showed an Air Strike Shield appearing in front of another examinee who had fallen to the ground. Below that showed him helping an injured hero hopeful seek cover, using his shield to protect them. Even when he was trying to ward off the zero-pointer as displayed with pride.
"Young Midoriya," said All Might as he stepped forward once more, his smile returning in full force. Izuku heard his phone ring once again, but he ignored it as his favorite hero spoke to him in a voice that seemed to radiate pride and compassion. "It is not the quirk that defines the hero but the actions you take. Those actions inspire others to follow in your footsteps. What you did throughout the entire exam was exemplify heroism's core concept. Even when you knew that it wouldn't benefit you, both you and your friend rushed out to save not only that young girl but everyone you came across. How could any hero school worth its salt turn away someone who is willing to risk their life for the greater good?
"Which was why there were other factors in the practical exam: Rescue Points! A panel of judges watched and scored students on their heroic deeds. And you, young Midoriya, scored a total of ninety-seven rescue points!"
Izuku's eyes began to water slightly as both All Might and Midnight each took a step to the side, revealing a scoreboard with several names. There, at the top, was his name followed by both his scores before finishing off with the total. With fourteen villain points plus the ninety-seven rescue points gave him an impressive one hundred and eleven points!
But that wasn't the only thing the freckled boy noticed. Right below his name was Raphtalia! She had done much better with the villain points, earning a score of forty-five, while her rescue points were at fifty-five. That gave her an even one hundred points total! Though he was happy for her, Izuku felt like she should have gotten first place since she had done most of the hard work.
Finally, Izuku looked at the last name he recognized right under Raphtalia's. It was Kacchan's! He had passed without needing any rescue points, earning himself seventy-seven points!
"Welcome, Young Midoriya to your Hero Academia!" exclaimed All Might while giving the shield hero a thumbs up, his teeth seeming to sparkle on command.
"I look forward to seeing you in class," Midnight said, waving at the camera before winking.
Feeling like his heart would explode from happiness if he continued to listen any longer, Izuku reached out to turn off the device. It all felt so surreal to him. He had passed. He was not just going to the top hero school in the country, but All Might would be one of his teachers? Was there any way things could get better?
As his phone rang again, Izuku finally pulled it out to find he had gotten several text messages from Raphtalia. Simple, short phrases like 'I got in', 'You got in', and 'All Might and Midnight are going to be our teachers' appeared on the screen. As he scrolled down Izuku saw that Raphtalia had also sent him a picture of herself. No doubt one taken by either her parents or a friend who was visiting as he couldn't see her holding her phone to take a selfie. The image was just her jumping into the air in what he assumed was her bedroom, tears running down her face as she smiled. Izuku felt his own tears fall down as well, happy for them both.
After texting her back, Izuku went to his workbench and pulled out some unused metal before getting to work. As he began to work, Izuku thought more and more about what had happened. He knew that he was still at the start of his journey to becoming the type of hero he wanted to be. But that didn't mean he, along with his friends, couldn't celebrate.
Chapter 5
News of Midoriya's and Bakugo's acceptance into U.A. had already spread across his middle school when they arrived the next day. Many of Izuku's classmates approached the green-haired teen to congratulate him… as well as express some envy that he had gotten into such a good school. The same couldn't be said for Bakugo, who had been so sure that he had not only gotten first place in the practical but would also be the first student in Aldera to ever get into U.A. As soon as he walked into class and laid eyes on Izuku, the ashen-blonde became so enraged that it seemed like every blood vessel in his body would explode with the same amount of force that came from his hands! This caused everyone around him to give Bakugo a wide berth…except for Midoriya who just sat in his seat waving politely to his childhood friend. He didn't even look nervous when the two were called to the principal's office to be congratulated by the man.
When that school day ended, Bakugo roughly grabbed Izuku by his uniform jacket where he then dragged the freckled-faced youth outside. Then, once he had found a corner that was isolated, the blond slammed Izuku against the wall.
"I'm going to tell you this once! DROP! OUT! NOW!" yelled Bakugo at the top of his lungs, spit flying forward onto the face of the green-haired teen who just stood there calmly. In fact, the only time Izuku winced was when the explosive teen's spittle landed in his eye. "I was supposed to be the only one in this shitty school to go to U.A. ME! You took that honor away from me! That, and my spot on the top of the charts! Those belonged to ME!"
"Well, you still did very well. I mean, third place is nothing to be ashamed of," replied Izuku in a pleasant and kind tone which caused Bakugo's eyes to widen in rage. His pupils were nothing more than tiny dots as more veins filled his eyes. The blonde's teen clenched so tightly that, if they moved, sparks would be flying outward. As Bakugo's hands began to shake, Izuku reached into his pocket to pull something out.
"Anyways," continued Izuku. "I've been working on this since I heard you aced the mock test. I wanted to give it to you once you got your acceptance letter. Congratulations."
Somehow, Bakugo's pupils became even smaller as he looked down at what looked like a ring box held in Izuku's scarred hand. The young Midoriya flipped it open with one hand, revealing a pin shaped like a stick of dynamite made of silver. As Bakugo looked at it, he began breathing hard before looking up at the one who had made the pin.
"What…is…this!?" growled Bakugo between deep, angry breaths.
"It's a gift," said Midoriya with a smile. "You know, something to wear on your uniform. If the school allows it. Or you could put it on your backpack or-"
"Shut the HELL UP!" roared Bakugo, silencing the green-haired teen. The next thing Izuku knew, his childhood friend had grabbed the gift made for him before tossing it aside with an explosion from his hand.
Izuku, who was still wincing from the explosion, failed to react in time as Bakugo placed his smoking hands on the shoulders of the shield user before pushing against the wall once more. "You can keep your damned pity gifts you shitty nerd because I don't want them! Do you hear me!? I don't need them! I don't need you looking down on me! What makes you think that-" Bakugo's words were suddenly cut short as he closed his eyes. For a moment, he held Izuku there in silence before pulling away and letting Izuku drop onto his feet. Without another intelligible word, the blond bomber stormed off, leaving Izuku alone, shoulders slumped, as he watched his childhood friend storm off.
After that day, Izuku didn't talk much with his childhood friend. Instead, for the next several months, Izuku Midoriya continued to work out his body as best as possible. Despite being told that he had done well, the young teen had seen where he needed to improve. And if he wanted to succeed, to truly become the hero he wanted to be, Izuku knew that every moment counted!
His solo workouts did not last for long, thankfully, as he was later joined by a new training partner.
"Thank you again so much for letting me stay here," said Raphtalia cheerfully as she entered the Midoriya's apartment. She was wearing a red blouse that had several darker red strings running up her midsection which gave the impression of shoe laces given how thick they were along with jeans. As she walked, she carried a small suitcase in front of her.
"Think nothing of it," replied Inko warmly as she led the teenager through the apartment. Behind them, Izuku did his best to carry two other, larger suitcases. The green-haired teen was hunched over, one of the cases resting on his back while his shield hand took hold of the handle of the opposite one. A slight bit of sweat on his brow as the teen moved the heavy objects into his home, ready to drop them in the guest room.
"It's been so long since I've seen you," continued Inko, her voice warm and loving. "The last time I saw you, you were just so small. But look at you now! All grown up and heading off to U.A. Oh, here we are." The matriarch of the Midoriya household paused briefly in front of a doorway before opening it and gesturing for the teens to enter. Raphtalia was the first to walk inside, finding signs that the room had once been a home office before being transformed into a guest room. On one side, a desk with an older model computer sat covered in a semi-transparent cloth to keep the dust off. If one looked a little closer they could see that there was also an In and Out tray that still had papers on it as well as a few other nicknacks. As for the rest of the room, it was pretty cozy. There was a single bed with light creamy green colored sheets with matching pillows tucked into the opposite corner. In lieu of a window, Inko had long ago put up a painting of rice patty fields with a mountain in the distance. And beneath the painting, right next to the bed, was a nightstand with a cheap alarm clock on it as well as a vase with a few freshly picked flowers.
As Raphtalia looked around, slowly placing her suitcase next to the bed, Inko let out a little sigh. "I know it's not much," Inko began, only to be cut off as their guest spun around to give a bright smile with her eyes closed.
"It's wonderful," said the teenage girl, her voice filled with warmth. Then, as Izuku placed the rest of her luggage in the room, the tanuki girl reached into her own bag before pulling out a somewhat thick envelope which she then held out towards Inko. "Before I forget, my parents wanted to give this to you. As payment for putting me up while I'm in town."
Inko barely looked at the offering as she pushed it back. "You keep it," the older woman said, her voice holding a tone that held finality. "The reason we offered to let you stay here was so that you wouldn't waste money renting a hotel room. You give that money back to your parents." Izuku watched from the doorway, the look in Raphtalia's eyes telling him that she wanted to argue. However, after thinking about it for a moment she relented without another word.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Izuku decided to move on to a more important subject. "So, do you have any ideas on where you'd like to stay?" he asked. Instantly, Raphtalia brightened as she returned the envelope back into her suitcase before pulling out several printouts.
"I have a few ideas within my parent's budget," she said while walking over to the shield user. Once she stood next to him, she positioned the papers so that both teens could easily read them. The top printout had what looked like a three-story Japanese-style inn with a bright red roof. In front of the building were several sakura trees in full bloom as several people who were clearly students walked in and out of the building.
"My parents really like this student boarding house," began Raphtalia while trying not, and failing slightly, to make a face that betrayed her disapproval. "Mainly because there's at least three Kobans near it. They also have a number of rules that I looked up on their website. Like you have to give them a two-days notice when bringing guests over, room inspections, and a curfew. Also, it's a little farther away from U.A. than I want. About a forty-five-minute trip by train. But, it is the only place on this list that has a pool." Raphtalia then put the printout at the bottom of the pile, showing a more modern-looking building. "To be honest, I'd much rather prefer getting a regular student apartment. This way, I get the place to myself. This one is about a ten-minute walk to U.A. and has a gym suited for hero training in the basement! There's also a pool nearby. Then there's this one. But, ah, it's a little above my budget." For some time, the two teens stood there, going over all the apartment options that Raphtalia had been looking up over the last several weeks. Meanwhile, Izuku just stood there, listening to Raphtalia as she went over all the pros and cons on her list while watching her face light up whenever she talked about something she was excited about. Since the plan was that he was going to go with her to look at all of these places, including the student boarding house, he would save his own opinion until he was there.
After they had gotten through the list, the pair began heading out to visit these apartments. Or, at least, they started to as Raphtalia paused in the hallway.
"Izuku, what's that?" asked Raphtalia, sounding very confused. Turning around, Izuku saw that she was standing at his door. A door that he was just now realizing he had left open!
Cheeks burning, the green-haired teen wondered what was in his room that had shocked her as the made his way over. Was it his All Might collection? No, it couldn't be since he had told her about it. Besides, it was a healthy amount…right? Or maybe she noticed the magazine he had been reading earlier that day, the one with Mirko and Ryukyu on the cover. Did she think that he read smut? No, that wasn't it! He was reading it for the articles detailing their quirks and making notes on what possible shields he could get if he ever got a strand of hair from them. Nothing weird at all!
When Izuku got to the door, he shot a quick glance into his room. Strangely, he didn't see anything that seemed weird to him. The magazine he had been reading was nowhere in sight, meaning he must have put it away. His workbench had a few projects he had been working on, but nothing that would be seen as weird. Heck, he didn't even have any stray underwear lying on the floor!
Feeling somewhat confused as well as curious about what had shocked his friend so much, he turned to look at her. It was then that Raphtalia pointed to something in the room, Midoriya following the path of her finger. What he saw at the other end caused him to blink in surprise.
"I don't get it," he said, staring at the newest item in the room. "Didn't you keep your acceptance holodisk?"
"I did!" said Raphtalia, a bit louder than normal, making Izuku jump. The girl then marched into his room before gesturing with both hands. "But I didn't do this!" Tilting his head, Izuku examined the sight before him. The disk was lying there on a small, silken pillow and protected by a square glass case which the teen cleaned every day. Twice when he took the device out to watch the message again. The case and its contents were held up at eye level by a pedestal made of dark, polished oak.
"How could I not memorialize it?" Izuku asked, stunned. "It has All Might and Midnight telling me that I got into U.A. A personalized holographic recording that deserves to be passed down and kept as a family treasure! The only way it could get any better is if it was also signed by All Might!" Izuku would have continued to talk had he not noticed Raphtalia's suppressed laugh.
"Maybe we should get going," Raphtalia said between small bits of giggles, taking hold of Izuku's wrist as she led them out of the apartment.
Over the next couple of days, Izuku and Raphtalia looked at all the apartments on the girl's list. Some, like the one she had wanted that was close to U.A., had already signed the lease for their last available room. As for the one her parents wanted, that was also a hard no. Not only did the room feel smaller than what the pictures suggested, making her feel claustrophobic, but according to Izuku the closest hero here did not have the best track record. That was something Izuku was sure to bring up. While she went to check on the room sizes, the view, double checking the rent, and so on Izuku would talk about how many hero agencies were close to the apartment as well as the names of the heroes there. This had been a little weird for the girl as Izuku seemed to have memorized all of this until…
"I just thought that it would put your parent's mind at ease when you told them," the green-haired teen explained after Raphtalia had asked why it mattered. "If something does happen, knowing how many heroes are in the area and knowing if they have good track records can help put their minds at ease." Hearing that brought a genuine smile to the girl's face, accepting the shield user's advice. She also thought it would make a far better excuse as to why she wasn't going with the boarding house her parents wanted. Also, she found it rather cute whenever Izuku wanted to try and get an autograph from the nearby heroes.
Eventually, Raphtalia decided on an apartment overlooking Takoba Municipal Beach. While it didn't have a gym or anything like that, it had all the utilities she could need as well as having a few notable heroes in the area. But what really sold it for her was the price as well as its location to the ocean. Due to the amount of trash she saw from her bay window overlooking the beach caused the value of the apartment to drop over the years. Not that she minded as she could still see the sparkling ocean at night.
After getting settled in, both she and Izuku decided to start their training in a forested area the two of them had passed when leaving the Midoriya's apartment complex. The area, according to Izuku, was the same one where he and Bakugo had played in when they were younger. At first, both teens figured it would just be a nice isolated spot where they could use their quirks without anyone seeing them as well as providing them with plenty of shade. But, as the days went by, the two quickly discovered that this place was a hidden goldmine of training potential. There were several large trees with branches sturdy enough to hold them, allowing for them to practice their fighting styles in mid-air and with narrow footing. There were also several fallen trees that acted like bridges over rivers of various sizes. As for training on the ground, they learned to use the trees to their advantage in various ways.
As they trained, Izuku learned more about Raphtalia's quirk: tanuki. This quirk not only gave her the ears and tail of the named animal but it also gave her some of the illusionary abilities associated with some of the folklore surrounding the named creature. Right now, all she could do were minor illusions. But when you combined that with her sword skills as well as the forest environment, it became a powerful combo. It forced Izuku to start relying on senses other than sight as he tried to pick out with his ears where the next attack would come from.
Finally, the first day of the new semester at U.A. had come and Izuku Midoriya was heading down the sidewalk with the gates of the great school in sight. The sunlight shined brightly against his shield, the teen having spent several hours the night before polishing it so that it looked its best. Dressed in his new U.A. uniform, there was almost a skip in the boy's step as he walked while both his hands held onto the straps of his backpack. He had even managed to fit one of his favorite All Might action figures inside of the bag so that, you know, the man himself could sign it.
That, as well as something special for another student.
As he drew closer to the great gates, Izuku noticed a familiar set of ears on the other side of a steady flow of students entering the building. Carefully, the young Midoriya began to slip past the mass of teens until Raphtalia was in his field of vision. She was just standing there, her back against the wall next to the gate while checking her phone.
'Oh man, oh man,' thought Izuku, his cheeks becoming lightly tinted red as he got a good look at her in her uniform. 'S-She looks so cute! S-Should I say something? Would that be weird?'
"Izuku!" cried Raphtalia happily, bouncing slightly where she stood when she saw the shield user. "I was hoping to meet you here!"
"Y-You were?" stammered Izuku as he gave the girl his best smile while scratching the back of his head, hoping that she didn't notice that he was blushing.
Raphtalia nodded, looking pleased as she did so while her tail began to wag. An act that he found adorable.
"Mhmm!" the girl hummed while glancing over at the school. "I thought that, if we had time, you'd like to explore the school with me before class begins. Just so we have an idea where everything was."
Izuku let out a hum of his own, having no real issue with the idea. In fact, he rather liked it. Knowing where everything was would give them a huge advantage moving forward. Heck, thinking about it, it was the sort of thing that a hero should do when arriving in a new area. But did they have enough time to make the most out of it? Reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone, Izuku slid his thumb over the screen to check the time. What he saw showed that he had arrived earlier than he thought so there was no real rush to get to class. So, with a nod, he agreed.
For about the next twenty minutes, the pair navigated themselves throughout the school. Their first stop was locating their classroom so they could figure out where everything else was in relation to it. It took a while to find the massive doors and, when they did, they gave it a solid look before turning around without bothering to go in.
From there, the pair continued to look around the school while being mindful of the time. After all, neither of them wanted to be tardy on their first day and knew there would be plenty of time to check out the rest of the school. So they managed to find the lunchroom, drooling when they saw the massive menu provided by the hero Lunch Rush, as well as several of the massive gyms. Izuku marveled at everything he saw, finding that the school had well exceeded his expectations. One gym had various exercise equipment that one could find in any gym, except many of the machines had been modified to accommodate students of all shapes and sizes. Another had what could only be described as an indoor maze, littered with robots and other hazards. Heck, looking at the ceiling, Izuku believed that the staff might even be able to control weather conditions. Which was amazing!
It was only when the alarms they had set on their phones, signaling that class would start in ten minutes, did they start heading back to class 1-A.
"It's so wonderful that we're going to be in the same class," exclaimed Raphtalia, her tail continuing to wag while a bright smile lit up her face. Izuku couldn't help but nod.
"I know," he said while thinking back to the day they took the biggest test of their lives. "I wonder if they did that because they saw how well we worked together during the entrance exam."
"Well, regardless, I'm glad to be doing all this by your side," replied the girl cheerfully. A moment later, Raphtalia's expression began to somber before she lowered her head a little while brushing away her bangs. The sight of this brought Izuku a mix of panic, both at how cute that gesture was as well as worry by the sudden shift. "So, let's do our best to become the heroes we want to be."
"Huh, you know," began Izuku looking up as he spoke. "I don't think I ever asked you why you wanted to become a hero."
"Really?" asked Raphtalia as she raised her head to look at her friend. "I could have sworn you did."
Izuku turned his gaze to look at her before shaking his head. "I think I have an idea though," he admitted. "About what happened to us."
Raphtalia nodded, her lips tightening as her gaze became more distant. Like she was looking into the past. "There's not a day that's gone by when I haven't thought about that time," she said at last with a heavy sigh. "About the others who were with me. About the monsters who put us through all that. I found out that they managed to save some of the other kids and arrest the people who bought them like they were nothing more than objects."
Izuku nodded. Though his mother didn't like it, she had taken him to the police station and called up the police and heroes who had been working on the case several times after he had returned home. They never told them everything, but what they did tell the Midoriya family was enough to put the family a bit more at ease. At least for Izuku it did. The young child found himself falling asleep more easily, no longer fearing that when he woke up he would be back in that little room, knowing that most of the people who were involved in the kidnappings were now behind bars.
"But, there were others that got away," continued Raphtalia. "I told the police and heroes about this weird, short man who looked like a doctor who came in. He was interested in children who had powerful quirks. As far as I know, they never found him. And there were others they couldn't find as well, criminals and children alike. I know that it's unrealistic, but I want to fight as hard as possible so that no one ever goes through what we went through. That's the sort of hero I want… no, I am going to be."
She then looked over at Izuku.
"So, what about you?" she asked, suddenly changing topics. "What made you want to become a hero? Same as me?"
In response, Izuku blushed as he scratched the back of his head.
"I actually wanted to become a hero before that night," admitted Izuku with a bit of a fond smile. "I've wanted it ever since I saw All Might's debut video. It's nothing like it was about him fighting some villain for the first time, just saving people. What stuck out to me was how he smiled, reassuring everyone. That's why I want to be a hero: to save as many people as I can. I want everyone who sees my shield to know that I'm there to make sure everything will be ok. That I'll protect them from whatever danger is there." Izuku then paused before letting out a laugh. "I'd do it with a smile like All Might's, but that didn't work so well the first time I tried it."
"It's the thought that counted," chuckled Raphtalia as she no doubt recalled the memory of Izuku's failed attempt. "Maybe you should practice more."
That got a wicked grin from Izuku. Without another word, his face seemed to morph into an almost exact double of the Number One Heroes! Then, when he spoke next, he did so with the same bombastic energy that All Might was known for.
"How's this?" Seeing this as well as hearing All Might's voice coming from her friend's mouth caused Raphtalia to begin to laugh uncontrollably, lightly punching Izuku in the shoulder. As they began to calm down the two realized that they were alone in the hallway. Right up ahead, Izuku could see the class 1-A sign. Not knowing if he would ever get another chance to be alone with Raphtalia today, Izuku made a snap decision. Stopping where he was, he set down his backpack. Upon seeing this, the tanuki girl stopped as well, watching him as he began fishing through his bag.
"What are you doing?" she asked, bending down while placing her hands on her knees. "Class is going to be starting soon."
"I know. I just-" As his fingers wrapped around a small package, Izuku looked up to see something he never thought he'd see in his life. It was the face of a man with bloodshot eyes and messy, black hobo-like hair looking back at him without so much as blinking. What's more, the rest of his body looked like a massive yellow caterpillar.
Yelling and jumping to his feet, Izuku raised his shield while Raphtalia looked ready to swing her bag at the thing.
"About time you noticed me," said the thing as it got up, its voice deep and tired. It then unzipped the zipper on its body, revealing it to be nothing more than a sleeping bag which the man inside then slipped out of. Now both teens could see that he was a man dressed all in black with a white scarf around his neck that obscured his mouth. Not that this put either of them at ease, still holding up their weapons in case this strange man decided to attack.
"I've been trailing the two of you since you both walked away from the classroom," continued the man as he looked down at them, placing his hands in his pockets as he did so. "If the two of you are serious about wanting to become heroes then we're going to have to work on your awareness. But at least you two weren't wasting time which is precious in a hero's line of work. Rather than sitting around in class socializing, you were using what time you had to familiarize yourself with your new environment."
Strangely, being told that they had been followed for that long did not put either teen at ease. In fact, it did just the opposite. Something that man clearly noticed.
"Relax" sighed the man. "I'm your homeroom teacher, Mr. Aizawa."
That got the two young heroes in training to lower their guards. Not by much as neither of them had ever heard of this man nor did they recognize him. Plus there was also the fact that his gaze upon them was somewhat…unnerving. Like he was peering into their souls. But just enough for it to show that they were relaxing their guard. After all, only students and faculty members could get into the school.
For several long seconds, the three stood there in what felt like a staring contest before finally, Mr. Aizawa spoke again.
"I saw the footage of your performance in the entrance exam. Care to tell me why the two of you were working together?"
This surprised the two as they had not expected anyone to ask. But they complied with the request, not seeing any reason to argue. Nor did they lie. Izuku had explained that it was never stated in the rules that they couldn't work together and that, given how the exam was set up, they decided to treat it as a mass breakout. Raphtalia also chimed in, explaining that this way they could work more effectively while watching each other's back.
Mr. Aizawa remained silent, only nodding his head from time to time without interrupting them. In truth, he had already suspected that this was the case. He, along with all the other teachers, had watched all of the footage starting at the beginning of the exams. Izuku had first caught his attention back when Present Mic had been explaining the rules. To find a student who was willing to ask if they had to destroy the robots was not something one finds all that often. Usually, the students were ready to show off the power of their quirks while those who had non-combative quirks just sank in their seats. Then came the practical, watching another rare event unfolding right before his eyes.
And now, hearing the reasoning behind their actions that day, made him glad he had agreed to Midnight's suggestion of having them in the same class.
So, when the two had finished speaking, Mr. Aizawa decided to give them a compliment.
"I see. That was very rational thinking on both of your parts. Now, class will be starting soon."
As he moved to take a step, his shoe collided with Izuku's bag causing his All Might figure's arm to slip out. The teacher saw this, eyes narrowing in disapproval but said nothing else about it as he continued to walk.
"Really?" asked Raphailia. "You're not upset that we didn't do everything on our own?"
Without bothering to stop, Aizawa motioned the two to follow him to the classroom. Which they did…after Izuku quickly grabbed his bag, sliding the All Might figure fully inside.
"I've seen more than my fair share of so-called pro heroes heading into situations like that, plenty of heroes around but refusing to work together," explained the man, his voice becoming deathly serious. As if he was speaking from personal experience. "More interested in getting the spotlight all to themselves as well as the money from the villains they captured. It's not practical and the ones who end up paying the price are usually the ones who were there to help. And as you yourself said, it wasn't against the rules. With that said, I am disappointed in you Midoriya. You should have known that the amount of time you bought with that shield of yours when you fought the zero-pointer would have been negligible at best. Time that could have been better spent helping your teammate."
By this point, Aizawa's hand was at the door ready to open it.
"Now, let's see what else you both can do," he finished, sliding the door open to reveal a class that was too distracted talking to each other to notice him.
Chapter 6
"DIE!" The loud war cry of the explosive bomber teen echoed throughout the field, followed closely by an explosion coming from his hand. Izuku, Raphtalia, and the rest of class 1-A watched, all dressed in tracksuits provided by Mr. Aizawa, as the ball he had been holding rocketed into the air at deadly speeds. As for the teacher himself, he kept his gaze focused on a device held in his hand. After making a beeping noise, he turned it around so that everyone could see Bakugo's score. Over seven hundred meters!
"It's important that all of you understand your maximum potential," said Aizawa in his tired voice, he slowly eyed the twenty students in his class. "In order to do this, all of you will be participating in a series of physical exercises using your quirks. It's the most rational way to determine your max potential as heroes."
It was then that Izuku noticed that Mr. Aizawa's bored look became annoyed and focused. He, along with several other students who noticed this, turned their heads at the subject of the man's irritation. It was the blue-haired teen with the glasses from the entrance exam. The tall teen had raised his hand before speaking in a loud voice once he felt he had Aizawa's attention.
"But sir, won't we miss the opening ceremony and orientation?" the teen said loudly. "As students at the most prestigious hero school in the country, we should-"
"I have just three years to get you all ready for the real world," interrupted Aizawa. He had not raised his voice, but something in his tone held enough power to instantly silence his student. "As such, it would be irrational to waste such time on pointless ceremonies. However, if you would rather be at the entrance ceremony, just say the word and I'll have you transferred to general studies."
That caused the blue-haired teen to stiffen as his face was filled with horror. Everyone watched him shaking his head no, his words half-formed as stuttered out a quick apology.
"Now, if there are no more interruptions," continued Aizawa, shooting a brief glance at the student before continuing. "I'd like to set some ground rules for these tests. As I said, all of you will be able to use your quirks. However, you are not to use them in any deliberate way to interfere with your classmates. If you do, then I will mark your score for that exercise as a zero. Secondly, you all get one shot at each test. You should always be giving it your all and I will not accept any excuses. Also, these are solo tests so no helping each other out. These tests are meant to deem your overall potential after all."
As he said this last part, Mr. Aizawa's gaze focused on both Izuku and Raphtalia for a moment.
"And, finally, the person with the lowest score will be deemed as having no potential as a hero. As such, that student will be expelled."
This caused an uproar with the students, many complaining loudly. One girl, the same one Izuku and Raphtalia had saved during the entrance exam, spoke out about it being unfair to kick them out when they had just got here after working so hard. If this bothered Mr. Aizawa, his face didn't show it.
His voice on the other hand…
"Fair?" Aizawa began in a dark tone. "Do you call a couple's car being thrown against a building, with them inside no less, by a random villain fair? What about people who lose their homes to an earthquake or a volcano? Is what happened to them fair as well? The world is full of unfairness. Some of you know that better than most."
Having this caused both Izuku and Raphtalia to stiffen, their fists clenching. While Mr. Aizawa was not looking at either of them directly, the two felt as if that last part was directed at them. Yes, they knew just how unfair the world could be.
"As heroes, it will be your duty to combat this world of unfairness head-on," continued Aizawa. "To rise above it. So, prove to me that you being here isn't a mistake. That you didn't just have a lucky day during the entrance exams. Show me that you can go Plus Ultra."
With that, Mr. Aizawa's tests began starting with the 50-meter dash. As Mr. Aizawa called up the first two, Raphtalia and the girl who had spoken up earlier named Ochaco Uraraka, the rest of the class moved off to the side to watch. With a hand on his chin, Izuku watched as Raphtalia stretched while Uraraka began touching her shoulders and feet for some reason. When the race began, Raphtalia took a swift and decisive lead before crossing the finish line a good two seconds before Uraraka.
While that had been an impressive first test, it was nothing compared to what happened next. The two who were called up next were a pink-skinned girl named Mina Ashido and Kacchan. Once they were given the signal to start, everyone watched in awe as Ashido began sliding towards the finish line looking like she was skating, while Kacchan used his explosive abilities to launch himself there. Once their times had been given, the two walked back to the group as two more students were called up while Izuku spared a glance down to his shield.
'This might be difficult,' he thought with a slight frown. 'People with quirks that can boost their performance like Kacchan will have an easier time and will be able to score higher. Meanwhile, people like me and Raphtalia will have to rely mostly on our own physical training until we can figure out some way of using our quirks to help us.'
From there, the tests continued as the day went on with Izuku watching the other members of Class 1-A for inspiration. Like how Aoyama used his navel laser to propel him across the track in the fifty-meter dash…well tried to as he only got about halfway before he had to turn off his quirk due to his stomach hurting. Then there was Mineta, a person most of the class was already beginning to dislike. The pint sized, ball haired teen was drooling where he stood with the rest of the class, staring at the girl's chests as they got closer and at their rears after they passed him. Not to mention the crude comments he made. Izuku found himself glaring briefly at Mineta when he had said he'd love it if 'Raphtalia would shake her tail in his direction'. But, despite his…personality issues, the grape haired teen had used the bouncing properties of his orbs to bounce across the track.
Unfortunately, despite Izuku putting his brain into overdrive as he went over all his shields and their properties, he wasn't able to come up with anything that could help him out with this test. Instead, he had to rely on his own physical training he had been doing over the past several years. Something he knew he would no doubt have to do with the majority of these exams.
Thankfully, as the tests continued, his physical fitness kept him from placing last in any of the exams. The same went with Raphtalia who, impressively, ranked fourth when it came to the grip strength test. During that same event, Izuku had tried using his Two-Headed Black Dog Shield on the grip strength devices. He had a theory that he might be able to trigger the shield's activation if he smacked the device with the shield. It sort of worked as the dog heads bit into the device. However, since he had no control on where they bit, they missed the grip and ended up using it like a chew toy for a few seconds.
Inspiration didn't hit him until the standing long jump. When it became his turn, an idea just appeared in his head as he stood at the starting point. Raising his shield, Izuku activated his Air Strike Shield and jumped onto it. Once he was in the air, the teen created a second shield before running and jumping onto his makeshift platform. But he didn't stop there, instead creating another shield as the first vanished behind him which he then jumped onto. Over and over this continued, until he had secured the highest score far from the sandbox. As he jumped back down to the ground, a few of the other students let out some impressed cheers. Even the frog girl Asui gave him a thumb's up as well as a ribbit.
Ida, the blue-haired boy, however, was not so impressed. "Unacceptable!" he shouted, turning to look at their homeroom teacher while making a chopping motion with his arm. "That was a clear violation of how to do the standing long jump! Mr. Aizawa, surely you will not allow such blatant cheating to stand!"
In return, Mr. Aizawa gave the teen a look that could have been out of annoyance or boredom.
"The point of the exam was to clear the sandbox. Once you're in the air, I don't care what you do as long as you don't touch the ground," he said, ending the matter in a way that made it clear not to bring this sort of thing up again.
Izuku was only able to use the Air Strike Shield once more during the ball toss. With the only rule being that he had to remain in the circle, Izuku used Air Strike Shield and Second Shield again as platforms as he jumped from one to another gaining a greater distance off the ground while still technically remaining in the circle. Once he felt he was high enough, Izuku flung the ball as far as he could, gaining a score of one hundred and twenty-seven meters.
Then, after a few more tests, it was over.
"You should all have a good idea of where you placed," Aizawa spoke in his usual tired tone while pulling out a remote. With the press of a button, a large holographic screen appeared displaying everyone's ranking. Upon seeing it, both Izuku's and Raphtalia's eyes began scanning the list until they stopped as relieved smiles appeared on their faces. Out of the twenty students, Izuku had come in twelfth place while Raphtalia had paced thirteenth.
Yet, their relief quickly ended when the sobs of Mineta filled the air. Half the class turned to the grape-haired boy as he fell to his knees, rivers of tears running down his face that would have felt at home in the Midoriya residence. Despite excelling in the side-to-side lunge and a few other events, his scores in the majority of the tests had been well below the average. Thus he had been placed at the bottom of the list.
As the tiny teen fell to his knees, still weeping uncontrollably, Raphtalia approached him while the rest just gave Mineta pitiful looks.
"There, there. I'm sure it'll be alright," she said softly, bending down to give him a reassuring pat on the back.
"No, it won't!" wailed Mineta as he turned to look at Raphtalia. "How am I supposed to pick up chicks now? Becoming a hero was my only chance to make it with the ladies!"
Pity quickly turned to disgust at the, er, honest words of the grape-haired pervert. Even Raphtalia was struggling to keep from looking outwardly repulsed by this statement.
Then Aizawa spoke up once more. "By the way, the part about expelling the student who came in last place was a lie. It was just a logical deception to ensure that you all gave it our all." Mineta was instantly silenced while everyone looked at the creepy smile their homeroom teacher was now giving them.
-x-
"Today's lesson was really intense," said Raphtalia, Izuku nodding as he walked beside her out of the homeroom. With class dismissed for the day and dressed once more in their school uniforms, the two made their way down the hallway towards the exit while the rest of the class milled about. As they walked, the pair would occasionally glance down at the class syllabus Aizawa had left for them, checking their schedules as they walked.
"I know, right. Makes me wonder just what tomorrow is going to be like," replied Izuku before his eyes widened in excitement. "Oh hey, Midnight is teaching modern art!"
"She is?" asked Raphtalia as she eagerly began looking over their schedule on the syllabus looking for a single name. It took her a moment before her smile widened. "She is! It's been so long since I've seen her face to face!"
"I know, right? Maybe I can show her some of my-" Izuku's words were cut off as thought of his craft, remembering the gift he had yet to give to Raphtalia. Glancing around, he saw that the hallway was mostly empty. If he was going to give it to her, now would be the best time. So, after taking off his backpack, Izuku began to rummage around in it while Raphtalia gave him a confused look.
Then, just as his scarred hand touched the box which held it, a voice spoke up.
"I guess the rumors were true. The legendary shield has come to U.A."
Looking up, Izuku and Raphtalia saw four people in U.A. student uniforms standing near the exit. Each of them almost seemed to be posing in some manner, as if they were showing off. There was a black-haired boy with a sword that had a blue gem cross-guard strapped to his waist. He was standing off to the side, leaning against the wall looking away with disinterest. But he was standing just close enough for Izuku to tell that he was a part of the group. Standing closest to him was another boy, this one with short blonde hair and green eyes with a bow strapped to his back. A bow that Izuku noticed had an orange gem arrow rest. Standing in front of them was the last, and tallest, of the teenage boys. A hand was brought up, touching the bangs of his long, blonde hair that was tied up in the back into a ponytail. His face held a cocky, smug expression that seemed to radiate from his eyes. In the teen's opposite hand he held a spear that held a red gem just below the tip.
Finally, clinging to the tall blonde was a red-headed girl. Izuku briefly thought she had a pretty face, though she seemed the most out of place in the group as she both lacked any weapon as well as seeming physically weaker than the rest. Though there was something in her eyes that suggested to Izuku that, if you crossed her, she would gladly chew you up and then spit you out all with a sweet smile on her face. There was also something unsettling about her that he couldn't quite place.
The spear wielder took a step forward and, when he spoke, it was made clear that he had been the one who had spoken prior.
"I kind of feel sorry for you pal," continued the spear teen, his tone holding more than a bit of arrogance to it. "Guess it's just bad luck."
"W-What? Ah, who are you?" asked a very taken aback Izuku.
"Right, he doesn't know." This came from the dark-haired teen, nodding slightly as he spoke. "I am Ren Amaki, second-year student of U.A. and the holder of the Legendary Sword."
"I'm also a second-year student," said the short-haired blonde as he took a step forward. "I'm Itsuki Kawasumi. And as you can see I have the Legendary Bow."
"The name's Motoyasu Kitahara, third year. And in case it wasn't obvious, I have the Legendary Spear," finished the oldest of the three. Then he gestured with a nod of his head towards the girl still clinging to him. "Oh, and this here is my girlfriend Malty Melromarc."
"Oh please Motoyasu," giggled Malty. When Malty spoke, Izuku could almost hear alarm bells going off in his head. There was just something wrong with how she talked, that the sweetness of her tone was just phony. However, those thoughts were pushed away to the side when he saw the look Motoyasu was giving Raphtalia. He was looking her up and down in a way that was way too obvious what he was doing. The look in his eye was so lecherous that it could rival Mineta's!
"Anyways, we were all a little surprised and taken aback when we heard that a fourth weapon user like us had gotten into U.A," said Itsuki who also noticed the look Motoyasu was giving Raphtalia. No doubt wanting to continue the conversation. "Even more when we heard that it was the shield user. We just wanted to check it out and see for ourselves."
Izuku's eyes widened at that. So he was the fourth weapon user here at the school? He had known that there were others, but he had never really thought he would have the chance to meet any of them. And to have three of them here at U.A. at the same time as him? Yet…
"Ah, what did you mean when you said you were even more surprised when you heard it was the shield?" asked Izuku
There was a pause as the four older students gave each other a look as if having a silent conversation between themselves. Finally, Motyasu rolled his eyes while letting out a sigh.
"Alright, alright. If these guys won't tell you then I will," he said while quickly closing the distance before shoving a finger right into Izuku's chest. "The shield is the weakest of the weapons! In fact, it shouldn't even be counted as a weapon! It's more like armor!"
"It's impressive that you managed to get into the hero course with defense alone," continued Ren, giving Midoriya a sideways look as he spoke. "However, that alone won't get you far. Guess it's just the luck of the draw."
"When we all took our entrance exams, we managed to get in on villain points alone," added Itsuki, now sporting a slight smirk. "And by the time we all took our exams, we were able to take down the zero-pointer."
"It's doubtful that you'll ever be able to do that," finished Motoyasu with a laugh.
Izuku stayed silent as he listened to the group. He had heard these sorts of things before from his old school. From people like Kacchan and others like him. But, for some reason, their words felt like they had more of an impact. Maybe it was because they held weapons similar to his. Maybe it was because they were his upper-classmen, people who knew more about what they were talking about.
"You're wrong!" Everyone jumped, startled as Raphtalia spoke up with determination in her eyes. She then stepped forward. "A hero is more than just their quirk or weapon. It's also about the type of person that they are. What they are willing to bare, willing to sacrifice in order to save others!"
"Well said, young lady!"
The four standing at the doorway jumped upon hearing the high pitched voice, sweat appearing on their brows as they turned their heads in unison to look the other way. Standing there was a small, animal-like creature standing on its hind legs and wearing a suit. As for what it was, Izuku had no idea. While looking like an interesting cross between a bear, mouse, and cat, the creature had white fur and a scar on one of his eyes.
"Ah, who are you?" asked Izuku, tilting his head while looking down at the creature as it approached them walking on its hind legs.
"He's so cute!" said Raphtalia, bringing her hands together. "Look at that adorable suite someone put him in." Izuku's and Raphtalia's comments caused the animal to chuckle politely into one of its paws while the other four students just looked at the pair like they were insane.
"You idiots!" growled Motoyasu. "How could you not know who that is!?"
"It's alright Mr. Kitahara," said the creature with a light chuckle, its paws moving behind its back as his beady eyes glanced back and forth over all the gathered students. "They wouldn't know as Mr. Aizawa tends to skip orientation to put his class through the ringer. So please, allow me to introduce myself as the school's principal: Nezu!"
Both Izuku and Raphtalia felt like their bodies would turn to stone at any moment due to embarrassment. Though the principal seemed to take their mistake in stride, letting out a light chuckle as he glanced over at the tanuki girl.
"Oh, and thank you for the compliment on my suit Ms. Raphtalia," Nezu continued. "I have to get them all tailor-made and this one is brand new! Such a pity none of the staff here or even the long-time students noticed." The principal then turned to look at the four students by the exit. All of them looked rather nervous.
"Ah…it looks simply marvelous on you Mr. Nezu," said Malty, in a fake sweet tone.
"Yes…thank you for that Ms. Melromarc," replied Nezu, his smile faltering for a moment as he gave the redhead a once over. But before Izuku could think about what that might mean, the principal seemed to regain a bounce in his steps as his voice became a bit more chipper. "Now, I hope that you all being here was simply out of curiosity about our school's newest weapon user. It would simply be dreadful if you came here to throw your weight around or to make a fellow student feel inferior. Now, how about you all head home? If you wish to use the school grounds for afternoon training, they will be available starting tomorrow."
With that, the four left without another word. Yet as they did, Izuku thought he saw Nezu focusing on Malty. The smile he had on his face was gone, replaced with an unnerving flat expression as his beady black eyes remained locked on her back. That was until the door closed and the small mammal turned to look at the remaining teens. A smile appeared on the animal's face, sending shivers down both their spines.
"I also suggest that both of you head home right away and get some rest," said Nezu with a glint in his eye. "Trust me, you'll need it for your first hero class!"