Chapitre 2267: 9
Chapter Text
"Well guys, this is it. U.A. The most prestigious school for heroics in all of Japan, if not the world," Manga motioned to the campus, hands outstretched.
Around the three - which consisted of Manga, Mei, and Pony - were people their age as well. They moved about in anticipation, just as eager and hopeful to pass the entrance exams in order to enroll into the school. The outcome of this day would decide upon their futures, and ultimately, whether or not one could become a hero.
"Be ready to fight tooth and claw for a position within its halls, and—Ow!" Manga recoiled from a smack from the girl beside him.
"Cut that out already," relayed Mei. "I have enough of that commentating when Izuku and I are working."
"Oh?" Manga laughed, "That doesn't seem to stop you from getting your inventions to the point of being able to use me as a guinea pig everytime."
"And? There's nothing wrong with that! If anything, you're the best of us for it! You can't get any head injuries, after all!"
"Doesn't mean it still doesn't sting, oh holy queen of the scrapyard," Manga mocked.
"Oi! I resent that!" whined Mei.
"She's kind of right, though. Out of us all, you're the most resilient," added Pony with a small smile.
"Gaah! Not you too!" Manga sputtered in mock agony, clutching at his heart. "Where's Izuku when you need him? I wouldn't be under such an onslaught if he were here!"
Mei scratched her head. "Yeah, where is he, anyway? Didn't we all agree to meet here?"
However, almost as if by demand, the pitter-pattering of steps resounded behind the group, revealing the lost friend in mention.
"I'm here!" exclaimed Izuku, barreling into the group and out of breath. "Sorry that...I'm late. I sorta got...sidetracked this morning."
Manga rose a fake eyebrow. He huffed in amusement. "It was that commotion up near the railways with that gigantification villain, wasn't it?"
"Yeah…" Izuku admitted with a laugh.
"Well, that's alright," Manga added. "That's just how you are. Such an extreme hero-otaku. No biggie."
"I'm not—"
"Keep denying it all you want, greenie. It's the truth," Mei said.
Izuku looked over at the only friend who still hadn't voiced her opinion. "Pony?"
She gave a small giggle. "They're not wrong. I mean, look at those notebooks of yours!"
Izuku sighed in resignation. "All right. Is there anything else we have planned for out here?"
"Hmm, nope. We still have a good seven minutes before we need to be seated, though," Manga said.
"Well, we might as well go in, right? Getting to our seats might be a bit tough if wait until the last second," mused Pony.
The friends voiced their agreement, beginning their jaunt toward the renowned U.A. That is, until Izuku stopped in place, hands out.
"Watch out for that crack," Izuku pointed out. The group of friends looked down, and spotted an indenture on the ground.
"That's… a fairly unnoticeable crack," voiced Manga. "I'm pretty sure you couldn't trip on it if you wanted. Unless you were really nervous, your foot probably couldn't even get at the angle to trip you up."
The slight depression went a centimeter or two into the ground, indeed being fairly unnoticeable and unlikely to cause someone to lose their footing.
Izuku hummed in agreement, but then he squatted down, peering at the crevice. "That's not why I pointed it out, though."
"Izuku?" questioned Pony.
The boy in questioned tilted his head towards the crack. "It actually leads down to an ant colony, just below us. Just a vast network of tunnels and rooms… It looks like it's been around for a while, too." He placed his hand down near the space, gathering a few ants up his sleeve. After a bit, Izuku shook his head, standing up. "Sorry, got caught up in the moment again. But I could use a couple of these guys later," he gestured to his new passengers.
The group began their walk toward the auditorium.
"Mhm. Still think it's weird, you being able to be so calm around insects," said Manga.
"Yeah… but they kind of were my first friends before I had you guys, you know?" A reminiscent smile adorned Izuku's face at that remark. "It feels like it was just yesterday that I had Rikai bundled in my hair. Now all I have left are his children. A good amount of them too! All those centipedes crawling and squirming in my room and my clothes, free to do as they please."
The group let out a collective shiver. Of course, they didn't let their friend take notice. They'd gotten used to his musings of insects and bugs by now... Mostly.
It wasn't long before the group came upon the expansive auditorium, already filled to the brim with prospective students. "Well, looks like this is it," said Izuku. He turned to the others, "I really do appreciate you all being my friends. I don't think I'd have gotten this far without you guys," he sniffled. "No matter what happens, you've been truly great friends."
Pony jumped to hug him. "Aww, don't be like that. We'll all get in for sure! We've been training day in and day out!"
"Mhm! Now, don't you not get in, Mister! I'll be sorely disappointed if you don't!" added in Mei. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some babies to make! To the support exam!" she exclaimed, running off.
(＾＾)ｂ
"Thanks guys." At that, they wished each other luck, and made their way to their seats.
Izuku spread out his bugs to all corners of the room - scouting out the competition, so to speak.
He noticed a few people that stood out, but that was mostly due to their mutation quirks or similar physical changes.
Nobody screamed immediate competition, and thus Izuku would just have to wait and see what everyone was capable of. Most of the really good people would have already gotten in through recommendations, after all. He's just have to see the ones who slipped through the cracks.
In the process of finding his seat near the back, Izuku made the unfortunate discovery of finding that one of the accompanying people designated beside him was Bakugou. Just great.
Izuku slowly made his way to his seat, somewhat dreading the inevitable confrontation. It had been a while since he had last seen his former friend, and he didn't know what would come of it. He wasn't doubting the hostility that would be present, however.
As he approached, Izuku saw Bakugou twitch ever so slightly. Of course, it wouldn't stop there.
"The hell are you here, Deku?" Bakugou questioned as Izuku sat. Izuku didn't respond - which went to further infuriate the fuming boy - but it wasn't long until they were interrupted by a deafening announcement.
"Hellooo everyone! Welcome to today's show! Can I get a 'hey'!" The pro hero stood, ear to the audience.
Silence. But that didn't cause the man to falter.
"What a refined response!"
Ah!! It's Present Mic! So cool!
Present Mic went on to detail the upcoming exam, mentioning things like 'Goombas' and 'Thwomps' as well as the point system that accompanied them.
Meanwhile, Bakugou continued to express his agitation. Izuku ignored the taunts, but that went to infuriate Bakugou even further.
It's strange, Izuku thought, trying his best to pay attention to Present Mic. Af ter all this time, he still doesn't know about my quirk. Or my training.
"Deku… What's with those sticks, huh? Think you can defend yourself with some flimsy wood?"
Ah, my eskrima sticks. That's right, he hasn't seen these yet either.
Again came his voice, filled with irritation, "If you think—"
"Hey! You two in the back! Stop your chit-chat! You are causing a disruption for all of us!"
Us two? But I haven't said a word!
Izuku took a glance from over where the voice came from. His bugs revealed a rather serious looking boy with dark blue hair.
Further physical examination with his bugs revealed cold metal that adorned his legs. They jutted out, almost as if in the shape of exhaust ports. A relative of Ingenium, perhaps?
"And Mr. Present Mic, Sir!" the boy continued, "It says here that—"
Izuku shook his head, resigning himself to the scorn of the others around him. He listened to the rest of the demonstration, attempting to ignore the death stare of the boy beside him.
The bus that had been tasked in transporting the participants of Site B was mostly quiet apart from the few deep breaths and scuffling of feet amongst its riders. By the time it had arrived at its destination, most of the anxious students were ready to go, standing and waiting for their next instructions.
Along the bus ride, Izuku had been gathering his bugs. Along with those he could feel in the replicated city ahead of him, they numbered in the hundreds of thousands within his immediate vicinity.
It just so happened that a small portion of those bugs sensed a familiar presence approaching Izuku from behind. He turned around, and was faced with the stern-faced boy from earlier.
"Why exactly are you here?" he asked.
"What?" Izuku felt around, connecting to the vast network of bugs that inhabited the simulated cityscape. Every sight, scent, sound, and touch from blocks around was now within his grasp.
I wasn't even talking. That was all Bakugou. Why am I suddenly a nuisance by association?
"A delinquent shouldn't think that they can get i to a school as prestigious as—"
Further investigation with his bugs prived a surprising discovery. Hmm… It seems I found the robots. They're all underground; seems they're released from several ramps hidden all over the simulation. Probably wouldn't count if I just went there and started destroying them, though.
"Hey, I'm talking to you. Do you have any—
Oh? His bugs picked up movement from a tower to his left. It's Present Mic. Wonder why he's up there… Unless—
"OKAY, START!"
The glasses-wearing boy turned at the exclamation in confusion. Izuku, however, sprang into action, retrieving his eskrima sticks from his back and bouting into the urban landscape.
"Aha! Now that's what I'm talking about! Someone here knows how things go!" Present Mic announced, looking at the rest of the students.
"Well? What are you waiting for? There aren't any countdowns in real fights! RUN! RUN! GO! The die's been cast!"
The students snapped out of their stupor, and the oncoming stampede went off running to join Izuku.
He had to give it to U.A. The simulation was complexingly realistic and finely detailed. His bugs found each building he had run past were designed room by room and with amenities. The alleys were littered with trash, and some streets showed evidence of wear and tear from weathering and usage. The rooftops even shared in the trash pileup and puddle holding. However, as much as he enjoyed exploring the detail of the mock-city, Izuku still had a task to do..
Alright, two-pointer around the next left turn into the alley, around nine yards ahead.
Turning the corner indeed revealed the robot, its legs jutting outward and robotic tail risen high above its frame. The almost scorpion shaped robot turned its way toward the movement it sensed down the alleyway.
Izuku sprinted for the creature, eyeing for potential weak points. Eyeing the head and possibly the legs, it wasn't long before Izuku was within a few feet of the metallic contraption.
"Target acquired. Commence elimination." The two-pointer lunged for Izuku, but the boy was ready. He quickly dodged to the left, barely avoiding the barreling robot as it rushed past.
The robot's speed, having not been able to predict the miss, rammed it into a nearby dumpster, temporarily stunning it. Izuku took his chance, running up onto the robot's backside and onto its head. A couple well-placed and forceful swings at the robot's fragile orb disabled it from combat. Two points.
That… wasn't that bad actually. It was surprisingly fragile for a robot. Though, I suppose that makes sense, considering they—
Izuku's eyes widened; again he took evasive action, this time moving to his right. He had sensed a three-pointer just nearby with his bugs, but was not ready for the insane speed that it had demonstrated. The robot seemed to be sturdier too, if it's bulkier form and second head were anything to go by. Strength and speed combined, then? Much harder than the two-pointer, worthy of its title.
"Eight Minutes!" yelled Present Mic.
Already? Shoot, I need to speed this up.
Izuku glanced at the three pointer, which was apparently content in waiting for Izuku to make a move. He looked at its form - his weapons might not be able to do much - and then to its head, it's red orb pinging in response to his— That's it!
Izuku reached for his bugs, gathering them in a cloud and plunging them onto the robot's red orb. The three pointer acted in kind, thrashing wildly and, as Izuku predicted, unable to see. It made it all the easier to reach its back and the space between it's heads. It wasn't long before the robot crumpled as it's circuitry became damaged. Five points.
I can do this. I really can. He gave a small laugh. But I need to hurry. Time's running down. He sprinted off in another direction.
It's a good thing I spent all that time inventing with Mei. I suppose I can ask my bugs to go a little overtime for now.
In a separate part of U.A.'s campus was a dark monitoring roomed packed to the brim with various pro heroes and staff members. They watched the myriad of students as they pummeled into the robots sent into their path.Of course, considering the nature of the gathered people, it didn't take long for some of them to take notice of certain green-haired boy.
"Hey, what's with those sticks?" asked the Blood Hero, Vlad King. "Are they part of some sort of martial art?"
"Hmm…an inquisitive observation, Sekijiro-kun," came Nezu. "That would be eskrima, if I'm not mistaken; a martial art that has since declined as quirks have become more commonplace." The principal leaned forward in his chair a little, observing the green haired boy.
"But, unless his quirk involves them, we have yet to actually see him use his quirk," Ectoplasm mentioned. "What is it listed down as?"
Present Mic obliged himself, quickly shuffling through the files they had of the various aspiring students. "Let's see… Awase… Garou… Jiro… Kuroiro… Aha! Midoriya! Let's see, it says here that he's… quirkless. Huh."
The judges showed their various reactions to the news, ranging from disbelief to intrigue. The intrigue was especially profound in the present All Might, who had recognised the boy. That's strange , he thought. He has a quirk, he showed me himself. Why does his file label him as quirkless?
Despite the commotion, Nezu was the one individual who remained focused on the boy. This came to notice to the number one hero.
"Nezu, something on your mind?" asked All Might.
The principal nodded. "A quirkless? Perhaps not. Have any of you noticed the bugs?"
"Bugs?" All Might asked. He remembered the demonstration Midoriya had shown him, but he hadn't taken notice of anything similar as far the screen displays went.
"Yes. All around the simulation, jolsted from their hidden homes. They've been moving with purpose. Some even disabling some of our robots. Yamada-kun, is there anyone listed with bug control of any kind?"
Present Mic again shifted through the files. "There is one student, with the quirk Anivoice." One of the screens focused on a student with peach colored skin and a rather rock-like appearance. The boy was getting birds to distract the robots he fought. Present Mic continued, "Basically, control over animals, as shown. But he's over at Site C. Here in Site B… nobody."
"Mhm," Nezu hummed, hands raised above his head. "And thus, our mystery is solved! The supposedly quirkless boy has a quirk after all. And a rather unique one, I find. How peculiar it all is." A feral smirk came upon the principal's face."I do hope he passes."
A pair of eskrima sticks came down upon a one-pointer robot, easily neutralizing the contraption.
"Three minutes!" resounded Present Mic.
And that's number twenty-one. Not bad if I were to say so myself. Izuku looked around at his surroundings. Various other robotic remains stained the backdrop, other participants panting in fatigue after the fight they had endured.
Despite his confidence in his score, Izuku was still a bit worried. He had heard some other scores awhile ago reaching into the forties, and that had him uneasy. Were his twenty-one points enough to pass? He surely hoped so, otherwise he'd get a beating from Mei late—
A deep rumbling shake literally shook Izuku from his thoughts.
Explosions began to litter the cityscape as a large figure arose from the smoke and ashes. Within seconds, the zero-pointer stood in all its glory, towering high above the surrounding buildings.
Well… That's kinda too big, isn't it?
The giant turned its way towards the students and began its slow advance. The various faces of Site B began to run from the beast, terrified by the seemingly unstoppable obstacle. Few seemed to notice, but the panicked boys and girls moved like a stream around a rock past the unmoving Izuku who simply stood still, staring at the robot.
"Interesting."
Wow… There's got to big some way to take this down, right? It's part of the test, so it can't be impossible to neutralize. Internal wiring, maybe? The spaces in between the circuitry have to be huge! Or, at least big enough for my bugs to fit. Maybe I can jam it? Chew through the wiring? No, that would take too long, way longer than two minutes. Perhaps I can—
A shrill cry for help broke Izuku's concentration. Through the thin layers of smoke he spied a girl pinned down under some rubble. That's the girl I saw causing some robots to float a while ago. Some sort of gravity manipulation. But it seems as if she can't move the rock on her own. Has she reached her limit?
The robot began to inch ever closer, threatening to crush the trapped girl.The situation was enough for Izuku to move forward, his legs seemingly moving by their own accord. He began to gather his insects into a giant mass, conglomerating onto his position. He sent them towards the zero-pointer. After seconds of observation, half their number seeped into the only opening found through a port on its left arm. The other half rose to its face, blocking it's orb from being able to see. Unfortunately, that did little to divert it from its current path.
Izuku eventually came upon the injured girl. "Hey, don't worry. I'll get you out. Can you move the rubble a bit?"
"Not… much… I'm nearing my limit," the girl responded.
"That's fine, I just need some assistance in getting your leg out from under there. There's no way I can move that all by myself. Can you activate your quirk on the piece of rubble on your leg on my go?"
She nodded.
"Alright!" Izuku placed his hands under the stone. "Ready, set, go!" Izuku grappled the rubble and lifted it up. His already tired muscles ached from the stress, but the girl's quirk aided in a quick and fast removal. However, the girl promptly began to vomit up rainbows. Weird. Maybe one of her parents had a rainbow quirk or something?
Izuku helped the girl to her feet, and he promptly began to move away from the encroaching zero-pointer, slowly helping the limping girl along. At the same time, Izuku furthered his bugs along until they had reached further into the robot's arm. A couple of chewed-through wires and bug-inspired short circuiting eventually were able to cause the arm to twitch. The robot stopped, and attempted to raise its arm. The limb complied, but did so while twitching at random intervals.
Shoot! It still works after all of that? At this point the robot will just continue its way towards us! We'll be crushed! The only things I've done to it so far are blind it and give it at best a shock to its arm! And— That's it!
Various insects and bugs began to stray from the robot's eye and gathered upon the twitching arm.They amassed to form a humanoid shape - but a masculine one at that, to keep Izuku's involvement in vigilantism apart. Once the zero-pointer could see again, the first thing that gained its attention was the shape on its arm. The figure promptly rose in flight and zoomed back from where the robot initially came from. The robot followed, having sought out the one responsible for its damaged arm.
Izuku sighed in relief, having prevented the robot from getting uncomfortably close to their position. A few more seconds and it would have been on them. He then looked to the girl beside him, who, too sighed.
A buzzer sounded in the distance. "Time's up!" yelled Present Mic.
Izuku set the girl down gently on some debris as he sat down next to her. He'd wait for help. He was exhausted from all of that.
"That was close, huh?" Izuku said, turning to the girl. "That robot almost got us."
The girl laughed. "Yeah if it wasn't for you and whoever that other guy was, I would've been toast!" She turned to him with an arm out. "Thanks for that, by the way! I'm Ochacho Uraraka!"
Izuku smiled, eagerly taking the offered hand. "A pleasure. Izuku Midoriya, nice to meet you."
Notes:
And that's chapter nine with the U.A. Entrance Exam! How'd you all think off it? Hope I didn't disappoint any of your expectations. Anyhow, stayed tuned for next week! By then we'll have [Chapter 10: Classification]! 'Till next time!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone