Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Collector Hero: Synthesis! The Villains have attacked again…in the exam scenario. Gang Orca and his many, many Sidekicks are in multiple locations, the most pressing of which is near the evacuation site where all the ‘injured civilians’ are located! But with rescue operations still ongoing, the examinees have to divide roles. Some have to step up and deal with the Villains, others have to keep rescuing the civilians. But everyone must protect the civilians from the Villains above all else. Can any of the students stop Gang Orca, the Number Ten Pro Hero, when he makes his move?
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Chapter 57 – Provisional License Exam (Part 4)
“Having Villains pop up right near the evacuation point is just mean!” Mina said as she was helping with civilian evacuation near the large artificial lake.
Tsuyu, still in the water from just having rescued a H.U.C. member that had been floating ‘unconscious’ on a piece of timber, glanced at the locations where the faux Villains were entering. “We’re not done with rescue operations here yet. But we can’t just ignore this either.
“I’ll go first.” Todoroki said as he took off towards the evacuation site as fast as he could.
Over in the industrial section, that was still partially on fire, Chikuchi grimaced as dozens of the black suited and armed Sidekicks of Gang Orca attacked. “Not giving us any time to think, are they?!” She launched a barrage of water needles at the incoming people, but they scattered swiftly, only two being hit by her attack.
In retaliation, a few of the faux Villains fired back at her with the large mechanism on their arms.
“Take this, Hero!” One of them yelled out loudly at Chikuchi.
A large cone of water swirled into existence in front of Chikuchi as she focused on her Quirk. “No thanks!” The clump of muck that had been fired at her splashed into her water cone and mixed with the water. “Is this cement?!”
“That’s right! You won’t be moving once it dries!” A different Sidekick said as he aimed his launcher at Chikuchi from the side.
Splash
A huge ball of water hit the faux Villain as the Water Quirk student from a different Hero School landed near Chikuchi.
“Then we won’t let any of it dry out!” He stated confidently as water surged from his suit and into his palms.
“Midoriya!” Chikuchi called out quickly. “The device on their arms is a cement launcher! If you get hit and it dries, mobility is going to become almost zero!”
“Got it!” The Double of Izuku called back while sending more water over to Chikuchi and the other Water Quirk user with a combination of Water Gun and Tactile Hydrokinesis. ‘The Villains are armed with cement launcher Capture Weapons! If you’re hit, wash it off immediately before it can dry and harden!’ He sent out the warning to every examinee with Telepath.
In the collapsed ridge, which was now a landslide zone, Kaminari looked at the incoming faux Villains with wide eyes. “They have Capture Weapons too?!” None of their Quirks were a good match up against such a device that had range and took away mobility.
“We have to protect the civilians!” Kirishima declared as he hardened his body and put himself between the incoming Sidekicks and the civilians being evacuated by other Hero students.
Boom
Bakugo launched himself straight at the approaching enemies with a wide grin on his face. “The best way to keep the civilians safe is to take out these losers first!” He let a small explosion blast him into a roll to avoid half a dozen shots of the quick-drying cement and came down right in front of two of the Sidekicks. “Stun Grenade!” He aimed his palms at the black suited men and an intense flash of light, followed by a deafening bang, went off.
“Gah!”
“My eyes!”
The two men were disorientated before they each felt a gloved hand palming the side of their heads. In the next fraction of a second their heads were slammed together and they collapsed to the ground.
“Fire!” Another of the faux Villains called out and the rest all opened fire with their cement launchers. But only a few directly targeted Bakugo; most were targeting the civilians, putting the examinees in a conundrum of dealing with the Villains or protecting the evacuees.
“AAAHHH!!!” One of the H.U.C. members, playing the role of an injured civilian, cried out in well-acted fear as a cement shot closed in on him.
“Blitzing Ya!” Kaminari’s body sparked with electricity and he nearly blurred. In the next instant he’d safely pulled the civilian out of the way and the cement shot landed harmlessly on the ground. “I’ve got you! You’re gonna be okay!” Kaminari assured the man with a grin.
Large pieces of debris began to lift into the air and form floating shields against the incoming volley of cement shots. A Third Year from a Hero School that none of the U.A. student was familiar with was clearly in control of the telekinetic ability.
“You First Years need to focus on the civilians! Their safety takes priority!” She called out while maintaining the barrier of debris, forcing the Sidekicks to spread out and thin their own numbers just to try and get an accurate shot.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” Bakugo shot back as he launched himself through the air and hit two more of the black suited faux Villains with an explosion that sent them flying.
He didn’t realize the change of expression on multiple H.U.C. members’ faces at his blatant refusal to cooperate with the other Hero.
‘That’s points off.’ A woman being carried on the back of a large Hero Course student thought to herself as she watched the Explosion kid continue to fight.
Over in the main metro area, the Sidekicks were charging in, using the fallen buildings to gain the high ground and for cover.
“Here they come!” Momo called out as her back and her arms glowed with the rainbow light of her Quirk. From her back two mechanical launchers were created along with a harness. From her arms formed a bandolier of flash bang grenades.
“I’ve got your back!” Ochako touched several large pieces of debris, removing their gravity, and attached her grapple tethers to them before swinging them above her head to build up speed.
A barrage of the cement shots were launched at the examinees and the H.U.C. members all at once, a veritable wall of the wet cement racing straight at them.
Sssshhhh
Dust and sand rushed forward across the ground—notably missing the feet of every examinee and ‘civilian’—before rising up into a wall. The cement shots hit the wall, forcing small holes to open up in the sand and dust as the wet cement clung to it and dropped to the ground.
“Evacuate the civilians as quickly as possible!” A Hero student in a ninja-like costume called out. Given his size, he was likely a Third Year at whatever school he went to. “Their safety takes priority!”
Several of the examinees rushed to continue the rescue operations while the dust and sand Quirk user kept up the widespread defense against the faux Villains.
“Catch!” Ochako released the large debris she’d been swinging around like a multi-headed flail from her grapple tethers. The weightless stone and concrete flew forward at high-speed…and then Ochako put her fingertips together. “Release!”
“Watch out!” One of the Sidekicks yelled out, realizing what was about to happen thanks to having seen the Sports Festival.
The black suited faux Villains scattered as the debris crashed through the area with its weight returned. Damaged walls that had been used as cover shattered and collapsed. High spots on the rubble were crushed and fell to the ground as well. The Sidekicks couldn’t use their own Quirks (a restriction imposed by the HPSC to give the examinees a chance to win) and so had to flee on foot to avoid the barrage of huge debris.
A rapid series of ‘thunk’ sounds was heard, almost like an air cannon launching a t-shirt into a crowd at a sporting event, and half a dozen of the Sidekicks found themselves wrapped in incredibly strong red nets.
“Hey!”
“What the heck?!”
“I can’t move!”
The faux Villains struggled to try and get out of the red nets, but weren’t making any progress as the tough capture weapon nearly pinned their arms to their sides and bound them up tightly.
“Six enemies captured!” Momo called out to the group of examinees.
The fur-covered Second Year Shiketsu student—Mora Nagamasa—extended his fur towards Momo. “May I have a few of those flash bangs?” He requested politely while keeping his eyes on the regrouping Sidekicks.
Momo smiled and dropped a few from her bandoliers into the extended fur. “Of course! Thank you for your assistance!”
“No problem!” Nagamasa whipped his fur forward and the flash bangs flew through the air in a high arc. The non-lethal explosives landed over an area where a dozen other faux Villains were gathered and assaulting the dust and sand wall that was defending the evacuating H.U.C. members.
BAM
BAM
BAM
BAM
BAM
BAM
Even from a distance the blasts were loud, and bright if one looked towards them.
The dozen or so Sidekicks collapsed from the sudden and unexpected flash bangs.
“Moving to apprehend!” A few of the other examinees called out as they rushed the downed faux Villains and used their Quirks or their Gear to restrain the disorientated and disabled enemies.
Ochako smiled as Momo tossed her a capture net gun with a revolving barrel that held six shots. “Got it!” She didn’t need to be told what Momo wanted her to do. She knew her girlfriend well enough and immediately removed her gravity before launching into the air with a burst of compressed air from her boots. “Over here!” Ochako yelled out, making a few of the Sidekicks look upward—and also alerting other examinees to the faux Villains’ location—right as she unloaded the first round and a huge red net exploded out of the canister to cover a wide area.
“Get it off, quick!” One of the Sidekicks yelled out as the group of four hurried to get out from under the strong net.
“Too late!” Toru’s voice came from VERY close and the Sidekick felt a punch hit his jaw before a knee slammed into his stomach…and he couldn’t see a thing.
“Dark Shadow!” Tokoyami unleashed his sapient Quirk and the shadow construct rushed forward to slam two more of the faux Villains into the ground with great force.
The H.U.C. members were quickly being funneled through the Warp Gate that Izuku’s double was maintaining. The instant evac was a huge boon to the current operation, but the multiple attack points made it difficult to find a place that was safe to take the civilians.
“You’re all going to be fine! Just follow the Heroes through the gate!” Izuku assured the people with a smile.
At the evacuation site, Gang Orca and a large number of his Sidekicks were charging towards the injured civilians. A dozen of the examinees were building a wall with their Quirks and the debris at the edge of the cleared out evac space to protect the civilians.
Shindo rushed forward, passing by Izuku swiftly. “Get the civilians to safety farther inside! Gotta move them as far from the Villains as possible!”
“Shindo?!” Izuku called out, seeing the lone student running in headfirst as a bad idea.
“I’m gonna hit them with shockwaves at one second intervals!” Shindo called out as he slapped his hands onto the ground. “Not letting you get any closer!” He activated his Quirk and the ground shook and cracked apart violently under the charging Sidekicks’ feet, sending them stumbling and stalling out their advance.
But Gang Orca was suddenly right in Shindo’s face.
“Too slow!” Gang Orca nearly growled as he unleashed an ultrasonic attack pointblank into Shindo, rattling every bone and vibrating the fluid within the teen’s body.
Up in the stands, Miss Joke shot to her feet. “Gang Orca! You jerk!” She sat down with a huff. “You’ve gotta be kidding me…”
Aizawa glanced at her for a moment. “Guess the jokes on you…”
Miss Joke shot him a cute pout for the lame joke.
‘Aqua Hero: Gang Orca, Quirk: Orcinus, Mutant Type, allowing every ability of a Killer Whale to be utilized. Ultrasonic waves temporarily paralyze nearby targets or render them unconscious. Body is similar to a marine mammal; weaknesses should include high heat and dehydration.’ Izuku took what he knew of Gang Orca’s Quirk and combined it with Collector’s natural ability to understand other Quirks to get an idea of how to handle the Pro Hero.
“You thought a single anchor could deal with a threat like me?” Gang Orca questioned the examinees as the wall continued to grow between him and the civilians. “Don’t get cocky, kids!”
Krrrkkkllleee
A wave of ice rushed at Gang Orca from the side. But with a swipe of his powerful arm and a blast of his ultrasonic waves, the ice shattered entirely.
Todoroki stood at the other end of the line of ice, exhaling a frosted breath. “I thought he wasn’t paying attention.” The Pro Hero had seemed entirely focused on the remaining examinees in front of him, but that had turned out to only be a ruse.
“Midoriya! We’re here to help!” Mina called out as she, Kyoka, and Iida ran towards their Class Rep. “Tsuyu, Koda, and Sero are still continuing he rescue operations!”
“You think you have time to plan right in front of me?” Gang Orca questioned as he was already rushing in and unleashing his ultrasonic attack.
Kyoka raised both her arms and aimed the speaker Gear on the backs of her hands at the Number Ten Pro Hero. “Counter-Balance!” She unleashed twin cones of sound to block Gang Orca’s soundwaves completely.
Gang Orca actually blinked in surprise that his attack had been countered perfectly.
“Get back! Acid Sniper!” Mina clasped her hands together and extended her index fingers in a ‘gun’ shape before firing a concentrated stream of her acid at the Pro Hero and the incoming Sidekicks.
Gango Orca backstepped and even used his strength to grab a chunk of Todoroki’s ice and throw it in the path of one of the acid shots.
“Whoa!”
“That’s dangerous!”
“My gear!”
The Sidekicks weren’t quite as adept as their boss and multiple of them scrambled to get away from the acidic shots, while others noticed that Mina had targeted their cement launchers. A few of the cement launchers were tossed to the ground as the acid ate through them, rendering some of the Sidekicks without a weapon.
“Engine Boost!” Iida was off like a shot, merely a white blur as he closed the distance between him and the Sidekicks that had been forced to scramble. “Drift!” Showing off more of what he’d learned from his older brother during his internship, Iida ‘hit the brakes’ while lashing out with a kick to shift his weight. He slid along the ground on one foot at high-speed, his leg slamming into the Sidekicks and sending them sprawling, many hitting the hard ground painfully.
“Attack!” The still standing Sidekicks all aimed their cement launchers and opened fire, forcing them back. There were still far too many Sidekicks to feel safe.
Woooooo
The air shifted and then a powerful wind began to pick up.
“Blow the heck AWAY!!!” Inasa yelled out as a wall of wind scattered the cement shots and then blasted the Sidekicks and Gang Orca backwards as the last of Todoroki’s ice shattered into small pieces that peppered the faux Villains.
“Wind…” Todoroki looked up at Inasa as the other Hero student hovered in the air with powerful wind currents being released from the hoses of his costume.
Inasa had a big grin on his face as he looked down at Gang Orca and his black suited Sidekicks. “A villain incursion, is it?!” He held out his left arm, palm up as wind swirled around him, sending his cape flying. “What a heated turn of events they’ve decided to go with!”
At the evac site that was being rapidly reinforced and built up with defenses, a few of the older students noted the current situation.
“Looks like more fighters have arrived.”
“Good! Let them hold the Villains off while we finish making the defenses!”
“I can use my Warp Gate to evacuate the civilians if necessary; but do we have a secondary location to take them to?” The copy of Izuku asked one of the Third Year students that had take a leadership role at the evac site.
The Third Year girl shook her head once. “Unfortunately not. The Villains are attacking from every direction, and while the center of the field would normally be where we relocated them to keep them far from the Villains, that area is a hazard zone because of the damage to all the buildings. We can’t put the civilians in danger like that.”
“Right…” Izuku’s copy sent out inquiries through Telepath to check on the situation throughout the test site in hopes of finding a secondary safe area for emergency evacuation. “I’ll have my copies keep looking.”
Back on the battlefield, where the fighters were supposed to be facing off against Gang Orca, instead, tension had spiked between Inasa and Todoroki.
“Why did you have to show up?!” Inasa questioned as he looked down at Todoroki.
Todoroki glanced up at Inasa, managing to keep his expression composed…even if his mind wasn’t. ‘That’s my line… Everything this guy says gets to me.’ Instead of arguing, he gave Inasa a reason to leave the area. “You. Why don’t you help with evacuation and rescue? Your Quirk’s suited to that. I’ll take care of these guys.”
“Hmph!” Inasa controlled his wind and focused it on Gang Orca and the Sidekicks.
“Here they come.” Gang Orca readied himself to move while his Sidekicks aimed their cement launchers.
Todoroki, having already seen that his ice wouldn’t work, unleashed his flames.
Intense wind rose on the hot air, sending Inasa’s attack scattering around the area the faux Villains were in, while Todoroki’s flames wavered and followed the breeze to the sides.
“Where’re they even aiming?” One of the Sidekicks asked as the wind blew overhead and to the sides.
“Why fire?! The heat made my wind rise!” Inasa shouted down at Todoroki.
Todoroki nearly ground his teeth. “Because he blocked my ice a second ago. I thought you came her to help. So stop blowing my flames off course.”
Inasa glowered at Todoroki. “Yeah? Well you’re still trying to steal all the glory!”
Ganga Orca’s eye twitched at the argument going on in front of him.
“Huh? That’s rich, coming from you.” Todoroki said back coldly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Inasa shot back. “I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, you’re Endeavor’s son!”
Todoroki visibly stiffened, a glare shooting up towards Inasa. “This whole time…what the hell is your problem?” He completely took his eyes off the faux Villains. “My father’s got nothing to do with it! Ack!” He hacked out as a cement shot hit him square in the chest, nearly taking him off his feet.
“Infighting…really?” Gang Orca said with clear annoyance in his voice. “You couldn’t have picked a worse time!”
Inasa was too far into his aggravation as he dodged around the barrage of the cement shots in the air. “He’s got everything to do with it, damn it!” he still recalled that day when he was younger. Seeing Endeavor taking down a Villain and approaching the Number Two Hero for an autograph. “To me, Heroes are all about bringing the heat! Their fiery souls inspire passion and hope in people! So it was a real letdown when…” He’d been knocked to the ground as Endeavor moved by him with only a: ‘Move it. Stay out of my way.’ from the Pro Hero. “Those eyes… All they were giving off was an icy rage!”
Todoroki’s flames flared and sputtered over and over again as his own trauma was being needled at.
“Then, on the day of the entrance exam, I spotted you. I knew who you were, right off the bat. Because you had the same eyes…” Inasa almost growled at Todoroki, still recalling the cold glare and sharp: ‘Move it.’ that Todoroki gave him that day.
“Same eyes?” Todoroki clenched his fists. “Get a grip, man…” Whether that was aimed at Inasa or himself was unclear. “I’m…not him.” He was getting wrapped up in his emotions now, even with the beginning of reconciliation with his father, and his many talks with Hound Dog, he couldn’t just set aside over a decade of trauma when someone compared him to his father.
Gang Orca had apparently had enough of their argument. “You’re both in the wrong. Take them down.” He ordered his Sidekicks, and each and every one of them aimed at the two examinees specifically.
“You two are the only ones that I’ll never accept as true Heroes! End of story!!!” Inasa yelled at Todoroki, blasting his wind at the incoming wall of cement shots.
Todoroki had unleashed a blast of fire to take out Fang Orca, trying to focus on the test, despite his riled up emotions. Flame and wind clashed, the air currents rose high while the flames were sent to the side in a wave.
“Again?! You really are something, you know…?!” Inasa shouted at Todoroki in anger and frustration.
‘The wind blew my flames!’ Todoroki realized that his fire was heading for the nearly unconscious Shindo at the last second.
Gang Orca bent his legs, about to launch himself forward and pull Shindo out of the path of the fire.
But he didn’t need to as a green barrier appeared between the flames and Shindo; blocking them completely.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!!!” Izuku thundered out, louder than anyone had ever heard him before. It didn’t help that his own memories were flaring up from Inasa’s words. Voice Casting, Amplifier, Enhance Function, and Amplification were compiled together, greatly increasing the range and power of Izuku’s most potent vocal Quirk. “DO NOT USE YOUR QUIRKS!!!” He bellowed, and Todoroki’s flames vanished along with Inasa’s wind. As the Shiketsu student fell out of the air, Izuku used Pliabody on just his right arm and snatched the other guy out of the air before setting him on the ground safely. “SIT DOWN!!!” Gang Orca’s eyes widened as he sat down in seiza against his will, all of the Sidekicks did as well, followed by Inasa and Todoroki. “DO NOT RESIST!!!” They all stopped moving entirely.
“Midoriya!” Kyoka, Mina, and Iida cried out in worry, seeing blood flying from Izuku’s mouth with every word he spoke.
Amplifying Voice Casting also increased its negative kickback to the same level, as every word shredded Izuku’s vocal cords.
Izuku kicked the ground while activating Earth Flow and the dirt softened before it rushed forward to encase Gang Orca and his Sidekicks up to their necks. With but a thought from Izuku, the thick dirt compacted into hard, nearly stone-like consistency, locking them in place. “SLEEP!!!” He focused that command directly at Gang Orca and his Sidekick, shutting down their minds instantly.
“Midoriya…” Iida tried to touch Izuku’s shoulder, but the Class Rep was already marching over to Inasa while using Healing Aura on his throat and wiping the blood from his mouth and chin with his opposite hand.
“You, Yoarashi…” Izuku said once his vocal cords were healed enough to speak, though his voice was still rough. “What gives YOU the right to say what any Hero should be like? People are only real Heroes if they fit YOUR definition of the word?” His green eye were practically drilling into Inasa’s with their intensity. “And what about the Heroes that DON’T fit your definition?! Are you going to demand they step down and retire?! Are only those YOU approve of allowed to be Heroes?!” The memories of Stain’s words, the serial killer’s doctrine, were flaring up in Izuku’s mind as he heard similar from a fellow Hero student. “If they refuse, what will you do? Kill them? Make examples of them? Because that’s what the Hero Killer: Stain did…and he became a serial killer because of his beliefs about what a Hero should be.”
Inasa was visibly shaking now, not realizing just how close his words to Todoroki mirrored the infamous serial killer’s own mad doctrine.
Iida clenched his hands into fists at his sides. Hearing Stain’s name still brought up those horrible memories of Tensei lying in a hospital bed, an oxygen mask over his face to help him breathe, IVs in his arms, bandages wrapped around his big brother. It was a mix of emotions: horror, fear, despair, and anger that he never wanted to feel again.
Izuku looked down into Inasa’s eyes for a long moment as he slowly got his won emotions back under control. “Don’t let your beliefs make you into a monster…” He said before turning away from Inasa and walking over to Todoroki.
“Midoriya…?” Todoroki realized that he could stand up again, but remained seated, just looking up at Izuku.
“You’re not your father, Todoroki.” Izuku assured his classmate as he continued to heal his throat. “The world needs all kinds of Heroes, not just hot-blooded ones…but also cool and collected Heroes, calm and rational Heroes, and Heroes that can connect with people that’ve gone through the same things they have.” He patted his classmate on the shoulder once. “You’re going to be a great Hero one day.” Izuku assured Todoroki before walking towards the trapped Gang Orca and his Sidekicks to keep watch, a morose look on his face filled with self-recrimination for losing control of his emotions like he’d done.
“Shit…” Kyoka let out a soft curse, not knowing how to help Izuku after what had just happened.
Mina looked at Iida, then Kyoka, before looking over at Todoroki and Inasa. No one was saying anything now…and she wasn’t sure what to say herself. “So…is the test over?” She went with the first thing that came to her mind…but that only prompted looks of confusion from Kyoka and Iida, since they didn’t know either.
In the stands, Aizawa watched Izuku closely. “Midoriya…you’re not wrong; but you’re also the person with a personality most unsuited for such harshness.” He was a bit proud of his student’s handling of the situation. But it was obvious to see that Izuku didn’t feel the same way. The Class Rep most likely thought he’d gone too far and been far too harsh to say what he’d said to another Hero Course student that was working hard to become a Pro Hero and follow their dream.
“That was the one that helped apprehend Stain, huh?” Miss Joke said, her voice serious, yet soft, as she looked at Izuku standing in front of the restrained and unconscious Gang Orca.
Aizawa nodded once. “Truth be told, all of my students have been thrown into the deep end of Pro Hero work far too soon.” He made a mental note to set aside time for Hound Dog to have some more one-on-one sessions with his class now that they all lived in the dorms on campus.
“You really do like this group of kids, huh, Eraser?” Miss Joke gave him a warm smile.
“Not really.” Aizawa denied, only for Miss Joke to crack up into giggles.
“Liar~” Miss Joke giggled while pointing both her index fingers at him.
BZZZZTTTT
A loud alarm blared out over the speakers.
“Ahem! At present every last H.U.C. member on the field has been rescued from impending danger.” Mera’s said from the speakers.
In the water zone, Tsuyu looked up, carrying a short girl in her arms and still dripping with water from the lake. “Wait, just now? Was that you?” She asked the H.U.C. member curiously.
“Looks like it.” The girl said with a smile as she moved out of Tsuyu’s arms and stood on her feet.
“Sorry about leaving you for last.” Tsuyu apologized to the H.U.C. member.
The girl waved it off. “No, no, you made the right choice. I was playing one of the few uninjured civilians that was just stranded on a safe and stable area. All of the others required priority over me.” She explained to Tsuyu with a smile.
“Therefore, I declare this exam…OVER!!!” Mera almost sounded like he was cheering at the completion of the Provisional License Exams. “The results will be announced once all the scores are tallied. Those with injuries, please proceed to the medical area. Everyone else, get changed and stand by for instructions.”
-Girls Locker Room-
“Hah… I hope I did enough.” Toru said as she slipped out of her Hero Costume, not having to worry about her nudity as the body suit slipped off thanks to her Quirk.
“The waiting is gonna be the worst part.” Kyoka said with a grimace, already feeling nervous as she pulled her U.A. uniform shirt on and started to button it up.
Ochako nodded in agreement. “Totally.” She fumbled slightly while tying up her tie and took a deep breath to calm down.
Momo smiled gently at her friends and girlfriends. “As long as you tried your best, I’m sure you’ll pass.” She didn’t seem to notice how many of the girls from other schools were glancing at her, most of them staring at her large tits in either shock or envy.
“No worries, fam!” Camie wanted to reassure them all that they passed as she put her hands on her hips confidently, thrusting her chest out and making her girls bounce. “We totally slayed this exam! We’re all going to pass, for sure!”
“So big…” One girl said, just loud enough for the U.A. girls to hear.
Mina burst into giggles, nearly shattering the nervous mood. “Looks like you two are getting some attention!” She pointed at Momo and Camie with a bright smile.
“Please put your shirts on.” Kyoka said with a blush, now noticing how many eyes were on them.
“Slowly, please…kero.” Tsuyu requested of her girlfriends with a cute little croak.
Ochako’s face went red and she slapped her hands over her cheeks. “Tsu!”
Chikuchi rolled her eyes playfully at her friends. “Thirsty frog…” She joked, getting a burst of laughter from Toru.
The tension was completely broken now as the girls continued to change back into their uniforms.
-Boys Locker Room-
“What’s up with Midoriya?” Kirishima asked quietly, having noticed Izuku’s down mood.
“No idea.” Kaminari shook his head once.
Iida provided an answer. “Midoriya needed to be very harsh towards another examinee. That was compounded by a usage of one of his more potent Quirks that injures him when he uses it. It was necessary at the time, given that we were facing down Gang Orca, but Midoriya doesn’t like to be harsh with others that’re pursuing their dreams to be Heroes.”
Sato grimaced at that. “Yeah, that’ll do it. We should make sure he’s okay though.”
“Yeah, we should. Midoriya would do the same for us.” Shoji said as she finished putting on his tie.
Aoyama, twinkling brightly, smiled as he walked over to Izuku. “Mon chéri, Midoriya! You mustn’t be so hard on yourself!”
“Huh?” Izuku blinked at the sudden brightness and words of support. “Oh…I’m fine.”
“Non!” Aoyama declared with a shake of his head. “We know when you are holding something against yourself!”
Bakugo closed the locker he’d been assigned, already finished changing. “Buck up, Deku! Some people don’t listen until you’re tough on them.” He walked away with the case holding his Hero costume in one hand, not even looking back to see if his words of ‘encouragement’ even helped.
Sero looked at the other guys and then smiled at Izuku. “Worst case scenario, we let Momo, Tsuyu, Ochako, and Camie cheer him up.”
“A little revelry in the dark.” Tokoyami said as she slipped on his shoes, pretending not to look at Izuku.
“H-Hey!” Izuku’s face turned bright red at that, making Kaminari, Sero, and Kirishima chuckle. “What’s that insinuating?!”
Kaminari wrapped his arms around Izuku’s shoulders. “You say that like you DON’T have four girlfriends, you lucky so-and-so!”
Sato came to Izuku’s defense, having a girlfriend of his own. “Come on, guys. Don’t bring his relationship into this.”
The brotherly atmosphere still did good for Izuku’s mood as they all finished changing.
-Main Field-
It had taken the HPSC employees just over half an hour to tally up all the scores. In that time a small stage had been set up with a large screen at the back that went from end to end. Mera stood at the podium on the left side of the stage, looking out over the one-hundred gathered students that were eagerly awaiting their results.
“It’s been a long battle, boys and girls, but now it’s time for the results.” Mera said into the mic. “Before that, though…” He raised his hand and held up two fingers. “Regarding the scoring system, we of the Heroes Public Safety Commission, along with the members of H.U.C., were deducting points on two issues as we watched you perform.” That got many of the examinees to straighten up, worried they’d failed. “Essentially…we judged you on your ability to act flawlessly in a crisis. Including your response to victims, and your response to Villains in a sudden widespread incident.” A few of the students looked a bit nervously at each other. “Anyhow, here are the names of those who passed the exam, in alphabetical order. Keeping everything, I’ve said in mind…please take a look.”
The huge screen lit up, and a large list of names appeared.
“There’s a ton of names!” One student cried out at seeing so many people had passed.
“Ah! There I am! I really passed!” A girl with four braided ponytails cheered, having found her name near the top because of her family name.
Every eye was on the screen now, searching for their own name.
Momo bounced in place, looking absolutely adorable as she started from the bottom of the list and found her name right away. “I passed!” She beamed and hugged Izuku’s arm close, nearly burying it in her softness.
“There I am!” Camie, having done the same as Momo and started from the bottom of the list, beamed at seeing her name.
“Me too!” Ochako’s name was close to Camie’s, of course, and both girls hugged each other happily.
Tsuyu found her last name easily and smiled. “I made it!” She leaned into Izuku and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him warmly.
Izuku’s eyes were scanning through the ‘Mi’ characters until they stopped dead on his own name. “Green eyes wide, he slowly smiled felt tension nearly fall from his body. “I passed…!”
“I’m up there…” Kyoka let out a sigh of relief.
“Woohoo!” Mina cheered after finding her name.
“WHAT?!” Bakugo shouted, not finding his name on the list.
Kirishima glanced over with a reassuring look but didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t set Bakugo off. “I passed.” He said a little quietly.
Kaminari threw his hands up once he found his name. “Aww, yeah!”
Todoroki was silent as he didn’t see his name on the screen. He understood why and could only wait to receive the physical test paper to find out his actual score.
Inasa didn’t see his name either, his face a little stunned before he pulled his cap down a bit and shadowed his eyes. He had hoped his performance before his argument with Todoroki had been enough, but it clearly hadn’t been…and he only had himself to blame.
“Whew…” Sero let out a relieved breath once he saw his name on the screen.
“Ah! There I am!” Iida smiled at seeing his name. He was already planning to call his parents and brother to tell them of his success.
Shoji nodded once to himself. “Nice.”
Koda blinked, but a smile spread on his face. “Thank goodness.”
“Hm.” Tokoyami tried to play it cool, but the way his shoulders lost tension after he found his name was very noticeable.
“Merci!” Aoyama smiled, his sparkles appearing around him once he saw his name.
“There I am!” Sato said loudly, relief flooding him as he’d been a little concerned that he might not have done enough.
“I did it!” Toru leapt into the air happily, waving her arms about.
The HPSC employees came forward with papers in their hands as Mera began to speak again.
“I assume you’ve all had a chance to view your results?” Mera asked rhetorically. “Next, we’ll be handing out your score sheets. We explained the scoring system in detail there, so read them over carefully.
As the HPSC members handed the papers to the examinees, all of the students were excited to see the results and the comments left for them by the professionals.
“Thanks!” Kirishima smiled as he was handed his paper.
“Gimme mine…” Bakugo ground out, wanting to know exactly how he’d failed when almost everyone else passed.
The HPSC member looked at Bakugo for only a moment. “Please, wait your turn.”
Toru tried to look over Kaminari’s shoulder. “Let me see!”
“Hang on, I want to read it first!” Kaminari said as he looked at his paper.
“It was a punitive scoring system, with a threshold of fifty points.” Mera explained the basics and the required number of points to pass. “On your score sheets, you’ll see how many points you lost for each given action.”
Sato looked at his score and the notes on the paper. “Seventy-one. I needed to make better use of my strengths when taking action.”
Sero gave a ‘v for victory’ sign as he held up his paper. “I got eighty-four! Awesome, huh? Sometimes it’s better to focus on what you can do that no one else can!”
“Hold up! Yaomomo, you got ninety-four?!” Kyoka nearly gaped at her friend’s score.
Momo blushed cutely, a happy smile on her face.
“How’d you do, Iida?” Izuku asked curiously.
“Eighty. They say my rescue manner needs work and that I didn’t make the best and most practical use of my talents. And you, Midoriya?” Iida looked interested in what Izuku had gotten.
Izuku was a little flustered as he showed Iida his score. “Ninety-two. They deducted points for my initial response to injured civilians, and the hesitation before I got myself together. But they noted that because of my Quirks, more examinees were able to demonstrate their skills and training better and that I was a ‘cornerstone of the evacuation and rescue efforts’ along with ‘the one that ended the main Villain threat’ as well.”
Iida smiled at Izuku. “We must be grateful that we now know what we must work on to improve!” He chopped the air twice while holding up his paper, as if it held the answers to his future as a Pro Hero.
Mera spoke up again, getting all of the examinee’s attention. “Going forward, those that passed now have a legal right to act in a Heroic capacity, but only in emergencies. That means fighting Villains, rescuing people in disaster scenarios…even without a Pro Hero’s guidance, you’re permitted to take action on your own. But keep in mind that every action you take comes with a heavy responsibility to society.” Mera put both of his hands on the podium. “As you all know, the great Hero, All Might, is out of commission now. His active presence served as an important deterrent to crime. Without that factor holding them back, we can be sure that the more brazen Villains out there will start showing their faces. The balance has shifted, and the world is bound to start changing in big ways. With that in mind, know that you, the next generation, are the central pillar of society. Now, as Heroes, you will set a standard. You must become the new bulwark keeping crime at bay. Be aware that the licenses you’ll receive today are provisional; the road ahead is still a long one, so study hard at your academic institutions.”
Izuku clenched his right hand into a fist at his side. The reminder that All Might was gone now not only brought up the memories of that night in Kamino Ward but also drove Izuku to want to live up to the image of his idol and be a symbol to make people feel safe, even without All Might around.
“Now, for those that didn’t pass, don’t be disheartened by your scores.” Mera said, getting the group of people that hadn’t passed to stand a little straighter. “You don’t have time for that. Especially because there’s still a chance… If you sign up for, and complete, a special three-month course…you’ll earn your Provisional Licenses too.” That got a cheer from those that had missed out on passing, especially those that had only missed the cut off by a few points. “You one-hundred that made it to the second portion all have potential worth cultivating, right now. Going forward we’ll need all the top Heroes that we can get! That’s why we monitored you all until the very end. If you take note of the deficiencies on your score papers, you’ll know what to improve upon and could surpass those that have passed here today.” He looked at the group that was hanging onto his every word now. “Both your regular academic work and the special course will make for a packed schedule, but if you’re up to it…the next test is in April.”
“Hell yeah!” Bakugo nearly roared out at the challenge.
“Yes! Please and thank you!” Inasa bellowed out before clapping his hands to his sides and bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
With that said, the Provisional License Exam was officially complete as all of the HPSC employees, H.U.C. members, and even the teachers that had brought their students, stood up and applauded those that had passed.
-End Chapter-
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Woohoo! Provisional Licenses, GET!!!
Most of Class 1-A has earned their Provisional Licenses! Now they can act as Heroes in emergencies!
Izuku has a bit of a harsh lesson for Inasa, but what can you expect from someone who faced down the Hero Killer…a man driven to murder over his ideals of what a true Hero was. Inasa’s words to Todoroki were a bit too close for Izuku to ignore. Unfortunately, Izuku is a cinnamon roll, and he REALLY doesn’t like being harsh with other people working hard on their dreams to be Pro Heroes.
Thankfully, he’s got good friends and four lovely girlfriends, that can help him out of his bad feelings!
What comes next after Provisional Licenses?
Perhaps a celebration?
Maybe in more ways than one? Hehehe~
Keep reading to find out!
Until I get your reviews, later!