3,078"Good morning," Nezu addressed the students of 1-A and 1-B, "You all have your teams, your assigned arena, and whether you are in the morning or afternoon slot. The morning exams will begin at 9 AM, and the afternoon exams will begin at 1:30 PM. The arenas will open fifteen minutes before the exam starts. You have that time to reach the center of the arena. There be a spotlight where you need to go, and signs pointing you in the right direction."
Then the dog-mouse grew more serious, "If both team members do not reach the indicated starting point by the exam's starting time, both with be docked one full letter grade."
A few people cringed, including Aoyama. I nodded, as did the more serious students.
"Each of you has been given a pair of handcuffs," the principal continued, "Your exam will be finished when you have either handcuffed your enemy, when you have both escaped the arena, or when one hour has passed. As far as grading goes... how quickly you finish will determine the lowest grade you get. If you escape within twenty minutes, or capture your opponent within thirty minutes, you will get an A. If you escape in more than twenty minutes, but less than forty minutes, you will get a B. The same if you handcuff the proctor after thirty minutes but before the hour is up. If you escape after forty minutes, but before the hour is up, you will get a C. If you fail to complete either task within the hour, you will be graded on your performance. But the highest you will get is a C. And that will only be if your teamwork, heroism, creativity, and control are all exemplary."
Todoroki raised his hand at this point.
"So results matter more than methods?" the scarred boy asked flatly, "succeeding gives better grades than heroism and teamwork
"I can see how you would think that," Nezu nodded broadly, "Only you are missing two points. First is that UA was partially built by the Rhode Island 7, and was influenced by them. As a result, we do give out plus or minus grades here. So even those of you who might be guaranteed an A, might get an A or A- based their specific performance. Second, this is your first final, of your first year. While we are testing what you have learned, we are also evaluating what you need to learn. We are encouraging you to go all out and without caring about the methods. It will give us the best view of were you are and how we need to teach you."
"Third," I added, "They can always expel us or send us to General. Even if we get an A."
I looked directly at Aizawa-sensei as I said it. Some of my 1-A classmates flinched, while most of 1-B looked confused.
"That too," Nezu said blandly. Then he forced a smile, and instructed, "AM exams, to your arenas. PM exams, to the auditorium."
"It's All Might," Aoyama whimpered.
"We knew that was a possibility," I reminded him. Honestly, I was almost sure we would be fighting the Symbol of Peace. He knew me the best of the teachers. He had the best chance of anticipating my plans.
"Are you ready?" All Might asked in low rumble.
"What ah you wearing, sensei?" Aoyama plucked up his courage and asked.
"This is a restrictor suit," Toshinori explained, "It is normally used for training. But for the test, it will slow me down and limits my strength. All the teachers are wearing them. They are calibrated so that the examinees will have a chance. A small chance, but a chance."
"And if we damage it?" I asked.
"Then you'll be facing me at full..."
A horn range out.
"Plan one," I barked.
I hopped behind Aoyama. I folded my left arm against my body. I placed my arm and shoulder against his back and braced myself. Then I touched his belt with my right hand.
Aoyama reached down, and set the aperture on his belt to open fully. I made his new belt more rigid with my TK, so that the feedback from his attack wouldn't push against his intestines. And I channeled my Tactile TK into his body, trying to mimic TK Aura on him.
All Might's eyes widened as the boy hit the trigger. The bolt of energy was wider, denser, and louder than the Symbol of Peace had seen in any of 1-A's training sessions. I pushed back and supported Aoyama, doing everything to keep his quirk from crushing him.
"Crap," All Might exclaimed, and jumped up. But he wasn't the #1 Hero for nothing. He didn't jump straight up. He angled his jump forward so that he would land on the two of us.
Aoyama stopped firing. I pushed him lightly, giving him a head start without making him stumble. Then I jumped, matching All Might's trajectory. He looked shocked again, surprised I was challenging him directly.
I grabbed All Might's right elbow with my right hand and his same wrist with my left hand. Using my momentum and telekinesis, I performed a partial shoulder throw. Then I kicked off against his right side, careful not to hit his injured ribs. I pushed him higher and away, while aiming myself downward. I landed a few meters behind Twinkling. I jogged after him.
"Plan two," I called out, catching up to my teammate less than a combat round later. He stopped. I crouched slightly. He went back to back. I linked us with my power, sticking him to me like a backpack. I took off running.
"Jet Set Run," I whispered.
While practicing, we found out that I was a lot faster than Aoyama. Enough that even expending Energy to create a telekinetic harness and carrying his weight, I was still faster than he was. But this way, he could act as a rear gunner.
"All Might-sensei is catching up, mon ami," he reported.
"Wait until he gets within 100 meters," I reminded, "Then light him up."
"Hello, Mei," I said. Then something hit me, "Can I still call you that?"
"Oh,Mizuka... Mizuku." she greeted me without looking up from the circuit she was working on. I guess she didn't remember my name.
"Izuku," I reminded her, "Midoriya Izuku."
"Right. And you can still call me Mei. Why are you here?"
"I was hoping to talk to you about a new baby," I told her. That was the magic word. She looked up at me with a bright, happy smile. And her normally cross shaped pupils turned into the kanji ? for a moment. Then she forced herself to relax.
"I would like to help you," she said, "But I have another project now."
"Your final right?" I asked. Even as she nodded, I continued, "I was actually hoping we could help each other. I think if you can make a new baby for my partner to use in our final, it would be good for your grade."
I dragged Aoyama out from behind me.
"A baby for someone else and a live tested one. Loader-sensei would like that. But I will need to hear what you want before I can agree."
"That's fair," I assured her, "And Mei, this is my classmate and finals teammate Aoyama Yuga."
"Hello," she glanced at him. Her eyes locked on his belt.
"Who made that baby?" she demanded.
"Mon support device?" he asked for clarity, then shrugged, "Don't know. Mon family handles eet."
"But that is what we wanted to ask," I told her, "His power is a beam of force that shoots out of his navel. The belt holds it back, or lets it out."
She nodded.
"That makes it hard to aim, and since the controls are on the belt, it ties up his hands. And also, it puts pressure on his intestines when he fires."
"You want me to fix that?" she prompted.
"Actually I hadn't thought of that until right now," I said. Aoyama frowned at me.
"No," I continued, "Since the belt can hold his Quirk back or let it out, I thought it might be able to redirect it. I was hoping you could make some cables or conduits to channel his power out to his wrists and fire it from there. His arms would be better able to take the force. It would be easier to aim, and he could shoot at multiple targets."
"That makes sense." I could almost see Mei's gears turning as she agreed with me.
"And I was also hoping you could move the controls into Aoyama's gloves," I said, "Like maybe fingers to palm to fire, and dragging thumb across the palm to increase or decrease the power."
"Do you have an extra baby I can borrow or at least a schematic?"
"Both," Aoyama confirmed, taking out his spare belt and the blueprints.
"This is good," she said after glancing over the schematic, "I can make it better. Come back Wednesday."
"We'll see you then," I told her, "Thank you, Mei."
She looked surprised. Then said, "Don't thank me yet."
"These are fine plans," Majima told Mei, frowning, "But I need a working device, not just blueprints."
"I made this baby," she said, "A... Aokawa is using it right now in his final exam. He promised to bring it back this afternoon so you can grade it."
"Aoyama-kun is using a new, untested, and unauthorized device in his final exam?" Power Loader demanded.
"We tested it yesterday after I finished Twinkle Twinkle Tubes-chan. It worked fine. And Principal Nezu authorized blue to use it."
"Of course he did," Majima sighed. Then he looked at his mad student with exasperated fondness, "Okay, get it back from Aoyama, and I will grade it after lunch."
A trapezoidal beam of yellow light emerged from the back of each of Twinkling's wrists. One was aimed at All Might's right shoulder, and the other at his left thigh. The Hero hopped up and to the left, avoiding both attacks.
Aoyama swung his hands after All Might, forcing the teacher to continue dodging. It was slowing All Might. He was only keeping up, no longer gaining on us. Then he darted to the far side of the road.
"Don't shoot the houses," I advised.
"Oui," Aoyama said, cutting off his beams.
All Might charged forward, running parallel to us and keeping the line of western style houses behind us. He pulled even with me. He jumped, landing in front of me and blocking our path.
"DRY OUT!" Present Mic shouted. The spheres of water Mercury fired at him broke and scattered. While the Hero's attention was on the bluette, Red Riot tried to tackle Mic. Only to stumble as Mic nimbly hopped out of the way.
"Too loud," the teacher chided, "I could hear you coming a kilometer away."
Creati and Froppy went back to back as Ectoplasm and 15 of his clones surrounded them.
"I apologize for your grades and your training camp," the cloning teacher told them, "But I am going to crush you here."
Tsu's tongue shot out. An Ectoplasm copy vanished.
"Izuku told me about you, sensei" the frog girl countered, "Your clones disappeared from one solid hit. Creati, can you make a shotgun or machine gun to take the clones, while I focus on the real Ectoplasm."
Tsu heard the sound of a shotgun racking. And a sweat drop formed on Ectoplam's forehead.
Eraserhead frowned. Spoiler was keeping her distance. She was keeping him at the edge of her Quirk's range. So if he shut her power off, it wouldn't make much difference. And at the same time, Todoroki had dropped into a fighting stance and was slowly approaching him.
"I'm curious what you two think you are planning," Aizawa slung out his capture weapon. Preparing to depower and tie up the younger man.
"Well, well, well," Midnight purred in a more aggressive voice than usual, "What tender morsels have stepped into my web."
The 'R-rated Heroine' looked different than the two students were expecting. Blue tights that matched her eyes and a dark grey, mini skort made from an armored material that looked and felt like leather. A short sleeved, skin tight jacket of the same material. But the jacket had a series of black metal vents down the back. She had black boots and bracers, studded with silver hexagons. But the bracers were too thick to be just armor or decoration. Midnight's hair was braided. She was carrying a 7 meter grey bullwhip, and there were three sets of bolas hanging from her belt.
"Is that the new costume Inko designed for you?" Jiro asked, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks slightly flushed.
Oddly, Midnight broke character. She blushed too. In a happy and decidedly unsultry tone, their teacher answered, "It's the prototype. They didn't exactly match the specifications she gave them. The skort is a little loose, and the vents don't have quite the airflow we were expecting. Do you like it?"
Iida Tenya looked between the two ladies in confusion, not knowing who 'Inko' was. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.
"But we can chat about that later," Nemuri switched back to what passed for 'business mode' for her, "After you wake up."
Then her whip snapped out, grabbing the speedster's leg before he could process the attack.
All Might regarded us thoughtfully and cautiously.
"I must admit, you have done well so far," he informed them, "Your teamwork has been exemplary. Young Midoriya's strategies are what I have come to expect. Or I should say not expect. Young Aoyama, your power and control of your Quirk have improved, and your new support device in ingenious."
"Moi cannot take ze credit," Twinkling protested, "Eet was Midoriya's idea and Hatsume design and build eet."
"Be that as it may, but you are still making fine use of it," All Might assured him. Then he frowned, "That said, you made one fatal mistake. You ran the wrong way. The exit is in the other direction."
If All Might expected us to be shocked or dismayed he was mistaken.
"We know," I pointed past him, "We were aiming for the hole Twinkling's initial attack made in the outer wall. It might not be quite big enough, but a few more shots or a few kicks should make it big enough for us to escape."
All Might's eyes twitched. He wanted to look, but wasn't willing to take his gaze off us.
"You are supposed to escape through the main gate," he told us.
"That wasn't what principal Nezu said," I countered, "Just that we need to escape the arena."
Elsewhere, the sound of paw pads smacking into a fur-covered face could be heard.
"That may be," All Might sighed, "But you will still have to get past me."
Aoyama fired a weak blast front his left wrist. All Might knocked it out of the air without even flinching.
"Plan 6?" Aoyama asked.
"I think so," I agreed.
"What is plan 6?" All Might tensed to charge me, "And what happened to 3 through 5?"
"Those were for other teachers," I explained
"Plan 6 iz, on your right wrist," Aoyama added.
All Might glanced down. Saw the manacle that I had secured there when I threw him. Between his costume, the restrictor cable, and me being very gentle with my TK, he hadn't felt it lock into place. And since then he had been too focused on us.
I jumped. Wrapped my legs around his upper arm. My ankles locked on his shoulder My arms closed around his forearm. And with all my physical and psychic strength, I started to lever his right arm closer to his left.
I also used a sliver of tactile TK to turn up the mechanical dial that controller the restrictor suit.
His limbs began to inch closer.
Aoyama grabbed All Might's left arm. Leaned back. Pushed with his feet. And fired his primary beam. Trying to help me as much as he could.
For two, painful minutes, we pushed. All Might resisted. But slowly, literally achingly, the Number One Hero's wrists inched closer.
He smiled, and flexed. I heard the metal groan, and All Might's expression faltered. Then he started to try.
Click.
His face went blank. He looked down. And saw the handcuffs locked in place. Aoyama and I both let go, and collapsed to the ground, exhausted. My back hurt.
"I forget about your TK," he looked at me, "You didn't need your hands to put the cuffs on me, so long as you were touching them."
"Yeah," I panted.
"Well done," he congratulated us honestly, "You have earned your As."
"You let them win," Aizawa complained to All Might.
"As we were supposed to," the taller man countered with genuine confusion, "Test their abilities, and if they do well enough, give them an opening to win. Are you saying that young Cain and young Todoroki actually defeated you?"
"Her glue bombs were a surprise," Eraserhead said petulantly, glaring at dog-mouse, "It seems there were a number of new support items authorized for the finals, without letting the rest of us know."
"I felt it only fair," Nezu waved it off, "considering they did not know the rules or who they would be facing up front. It gave them a chance to prepare for various potentialities. And in All Might's defense, Midoriya-kun did tamper with the restrictor suit. We made them without electronics and minimal magnetic materials as a precaution against Misaka-san. But there is only so much we can do."
"I also was getting a bit worried that if I let it go on any longer, young Midoriya was going to dislocate my shoulder," All Might rotated his limb with a grimace.
After lunch, those of us with morning exams were given the option to have a free period afternoon in the library, or watch the afternoon tests with the teachers.
No points for guessing what I picked.
"Hello listeners," Present Mic smiled broadly, "It is time par..."
He cut off when a arcade token flipped into the air.
"Reset!" he shouted. A wave of compressed sound hit the supersonic railgun shot. And deflected it.
"You know what to do," Railgun said softly. She dodged to the side.
"Hey, sensei," she called out in a taunting tone, "Is your support device electrical?"
As the electronkinetic distracted Mic, Anima began to softly hiss and purr.
Ochako tapped Shoji on the forearm. He altered his arms into wing like shapes. With his weight negated, he could actually fly.
Snipe kept his eyes locked on Tentacole, so that he could use Homing on the boy. He fired a trio of shots in Uravity's general direction. He wanted to keep the girl at bay, until the Tentacole was back on the ground.
Pinky sprayed streams of acid, forcing Thirteen to use Black Hole to neutralize them.
Tsukuyomi spread Dark Shadow slowly across the ground, towards the rescue hero.
"What are we going to do?" Tailman whispered to InvisaGal. Vlad King stomped forward, a sphere of blood pooling in his right hand.
"I'll distract him and hold him off while you run," she answered sotto voce, "Then, I'll run. He won't be able to track me.
"Will that work?"
"Hope so."
"You know, sensei," Mordred said with aggressive happiness, "I've been wondering for a while now, just how I'd do against you if I could have my swords. I guess today I get to find out."
Clarent and her katana appeared. As did her new blade, the replacement for her kukri. The cinquedea was 60 centimeter from guard to point, slightly longer than was traditional for the broad dagger. It also had a simpler hilt, owing to both Saber's preferences and the fact the Mordred would use the weapon mostly with her Quirk.
"I can't say I'm not curious," Advisory agreed, adjusting the settings on her visor, even as she shifted into a fighting stance.
"I'll just stand over here then?" Cellophane asked meekly.
He walked over to lean on the side of a building. And flexed his elbows. He pulled off a square of his tape, and began to fold it into an origami bear.
As agreed, he would give Penryu ten minutes to have fun and get the teacher fully engaged. Unfortunately, since that teacher was the All-seeing Heroine: Advisory, the students were unable to share a wink.
"Congratulations on completing the first section of the final exams," Nezu told the Hero course students. Most of the morning examinees had recovered, but the afternoon group still looked generally exhausted. But there was one more thing they needed to do, before they were released for the day.
"Now, we will select the five member teams for tomorrow's test," the dog-mouse continued, "So that we can assign the teachers, and so that you can have some time to meet and plan. Two reminders, tomorrow's tests will not be the same as today. The teachers you are facing will be free to come up with whatever challenge they like. Within reason."
Nezu's eyes flicked to both Eraserhead and Vlad King as he said that.
"And the teachers will not be wearing the limiters tomorrow," our principal concluded ominously.
That got more than a few gulps. Gamer's Mind kept me steady, but I had a sense which ever team I was on would be tested by All Might again. I was also not looking forward to facing him, unfettered.
Nezu stepped over to the box. He shook it gently. Then reached in.
"Team A. The first member is...Mizuno Ami."
The bluette stepped over to the side of the scattered students, establishing a gathering point for her teammates.
"Secondly, we have... Penryu Modura."
Mo-chan joined Ami.
"Next is... Midoriya Izuku."
Ami looked relieved and Mordred grinned triumphantly. I jogged over to join them.
"Team A, slot four will be... Asui Tsuyu."
"This is pretty lucky, kero," Tsu remarked as she bumped into me affectionately.
"I did increase my Luck to Peak Human tier," I told them, "when I was trying to break out of Stain's paralysis. If Nezu-sensei is really drawing at random, Luck should influence that, right?"
"You think we will get another of the Knights?" Ami mused.
"Shimooka Hikari," Nezu announced.
"Nope," Mordred said glibly.
"Still pretty lucky," Tsu decided.
The photokinetic joined us, and we started talking. Or, as Mordred insisted on calling it, plotting.
For the record, the other seven teams were:
Team B:
Yaoyorozu Momo
Uraraka Ochaco
Ojiro Mashirao
Kaibara Sen
Misaka Mikoto
Team C:
Shishida Jurota
Kamakiri Togaru
Shiozaki Ibara
Todoroki Shoto
Hagakure Toru
Team D:
Aoyama Yuga
Monoma Neito
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
Honenuki Juzo
Kendo Itsuka
Team E:
Shoji Mezo
Yanagi Reiko
Kirishima Eijiro
Cain Cassandra
Shoda Nirengeki
Team F:
Sero Hanta
Tokoyami Fumikage
Awase Yosetsu
Ashido Mina
Jiro Kyoka
Team G:
Iida Tenya
Kodai Yui
Tsuburaba Kosei
Bondo Kojiro
Tsunotori Pony
Team H:
Tokage Setsuna
Fukidashi Manga
Rin Hiryu
Koda Koji
Komori Kinoko
And after hearing Aoyama's glowing praise and examining his new harness, Power Loader gave Mei an A. Though I wouldn't find that out until later.
"Now then," Nezu looked out over his staff, "Who would like to test Team A tomorrow?"
No-one met his gaze.
"So would you rather randomize it? Or have me assign..."
"I'll do it," All Might announced, "Who is with me?
Despite the Symbol of Peace volunteering, the other teachers still seemed hesitant.
Status Changes for Midoriya Izuku:
Max Health: 1238 → 1242
Max Energy: 2159 → 2160
Attributes:
(S)trength: 59 → 60
(A)gility: 62 → 63
(E)ndurance: 77 → 78
(Q)uickness: 65 → 66
(L)uck: 50 → 51
Skills:
Telekinesis (I/D): 51 → 52
Basic Karate (A): 53 → 54
Running – Jet Set Run (Q/E): 48 → 49
Tactile TK (I/D) LB: 45 → 46
Telekinetic Aura (I) LB: 54 → 55
Kung Fu Fundamentals (Q/E): 33 → 34
Jump (Q/S) LB: 22 → 23
Sense Hostility - Hostile Aura (I/C): 52 → 53
High Speed Vision 37 → 38
Combat Leadership (C/W): 14 → 16
Wrestling (S/E): → 1