Chapter 7 - The Exam

Izuku rubbed his gloved hands together, trying to think about anything but the knot in his stomach. The group had dismissed from the auditorium to change and prepare for the practical exam. As they stood by the large gates outside the faux urban site of the exam, Izuku took the chance to size up his competition.

Most of the students were wearing simple workout clothes. Some of the students had special gear that Izuku could only assume amplified their quirk in some way. He recognized some of them from the files he studied last night, such as Tenya Iida. They had strong quirks, and he knew they would pose the greatest competition.

He was also searching for Uraraka. They had to separate to change out of their uniforms. He knew that she was placed in his same testing center as he was and wanted to make sure she was doing OK. Finally, he spotted her. She was doing breathing exercises, probably attempting to settle her nerves. As Izuku began to walk over to her, he felt a large hand placed on his shoulder, stopping him.

Izuku turned to see Tenya standing over him. He was wearing what looked to be a blue cyclist suit. His expression was unchanged from the one he had during the presentation in the auditorium: stern and authoritative. He glanced up at Uraraka, and then back to Izuku.

"She looks like she's trying to focus on the trials ahead," He said. "What are you going to do, distract her and ruin her chances of succeeding?"

Izuku had had enough. He jerked his shoulder forward, removing Iida's hand, who widened his eyes in surprise. "Listen, friend," Izuku said sharply. "Get off me. Who do you think you are?"

Iida placed his hands on his hips, looking offended. "Really now, there is no need to be so -"

"Shut up," Izuku interrupted. "You seem to think yourself an authority figure and have placed me in your crosshairs. But believe you me, friend, that is a bad move." Izuku turned his head away from Iida and spat on the ground. "I would think that the brother of Ingenium would have more class than this."

Iida's face quickly turned from annoyance and offense to shock. "How...how?" Iida stuttered.

"I've worked too hard and sacrificed too much to get here," Said Izuku, ignoring the question. "Stay out of my way."

"Now, see here," Iida began indignantly. As he did, a loud, booming voice drowned out his own. Present Mic was standing on top of the tall gates, waving his arms.

"Right, let's start!" He shouted. "Get moving! There are no countdowns in real battles! Run, run, run, listeners! You're wasting airtime here!"

Izuku didn't hesitate. As the group began to run, he pulled his grapple gun from his belt, glancing at Iida as he stood there. "Try to keep up, speedy." He said. And with that, a cable exploded from the muzzle of the grapple gun and carried Izuku into the battlefield.

The momentum from his grapple gun launched Izuku past its anchor point. Izuku flipped through the air, landing swiftly on his feet and into a sprint. His acrobatic training had paid off.

In the distance he could hear explosions and other loud sounds. Students had already engaged the faux villains. He only had ten minutes to score as many points as he could, and he couldn't waste time running aimlessly throughout the streets. He lifted his arm and grappled upwards towards a building rooftop. Once atop it, he surveyed his surroundings.

Several robots were roaming the streets. By their movement, Izuku could see that they operated on some sort of a preset route. He surmised that they were programmed to follow this route and engage once their sensors picked up biosignatures, such as body heat.

This gave Izuku an idea.

Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, he proceeded in the opposite direction of the students and the robots they were fighting. As they were fighting from the ground, they could only assume that all the robots were gathered into their specific area. But Izuku saw that there were several untouched robots patrolling several clicks away from the commotion of the other applicants.

It was time to make use of his equipment. Taking several batarangs from his belt, he began to set his trap.

The robot continued to follow its preset algorithm, following the route that it was defined. As it lumbered along, a biosignature passed by its sensors, only long enough to get its interest. Tracking its movements, the robot followed it throughout the winding maze of the small city.

After a few minutes, the biosignature came to a stop. The robot approached it, and its offensive programming took effect. Before it could attack, the biosignature seemed to take off directly upward, and disappeared from the sensors. Attempting to find the signature, it identified several other robots gathered into the same area.

Something flew into its field of vision and stuck to one of the other robots. Several small devices were lodged into the chassis and began to flash steadily, beeping as they flashed. The beeps grew quicker as the other robots approached.

Izuku loomed over the site where he had lured the doomed robots. His plan had worked, and over ten robots were destroyed. Calculating in his head, he estimated that he had at least 20 points. It had cost him, however, as he was now out of explosive batarangs.

Grappling down to the explosion site, he began to sift through the wreckage. He noticed that these robots seemed to be solar powered, as they didn't seem to have a fuel tank of any kind. Most of the robots were too wrecked to be of any use, but Izuku found some of them, though inactive, had most of their working parts.

"Target acquired!"

The metallic voices came from behind him. Three robots began to advance on him. Absently, Izuku calculated that there were seven points between them.

In a flash, Izuku lifted a heavy jagged shard, the same length as his arm, that was once part of the chassis of one of the destroyed robots. Izuku took a deep breath and charged.

He rammed the shard deep into the optical device that served as its eye. Logically, that had to be where the metal was weakest. Izuku's calculation was correct, as the robot powered down and fell backwards. One down. With all the strength he could muster, he ripped the shard from the robot and rammed it into the same spot of another robot as it approached him from behind. Two down.

The third robot advanced towards him. It would be upon him in seconds. Instinctively, Izuku hurled the shard like a javelin into the eye of the robot. It stumbled, but didn't fall, still advancing on Izuku.

This one needs encouragement, thought Izuku.

Running at full speed, he launched himself into a flying kick at the robot, connecting with the protruding end of the shard, ramming it further into the robot. Izuku heard the satisfying sound of its power failing, and the robot tipped over.

Pausing only for a moment to catch his breath, Izuku raised his hand and grappled away. It was time to rejoin the group.

All Might could hardly believe his eyes.

He had lost sight of Midoriya for a moment when the exam started. He had pulled a device from his belt and it carried him out of view of the camera, ahead of the other students. After a few minutes of searching, hoping that he wasn't hurt too badly, he finally found him.

And was at a complete loss for words at what he saw.

Not only was Midoriya uninjured, he had destroyed several robots by luring them into a trap. When he was accosted by three more, he used the broken shards of one of the destroyed robots to take down the others. He acted without even flinching and moved at lightning speed.

"The kid's got skills," Said Vlad King, nodding with approval. "Using what you have on hand and thinking on your feet are important traits to be a hero."

"But he's using explosives from his belt," Said Midnight. "Should that even be allowed?"

"Those shuriken take immense skill to use," Said Aizawa. "Especially so considering they are explosive. You shouldn't focus on the tools. Focus on how he uses the tools."

All Might continued to watch as Midoriya paused for a moment. His mind began to race. Who was this kid? Certainly not the same skinny crybaby he met on that rooftop all those months ago.

"He's on the move again," Said Snipe, as Midoriya disappeared from the screen. "It looks like he's going to join the others."

"They're all doing well in their own rights," Said Nezu.

"I'd say this year's applicants look promising." Midnight agreed.

"Well, there's still plenty of time before it's over," Said Snipe. "The real test is yet to come."

And with that, Aizawa opened a small, see-through lid on the control panel in front of him and pressed the large red button it covered.

"Let's see how they react."

The exam was utter pandemonium.

Explosions, the sound of bending and tearing metal, rubble and debris everywhere, students arguing and shouting, and robot carcasses piled across the landscape.

Izuku released the grapple from its anchor point and dropped to the ground, rolling as he landed to lessen the impact. He brushed himself off and readied himself to continue his crusade.

The ground shook.

Izuku paused, puzzled. The ground shook again. It shook a lot. Izuku wondered if they were experiencing an earthquake when he heard an explosion off in the distance behind him. He and the other students turned to see the source of the destruction.

A large shadow dropped ominously over the applicants. It continued to grow until the sun was completely obstructed. Looming over them, grasping the side of the buildings in front of it as it hoisted itself towards their position, was the zero-point robot.

You've got to be kidding me, Thought Izuku.

The zero-pointer was taller than the buildings around it. It tore into them as it tried to move through, the small gaps between them. Debris and wreckage rained down upon them. The students panicked and ran as fast as they could in the opposite direction. Izuku noticed Iida run by, their eyes locking for a brief second as he passed.

Izuku's first instinct was to get away. He could avoid the robot easily, and take out as many one, two- and three-point robots along the way. As he prepared to run, however, he heard a loud yelp of pain behind him. It was a voice he recognized.

The rubble from the damaged building that the zero-point robot had caused had fallen on Uraraka's legs, pinning her to the ground. She struggled to get up, trying to free herself from the wreckage.

"No," Said Izuku, horrified. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Without a second thought, he sprinted as fast as he could towards Uraraka. He would not lose another friend. Not now, and not ever again.

"Uraraka!"

At the sound of his voice, Uraraka's head snapped in Izuku's direction. "Deku!" She shouted. "I can't move my legs!"

"I'm here," Izuku said. "I'll help you!" He strained as he tried to lift the wreckage off Uraraka. There was too much of it, and it was too heavy, despite the strength Izuku had gained over the past nine months.

"I can't lift it!" Izuku said dismayed. He had to think fast. If he tried to pull Uraraka from the wreckage, he might injure her further. He looked back at the robot. I was approaching fast; it would be upon them in a matter of seconds.

Izuku knew what he had to do.

"Uraraka!" He shouted over the noise. "Try and use your quirk on the rubble. I'm going to buy you some time!" Without another word, he sprinted in the direction of the robot.

"Deku, wait!" Shouted Uraraka after him. "Are you crazy?!"

As he ran, Izuku was wondering the same thing. He had fought against plenty of robots during his training with Bruce, but never one of this size. He had no idea how he was going to slow it down, to say nothing about destroying it.

He had to think, what would Bruce do in this situation?

Thinking back to his training, an image of Bruce passed through his mind. "Every armor has a chink in it, a weakness," he had said. "Find that weakness and exploit it. No matter how small it is, it could be the difference between life and death."

Find the chink in the armor, Izuku scanned the massive automaton as it destroyed more buildings in its path. His analytical mind was going a mile a minute. This was obviously the real point of the test, to see how they would react to a disaster situation. It didn't seem to have any weapons, but its immense size made up for that. A robot this size couldn't just rely on solar power -

That's it!

A secondary fuel source! Something other than or alongside solar power had to be used to power a robot that size. Nuclear power was too dangerous, and the administration wouldn't dare use it around students. No, it had to be something safe but powerful, such as a large diesel engine. The fuel port would be somewhere easily accessible for the engineer. Scanning the robot, a second time, he saw it. On the right side of the robot's neck was a small access panel, easily missed if you didn't know what you were looking for. It had to be it: easily accessible with a direct line to the fuel tank, protected by the robot's chest armor.

Raising his hand, he launched his grapple hook, which carried him quickly towards the top of the monster robot. The robot reacted, attempting to swat Izuku off like a fly, only missing him by a few feet. He could feel the force of the wind as it passed him.

Izuku reached the neck of the robot. The access panel was locked. Izuku didn't have the time nor the tools to pick it. Taking out his explosive gel gun, he sprayed a small drop on the lock of the door, enough for a controlled explosion. Bracing himself, he pushed the detonator. With a loud "POP", the access panel flew open. Just as he thought, it was the entry point for the fuel tank.

There was no time to lose. Izuku emptied the entire canister of explosive gel into the entry point. Holding the detonator in hand, he readied himself. He only had one shot at this, so he had to make it count.

He leaped from the robot and pressed the detonator.

The explosion from the robot's neck knocked its head off balance, tilting it to one side. The students stopped in their tracks. "Look!" Shouted one student, pointing towards the top of the robot. Iida squinted and saw a small figure falling through the air. A second explosion erupted, larger than the last, and the force of the explosion threw the falling figure off balance and was now plummeting towards the ground at an alarming pace.

Iida gasped as he realized what that figure was. "It's that kid!" He shouted. The rest of the group gazed in awe and terror as the robot fell over backwards, more explosions erupting from its chest, and a few screamed as they saw Izuku tumble towards the earth.

Izuku had been knocked aloft from the force of that second explosion. He was trying to steady himself long enough to find a place to shoot his grapple hook, but the ground was approaching fast. He had to be quick, or he might not -

Something clasped hard around his forearm, stopping his fall short. He looked up to see he was being held by Uraraka, floating on the remains of a robot, straining immensely from his weight.

"I've... got you!" She said. Izuku clasped her hand back and hoisted himself atop the robot. Uraraka placed her fingers together. "Release!"

The two of them dropped in a heap atop the wrecked robot. They simply stayed there for a moment, hardly daring to move. After a minute, Uraraka, unable to hold it anymore, wretched and vomited over the side of the robot.

Coming back up for air, she looked weakly at Izuku. Then they both started to laugh. They laughed for a good minute before calming down.

"You saved me, Uraraka," Said Izuku.

"I had to return the favor," Said Uraraka, smiling and wiping her mouth with her sleeve. Thankfully, besides Uraraka spraining her ankle from the debris falling on her, neither of them were hurt.

The students all ran and gathered around them, shouting and cheering as they stumbled off the robot. Even Iida had dropped his pretense and was clapping and cheering along with them.

The control room was silent, visual shock on the teacher's faces. The silence was broken only by a small noise: the principal clearing his throat.

"Well," Said Nezu cheerfully. "Is there any doubt about his ability now?"

All Might couldn't even speak, his words failing him. After a minute or so, he finally regained his composure. "This kid," He said. "Who the hell is this kid?!"