Chapter 6 - UA High

"Good morning everyone," Principal Nezu greeted his staff cheerfully. One by one, the teachers of the UA hero course piled into the conference room. For each seat, there was a large manila envelope on the U-shaped desk in front of them. "As you know, this meeting is to review the new applicants for the Hero Course."

"We have a good lineup this year," Said Midnight, the 'R-rated' hero, sifting through the dossier. "Lots of powerful quirks."

"Indeed," Agreed Nezu. "However, as well as a few with some special recommendations from active heroes. But if you would turn to page 15, you'll see that one stands out in particular."

All Might had finally found his seat, one of the last to sit down. He was in his depowered form, and didn't like to call attention to himself, so he entered the room last. Upon sitting down, he complied and sifted to the page specified by the principal. Upon finding it, however, he let out a sudden, violent cough, causing all the staff to turn and look in his direction.

"Everything all right, Toshinori?" Said the principal, still in his cheerful tone.

"Er, yes sir, everything is fine," Said All Might, wiping the blood from his mouth with a handkerchief. Looking over the file he was holding, he could hardly believe his eyes.

It's that kid, thought All Might. From the rooftop. Recalling that day brought back painful memories. He had replayed the conversation they had in his head when he had returned home and felt that perhaps he was too blunt with the boy. He wanted to offer some form of encouragement before he left the rooftop, but instead felt as though he had made things worse. In the end, he realized that it couldn't be helped, and it was better that someone had told him now before he got himself killed.

But the boy had apparently not heeded his advice.

"Izuku Midoriya," Said Nezu, reading from the file. "He will be the first student to take the UA entrance exam without a quirk."

The atmosphere around the room changed abruptly. "Are you serious?" Said Vlad King, the Blood Hero. "Does he have some sort of a death wish?"

"I agree," Said Midnight. "This years' exam is the hardest one yet. We can't in good conscience let him attempt it. He's only going to get himself hurt."

"And even if he did pass the exam," Chimed in Cementoss. "He'll have a near-impossible time keeping up with the material and the other students."

"I understand your concerns," Said Nezu, attempting to quiet the room. "But they are all unfounded. I don't believe that Midoriya will have any trouble with the exam or the material here at UA. In fact, I firmly believe that he will be an excellent addition to the Hero Course."

"Forgive me sir," Said Snipe, the cowboy-like hero. "But what makes you so sure?"

"Because he's being sponsored by Batman."

All Might had to stifle another cough. He and all the other teachers turned to the source of the voice. Shouta Aizawa, hero name Eraserhead, didn't look up from the dossier when he spoke, still looking through the file on Midoriya.

"Wayne is sponsoring a student?" Said Vlad, rolling his eyes. "Is this just some sort of fundraising gimmick?"

"Hardly," Said Aizawa coolly. "If any of you read through the file, you'll see he is not only sponsored by our largest benefactor, but he was personally trained by him as well: aptitude in multiple martial arts, various weapons expertise, advanced technical knowledge, demolitions experience, as well as experience in combat and search and rescue operations," He moved his finger down the paper as he read off the list. "This is a list of all the material that was taught to Midoriya over the span of only 9 months." All Might began sifting through his own file of Midoriya. There it was, in black and white: Midoriya was Batman's new protegee. The teachers all began chattering amongst each other.

"All that in only nine months?"

"I don't believe it. You'd have to be some sort of genius."

"But it is Batman we're talking about here."

"It's hard to swallow," Said Present Mic, the DJ Hero. "I've heard talk of him, but never met the bat in the flesh. Is it true what they say about him?"

"There are many things that are said about him," Said Aizawa. "That is the very reason that he is so feared in the criminal underground in America. Here is what we know: As UA's largest private benefactor, Bruce Wayne's donations through The Martha Wayne Foundation account for nearly 40% of UA's funding alone. That equates to billions every year. He's been a hero longer than any of us here and is a founding member of the Justice League of America, the top hero agency in the west. He funds his hero work entirely out of his own pocket and chooses to stay out of the spotlight on principle, preferring to operate from the shadows through espionage and subterfuge. Despite this, he has been credited with taking down some of the most dangerous villains and criminals in the world. He is one of the most brilliant tacticians and if not the most dangerous man on the face of the planet, as quoted from Superman himself."

"Sounds like you're in love, Shouta," Said Midnight playfully.

Aizawa scowled. "I simply admire his methods."

"I don't," Said All Might. Everyone looked at him, surprised, as if they had forgotten he was there.

"I beg your pardon?" Said Aizawa.

"I don't approve of his methods," Repeated All Might. "He's a violent, unlicensed vigilante brute. His methods of hero work rely heavily on fear and excessive force, constantly leaving criminals with severe and sometimes permanent injuries, the lucky ones only suffering broken bones and missing teeth. He has no respect for and completely thumbs his nose at modern heroes and their work."

"You've met him?" Asked Snipe.

"Once, when I was training in America," All Might shuddered, despite himself. "If you ask me, he's only one step up from a villain."

"But wait," Said Midnight. "If he's not licensed, how is he able to perform hero work? That's illegal."

"Not for him, technically," Replied Aizawa. "As you know, since the introduction of the Rhode Island New State Statute, and the laws following its introduction, it is illegal for unlicensed individuals to use their quirks openly in public. But as Batman, the law does not apply as he operates without the use of a quirk."

"You mean he doesn't use his quirk for hero work?" Said Vlad King, surprised.

"I'm saying he doesn't have a quirk," Said Aizawa.

The room went silent. All Might stared at the floor, averting any wandering eyes. It was true, All Might had only met Batman once before during his training years. David Shield, who supplied his costumes and support equipment, had to travel to Gotham in order to meet with Luscious Fox, the CEO of Wayne Industries, one of the vendors for David's support company. All Might had accompanied him, eager to see more of the United States. Gotham was a far cry different from California, where he had come from. It was darker, grungier and much more dangerous. On the way to the meeting, a large explosion a few blocks away had drawn their attention, so All Might and Dave went to investigate. Running ahead of Dave (as he often did) All Might had arrived at the site of the explosion, Gotham Bank, and had come face to face with what he assumed was a black-clad, pointy-eared villain, and didn't hesitate to attack.

And much to his embarrassment, was quickly subdued.

It wasn't until Dave had caught up to him and informed him of who he was fighting did All Might realize his mistake. But considering how soundly and ruthlessly he was taken down by Batman, he wasn't entirely sorry for it.

More than once All Might wanted to chalk it up his defeat to inexperience. But he couldn't deny that Batman knew exactly how to take him down, and in mere seconds. He was as good as his reputation preceded him to be. And throughout the years, he had learned more about Batman and hero career. It was a vicious torrent of pain, death, and destruction. He had the largest rogues gallery of anyone he had ever seen, and was even responsible for the creation of some of his more dangerous enemies. He was even more shocked to learn that Batman had even taken on disciples, training them to be as ruthless and dangerous as he was.

And now, Midoriya was his next victim.

"It's clear that despite not having a quirk, Midoriya is a strong candidate for enrollment," Said Nezu. "UA has always been a progressive school, one that looks forward into the future, not backwards into tradition. It was decided that the removal of the quirk requirement as a condition for matriculation in the Hero course would open new avenues for an underserved minority. As a representative of that minority, we would be remiss if we did not give Midoriya that same opportunity."

All the teachers nodded in consensus and continued with the meeting. It was all so confusing. Batman was training the boy to be a hero, the same kid who All Might told couldn't be a hero without a quirk. This was more than a big coincidence, and All Might didn't believe in coincidences.

In any case, he was very interested to see Midoriya's performance in the entrance exam. He only hoped that he didn't get hurt.

It was the day before the UA Entrance Exam. Under the tutelage of Batman, the past 9 months seemed to breeze by. Izuku had gained a lot more confidence in himself and his abilities, especially after his performance in the Underground. He observed himself in the mirror yesterday and was amazed to see how much he had grown physically. His once weak and skinny body was replaced by a larger, muscular frame. He wasn't same quirkless weakling he was 9 months ago.

But all his hopes and dreams were riding on this exam and he had never felt more nervous in his life.

While Bruce was sponsoring Izuku for UA, he informed Izuku early on that he was still going to take the entrance exam. "The exam is a culmination of all that you have learned up to now," He had told Izuku. "Unless they see for their own eyes what you can do, they will doubt your ability to be a hero."

Izuku agreed with Bruce. He knew that if he got in on recommendation alone, without having a flashy quirk to show for it, he would be looked down on as to having attended UA without having earned it. He wanted to show everyone that he deserved to be there just as much as the rest of them. But that didn't alleviate any of the fear he felt.

Arriving at the Warehouse that day, Izuku was met by Bruce leaning over a table with five items atop it: A grapple gun, a pack of batarangs, a pair of combat gloves, and a small canister of explosive gel.

"Midoriya," Said Bruce, nodding in Izuku's direction. This was Bruce's customary greeting. "The entrance exam is tomorrow. You've exceeded my expectations during your training, but don't let that go to your head. You have a lot more to learn, and time was short, so we had to cut a few corners." Izuku nodded. He amazed himself at how much he had learned already but knew that it only scratched the surface of what Batman had to teach him.

"The UA review board for the hero course," Continued Bruce. "Allows students to use support items should it be deemed necessary. This is usually done on a case-by-case basis and varies depending on the student's abilities. Seeing as how you do not have a quirk you have been permitted to use support items of your own."

Izuku didn't answer. He had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, he was relieved that he could use the items that he had grown so accustomed to using, as it would greatly increase his chances of success in the exam. On the other hand, it felt as if he was being given a handicap, and that rubbed him the wrong way. Once again, he was being singled out for his perceived lack of ability.

Bruce seemed to have read his mind. "Your goal in the exam," He said. "Is not just to pass. You are going to show everyone that there is more to you than just being quirkless. Your strength and abilities come from you, not from powers, gadgets, or trickery. Which is why," Bruce added, gesturing to the items on the table. "You will go into the exam using only these items. As you can see, they are not an inexhaustible supply, the same as it would be in the field. You will have to make your use of these items count. This will also teach you to be adaptive, to utilize your surroundings to turn the tide in your favor."

The way Bruce was describing it to Izuku made it sound like just another training exercise. In a way, it helped ease Izuku's anxiety a little.

"Come with me," Bruce said suddenly, walking away from the arsenal table. He was taking Izuku out of the Warehouse. The made the same ascent as it had so many times before, after each training session with Bruce. But this time, it continued to rise past the top office where he customarily got out. Izuku wasn't aware that there was a floor above Bruce's office, but remained silent as the elevator ride continued.

The elevator opened to a large penthouse greeting room. Like Bruce's office, it was lavish, but sparsely decorated with simple black leather furniture, an office table, and a hallway which Izuku assumed led to Bruce and Alfred's quarters. A few paintings hung on the wall, and several pillars were erected throughout the penthouse, each holding a statue or other eclectic art piece.

Alfred was waiting for them as they approached. He was wearing his usual suit, this time without the coat, swapping it out for a black apron. He smiled as Izuku and Bruce approached.

"Master Bruce," He said. "Master Midoriya. Through with your training early, I see. Splendid. I have just put on a pot of tea and have prepared dinner."

"That's not necessary," Began Izuku. He always felt uncomfortable when Alfred waited on him. He wasn't used to being pampered, having grown up in a middle-class home.

"Nonsense, Master Midoriya," Said Alfred. "Tomorrow is a big day, and you need a full belly and a good night's sleep for optimal performance." Smiling, Izuku relented. If there was one thing that he knew about Alfred, when it came to taking care of others, he was as stubborn as Batman himself.

Izuku stood at the gate of UA high school, trying to steady his breath. He had not gotten a wink of sleep the night before, his nerves being the worst they have ever been. Instead, he had spent most of the night researching his competition.

UA had some strong network security and detection software in their systems, so Izuku knew it would have been fruitless to try and hack their databases. The educational division of the government, however, was very lacking compared to UA's. They kept a list of all the schools in the district, and Izuku was able to find the file of new applicants to the UA hero course filed by the administration.

There were a lot of applicants, and they all had powerful quirks. Izuku knew that he had his work cut out for him.

Izuku absently adjusted the belt on his school uniform. His utility belt was in his backpack with his training suit. Throughout his training, Bruce had always ordered Izuku to keep his utility belt within reach. He had grown so accustomed to it that he felt naked without it around his waist.

Steeling himself, he took his first step towards the school entrance when -

"Deku!!"

Izuku turned to see a flash of brown and pink rush towards him. He braced himself, as it looked like she was about to hug him, but she stopped short before reaching him. Her face was beaming with excitement.

"I wasn't sure you would be here," She said happily. "I'm so excited, I could barely sleep last night. How about you?"

"Oh, I slept all right," Izuku lied. Despite the fact that they had developed a good friendship over the months, Izuku didn't have much experience talking with or being around girls and couldn't help but feel nervous around Uraraka.

After catching up for a bit, they both proceeded towards the entrance to UA. "Deku," Said Uraraka after a moment of silence. "Are you scared at all?"

"For the test?" Asked Izuku.

"No," Uraraka twiddled her fingers absently. "About being a hero."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just," Her eyes fell to her twiddling fingers, avoiding Izuku's gaze. "I have a lot riding on this. What if. . . I'm not good enough? What if I can't make it as a hero?" She turned her face away. "What if I fail? What if I let. . . everyone down?"

Izuku was surprised. Uraraka talked about her dreams of being a hero often. She was passionate and driven and had a strong desire to help those who couldn't help themselves. She worked hard to develop her quirk and had developed many talents to supplement the strength of her quirk. Izuku had no doubt that she would not only do well at UA but would also become a top-rate hero. He never thought that underneath all these amazing accomplishments lay a foundation of fear and doubt.

Izuku sighed, looking at the imposing UA building before them. "I haven't been completely honest with you Uraraka." Izuku said. She turned to look at Izuku, confused. "I haven't told you what my quirk is all this time because, well, I don't have one."

Uraraka's eyes widened. "You don't?" She asked incredulously.

"Nope," Izuku said. "When I found out that I wouldn't be getting a quirk, I was devastated. I wanted to be a hero all my life and after hearing this news I thought my dreams of being a hero were over. Growing up, I used to get bullied a lot. They told me I would never amount to anything, that I was useless, or weak. All because I was quirkless. I even got the chance to meet my hero from childhood. I idolized him. He was all that I wanted to be in a hero. I always told myself, when things got hard, if I could just talk to him, he would tell me there was hope. He would tell me that I could be a hero. But when I finally met him," Izuku clenched his fists tightly. "He didn't. He only said the same thing that everyone had told me my whole life: you can't be a hero without a quirk."

"I'm so sorry," Said Uraraka somberly.

"Don't be," Said Izuku. "Honestly, there was always that little voice inside me that agreed with them. For a while, I even began to feel that they were right all along. But someone found me and believed in me and taught me to believe in myself." Izuku smiled brightly at Uraraka. "I've worked so hard to get here, nothing is going to stop me now," He said. "And if a quirkless wonder like me can become a great hero, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll become a great hero, too. So, let's do our best today and show them what we're made of!"

Uraraka returned his smile in earnest, a newfound look of determination and pride in her face. Together, they marched through the large doors of UA high school, eager to face their destiny.

"What's up, UA candidates? Thanks for tunin' into me, your school DJ! C'mon and lemme hear ya!"

The auditorium was silent. Present Mic thought that he could literally hear a pin drop. This group was a tough crowd. "Keepin' it mellow, huh?" He said, trying to recover. "That's fine, I'll skip straight to the main show. Let's talk about how this practical exam is going to go down, okay? Are you ready?!" He shouted again, throwing his hands up into the air in true DJ fashion.

More silence.

Izuku himself was too starstruck to say a word. He listened to Present Mic's radio show every day of the week, often while he trained. All the UA teachers were pro heroes, and Izuku was thrilled to be learning at the hands of legends such as Mic.

"Like your application said," Present Mic continued. "Today you rockin' boys and girls will be out there conducting ten-minute mock battles in super-hip urban settings."

The screen behind him came to life and displayed the different instructions for them as Mic went over them. Izuku was immediately taking notes, muttering to himself. The practical exam was straightforward: there were three types of villain robots they would be fighting, each worth a different amount of points. The more robots felled, the higher their scores. The robots could either be destroyed or immobilized for points. Izuku already started formulating strategies in his head.

"Excuse me, sir, but I have a question," A tall student wearing square glasses and a tan blazer immediately stood upright. "On the printout, you listed four types of villains, not three. With all respect, if this is an error on official UA materials it is shameful. We are exemplary students. We expect the best from Japan's most notable school. A mistake such as this won't do."

Izuku had to suppress a laugh. He was right, UA is Japan's most notable school, so it wasn't surprising that students from a higher social standing would be here as well. But this student was on another level entirely.

"Additionally, you with the unkempt hair," he said, pointing directly at Izuku.

"Excuse me?" Said Izuku, raising an eyebrow.

"You've been muttering this entire time," Said the glasses student. "Stop that. If you can't bother to take this seriously than leave. You're distracting the rest of us."

The auditorium erupted in laughter. Izuku said nothing, his eyes narrowing. He recognized this student from the list of applicants. His name was Tenya Iida. His quirk gave him organic engine-like devices in his calves, allowing him to move at extreme speeds. He came from a very prestigious junior high school with top marks. He was a contender in every way.

Tenya Iida, Izuku thought to himself. I know I've heard the name Iida before.

Izuku was brought back to reality when Present Mic continued his explanation. "The fourth villain type is worth zero points," He said. "That guy's just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way. It's not that it can't be beaten, there's just kinda no point."

Iida thanked Present Mic and sat back down. Izuku returned to his notes.The exam was going to be tougher than he first anticipated. If he was going to stand out from students like Uraraka and Iida, he was going to have to show the administration, no everyone, what he was made of. For the first time since he got here, Izuku was actually excited to get started.