53

Chapter Text

"Well done," said a rather deep voice as Izuku turned. Orca was brushing off some debris as he turned towards the heroes. He had lost his cape, his suit was in tatters and there were some visible bruises on his body, but otherwise he sounded fine.

"You managed quite well given the circumstances," The whale hero mused as some of the minions who were pinned or lying prone rose back to their feet. Izuku also saw medical robots emerging to treat any injuries.

"Will your men be okay Mr. Orca?" Izuku inquired as Orca turned; his red eyes no longer filled with rage but a calm stoicism.

"They're getting hazard pay and they were all aware of what they were signing up for," The Number 10 ranked hero said as he turned, as did Izuku.

Kacchan had his hands on his knees while keeping his head raised, legs shaking and covered in sweat as Orca walked over to him, picking up his coat along the way. He reached into his pocket and pulled out… a water bottle that was able to survive through all of that.

"Here." He offered it to him. " Drink up."

Kacchan scowled miserably as he took the offered bottle and started chugging. The pro hero took a second before marching off.

Izuku got up to his feet and walked over. "We did great Kacchan." He said lightly, finally able to relax. "You were incredible back there!"

"I didn't beat him though…" he growled, crushing the now empty bottle in his hands.

"But we stopped him didn't we?" Izuku flinched as he felt the boy's glare. "And we saved all the civilians too! I think All Might would consider that a win, right?"

"Hnn." He scoffed, looking away. "Whatever you say nerd." He sulked off, and Izuku felt unsure as he watched his friend's back.

"We passed, didn't we?" Camie asked as she sauntered up. "Like, wonder why he's being so down 'bout it?" She then beamed as she saw Izuku. "You were, like, super cool! Going in and out of my Glamour Clouds and bustin' heads! That was totes crazy in there."

The boy blushed, freezing up on the spot as the girl approached.

"Indeed. Without your help, we would have been overrun." Shoji replied as he joined them, one of his arm mouths smiling at the group. "You and Elle were crucial."

"Umm, yeah-" Elle acknowledged, blushing under the praise. "It was a hard choice to juggle between dealing with the minions or helping Parker and Kacchan against Orca…."

"Oh really? We could've handled it fine!" Called Monoma as he approached with his tuxedo's sleeves in shambles, not that he seemed to care. "Besides! I would have been able to take more of those goons than you Class A-"

"Monoma, enough." Shiozaki replied as she turned, giving the blonde boy a stare with her vines raised like snakes. "I apologize for my tardiness. I'll need to improve my indoor speed using my vines. I will admit, I neglected that area of my quirk over the camp."

"Hey Ibara, don't sweat it." Izuku turned, seeing Peter join the group with a smile on his face. He gave a thumbs-up her way. "Counts as a win in my book!" He sat down on a piece of debris and took a deep breath. "Jeez… I still feel parts of me ringing…"

"From that shockwave you took?" Izuku inquired.

"Just gotta move a bit… kinda like trying to recover from parts of your body falling asleep." Peter said as he wiggled his toes in his shoes. "Still… I'm glad we were able to pass this."

"Not yet." Elle replied as she was being supported by Shindo, her arm over his shoulders. "Still gotta be graded."

"Oh right, the point system…" Izuku muttered, his anxiety starting to flare up again.

"ALL APPLICANTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR EXAMS, PLEASE LOOK TO THE SCOREBOARD WITHIN YOUR ASSIGNED STADIUM. YOUR POINT TOTALS WILL BE DISPLAYED THERE," boomed a robotic voice as everyone looked up.

"The scoreboard is outside." Shoji said as he began to walk through the ruined battlefield that was the convention center lobby. "Let's go."

They arrived outside, gazing up at the scoreboard hanging above as they made it to an angle to better see it. It flickered on.

"Puñeta, tienen mi nombre."…" Elle cursed, looking away. Shindo gave her an assuring pat on the shoulder.

"What did she say?" Peter whispered as Izuku turned, shrugging as he looked for his own score.

TEAM WHITE-4

BAKUGO KATSUKI - 47 PTS

LAURA LOGAN - 69 PTS

MIDORIYA IZUKU - 74 PTS

MONOMA NEITO - 38PTS

PETER PARKER - 58 PTS

SHIOZAKI IBARA - 81 PTS

SHINDO YO - 73 PTS

SHOJI MEZO - 87 PTS

UTSUSHIMI CAMIE - 56 PTS

COMPLETE 89% PASS

A cute All Might face with a thumbs up was displayed at the end as Izuku gave out a big smile. Relief and accomplishment filling his chest while he struggled not to start crying.

"Most of us passed…" Shoji sighed in relief as Shindo gave out a whooping cry; drowning out the angry sputtering of Monoma.

"How did I-!?" The blonde blabbered out, jaw going up and down.

"We did it Elle! High five!" Shindo said, turning towards Elle, or Laura as it was, her face as sour as curdled milk. She didn't return the gesture that the black-haired boy was giving her.

"So like, why go by Elle?" Camie asked before she blinked. "Ohhhh it's 'cuz of that's the first letter of your first and last names! L and L! I totes get it now!"

"Not a fan of my family back home, okay?" Laura growled as she looked away. Shindo smiled, his arm going back down.

"Hey it's ok Elle, nothin' to worry about here." He looked back to the rest of the group. "Gotta say, I was pretty nervous for a moment there, back when we first met up. But I was glad to have worked with you all." He said as he offered handshakes. "Don't mind Elle as well, I kinda know how she ticks. Her being my classmate and all." The brunette glared his way lightly, though he didn't seem bothered.

"Likewise. Thanks for providing a great defense for us." Shoji replied as he shook it in kind.

"Yeah! Without your Vibrate quirk causing so much debris to shield the stairs and stagger those minions, we would have had big time trouble!" Izuku replied, happily shaking the offered hand. Shindo beamed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Helloooo, like, am I chopped liver or something yeah?" Camie tilted her head. "Like, his raised earth and all those quakes only were totes effective thanks to my Glamour making them all totally confused." She beamed Shindo's way, approaching as the teen boy blinked. "Like, we should all totally be besties and share contacts and-" A light growl was heard, and Elle was glaring at her while standing beside Shindo. "Oh, didju want mine too?"

Shindo laughed lightly, trying to keep his angry classmate from starting something.

"Ah shucks, it's fine. I just did my job is all. You were great too Utsushimi. Still, wonder why I only got a 73." He mused, taking his tag from his pocket and looking at it as a holographic screen emerged, displaying his grading. "Oh, that's why."

"Oh yeah, I should check mine too!" Izuku said as he reached into his pocket, turning and seeing Peter approach. "You doing okay?" He asked, seeing Peter's suit. It was a little ragged and dusted up, sporting some tears and cuts.

"You did take quite the pounding from Orca. Do you need to see the doctors?" Shoji inquired.

"I'll be fine." Peter stretched his arms a bit. "Nothing a day at the Support Department and walking off the numbness of that sonar blast won't fix." He wiggled his foot a little.

"TEAM WHITE-4." Blared a robotic voice as everyone turned, seeing a cleanup robot roll up to them as many others began to sweep up and push the debris into piles. "PLEASE LEAVE THE EXAMINATION GROUNDS. WE MUST PERFORM OUR DUTY."

"Oh right! S-Sorry!" Izuku chirped, pocketing his tag as everyone else began to leave. "Come on, we can check out our scores back on the concourse."

"Agreed." Shoji said. "Let's go."

"Yep." Peter placed his own tag back on his shoulder as Izuku looked his way, seeing him put his mask on. His eyes were narrowed as he rubbed the bridge of his forehead, his one visible eye closed. "Damnit… that score." He muttered in English, enough for Izuku to hear.

"See what your score was about?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah…" He muttered, his eye looking towards the still silent Bakugo and glaring lightly before he sighed. "Still, we passed. Can't complain."

"Yeah, don't worry about that. Let's not fret on that stuff anyway." Shindo added. "Seven out of eight passed. I'll take that as a win." He looked back, the pale and mumbling Monoma still staring angrily at his tag.

"Needs… babysitting?" Monoma said aloud, aghast. Shiozaki rolled her eyes as Izuku winced a little. Monoma… was very rough to handle. Without Shiozaki, research would have been difficult, working with the malcontent, if not impossible with him egging on Bakugo and Peter's feud.

Still, a part of Izuku did feel bad. He contributed a good deal in helping the civilians.

"Let's go Monoma. You shouldn't cause more trouble than you have already…" She muttered. "I hope you will take this as a lesson moving forward." Her tone softened a little, trying to offer some comfort to her classmate.

The boy's jaw locked shut as he stood up straight, sighing deeply. " Vlad-sensei is gonna kill me…" He muttered lightly and the two followed after the students, save for Izuku who had stopped, seeing Kacchan still staring at the board.

(X)

"Kacchan?" Katsuki turned, and fucking Deku was standing there looking worried like a fucking idiot. A far cry from minutes ago when he was focused and looked like he had a goddamn spine.

"You doing okay?"

Katsuki let out a sound between tightly clenched teeth, his hand reaching to his tag as robots went about their business. "You got hit a few times from Orca so, if you want we can check out the infirmary together and-"

"Shut the fuck up." He bit out, pausing and looking to the side with a sigh. "I'll go get checked." He added, though lacking his usual aggressive air.

He was pissed off, but he was always pissed off and he had to remind himself that, as much as infuriating as he was, Deku wasn't the one he should be pissed off with.

Deku flinched, and Katsuki had to bite down the snarl and the shout of frustrated anger behind tightly clenched teeth.

When the fuck did this shit get so goddamn complicated? He was Deku and his bullshit shouldn't matter, but it did because the part of Bakugo who knew he'd messed up, the part that knew he'd fucked this up enough already, told him it should.

"Well… okay then. I'll tell Aizawa-sensei you're getting checked out. I'll see ya at the hotel to collect our stuff!" He trotted off, and Katsuki turned his attention away from the mixed bag of complicated bullshit that was Deku and held out his tag, clicking the button on the side as the screen came forth.

The words stuck out to him in bright red letters.

Extreme Uncooperativeness.

Aggressively and negatively Assertive.

Ill Attitude and manner befitting for an Agency hero.

Threatening a teammate during research.

Friendly Fire upon teammate in heat of action.

"He was in the fucking way, and has precog you cunts" Katsuki grit out through his teeth, wanting to blast the device to kingdom come if it wasn't the reason for him to get his license.

…

He got his Hero Provisional License.

He got his fucking license because of a point mulligan.

He would have failed if the other extras had actually been fucking competent…

"You look defeated, Bakugo." A voice came and Katsuki turned. Gang Orca was walking through the debris, his large lumbering steps sending light tremors through the ground with every step.

Katsuki looked at the giant of a man, his lip curling into a sneer just begging to bloom across his face.

Maybe it was his internship with the man. Maybe he was pissed off, or maybe he just wanted to actually talk.

For whatever reason, the words slipped out of him. "I should have failed."

"Hmm?"

"Forty-seven." He bit out. "This test- I failed this, Orca!"

"Yet you didn't."

"If we were at full strength and if those extra's had come…" Katsuki growled, struggling to get his actual thoughts out. "I would have lost… again to those two and I couldn't beat you and-"

"You're doing this again?" Orca sighed, his large black-and-white-hand caressing his temple as Katsuki noticed a light discoloration there. Bruising no doubt. He could see plenty of light burns and scrapes along his arms and neck too, to say nothing of the state of his suit. "You really need to stop focusing on surpassing others as the be-all-end-all. I thought you understood that, when that girl embraced you that day."

Katsuki flinched, remembering the look of adulation in her eyes, the way she hugged him and admired him. "But I…"

"You got the lowest of the passing scores, that is true. Your teamwork needs work, badly. But-" Orca rolled his neck. "Being bad at something and acknowledging it is the first step to becoming good at something. I noticed in your fight against me that you didn't work well with him. The American boy." Katsuki didn't reply, looking away. "I understand. There are people in the hero industry I don't like working with either, and they may not like me in turn. However, you need to be able to put all that aside." The blonde's eyes turned, and his red met Orca's. "Because if this was a real scenario? One which you have been in, lives would have been on the line. Life and death." He narrowed his gaze.

"And why am I getting this!?" Katsuki growled. "Don't see him being told-"

"He is not in front of me." Orca interrupted. "And do you wish for him to improve? Or for you to improve?"

That question made the blonde bomber's mouth snap shut.

Orca's large hand reached over, tapping the tag. "I would hope this wouldn't matter, but if it does, I'm not above using that either. You want this score to be better then stop complaining about how it is and start beating the score. What Parker does or does not do is irrelevant. It's about what you do, and whether you're willing to accept your flaws and learn from them. "

Katsuki looked away. "I can never forgive him, you know that." He muttered, hands clenched. "I don't give a shit if I have to work with Deku or whoever but he…humiliated me." He uttered, tongue tasting like ash as his eyes shifted to the ground, memories of the past forever burned into his head.

"I'm not saying you forgive him. I'm saying that you shelve it and act like an adult." Orca rumbled, frowning and eyes soft.

"You're taking this hard because it means so much to you. If half the heroes in this country had your passion, we would be a safer society I say."

Katuski felt something in his chest.

"I hope you can understand and grow from this, Bakugo." Orca's grip tightened further. "I know you can."

He walked off and Katsuki looked at his tag, looking at the words in green that caught his eye.

Excellent Combat Skills.

Excellent Research.

Saving comrades and civilians under live fire.

Towards the end, Teamwork in need of improvement, but average.

He stuffed the tag into his pocket and marched out of the arena, still angry but gaining a new perspective perhaps.

(X)

Shoto sat on a bench, the horde of students in front of him choked the hallways, each one standing in front of the monitor, eagerly awaiting to see who passed and who failed. It had gotten so bad that the proctors had to shout several times that there was no need to find the scoreboard, that their own personal scores would be displayed on their tags.

Sixty five points.

Sixty five points needed to pass.

And he'd basically torched half the points for this exam.

He took a deep breath through his nose, holding and slowly releasing it. By and large at this point, he was resigned to failure. Going over everything in his head, the most he could attribute to himself was sixty points. Even that deduction was marginal and wholly dependent on how many other teams had managed to pass their exams in spite of the failures of his own team.

Suddenly, he felt the tag over his chest vibrate, and Shoto shut his eyes taking another deep breath before looking down.

65

He stared. Blinking at the tag and the number displayed on it with what was, frankly, blank incomprehension.

He flipped the tag over.

The five was now backwards but it certainly reflected the number he *should* be seeing here.

He held his breath, staring at the tag for a while longer.

The words stuck out to him in red.

Negatively Assertive.

Disregard for working with others.

Minimal leadership capabilities.

Failure to research deeper meaning of red herrings.

Then the words in green.

Excellent combat skills against dangerous villain.

Astute research with selected teammates.

Positive trend of teamwork in battle.

Keeping collateral damage to a minimum given nature of Quirk.

Note: While Todoroki Shoto has great control of his quirk, there is more to being a hero than destructive control and assertiveness. Observers note his desire to go forwards and continue pushing, while ambitious, is not conducive to a team environment but the drive to improve is there and can be cultivated.

Looking over those words a few more times, he let out a puff of air that was almost a wheeze, not quite a laugh but not wholly relief either. More like sheer disbelief being expelled with everything else.

He'd passed.

By the margins. With absolutely no points to spare.

But he passed.

Shoto shut his eyes, hands coming up to rest his forehead against them almost like a prayer, with his tag hanging between his nearly slack fingers.

Slowly he let the breath leave his lungs.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there before he got to his feet, the pounding of his heart was sending blood *throbbing* across his skull and making his head ache something fierce now.

Even so, he moved to seek out his UA classmates.

There were a lot of tags in red, indicating a failure. They outnumbered the greens by what he suspected at a simple glance to be a significant margin, and most of those greens were certainly not from his agency.

He spied Intelli across the room with several of her 'girls' now clustered around her. A pleased smile decorated her face, green tag now firmly in her hands.

She caught his eye, smirking as she held up the sign of her unexpected victory

He did the same, nodding once before he saw her return to her conversation.

He kept walking.

Kirishima and Tetsutetsu let out a whoop of joy, so loud he couldn't help but find them near the front of the crowd. The stone and steel quirk users were grinning with sharpened fangs and pumped fists.

They hadn't been part of his 'agency' but it was good for them.

Finally, he spotted Kendo Itsuka.

"Kendo-san." He called, offering a possible congratulations.

She turned at his voice, offering a small grin, one which quickly fell as her eyes trailed down.

He went still.

Her tag was red.

Shoto's eyes widened, and what must have been the dumbest question he'd ever spouted in his whole life tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"Who's tag is that?"

She looked at him, and then spotted his green tag resting in his now tightly clenched fist, her face souring.

"Mine." She stated, her voice sounding completely flat and defeated, a far cry from her usual fire.

Shoto shook his head. "That's impossible. This has to be a mistake."

Out of any of them, out of all of them Kendo was the one who he'd believed deserved to pass. She'd been the one to pull even a semblance of a plan together; hell she'd been advocating exactly for what the goal of the test was from the very inception. She even got the finishing blow that took down Saikyou!

They must have known that, and if they didn't he was gonna make sure someone knew that!

"No mistake." She mumbled, shrugging, acting as though she'd already accepted the results.

Shoto bared his teeth in a snarl, an uncharacteristic anger building in his chest like a flame. "It is. If I passed then so did you! You-"

She looked at him, and the look was enough to make the words die in his throat even before she spoke. Her eyes were wrought with a storm of pain and anger.

"It's not a mistake." She held up her tag, 64 displayed bright and clear.

Lack of assertiveness.

Failure to correct teammates when they were heading down the wrong path.

Several civilians shot in vicinity.

Shoto's mouth was open while Kendo continued to speak, her self deprecation hanging on every word.

"I'm a nobody. Hard to look at when it's someone like me." She shrugged, scoffing as she gave him a light glare. "But I think someone up top can dig up an extra point or two for the son of Endeavor rather than some girl with big hands."

The building flame in his chest suddenly turned cold, his eyes wide and mouth agog.

Kendo winced. She gave another shrug, pained and torn, the hand falling to her side as she let out a sigh that sounded tired… or perhaps defeated.

"I'm sorry." She said, "That's unfair…" He watched her turn and walk away, arms rising to hug herself.

"K-Kendo wait. I-"

"I'll see ya around, Todoroki." She walked away, hands gripping her arms as she tried to avoid shedding a tear.

Shoto stood there, still as a statue as the throng of students began to brush past him. The dual-haired boy could feel their glares upon him as he looked down…

His fists clenched and for the first time in his memory… Shoto felt like he could have burned the whole of the stadium down.

(X)

"I can't believe I passed!" Hagakure gushed, her license floating in midair. "This is so awesome! I'm a legit Pro now!"

"Provisional," Kaminari added, though not taking his eyes off his own license. "But I get what you mean! This rocks!"

"We have taken one step forward into the unknown," Tokoyami muttered as he walked beside Momo. "One that will make us into better heroes."

"Heh, I'm gonna miss your little brooding-isms." Rivu said, petting Tokoyami on the head as the bird-headed boy growled. "It's been a fun few days." She turned towards Momo and gave a toothy grin. "You take good care of my little birdy, okay?"

"I am not your bird." He growled out, a light blush managing to break through his feathered face.

"Awwww, is that some pink I see on your cheeks~?" Kaminari oiled, grinning widely.

"Someone likes being pampered~" Hagakure added, and Momo had to stifle her giggling.

"Be silent! I am not someone to be looked at as some doting sign of affection!" Tokoyami barked.

"But I am!" Dark Shadow burst out of his cloak all of a sudden as Tokoyami sputtered, the creature embracing Rivu. "Pet me pet me! I'm gonna miss youuuuu~!"

"Awww I'll miss you too Shadow-chan." Rivu cooed, happily patting the creature's head like one would a puppy.

"Dark Shadow, return to me this instant!" Tokoyami ordered, even grabbing onto his shadow monster and trying to tug him back inside, his face red, either out of embarrassment or anger. Or both most likely. Momo didn't care as she had a hand to her mouth. "Obey your master at once!"

"Ahhh shaddup! You liked it too!" Dark Shadow barked, eyeing his master accusingly.

"He's totally your inner consciousness or something isn't he? Or your true self?" Rivu mused with a sly grin.

"Ohhh, I never thought of it like that." Kaminari said with a snap of his finger. "That's super deep and cool! I wonder what my own Dark Shadow would be like…"

"Probably someone dumb and goofy." Hagakure said as her gloves pointed at him. "Wheeeeeey duuuuude'."

"Ehh? T-That's not true! That's not my inner self!"

As Momo looked back at her bickering classmates plus Rivu, she saw Habuko and Romero talking excitedly as they walked towards their end of the concourse. They noticed her look and waved, Habuko with a wide grin while Romero was playing it cool.

Momo's eyes wandered, seeing Ikari talking to a marching Shishikura, the man stomping as if he was on a warpath and ignoring everything his much larger peer was trying to say. No doubt due to that of the entire group who stopped Jeanist and his men, Shishikura was the only one of the group who failed.

Perhaps that would make him become more open to teamwork in the future…

"Whelp, I gotta head back to my class. Gotta see how my own transfer student is faring." Rivu let go of Dark Shadow and the tanned girl walked off. "This calls for sushi galore, and he's payin'!"

"Who's he? The exchange student?"

"Oh yeah, my boyfriend." Rivu explained nonchalantly. "Rich kid from the States, but he's a bit snarky but hey, he can fly like a bat so." She shrugged and turned towards Momo. "Well, we may not see each other for a while, but look me up on social media." She grinned and winked. "Ya know where to find me. Heck, maybe we can team up again Yaomomo."

"Working with you would be a beneficial experience Tsunami-san." Momo bowed lightly. "Thank you again for your assistance."

"I just did my job, see ya around." She waved, and walked off as Tokoyami had finished stuffing Dark Shadow back under his cloak, watching her go out of the corner of his eye. His scowl was present, but he didn't look away.

"Man Yaomomo, you really have done the coolest stuff. Lookin' like an action hero back at the Sports Festival on that rocket-board, and now you got to ride on a dragon!" Kaminari exclaimed. "What's next, going to outer space or something?!"

"I bet Yaomomo can totally make a rocket to go to space." Hagakure chimed in.

"I doubt she can with her current materials. Maybe over time though." Tokoyami added in, relieved that the embarrassing situation had been resolved.

Momo giggled. "A fun assessment, I'd have to look over necessary components of a shuttle or ICBM missile or some kind. But for now-" Her stomach rumbled. "I'll need to grab something quick to eat, after I get changed and showered of course."

(X)

"Whooo boy, talk about an exam…" Takami Keigo, also known as the Winged Hero Hawks, mused as he sat in the VIP area of the main stadium complex. All around him were countless TVs showing various clips of the exams that took place. He was brought on reserve in case ole Mera wanted to switch things up, but in the end he wasn't needed.

That said, watching Endeavor and his sidekick Burnin engage with that hero agency group was entertaining. That brown-haired girl lured Endeavor away and was on the run constantly parkouring through hallways and stairwells as the man seemed to be hellbent on teaching her a lesson. All while her comrades managed to overwhelm Burnin and save the building from burning down.

'Flame Emperor Mafia Don' and his number two. Handled by children. It was quite amusing to Hawks when Endeavor realized it and tried to blaze back to his number two before the time ran out and other Pro Heroes had arrived for the technical victory condition.

Still, why would Endeavor seem to have it out for that round-faced brunette girl anyway? What did she do, insult his mother or something?

Either way the brunette was pretty impressive in giving Endeavor the runaround like that. And the Number 2 Hero was a damn good actor. Almost had him convinced a few times he wasn't holding back.

"Whelp, it's been fun kicking back. I needed this." He could see other heroes around, talking amongst themselves, but he saw one who was late coming in.

And she was glued to one group of monitors in particular when she arrived, and Hawks looked up. Ah yes, Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. The only person to ever sidekick with the lone wolf Rabbit Hero.

"Yo Mirko." Hawks lazily waved, and the red-eyed tanned woman looked his way with a light glare. At the same time, a highlight of Parker was doing his axe kick on Gang Orca. "Like seeing your intern use your move? I would have recognized your Lunar Ring any day. "

The rabbit-eared woman scoffed, standing up and marching out of the room. "None of your business Hawks."

"Was just asking." Hawks raised his arms in a surrendering shrug. He turned, seeing her walk away, but not before taking one last look on the screen when Parker got blasted by Orca, only to be saved by the green-haired kid and that Bakugo lad.

She muttered something under her breath, and Hawk's little feathers picked up on it. "Should have webbed out of there." And she left the room.

The blonde man smiled, turning back as he got his phone out. He'd definitely spotted some useful prospects here. Hero patrols could be a bit of a dull drag most of the-

He made a call. "Yo." He said. "Mind putting an offer towards the Tsunami Rivu gal? Kairyu is her hero name." His eyes went to a screen, seeing the girl glomping Dark Shadow while Tokoyami looked like he was going to explode. "Yeah, send an invite for a work study to her. She's a little older but hey, she'll add some much needed variety to our agency."

(X)

"Feeling better?" Karen asked in his ear.

"Yeah." Peter replied under his breath as he finally sat down in the cafeteria. "Got some feeling back in my fingers again. That sonar blast did a number on me… but… that score I got…"

He got in the 50s all because of Bakugo as he remembered the notes.

Failure to dissolve tense situation, if not encouraging it

That was the biggest one highlighted in red. Sure there was an Unsafe handling of civilians, Procrastination during Investigative Period or Put in vulnerable position to be saved in battle. He got that but…

Peter sighed, rubbing his forehead. Just forget it. 'You passed. You're one step closer to being a legalized hero. Put it behind you…' he thought, though it didn't make him feel any better.

"You did well fighting through it. Your vitals weren't in any danger, but Gang Orca, quite the opponent. I imagine Tony would consider him a fine candidate for the Avengers if possible." Karen mused in his ear.

"Amen to that, wouldn't want to fight him solo…" He uttered, seeing his tray stocked full of pizza slices as he began to dig in. "Haaa… needed this…" He murmured.

"Aren't you feeling more accomplished now as well?" Karen asked, and Peter knew the reason why as he pulled out his wallet, bringing out an ID card in Japanese, with his birthdate, birth city, and name in english, but he was able to translate it as he felt a smile grow on his face, that feeling in his gut fading a little.

PROVISIONAL HERO LICENSE

NAME: PETER PARKER

AGENCY: [BLANK]

GRADE: FIRST YEAR - HIGH SCHOOL

QUIRK: SPIDER

HERO NAME: SPIDER-MAN

"One step closer." Peter mused, putting it back in his wallet. "To do what I love most…"

Karen inquired. "Aren't there other things you love to do too? Inventing among other things?"

"Well yeah, I love building and creating gadgets too…but, with this I can finally take that next step in helping others. To save people. Yu, Momo, Izuku, Mei, my teachers, everyone. I couldn't have done this without them, and I can finally pay them back."

"Heya Ace!"

"Mmph?!" Peter turned, mouth full of cheese, pepperoni, sauce and bread as he turned, seeing Kirishima beaming his way.

"Mind if we join ya?" Beside him was Shoto, both carrying trays. Peter swallowed and nodded. Shoto's eyes were on the ground.

"By all means." He gestured. Shoto looked rather neutral, as always, as he sat down with his bowl of ramen. Kirishima had a tray chock full of meat. "So, how did you guys do?"

"I passed!" Kirishima exclaimed as if on cue, at the same time.

"Me too." Shoto said ruefully, and Peter paused in his bite, looking at him in surprise.

"Congratulations man. Are you ok? You…kinda look pissed off about passing.-"

"I am…" Shoto suddenly snarled, eyes widening which made both Kirishima and Peter inch away before he seemed to calm himself, sighing. "I'll get by. I just… have to find a way to fix this." Shoto replied.

"Wait, you wanted to fail?" Kirishima asked. Peter tilted his head, not understanding the logic.

"Under the circumstances? Yes." The teen hissed again. "Just… eat your lunch. I need to think. Sorry for the snap…"

"It's fine dude, it's been a long few days." Peter waved it off. Kirishima nodded.

Shoto nodded, and then focused on his ramen, eating mechanically. Kirishima and Peter shared a look before shrugging, deciding that they'd touch this problem with a ten foot pole tomorrow or something.

"I was surprised I passed too, but I got by." Kirishima said as he dug into his steak, eyeing Shoto out of the corner of his eye but directing his attention Peter's way. "Like, the research stuff was super hard." He spoke with a full mouth, Shoto's eyes looking his way. "But…" He swallowed finally. "We got through it! By the third day before this exam I got it down pretty well. My head was frigging killing me with all that thinking and reading. Just getting into the action was a relief for me!"

"Tell me about it. Our group had it a little rough too." Peter mused as he resumed eating, frowning a little.

"Oh hey Peter! Todoroki! Kirishima!" Peter's mood changed as he turned, seeing Izuku approach with his own tray. Beside him, Momo was approaching with… two trays' worth of burgers, fries, and rice bowls.

"Whoa. Yaoyorozu with a meal of champions…" Kirishima uttered as the two joined them at the table, Izuku and Momo sitting on opposing sides of Peter as Kirishima and Shoto sat across.

"I did spend a lot of lipids during my confrontation against Best Jeanist and his men." Momo said as she began to eat at her first of two rice bowls. "I need to replenish."

"You went up against the Number Four Hero!?" Peter gawked. "And you won?! Sheesh" He said, rubbing his head while suddenly feeling a little inadequate.

"What about you guys? Midoriya? Ace?" Kirishima inquired.

"We were on the same team actually." Izuku replied with a light smile. "We were paired up with Shoji and Kacchan. Oh, and Monoma and Shiozaki from Class 1-B! As for who we went up against, it was Gang Orca."

"Dang, you guys got someone in the Top 10 too. We just fought a retired hero" Kirishima admitted, feeling a little less proud of his own accomplishment.

"Who did you face exactly to come out of retirement?" Izuku asked. The dual-haired boy swallowed.

"Saikyou, ring any bells?"

"S-Sorry, the name may have been before All Might's time."

"She looked like she came from the Sengoku period, she was so old! But man she was manly too!" Kirishima exclaimed, fists pumped up and grinning. "Like fighting all of us at once and not even moving from her spot! I can't imagine what she was like in her prime!"

"It's not very proper to comment on a woman's age, or call them manly Kirishima." Momo admonished him as she finished her rice bowl.

"Yeah, gotta keep a filter on that, dude." Peter remarked with a light smile as he finished up his pizza. Kirishima looked a little bashful as he rubbed the back of his head.

He set his phone down and looked up, seeing Yu's message.

'Hey Peter, heard you took your exam! When you get home(finally!), let's go out for teppan!'

Peter beamed, typing back.

'You got it Yu! See ya in a couple of hours.'

"Talking to someone?" Izuku asked and Peter looked up, grinning at Izuku.

"Just Yu is all. Going to get a celebratory dinner with her tonight."

"Oh yeah, when is Aizawa-sensei gonna pick us up?" Kirishima's eyes widened as he brought his bowl to his lips and drank. "We gotta skedaddle!"

"We have thirty minutes." Shoto said in monotone, poking his ramen aimlessly. "He sent an email to all of us that he will pick us up at 2:30 and take us back to school."

Kirishima brought the bowl down, cheeks full as he gulped down the broth, noodles, meat and… did he just swallow that egg too? "Ah. I haven't checked."

"They have eggs in ramen?" Peter asked, and all eyes were on him.

"Ummm, yes. Is that a problem?" Shoto's eyebrow quirked, his prior displeasure forgotten.

"Oh! I think in America they only do it cup-style. You know, instant." Izuku said as he was still scribbling in his notes.

"I've had to make do with cup ramen a ton back home as well. Not exactly much of a cook when it comes to that sort of thing," Peter admitted, mentally recalling some of the times he'd also eaten instant back in New York.

"Really Ace? Me too! Best stuff right there!" Kirishima offered a fist, and Peter took it, grinning back. "I'd pound down five instants before working out!"

"Instant," Momo shivered, looking a bit nauseous. "Peter-san, if you'd like, I would be happy to introduce you to a ramen shop sometime. A… traditional ramen place." Peter blinked.

"Traditional how…?"

"Well, one that is proper. With bean sprouts, spinach and all the necessary ingredients that a good ramen provides." Momo replied, eyes closed as she finished her first batch of fries and picked up her hamburger.

"I'm pretty comfortable with a nice warm batch of meat, noodles and broth." Kirishima crossed his arms with a sharp grin.

"Well… I guess I wouldn't mind actually." Peter smiled. "I mean, nothing wrong trying something new. Just like…" He bit his lip, looking to the side.

"Like what?" Momo inquired as Shoto finished his meal.

"Will it have like… chicken feet or… cow tongue or stomach or something? I mean, I know the traditional places back home in New York have them but like, I dunno." Momo tilted her head.

"You've been in Japan for over a year and a half? And you haven't tried our traditional cuisine?" Momo inquired as Peter rubbed his arm, blushing lightly.

"Shame, shame Peter." Karen said in his ear. "How can you not broaden your horizons?"

"Heh, I was just going to what's familiar!" Peter grinned widely.

"Well… I won't hold it against you." Momo answered primly. Obviously trying to be diplomatic. "Everyone must start someplace."

"Okay." Peter clapped his hands together. "I will aim to try out more traditional Japanese food! Pre-New Years Resolution!"

"It's September though." Shoto remarked.

"Like I said! Pre-New Years!"

(X)

'Well done Young Midoriya! You, me and Melissa must go out to celebrate!' All Might had typed. 'I know of a peculiar place uptown we should try. I would love to bring you!'

All Might was inviting Izuku out for dinner with Melissa! Izuku grinned as he carried his hero costume case and a bag of the clothes the HPSC had given them.

The rest of Class A was gathering on the bus as Izuku began to take note of his peers, Peter, Yaoyorozu, Todoroki and Kirishima following behind. Tokoyami was talking in earnest with the likes of Iida, Ojiro and Hagakure who seemed quite pleased. Kaminari seemed to be patting a downtrodden Sero on the back, while Jirou was talking with Tsuyu and Ashido.

Kacchan was sulking by a tree, but Koda seemed to be talking energetically with him. Izuku gave him a wave, the blonde seeing it before quietly averting his eyes. Koda at least waved back, and the green-haired boy smiled a little.

Aizawa stood before the bus, hands in his pockets. "Alright, should be about everyone. Stow your costumes and let's get going." He got on board as everyone began loading their belongings in the luggage compartment. Iida and Momo helped ferry everyone in, with Peter hanging back and getting a head count before he joined the line.

They all got inside, with Izuku sitting beside Peter while on the other side, Todoroki sat with Momo as everyone was abuzz.

"You were up against Wash? Talk about a rough matchup…" Tsuyu mused as she spoke with Sero.

"Yeah… my tape kept on getting washed away… how was I supposed to know that walking, talking appliance could just fire a frigging cyclone from his stomach!" Sero yelled, sighing at his unfortunate testing results. "My entire team was not ready for that… got our whole building flooded."

"We should have swapped places. I was up against Ryukyu." Tsuyu mused before Aizawa got in, standing at the front of the bus and everyone stopped talking.

"Good. Everyone's all here." Aizawa mused. "Now, I know it's been a long three days, so we will have a brief homeroom here before we head back to U.A. It'll be after school hours so no need to host a meeting there. Now, by a show of hands, how many of you were not able to pass?" He asked.

Getting right to it, and Izuku saw the hands raised, zeroing in on those who hadn't. Sero, Sato, and Aoyama. The green-haired boy felt bad for the blonde. He'd failed the final, and now this?

"Hnn. I see. " Aizawa murmured. "Alright, I imagine you all must feel down at the moment, but keep your heads up. They are offering remedial classes so you can earn your license in December rather than retake the exam next March." Curiously, Izuku noticed Todoroki's head turn to Aizawa, suddenly attentive.

Hadn't he passed?

"Are you taking it?" Aizawa continued.

"I'll be able to take it." Sato muttered, sitting beside Ojiro as the tailed boy gave his taller peer a pat on the shoulder.

"Same…" Sero added, looking like he was already dreading what awaited him.

"I have an important holiday in December, my family and I are going to see relatives in Paris." Aoyama said, his tone soft. "So I wouldn't be able to take part in the final portion of the classes in December even if I wanted to…"

"Talk it over with me and I'll arrange a course schedule for you, Aoyama." Aizawa added. "Those who are taking the classes talk with me and send me your schedule for the remedials. We will work around it together." He grabbed some eyedrops and began to apply them to his eyes. "You're all still at a point in your career where you can afford to make mistakes. Learn from these last few days on what you can do to become better. You've fallen a step behind, so you'll need to work harder from here on out. Understand?"

A chorus of affirmations from the three as Aizawa focused on the rest of the class.

"Now then, tomorrow is Saturday so I'm giving you the day off combined with Sunday. We will meet again on Monday morning to discuss what to do from there. For those who passed and received your licenses, congratulations. You took the first big step in your hero careers. With your Provisional Licenses, you'll be able to legally take action in any heroic capacity. Even without a Pro Hero's guidance as well, as long as it's an emergency you can act." Aizawa explained. "I trust you'll use this privilege well and not abuse it." He let that statement hang for a moment before continuing.

Izuku looked over, and Peter was looking away, hand on his forehead at that. That's right… the Stain Hunt and the aftermath with Mirko.

He looked down at his license once more, seeing his likeness and name.

He felt his eyes water up, and he felt a nudge.

"Midori, what was that?" Peter asked, and Izuku looked over in confusion. "You sounded like you were choking. Or groaning." He leaned over. "Yo Shoto, Momo, didja hear that?"

"I did… sounded like a creaky door…" Momo mused, and Izuku clamped up.

"Agreed." Shoto added, and Izuku went bone white.

"Yo, don't get all sick and pale on us Midoriya." Kirishima was behind them, poking his head out. "Ya need to see a doctor before we leave? Sensei's sittin' down and all."

"Thank goodness I saw one…" Uraraka added as Izuku perked up, seeing the girl lean in from her side of the aisle. "I had to deal with Endeavor on my butt for ten minutes… I think I lost ten years off my life."

"You faced my father?" Shoto asked as she perked up.

"Y-yeah." Ochako mumbled, scratching the back of her head. "I mean, I was kinda-"

"From what I hear you were totally awesome!" Sero suddenly chimed in, his previous gloom vanishing as he turned his grin towards the rest of the class. "She totally led the big E on a runaround. While dodging fireballs."

Uraraka remembered it distinctly less 'dodging' and more along the lines of panicked flailing. But she kept mum on that.

"And throwing giant rocks!" Sero continued.

"It was the only thing I could find while I was on the run!" The brunette was looking more and more flustered as Izuku saw the grins grow on everyone around him.

"Even sent him on a wild goose chase out a window and brought the roof down on him!"

"I was just trying to not get set on fire!" Uraraka had her hands covering her face, and she slowly began to float up. Shoto, who was sitting in front of her, grabbed her sleeve and helped pull her down.

"Th-that's not-"

"Wow Ochako, when did you take a level in badass and not tell anyone!?" Mina screamed, her smile wide as she ran up to the brunette.

"I- I din-"

"Hey! Is it true you threw him down an elevator shaft?"

"You did?" Shoto asked, eyes widening in awe as the girl had her arms wrapped around her head.

"I threw myself down the shaft. Endeavor followed…" She grimaced, not sure if that made it better or worse.

"THAT'S SO COOL!" Kirishima roared. "You gotta fight me at some point! I bet you could even give Bakugo a good fight!"

A pair of very red, very angry eyes rounded on her from up front. Koda patted the bomber's shoulder in assurance.

Uraraka was not having a good day, Shoto keeping her from floating away with Jirou coming forward to help with her opposing sleeve.

"That's amazing!" Momo exclaimed. "Fighting the number two hero alone is no small feat even if he was holding back."

"Holding back my foot!!!" Uraraka thought, indignant.

"Yeah! And taking one for the team by diverting the final boss onto you while your comrades accomplish your goal, fighting him one on one in solo combat… now that's…" Kirishima sniffed a bit, rubbing his eyes. "You're manly as hell, Uraraka!"

"I'm not manly!" The girl gawked as she floated back down in her seat as Shoto stared at her with wide eyes.

"What did you do to make him so angry?" He inquired, looking at her with great interest.

"I… beaned him over the head with a plank of wood." She fiddled with her fingers, blushing. "Ohhhhh, he's gonna blackball me for sure!"

Shoto's depressive state seemed to have brightened up, the lips curving into a light smile and something… escaped his lips.

"Shoto did you… just laugh?" Peter said, all eyes on Shoto. Izuku himself couldn't believe it. Uraraka… bashing the Number Two Hero in the country with a plank?!

Oh man… he could never imagine himself doing that to All Might!

"I…. never mind." Shoto took a deep breath, sighing while mentally reminding himself to ask Ochako for more details later, maybe even see if he could get a recording of the moment. "Still… you made quite the noise earlier, Midoriya." He said, looking at the green-haired boy. "What was that for?"

"O-Oh! I mean, sorry I just…" Izuku looked down at his license. "I'm just so happy is all… so many people helped me along the way, so… seeing this…" He smiled again, as he lifted the license up closer to his face. "This is a sign of progress, that I'm one step closer to being the hero I want to be. And I'm just… I'm happy." He sighed, leaning back.

Izuku looked down at his license, sighing and beaming. "Oh right!" He felt the bus lurch as it got moving. "I gotta tell Mom… maybe invite her to come out with me and Melissa and All Might too…" He mumbled under his breath, pulling out his phone.

"You're going out to celebrate and eat too?" Peter asked.

"Umm, y-yeah I am." Izuku looked back and nodded. "Where are you going?"

"Local teppan place Yu knows about. One of my favorite joints actually. Where were you thinking of going?" Peter asked, and Izuku opened his mouth to answer as Peter's head jolted, and he was glued to the glass. "NO WAY!" He shouted in English, and it startled Izuku. He even heard a surprised "Kyah!" from Uraraka.

"P-Peter?" He gawked, and he heard movement.

"Is something the mat-Oh. The LEGO Emporium." Shoto mused, and Izuku saw it as they left the complex and passed by a massive store of sorts. "The largest LEGO store in Asia apparently."

It was massive, about five stories on a high rise. Izuku could see the giant colorful LEGO store and people going inside as he heard a… noise coming out of Peter. Like a gasp, or a shuddering moan of awe.

"That… didn't sound normal." Uraraka mused.

"Ummm, Peter-san, are you okay?" Momo inquired. The American perked up before sitting back down and patting his cheeks.

"S-Sorry." He was blushing, rubbing the back of his head. "I… haven't seen one in a while." He looked to the side. "Things have been so busy that I haven't really indulged…"

"Indulged. Like a hobby?" Momo tilted her head. "I didn't consider you to be such a fan of LEGOs."

"Oh yeah, back at home I would go for the best and most complex kits." Peter replied. "I love building them." He said, giving a nostalgic air about the way he said it.

"I never really got into them myself," Momo mentioned.

"Well, it's mostly Death Stars. Really hard stuff."

The girl tilted her head.

"Death Stars?" she asked.

Peter just stared at her as a tiny little tear came out of his eye.

"Okay, so there's this movie series called Star Wars and-"

"Never heard of it myself…" Momo mused, but she then perked up as she saw Peter's face beginning to fall.

"What do you mean it's faded into obscurity…" Peter uttered to himself in English. Izuku was puzzled.

"What do you mea-" He felt his phone buzz and he looked down.

"I'm filling him in. ;)" It was from Karen, and Peter lied back against his seat, quickly realizing the gravity of what he'd just realized.

"There's gonna be no Death Star or Star Destroyer Kits… not even… a frigging Droid Control Ship…" Peter spoke to himself in English, looking pale.

"I can't say I know of those terms Peter," Momo spoke in English as Izuku looked her way. "But Death Star does remind me of the Solar Crusher. That's a popular thing from that… I think it's Galactic Legends?"

"Hey wait, we talking in English now?" Kirishima asked aloud, feeling left out.

"Wazzat?" Peter asked, almost feeling numb. "Sounds like it's for kids…"

"Only the most popular sci-fi hero series around!" Izuku mused in Japanese, picking up enough to understand. "A lot of heroes back in the day were inspired by them."

"Had a popular franchise too." Peter blinked at Shoto's addition.

"Huh… so, where can I start?" He asked, going back to Japanese, as Momo giggled.

"I can share my streaming service so you can get started. And… I heard that LEGO has quite the collection of kits on them."

The American had a small smile blossom as he nodded, looking off to the road as Izuku saw a small forlorn look on his face.

"S-Sure." He looked back, smiling again. "I'd love to get started when I can. And… I like building them with a friend. Maybe we can do some building together?"

"I don't know where I can fit a LEGO model in my own room…" Izuku admitted, blushing. When you have loads of All Might merchandise and action figures… "B-But maybe I can make some room. Maybe I can find something I'd like!"

"I wouldn't mind trying it. It could be fun." Momo smiled, hands on her lap.

"I haven't built a LEGO before…" Uraraka mused.

"Me neither." Shoto added.

"I wouldn't mind building a LEGO! Maybe I can get smarter by building something! Maybe there's hidden math equations going along with building it! Like, that's how architects do things right?" Kirishima had an arm raised, and Peter let out a laugh and leaned back in his seat.

"So Peter," Izuku murmured. "What was that Star Wars you mentioned anyway?"

"You did seem rather intrigued by it." Momo asked, and Peter grinned.

"Well, it started off with a guy from California named George Lucas…"

(X)

"Thank you for the meal!" Izuku exclaimed, as did everyone else as they sat at the restaurant.

His mother and Melissa were right beside him, and a shrunken All Might in front of him, all of them looking at him with pride and joy. Izuku and his mother had settled for pork cutlet, and All Might for beef while Melissa had chosen tofu.

"Thank you so much for coming out." Inko said with pride as she began to eat from her order. "I must say, I never would have thought that UA would have such a kind and supportive teacher like you, Yagi-san." All Might laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't mention it. Young Midoriya and I are similar in a lot of ways." Yagi explained. "When he arrived at school he and I seemed to click, so I've been giving him pointers on how to master his Quirk."

"And he had a hand in saving me at I-Island too." Melissa added. "Least I can do is support my hero." She teased with a wink, Izuku flushing while Inko blinked.

Then she grinned behind her water glass, a grin that made her son uneasy.

'It's not like that mom!' He wanted to say, but kept quiet due to the slight thundering in his chest. His mother turned towards the slim man.

"I can't thank you enough for that too, Yagi-san." Inko said before she drank some water. "So, you're chaperoning All Might's ward for the day too?"

"Oh yes," Yagi laughed a little. "The big guy is always super busy, and Melissa wanted to see how Young Midoriya was doing. So he asked me for a favor." He grinned, eyes closed. "Guess the Number One Hero owes me huh?"

"So he does… to think that All Might of all people would take an interest in my boy." Inko sighed in relief and pride, sniffling a bit. "You have no idea what this means for me… thank you."

"Don't thank him, just thank All Might." Melissa said with a cheeky grin, to which Izuku responded with an awkward one in kind.

"I must say though Melissa, how are you adapting to life here in Japan? Your Japanese is exemplary." Inko complimented. "But will you be returning to I-Island at some point? What will you be doing in the meantime?"

"I'm taking all of my other classes online. I still plan to graduate from I-Academy." Melissa responded. "But U.A. was kind enough to let me use their Support Department to work on my gear. Besides, I have a few ideas for support tech that can help Izuku. " She beamed towards Izuku, and the boy was beginning to feel warm.

"I say you two get along great." All Might said, and Inko looked like she was ready to glomp her son while Izuku was looking as red as the top of the soy sauce bottle.

"My son is such a good boy…" His plump mother rubbed her eyes a little before perking up. "Oh, let me tell you of the time me and him used to play 'hero' when he was a kid."

Izuku paled. "M-Mom?!" Melissa grinned ear to ear, while Yagi simply drank his tea cup in both hands, with a bony pinky out.

"Oh? What did he do?" Melissa asked, eyes wide as she gazed at Izuku with a playful look in her eye.

Izuku groaned as Inko laughed. "Oh, I would be in a blanket and he would be dressed up in his adorable All Might pajamas."

Izuku's groaning was beginning to sound like a creaking door as Melissa giggled incessantly.

"For what it's worth Izuku, I wore the same when I was a kid too." Melissa assured him, patting his shoulder on his far side as her… chest brushed against his arm. "It's alright. Trust me," she said with an assuring smile.

The creaking door was getting louder as Izuku was looking more akin to a tomato with the hair on his head resembling the leafy-stem.

All Might could only laugh as Inko began to tell her tale.

Izuku would feel a little lightheaded at times but… the sight of his mother being so happy and glad, All Might eating with him, and Melissa despite her playfulness being helpful.

All of that made the embarrassing family stories worth it in the end.

(X)

"What a day…" Izuku sighed as they arrived home. All Might and Melissa went in their own car as he rode with Inko. His mother was pleased as they walked inside.

"You must be so tired, baby." Inko hung up her coat on the rack as the plump woman looked his way. "Your shows recorded too while you were gone." Izuku perked up, turning before looking back to the living room.

"Oh, is Hero Watch on?" Izuku mused. That was one of his favorite shows to watch in order to analyze future heroes and their quirks! He hadn't had a chance to catch it lately.

"Should be around that time." Inko yawned. "I'm going to take a shower. Do you need one first Izuku?"

"I'll be fine. You go ahead Mom. I'll watch my show and take it after you." He smiled as he trotted over and plopped down on the couch, turning on the TV.

"Today on the Hero Watch Board, we are going to be going over the top Hero Student Prospects in the country!" Host Kaippa Denji exclaimed, the man with dog-like ears stood beside two notable analysts, Kawakami Kyoshiro, a rather bland looking man with a stern expression and Hijikata Megumi, a woman with her nose being an electrical socket, all dressed up in suits. "With news of the HPSC Provisional License Exam coming to a close, combined with individual tryouts and events for other hero exams ending that started with the vaunted U.A. Sports Festival, it's time to go to our big board to see who has the best projection to be the top Pro Hero!" As the board between them came alive, a holographic display of names and photos came up.

Izuku has always wanted to be on that board, to know that he had what it takes to be seen and recognized as a legitimate great hero-to-be. With the exam coming to a close, his third place finish at the Festival, and recent events, surely he might be recognized right?

Of the names and schools displayed in the top ten prospects, only four names from U.A. stood out to him from the top down.

Togata Mirio, ranked first.

Uraraka Ochako ranked third?!

Yaoyorozu ranked eighth??

And Peter Parker ranked ninth.

Still… no sign of himself on there. Izuku winced.

"So this is what's on your big board and agreed upon Kawakami, Hijikata?" Kaippa inquired.

"Indeed." Kawakami surmised as, beside him, video highlights were on display showcasing the top ten prospects' feats.

Izuku noticed his classmates in costume, notably Spider-Man with Mirko, Yaoyorozu at Hosu with Yoroi Musha, and Uraraka jumping along a cliff face with Pixie Bob. "We have an impressive crop this year, with new faces coming out in light of recent events such as the U.A. Sports Festival, various incidents across the country, and the recent Provisional Exam held by the HPSC. However, topping the list is still in my book, Togata Mirio."

On a screen was the image of a tall and rather muscular blonde teen, clad in a white and blue outfit, red cape and the number 1 million in gold across his chest.

"Lemillion has been a consummate pro over this last year, surging out of nowhere to be my top prospect for hero agencies to hire. His speed and unique quirk make him an ideal hero of sorts, combined with his personality." Kawakami gestured towards the feats of that blonde boy that looked familiar to Izuku.

"However, we have an impressive crop so far from what we have heard and seen. Yaoyorozu Momo in particular here." Kawakami looked over to the panels and screens showcasing the black-haired girl at the Sports Festival and at Hosu. "She was instrumental in helping neutralize and chase off the Hero Killer Stain, and her quirk offers a vast array of items that makes her a walking swiss army knife. Just imagine the possibilities once she hits the ground running. And we need to take into account her offshore feats as well."

He sounded excited, and Izuku saw the news-coverage panel of I-Tower in smoke.

"She was instrumental in saving hostages during the I-Island Crisis, assisting the likes of All Might and Endeavor in subduing the villains. Already, her jump in experience is nothing short of extraordinary to behold. And that's not even getting into her amazing leadership in the Provisional Exam, in which she led the charge against Best Jeanist, the Number Four Hero and came out on top."

"In an exam setting where he held back significantly." Hijikata critiqued.

"True, but even so, I know Jeanist well enough not to hold back. Let's take a look at his exit after the exam, as he gave our Kawajima Ryosuke an interview." Kawakami gestured to the camera as a new clip came on screen.

Best Jeanist appeared, the man holding an icepack on his head. "I can safely say that the next crop of heroes coming down the pipeline have plenty of promise. It seems to me that those U.A. ones in particular may be the most obvious of note…" He winced, rubbing his pack on his crown.

"And Yaoyorozu Momo is another one to come out of that hero factory that is U.A. Keep an eye out on her, and agencies need to put on their best dress to impress the future top pro Creati, in my opinion." Kawakami stepped back, saying his peace.

"That's all well and good, but Yaoyorozu is only ranked eighth on your list. Wherever did this U.A. girl Uraraka Ochako come from?" Kaippa exclaimed in surprise, pointing to her. Hijikata seemed to roll her eyes as Kawakami smirked.

"She has had an exemplary exam, one that floored me. She gave the Number Two Hero in this country the runaround. " Kawakami laughed. "Who gives the Number Two Hero, who never gives half-efforts, trouble enough for him to give this interview."

The next clip displayed Endeavor of all people marching off. "Endeavor!" Said some journalist, probably that Kawajima fellow again. Similar voice. "There's been trending hashtags online of a U.A. student having defeated you while you were in the position as temporary-villain. Can you give us your opinion on this student?"

Endeavor stopped, turned around and glared at the journalist as if they had insulted his mother before his flames rippled and he took off into the sky.

"Oh come onnn!" The journalist cried before the broadcast went back to the three people in the studio, Kaippa looking ready to laugh while Kawakami looked smug.

"I believe he did not deny that. And Endeavor's silence usually resonates as a confirmation from the rumors spreading online from the original hashtag of a… @StickyArmsy1212." Kaippa acknowledged.

"Exactly Kaippa-kun." Kawakami said with a snap of his fingers. "On top of past research of this student, one Uraraka Ochako, doing well out with the Pussycats several months ago, a hero as well rounded as this one." A photo of a smiling Uraraka was on the screen. "Is just the kind of thing we need in this society."

"All well and good." Hijikata. "But handling a nature park and trumping a hero who was holding back in an exam setting doesn't amount to much." The woman then pointed at the screen. "After all Kawakami-kun, you forget what we do on this show. It's to discuss and analyze who can be THE top pro." She gestured to a spread of screens where Lemillion was neutralizing some thugs with blinding speed and Peter acting to stop a van.

"However, if there's anyone who has an argument to be the top pro," Hijikata stepped up, gesturing towards Spider-Man. "It's Spider-Man. His strength and feats have drawn comparisons to an early All Might in his day, and that's not even getting into his Sports Festival performance. Not to mention that Peter Parker is only a freshman at U.A. while Lemillion is a third year. For all we know, he could be maxed out on potential. For someone to be seen as THE top pro, they need to have a ceiling that is sky high."

"Or he could be a late bloomer." Kawakami countered. "Lemillion has undergone plenty of drug busts and villain hunts this last year which is unheard of for a teenage hero sidekick. Suffice to say, he's on a fast track to being a Top Ten Pro the moment he graduates."

"Yes, but Peter Parker has the benefit of being inside a strong freshman class at U.A. On top of that, he doesn't seem to have that All Might-kind of impact just yet." Kaippa interjected before the two were about to argue, Izuku feeling a little emptiness growing within him. "From the exam. For instance." He gestured to more screens. "We have some insider info that Peter Parker, for someone who is being hailed as the next All Might, was unable to really do much against a held-back Gang Orca."

"Is that so bad though? You saw his performance at the Sports Festival!" Hijikata exclaimed. "And if he was able to win over MIRKO of all people behind closed doors?"

"Gotta see more." Kawakami mused. "Can't be the next All Might if you struggle against the Number Eleven hero and need backup."

Izuku looked at the screen, Kawakami and Hijikata's ratings-selling bickering droning out as he gazed at the photo of All Might hanging on the wall in the living room.

He needed to become better than All Might, that was true. But right now… where was he?

How good of a hero is he? Where was he compared to those high up the ladder.

He knew that he needed to take this one step at a time. But to become better than All Might… Izuku looked up, seeing highlights of All Might in action with other heroes. One notable clip near to him was Peter swinging in action when he was with Mirko.

He wanted-No. 'I need to know where I am, where I stand next to them.' Izuku sighed and got up before he walked towards the kitchen. That thought niggled him in the back of his head for the rest of the night.

(X)

"Finally I'm home…" Peter muttered as he walked into the apartment, closing the door behind him. "Frigging bus traffic was a nightmare."

"There you are!" Yu cheered, the blonde sitting up from the couch as she was lounging. She trotted over, embracing her roommate with a hug as Peter welcomed it. "Sorry for not mentioning the road work being done around town.."

"Should have just webbed on over." Peter mused with a playful sigh.

"That would require ya being a Pro Hero first." Yu winked. "Speaking ooooof, didja pass?"

Peter looked at her before showing his wallet and pulling out his new license with a beaming smile. Yu squealed.

"Oh, we are definitely doing teppan!" Yu turned around, going into her side of the flat. "Go ahead and get dressed if you want!" She called out before she stopped, Peter chuckling lightly. He was able to take a nap on the bus ride after he explained the Star Wars movies to his friends, so he felt a little fresh as he set his bags and belongings in his room and rested on the couch.

He turned, seeing Yu still standing in her doorway, her reaching down towards a counter-top and… holding a card of some kind?

"Yu?" He asked, perking up as the blonde woman stowed away the card. She looked back at him, and… she looked awkward.

"So, uhhh, you know what? It can wait till after teppan!" Yu said with a cheery smile that wouldn't fool anyone.

"Yu," Peter said, "What's up?"

The blonde tapped the card in her hand, eyes flickering before holding it out.

"Just… something that I think could help you."

Peter raised an eyebrow, taking a hold of the offered card. A name. An address.

Certified… psychologist?

A therapist?

"Now I know that this is a little sudden," Yu said, "But I think that-"

"I need a shrink?" He finished. Lips curled as he looked back at her.

He wasn't… angry… or at least he hoped not.

Yu winced. "I…It's just something to… help you get through stuff. I mean…" She looked to the side, unsure of how to continue the sentence.

Peter took a deep, slow breath. Trying to step back and look at this as objectively as he could.

She did know of his past. He did tell her back then, after Mirko kicked him out for the Stain Hunt.

Still…

"I… thanks Yu," he said, feeling a little clammy, "I mean it, but I'm fine."

He put on a reassuring smile, one that made Yu's own expression shift.

Suddenly Peter felt like he was watching a replay of Yu in the blonde woman's eyes. Only it was himself.

"Besides, I got my license, we can talk about that, so let's go," he said, turning on his heel.

He saw Yu reach out for him in the corner of his eye, but she paused.

"Just… think about it. Please, for me?" she asked, trying not to sound forceful.

Peter stopped, glancing back. Yu looked almost like he was going to snap at her, nervous and hoping.

He sighed. He owed it to her to at least try and think about it.

"I promise," he said.

Yu's lips twitched, a slow smile coming over her.

"Alright, then let's go," she said, "we can't be out too long."

"Well, we might, if you go off on how things were back in your day when you got your license."

"I am not that old!" Yu declared. "Besides! You could learn from my experience!"

Peter let himself chuckle as he closed the door in his room. He took one more glance at the card before putting it on his headrest.

He'd think about it.

But for now, there was a celebration that he needed to get to!

(X)

By the time Todoroki Enji returned home he was tired, irritated, and gritting his teeth as at least half the pings on his phone were reminding him of that irritating round-faced upstart who hit him over the head with a block of wood.

So all in all, he was nowhere near a proper state of mind to have a calm, civil discussion with anyone.

So when he marched inside his house only to hear Fuyumi nervously calling his son, and then saw his youngest marching towards him with grit teeth and a thunderous expression, Enji briefly wondered if the front half of his house would survive the coming storm. Because if Shoto pushed on his last nerve right now… the Todoroki patriarch was hardly hurting for cash to make repairs and he could use the stress relief of a proper explosion.

"Shoto." He greeted as neutrally as possible.

"You had no right to rig that exam!"

Endeavor prided himself on his ability to control his expressions. It was necessary when you didn't, strictly speaking, wear a mask. It reduced your tells, kept your enemies guessing.

But Shoto's accusation made even his control slip, eyes going slightly wide and an incredulous eyebrow hiking up to his forehead.

"The hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb!" The boy shouted. "I had no right to pass if Kendo didn't. You made those judges give me the points, didn't you!"

Seriously?

The eldest Todoroki scoffed. Of course his son would sabotage his own performance to humiliate him. After everything he'd done for him… this was how he repaid him.

Acting out over some no name.

"I did no such thing." He spoke low. "If you passed it was on your own merits and if you failed it would have been your failure." He pointed at his son, his voice now loud. "Not mine!"

"Maybe we should calm down." His daughter called from her place down the hall, inching forward with cautious, hesitant steps.

Enji saw his son's face close off, like a gate slamming shut and his eyes glaring like knives. Endeavor had seen this expression enough to know what it meant..

Enji scoffed. "It doesn't matter what I tell you. You've already determined what I did regardless of what I have to say about it." He marched past the boy. "If you wanted some girl to pass, perhaps teach her to be better. Rather than foisting your failures onto me."

"Go to hell!" Shoto barked, his left side looking ready to ignite.

Endeavor stilled.

He turned. Looking over his shoulder, and the look in his eye made even Shoto's temper cool as the boy visibly straightened. He was glaring back however, standing his ground. Forcing himself to.

Fuyumi flinched and hid behind the sliding door. And Endeavor forced himself to remain calm.

"You're angry." The Number Two Hero said in a voice so quiet it barely carried. "So I'll let that slide. Once." He raised a single finger. "You will not disrespect me like that again. I don't care how angry you think you are." He hissed. "Do you understand?"

Shoto snarled. "She deserved to pass this exam!"

"Then why didn't she?" He retorted on the spot.

"Because I'm your son." His boy bit out. "She doesn't merit that… consideration."

Endeavor's eyes narrowed.

He turned away and kept walking into his home, hearing Fuyumi behind him sigh in relief.

As per usual, they would have dinner at different times of the night.

(X)

"Thank you Matou-san." Momo said as she departed from the limo, staring up at her mansion as the driver began to guide the limo into the seven car garage just down the road. Momo carried her bag towards the ornate front door and opened it.

"I'm home!" She called out, the sun having already set and night having fallen. She felt a sense of relief enter her. Matou picking her up from U.A. had caught the unfortunate end of rush hour traffic. At least the limo had AC and a phone charger, but the girl just wanted to be back in her own home.

"Welcome home, Young Mistress." Fujimura, one of the elder maids with graying streaks in her black hair, replied with a light bow as she approached. "How was your school excursion?"

"It was fine." Momo said as she walked past. "Are Mother and Father around?"

"They are in a business meeting at the moment in Shinjuku. Had to be in person." Fujimura replied. "The lady was quite upset… From what I have heard, a hedge fund tried to cheat your father."

"I do not envy them." Momo replied as she set her backpack by the stairs. The girl walked over to the living room and plopped down on the luxury couch and rested her head on the pillows.

"Shall I have the cooks prepare something for you Miss? Your examination must have consumed a lot of lipids, I'd wager." Fujimura asked. Momo could hear the sound of movement upstairs. Must have been several other maids at work, usually dusting or vacuuming to keep things tidy.

"Just prepare a 'Mighty Dozen' shake please. I'm feeling a need for greens at the moment." Momo looked back at the woman who had helped her mother change her diapers. "I had a lot for lunch, so I'll be fine."

"As you wish, Young Mistress." Fujimura smiled, bowing and walking off as Momo turned on the television with her remote.

On the first channel was a popular hero talk show, already beginning a segment. Going by the tagline, the show was named 'Twilight Hero Talk'.

"So now the first thing we are going to get into," the host, an ordinary woman with short black hair, said. Her tagline was 'Asanagi Maria'. "Was the subject regarding a popular trend that is going on in America. Particularly, heroes seeking therapy. Joining us to discuss this segment alongside our host Akatsuki Yoruichi is Miyagi Daikaku from Channel 2 News. Thank you so much for coming on, Miyagi-san."

"A pleasure." The older man with wrinkles and soft blonde hair nodded, one of his two horns having been sawed off. Momo remembered, he was the newscaster who made big news removing said horn to make his job at the station easier. Caused quite a stir in the news and social media.

"So, Akatsuki-san," Asanagi looked over to her fellow co-host, a rather beautiful looking woman with soft red eyes and black hair in a fashionable red business attire. "You've noticed how overseas in America, heroes have been attending counseling and therapy lately. Out of curiosity, what do you think of this? You brought this up in the production meeting."

"It caught me by surprise as well, for this to be our first topic on my first appearance on the show." Miyagi added.

"Well…" Akatsuki mused. "I am only bringing this up as I am pondering on certain things. How can we make our heroes better? In America this trend has been picking up more and more, even after it was widely accepted overseas. When my family and I returned from vacation, we realized that here in Japan we… don't really seem to offer such services to our heroes. It makes one think is all."

The woman leaned back in her chair. "After all, it was here in Japan that heroism began to take off and then spread all across the globe. So why not learn from others?"

"Far from me to criticize it, but," Miyagi leaned forward a little. "I think the reasoning is simple. Akatsuki-san. You are quirkless, yes?"

"I am yes." The woman chuckled. "The irony of someone quirkless like me hosting a hero talk show. I get that a lot."

"Of course, not a problem at all. But tell me, what do you think of someone who is in need of… therapy?" He said while grimacing, the words almost appearing to be bitter in his mouth. "That such an individual is someone in need of help."

"That is true, yes."

"And tell me, do you want to be saved from someone who needs help? Then, by all reasons, that person is not a hero, someone who helps and aids others." Miyagi straightened up. "After all, how can one even save others if they themselves are damaged individuals? With powerful quirks capable of leveling city blocks and causing billions of yen in property damages, and that's not even going into potential casualties of civilians either in case of villain attacks."

"All I wish to say is that we should extend heroes a helping hand." Akatsuki replied. "After all, are they not as human as we are?"

"A Hero by its very definition, is a person who is admired for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities." Miyagi said. "That to me, and I imagine to many of the public, is someone who is beyond human and something extraordinary. After all, we do live in a superhuman society. I myself am not a hero, but I only removed my horn here so that it doesn't get in the way of my work."

"But surely the things heroes go through in everyday life… surely they could use help on the couch."

"Are you implying that the heroes who are tasked with keeping this society afloat Akatsuki-san, have mental or emotional disorders?" Miyagi asked, and the red-eyed woman blinked. "After all, according to the World Hero Association charts, our heroes have a better overall grade in quality in many heroic aspects compared to the United States."

"Well I mean… I only wish that they can be helped and to become better heroes." Akatsuki frowned a bit. "And that last one is misleading. America has over six hundred million people so their hero quantity would vastly outnumber ours. I only want to bring this subject up as to ask the question on how we can better help the heroes on the street."

"Which comes from the implication that they themselves are not suitable to defend our citizens and keep order? To me Akatsuki-san, that is a sign of a wireless individual, and that someone, if they seek the things you have described, is not worthy of being a hero."

The buzz of her phone caught Momo off as she sat up, reaching into her school-jacket pocket to pull it out.

It had some texts. Momo went to the remote, changing the channel to the weather.

It was from her dad, no doubt responding to her 'I passed the exam' text she sent while on the car drive home.

'This meeting may take a little while longer. Your mother is eating them alive ;)' It was from Father.

'Okay.' Momo replied. 'Don't let me distract you.'

"Your drink, Young Mistress." Fujimura came by with a large glass of a deep green juice filled with a combination of various spices, fruits, and vegetables.

"Thank you." Momo took it and leaned back with a sigh. It felt nice to relax at home every now and then. After a moment she perked up.

"Oh yes that's right, I need to set things up." She got her phone out, going to the group chat and spotting Peter in it, tapping on his icon and going to FaceTime. The phone buzzed a bit…

And there was Peter, sitting at a… restaurant?

"Heya Momo." Peter said as Momo chuckled a bit.

"Hello Peter. Are you out at the moment? Should I just text you?"

"Oh oh! Who's that?" came a voice on the other end of the call. Peter blanched a bit as someone came into view. Momo spotted a young woman with blonde hair. "Oh, that's your cute classmate isn't it? Your Class Rep partner?"

The black-haired girl blushed deeply, and Peter got out of the woman's sight. "Seriously Yu!" He sighed, angling it away from the older woman.

"Should I call back? You're out to dinner with Mt. Lady, right?"

"Yeah, celebratory dinner. You on the couch? I recognize that cushion Kirishima used for his nap that time we hosted a study group." Peter said as Momo smiled lightly.

"It is. Comfy as ever too." Momo saw some flame and laughter in the background, no doubt one of the chefs doing his onion-volcano for his patrons. "By the way Peter, you said you wanted to try out traditional ramen at some point this weekend." She asked. "Which day would be fine with you?"

"On Saturday I'm gonna be working on my gear at U.A. Gotta reload my web fluid, patch up the suit and make some corrections." Peter replied. "Gotta look professional when we finally head out there with our licenses right?"

She nodded, smiling a bit. "We have come a long way since classes started several months ago..."

The American boy chuckled. "I actually saw ya for the first time on the day of the Entrance Exams, believe it or not." Peter said with a wry grin. "Don't think ya noticed me." Momo tilted her head.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, I was on my way and umm, you walked past towards the Recommended Student area for the Entrance Exams while I was grouped with the others that day."

…

He… recognized her from back then? Not just from when they were in Class A together taking part in the Practical Exam Aizawa set up?

"Oooooh I can see ya blushiiing~" Mt. Lady oiled to the side. "Ask her for a date!" She whispered, loudly.

"Can you not?" Peter muttered from grit teeth, his cheeks pink. "But yeah, I do wanna try going out for ramen. But I'll be tied up all day tomorrow. Wanna go for Sunday?"

"Sure. I'll-"

"Oh yes! My guy's getting a date!" Peter seemed to have been embraced, him blushing as Yu was hugging him with one arm.

"I'm going with friends too Yu!"

"T-That is indeed true Mt. Lady," Momo replied back, a little flustered.

"Of course of course. Whatever ya say." Yu let go of Peter as the boy looked back at her.

"I'll keep in touch via text." He gave Yu a light side-eye.

Momo nodded, smiling. "I'll get in touch and sort things out. I'll see you around Peter."

"You too Yaomomo." Peter smiled as she hung up and got to texting and-

Wait.

She called him Peter. Not 'Peter-san'.

Momo put that realization to the side, her cheeks warm. San! Add the San next time!

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