Third person pov

They were all crowded into a massive room with one another. The chatter was so loud that Lillian could hardly hear herself speak, let alone her friends. They'd all sort of huddled together with the rest of class 1-A, Lillian squished between Hagakure and Katsuki as the room started to settle. The provisional licensing exams were a big deal. A lot of their opponents would probably have a year or two more experience than them. It was a terrifying but true fact that only made Lillian's nerves spike more. This thing hadn't even started yet and she was already tired. What if she wasn't as ready as her dad thought she was? What if she couldn't do this? They were one of the few first year classes taking this thing. 

Katsuki grunted as he was shoved yet again, resisting the urge to blast a couple of these extras in the face to let them know who was boss. He pushed the temptation off. Getting kicked out would but a real dent in their whole plan. Lillian looked like she'd just been forced to eat a lemon whole, her entire expression pinched. He couldn't even fucking blame her. This was ridiculous. You'd think they'd put money into getting a bigger building with how popular this shit was. The room was stuffed to the brim as it was, and there were still classes trickling in.

"Man!" Kaminari called over the sound. Shoto had gotten over his previous rage and was now simply glowering at anyone who got too close to him. He'd never particularly minded crowds, but he couldn't say he was a huge fan of them either. Without Hitoshi and Neito here, their little group felt quite a bit smaller. He made sure to stay near Lillian. Letting himself slowly melt into the crowd would only cause complications, especially if they were going to be working as a team. Kaminari cleared his throat a bit, his tone raising. "It sure is packed! I wonder what the first test will be?" 

Shoto shrugged helplessly, letting his right side cool a little bit when someone backed themselves into him by mistake. They jumped back with a yelp, whipping around briefly before darting off in a fairly embarrassed manner. He hadn't made it cold enough to hurt or anything-- just enough chill to be a shock. Lillian's small laugh was lost in the sea of sound surrounding them. Katsuki huffed, shoving his hands in his pockets grumpily. He hoped this would get started soon. Earphone bitch was shouting at Karate Tail at the top of her fucking lungs. Katsuki's hearing was the best but even he wanted to nail her in the side of the head with his fist. 

"There are so many." Ochako awed from right behind Lillian. The girl jumped slightly, turning. Iida was looming there too, his helmet stuck under his arm for the time being. He seemed a bit weary, glancing about the room as he tried his best to size up whatever competition he could. It was hard to say who was a threat and who wasn't. Everyone looked fairly intimidating.

"Yes, well, there are only one of these a year." Iida said in his usual, formal tone. Bakugo clicked his tongue irritably. 

A loud groan echoed through the speakers of the facility sent their attention snapping back to the front of the room. The man gazing down before them all, hosting the entire event, was a rather tired looking individual with slouched posture and messy hair. Lillian pursed her lips. Most relatable thing she'd seen all day, and she'd watched Neito have a breakdown this morning because he couldn't find a lid that matched his tupperware. She took a few deep breaths, centering herself as best she could. It was too late to back out now. She'd be fine. She'd been through much worse, right? Absolutely. Definitely. Yes.

Kaminari bit the inside of the his cheek as his excitement spiked. He felt like he was officially a part of the group now that they'd brought him in on their little Yakuza-killing plan. The absolute joy that reverberated within him couldn't be matched in the slightest. This was just... so cool! Lillian, Shoto, Katsuki, Hitoshi, and Neito-- they were the ones everyone secretly wanted to be. The most badass, weird group that you couldn't help but fantasize being a part of! They were just so awesome! And now, they wanted Denki's help. They wanted to work with him during the exams and intern with him. Him! 

"Okay then. Let's do this exam thing." The man at the front of the room sighed. It was clear he would probably rather be taking a nap than presiding over this. He spoke slowly, nodding off occasionally as he struggled to stay on track. Perhaps it was a part of his quirk. "I'm from, uh... the Heroes Public Safety Commission. Name's Mera. My Circadian Rhythm is so screwed up. Ah, man."

His head dipped forward as he said this. A complete and total mood if you asked Lillian. God, this was nerve-wracking. She didn't care if the announcer passed the vibe check; she still happened to be terrified. Katsuki subtly bumped his arm into hers, eyes trained on her and full of concern despite the fact that he was scowling. She forced a nervous smile, twitching slightly. Never a good sign. At least Kaminari seemed pumped. That made one of them. Shoto was just sort of standing there like that one emoji, arms limp and feet awkwardly spaced as he stared at Mera. If only Neito were here to break the tension. 

She could hear brief whispers ring out behind her. It took her a moment to realize that she was the one they were talking about. Lillian had to resist the overwhelming urge to turn around and cry at them threateningly. Of course everyone had seen what happened with Izuku. It had been broadcast on a lone news station that had been gutsy enough to bring a copter into the absolute warzone that had been Kamino just weeks ago. They all knew her dad was the number one hero and teacher of her class, and they were no doubt aware of her quirk and how she'd been betrayed. Not very cash money if you asked her. 

"I've been swamped lately and I haven't gotten much rest. We're too short staffed. I'm so tired." Mera yawned out the last bit. Lillian had to wince on his behalf as the man brought a hand up to grip his face. "With that confession, I'll now begin orientation."

Mera kept it pretty straight to the point, telling them how many of them were competing and what they were competing for. Lillian already knew was a provisional hero license was, as did most of the individuals present. The refresher was given nonetheless, setting the stage for what they were all dying to hear about. The content of their first test. Every exam was different. All Lillian knew was that they'd probably be facing off against one another to begin with. A huge battle royale, if you would. This only solidified their previous decision to team up. They were going to need to back each other to get through this.

Things got extremely quiet when Stain was brought up. Though only mentioned briefly, the name shifted Shoto off balance entirely. Tenya too, but Lillian could see how much harder it rocked her half-and-half friend. Izuku, traitor or not, had saved their lives that night. He had shown up for Tenya and he had called Shoto for help. It was an experience that had bonded the three. Of all their classmates outside their friend group, Iida was the one Shoto got on best with. There was a reason for that. A reason that had become hard to think about since Kamino. Kaminari patted Shoto's back, brows furrowed with concern. He looked at Lillian for answers, but the girl only shook her head. Talking about it right now would only make matters worse.

Lillian felt the life drain out of her when she saw what popped up on the screen. Only the first 100 students to complete the first challenge would move on to the second phase. Out of the one thousand, five hundred forty of them, only a centuple of them would have a real shot at getting their licenses. Lillian gulped. She knew it would be close and fairly cut-throat, but this was just... not it. Far from hit. Bye sisters-- Lillian was going to dip and go get herself some Bagel Bites and off brand Root Beer instead. 

"Only one hundred? Tch." Katsuki grinned, voice low. It still seemed loud with how silent the room had become. He clapped her on the shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze in hopes of reassuring her. "We've got this shit in the bag, freckles."

"To sacrifice my own life for Pakistan." Lillian blurted out on reflex, earning her an odd look from her blonde friend. Lillian shrugged in a jittery manner, her teeth chattering together harshly as she tried not to panic. Her anxiety had been doing so good, too! Of course Izuku would have to come ruin it by, you know, shooting at her. Whatever. This was fine. Totally fine. She had friends here who wanted to work with her. This would be a walk in the park. A breeze! A fart, lost in the wind! 

Mera went in to explain what the rules of the test would be. Momo was panicking somewhere to her left. Less than 10% of the class would be passing, after all. They'd been told that at least half would make it through. So either her dad was a lying bitch or they'd changed something. Hopefully it was the latter or else she'd have to steal his jelly packets again. She'd almost gotten her ass beat for that last time. He was oddly protective over those and wouldn't hesitate to fight her for them. Though, his resistance to her taking them away only told Lillian was a good punishment it was.

The guidelines were fairly simple. There were three targets that would be placed somewhere on your body so long as it was open. You'd be given six balls and you had to find a way to get the ball to the targets of your opponent, whether that was throwing it or pressing it on there. If all three of your targets were hit, you were immediately out. You could get through this round by taking down two people. You didn't even have to hit all their targets-- if two were lit up, hitting the last one would get you credit for your defeat. It sounded painfully simple. Like a game you might buy for the Wii or something. 

That didn't stop Lillian from freaking out. She was horrible at guarding her sides and back! Absolutely awful! Her aim was really bad too. How was she possibly supposed to land a hit on literally anyone? Get close to them? They'd clobber her before she could get within ten feet, she was sure! Katsuki, Shoto, and Kaminari were staring at her. Their whole class had turned to look at her actually. Why? Was something on her face? Was she crying? That actually wouldn't surprise her all that much at this point. 

"Lillian." Ochako grabbed the freckled girl's hands, somehow fazing in front of her. Lillian jumped slightly as the girl gazed at her with glittering eyes. "Let us work with you." 

Lillian stared at her. Above them, the room began to unfold. Like, actually unfold. They were in a fucking takeout box the entire time. One that was now placed right in the middle of a massive arena that looked suspiciously like a giant version of the USJ. Different zones and terrains surrounded them, making up a terrifying setting. It was making Lillian's head spin. Not to mention practically her entire class was gravitating towards her like she was the sun and they were planets. Katsuki clicked his tongue in irritation.

Of course it would've been dumb to assume their classmates wouldn't work out how useful Lillian could and would be for this exercise. With her, passing would be instantaneous. Hell, they could probably be done with this thing in about five minutes so long as they protected her from getting hit by anyone not in her direct line of sight. The only complication that might come into play is that nobody could station themselves in front of her, lest they be frozen and targeted as a result. People were going to flock towards Lillian and their class. The Sports Festival had publicized what they were capable of. They'd no doubt be targets.

"U-Um..." Lillian hadn't really stuttered in a while. Not like this, anyway. Why were they all staring at her like that? No, really, it was starting to freak her out.

"Lillian." Shoto said in a bland tone as he slapped her targets on for her. Ochako backed up, looking confused and almost offended by the interruption. Kaminari took some of the orange balls the examiner gave them and started shoving them in the new pouches the girl now had hanging around her waist. The freckled girl was glad the support department had recommended it-- especially now. Shoto looked her deep in the eyes. "Lillian, what does your quirk do?" 

Lillian stared. The cogs in her head turned despite the immense anxiety welled up inside her. It took her a good second. It was actually sad, really, how long it took for things to click. But when they did, her nerves settled and she blinked. Katsuki hid a laugh with a cough, glaring at the people trying to listen in on their conversation. The freckled girl looked down at her hands, wondering how she could possibly be this fucking stupid. This exam wasn't going to be that bad. How could she have forgotten? Literally how?

"Oh." Lillian blinked at them. And then, she smiled. "It freezes things." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone had spread out. 1-A had gravitated towards the mountainous area. It came as a surprise that a few groups broke off from the main one, going off on their own. With Lillian it was an easy win, but people like Kirishima and Ojiro wanted to prove themselves. Even Momo had decided it was time to stand up for herself and charged off in the direction of an area better suited to her quirk, Tsuyu and Jiro going along too. Lillian didn't quite mind. Less pressure that way. She understood. In their shoes, she wouldn't want to rely on someone else too heavily either.

They were followed. It was obvious they'd be targeted. Because such a small amount of people passed, it was going to end up being a battle between schools. That meant everyone would be coming after UA. They already knew their quirks and fighting styles. Their weaknesses, too, and how to exploit them. It was a terrifying though. Of course, it was something they'd considered and seen before when facing off against villains. Blinding Lillian or surrounding her was the best way to get to her. Getting Katsuki from a distance was a good way to bring him down, and getting extremely close to Shoto would prevent him from using his quirk. Things like that were, unfortunately, well known.

Lillian spotted her dad sitting and watching them in the bleachers alongside Hitoshi. She could just barely make out Miss Joke sitting a few seats away from the pair. The girl pushed back her distaste. Why didn't her dad just come out and say that he was gay? Because he was and she was sexually harassing him. He didn't exactly hide it. If anyone asked, he was fine to say it even to strangers. She could tell her advances made him irritated and uncomfortable. If Miss Joke really liked her dad, she'd seen that and stop. Just-- god, she'd have to think about this later. Now wasn't the time to be dwelling on her dad's social relations.

Hitoshi could barely make out his group of friends from where he was seated. He was a human barrier between Mr. Aizawa and the laughter hero gazing at them. He could feel his sanity slowly draining the harder the woman stared. Hitoshi tried to ignore it, tapping his fingers against his leg tensely. They were all going to be gunning after class 1-A. What was worse was the knowledge that they'd undoubtedly be coming for Lillian first. Getting her out early in the game would be key to the success of the other students. 

"So!" Miss Joke chirped, drawing Hitoshi and Aizawa's attention. They stared at her flatly, but the woman wasn't looking at his teacher this time. She was looking at the now-horrified teen sporting only one hand. Hitoshi didn't want to deal with this today. He really didn't. "Are you his kid too?" 

Hitoshi really wondered what this woman was on. Yes, they both had impressive bags under their eyes, and absolutely, they could both smile creepily! That did not equate to blood relation! They looked nothing alike. Was this woman running off of Todoroki's theory logic? Because it sure seemed like she was. Shoto came up with the most random shit based on literally the smallest details imaginable. Miss Joke was clearly very serious too, beaming at them as though the answer to that question was any of her business.

"No." Hitoshi responded dryly. Aizawa sighed. 

"Aw, bummer! You guys seem so similar." Miss Joke pouted. She glanced out at the crowd. "I suppose you've worked out what's about to happen to your classmates, right?" 

Hitoshi sighed heavily. Of course she'd bring this up. Aizawa had hesitantly admitted to Hitoshi that it was somewhat of a tradition during these exams to target kids that went to UA. This had obviously floored the tired teen. If he'd known this, why the fuck hadn't he warned them?! Like, hello, you just sent a class of unassuming children into a war zone knowing full and well they had targets painted on their backs. His actual daughter was out there about to get attacked by half the fucking contestants. Hitoshi was confident at least someone had figured that out already, but a little foreknowledge was always nice.

"Yeah." Hitoshi grumbled. He had a headache. If only Neito were here. He would not hesitate to rip this woman a new one. "I'm sure they've figured it out."

Emi nodded. This kid was rather odd. A new addition to 1-A, but Aizawa had been too back in his day! Went from gen-ed to the Hero course his first year, taking one of the top spots and putting in for a transfer. She could still remember watching it all happen on TV. He'd been impressive even back then, fighting with a quiet grace she wished she had. Don't get her wrong, she loved her quirk! Laughter was constantly in her life! There were just times she really needed a sneakier approach, you know?

"So!" Miss Joke chirped. "Why aren't you competing this year, Shinso?" 

Aizawa froze in his seat, his back going rigid. Hitoshi's head whipped on the woman so fast he almost got whiplash, his eyes practically bugging out of his skull at the question. With no hesitation and very little mercy, he whipped his stump upwards. Watching the cheerful pro's smile drop was nothing short of entirely satisfying. Aizawa awkwardly cleared his throat.

Miss Joke didn't try to strike up anymore conversation after that. Hitoshi couldn't say he wasn't glad. He took a deep breath and focused back on his classmates, flexing his jaw in preparation for the fight ahead.