you probably didn't notice, but right after the last chapter in which Izuku was leaving the alley, a line was added xD

to save you the trouble of searching for it, I'll just paste it here:

"Elsewhere, though, a figure watched from above, chewing the inside of his cheek as his eyes followed the green-haired boy. Just as Izuku turned, however, the feeling of being watched disappeared as if it hadn't been there in the first place."

HmMmMm wHo Be dAt ThO

XDD

also i wasn't originally going to do the exams so soon but HhHhHh difficulties

anyways, please continue!

---

His name was Izuku Fucking Midoriya.

At least that's what Bakugou's friends seemed to think.

"What are you doing here?" one sneered.

"Taking the exam," Izuku replied bluntly, pulling up his scarf.

Bakugou's other friend smirked. "And you're wearing a scarf because...?"

"I don't have emotions, but I still have common sense. Something that you don't seem to have," he mumbled, watching as the other boy sputtered. "Besides, I still get cold."

Bakugou rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the boys' shoulders when they tried to speak up. "Shut up, you dumbass. It's not like you're even trying to take the exams."

"Wh- Bakugou!" one whined. "I thought you were supposed to be on our side!"

The blonde scoffed as he walked away, holding up his middle finger for all to see. "Not when you're being idiots!"

While Bakugou's friends gave Izuku a look that mixed incredulousness and a sort of annoyance, he simply shrugged and walked away, falling into step with the blonde.

"Thanks," he said.

"Tch," Bakugou rolled his eyes. "I didn't do it for you, damn nerd. You just happened to be there."

Izuku simply hummed in reply and, although Bakugou seemed annoyed, he gave no indication for him to leave. So, until they reached the front entrance, both boys continued in silence.

"Stop following me!" Bakugou finally barked as they were going to the auditorium.

The freckled boy blinked. "We need to go to the same place."
The blonde looked annoyed, but he couldn't do much except glare. After quickly closing his mouth and shaking away the embarrassed blush, though, Bakugou sped up as much as possible while still walking - clearly trying to avoid the freckled boy.

Izuku, of course, didn't understand why, but didn't bother to think about it much.

"God damn it," Bakugou cursed under his breath as his childhood friend fell into the seat next to him, adjusting his bag on the back of the chair before straightening.

"Is that Present Mic?" Izuku suddenly said, squinting at the stage.

Bakugou leaned forwards slightly. "...I think so...," he mumbled.

"Hmm...," the freckled boy sat backwards.

The blonde's eye twitched. "What?"

"He has a small cloud of fear around him. Looks like he might be afraid of nobody responding when he calls out," Izuku mentioned casually.

Bakugou stared at the boy for a moment. "You know what people are afraid of?"

Izuku raised a brow. "That is my quirk."

The blonde paused for a moment before shaking his head and crossing his arms. "Just don't try that creepy shit on me."

Like most of the time, Izuku simply hummed in reply, leaving Bakugou to sit back and cross his arms.

Only moments later, Present Mic stepped up to the center of the stage - a wide grin spread across his face. "Hey there, listeners!" he shouted out, clearly expecting his words to be returned.

Before Bakugou had any clue what was going on, he heard Izuku speak up next to him.

"Woooo!" he yelled out. Though, it sounded incredibly awkward with his half-monotone voice.

Present Mic laughed nervously, clearly unsure if the boy was mocking him or genuinely trying to be nice. "Anyways!" he moved on, shaking the feeling off and putting his smile back on, "Thanks for tuning into your school DJ! I'll be here to tell ya about the main show." His lips quirked upwards into a smile. "ARE YA READAAAAAY?!"

Izuku, once again, replied in his flat voice. "Yeaaa!"

This time, though, there were a few more participants in the reply. Most notably, Bakugou.

"YEAAAAH...," Bakugou yelled before trailing off awkwardly, cheeks reddened. The blonde was about to awkwardly look away when he caught Izuku staring at him. "Tch," he said. "What is it, Deku?!"

Izuku shrugged. "I just didn't think you'd say anything. That was nice of you."

Bakugou blinked in surprise as Izuku turned back towards Present Mic, but he held his tongue before he could say anything except for a mumbled "Whatever..."

"Like the application said!" Present Mic said with a goofier grin and a straighter back than before, "Today you rockin' boys and girls will be out there conducting 10-minute mock battles in super hip urban settings!" He fumbled with a remote for a moment before pressing a button that brought up a screen behind him.

Present Mic gestured towards the labelled areas. "After I drop off the mic here, you'll be headed to your specified battle centers - sound good?"

The man seemed as if he were about to take a step back when a resounding "YEAAAH!" erupted through the hall. He then adjusted his glasses, blinking incredulously at the crowd.

"Well, listeners!" he grinned widely as the noise died down. "I've never had such a responsive crowd!" He winked, "Thanks for that! But," he said after a moment, "To get on with the program, you should all have cards you received at the front desk. They look like simple IDs, but they'll also show you which center you'll be in!"

Present Mic stayed silent for a few moments, allowing the students to look down at their IDs.

"I see...," Bakugou said. "They're splitting us up so we can't work with our friends."
"Mhm...," Izuku nodded. "Our examinee numbers are one after the other, but we're assigned to different battle centers."

The blonde gave a slight smirk. "Damn. And I was really looking forward to crushing you."

Izuku slightly raised a brow, but Bakugou had already turned, so he did the same.

"Okay, okay!" Present Mic said, bringing the auditorium's attention back towards him. "Let's check out your charts!" The man quickly switched the screen, showing darkened figures with varying points next to their forms. "There are 3 types of faux villains in every battle center. You'll earn points based on their level of difficulty - so you better choose wisely!"

The man continued as the screen behind him played an example video in some sort of video game layout. "Your goal in this trial is to use your quirk to raise your score by shredding these villains like a midsong guitar solo! But!" he warned, raising his finger towards the audience, "Check it! Make sure you keep things heroic. Attacking other examinees at U.A. is a no-no, ya dig?"

Just as Present Mic was about to continue, a blue-haired boy a few rows in front of Izuku stood. "Excuse me sir!" he caught the man's attention, back completely straight, "I have a question!"

Present Mic glanced towards the boy before grinning. "Hit me!"

The blue-haired boy pointed to his paper and nodded. "On the printout, you've listed four types of villains - not three. With all due respect, if this is an error on official U.A. material, it is shameful." He put the paper down, hand placed over his heart as he spoke outwardly. "We are exemplary students! We expect the best from Japan's most notable school. A mistake such as this won't do! Additionally!" he turned, his finger pointed directly towards Midoriya and Bakugou, "You two! You've been chatting this whole time. Stop that. If you can't bother to take this seriously, then leave. You're distracting the rest of us."

While Bakugou shot the blue-haired boy an annoyed glare, Midoriya tilted his head to the side.

He was more preoccupied with the fact that, throughout his entire speech, the boy didn't give off an ounce of embarrassment or fear. It struck the boy as odd since even the most confident people have exuded at least a small amount of awkwardness or something along those lines, but this blue-haired boy didn't seem perturbed in the least.

"Why aren't you afraid?" Izuku asked, ignoring the boy's accusations.

The boy immediately looked confused, brows knitting together as he slightly stumbled backwards. "Wh-what?"

"Most people I see speak in public are at least a little scared about something or other," the freckled boy continued, eye flicking towards Present Mic before settling back on the blue-haired boy, "But you're not. Why is that?"

The boy blinked confusedly. "I'm not sure I understand..."

Izuku continued staring at him, locking the two in an uneasy (well, at least for the other boy) silence. After a moment, though, Izuku shook his head and glanced lazily to the side. "Nevermind."

"Wh-"

"Alright!" Present Mic clapped, grabbing back everyone's attention. "Examinee #7111! Thanks for calling in with your request!" The boy blinked and shook his head, eyes just barely glancing towards Izuku before he turned back around and nodded. "The fourth villain," Present Mic continued, pointing at the screen, "Is worth 0 points! That guy's just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way! There's one in every battle center. Think of it as a hurdle you should try to avoid. It's not that it can't be beaten, but... There's kinda no point." He grinned - though he gave off the tiniest sense of unease aimed towards Izuku - and raised his hand in the air. "I suggest my listeners try to ignore it and focus on the ones at the top of the charts!"

"Er...," the blue-haired boy said, awkwardly bowing while he glanced back once again, "Thank you very much. Please continue."

"Ugh," Bakugou rolled his eyes, "I can practically feel the tension in this room."

Izuku raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"...Really?" the blonde replied annoyedly. "You can't even tell that much?"
The freckled boy simply shrugged.

"Whatever," Bakugou brushed him off. "It's not worth an explanation."

"But-" Izuku began, but closed his mouth once the blonde shot him another look. Although he didn't understand, he decided not to push anything and instead face back towards the front.

"That's all I've got for you today!" Present Mic grinned, making a jazz hands motion, "I'll sign you off with a sample of our school motto! As General Napoleon Bonaparte once laid down, a true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes. Mhhhm. Now that's a tasty sound byte!" He laughed for a moment before bending slightly towards the audience, finger placed on his glasses. "Are you ready to go beyond?"

The man then raised his hand in the air - the school's motto displayed on the screen behind him. "Let's hear a Plus Ultra!"

As soon as he finished with his last word, the audience collectively yelled the motto before erupting into hoots and hollers.

Present Mic chuckled once the noise fizzled out. "Now that's what I call a good reception! Anyways," he turned, grinning. "I hope you practiced more than hitting just books!"

After he finished speaking, the man waved before heading off the stage, allowing everybody to start packing up their things as they chatted.

"Y'know, Deku," Bakugou said, though there was no trace of his usual smirk (or even scowl) on his face, "I'm going to be number one."

Izuku watched as the blonde walked away, head tilted to the side when, out of nowhere, he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Hm?" he said, barely giving a reaction besides a basic head turn.

"Oh uhm," the blue-haired boy behind him said awkwardly, "I normally wouldn't like to disturb other participants, but..." He shook his head, straightening himself. "What were you talking about before? Fear and such?"

Izuku blinked before looking at the incredibly tall ceiling. "That's my quirk. I can sense people's fears. Make them come to life," he said in his usual monotone voice. "I don't know if I made you uncomfortable or anything, so I guess sorry if I did? My quirk took away my emotions as well."

The boy looked surprised. "...Took away your emotions?"

"No idea what anything feels like anymore," he shrugged before putting on a bright grin. "Though I can fake it pretty well after years of practice!"

Again, the blue-haired boy blinked, watching as the happiness melted from Izuku's face and back into a dull look.

"Everyone thinks I'm going to be a villain. I don't want to be, though. Guess that's why I'm here," Izuku said before beginning to walk away. "Anyways, good luck."

After a moment of silence, the other boy spoke up. "I didn't catch your name."

Izuku turned slightly, raising a brow. "I didn't throw it."

After a moment of awkward sputtering, the boy let out a chuckle, bowing. "My name is Tenya Iida. I apologize if I caused you any troubles earlier."

Izuku stared at the boy, waiting for him to straighten himself back up. "Oh... Izuku Midoriya."

Iida instantly shot back into a standing position. "Nice to meet you, Midoriya!" he greeted brightly - though Izuku could tell some sort of fear was creeping in the back of his mind. "I hope we can both make it into the hero course!"

The freckled boy remained silent for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah."

---

Toshinori sat back in his chair, eyeing the screen curiously. "Hmmm," he hummed to himself, lips quirking up into a smile as familiar green hair came into view.

Although it was barely noticeable, the man leaned forwards at the sight of the boy - only catching Aizawa's attention. However, the man made no comment, instead opting to hold his tongue as he watched carefully.

"It looks like we have quite a bit of promising young students this year," Nezu commented cheerfully, leafing through the papers in his hands.

"I must admit," Midnight said, lips curled into a (somewhat unnerving) smile, "I'm intrigued."

Snipe adjusted the brim of his hat as he spoke. "Is there anyone we're specifically watching out for?" he asked casually.

Nezu hummed in reply, eyes drifting over the papers once again. "Hmm... Oh!" he grinned, bringing out the paperwork of none other than a certain blonde. "For one, we have Katsuki Bakugou." He slid the paper towards the other teachers, waiting for a moment as they glanced over each other's shoulders to scan it quickly.

"He seems to have quite a versatile quirk," Midnight mentioned, brows higher than usual.

Cementoss nodded. "And his test scores are quite exemplary..."

"Who else?" Ectoplasm asked.

Nezu had already finished sifting through the pile before the man even asked, hand outstretched to place the next on the desk. "Tenya Iida. Brother of pro hero Ingenium. Not only is he quite intelligent, but we already know his quirk is pro-hero material."

"If he learns how to use it correctly," Aizawa mentioned, rolling his eyes.

The principal didn't react negatively, instead smiling. "Yes, of course not. But as long as a teacher would train him well...," he said, smirking as he looked at an annoyed Aizawa, "I think he'd do just fine."

"Assuming he gets in," Aizawa said, sighing.

"Yes. Assuming he gets in. Anyways," Nezu continued, "There are a few others. Neito Monoma, Ibara Shiozaki, and Tsuyu Asui, just to name a few." He tossed each file on the table, allowing the teachers to look through them. His sight, however, was quickly drawn towards Toshinori, who's lip just barely twitched. "Have anyone else to recommend, All Might?" Nezu asked, smiling.

The other teachers turned towards him, brow raised, and the man awkwardly laughed.

"Ah... Well, I might have someone in mind. But-"

"Oh c'mon, you can't say something like that and just not tell us!" Midnight teased, "C'mon, All Might!"

Vlad King leaned forwards. "I'd be interested to know as well."

"Don't be worried about this affecting any decisions, by the way," Nezu mentioned, having noticed the man's apprehensiveness. "Your comments won't go towards his application, if you don't wish them to."

Toshinori's shoulders slightly relaxed. "Well...," his eyes flicked towards the screen, watching as the freckled boy chatted with Iida, "Izuku Midoriya would get my recommendation."

Midnight grinned. "Oh? Do tell more."

"Ah, well," the man laughed awkwardly, "I ran into him several months before the exams... It was just a brief encounter, but..."

"Well that must mean he was quite the student, no?" Nezu smiled, causing the other teachers to glance at him nervously.

"I suppose," Toshinori replied. "I'm told that the boy was bullied throughout his middle schools for having a so-called villainous quirk." He stiffened slightly, remembering what the boy had said to him. "He knows everyone's greatest fear just by looking at them. He can create them with his quirk."

Nezu's eyes widened by just a fraction - which was more than enough of a reaction if you knew him - but the other teachers were too preoccupied with eyeing each other nervously.

"Just like you, I was quick to judge the boy. However, Midoriya still knows right from wrong. He even told me he was pushing himself so hard because he wanted to make his mother proud," Toshinori said, chuckling. "Not to mention," he gave a slight grin, "He's quite adept with analytical skills. I didn't get to see it closely, but the kid's got a notebook filled with hero notes. He even knew I was going to teach at U.A. Still not sure how."

The room was silent for a moment. Nezu knew it was likely because, with all of the information they had to take in, one thing was for certain. If 'Izuku Midoriya' wanted to be, he could be a real threat.

And Nezu found that incredibly interesting.

---

Izuku wasn't sure why, but he felt as if dozens of eyes were on him. And one pair in particular that he didn't want to get involved with.

Ignoring the feeling, though, he rolled his shoulders and stretched his hands over his head, waiting until the countdown would begin.

And, right on time, Present Mic's voice called down from a perch that Izuku had assumed was a few miles away. After his eyes fell upon the man's location, he listened carefully, waiting for him to continue after his initial greeting.

"Right, let's start!" his voice echoed.

And, without a second glance back, Izuku was off, rushing through the door and glancing around for any signs of robot-life. "Get moving!" he heard the man shout from behind, "There are no countdowns in real battles! Run, run, run, listeners! You're wasting your time here!"

Just as Izuku had destroyed his third robot, the other examinees had rushed in. He watched as Iida sped past with a tilted head before shaking his head. "It's not the time to study quirks," he mumbled, continuing to search.

His ears perked up after a few moments, hearing the faint pitter patter of a heartbeat. And, without wasting any time, Izuku whipped around the corner, watching as somebody was pushed to the ground by another bot.

Shooting out his hand, the boy allowed smoke to escape from his palm and form into the shape of a smaller version of his childhood bear - A beast he'd named 'Kage.'

Growling, Kage charged forwards, throwing the bot against the wall like a bull with his horns.

After ensuring that the robot was down, Izuku bent down next to the boy, reaching out his hand. "You alright?" he asked.

The boy looked suspiciously at his hand before nodding and pushing himself off the ground. "Yeah... I was fine without your help, though," he said, shaking his head and walking away.

Unfazed, Izuku simply turned his head and headed towards the next sound - a screech of a robot's wheels against the pavement.

"A two-pointer," he mumbled to himself, allowing Kage to take down the robot just as easily.

After taking out a few more, the boy sighed, glancing backwards. However, he was quickly interrupted by a sudden rumbling that nearly threw him to the ground.

Hand twitching, the boy crept out into the open, only to jump backwards as a herd of students rushed past him.

"RUUUUN!" one shouted - the others panicking just as much.

Izuku's hand flew up to his head, teeth gritted as his head began to pound. "I need to get out of here," he whispered, nearly falling against the wall.

However, an awful feeling began to loom over him, drawing his attention to a growing cloud of purple smoke. Initially, he had suspected it was coming from the collective crowd, but when he saw that it wasn't moving, he realized that it had belonged to a single person.

The boy took in a deep breath, not even bothering to consider his own health as he threw himself into the middle of the panic, blindly rushing through the crowd.

Even as his vision blurred from the raging migraine, Izuku continued pushing towards the cloud, breaths getting heavier.

He felt his body become sluggish with the pure amount of fear that lingered in the air, and for the briefest of moments he considered letting himself fall, but then he finally saw it.

Squinting his eyes, Izuku saw that there was a girl trapped beneath the rubble, feet already moving before he even registered what was going on.

Gritting his teeth and pressing one palm against his head - he was sure that pulsing wasn't healthy - he allowed whispers of smoke to fly from his fingertips.

Izuku, however, soon realized that, in his state, he wasn't going to be much help in taking down the humongous robot that loomed over the two.

So, he did the next best thing, and forced Kage to rip the rubble from the girl's foot.

Without any further thoughts, he picked the girl from the ground, breaths quickening as he took in her terror.

He knew that he should most definitely not be so close to such a strong sense of terror, but it wasn't like he could just leave the girl there.

Which is probably why, when the two had finally found themselves several kilometers away and at the end of the time limit - with Izuku having tripped over his own feet several times - he was much closer to the ground than he remembered being.

Or, more likely, he was on the ground.

Yeah.

Probably option two.

---

i probably should've mentioned this at the top but... fite me B)

anyways, i was half-lying

izuku does have emotions

just... not most of them B)

like he can be curious (though differently from others; like as I said before, he wouldn't regret not asking, but he still likes asking questions n stuff because knowledge, yk? B)) and confused (again, differently)

there are probably a few other emotions he can experience, but none of the normal ones, and even then they're much more dull than those that other people experience

yep

funtimes

pffft

Thanks for reading! <3