The second part here's heavily inspired by Darkfire's Viridescent, and Imma be honest I have no intentions in copying their work.

The doors whirred open and both Tsukauchi and Sansa entered the coroner's office. "Talk to me, Dr Kawaya."

"Well, every victim's cause of death was the same," Dr Kawaya remarked, his fingers tapping away at the keyboard as he completed his report. "Asphyxiation. Compression asphyxia, to be more precise."

"They were crushed to their deaths." Tsukauchi translated.

Kawaya hummed in acknowledgement. "Indeed. But that's not all." He forwent his typing to begin tapping with his mouse. Several images popped on screen. Tsukauchi furrowed his eyebrows as he studied the images of different upper arms.

"They all have the same bruise marks."

"Signs of struggle," Kawaya surmised. "But the bruise patterns indicate that our victims were bound to a kind of contraption meant to keep them in place as their guts were emptied."

Sansa perked up at that. "So, your theory was correct."

"Unfortunately." Kawaya nodded grimly. "I've completed my dissections for every victim. Every time, not a single organ was found. The stretching on their pharynx and whatever's leftover of their esophagus confirm that a large tube was shoved down their throat to extract the organs. Stomach, kidney, lung. You name it."

"So," Tsukauchi pinched the bridge of his nose, "either an organ trafficker with a complex machine, or a cannibal with a dangerous quirk. Anything else that we can work with?"

The coroner shrugged. "Well, I sent liquid samples from the victims throat to forensics. Maybe they can find something–"

"Don't bother, I would honestly be surprised if a match pops up in their database." A new voice interrupted. The trio turned towards the door to see a tall, lanky bespectacled man march into Dr Kawaya's office.

"This is still a police case, Moroboshi," Tsukauchi was tempted to not hold back the sigh that he wanted to exhale. The man - Moroboshi - pushed his glasses upwards, and Tsukauchi already knew the reply that was to follow.

"Not anymore, it's not," Moroboshi rebuked, "Your chief has been briefed on the matter. We appreciate your cooperation in handing over the case details to the SSSP."

Tsukauchi's lips formed a pensive thin line, but he nodded nonetheless. "Dr, kindly email all your reports and findings related to this case to the Agent here," the inspector addressed Kawaya before turning over to Moroboshi. "Anything you can fill me in about this one?"

"Nothing that you're unfamiliar with. You'll be called in if your assistance is needed," Moroboshi had already turned around to leave. "Until then, stay out of my way."

The door whirred to a close, and Sansa scoffed next to Tsukauchi. "Ass."

Tsukauchi couldn't agree more.

Ten Months Later...

Izuku stopped in front of the UA entrance, allowing himself the time to admire the iconic arch that was the gate to the school and the large glass building shaped like the Roman alphabet H.

"So, you actually made it, eh?" Came the smug voice of Bakugo. Midoriya whirled around and saw that his only friend was staring at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Good morning, Kacchan," Midoriya greeted with a small smile. "And, yeah. I wasn't planning to go back on my word."

"Well, it's about time, damnit." Bakugo clicked his tongue. "You can't be a pussy just 'cause everyone else's scared of what you did ten years ago. And it's over a goddamned foot for fuck's sake."

Midoriya sweatdropped. I think we both know you ended up being friends with me only because you were challenged to prove you weren't scared of me. His mind drifted back to a ridiculous memory of their four-year-old days.

"Huh?! Why would I be scared of someone who broke my foot?! Fall and break your necks, losers!" a then-four-year-old Bakugo Katsuki was livid as the rest of his kindergarten classmates laughed at him. Immediately he spun on his crutch and pointed a finger at a stammering Midoriya Izuku. "Hey! You won that last 3-on-1. Don't think just because you got a cool quirk now I'm gonna be groveling at your feet! I'm not a pussy like the rest of these freaking nobodies. You're gonna be my Number One Sidekick when I become the Number One Hero!"

He looked ridiculous with the splinter on his nose, but the explosive child didn't look any less intimidating.

"You better make sure you don't waste all those times you dragged me to the gym," Bakugo grumbled. "Can't have you waltzing in there like a dunce and flunking it within the first minute. That's gonna make even me look bad."

Midoriya suppressed a shudder. Going to the gym hadn't actually been his idea, per se. Rather, he had gotten the idea from his research on the internet on improving his physical condition. He may have been stronger than the average person, but Midoriya still decided to mix some 'HIIT' workouts and other endurance-based exercises while adding some weight training to keep himself from getting bored.

In short, ten months of physical and mental hell as he forced himself to turn the routine into a lifestyle.

He had certainly bulked up, but he had always been inherently fit since his quirk manifested. Didn't stop Bakugo from rubbing his superior physical conditioning as a result of hardwork in Midoriya's face every time they visited the public gym, though.

"Don't worry, I'm different from before," Midoriya promised, hoping the smile he wore was less 'unconvincing' and more 'determined'. "I won't mess up."

He took a step forward, on his way to fulfill his dream of being a hero. Then his left foot hooked onto his right ankle, and now his face was going to kiss the ground.

So much for not messing up.

Time to die now, he thought as he waited for his inevitable demise.

Except it never came. Curious, his eyes darted to the ground to see that his entire body was frozen in place. Or rather, suspended in mid-air. Bakugo watched on with a weird look, too confused to offer a helping hand as Midoriya flailed his legs which seemed not interested in touching the ground.

"Are you all right?"

Both boys looked up to find a teenage girl with shoulder-length chestnut brown hair standing next to Midoriya, a hand on his backpack. They watched in muted astonishment (well, more like wonder for Midoriya and confusion for Bakugo) as she readjusted Midoriya so he was standing straight once again.

"It's my quirk," she said as she clapped her hands together. "Sorry for using it without asking first." Midoriya didn't feel his weight returning since he was too dumbfounded by the smile the girl was wearing. "But it would be bad luck if you fell, right? Isn't this all like way nerve-wracking? Well, let's all do our best. See ya!"

She turned and walked towards the entrance before either boy could say a word. Bakugo was torn between being amused and being confused. "What–?"

"I talked to a girl!" Midoriya announced with sparkling eyes and a huge smile plastered on his face.

"The fuck?! You didn't say shit!" Bakugo snapped. He smacked Midoriya on the back of his head. "And wipe that shitty grin off your face! You look like an old pervy creep!"

Midoriya didn't seem to hear his friend talk, opting instead to laugh in maniacal triumph as other students created a wide berth to avoid the freaky duo.

They followed the signs directing them to the exam hall. In front of the hall were lines of impatient and ecstatic students, all looking eager or worried for the opportunity to take the exam.

"Could be a long wait," Midoriya observed, and Bakugo huffed. Red eyes scanned the crowd.

"Everyone's holding their school ID. You didn't leave yours at home, did you?"

Midoriya nodded and fished out his ID for Bakugo to see, earning an eye roll in response. The greenette's earlier observation was incorrect, as it didn't even take more than five minutes before it was their turn to register their names.

"Midoriya Izuku," the figure with a sinister visage, who Midoriya quickly identified as the hero Ectoplasm, read his name aloud while keeping his eyes on the screen of his laptop. "You were scheduled to attend the Recommendation Entrance Exam last week. Not today's exam."

Any thought of geeking out within Izuku was replaced with confusion. The teen blanched, and he didn't need to look around to know that the other students were gawking at him. In the corner of his vision, he could see Bakugo going slack-jawed while the other Ectoplasm clones watched the interaction in silence.

He was beginning to hold up the line, so he tried to say something to explain himself. But his brain failed to form any word let alone a comprehensive sentence.

"Didn't you receive our invitation letter to the Recommendation Exam?" Ectoplasm queried, and everything clicked in place.

He remembered his mom passing a letter to him just two weeks ago, saying he needed to have a look. And lo and behold, it was inviting him to the Recommendation Entrance Exam. But it made absolutely no sense to Izuku, given that he had literally no ties with anyone that could act as his referral.

Gods above, it's the Recommendation Exam. What influential person in their right mind would out of sheer randomness say "Yeah, I'll tell UA to give this Midoriya-Izuku-who-I-don't-know-existed-until-now a shot"?

"I–I thought it was a prank," Izuku stuttered out, though it sounded more like a question than a proper explanation.

Ectoplasm's mask didn't shift, but Izuku could tell the cloning hero was less than amused with his reply. "Young man, do you think U.A. would deign to deceive a prospective student?" The hero hummed in thought. "This development is certainly unexpected."

Panic surged within Izuku. Great, he was getting expelled even before he could take the exam for disrespecting the school. Wait, how can he be expelled if he hadn't been admitted to the school in the first place? Anyway, he was losing his one shot at entering–

A loud ringtone jolted Midoriya from his wayward thoughts, and the boy may or may not have let out an unmanly shriek from being surprised. Ectoplasm paid no mind to the outburst, instead answering the call to his phone.

"Right. Understood. Consider the matter taken care of," Ectoplasm placed the phone down and Midoriya felt more unease at the ominous words, but he kept silent to watch Ectoplasm tapping away at his laptop. Several uneasy moments passed and the printer beside them hummed to life. He grabbed the pink paper from the tray before ripping it in two with practiced precision.

"There appears to have been a misunderstanding," somehow, the hero sounded more robotic than before as he handed the slip to Midoriya, "Don't worry. It's been clarified. Your table has been labeled with your exam ID. Take your written exam at that designated table. Once done, make your way to Auditorium U50 to prepare for the practical exam."

Midoriya stared blankly at the sudden change in tone, but decided not to question it. Instead, he quickly and gratefully grabbed the slip with both hands, offering his thanks before literally rushing into the exam hall and only slowing down after being told off by another Ectoplasm clone.

The day was already weird, and it wasn't even noon yet.

BREAK

The written test for the entrance exam was over quickly, and by his own calculations Midoriya was confident he had at least seventy percent of his answers correct. He met with Bakugo outside the exam hall before they headed for one of the larger auditoriums in the school premise where the orientation for the practical test was being held.

They quickly found empty seats at the middle area of the stands, which weren't too close to the stage that their ears would pop and not too far that they can't see whoever would stand at the stage.

It took another ten minutes before the other students came in and filled up the auditorium. Then, the lights turned on, revealing a tall man with spiky blonde hair wearing a black leather jacket standing on stage.

"Welcome to my live show!" He shouted enthusiastically. Switching to heavily accented English, he placed a hand on his ear and leant on the podium. "Everybody say HEY!"

The examinees, too stunned by the host's zeal, could only reply with silence.

"What a refined response," the blonde man chuckled in an attempt to hide his shaking shoulders, "Then, I'll quickly present to you the rundown of the practical exam! Are you ready?!"

More silence from the students, this time out of sheer embarrassment at the host's self answered 'Yeah!' While the other students were silent because they felt awkward, Midoriya's lack of response was due to a whole other reason.

"It's the Voice Hero, Present Mic! Wow!"

"Oh, shut up. We fucking listened to him on the radio together of course I fucking know who he is," Bakugo rolled his eyes and grumbled while Midoriya was practically gushing at the emcee standing at the front of the auditorium.

Even without a mic on stage, the Pro Hero Present Mic, stayed true to his name, speaking so obnoxiously loud that Bakugo wondered how on earth anyone could sit close to the guy and not burst their eardrums.

Midoriya, on the other hand, was too enamoured by the sight of a Pro Hero working in school to hear his best friend. "All the teachers in UA have to be pro heroes!"

"Are you trying to get us in fucking trouble?!" Bakugo growled but kept his voice at a whisper. Tuning out Midoriya isn't the easiest task when he enters fanboy mode. "I'm trying to pay attention here."

"As said in the application requirements, you listeners will be conducting a ten-minute mock urban battle after this!" Present Mic elaborated, "You can bring whatever you want with you. After the presentation, you'll head to the specified battle centers, okay?!"

Silence was the response he received again.

Bakugo ignored the loud hero repeated 'Okay?!' and studied the exam ticket in his hand instead. He compared it with Midoriya's. "In other words, they set us up so we can't work with our friends, huh?"

"You're right," Midoriya noted, he too noticing the difference in their Exam tickets. "Our examinee numbers are consecutive, we're assigned to different battle centers."

"Tch, fucking pay attention or I'll kill you, Deku!"

"Right! Sorry!"

Present Mic continued talking, unaware of the two 'listeners' present who weren't exactly paying attention. "There are three different types of faux-villains stationed in each battle center: One-, Two- and Three-Pointer. You earn points for each of them based on their level of difficulty. Your goal, dear listeners, is to use your quirks to earn points by immobilizing these faux villains. Of course, attacking other examinees and any unheroic actions are prohibited!"

"May I ask a question?!"

"Okay!"

A spotlight was shone on the seating area, revealing a tall young man with glasses wearing a stern expression on his face. He pointed at a sheet of paper in his hand. "On the printout, there are four types of villains. If that is a misprint, then UA, the most prominent school in Japan, should be ashamed of such a foolish mistake. We examinees are here because we wish to be molded into exemplary heroes."

"Also, you two!" He whirled around and pointed at both Midoriya and Bakugo. "The two of you have been whispering between each other this whole time. It's distracting. If you think this is a school trip, then you should leave immediately!"

Midoriya melted into his seat, uttering out a soft and embarrassed 'sorry' as the other students began chuckling. Bakugo, on the other hand...

"What did you just say?! You wanna say that shit then say it to my face, punk!" He shot up from his seat and placed a foot on the table. Small explosions popped off in his palm as he snarled. "I'll blow your ass sky high, you won't be sitting for two months!"

'Four-Eyes' flinched at the rage directed at him, but Present Mic quickly diffused the situation before it got too tense for everyone.

"Woohoo, save the aggression for during the tests, young listeners," the Pro Hero said. He then pointed at 'Four-Eyes'. "Okay, Examinee 7111, that's a great catch.

"The fourth villain is a Zero-Pointer, meaning it's worth zero points," Present Mic explained. "That guy's an obstacle, so to speak. There's one in every battle center, and it'll go crazy in narrow spaces. It's not impossible to beat it, but there isn't any reason to do so either. I recommend you listeners try and avoid it!"

"Thank you very much! And I apologize for the interruption!" 'Four-Eyes' bowed and sat back down.

"That's all from me. I now leave you with a present – our school motto!" Present Mic announced. "Napoleon once said: 'A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortune'. Now Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!"

"Oi, Izuku," Midoriya turned, tuning out Present Mic's wish of luck to the students in favour of listening to what Bakugo had to say. The teen's red eyes were hardened with resolve.

"Don't get fucking killed out there. And make sure you kill those assholes."

Midoriya felt nerves settle in spite of the other students sending disapproving glances their way for Bakugo's crass language. He mustered all his confidence into a smile.

"Right back at you."

BREAK

Midoriya, like the rest of the examinees he was with, stared in awe at the massive replica city before him.

Sure, it was common knowledge that UA pulls off the extreme in their hero course and has the resources to do so. But to build not one but seven of these entire mock cities within the school ground just for the sake of an entrance exam? Even Midoriya had to admit it was really awesome.

And scary.

Green eyes scanned the crowd, and Midoriya noticed that a few of them were sporting support equipment. Most likely for their quirks. He thought back towards his father's briefcase, and wondered if he should have taken it along instead of leaving it at home.

No, I promised I'll only open it once I've passed my entrance exam.

Midoriya's thoughts were cut off as he noticed a familiar bob of chestnut-brown hair within the crowd of other examinees.

Oh, it's the girl from before. The nice person! She's assigned to the same battle center, huh? Midoriya thought to himself, and his body began to move without preamble. Oh yeah, I have to thank her for earlier.

There was a firm hand on his shoulder, and Midoriya turned stiff as wood. Turning around slowly, he fought against the panic that surged within him when he came face to face with 'Uptight Four-Eyes'.

He's here, too? Oh, no.

'Four-Eyes' gaze followed the direction Midoriya was headed in and landed on the nice girl in black and white tracksuit. Blue eyes narrowed dangerously as he appeared to come to a conclusion of Midoriya's intentions.

"That girl appears to be trying to focus," 'Four-Eyes' tone was as stern as his gaze. "What are you doing here? Are you taking the entrance exam to interfere with everyone else?"

"O-of course not!" Midoriya flailed his arms in front of him as he stammered his denial. How on earth did he come up with that idea?

He heard sniggers behind him, and a quick glance of his surroundings let him know the other participants were sending smirks his way. Clearly they thought they lucked out with him as a contestant in their test field.

"ALL RIGHT! LET'S START!"

Midoriya and 'Four-Eyes', along with every other examinee, turned to the voice of Present Mic that came from the observation tower. Seeing the confused looks on their faces, the Pro Hero began swinging his arms animatedly. "Huh?! What are you all waiting for?! A countdown?! Real battles don't have time for such things! GO! GO! GO!"

Midoriya's mind was still processing the Hero's words when he heard the sound of thunderous footsteps behind him. Sparing a glance, green eyes widened in shock upon realizing that the other examinees had started and leaving him literally in the dust.

"I'm behind already!" The green-haired teen mentally chided himself for being distracted as he joined the others in the faux-city.

As they neared the centre of the city, Midoriya noticed that most of the examinees had scattered into various directions. It was obvious everyone was off hunting for villain points by themselves, and Midoriya decided he should do the same. Noticing an alleyway that no one had entered, he dashed into it with hopes of running into some villains to take down.

His wish was granted as he spotted several robots lurking under the cover of the shadows. The first robot lifted its head, its singular eye glowing dangerously as it fixated on his being. "Target locked."

The machines raised their canons on each arm, and Midoriya didn't even have the time to question U.A.'s risky approach in testing its applicants as his body kicked into overdrive. The pseudo-leader bot, sprayed with a "2" on its head, took the first shot. Midoriya barely dodged it, sidestepping as the ground where he had stood mere milliseconds ago exploded into rubble.

The rest of the robots followed suit in opening fire, and Midoriya dashed towards them in a zigzag motion, closing the gap between them while trying not to become roasted Izuku.

Eventually, he reached the group, his fist stretching out towards the head of the Two Pointer. Its head smashed on contact. The other robots, all One-Pointers, remained resolute in firing at Midoriya. The teen grabbed the Two-Pointer's torso, using it as a makeshift shield and a battering ram. Sparks and metal flew in various directions, the One-Pointers were sent flying not unlike bowling pins as Midoriya crashed his way through the crowd and ran out of the alleyway.

"An excellent strike!" The greenette lifted his head to see a boy with long blonde hair raising his hands in an extravagant manner. He wore a shiny metallic belt around his waist. "At first, I thought you needed help, but it appears you can hold your own, mon ami."

Midoriya wasn't sure how to react. He had lots of questions swirling through his head. Was that a compliment? Was that French? Spanish? What kind of quirk requires a support item around the waist?

Unaware of the whirlwind of questions inside Izuku's head, the blond gave a wave. "Alright, all the best out there!"

Midoriya made to wave, but the boy had already taken off. Weird, the teen thought to himself as he too turned in search of more enemies.

BREAK

"I'd say we have an interesting crop this year." Came the sultry voice of Ms Midnight. The R-Rated Hero resisted the urge to lick her lips as she observed the screen that displayed the undergoing practical exams at Ground U where a kid with spiky blonde hair had just used his palms to blast several bots into smithereens. Then a thought occurred to her.

"Ectoplasm, what was that small commotion about earlier?" She asked with curiosity all over her face. She was stationed at the written exam hall when she picked up news about a hold-up at the registration station.

Ectoplasm didn't need to look around to know that the other teachers were listening in, some more subtle than the rest. He sighed.

"A candidate arrived to take the Entrance Exam, but our system confirmed that he was supposed to attend the Recommendation Exams."

Sky blue eyes narrowed for a moment before widening as a wave of recognition hit her like a truck. The Recommendation Exam recorded one absentee. The first in years. "Wait! Is the kid's name–"

"Midoriya Izuku? Yes." Ectoplasm finished and answered the question. "Apparently, he thought he was being pranked."

A white-haired burly man in red let out a huff. "What person would be so reckless to pull a prank of that level using UA's name? More so, does he really think that UA would make a mistake like that?"

"I said something along those lines as well," Ectoplasm agreed with Vlad King's observation, then his attention turned towards the small creature sitting at the front of the group. "But I must ask, Nezu, why would you allow an exception for the boy? Normally if they miss their slated examination they would need to wait a whole year before trying again."

The rodent-like creature stretched out his paw to grab the cup placed on the arm of his chair and took a sip from the green tea. Nezu didn't have to turn around to know that his teachers were watching on with impatience equivalent to that of teenagers. He decided to indulge himself in this self-made entertainment a little further, and took another sip just for the fun of it.

"Well, he did seem genuine when he admitted the mix-up," he finally answered as he placed his cup down. "And what kind of principal would I be if I were to deny a young prospect his opportunity to prove himself over a small misunderstanding?"

While most teachers appeared to have accepted the explanation, Nezu noticed a pair of tired eyes studying him.

Always the perceptive one.

"Sir, it's almost time," the man in a yellow t-rex shaped helmet mentioned. Nezu felt a smile crawl up his lips.

"Thank you, Majima!" Nezu said chirpily. He flipped the transparent cover labelled 'Yaruki Switch'. "These candidates have shown us they possess the basics needed to keep the streets and civilians safe. But their true test begins now."

He pressed the big red button.

BREAK

His legs were shaking. His body swayed back and forth.

Rephrase: the earth was trembling. Violently.

Midoriya nearly lost his balance, forcing him to reach out towards the nearest lamp post to steady himself.

There was an explosion, and a cloud of smoke rose a block ahead of his location. From within the dust and debris a metallic green head not unlike the One-Pointer appeared.

The only difference? This machine was way, way bigger than the usual One-Pointer.

A giant white '0' was sprayed on its head.

"It's the Zero-Pointer!" Midoriya heard a student in front of him yell in alarm.

"It's that big?!" Shouted another. And Midoriya found himself asking the same question. The Zero-Pointer towered over the five to six storeyed buildings, and with every swing of its arms, more debris was formed from buildings that were destroyed.

"Is UA planning to kill us?!"

"Who cares?!" The first student shouted. "I'm getting the hell out of here!"

The boy turned on his heels and ran. Slowly but surely others followed suit, scuttling from the Zero-Pointer in search of safety. Midoriya was about to do the same when...

"OW!"

His body froze, and the teen looked over his shoulder upon hearing the cry of pain. Green eyes scanned his surroundings and landed on the figure trying to stand up.

It was the girl from earlier. Her leg was stuck underneath the rubble.

The Zero-Pointer was heading in their direction.

She's gonna get crushed.

One second, he stood stoic still. Next, Midoriya was standing right underneath the Zero Pointer with both arms raised, halting the machine from lowering its foot and crushing the girl.

There was a gasp, and Midoriya risked looking down to see the girl staring wide eyed at him.

"Go!" He yelled, though it strained his muscles to even utter a single syllable. For a brief moment, he wondered if this was how Captain Celebrity felt when the former hero kept the Sky Egg from falling onto the streets of Tokyo.

"What about you?!" She questioned as she removed her foot from the entrapment. Panic was seeping into her voice.

Was the Zero Pointer getting heavier? "Just... get... out... of... here!" he managed to wheeze. The Zero-Pointer was getting heavier alright.

There was a sound of rumbling, and Midoriya spared a glance behind the Zero Pointer to see a small squad of One-, Two- and Three-Pointers charging towards them.

They raised their arm cannons and fired. Midoriya shut his eyes, ready for the whirlwind of pain that was sure to come.

Except it never did.

Green eyes opened to see the girl standing in front of him, using a large piece of rubble as a makeshift shield against the volley of lasers.

"Whatever you were planning to do," she prompted with a strained voice. "you better do it quickly."

He couldn't feel concerned with how green her face was or how much her body was shaking. Summoning all his strength into his arms he pushed the foot upwards with a mighty roar. The Zero Pointer lost its balance, causing it to fall backwards and kicking up a cloud of dust. Midoriya's vision was obscured, but he could hear the sound of metal crunching as the crowd of Robo-villains was flattened by the colossal Zero Point.

A horn blared in the background, followed by Present Mic's overenthusiastic voice. "TIME'S UP!"

Any energy left in Midoriya abandoned him at that moment, and he crumpled onto his knees before face planting into the ground. His ears registered the sound of someone – probably the girl – hurling beside him but he couldn't muster the strength to check on her. His arms were sore, his lungs screamed for air and sweat was dripping down his face like he had been drenched with a bucket of water.

"Oh, dearie me," someone said. "It's been a long while since I last witnessed such a show of sheer strength."

Midoriya tried lifting his head to get a better look of the newcomer, but he ended up slamming his face back on the asphalt ground with a weak "ow".

"Easy, little one," placated the stranger. "That stunt you pulled back there took a lot out of you. And you've dislocated your shoulder. Before I can fix that, here," she placed something sweet in Midoriya's mouth. "Have a gummy."

He was too tired to question the gesture, so he focused on chewing the sweet. Immediately his body felt less sore, and he sat upright while keeping pressure off his left shoulder. A crowd had gathered around him, though his gaze was on the old lady healing the injured examinees by planting a kiss on them.

Is that Recovery Girl?

The teen with glasses stood at the back of the crowd. He was half-listening to the other examinees whispering amongst themselves about the 'boy and girl who took down the Zero Pointer' as his mind was preoccupied with analysing the past two minutes of the exam and feeling as though he had missed something important about the exam.

BREAK

The week passed at an agonizingly slow pace for Izuku's liking as he waited for his admission result.

Sure, he did well enough to pass his written test, he was confident about that. And he should have garnered enough villain points in the practical portion of it.

'Should' being the operative word. Hopefully UA would include the robot army that he destroyed using the Zero Pointer near the end of the test to his total tally.

"Izuku," his mom calling his name pulled the teen out of his thoughts, and he turned to face her. Green eyes darted down and he felt as though someone dropped a brick onto his gut upon seeing the envelope. An anvil crashed atop the brick when he recognized the UA stamp on the envelope.

"I'll leave it to you," his mom said as she handed him the envelope. She turned to exit his room, but not before turning around and giving him a reassuring smile. "Remember, Izuku, I'm proud of you, no matter what the result is."

Well, not exactly what he wanted to hear, but Izuku mustered a smile of his own. It didn't reach his eyes, though. "Thanks, mom."

Inko closed the door behind her and waited outside. Her nerves were beginning to frail, but she clenched her fists and steadied herself. Pacing up and down just outside Izuku's room would do nothing but pile more pressure on her son.

It must have been a few minutes, but to Inko it felt like eternity. There were a couple of times she was tempted to knock on the door, but she knew better than to do so.

Eventually, the door to Izuku's room flung open. The smile on her son's face was blinding, and she didn't need to hear his next words to know the result of the exam.

"I did it! I got into UA!"

Tears welled in her eyes, and Inko felt her son engulf her in a bear hug as he repeated the two sentences like a mantra. A mix of pride and joy rose within her chest as she wrapped her hands around Izuku.

A lot of preparations would be needed ahead of the new school year, but Inko decided that they'll deal with that later and just savor the moment for now.

BREAK

Nezu brought the cup to his lips, savoring the aroma of green tea that reached his nostrils. Black, beady eyes studied the list of soon-to-be Year 1 students displayed on the monitor, though they hovered a little longer over a particular name.

The sound of his phone ringing grabbed his attention, causing Nezu to place his cup down in favor of fishing his phone from his pocket. He answered the call and brought the device to his ears. "Hello! Nezu speaking."

"Nezu!" The voice over the phone greeted. "How–" There was an awkward pause. "How are you doing?"

"For someone who's lived as long as you have, you really should have picked up some basic human pleasantries by now. And the last I've checked, we've spoken not even a month ago."

The caller chuckled, slow and hollow but yet filled with a slight sense of mirth. "Humanity remains complex as ever, and you still have yet to drop that."

"Considering that you've managed to navigate the most complex issues, I must say this circumstance you remain in is rather ironic."

"Touché," came the agreement. "Well, I would suggest we skip this irrelevant byplay and move to the main reason that I'm making this call."

Nezu's eyes darted towards the namelist that was still displayed on the monitor. "Midoriya Izuku."

Nezu didn't need to see the caller to know that he was nodding. "I've received a report that the boy has joined your institute of education. Is he enrolled in the Hero Course?"

"As I've mentioned to you," Nezu bit back the urge to massage his temple. He has participated in dance far too many times for his liking. "Any aspiring youth wishing to undertake their studies with us would need to prove themselves. As for your other question, I'm afraid I cannot disclose any further information without first receiving their consent."

The call fell into silence after Nezu's answer. A moment later the caller sighed into the phone.

"Nezu, you are well aware of the reason the boy is... of interest to us."

"I am." And I'm also well aware that you possess the capacity to recall the deal established between the HSPC, Hero Association and the SSSP," Nezu stressed with finality. "I've already granted your request with Midoriya's invitation to the Recommendation Exam. Whatever happens from here on, is down to the boy's own capabilities."

Another pause, one that lasted longer than the first before the caller spoke again.

"... We will monitor his progress. That is all."

Nezu brought his phone down upon hearing the slow beeping tone indicating that the call had ended. His scar wrinkled as the principal frowned at the device still in his hand.

"I'm sure you will, old friend."

A/N: Any guesses on what the crossover fandom is? Pretty sure the most obvious hints just dropped.

Well, no matter if you guessed that right or wrong, you can try and guess what Izuku's quirk is evil smirk