Infectious

ch. 39

Chapter Thirty Nine;;- Capable

[name], Aizawa, and Ms. Joke all sat on the bleachers, looking out over the big stadium arena. In the middle of it, there was a box where all the students were and the murmur of their conversation could be heard even through the walls that separated them and the teachers. Surrounding the room was where the test would be taking place-- there was giant rock mountains, faux city skyscrapers and shells of half-constructed buildings laid out around the arena so that the participants could choose where they wanted to duke it out. It was amazing, really, like nothing [name] had ever seen.

Ms. Joke, who had been previously chattering away, stopped talking when she heard the students' voices inside the box stop talking to. A man speaking over the microphone could be heard on the inside, but it was difficult for the teachers outside the room to understand what he was saying. He must be delivering the instructions, [name] assumed.

She waited with bated breath for a long couple minutes, the droning voice of the instructor inside sending nerves straight to her stomach. [name] shifted in her seat, hoping the nausea would go away once she saw her kids moving around out there.

The room in the center of the arena fell open, revealing the cluster of students in the middle. The instructor's voice finally became clear enough to catch the end of his instructions: "Please do your best and capitalize on your skills. All of this work out of consideration to open up the terrain like this... But it was ultimately pointless, I lost so much sleep over it."

The ending of the speech didn't make a whole lot of sense to [name], but seeing all the students crowded together in the center did put her heart at ease a little bit. She knew her twenty were in there and just fine, and she knew they would do their absolute best.

With the instructions over, Ms. Joke clapped a hand over her mouth, giggling. "Eraser! Your fly's open."

Aizawa rolled his eyes dramatically, crossing his arms over his chest and ignoring Ms. Joke. [name] felt compelled to look anyway, but, after remembering that Aizawa wore a jumpsuit, figured that he probably didn't have a fly anyway.

Ms. Joke didn't seem to mind Aizawa's snubbing. "To think, all twenty kids are still hanging in there. It's rare for you not to've expelled anyone yet! Have you warmed up to this year's class?" She asked.

"Not particularly," Aizawa answered curtly.

[name] leaned forward so that she could see Ms. Joke better and join the conversation. "He's definitely threatened it a couple of times this year."

Ms. Joke laughed loudly. "Don't go denying it, it's lame! Let's go out!"

Without missing a beat, Aizawa quipped back. "Be quiet."

"But c'mon you gotta admit it's strange," Ms. Joke said, then was actually quiet for a moment as she looked out over the group of students.

They were attaching targets to various parts of their bodies and talking strategies with people they knew. [name] noticed several small smudges of color that she thought were her students splitting off from the main group.

"Even though this exam is all about unpredictability from year to year, there is something close to a constant. Amongst all of the high schools competing across the whole country, the sole school that's lost the advantage of their quirks being unknown is the top school, the school whose sports festival broadcasted not only its students' quirks, but even their weak points and general styles." Ms. Joke tore her eyes away from the field of scattering students and grinned at Aizawa and [name]. "If ya like this year's class so much, then ya shoulda told them! The first thing they do every time..." She paused as 'start' echoed through the stadium. "is go Yuuei hunting."

[name] felt her stomach sink. She didn't know jack shit about this exam and it sure seemed like Aizawa had intentionally kept this from her as well. She struggled to keep a composed face, not wanting to show Ms. Joke her concern and risk looking foolish. She folded her hands in her lap and gripped them tightly.

Aizawa glanced over to Ms. Joke, still looking like he didn't care. "Ah, yes, Yuuei hunting. It's not as though I had any reason not to tell them, but either way, it wouldn't change how they act."

Absentmindedly, [name] nodded, more to herself than to agree with Aizawa. Aizawa knew what he was doing. He knew there was no reason to worry [name] pointlessly when they both knew that their students were more than capable of smashing any obstacle in their path. They had survived more than one villain attack, hadn't they? Their kids were more prepared for this than they ever had to be. "All they need to do is keep pressing forward, overcoming the obstacles in their way. They've proved they can do that," She murmured confidently, despite the death grip she was holding her own hand with.

"Being a hero means being able to get yourself out of a pinch. Once you become a pro, it's a give then your quirk has been exposed to the world." Aizawa turned his eyes toward the arena. "I'm sorry to say, but we're looking a bit farther ahead than everyone else."

Ms. Joke was silent for a moment, concentrating her attention on the mess of quirks that had already started bursting out over the massive arena floor. Her eyes flitted over the different landscapes.

"It's the first trial of the provisional license exam!" shouted an announcer. "The balls are flying over a field that incorporated all sorts of environments! The examinees have all places three targets where they so choose on their bodies and wield six balls. You're out once all three of your targets have been hit. The first one hundred to cause two other o drop out will clear this phase of the exam and advance!"

Once she was sure the announcement had ended, Ms. Joke spoke again. "Making it a contest of speed like that makes it seem like the kids who attack first will win, but that's actually not how it'll play out... Am I wrong?"

[name] looked out over the field, watching a large crater form as someone attacked another. Wouldn't everyone be too focused on the 'first one hundred' part to think clearly enough about the necessary skills to pass?

"It seems like the key to winning will be unity and cooperation, as well as whatever information they manage to glean. Indeed, the kids who are led astray by the conceit of the first one hundred passing and act too hastily will only see themselves defeated by those whom they challenged," Aizawa analyzed. He was focused mainly on the group of bright colors that he thought was their class. It was difficult to tell from far away, but he still felt pretty certain.

[name] felt a brief moment of admiration for the man sitting beside her. He always seemed to know exactly what was going on and exactly what to say. He was so good with that reporter at the press conference, but on a regular basis he seemed to speak so bluntly and mostly people interpreted it as rude. It was vaguely intriguing, but nothing that made her think any less of him.

"You're being awfully condescending, Eraser, Pathogen," Ms. Joke said, shooting him a miffed look. "There are as many kids who wanna be heroes as stars in the sky. Prestige and Fame don't factor into it, only how much the kids want it. If you lot keep thinking you're the main players and look down on everybody else, then the ones who'll rush to their defeats might just be you."

Almost as soon as she finished saying that, the ground in one of the areas looked like a violent earthquake hit it suddenly. It must be one of Mr. Joke's student's quirks. A lot of the students on the field paused, looking over at the sight. In the moment of little movement, a large wind-based attack rushed through a portion of the field and the announcer made a choking sound through the microphone.

"120 examinees are now out! 120 have been taken out by a single person, who thereby passes the exam!" The announcer exclaimed. "Quite the eye-opener. Things will only be hitting an ever more frenzied pitch!"

[name] would be lying if she said she didn't feel a tad worried at that, but she still couldn't help but disagree with Ms. Joke's words. She knew her kids were capable enough. It might seem like overconfidence to some, but only if they didn't know them like she did.

a/n: khgksgh i want to be done with provisionals soo bad i'm sorry if i'm rushing this part i just really dont have a whole lot to do cuz its so student centered.

originally i wrote another chapter with the end of the license exam, but i reread it and realized,, it was completely unnecessary. i didn't like it, too, so i got rid of it! this is the end of the provisional exam !! yall aint ready for what's comin