Energy (D.P./M.H.A.)

. 4 .

He was a bit flabbergasted as someone shot by, using a laser to fly towards the finish. He didn't make it all the way to the other side and flopped down halfway. "Using my beautiful beam for more than one second hurts my tummy," he explained to the bystanders after he did finish.

The pink-skinned girl he raced against looked at him weird.

Aizawa seemed to be watching intently, saving all the information in his head for later.

Midoriya and Bakugou were up next. Bakugou put his arms backwards and propelled himself forward using explosions. He turned back to look at Midoriya, who had his hands on his knees, panting. Midoriya seemed to get sucked up by anxiety even more as he stared at the ground.

Danny felt sorry for him, but when a sudden look of determination crossed his face, Danny couldn't help but cheer a little inside.

They cruised through the other tests. During the grip strength, the standing long jump, and the repeated side steps nothing wild happened. But when they got to the ball throw...

"Infinity!"

The girl —Uraraka, as Danny had learned— turned around, smiling. "No biggie!"

Midoriya was up next. He stared at the ball in doubt, thinking of a strategy. Danny could nearly feel the fear radiating of the boy and wished he could help in any way.

"If he doesn't shape up soon he's going to be the one going home."

Bakugou looked at Iida weird. "Of course he's the one going home, he's the Quirkess loser here!"

Iida was caught by surprise. "Or course he has a Quirk! Didn't you hear what he did at the Entrance Exam?"

Aizawa stared at the boy in the circle, bored, expecting him to throw the ball using his Quirk, breaking his whole arm again.

Midoriya moved his arm back, the whole limb glowing pink and orange, as if lightning coursed through it. Time seemingly slowed down, though Danny wasn't sure if it was his imagination or Clockwork doing something. Whatever it was, they wanted him to see it.

He released the ball and Danny expected it to break through the atmosphere, but he was surprised as the ball came back down only a few meters away from the circle.

Midoriya seemed distraught and froze. "What..." he managed to whisper out. "But...I tried to use it..."

"I erased it."

Aizawa's scarf expanded and floated around him while his hair started hovering. The Trio couldn't help but let out a low whistle at the fancy garment before understanding the situation. "He erased it?" Sam asked to Danny. "Is it coming back?"

"The judges weren't rational when they let you in," Aizawa said to Midoriya. "Someone like you shouldn't be here."

"Wait you did wha—" Midoriya started, but he suddenly backed up a bit at seeing something. "Wait. Those goggles! I know you! You can look at someone and cancel out their Quirk! You're the Erasure Hero, Eraserhead!"

"Eraser? Who's that?" The question came from somewhere in the group.

Danny ignored the speculations coming from the group and turned towards the school building, where he could clearly sense someone watching. The bulky man in the yellow suit was looking at the duo having a stand-off, and despite his facial expression being stuck in a smile, he seemed...almost worried.

"You're not ready if you don't have control over your power. Were you trying to break your arm again? Having someone else help you?"

Midoriya tried to protest, but he was grabbed by Eraserhead's scarf and pulled towards the man. "No matter what your goals are, you're a reliability, just like another grotesque hero I know." He glanced at the school building. "He saved a lot of people at once and became a legend, but with that drive..." He looked back at Midoriya. "If you can only throw one punch before breaking down, I see no way you can become a hero."

His scarf retracted and his hair fell back down. "I returned your Quirk. One more throw. And hurry it up."

"Damn, he's really into that creepy vibe," Tucker shuddered. "Is he even fit to be a teacher?"

"Not sure," Danny said as he watched how Midoriya gripped the ball in his hand harder. "But I think he needed the lash-out. It's a good drive, being told you're not good."

"Speaking from experience, I presume?" Sam rolled her eyes.

"Maybe."

Tucker and Sam shared a look at his dry answer. They were worried for their friend. Ever since they had gotten here, Danny had seemed...distant. Or worried, they weren't sure. But whatever it was, they ne—

A rush of air interrupted their thoughts. After the dust settled, they watched how Midoriya clenched his right fist together, and with tears in his eyes, he looked at Aizawa. His index finger was completely purple, but he didn't seem particularly distraught, almost as if he had known this would happen.

"Mr. Aizawa, you see--" he grinned victoriously and clenched his hand into a fist, and breathed out to steady himself-- "I'm still standing."