MHA Shorts

Re: Subject 06's Change of Heart (Experiments AU: pt. 5)

[MHA Characters are test subjects in a secret, underground lab (part five) Ojiro lacks confidence because his ability is weaker than others.]

Obviously, all the children in the lab were special, extraordinary even, but though everyone around them could clearly see that, the children themselves did not. Their only frame of reference was each other, and with exceptional as the standard, anything less was lame and boring. At nine years old, Mashirao Ojiro, subject 06, was, in his mind, far below the standard of exceptional.

In the world that Ojiro was a part of, small as it was, 'special' was a word reserved only for the most powerful, like Bakugo or Shinso, the only two of the kids who consistently ranked in the top third in all three skill categories: academics, athletics, and use of their unique abilities.

Yaoyorozu was special; she could memorize entire textbooks and encyclopedias and pull anything anyone needed out of her body in moments, not to mention she could beat anybody in an eating contest without breaking a sweat.

Even Kaminari and Aoyama managing to rank in the bottom third of all three skill categories could be considered special. But Ojiro was right in the middle of the pack, not really good or really bad at anything. He was reminded of this every time the children went to sector 1B for their training and lessons.

Sector 1B had three digital ranking boards on the wall directly to the left of the entrance. They were labeled ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS, and ABILITIES, and updated every time an instructor input new information into the lab's computer system. Every test score, every sparring match result, every random observation instructors tacked on at the end of their reports, all of it was factored into the rankings, and the children could see the rankings every time the entered or left the instruction ward, sector 1B.

Currently, Bakugo was frustrated to no end by his inability to overtake Yaoyorozu in academics, but was managing to hold onto his lead for ability use, and was far enough ahead of the rest in athletics that he wasn't worried about losing his top spot. Kendo and Eijirou were fighting for second place in athletics, as they always were, their positions switching almost daily, but Togata was slowly climbing the ranks for athletics, as well as abilities.

Ojiro was the only one who always managed to be in the middle tier on all three boards, every single day. At that time, he was twelfth in both academics and athletics, and fourteenth for his ability. How he managed to get even that high was a mystery to him. His tail was just a tail. It didn't shoot lasers, it couldn't lift a car, or turn to steel, or morph into other things like Shoji's extra limbs did. It couldn't even hold things properly. It wasn't an arm. Tails didn't have fingers, let alone thumbs. It served as a decent seat when he was tired, and the end was fluffy so Kaminari like to pet it, which was weird when he thought about it, but it felt kinda nice, comforting even, so Ojiro didn't mind.

The kids were working on training with their abilities one day when Mister Hizashi walked in for no discernible reason. Mister Shota walked up to him the moment he entered, asking why he'd come.

"I finished early for the day, and I wanted to hang out with you and the kids," Mister Hizashi said. "There's not a problem is there?" Mister Shota frowned at him.

"He is technically our superior," Mister Vlad pointed out. "We cannot exactly tell him leave."

"Fine. Just stay quiet and don't get in the way," Mister Shota said, and turned his back on the interloper to observe the children.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Mister Hizashi said, but they all knew there was a better chance of a freak seismic event bringing the lab up to the surface than there was of Mister Hizashi being even relatively quiet for more than six consecutive minutes.