Let the Fun Begin
After Izuku managed to tire Enji out - enough that he'd stop chasing Izuku to save energy for the physical parts of the entrance exams - they actually ended up having a nice lunch in Yuuei's cafeteria.
Iida-san - who told Izuku and his not-siblings to call him by his given name. Which would actually make it both easier and harder on Izuku. Easier, because he wouldn't think of Iida Tenya anytime he said Shun's name, but harder because everytime he went to speak to Shun, he kept seeing Iida Tenya in Iida Shun's place - fit into the trio's, which could now be called a quartet, dynamic.
Where Rei was enthusiastic to the verge of breaking down in hysterical panic attacks, Shun was more of a relaxing enthusiastic which helped bring the enthusiasm down from panic attack levels. Where Enji was distant from the group, Shun was always sure to include him in some part of the conversation, and easing off if he saw that the redhead was likely to snap. Where Izuku was self-less, and lacking in confidence, Shun was sure to encourage his skills - "What do you mean, you didn't think you did all that well on the last test? I took a glance - no, that's not cheating - and you had plenty of information down for them to judge!" - and tell him off for putting himself down.
Izuku was happy when Shun didn't even blink twice when he heard that Rei was actually going to support, and when he glanced at Enji, Izuku knew that Shun had earnt some points with the redhead.
"So let me get this straight," Shun pointed his chopsticks at the three of them, "Rei and Enji aren't dating-" Izuku snickered when each party blushed, "-Isamu isn't Enji's brother, yet -" Izuku pouted when Rei snickered this time, "-and somehow I accidentally befriended the son of a powerful family, and his friends?"
"Pretty much," Enji nodded, moving his food around his plate with his chopsticks.
Shun slapped his hand to his forehead and groaned from behind his arm as Izuku snickered and Rei laughed when Enji just rolled his eyes.
"I've probably made so many enemies without knowing it," Shun sighed, lowering his arm and giving a resigned shrug, "Oh, well."
Izuku smiled, "If it makes you feel better, I had no idea who Enji was until he had to tell me. But by then, I'd accidentally already proved myself to be a good friend," he shrugged.
He ignored Rei's teasing, "They're already like brothers. And only two weeks of knowing each other," she told Shun who gaped at the pair of not -brothers.
"You've only known Isamu for two weeks ?" Shun hissed at Enji who shrugged.
"So?"
Shun looked over at Rei who had one of the widest grins that Izuku had ever seen before, "Two weeks," the male deadpanned at her, "They've only known each other two weeks, and they already act like brothers."
"Oh, tell me about it," Rei agreed easily enough, "They keep denying it as well! They're hopeless!"
"And sitting right here," Enji scowled at the pair of them.
Izuku pouted, "And we're hearing everything you're talking about, as well as the rest of the cafeteria."
Shun stiffened when he heard that, glancing around to see that yes indeed, the majority of the cafeteria was staring at the four in mixed versions of amused curiosity. Izuku just shook his head at the glasses-wearing teen.
Rei just shrugged, "Oh, well," she said cheerily, "They can deal with it, or piss off before I make them."
Aaaaaaaand everyone went back to their own conversations. Izuku sighed in relief as the mental pressure of having so many eyes on them eased up.
He'd never get used to having so many people looking at him. Being quirkless for fifteen years had taught him to never actively seek out attention, so when he'd gone to Yuuei the first time - in his present/in the future - it had been terrifying when people stopped to look at Izuku just because he had the Yuuei Heroics uniform on.
Even now, being in the spotlight just because he was friends with Enji and Rei, Izuku felt uncomfortable every time he felt other people watching them. He half expected someone to suddenly storm up to them and demand to know why quirkless deku was talking with such a successful family's heir, but then he'd remember that he had a quirk and that even if someone did do that, Enji and Rei would be quick to his defense.
And the fact that no one knew he had been quirkless before receiving One for All from All Might also reassured him.
Izuku felt that the lunch break finished sooner than it should've, but he followed his friends as the four of them left the cafeteria.
The auditorium was slowly being filled up by teenagers, but Izuku Was quick to notice that there were less than before.
Most likely because there were people who only needed the written exams, which was what Management and some branches of support had. The support course that Rei was trying to join was one that worked closely with the combat-based Heroics course, so she and others aiming for that course would be taken to a seperate area than those aiming for combat-based heroics or stealth-based heroics.
Vertigal was there again to tell everyone where to go, and they were patient to allow everyone to come in slowly. But as soon as the clock hit one, Vertigal started speaking. Anyone else who came in, were quietly told by those sitting at the sides of the assembled students to find a seat.
Izuku waved to Rei when she got up to leave with the rest of the support students, and she smiled at him before patting Enji's shoulder as she left. Izuku noticed that Shun didn't seem that put-off from not getting a "good luck" from Rei, but he supposed that would only be logical. Afterall, the three of them had only known Shun for a day. Less than that, actually.
Vertigal explained the Rescue portion of the exam, and they narrowed their eyes on the teenagers as they warned the teenagers that the "actors" were real in all but code. If there were any damages to the expensive 'bots, then those expenses would be sent to the parents of the teenager who caused it.
Several people gulped, and that earned some sniggers from others.
Izuku just glanced over to Enji who rolled his eyes, making Izuku smile in amusement.
Lists of various Rescue areas were projected onto the wall behind Vertigal. Izuku was quick to find his name in Area C, then grinned when he spotted Enji's name a bit further down.
Shun sighed, "Looks like we won't be doing the physical together," he frowned and Izuku patted his shoulder.
"Text me when you finish," Izuku all but demanded, "I want to know how you go."
Shun snorted, but nodded, "Sure, Greenie," he grinned, "Good luck for your exam."
"You too!" Izuku chirped as Enji grabbed his arm to pull him away.
Izuku was glad that Enji had insisted on loose, but comfortable clothing for today. The horrible sweatsuit that he'd worn for the first time he'd done the Yuuei entrance exam had actually hindered his ability to move, at least in comparison to the polyester grey shorts and red t-shirt.
He'd been embarrassed at first in the morning before they left for Yuuei, to find that Enji had a grey t-shirt on and shorts that went orange to red at the ends to be Izuku's "matching" partner.
Rei had looked them both up and down with a smug grin when she'd seen them leaving the Todoroki house.
"Are you alright, Enji?" Izuku asked when he noticed the look on his friend's face.
Enji grunted irritably, "I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes."
" Really? "
" Yes ."
"Really?"
"Will you shut-!" Enji froze mid-yell when Izuku flinched backward, tugging Enji's arm with him accidentally as he pulled away from the redhead.
Izuku didn't look up as Enji released his grip around Izuku's arm, the greenette flinching again when the redhead tapped his forearm twice - their signal for an apology - but didn't look up. Trying to regain control over his panicking emotions.
( The first time Isamu flinched away from Enji was enough to set red flags flying. All Enji had done was pat the greenette on the shoulder, but instead of getting the sheepish, embarrassed grin that Isamu normally got when he got complimented, he'd flinched and moved away from Enji.
Enji had written it off after a few days of no flinching, but he'd been more careful around the strange panic attack ridden boy.
But, then Enji had seen how Isamu always kept a massive distance between him and Enji when the redhead was working with his fire. He'd just shrugged it off at first, but the greenette always followed the same pattern, and then he'd noticed how Isamu would jolt backward, pure fear in his eyes as he tried to avoid any fire that came near him. That was the second red flag.
The third red flag had been when Enji had been watching, and this time it had been Rei who set Isamu into a freak out. Rei had been yelling excitedly because one of her favourite singers had released a new album - someone called Wakana Mika - and Enji had been looking around when he noticed that Isamu had disappeared.
Enji had told Rei to go on ahead, and he'd find Isamu, then he'd spent more than ten minutes trying to find the boy before managing to get someone to point out where they'd seen a green-haired boy run off to.
The greenette had been hidden in more of the uncommonly used hallways, mostly because all the shops down it had been closed down, already in the middle of a panic attack.
Enji had been able to calm the other boy down, but he'd been both irritated and confused, yet curious as to why every time he reached out to the other boy that he would tense up for a moment before relaxing slightly.
The fourth and last time - without knowing the reason why - Enji saw a red flag, he finally broke his promise to himself. He asked Isamu why.
Isamu had been confused at first, but then Enji had just rolled his eyes and summoned a tiny flame in the palm of his hand to which Isamu basically ran away from.
The story Isamu tried to not go into detail with was something that made Enji mad. Not only had someone inflicted pain upon their child, but they'd used fire to do so!?
Isamu's father used a quick similar to Enji's on the greenette, so the redhead couldn't blame Isamu for keeping away from him during training. Or at any time when Enji was openly using his Hellflame quirk.
But it opened a history Enji hadn't known about his friend. A history that would pain Enji for undoubtedly forever. He had a fire quirk, a similar one to the one Isamu's abusive father had, he would almost always be causing his friend pain and suffering.
Enji vowed to never harm Isamu ever again. )
"Isamu-"
Izuku focused on calming his breathing down, relaxing his tense muscles, and trying to convince himself that he was alright. Hisashi wasn't here. It was just Enji. Nice, kind, easily irritable, Enji with a fire quirk that wassomuchlikeHisashi'squirk.
Izuku fought the panic that swelled up in his throat, Enji wasn't Hisashi. Hisashi wasn't here. Hisashi couldn't hurt him here.
Izuku finally allowed himself to look up at Enji who had closed his mouth, eyes worried for the greenette.
"I-" Izuku cut himself off, licking his dry lips. Trying to swallow, but his throat wouldn't follow his orders.
Enji seemed to understand, "Take your time," he said, keeping his voice soft.
Izuku nodded and barely swallowed. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out .
He was lucky that it only took a couple of minutes this time. Last time Izuku had fallen into a panic attack, he'd spent hours locked in his - no,no,itwasn'this. Hewasonlyborrowingit. - room. His friend had been knocking on the door the whole time, but he hadn't known until they told him later. Izuku had been hidden in the closet the whole time.
( Enji was panicking. What could have possibly set Isamu off? Was it something he had done? Was it something else?
Rei seemed confused, but somehow understood that something was wrong as she joined him in waiting outside Ismau's door. Enji wasn't more thankful for her in any moment other than this one. She didn't need words to understand him - and he didn't have to struggle to explain himself with those troublesome things - and didn't ask that he try to explain himself to her.
"Isamu, open the door," Enji almost demanded, but somehow managed to keep his voice void of any anger or frustrations, keeping it soft enough as to not startle or cause unnecessary distress to the greenette, "Please Isamu."
There was no answer from behind the door. Enji couldn't even hear the greenette breathing. And if it wasn't for the redhead already having checked the security cameras in case Isamu had run off in the middle of the night, he would've thought that Isamu had left the house.
"Come on, Isamu," Rei's voice was much softer than Enji's had been, "Whatever's wrong we can help you with it."
Not even she was rewarded with a response from the green-bean.
They ended up taking the door off its hinges and struggling to find Isamu until Enji saw that the closet had been open slightly. The poor boy looked so many years younger than what he was as he struggled his way through a panic attack, tears streamlining down his cheeks as his green pools of fearful emotion widened through vagueness.)
Izuku let out a long contented sigh when he felt his chest loosen up. The choking feeling that had trapped itself around his neck had gone, and he let Enji touch him this time.
The redhead's hand was warm - thanks to his quirk - and Izuku found himself leaning into the touch. Enji's hand rubbed up and down his arm comfortingly.
"Better now?" Enji's voice was soft as he asked. The undertones of his gruff personail;ty was there, but Izuku knew that the redhead was trying. And for his sake. Izuku didn't ever want to throw the hospitality the fire quirk user was giving him.
Izuku knew that Enji didn't need to help him as much as he did, but he had, and Izuku would forever be in the redhead's debt for that.
"Yeah," Izuku swallowed, grimacing at his dry throat, "Sorry."
Enji's eyes narrowed on him when Izuku looked up at him, "Stop apologizing," he said with resignation. Izuku grinned cheekily as the redhead rolled his eyes.
It had become a habit now for Izuku to hear those two words whenever he said "Sorry" or either Enji or Rei. It was amusing yet enduring, but Izuku could understand why the pair always said it.
"Ready?" Enji asked him, raising an eyebrow as his eyes moved down the path that they were walking on. It was practically empty.
Izuku's panic attack must've taken longer than he'd thought, if there was no one else heading in the direction to Area C.
"Yes," Izuku nodded, "Sorry again."
Enji glared at him, and it was only out of practice that Izuku managed not to flinch at the not-angry-glare, "Let's just go," Enji sighed, leading the way.
Izuku kept pace with the redhead, until they managed to get to a large wall with the letter C stamped in Yuuei's navy blue colour. They were quick to find the entrance, and join the crowd of fellow teenagers, all of them eager to get staring.
"HELLO YOUNG STUDENTS!" A voice shouted over the noise of so many teenagers, and everyone's attention was drawn to a woman with crazy yellow hair.
She was in an electrician's outfit, a giant baggy jacket with baggy pants both in yellow and black, while she wore yellow rubber boots. The crazy grin she wore reminded Izuku of someone, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"NOW, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE ALL EXCITED TO GET STARTED!" She yelled, "BUT WE HAVE A FEW THINGS TO GO OVER WITH FIRST!"
Izuku shared a glance with Enji, the redhead looking slightly irritated at all the shouting and yelling, but otherwise held a calm I-don't-want-to-murder-people-just-yet air to himself.
The woman was basically going over all the rules about the rescue test. Rules that people should've already known if they'd bothered to actually read the terms of agreement that were at the bottom of their application forms.
It had been something that Izuku hadn't had to do in the future, but because he'd noticed it when sending in his application, he'd taken a look, and been mystified to find that they had a rulebook, and they didn't use it in the future?
Izuku had been beginning to think that something serious would happen to Yuuei in the coming years.
(Which was so confusing, because Nezu was still running the school? So was it something that Nezu sought to change? Or did the school board decide to do it? Or a mixture of two?)
The woman finally introduced herself as the Pro-Hero Zip-Zap, and Izuku wanted to hit his head for how long it took him to recognize her. He'd accidentally come across the mother of his classmate, Kaminari Denki, when studying for past Pro-Heroes - or would it be present? Because this was technically the current time that he was in? - for the entrance exams.
Zip-Zap was an electric type quirk user who could generate electricity from her body. She usually used her quirk in a human-taser like way, because if she let a massive explosion of electricity she fired her brain for a while until her body could accept the electricity running through it again.
(Izuku had facepalmed when he read about her quirk, realizing how much it was like her son's. When- If he got back to the future, he would be sure to help Kaminari Denki with his quirk.
He vaguely remembered something about Zip-Zap going up against a Villain who could eat electricity, and she ended up dying as a new unknown hero managed to take down the villain before he could do any more damage to the city, but the unknown hero had been too late to save the woman)
Anyway, Izuku stuck to Enji's side as the massive crowd of teenagers were herded out into the training field that was eerie similar to the battleground of the entrance exam in the future.
From what Izuku had been able to find out about the exam beforehand, the rescue portion was similar to how his entrance exam had been in the future. Basically a giant free-for-all to go ahead and try to rescue as many people as possible as "villains" - Pro-Heroes acting as villains - attacked the city and let the 'bots act as civilians.
As like Present Mic in the future, Zip-Zap didn't even give them a countdown before yelling "START!"
Unlike the other teenagers, Izuku had been prepared for that, and his body cackled with green lightning as he pulled Enji with him.
They left stunned students behind - Izuku's lightning bright even in the sunlight, which was only brightened further by Enji's flames coming out to push them faster through the air - and were able to hear Zip-Zap telling the students a similar thing that Present Mic had said during Izuku's first entrance exam, and then cackling in a mixture of amusement and glee.
Izuku wasn't sure if she was laughing at the fact that Izuku had known about the not-countdown, or if she was laughing at the confusion of the rest of the students.
Either way - Izuku threw Enji toward a 'bot who unknowingly was walking under a building that was about to fall over - Izuku didn't have the time to think about it. Izuku zipped forward to grab the 'bot while Enji dealt with the falling building, burning through it with struggling ease.
"Are you alright?" Izuku had read enough on what was available online to know that they would have to treat the 'bots as if they were any other civilian in need of help, "Any injuries, Mx?"
The 'bot's voice was surprisingly humane, even if shaken, "N-no, thank you sir. You just saved my life."
"That's what a hero is meant to do," Izuku smiled as he placed the 'bot down safely on the ground, "But be careful, Mx, it's only going to get more dangerous."
"Thank you, sir," the 'bot said before moving on.
Izuku sighed as Enji came over to him, "What's wrong?" the redhead asked him.
"Iwasn'tsurewhattocallthe'botsoIjustcalleditMx," Izuku squeaked out in embarrassment, and Enji just snorted and rolled his eyes.
"That's the thing you're worried about," Enji rolled his eyes again, "Why am I surprised?"
"Sorry!" Izuku mumbled nervously.
"Come on," Enji said, already moving away from the scene where some of his flames were still eating at the building that had fallen, "There's still civilians to save, and we don't have a lot of time to get plenty of points."
"Right!" Izuku nodded following after the redhead.
The rest of the rescue portion of the physical portion of the entrance exam passed quickly after that. Enji and Izuku consistently worked together to help save the 'bot civillains, and even went out of their way to help their peers whenever they saw someone in a tricky situation.
Izuku and Enji even ended up going against one of the "villains" - a Pro-Hero called Fenceline - when they discovered a hostage situation. Enji had been forced to evacuate 'bots while Izuku, with his more indoor safe quirk, took on/distracted Fenceline to allow enough time for Enji to help the 'bots get out of the building.
Fenceline approached them after the exam to offer congratulations for coming up with such a safe and well-thought out plan, and Izuku had stammered his thanks while Enji just nodded.
They wouldn't be shown their results until their letters were sent out to homes in the next fortnight, but Izuku felt that he and Enji had done good on the rescue portion, despite the fact that both of their quirks were more suited for the combat-based heroics.
When the exam had finished, speakers through the fake-city had announced that all examinees were to head back to the entrance area where they'd wait as the Pro-Heroes reconstructed the city for the "villains" exam.
Izuku was more relaxed than he had been before the exam, and he knew that Enji had picked up on it.
"You look happy," Enji commented lightly.
"It's nice," Izuku admitted, "Being able to help, even if they're only 'bots."
He'd never really gotten this kind of feeling when he was standing up for the kids that Katsuki and his cronies would bully. Sure, it'd been there for splitting moments, but then the kid that he'd stood up for had turned on him after Katsuki had had his "fun".
Enji didn't look like he understood, but didn't question Izuku further on the topic. Something that he was relieved for. It would be hard to explain his past - in the future - to Enji without getting some things mixed up as he would have to try to keep it this time friendly.
It took a mere ten minutes for the Pro-Heroes to fix up the battle-area, and for Zip-Zap to announce to the teenagers that everything was set up for the next part of the exam.
Izuku knew that Enji had been looking forward to this part of the exam more than the other parts, and it was a shared sentiment between the redhead and greenette.
"Ready for this?" Izuku asked his friend as they walked to the "starting line" for the Villains portion of their exam.
Enji smirked, "Born ready," he declared easily. Both he and Izuku ignored the glares shot at them.
Their fellow teenagers would regret ever trying to get the two excited - to each their own ways of showing it - teenagers to calm down - through the peer pressure of glares - before the exam.
( In the not-so-distant future, Ikigai would smirk from far behind Endeavor as the flaming Hero took care of the media. Ikigai would help the police with the criminal, then flee the scene, leaving all the public claim of the villain attack to his friend.
Later, Enji would plop down on the couch that was in the Todoroki house living room, Isamu would be munching popcorn as he watched the newscast that was speaking about the villain Endeavor took down single-handedly.
"You deserve the credit," Enji would tell his friend.
Isamu would just smile and shake his head, green locks of hair had only grown darker green as he had grown older, "Sometimes you need to learn the difference between needing the credit, and wanting it."
Enji would just roll his eyes at his friend who would laugh and throw popcorn at him. )
This time when Zip-Zap shouted "START!", all the teenagers knew to run, but of course, Enji and Izuku were at the front of the pack of wild pokemon, erm , teenagers.
Izuku had to duck his head to hide his smile as he heard Enji let out a rare laugh. One that let others know that Enji was actually enjoying himself.
The greenette practically flew into the first robot - thankful that they were actually allowed to destroy these ones - feet first, and was half-surprised to find himself mostly unharmed when he tore through wiring and metal to land on the ground behind the three pointer.
This was so much better than the first time around for Izuku. He couldn't stop the relived smile on his face as he darted after a two pointer that one of his follow examees hadn't noticed.
Tearing through metal plating was easy for Izuku now that he had actually found a way to control One for All for him.
"You alright?" Izuku asked the brown-haired girl - shewasn'tUraraka, stopthinkingofher,Izuku - who gave him a relived smile.
She only looked slightly disapponted, but Izuku could see that it was with herself rather than the fact that he'd "taken" her points, "Thank you so much! I didn't even see that one coming!"
"No problem," Izuku chirped, "Just be careful!"
He waved before darting off again.
Izuku found a pace that fit his rhythm with ease. Darting around in green lightning, he was quick and efficient as he took out the robots. Slowing down slightly every so often to "save" other teenagers who weren't paying attention, but quickly speeding back up to his faster pace.
One- two- One- two- Three! One- two- One- two- Three! Four, four. One- two- One- two- Three! One- two- One- two- Three! Four, four.
The greenette found himself lost in the movements as time sped up around him.
The lesson with Bell-sensei came to mind as Izuku tore apart robot after robot.
"Each and every person has a rhythm that they move to," Bell -sensei had told Izuku who had been listening digilantly while Enji had been off doing one of Bell-sensei's exercises, "So it's easy to find and counter against. Do you know how, Midoriya-kun?"
Izuku tilted his head as he thought about it, "After finding the other person's rhythm, we can change or alter it to set them off balance to give ourselves an advantage?" He said hesitantly, sounding more like he was questioning his own logic.
"Exactly."
It was excatly like Bell-sensei had said. Izuku flowed on his own rhythm, and if anyone came and disrupted it, he'd undoubtedly fall apart.
In the future, Izuku would have to unlearn relying on this specific flow that urged from within, to become more sparotic against those who might know the rhythm technique.
Izuku was broken out of his therapeutic trance by the sound of a buzzer going off, then Zip-Zap announcing that the villain portion of their exam and the final part of their exam was over.
He quickly found Enji when the teenagers all started heading back to the starting area. Confusion was thick in the air as Izuku heard others whispering their thoughts to their friends.
"Why do you think they didn't let the zero pointer out?"
"Did something go wrong?"
"Did I do something wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Izuku asked Enji who was in a similar confused state as the rest of their fellow examinees.
The redhead gave Izuku a slightly puzzled look, "You didn't notice?" He asked, rasing a curious eyebrow, "They didn't release the famous zero pointer."
Izuku pondered over that, "That's werid," he shrugged, "Maybe they felt that all of us had already proven ourselves? Maybe there were too many powerful quirked teenagers?"
Enji just shrugged, "Either way, you have to admit that it's a little strange," he gave Izuku a werid look that he couldn't decode.
"Yeah," Izuku nodded, already thinking of possible reasons for not releasing the "0P" robot.
Enji just rolled his eyes and guided the musing greenette through the crowd of teenagers. The boy missed the congratulations that Zip-Zap gave the entirety before dismissing them, but, somehow, he didn't miss how the electric type quirk Pro-Hero seemed to glance at Izuku part way through her speech.
Izuku didn't bother telling Enji his observations, keeping quiet as they met up with Rei and headed back to the Todoroki home.
He noticed the curious looks that Rei had given both him and Enji, but neither of them bothered to answer, too tired and confused by their last exam, but thankfully the white-haired girl didn't push, more than happy to chat away about her exam and how she'd met several new people who she would be more than happy to work with in the following year, if they made it into the support course that is.
Izuku ended up falling asleep as soon as his head hit his pillow.