The written exams were over before they knew it. They were pretty exhausting, but not all that hard. At least Izuku didn't think so and Kacchan agreed with him, unlike some other people in their class.
"I don't understand why everyone is so worried about Classic Japanese... I didn't think the exam was that hard" Shoto stated while they were discussing their latest exam over lunch.
Izuku was happy he became a somewhat permanent presence in his lunch group. Even Shinsou decided to sit with him more often than not nowadays, meddling with the hero course students along the way. Kacchan always acted annoyed by them but Izuku could see they were growing on him. He liked them, whether he wanted to admit it or not!
"That's cause you're at the top of the damn class, icyhot" Katsuki hissed while stabbing his food, covering up the compliment with his harsh tone.
"So are you though" the halfa pointed out.
"I didn't fucking say it was hard for me now did I?!"
"Geez, calm down explodo" Hitoshi snorted.
"And stop talking about the exams, I'm depressed enough as it is"
"Come on, exams aren't that bad" Izuku chuckled.
"Yeah, you don't even have to worry about practicals" Katsuki grunted, making Izuku's blood run cold. Right, the practical exam at the end of the week... Nothing for a general studies student to worry about, but something every hero course student lost sleep over. Certainly Izuku. Most definitely Izuku.
He hadn't been able to stop planning everything out ever since Aizawa sensei told him about it. It might show in his results for the written portion but the main objective was still passing the practical. He had back-up plans for his back-up plans, fail saves built into every little step. Kacchan had told him to stop overplanning this shit, that it would only make him more anxious in the end. He did have a point, but Izuku didn't know how he could cope without overanalyzing every little detail.
"God, I'd gladly take any practical if that meant I'd be part of the hero course" the insomniac mumbled.
"I thought your training was going well?" Todoroki asked.
"Yeah, it's on schedule but I still feel like I'm falling behind" Hitoshi sighed.
"Hisashi says he's gonna try to fix something for me after summer break but I don't know if he'll be able to convince UA of my skill level yet"
"That's because you don't believe enough in yourself!" Izuku smiled.
"Have a little faith in my dad, okay? He's a great quirk analyst and he will get you into the hero course, I promise"
"Don't make promises you can't keep" Shinsou muttered under his breath. If anyone heard, they decided to ignore it.
"I wonder what the practical will be this year. I heard the others say something about robots" Shoto said, slightly shifting the conversation again.
"Robots would be fucking boring, I bet we're gonna fight some actual people" Katsuki grunted, not giving away the fact he already knew all about the exam. Izuku was only allowed to tell him, after all. Nobody was supposed to know or be able to prepare, that was the whole point! Yet Izuku was glad Aizawa sensei made an exception for them. They just had to keep it quiet.
"People? Against hero students?" Hitoshi asked, raising a brow.
"So like, pro heroes, maybe?"
"Who else, insomniac?" Katsuki mumbled, rolling his eyes as if that was obvious.
"Hm, but getting pros to partake in UA exercises would be difficult... Unless they are alumni, of course" Todoroki frowned, clearly not liking the idea.
"I wouldn't be worried about Endeavor showing up, if that's where you're going with this" Izuku sighed.
"He's way too high up in the rankings for simple first years like ourselves. Bet that if they're pulling in alumni then they're picking out of the younger heroes. Less chance we know their name or the full extent of their quirks, you know?"
"True... Well, whatever they've got planned for you, I'm sure it'll be a challenge. Eraserhead wouldn't miss a chance to make his class struggle" Shinsou mused with a teasing smile.
"Oh yeah? What the hell happened to I would do any practical if it meant I'd be in the hero course?" Katsuki scoffed.
"Oh hush grumpy, like you'll have any trouble passing" Hitoshi mumbled, waving off the comment.
Katsuki scowled, but didn't react. It wasn't as if he could tell him he'd have to face All Might of all fucking people. Passing the practical wouldn't be easy at all against an opponent like that! UA is crazy to even let first years go up against the number one hero! Let alone two of the few first years who actually know what kind of person he truly is... He understood the reasoning behind it, but still. It was fucking messed up.
"Depends on what kind of exercise, right? Combat, rescue, a combination... Maybe some kind of chase or an infiltration mission of some sorts?" Izuku wondered out loud, naming a few of the options UA could've used instead of the students directly fighting their pro hero teachers. He'd definitely put some of those on paper to hand to Aizawa sensei for feedback. No hero student should have to fight All Might. Ever. Not even if they liked him.
"Whatever it is, we'll crush it" Katsuki huffed.
"Right Deku?"
"Right!"
...
Right.
The moment Aizawa sensei announced their assignment, Izuku could feel the blood drain from his face. The duos and their opponents were called out one at a time, Izuku's group being the last one. His breath hitched when he heard his teacher say it. Of course he knew this was going to happen, but that didn't mean a small part of him wished it didn't. They got some time to prepare and come up with a strategy, but Izuku was frozen in place, simply watching his classmates move around, frantically trying to come up with a way to defeat the teacher they had to face.
"Midoriya"
Shoto was the one to snap him out of his trance. The halfa looked worried, an emotion Izuku hadn't seen on him before. Well, it's not like Todoroki ever displayed a lot of emotion. God, he must be looking really bad...
"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, his tone as serious as ever. Izuku was touched by his concern, really, but he wished Todoroki didn't have to worry about him just because he'd be facing All Might. It wasn't even for the reason everybody else was pitying him!
"I'll be there with him, icyhot. He'll be fine" Kacchan hissed before Izuku could answer. It was true that Kacchan's presence was a comfort, but it wouldn't be enough to suppress his anxiety. The real deal was still so much scarier than his mental preparations... His body was on edge and limp at the same time, his heart going a million miles per hour just thinking of what would go down in less than an hour from now. He didn't want to... He didn't want to face All Might, didn't want to risk blowing his cover or doing something he wasn't supposed to-!
"-Deku... Oi! Izuku!"
Izuku blinked, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at Kacchan. Great, now he was crying due to the stress! He's such a wuss! Why can't he just get over himself and just do this?!
"You're gonna be okay. This is what we've practiced for, right?" Katsuki said, grabbing his shoulders in order to ground him. Izuku forced a nod. Yeah, yes, they've been practicing for this. They could do this!
"What do you mean, you've been practicing for this..?" Todoroki asked, confused.
"Aizawa sensei informed us ahead of time so Deku could prepare. He's not a fucking monster you know" Katsuki scoffed, smirking as he continued.
"But I bet he's gonna kick your lame ass"
Shoto frowned, but didn't comment on it. He simply glanced at Midoriya one more time before walking over to Yaoyorozu.
"You didn't have to be so mean about it, Kacchan" Izuku mumbled, looking back down to the ground.
"If he didn't move on soon, people would get suspicious, idiot" Katsuki grunted.
"Now for the plan, which one do you wanna start with? Plan G is my personal favourite"
Izuku's mind blanked out as he tried to review the plans he so meticulously put together ahead of time. Panic washed over him as the plans mixed together in his mind.
"Hey, what the fuck is wrong? Don't just start crying on me you damn nerd!" Katsuki hissed, clearly panicking too. Who wouldn't when your best friend suddenly burst out into tears in front of you? Ugh, they didn't have time for this! Katsuki quickly glanced around to make sure no one was staring at them before pulling the green head with him down the path to ground beta. Fucking hell. Why was he friends with this disaster again? Oh right, cause he's also a fucking disaster.
"Come on Izu, snap the fuck out of this" Katsuki whispered once they were alone and he was sure no one could hear or see them.
"What's the matter? Talk to me dammit"
Izuku didn't instantly react though, so Katsuki had to resort to drastic measures. He pulled Deku into a hug in a last ditch effort to comfort him. The nerd needed to stop crying before their exam started, that was the most important. Not some strategy or half assed plan.
In the end he managed to calm Izuku down enough for him to stop crying, but he was still nervous and scared. His legs were trembling as they stood in front of the giant gate of ground beta, waiting to be let in so they could start their practical exam. No plan, no strategy, no thoughts, head empty... Yep, they were gonna fail big time.
"It's gonna be fine Deku" Kacchan breathed, grabbing his wrist without looking away from the door in front of him.
"We're the Wonder Duo, aren't we?"
Izuku felt a small smile rise to his face as he nodded. Yeah, they were the Wonder Duo. The perfect team. Symbols of hope and victory. Heroes that would never be defeated.
"We don't need a stupid plan to kick his ass" Katsuki added.
"We'll think of something in the field like always and we're gonna nail this thing. Don't deny it, I'm always right and you know it"
"That's true" Izuku chuckled, feeling somewhat relieved by their shitty banter.
A moment later, the gate opened and the start of their exam was announced.
"We'll just...take it nice and easy" Izuku breathed as they walked inside, only for the gate to loudly slam shut behind them, making the green head jump up.
"Oi, just relax, we've got this" Katsuki stated.
"It's not like that asshole is gonna come at us from the start-"
He was cut off when the ground started shaking and a large gust of wind made them stumble back.
"What was that Kacchan?" Izuku frowned.
"Yeah, yeah, shut the hell up. We need to find some cover" Katsuki grunted, wanting to pull Izuku with him, only for All Might to suddenly appear behind them.
"What's this?! Two young heroes are here to stop me?!" All Might's voice rumbled through the arena. Izuku froze up in fear, his body going numb and his mind blank. How did he ever think he would be able to face this man again?! Before they could move or react, he grabbed them and threw them towards opposite sides of the road. Izuku grunted as his back hit a building, a wheeze escaping his lips as he sucked in a breath. Fuck, that hurt.
"You think you're all that hah?!"
Izuku squinted, seeing the explosions before he saw Kacchan himself. Of course All Might didn't seem bothered by those blasts, but that didn't keep Katsuki from trying. He even managed to destroy one of his gauntlets right before Kacchan could ignite it! Izuku frowned, crawling back up and observing the scene in front of him. They'd never stand a chance individually, that's why they were put in a team in the first place. Yeah, working together was the key to victory. So that meant they had to fall back and come up with a plan.
Izuku's eyes darted around, figuring out the best escape route before letting his telekinesis pull Kacchan towards him. He ran and ducked inside a building, successfully losing All Might in just under a minute. Hm, for the number one hero he sure isn't perceptive... That or he's toning it down for the exam. The latter would surprise Izuku though. All Might was more of an all or nothing kinda guy, which was confirmed by all his crazy dangerous decisions he made in the short time he was their teacher.
"Alright, you got something nerd?" Katsuki panted when they came to a standstill.
"Cause my blasts aren't doing shit and I've only got one of my gauntlets left after that fucker crushed my other one"
Izuku was quiet for a moment, his eyes suddenly getting bigger with realization. Oh he had a plan alright... Something only the two of them would be able to pull off. It did involve some risk though...
"Kacchan... What are the risks of creating larger explosions?"
"The hell? It rips up my damn arms, you know that shit" Katsuki frowned, not understanding where Deku was taking this.
"It puts strain on your muscles and arteries, right? The recoil is absorbed by your tissue so if it's too much you'll damage your arm. But do you think All Might knows about that?" Izuku asked, a smile rising to his face.
"...I don't think so, why?" Katsuki asked, suspicious of Deku's sudden enthusiasm. He wasn't gonna blow up his fucking arms and risk permanent damage, no fucking way.
"How do you feel about a second quirk?"
Okay, now that earned his attention.