Izuku's Quirks:
1) One For All
2) Blackwhip
3) Float
4) ?
5) ?
6) ?
7) ?
Enjoy.
xXx
A couple of days have gone by after the incident with the House of Evolution and ever since then, Izuku has been spending most of his time either fighting Mysterious Beings or completing his duties as principal to Hero Academy.
The only actual change to Izuku's usual routine is that Genos has made it his duty to follow him around wherever he goes so he can learn from him, even though Genos still has to prove himself in the Hero Certification Exam which will occur next week. However, Izuku let's the cyborg be as he doesn't see the harm in Genos learning a thing or two from himself, although after taking a peek at Genos's notebook, Izuku had to point out to him that he didn't need to take note of literally everything he does. As someone who had filled many notebooks with information on Heroes and their Quirks as a child, Izuku can appreciate Genos's thinking, but the cyborg went into far too much detail in studying himself.
Izuku still can't understand what Genos could possibly learn by studying the angle in which he sits on a chair.
While Izuku's schedule is usually busy, he has managed to take a day off which is a rare occurrance for the Number One Hero. Mysterious Beings don't take days off and often attack at random times, meaning that predicting the movements of Mysterious Beings is impossible and requires Deku to remain vigilant at all times. However, it has been quiet these past couple of days. While there has been some Mysterious Being attacks, they mostly tend to be Tiger-level threats who can be dealt with by other Heroes who want to rise in the ranks. And since it's a Saturday, Izuku's principal duties are practically nonexistent, giving him the day off to himself.
That's why Izuku Midoriya is walking around City F on his own. Usually, Genos would be following him like a puppy, but the cyborg is visiting a scientist for a maintenance check. Tatsumaki was called away to deal with a Mysterious Being threat in City X while Fubuki is off recruiting some Heroes for her Blizzard Group, leaving Izuku to travel on his lonesome.
As the Number One Hero, Izuku can be easily recognized by most civilians, which is why he is wearing a simple pair of jeans and a green hoodie which has the hood up to hide his messy green hair and upper face. Even with his attempt to remain inconspicuous, Izuku sticks out like a sore thumb because of his muscular build and tall height.
While walking down the path, Izuku stops in front of a TV display window. "I wonder if there's a place nearby that sells katsudon" Izuku muttered to himself, having a craving for his favourite food.
"The terrorist group responsible for the riots call themselves the Paradisers."
Izuku turns towards the TV display window which has seven TVs showing the news about a terrorist group. Along with the female news anchor, the screen also shows a video of a building which was destroyed by the terrorist group.
"They have destroyed a high-rise building in City F and the situation seems to be spiraling out of control. We have just learned the identity of their leader" spoke the news anchor before a close-up picture of a smirking man with a scar across his nose and a large head appears on the screen. "This is Hammerhead, a B-Class criminal who has been involved in several violent incidents in the past. He's a man of large stature, standing at 6"6' tall and weighing 462 pounds. According to a police report, he fought twenty men in a street brawl and sent each of them to the hospital."
"Of all the times for terrorists to cause havoc, why did it have to be today and in the same city I'm in?" thought Izuku with a sigh. "Maybe I won't be needed. Sneck supervises City F so I'm sure he and other Heroes are already on the case."
"The Paradisers sent the following message to this TV station. 'We will continue to riot until food, clothing and shelter are provided free of charge to those who do not work, amongst other unintelligible demands. Like Hammerhead, the group is made up of unemployed young men with no motivation to work" continued the news anchor.
"They're rioting... because they don't want to work?" thought a baffled Izuku. "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"Reports indicate that they all have shaven heads, making them not only uniform in appearance, but also quite intimidating. It is advised that those who encounter any shaven-haired men on the street should leave the area immediately."
"Never mind, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" thought Izuku, staring at the television screens in bewilderment. All the Paradisers being bald is weird enough, but for the news anchor to actually tell the public to run away if they were to see a bald man on the street? Does the news station not realize that there's a lot of bald men in the world who aren't members of the Paradisers? "I need to send a complaint to the news station when this is all done and over with."
Knowing that he can't just walk away while the Paradisers run rampant throughout the city, Izuku bends his knees and leaps up into the air, surprising the nearby people who feel the wind blow upwards from the force of Izuku's jump. With the single jump, Izuku reaches all the way to the rooftop of the high-rise building. Once on the rooftop, Izuku looks around to see if he can spot any sign of the Paradisers. Izuku narrows his gaze when he sees smoke coming from a few blocks away. The Hero runs across the rooftop and leaps towards the source of the smoke.
After leaping over several city blocks, Izuku glides down to the road and once he lands, Izuku takes in his surroundings. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the Paradisers have been through the area. Izuku looks around and sees that the source of the smoke is a pile of rubble which use to be a high-rise building. The street is also filled with destroyed vehicles and the unconscious bodies of nearly a hundred police officers in riot gear. Already, several ambulances have been called and medics are currently working on treating the injured police officers, as well as a Hero who looks to have attempted to stop the Paradisers by himself.
Izuku recognizes the Hero when he sees the Hero's helmet and his bicycle. "Isn't that Mumen Rider?" He doesn't personally know Mumen Rider, since they don't ever meet each other during patrols or monster attacks, but from a few meetings with the Hero Association Council that Izuku attended, one of the topics spoken about was Mumen Rider's lack of desire to move up to B-Class after holding the title of C-Class Rank 1 for nearly half a year.
The area has been closed off with police tape so to keep the curious civilians from getting any closer to the wreckage. There are also some police officers around who lack the riot gear that their unconscious comrades are wearing, meaning that they arrived after the Paradisers. Izuku walks past the crowd of civilians and ducks underneath the police tape.
A nearby police officer notices the large man in civilian clothing going past the police tape and moves to stop him. "Sir, you need to stay back behind the tape."
"No need for that, officer. I'm here to help" told Izuku before he pulls down his hood, revealing his face to the public.
Everyone quickly recognizes the face of the S-Class Rank 1 Hero, Deku. "Mr. D-Deku" stuttered the police officer who pales when he realizes that he was trying to order around the Strongest Hero. "A-Apologies, I didn't know it was you."
Deku bellows out a laugh that slightly shakes the ground. "No need to worry about that. You were just doing your job. Tell me, what happened here?" he asked while looking towards the unconscious officers who are being treated by the medics.
"It was the Paradisers. They have been causing havoc across City F, throwing cars, beating officers and they've recently destroyed a building. We sent in a riot team to deal with them, but they were completely overwhelmed" explained the police officer while trying to ignore the civilians who are either gossiping with one another over seeing the Number One Hero in person or are taking pictures of said Hero with their phones.
Izuku ignores the excited civilians and keeps his attention on the police officer. "What are the numbers of the Paradisers?"
"They've been last reported to have twenty-three members, including their leader, Hammerhead."
"How does a group of twenty-three criminals manage to defeat nearly a hundred police officers in riot gear and destroy an entire building?" asked Deku, curiously. True, Hammerhead must be strong to earn his B-Class Villain ranking, but he shouldn't be able to defeat the overwhelming numbers of police officers in riot gear, even with twenty-two others. Izuku also notices a lack of explosive residue near the destroyed building, indicating that no explosives were used to topple down the building. Which only pegs the question, how did they destroy an entire building without explosives?
"The Paradisers are all wearing some sort of high-tech suit of armour. Not sure how they got their hands on that sort of tech, but eyewitness reports say that one of the Paradisers destroyed the building... with one punch" explained the officer who gulps at the thought of fighting a group of Villains with such powerful high-tech armour.
"Only one Paradiser destroyed the building?" muttered Deku who doesn't like the sound of that. He is also curious over how the terrorist group managed to get their hands on high-tech suits of armour that can give them enhanced strength. "Do you happen to know which way the Paradisers are heading?" Izuku asked the police officer.
The police officer is more than happy to point down the street. "Last we checked, they were heading towards the direction of the woods."
Deku offers a grateful nod to the police officer. "Thank you, officer. You have been most helpful. Now, it's time for the Paradisers to face justice!" exclaimed Deku who runs down the road, looking like a green blur to everyone who is watching.
xXx
It doesn't take long for Deku to arrive at the woods, but what he finds stops him in his tracks.
"The Paradisers are all dead?"
Izuku looks around the destroyed part of the woods, seeing nothing but the headless corpses of the Paradisers. As the police officer said, the Paradisers all adorn a full-body suit of armour, but it looks like the armour didn't do much to protect them against whoever found them.
"Wait a second, where's Hammerhead?" Izuku asked himself, noticing that Hammerhead's body isn't among the corpses of his fellow Paradisers. Hammerhead's large head would be easy to notice in the pile of others so the fact that it's missing must mean that he's still alive, at least for now.
Izuku turns his head when he sees a large boulder fly into the sky from deep in the woods and watches as the flying boulder hits what looks like a giant pile of gold feces on top of a nearby high rise building. "I swear, nobody has any taste in style these days" thought Deku, wondering why anyone in their right mind would want a giant piece of gold that's shaped as feces lying on top of their building.
Ignoring the awful taste of design, Izuku runs towards the direction in which the thrown boulder came from.
xXx
Hammerhead can be found running through the forest with a kunai stuck in the back of his head. The Villain's goal to destroying Zeniru's building has failed after the multi-millionaire sent his bodyguard to stop the Paradisers. The Paradisers had the numbers and strength, yet Zeniru's bodyguard was far too fast for them to handle. All of Hammerhead's followers were butchered within seconds and while Hammerhead did put up a fight, he had still lost to the speedster. That's why the criminal faked his death when the bodyguard threw a kunai in the back of his head and is now retreating.
"That was close. Good thing that ninja freak hit my head. My skull has always been several times thicker than a normal person's" thought an angry Hammerhead while he runs as far away as he can from Zeniru's bodyguard. "I don't know who that guy was, but one day, I'm going to kil-" Hammerhead's thoughts stop when he sees someone running towards him. "Now what?"
Hammerhead stops and stares at the green-haired man who he sees is wearing a simple hoodie. "Who the hell are you?" he asked, finding the man familiar for some reason. "I swear I've seen his face somewhere before."
Izuku Midoriya looks Hammerhead up and down while purposely studying the Villain's suit of armour. While the suit of armour looks exactly like the ones that the other Paradisers were wearing, Hammerhead's has been painted with fire designs to help him stand out as the leader. "Hammerhead, I am from the Hero Association and I'm here to put you under arrest."
When Hammerhead throws a punch, Izuku isn't surprised, nor caught off guard. Most Villains tend to throw the first punch when they first encounter Heroes so he has been expecting it from the moment they made eye contact. That's why Izuku is so quick to raise a hand to catch the punch, but he is honestly surprised by the power he can feel in the blow. He still manages to keep a hold of Hammerhead's thrown fist, but Izuku can feel his hand get slightly numb from the power in the punch, even when using Full Cowl at 5%. Even though he successfully catches Hammerhead's punch, the shockwave from the impact causes the surrounding area to explode as if an explosion went off. Nearby trees and boulders either shatter or are blown away by the shockwave and the ground craters.
When the dust from the explosion disperses, Hammerhead can only gape at the Hero who is holding onto his outstretched fist, having blocked his punch with one hand and did so with ease.
"How?! This suit of armour enhances my strength to the point where I can bring down a building with one punch and he stopped it with one hand!" thought Hammerhead, noticing that the only actual damage he did to the Hero is destroy his hoodie which was shredded by the explosive shockwave, leaving the Hero shirtless. "W-Wait a minute, I know you! Y-You're D-D-Deku!" stuttered the Villain who only now recognizes the man who's known as the World's Strongest Hero. That explains why his suit didn't do any damage to the Hero.
"That's gonna sting for a bit" muttered Deku, referring to his stinging right hand which he used to block Hammerhead's punch. "That suit is impressive. If I were to gauge its strength, I would say it's around the level of Puri Puri Prisoner" he thought, impressed, but weary that the suit of armour can give a B-Class Villain like Hammerhead strength to rival that of a S-Class Hero. Deku is quick to return his attention to the Villain. "That suit is troublesome. Take it off." Small sparks of emerald lightning appear across Deku's body as he increases the power of his Full Cowl technique from 5% to 10%.
Without giving the Villain a chance to respond, Deku punches Hammerhead in his chest. The punch shatters the suit of high-tech armour like glass while also knocking Hammerhead out at the same time, leaving the B-Class Villain naked and unconscious on the floor.
Izuku is about to reach down and arrest Hammerhead when he senses killing intent to his left. In the blink of an eye, Izuku's left hand snaps upwards and catches a thrown kunai that was aimed at his head. "Wh-" Izuku's eyes widen when a man appears out of nowhere and thrusts his sword towards Izuku's left eye. "Fast!"
Just as the sword is only a few millimeters away from piercing Deku's eye, the Hero catches the blade and stops it in its tracks. The owner of said sword tries to push and pull the sword out of the man's grip, but finds that it won't budge. "It's not budging" thought the surprised assailant, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic.
"Be careful. You could have poked someone's eye out with this thing" joked a smiling Deku. "Here, let me help with that." Izuku clenches his fist and shatters the sword with ease.
Sonic jumps back to a safe distance and looks at his destroyed sword. "You, you're that Hero everyone is always talking about. Deku, isn't it?"
Deku nods while keeping his guard up around the man before him. The young man who just attempted to kill him has black hair and adorns a tight bodysuit with plates of armour covering some of his shoulders and arms with a long purple scarf wrapped around his neck. "That I am and I take it you're the one who dealt with the Paradisers, isn't that right?"
"Those bald-headed fools were unfortunate to attempt an attack on my employer while I was still under contract" answered Sonic with a cold stare. "You see, I'm a perfectionist so I complete all my jobs with 100% efficiency. That's why I can't allow Hammerhead to live. I can't let you walk away either."
Izuku narrows his eyes at the ninja, tensing up for a fight that's about to occur. "Oh?"
"You were able to read my attacks, twice. This I cannot allow. Born in a ninja village, I've been honing and perfecting my techniques since the early days of childhood, yet you saw right through them. This I cannot allow" told Sonic.
"He reeks of killing intent" thought a tense, but still smiling Deku who's getting a bad vibe from the man before him.
"My pride won't have it. I don't care who you are. I can't let you simply walk away." In a near instant, Sonic appears behind Izuku in a burst of speed that could nearly be considered as teleporting. Izuku senses the ninja behind him and is quick to turn around to throw a fast punch, but the ninja disappears and reappears a couple of feet away from Izuku. He even has his back turned to Deku, looking as if he's not worried about facing off against the S-Class Rank 1 Hero.
"He's fast" thought Deku. He had thrown his punch with Full Cowl at 15% and yet, the ninja dodged it effortlessly. "Although, that smile of his is a bit creepy."
During the split second that the ninja appeared behind him, Izuku had caught a glance of the man's expression before be disappeared again and what he saw was a bloodthirsty grin. If Izuku's smile brings hope and joy to the populace, then the ninja's smile would be the complete opposite, only bringing fear and terror.
With a wide grin and a chuckle, Sonic jumps up into the air in a burst of speed so fast that he causes a shockwave from the motion. The ninja begins jumping from tree to tree while moving so fast that he barely appears as a black blur. In fact, he's moving so fast that it looks like there's several of him moving around. Each time the ninja jumps off a tree or off the ground, a shockwave occurs.
Izuku's eyes blaze around the area as he keeps track of the ninja's movements, even if Sonic is moving at speeds faster than the speed of sound.
"What incredible speed. Every time he jumps, he breaks the sound barrier. No wonder the Paradisers were massacred so easily. They likely died before they had any idea what was happening" thought Deku who has only seen such speed among a handful of humans, himself included. Deku then narrows his eyes in suspicion. "But this speed, those movements... why are they so familiar?" he wondered, seeing a very big resemblance in Sonic's moves to that of a certain S-Class Hero.
"What do you think of this speed that breaks the sound barrier? Of these shockwaves? Can you even see me?" thought Sonic while jumping all over the area while keeping his eyes focused on the Hero so he can choose the right moment to strike. Sonic chose the moment after he jumps off a tree and aims straight towards the back of the Hero.
"There you are."
To Sonic's disbelief, the Hero actually turns his head to look at him, even as he's moving faster than the speed of sound. "Bastard" thought Sonic before he begins spinning forward in a series of very fast flips to gain momentum. "Wind Blade Kick!" exclaimed Sonic who stops flipping before aiming an axe kick down on the Hero's head. With the combination of his speed, as well as the momentum from his flips, Sonic's kick now has the power to cut through steel.
Deku widens his eyes upon recognizing the ninja's attack. "His moves are exactly like Flashy Flash's!" he thought, recognizing Sonic's move as the same one that the S-Class Rank 13 Hero uses.
Sonic is baffled when he witnesses the Hero actually step aside to dodge his Wind Blade Kick. The ninja's bafflement is quickly replaced with pain once Deku punches him in the chest. Sonic opens his mouth to scream once he feels his ribs shatter from Izuku's punch, but no sounds comes out. However, the ninja does manage to release a scream when the force of Izuku's punch tosses him away into the sky, quickly disappearing into the horizon.
Izuku only realizes what he did once he sees the ninja fade in the distance. "Oops, kind of panicked there for a moment" muttered Deku who realizes that he used too much power in his punch. Recognizing the ninja's moves as the same ones Flashy Flash uses had honestly surprised Izuku and while the revelation only distracted him for a second, it was more than enough time for the ninja to land a possible fatal blow on him. Luckily, Izuku managed to use Full Cowl at 70% capacity to dodge the kick, but in his panic to knock aside the dangerous individual, Izuku forgot to lessen One For All's output when he threw his punch so instead of simply knocking out the ninja like he attended, he had punched him through the sky and possibly killed him.
"I doubt that punch did him in. Flashy Flash can take one of my punches at 100% so I'm sure that guy could survive that" thought Izuku who is trying to save himself the thought of having killed an actual human being. It would be the first time and if he's honest, the thought makes the Hero queasy. "While his moves were practically identical to Flashy Flash's, he wasn't as fast as him."
The ninja proved to be incredibly fast and deadly, but he didn't match up to the speed of Flashy Flash who can move so fast that Deku struggles at times to keep up with him. Where it took 70% of Izuku's Full Cowl technique to dodge Sonic's kick, it usually takes the use of his Full Cowl at 100% to match and even surpass Flashy Flash's speed.
"I better head back and report this to headquarters."
( Deku's Apartment )
"Was he really that fast?" asked Fubuki who as usual, invited herself into Izuku's apartment. She sits on one of the chairs near the couch that Izuku is currently sitting on.
Izuku leans back and nods. "Very fast. If he had applied to the Hero Registry, he would have made it to S-Class, easily."
"Bah, if I was the one who met him, I could have destroyed him. You should have called me. I could have dealt with him for you" remarked Tatsumaki who lies back across the other side of the couch. Even though she's lying down on the couch, Tatsumaki's feet don't touch Izuku, due to her small height.
"I have no doubt about that. The guy was fast, but his speed wouldn't matter if either of you two used your psychic abilities on him" stated Izuku in complete honesty. The ninja might move faster than the speed of sound, but all that speed doesn't mean much if he's caught in a psychic hold by either of the Psychic Sisters. Even Fubuki who's the weakest of the two could have beaten the ninja if she got to use her abilities on him before he could move.
Fubuki is honestly surprised by Izuku's high praise and looks down at her knees so to hide the blush on her cheeks. Izuku saying that the B-Class Hero could defeat the S-Class Villain has Fubuki's heart skip a beat.
Tatsumaki on the other hand knows that she can defeat the S-Class Villain, but she glares at her sister once she notices Fubuki's blush. "One compliment and Izuku turns Fubuki into a blushing schoolgirl."
A knock of the door has Izuku stand up to answer it, leaving the living room to the sisters who glare at each other with sparks clashing between their eyes. Their glares stops the moment Izuku returns, although they're surprised to see a cyborg walking behind him.
"Ladies, this is Genos. He'll be taking the Hero Certification Exam in a few days and if he passes, I've promised to take him on as a student" said Izuku, introducing Genos to the Psychic Sisters.
Genos bows in a perfect ninety degree angle. "Please take care of me."
"What!" yelled Tatsumaki who levitates up from the couch so she can glare down at the cyborg who dares think he's good enough to be named Deku's student. "And what makes this can of bolts think he's good enough to be your student?" demanded the Esper while glaring daggers at Genos.
Tatsumaki's aggression has Genos take a battle stance while heat begins building up in his mechanical arms. "If it's a fight you are requesting, then-"
"There will be no fighting in my apartment" told Izuku who lightly smacks Genos across the top of his head. "I only got this place fixed up."
Genos powers down his weapons and bows to Izuku in apology. "Apologies, sensei."
"If you're going to be my student, then my first lesson for you is to control your recklessness" scolded Izuku. "You're skilled, but you overestimate your abilities when facing against beings more powerful than you, like Beast King and Carnage Kabuto. You need to recognize when to fight and when to retreat. Take Tatsumaki for instance." Izuku points up to the Esper who is still glaring down at Genos. "Without thinking, you got reckless and attempted to fight her. I can tell you now that if I didn't stop you, she would have killed you in an instant" explained the Number One Hero in a serious manner.
Genos looks between a serious Izuku and smug Tatsumaki in disbelief. "This little girl is that strong?"
"What did you call me you piece of scrap metal?!" yelled Tatsumaki who's power is starting to make the building shake.
A Blackwhip emerges from Izuku's shoulder and hits the back of Tatsumaki's head, making her lose focus of her powers. "Tatsumaki is the S-Class Rank 2 Hero for a reason, Genos. She's practically on the same level of power as myself."
Genos nods in understanding, although he finds it hard to believe that the little girl is as strong as Deku.
Fubuki has kept quiet throughout the interaction, but now that it seems like things are calming down, she decides to speak up. "I'm surprised that you accepted to have a student. Many people would give anything to be taught by the Number One Hero."
"What can I say, Genos is stubborn" answered Izuku who chuckles when he sees Genos puff out his chest as if he should be proud about that. "Besides, he has the skill and firepower to be a good Hero."
"How strong would you class him?" asked Fubuki, knowing that Izuku has a great mind when it comes to studying Heroes. He even helped her learn some new fighting techniques just by studying her abilities.
"At the moment, low S-Class" answered Izuku, much to Genos's pride. "His firepower and mechanical body makes him faster and stronger than Puri Puri Prisoner, but he isn't as physically strong as say, Tank Top Master or as fast as Flashy Flash."
"In other words, he's weak" stated an unimpressed Tatsumaki. Puri Puri Prisoner is the weakest among the S-Class branch so the cyborg being stronger than him doesn't account for much, especially when Deku admits that he isn't as strong as the other weak S-Class Heroes, like Tank Top Master and Flashy Flash.
Deku ignores Tatsumaki and claps Genos on his shoulder. "Ignore Tatsu. She sees everyone as weak so you should just get use to it."
"Hey!"
"For now, I need you all to leave. I have a meeting with the Hero Association in twenty minutes and need to lock up." Being the S-Class Rank 1 Hero has a lot of responsibilities, including having to attend meetings with Hero Association officials.
Fubuki smirks at the Number One Hero. "Don't trust us alone in your apartment?"
"Yes" deadpanned Deku, making Fubuki pout.
"Fine, I got something to do anyway" remarked Tatsumaki who opts to fly out the window instead of the door.
Izuku wonders if he would have made friends with such eccentric characters if he was still in his own world. Shrugging his shoulders, Izuku locks the door behind him once Genos leaves and then once outside, he takes flight towards City A.
( City A - Hero Association HQ )
Izuku manages to fly to City A from City Z and makes it just in time for his meeting with the Hero Association officials. "I'm sorry, I hope I'm not late" asked Izuku who walks into the meeting room where everyone is already sitting down. The meeting room is made up of fourteen chairs placed around a long meeting table where twelve men in suits are sitting, including Bearded Worker and Bespectacled Worker with one female official sitting with them. Another female official is standing by a nearby podium and one side of the room has a monitor that covers the entire wall.
Bearded Worker smiles at the Hero. "There's nothing to apologize for, Deku. We know you're busy with your duties as a Hero and as principal to the academy" he said with the other Hero Association officials nodding their heads in agreement.
Bespectacled Worker chimes in. "Besides, we were just about to start."
Izuku takes the only remaining seat beside the female official who blushes upon being so up close to the Hero, Deku. "Great! So then, what's our first agenda?" asked Izuku while opening up the file in front of him which was given to everyone in the meeting.
"The first item of our agenda is on the C-Class Rank 1 Hero, Mumen Rider" announced an official. "He remains number one in both popularity and in completing heroic duties among the C-Class Heroes. One of these duties is his attempt in stopping the Paradisers and while he may have failed, his actions do deserve a promotion to B-Class."
Deku looks over the page referring to the C-Class Hero, Mumen Rider. "That was the Hero who attempted to stop the Paradisers by himself after they defeated the riot police, isn't that right?"
The official nods his head. "Indeed he is.
Izuku smiles brightly and nods his head in agreement. "Usually, I do not promote recklessness, especially from a Hero who tried to fight the Paradisers by himself, but he was willing to risk his life to protect civilians. I support Mumen Rider's promotion to B-Class, although I'm sure it isn't that simple."
"Correct, Mr. Deku" said a female official who is sitting to Izuku's left. "This isn't the first time Mumen Rider has been up for a promotion into B-Class. We have offered to promote him several times, but he has always refused without giving an explanation as to why.
"A Hero that doesn't want to rise in the ranks? Now I've seen it all" remarked a bemused Deku who gets a few chuckles from some of the officials. Izuku always thought that every Hero wanted to rise in the ranks, but Mumen Rider is a rare phenomenon. "Well if he doesn't want to be promoted, then that's his right to refuse.
"Are there any objections?" asked an official who stands up. When no one does object, the official nods. "Then it is decided. Mumen Rider will remain the top-ranked Class C Hero."
"Understood. I will inform him of our decision" answered another official.
"It's baffling. I don't know why he has no desire to move up to Class B" said an overweight official in bewilderment. As Deku said, a Hero who doesn't want to rise in the ranks is very bizarre.
"Our next item on the agenda for our meeting, the 55th Hero Certification Exam and the circumstances surrounding it. For this exam, the total number of candidates is..." The official turns to the female official standing by the podium.
"Over eleven thousand with the exam offered at six different venues" answered the female official who looks up. "That is an increase of more than 22% over the previous exam."
Many of the Hero Association officials are amazed by the increase of candidates who want to be Heroes, although the overweight official, Bespectacled Worker and Deku don't look as impressed as the other officials are.
"Sadly, most of those candidates will likely not pass the exam" stated Deku who folds his muscular arms across his chest.
The overweight official nods in agreement. "Deku is correct. We mustn't be happy with simple quantity. Even with more candidates, if the quality of the Heroes are reduced, then the numbers are meaningless" he said while turning his attention to the large monitor which shows two graphs. The graph on the left shows the increasing number of candidates over the pass few months, but the graph on the right shows that the candidates who have passed the Hero Certification Exam in recent months have all dipped in quality.
"Which is why we should be even more critical during evaluations" spoke Deku. "We need Heroes that can defeat Mysterious Beings when they appear, not to be taken out by some street thugs."
"Speaking of which, how are your students coming along?" asked Bespectacled Worker who has an interest in Hero Academy's progress.
Deku's smile widens and when he laughs, the room starts to shake. "They are coming along, swimmingly. Silver Fang and I both agree that the upcoming graduating class will be more than ready to join C-Class and even B-Class once they've earned some experience out on the field."
Many of the Hero Association officials look at each other in awe, believing that to be great news.
The overweight official nods his head in satisfaction. "Very good. I and many others will be looking forward to see how the first graduates of Hero Academy shall complete their Heroic duties. By the way, it's to my understanding that a person of interest will be taking the exam this time."
Bearded Worker nods. "Yes sir, it hasn't been confirmed yet, but I'm confident that his participation will indeed occur" he said while looking at a profile of the person of interest.
"Who is this person of interest?" asked Deku who looks over the file he has been given and finds the profile of a certain cyborg. "The person of interest is Genos?"
Bespectacled Worker doesn't miss the familiarity of Deku's tone of voice when speaking about the cyborg. "You know of him, Deku?"
"I have. Saved him during the Mosquito Girl incident and he was with me when I apprehended Dr. Genus" answered the Number One Hero, much to everyone's surprise. "I agreed to take him on as my student if he passes the Hero Certification Exam."
This time, none of the Hero Association officials could hide their surprise for none have ever been given the honour to learn from under the World's Strongest Man. Even Bespectacled Worker can't help but be surprised.
"R-Really? Is Genos really that impressive?" asked an official to Izuku's right.
"If we base on power, than he would be classed as low S-Class. However, he's young and reckless which has nearly led him to getting himself killed a few times already. Once he passes the Hero Certification Exam, I'll be working on curbing that recklessness of his."
"If he's as powerful as you say, then wouldn't it be easier to just skip the formality and assign him a Hero status?" asked the overweight worker, turning to Deku. The Hero Association officials nearly jump out of their seats when they see the Number One Hero, Deku, no longer smiling. In fact, Deku's usual joyous smile has now been replaced with a very stern frown.
"I... believe that nobody should be given such special treatment, no matter who they are" said Deku, remembering a former friend of his who had been given special treatment ever since he discovered his Quirk. "I once had an old friend who is much like Genos. A brilliant individual who can dish out serious explosive firepower, but ever since he was a child, my friend was constantly praised and given special treatment by everyone around him." Izuku can still remember how his teachers from middle school would ignore all the times Bakugo verbally and physically bullied him, even when he used his Quirk in public which is illegal. Hopefully, UA taught him how to properly behave as a Hero. "My friend was given special treatment because of his abilities and because of that, he became a very arrogant and prideful person, believing himself to be God's gift to the world. I fear if we do the same to Genos or anyone else, they could end up like my old friend and trust me, that is the last thing we need."
Bearded Worker and Bespectacled Worker share a glance with each other, having both noticed a saddened tone in the Hero's words. Bespectacled Worker then turns to Izuku with an understanding gaze. "I agree. Heroes today are arrogant enough as it is. If we show others special treatment, then that arrogance may grow and fester out of control.
Everyone is happy to see Izuku's smile return. "Thank you. You all don't need to worry about the possibility of Genos failing for I believe he'll pass both the written and physical tests with ease."
"Well then, if Deku has faith in Genos then I don't see why we shouldn't" encouraged Bearded Worker, getting a few nods from those around the meeting table. "If that's all, let us continue to our next agenda."
xXx
The day of the Hero Certification Exam finally comes around with Deku and Genos both arriving at venue six which is taking place in a public shelter in City J.
Izuku looks around the interior of the massive shelter which has been divided up for each part of the physical exam. "This brings back memories" said a smiling Deku who recalls the time he took his own Hero Certification Exam. So far, nobody has been able to beat his physical records. "By the looks of the candidates today, I don't have to worry about someone toppling my records" he thought while looking over the hundreds of candidates who are either idling or performing in one of the several physical tests.
Not that Izuku wants to be mean, but he can tell that most, if not all of the candidates aren't suited for the Hero life. Most of them are in good physical shape, but they are all wearing flashy costumes to try and stand out of the crowd, probably thinking that they might be able to pass by appearance alone. None have the strength or skill to pass the exam and if they do, they won't live long enough to enjoy their roles as Heroes.
"Wait, is that..."
"That's him, isn't it?"
"The S-Class Rank 1 Hero, Deku!"
"Wow, Mr. Invincible himself has come to see us participate."
"Deku is cuter in person!"
Such attention might have embarrassed the Izuku from ten years back, but he has gotten use to the attention that he gets as the Number One Hero. With a smile, Izuku waves at the crowd of candidates who cheer or swoon.
xXx
To the surprise of no one, Genos manages to pass the Hero Certification Exam with a perfect score in both the physical and written exam.
"This says I'm now certified as a Class S Hero" Genos told Izuku with both standing in the locker room. The cyborg shrugs his shoulders in disinterest. "In the end, I'm sure these rankings mean very little."
Izuku who is leaning against a set of lockers snorts over Genos's statement. "You'd be surprised by the amount of Heroes who would kill to join Class S."
Genos blinks in confusion. "Are the rankings that important?"
"To most Heroes, they are. Heroes are constantly trying to one up each other in the rankings so to get more recognition and fame from the public. The Hero Association also offers higher pay, benefits and access to resources for those who rise high in the rankings."
"Really? Then I'm surprised that there aren't more Heroes among Class S. They would have access to much wealth and resources" remarked a curious Genos.
"That would be putting it lightly" answered Izuku who knows that Child Emperor and Metal Knight use their access to Hero Association resources to build all sorts of dangerous gadgets and robots. "As to why more Heroes aren't S-Class, it's because to do so, they need to rise to A-Class Rank 1 in order to be considered for a promotion into S-Class. Unfortunately, the current A-Class Rank 1 Hero has been preventing other Heroes from rising to S-Class. That's why they call him the Gatekeeper. I'm actually a little surprised you were allowed into Class S for that would only be possible if the Gatekeeper granted you permission."
"This Gatekeeper must be strong to keep a hold on their rank like that" said Genos.
"Very strong. If he ever joined S-Class, he would be considered one of the strongest. Top five, easily."
Genos widens his eyes in surprise. He thought the A-Class Rank 1 Hero to be strong, but not that strong.
Izuku pushes off the lockers and pats Genos on the shoulder. "Enough of that. You've got a briefing to take."
Both Genos and Izuku leave the locker room with the Number One Hero leading the cyborg towards the lecture hall. Both notice how empty the shelter is now, meaning that a lot of the candidates have gone home after failing to pass the exam. Both stop in front of Lecture Hall 3 where Genos is suppose to be given his briefing.
"Briefing shouldn't take too long so I'll wait out here for you" said Izuku.
Genos nods before stepping into the lecture hall. The cyborg is surprised to see that the lecture hall is empty, except for the man in an oddly designed suit who is standing by the podium. Genos guesses that the man is the Hero who is suppose to brief him.
"You've arrived. It's about time. Now, sit down so I can get this briefing underway" said the A-Class Hero, Sneck.
Genos takes a seat in the front of the row of desks and folds his arms while staring at the Hero.
"Congratulations on passing. To be honest, I am surprised that you passed at all so unless you want your luck to go to waste, I better see you giving it your all" told Sneck before pointing at Genos. "And don't get cocky, got it? Keep your Hero certified status in mind and from here on out, I expect you to act modestly. After all, your face is going to be placed on the main page of the Hero Association website."
"..."
Genos's uncaring stare is quick to annoy Sneck. "Did you hear me? Your stupid face is going to be seen by the whole world. If you don't want to humiliate yourself..." Sneck jumps onto the podium and begins showing off his Biting Snake Fist martial art to the newcomer. Sneck finishes off his showcasing by posing in a martial art stance. "Aspire to be an extinguished Hero like me."
Genos continues to coldly stare at Sneck, making the A-Class Hero feel stupid after showing off his skills like that. That is until he hears clapping by the doorway.
"Bravo. That was an impressive show of skill" congratulated Deku who claps after witnessing Sneck's martial art moves.
Upon recognizing the Strongest Hero, Sneck ends up being paralyzed, due to a mixture of awe, embarrassment and fear. "I-It's D-Deku!" thought the A-Class Rank 38 Hero who realizes that Deku just saw him show off to the rookie Hero.
"If I'm not mistaken, that martial art style is Biting Snake Fist, right?" asked Deku, recognizing the movements of said fighting style.
Sneck manages to recover from his paralysis so to answer the S-Class Rank 1 Hero. "I-It is, sir."
Izuku laughs and waves his hand. "None if that 'sir' business. You can just call me Deku or Izuku, whichever works for you." Deku turns to Genos who has been patiently waiting in his seat. "You ready to go, Genos?"
"Yes, sensei!" answered Genos who stands up and follows Izuku out of the lecture hall.
Now alone, Sneck feels all his strength leave him and collapses to the floor on his back, but with a smile on his face.
"He said I can call him Izuku..."
xXx
Name: Bang
Aliases: Silver Fang
Rank: S-Class Rank 3
-Stats-
Power: S+
Speed: S++
Endurance: S++
Durability: S++
Technique: S+++
Intelligence: A+++
Cooperativeness: S+
Leadership: S+