Word Count: 7142
Average Reading Time: 40 Minutes
LEGEND
Bold text- Thoughts
(R/N)- Reader's name/Chosen Nickname
(F/N) (L/N)- (First Name) (Last Name)
Underlined Text- Name of Speaker
Reader Character Legend
Full Name: (F/N) (L/N)
Nickname: (R/N)
Age: 15-16
Quirk: Psychic Powers
Description
(R/N)'s psychic abilities are a result of his mutated temporal lobe. The neural-electrical signals that are sent from his brain to his body are converted into powerful electrical manifestations. (R/N)'s quirk is directly linked to his emotional state. A list of each major emotion and it corresponding effect is shown below.
When he's calm or in a neutral state, his quirk allows him to levitate small objects and bend thin metal with ease.
Sadness or anxiety causes nearby loose objects to levitate without conscious input. He has little control of his quirk in a state of extreme sorrow.
Euphoria or happiness resonates an invisible field of static electricity. This field tends to energize people around him all the while giving them a messy hairstyle.
Anger causes his mental state to deteriorate until he acts solely on instinct. His powers amplify ten-fold. He can create barriers of energy around his body to prevent damage from physical attacks. This can be very dangerous for his opponent and for himself.
I: From Here To Where?
You grab the handle of a splintered wooden door, taking a deep breath before turning the knob and entering the musty apartment you and your mother call home. The run down furniture, old wallpaper, and faint scent of mildew from a leak in the roof remind you everyday that you're trapped in a three room hobble barely large enough to house a mother and her son. This dingy apartment near the outskirts of town is just cheap enough for your mother to afford while keeping both of you fed.
It's not paradise, but it's home.
The aroma of brewing coffee overpowers the mildew scent as you throw down your backpack next to the door. Your mother watches you take off your only pair of shoes while sifting through a pile of bills scattered across the messy table.
Mother: Hey there stranger, welcome home. How was school?
You: It was okay.
"It was okay", the generic response you always give your mother upon returning from school. You didn't know what else to say when everyday feels the same.
Mother: What did your friends say about you signing up for the U.A. entrance exam?
You: What friends? They laughed at me and said I was only good for making messes the heroes clean up.
Your mother's checkbook and a few small objects around you begin to levitate from their place as your quirk takes on a mind of it's own. This unruly aspect of your quirk, influenced by your emotions, is a Psychic's greatest struggle. The lack of real control over the quirk you, and many others like yourself, have pushes people away, but your mother never shuns you for it.
Mother: Don't let them get you down, son. Prove to them that their words mean nothing to you. I believe you can get into U.A.
You: I guess-
Your mother stands up from her chair, holding onto the table for support as her damaged leg throws her off balance. An incident a few years back fractured her leg in several places. She hasn't walked the same way since. As she limps towards you, her time weathered face comes into focus. Many people say you and your mother don't look alike. Her shaggy dirty blonde hair and wide narrow eyes are wholly unique as her quirk allows her change various features of her face to whatever she wants. She fell in love with the 'sharp' facial features at a young age and hasn't changed her appearance since. She never spends money on makeup as it's not required. Beauty is her specialty, but her extreme work schedule and focus on raising you and your brother as a single mother keeps her from dating. A smile of deep and warm affection slowly appears over her lips. You meet her halfway to cut her journey short to avoid the uncomfortable feelings you get watching her walk without a cane.
Mother: Even if you don't pass, your grades and intelligence will definitely get you a spot in another hero academy.
You don't say anything back. Truth is, you didn't want to go to any other hero academy that wasn't U.A. U.A. has a reputation for educating those who become some of the top heroes in the world. Your heart holds steadfast on U.A. being the only hero academy you'll accept.
Mother: I'm going to put dinner on here soon.
You: Alright.
You stop the conversation then and there by walking straight to your room. Just before you enter, you take a brief glace at the door directly adjacent to you. It's shut tight and hadn't been opened in months. Carnin, your older brother, once called the room it led to his bedroom. He left to be a Hero Associate in Hosu City almost a year ago.
You: It hasn't been the same since you left. Please, visit soon.
You open the door leading to your barren room and enter. Your room is as basic as a room can get. You have a small bed, a desk for homework, and a small nearly twenty year old television for entertainment, when it worked. It doesn't add up to much, but all things considered, your room makes you feel safe. A home inside of a home. The hard embrace of a decade old pillow comforts your tired head as you throw yourself onto the bed. You close your eyes for what feels like a moment, then a knock at your door jolts you awake.
Mother: Hey, dinnertime.
You had fallen asleep in record time.
Your mother has her head poking out beside the open door.
You groggily get up to have your meal.
Go to school.
Get home.
Take a nap.
Eat dinner.
Do homework.
Go straight back to bed.
Rinse and repeat.
You do it every day and hate yourself for it. Your mother works endlessly to support you and can't be around much due to her schedule. She always tries her best to be with you every chance she gets, but school constantly gets in the way of any free time you have. When your brother left to work in another city, the family dynamic crumbled even more. And yet, something stirs inside of you. A small energetic series of inspirations and bursts of motivation. You've felt these sensations before, but they feel different this time around. Instead of letting them fizzle out into nothing, you take a deeper look into them. The very idea of being a U.A. student excites you and those feelings.
Six weeks stand between you and the entrance exam.
It's time you got to work.
II: The Boy. The Safe. And the Man.
One week before the U.A. entrance exam marks the height of your training. You take the chance to exercise every opportunity you get. Doing things such as minor endurance training counters your previously sedentary lifestyle. The activities you implement into your regimen include running, push ups, mock fighting, and the occasional high protein meal. Your quirk relies on mental fortitude and emotional control, but if you pass out from physical exhaustion just a few minutes into the exam then nothing will matter.
You jog through the city on a brutally hot day under a blue cloudless sky. Sweat pours down your face like a storm. People walking by pay no attention to you as they make their daily commute. You would occasionally see other people your age doing what you assume to be their own forms of training randomly through the hours of the day. The U.A. entrance exam pulls in students from all around Japan, including the local area. Living in the same city as U.A. means seeing lots of hopefuls and heroes in training on a daily basis. The path you take through the city during your jogs takes an hour or two to complete depending on how hot it is outside. Today is the hottest day of the week, so you take frequent breaks to compensate.
While taking a short break on a bench at the local park, you watch two children no older than eight chasing each other around. A man sitting on a blanket across the grass is following their every movement while a woman puts together a kite next to him. Her fingers produce a string-like material from holes below her nails. The kids stop running next to a tree. They stare up at a nest of birds feeding their recently hatched chicks.
A family of blue birds...
Unease builds up in your spine staring at the birds. Uncomfortable memories you buried long ago laugh from beneath the dirt.
You: Why did you do it? Why did you hurt the bir-
Your train of thought is derailed when a scrawny strange green haired kid pulling a safe roped around his shoulders blocks your view of the birds. He's dragging the safe along the sidewalk. His freckled face is red from the sheer amount of strain his body is experiencing. Atop the silver safe sat a ghastly looking blond haired man wearing a t-shirt much too large for him. His face is gaunt. There's not an ounce of muscle or face anywhere on his body. He yells words of encouragement to the boy. In a world with quirks that can do infinitely strange things, this encounter with the safe pulling kid quickly shoots up to the top of your list of strange events you've encountered.
You: I wonder if he's training for the entrance exam... A part of me wants to ask what's going on but he looks focused. I don't wanna ruin that for him.
The strange boy pulls along without glancing at you, but the man on top of the safe has your full attention. You give him a confused look, one that says, "what am I looking at here?"
Strange Man: Don't mind us. I'm helping him train for something important.
You: Um, alright. I hope it goes well.
The man looks away and yells some more at the boy. A peculiar sensation resonates from the man on the safe. It feels like waves of energy crashing and beating on the wall of his body, dying to escape the confines of his flesh. As for the boy, you pick up on subtle emotions of desperation and determination. He feels like he's on the cusp of breaking down from sensory overload.
You: Is that his dad or something? Nah. They look nothing alike.
After your strange encounter, you get back on your feet and continue your jog, but the thought of those two lingers in your mind. The boy seems strong, but those sensations of desperation were powerful. If he's training for the U.A. exam like you, then it must mean something serious to him.
III: The Picture. The Family. And the Psychic.
The day of the exam grows closer. It will take place in three days, so you double down on practicing with your quirk. The constant strain you put on yourself triggers a good number of nosebleeds as the blood vessels in your nose burst from all the energy your brain forcefully puts out. When you over use your psychic abilities, your body reacts to the amount of energy being produced. The issues begin as extreme fatigue then intensify from there into nosebleeds and bloodshot eyes. You don't know what will happen beyond the bleeding, but your doctor says that it can be extremely dangerous to go too far past your limits.
You sit on your bed, repeatedly rearranging your room by levitating the desk, chair, and television all at once. Doing this exercises your quirk so to speak. Each rotation of the objects acts as a rep. Each complete rearrangement acts a set.
Warm liquid drips down your lip.
You: That's blood- I should probably give it a rest. I won't pass the exams if I'm bogged down from exhaustion.
You manipulate the objects back to their original spots.
You: I hope I'm ready.
You plug your nose with a tissue and look up to the ceiling, a trick you learned from your doctor years back.
You: This is it. This is as strong as I can get for the exam. If I fail-
A cracked picture frame catches your weary eye from across the room. Five figures, all smiling with joy, are looking at a camera.
Looking at you.
A father.
A mother.
A five year old boy.
Two eight year old fraternal twins.
This is your family.
It was your family.
You: -I'll become a hero. I'll prove not all Psychics are villains. Not like that mad man that took you away from us. Dad. Sis. We miss you two.
IV: The Entrance Exam
Today's the day.
Today you take the U.A. Entrance Exam after weeks of preparation and non-stop studying. A queasy pit in your stomach festers in uneasy feelings as you prepare to leave home. Your mother comes up behind you as you put on your shoes. They're old and worn down from years of unending use. She places her hands on your shoulders, forcing her inner feelings into your body as your quirk picks up on her emotional state. You're filled to the brim with love and compassion. She commonly does this sort of thing to silently tell you, "I love you."
Mother: Your brother may not have passed U.A.'s exam, but I believe you can do it. Try your best and don't give up. I love you.
You: I won't and- I know.
You motion to her arms on your shoulders. A knot in your throat forces your last words to come out as a more of a croak than an acknowledgment. No matter what, your mother always stood beside you with a smile on her face.
You grab the door handle with hope in your hands and leave home. Mad men carrying lit torches dance around your lungs as you journey to U.A. Hero Academy, lighting your heart and soul on fire.
As you draw closer to U.A., more people around your age enter your line of sight. They trickle in around you one-by-one. Then ten-by-ten. People marching in unison towards the same place like an army. The air is filling to the brim with resonating feelings of hope and nerves from your fellow soldiers.
A girl comes up behind you and taps your arm.
???: Are you going to U.A., too?
You jump in surprise as the girl's energy shoots through you. She stands with a strange hunch. Two large eyes crowned by long eye lashes peer at you from behind well combed green bangs. Her hair is tied up into a bow above her hips. Her hands are abnormally large.
You: I am.
The girl gives a warm genuine smile. Her mouth is wider than than the average person's. Many quirks present themselves as physical mutations to the body. Some people don't have external changes until they activate their quirks. Your quirk is in a smaller classification where the mutations are purely internal with no visible changes to the body. This stranger seems to fall into the larger percentage of the quirk empowered population as her body appears mostly normal at a glance, but her eyes, mouth, and hands give her away as someone with a physical mutation. When physical mutation quirks first began to appear in the world hundreds of years ago, society shunned people like this girl here due to how they look. Labels such as 'uncanny' and 'freak' were passed around a lot. After a few centuries of quirk development and normalization, mutation quirks have become far more accepted by the average person.
???: I'm Tsuyu Asui, but please, call me Tsuyu. Sorry if I startled you. I was getting kinda lonely walking by myself. I hope you don't mind.
Tsuyu's energy is still resonating through you from her brief tap. Her feelings are welcoming topped off with a pinch of nervousness. She's trying to hide her unease with a wide smile.
You: I don't mind at all! Its nice to meet you, Tsuyu. I'm (F/N) (L/N). Are you nervous about the exam?
Tsuyu: I am. My family thinks I can pass so I decided to see if I could or not. I never really thought about going to U.A., but getting in would be a huge achievement in their eyes. So, here I am.
You: I want to get in to prove something to myself.
Tsuyu: What are you trying to prove?
You scratch the back of your head in an unsure fashion. Would it be a bad idea to tell Tsuyu about your status as a psychic quirk user?
You shake your head and take the safe option.
You: It's a little personal.
Tsuyu: I understand. All of us are here for one reason or another, mostly for fame or glory or even money. I can tell that you're not here for any of those.
You: You're right about that, I'm not.
You and Tsuyu make small talk the rest of the way to U.A. The mammoth sized building appears over the horizon. The U.A. Hero Academy's main building resembles a three dimensional 'H' with four tall windowed structures connected to one another by skybridges.
Loud teenagers pool into the front entrance.
You: So that's it, U.A.
Tsuyu: It's a lot larger than I was expecting it to be.
The U.A. building looms over you and Tsuyu. Although its no taller than any other building in the city, it feels gargantuan when you think about what it represents.
Heroism.
You walk down the bricked pathway leading to the front doors.
You: You can do this. You're strong enough to pass. Prove to the teachers and judges that you're hero material.
While you're off hyping yourself up, Tsuyu walks through the front doors passing a wave in your direction.
Tsuyu: I hope to see you on the other side, (R/N)!
You wave back.
You: You too, Tsuyu! Good luck!
Tsuyu disappears into the building.
You take a deep breath.
You: I can do this. I can do this. I. Can. Do. This- ACH!
???: Out of my way!
A strong push from the side makes you stumble to the left. A blonde haired boy with fierce eyes stomps into the building, shoving others out of his way as well.
You: What's his problem?
More people enter the building.
You: I should go in too. There's not a lot of time left.
The outside light fades as you pass through the doors. You're led to a testing room by a series of Hero Association employees and signs almost as soon as you enter the building. The concert hall style room echoes with the sounds of shuffling papers. The air buzzes with the energy of nearly five-hundred students. It's here where you'll take the very first test. Being assigned to room three of four gives you the estimation that there are approximately two-thousand total testing students.
It takes you an hour to finish the written portion of the exam, each question relates to specific situations a hero might find themselves. The test is difficult, but never feels unfair.
You're then taken to an extremely large auditorium after finishing test. Other students sit around you, talking amongst themselves. About a thousand heads bobble back and fourth.
Without warning, the lights dim and everything goes dark.
Announcer's Voice: Welcome all!
A man appears on the center stage standing in front of a large podium. You recognize him as the well known music hero, Present Mic. Present Mic is a unique hero with a unique power. His quirk gives him the ability to use his own voice as a weapon. The hero costume he wears is equipped with amplifying devices used to increase the volume of his voice. You remember seeing videos of him in action and recall a time when you heard one of his famous 'screeches' from all the way across the city.
Present Mic: You have all taken the written portion of the exam! It wasn't too hard now was it?!
The room remains silent as uncomfortable energy fills the air. Only a few people respond to Present Mic's question. He awkwardly clears his throat and continues with the speech.
Present Mic: Believe me when I say that this next part is more difficult than the last! This is the practical exam!
The screen lights up. Four shapes appear in the corners with numbers below them. In the center is a picture of a city.
Present Mic: The practical exam will last for ten minutes. Your objective is to destroy as many 'villain-bots' as possible!
You: Sounds simple enough.
Present Mic: Each bot is worth a separate point value depending on its type.
The screen shows the different bots and their point values. The higher point value a bot is, the more challenging it will be to take down.
Present Mic: Now, beware of the zero-point villain-bot. You won't gain a score from destroying it, so it's best to avoid it altogether. You won't know what it is nor when it will attack, so be aware.
The crowd of students stirs a little upon hearing this comment. You feel uneasy thinking about the zero-point bot.
Present Mic: The environment you will be battling in is an urban setting similar to the types you'll see all over the world. Note that harming another contestant is strictly forbidden! You will be disqualified if that happens!
Present Mic pauses for a second to let the information sink in.
Present Mic: You will be separated into two groups and led to a testing site. I wish you all the best of luck!
You: So our opponents are robots? This could work well with my quirk! I'll be able to fling them around like rag dolls if I can muster up enough strength and pace myself. It's going to be hard, but I think I've got an advantage here.
People stand up and move out of the auditorium. The room quickly becomes barren with only a few people including yourself still inside. The doors jam with excited people trying to get out. A familiar green haired boy nervously shakes in his seat to your far left.
You: It's that kid I saw pulling the safe? I was right- he was training for this day.
The boy gets up to walk out of the room.
You: I should do the same. It's time to prove myself.
V: Taking Down The Colossus
You're given a simple blue and white athletic sweat suit by the exam board for the practical exam. You see everyone else is dressed in a similar outfits, but each individual still stands out as most students have physical mutations. Some people have horns popping out of their heads. Some have scales covering their skin. Some don't even look entirely human to the untrained eye.
Every testing student gathers before a massive concrete gate stretching into the sky hiding whatever is beyond their closed yawning maw. Just beyond those walls is where you will have to give it your all. This is your one and only opportunity to get into U.A. It's time to take a chance for the better.
You: When is this going to start? All this waiting is killing me.
The buzz of people talking rings in your ears. They sound excited, scared, and even angry. You close your eyes and focus on your own feelings. A mixture of determination and soulful excitement flows through you.
You're ready for this.
You grew up being told people with the psychic quirk gene are only useful for creating the very messes heroes train all their lives to clean up. You want to be the one to stop others like yourself from making terrible mistakes. Too many psychics are branded as villains. Too many fall into despair, leading to evil and desperate actions.
Out of the corner of your eye you spot Tsuyu staring at the gate. Her legs sway back and forth in anticipation. A deep fire rages in her big awkward eyes.
Then, another sensation snaps your attention away to a nearby boy. He looks unsure of himself. His brown eyes stare in terrified awe at the gate from behind cracked round glasses. What feels different about him isn't a unique sensation like everyone else, but an energy much like your own. The boy feels your gaze and swivels his head around to find you. His eyes meet yours from far away.
He's another psychic.
You nod your head in respect. He nods back.
You: I'm not the only one-
Announcer: -Is everybody ready?!
The crowd yells like they're at a concert. You join in on the group chant.
A wave of strong static electricity shoots through you. This is a normal feeling when you're in large groups of energized people.
Announcer: The gates will open in three!
You: This is it. This is my chance!
Your clothing ripples and levitates as you resonate electricity around your body. Your legs are struck with pins and needles as your nerves charge with energy. A leap above the crowd will put you at an advantage, but doing so can end up being dangerous. The thoughts of failing pushes any creeping worries to the side. You can't hesitate now.
It's all or nothing.
Announcer: Two!
The crowd falls silent. A brief moment of calm sweeps over everyone. Then, the flood gates quite literally open.
Announcer: One! Go! Go! Go!
The concrete walls slide open, pulled by unseen mechanical means. A giant fake city reveals itself on the other side. Screaming echoes around you as hundreds of teenagers blast through the now opened pathway. The occasional person even takes to the sky to get above the crowd using their quirks.
You: Time to get started!
You force your quirk to redirect all the energy in your body to your legs then jump. You're propelled into the air with wind gliding across your face. The crowd below you bottlenecks as too many people try to force their way into the testing site.
Echoes of explosions and metal crashing to the ground fill you with adrenaline as you land on a nameless empty street made of asphalt. This is a race against time.
You: Now, where are they!?
Three one-point bots roll from around a corner, aimlessly wandering towards you. You focus your energy on the one in front and slam it into the other two. It takes a considerable amount of effort to move them despite their small size.
Metal scrap is scattered across the ground.
You: That's three points already!
A three point bot comes up from behind and slams into you. The large metal robot effortlessly tosses you to the ground, giving you scrapes across your hands and knees.
You: Crap! Physical contact isn't going to be my friend here.
The metal scrap from the other bots lay next to you. They start to lift as you raise your hand. You shove your palm in the direction of the three-point tin can. The sharp metal makes quick work of it.
You: That's six!
You move down the street, more scrap litters the ground as evidence of other battles.
You: Damn... they've already been taken out!
People are jumping off buildings and soaring far above you. They have a movement advantage.
More sounds of fighting echoes to your left down an alleyway.
You go right.
Two one-point bots and another three-point bot lock onto you. The three point bot fires a small missile in your direction. You manage to take hold of it midflight and turn it on its user.
The three-point bot explodes. The scrap from it is used to dispose of the other two.
You: That's eleven!
Four two-point bots crash through the windows of surrounding buildings.
You manage to take down two of them before a blond boy comes out of nowhere and effortlessly destroys the other two with large explosions from his hands before you could.
Blond Boy: Later chump!
The boy takes off by propelling his body with the explosions from his palms.
You: Damn it! I only got four points out of that! That brings me up to fifteen!
You desperately look around for more bots. You catch a brief glance of one three-point bot, but it's torn apart by a large boy with oddly thick lips. A bag of sugar dangles from his hip. He waves in your direction then runs away. Another bot crashes in front of you from the sky. It's wrapped in a white cocoon made of a tape-like material.
You continue your search through the city. Every bot you happen across is already destroyed. Some look to be melted into a puddle of goo and others are simply turned off like someone hit a button to disengage them. You begin to lose hope. No active bots means no points. That's when shockwaves shake the earth below you. In the center of the artificial city, a skyscraper sized bot emerges from the ground. The air around you is filled with panic as teenagers all over the fake city start to shout and run away. Standing on legs that end in tank tracks, the colossal bot towers over the largest buildings in the area. Its head is lined with rows of large LED eyes. Buildings around it topple over.
???: That bot sure is big!
You turn to see Tsuyu perched up on a lamp post behind you. She uses her hands and legs to hang from the top. You don't remember her being nearby.
You: I didn't even notice her until now-
Tsuyu: I'm not sure how many points you're at, but I think there's only a few minutes left in the exam. I've got about thirty, so I might be good.
Tsuyu hops down from the lamp post landing perfectly on her feet.
Tsuyu: I'm going to go in the opposite direction as you so I don't get in your way. Good luck!
She waves and runs off.
You: Thirty points?! How am I going to- wait- that big bot! If I take it down, then maybe I still have a chance at passing!
You sprint as fast as you can towards the big bot. Your fellow combatants clear the area around the gargantuan machine. Its war path clears away everything below it. A cloud of dust hides its tracks.
Passersby: There's no way we can take that thing down! Get away from it!
The large robot rolls straight towards a group of testers. They're in a panic as it grows ever closer to them. A red-headed boy turns his body to stone and tackles two boys to the ground as a huge chunk of concrete is flung in their direction by the collapsing buildings. He takes the impact head-on, keeping them safe.
You: I have to do something!
The hand of the bot slowly comes down to sweep across the street. People who aren't running away are frozen in place by fear. You stare at the massive hand. Its fingers are the size of train cars. Without a second thought, you focus all your power on the metal arm and slow it down enough for the people to move. The weight of a thousand sledgehammers crunch your muscles as the arm comes to a crawl, but a serge of adrenaline and an intense fuzzy feeling emanating from your head zaps your nervous system past its limits.
You: Go! Run!
Blood leaks from your mouth and red splotches cloud your vision. The contestants run by without glancing at you.
You: They wouldn't just throw this thing into the arena and expect us to run away from it, now would they? There's something more to this-
You release the arm. The bot completes its sweep. Warm blood rushes down your lip. Pain shoots through your head and your breathing deepens.
You: I got them out of here... now I need to go as well.
You turn and run down the street. The bot easily outpaces you. Each step refreshes the pain in your muscles. The bot's many LED eyes focus on you and only you.
???: Help! I'm stuck!
A boy's voice cries out in the distance. You can't locate where he's at, but you assume he's in the direct path of the robot.
You: Someone's stuck! There's no running now! This is a hero's job! Someone's in danger! Now's the time to act!
You put your head on a swivel, trying to locate the origins of the voice. Then, you feel the same energy as the other psychic boy you saw in the crowd earlier. You find him trapped under a pile of rubble. His nose is bleeding and his eyes are bloodshot. His powers must be drained. The boy looks up and recognizes you. He yells out about the bot approaching from behind. Time dilates around your racing mind. Getting him out would take too long. The bot will run the two of you over long before you can grab him then run away. Taking down the bot is a Herculean task, but you explore the option.
You: The tracks!
A half-baked idea pops into your head. You focus on the scrap of nearby broken robots. They slide across the ground behind you. You force the metal to congregate on a center point to create a jagged ball of steel and iron. Electricity from the lamp posts and various electronic devices strike your body as you attract the energy from them. A wave of power shoots through you as your head starts to feel like it's splitting from the inside out.
You: I hope I can jam them with this metal!
The robot is on your heels. Now is the time to act.
You: Alright! Here goes nothing!
You lift the ball into the air and hurl it at the exposed gears along the tracks. The ball blows up upon contact with the gears. They jam, then explode again from the force being applied to them. The sudden stop causes the bot to trip. The thousand-ton construct crashes down straight at you.
You: Oh- Yeah, I should have seen that coming!
There's no way you can stop it or run far enough away to avoid being crushed.
You: Maybe I can slow it?!
You close your eyes and prepare for a world of hurt as you lift your arms up to slow it's decent like earlier. Your bones and muscles instantly give out as you try to take the full weight of the multi-ton behemoth. The only thing you manage to do is pull the muscles in your arms.
You: Ah- crap baskets.
Just then, a bright glittering flash shoots through the sky like a bullet, slamming into the giant robot with the force of a hurricane. One word rings through your ears...
???: SMASH!
The bot's head explodes into millions of tiny pieces of shrapnel. A sensation of awe and shock paralyzes you long enough for a stray piece of the now demolished bot to come crashing towards you and the psychic boy under the rubble. It reaches you too late for you to react.
???: I've got you!
A warm wet sticky cord wraps around your waist and yanks you away with extreme force. You're sent flying inches above the pavement. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the red-headed boy from earlier make a mad dash to the other psychic to shield him from the shrapnel.
You stop next to a building right as the bot finally hits the ground. The area you were pulled away from is buried under shrapnel. Both the psychic boy and the red-headed boy are safe.
Tsuyu: That was a close one. Are you alright ribbit?
Tsuyu holds you above the pavement with her inhuman tongue.
You: I think I will be when you put me down-
Tsuyu: -Right.
Tsuyu sets you down on the broken concrete. You choose to stay on your hands and knees for a moment.
You: Hey, thanks for that. I'd probably be a red stain under that shrapnel if it weren't for you!
Your shaky voice comes out more as a whimper than an expression of gratitude. Your legs are totally numb.
Tsuyu: When I saw you running to the bot, I thought it was an incredibly stupid idea, and I came to warn you. I got here a little late if you can't tell. Do you always run headfirst into certain death? And by the way, there's blood coming out of your eyes ribbit.
You: There is?
You wipe below your eyes. A smear of red liquid paints the back of your hand.
Tsuyu: Your eyes are bloodshot and your nose looks like someone broke it. Is that because of your quirk?
You: I sure hope so. I've never been pushed this hard. The nose bleed is normal. The eyes? Yeah, I don't know about that-
A loud buzz from overhead marks the end of the exam.
You: So that's it? Man, I didn't do too well.
Tsuyu: I wouldn't say that just yet ribbit! You did take down the massive robot. That's got to count for something, right?
Tsuyu shrugs.
You: I didn't do it on my own. Whoever hit that bot popped its head like a balloon. Anyways, thanks again for saving me.
Tsuyu: No problem. I'm just happy to help ribbit!
She walks away as you turn around to admire the destruction before you.
You: I might have almost died, but that sure was a rush.
You stand up then almost collapse again. All sense of balance leaves your body. Clacking heels approach you from behind.
A very tall woman in a skintight black and grey costume stands before you. Her long black curly hair radiates an overwhelming scent of hairspray. From behind her jungle of hair, a pale yet fair skinned face glistens in the sunlight. You look into her piercing white and silver irises. They're soft and full of life.
Woman: I thought I'd never see another psychic child trying to become a hero. Most of us stay in hiding or become villains.
The woman rests her hands on her hips. The top portion of her costume wraps around her hips and backside like a half-skirt. Padding runs up her legs, abdomen, arms, and small chest.
Woman: It's nice to see that there's still hope for our community.
You: Who are you?
The woman looks longingly at the ground. The question seems to strike a nerve.
Woman: I'm the number thirteen hero. Phoebe Nania. Or, 'The Black Wind'.
You: I've never heard of you.
Phoebe: I'm not surprised to be honest. Our society looks down on psychics like we're animals. I mostly get ignored when it comes to the news. I'm too 'controversial'.
Phoebe looks behind you at the toppled over colossus.
Phoebe: When I saw you slow down the bot's arm, I instantly knew you were a psychic. I could feel your energy all the way from the observation booth. I see a lot of potential in you.
You: I didn't really earn a lot of points. I wasn't fast enough at destroying the villain-bots.
Phoebe walks up to you then puts a hand on your shoulder. The energy in your body goes nuts. Phoebe's potential energy dances through her and into you. A window to a world of raw power residing within her is opened. This woman's power is leagues beyond your own.
Phoebe: I know that look in your eyes. Apart from the blood and bruises, you're not helpless. I've got confidence that someone might vouch for you.
Phoebe winks.
Phoebe: I have to help clean up. We didn't expect anyone to take down the zero-point bot, so I'm going to be busy picking up all the little pieces. I suggest you go home, kiddo. Exam's over.
You: Wait, 'zero-point bot'?!
The robot behind you glows as a black wispy aura appears around it. The aura is packed full of psychic energy. It proceeds to lift itself high into the air above the city, joining a mass of thousands of other pieces.
You: Are you doing that?!
Phoebe: I sure am! Maybe you'll be able to do this someday. I'll see you around, kiddo.
Phoebe strolls away. Her heels clack in rhythmic beats that get quieter the further away she gets.
You take a moment to look around. Buildings are torn apart. The streets are cracked and ruined. You think of real people crawling through the rubble, crying, and scared. You feel the sensations of illusionary fire on your skin. Heroes lift charred wood off of burnt and desperate civilians. You think of your mother, her leg smashed by a steel support beam and your still adolescent brother desperately trying to find your sister and his twin.
This city is fake, but the pain it reminds you of is all too real.
VI: The Path Ahead
It's been a week since the exam. You check the mail box day after day, waiting for the results to come in. The only thing you were told once completing the exam was to wait for your results and score in the mail.
In the meantime, you do extensive research on the hero you met, The Black Wind. Searching her up presents you with article after article blaming destruction and chaos on her over the fights she's been in. Hit pieces titled 'Psychic Hero or Psycho Hero?' amongst others drag her through the dirt. Most are dated around five years ago. Checking the Hero Association website ranks her as the number thirteen hero in the world, a rank based on official analysis and public opinion. Her official documentation tells the story of a dedicated yet troubled hero who was extremely active in her prime, fighting alongside heroes such as the Flame Hero, Endeavor and the R-Rated Hero, Midnight. Mentions of her supporting All Might the day he took down his nemesis, One For All, sing her praise. But then the official documents mention her reluctance to speak to press after the event. Despite the battle being warred between the worlds most powerful hero and an infamously powerful villain, the media pinned the destruction on her once the cost of reconstruction was revealed, citing how she used buildings and other 'tax payer' structures to slow the attacking villains. Her public image wasn't the best before then, but the media latched onto her. They adopted 'Psycho Hero' as her new name in the headlines. Since then, she faded into obscurity. The Hero Association supports her rank of number thirteen as her public image is tarnished. Without them, she would likely be down in the two-hundreds.
You lay in your bed, listening to music through a cheap pair of headphones when all of a sudden your mother bursts through your door without knocking.
Mother: It's here! Look!
Your mother wears a face of pure excitement as she waves an envelope in front of her. You throw off your headphones and dart to her, snatching the envelope from her hands and ripping it open.
The only thing inside is a small circular disk.
Mother: What is it?
You: No clue.
You put the object on your messy desk.
You: Maybe you have to figure out how it-
You're cut off by a bright projection hovering above the object.
Voice (Projection): I am here!
The hologram displays none other than the number one hero, All Might. He's wearing his iconic hero costume while flashing a wide smile. All Might is a massive robust man with a loveable personality. His face is painted everywhere across the globe.
All Might (Projection): Young (L/N)! You showed much potential during both parts of the exam!
All Might shouts every word he speaks like a proud leader. His voice carries a world's worth of energy.
All Might (Projection): You scored an eighty-six percent on your written exam! Very impressive!
Mother: An eighty-six?!
Your mother echoes your test score while patting your shoulders.
All Might (Projection): Unfortunately, you scored only fifteen points on the practical exam.
Footage of you taking down the robots plays back behind him. Your heart sinks when he says, "unfortunately."
All Might (Projection): But! You showed amazing courage and skill when taking on the zero-point villain-bot! You risked life and limb for people you didn't even know!
Another recording shows you slowing down the villain bot's arm before it can hit the group of contestants. Then it shows footage of you damaging the tracks of the bot before it can run the other trapped psychic boy. Your mother squeals. She's never seen you use your powers like that. The video shows her another side of you. A heroic side.
All Might (Projection): To help me explain why this is so important, allow me to introduce Miss Phoebe Nania! The Black Wind!
And there she is, the woman herself. Phoebe walks up next to All Might wearing the exact same outfit she wore when you met her.
Phoebe (Projection): Believe me when I say that what you did revealed great potential for future growth. Having the capacity to even slightly control the villain-bot's arm was an amazing feat for a kid your age. Not only that, but you still had power left to exploit its weakness!
All Might (Projection): That's right! You saved those kids and earned yourself rescue points! This was a secret score we didn't tell you about. You scored ten points for each person you saved, adding up to sixty rescue points! (F/N) (L/N)! I am proud to say that you are hereby accepted into U.A. High School! I'll be looking forward to seeing you grow as a hero!
Phoebe (Projection): And I'm excited to see how you'll grow as a psychic! I have high hopes for you! I may not be a teacher at U.A. this year, but I'll be watching with great interest!
The hologram disappears.
Mother: Oh my! You got in!
Your mother tightly wraps her arms around you. You fall silent as the reality of All Might's words sink in.
You got in.
Mother: I have to tell your brother! He's going to be so happy!
Your mother darts out of the room as fast as her ruined leg will let her while you sit dumbfounded at all the things All Might and Black Wind had to say about your performance. A single tear falls from your eye as your hair frizzes out from all the static electricity you start producing.
You: I actually got in... I... I did it.
This is the start of a journey you've always dreamed about. The nights of daydreaming and hoping are over. Now, you get to experience the reality of it all. You stand up and walk to your window. You need some fresh air to quell the build of emotions inside. You can't stop laughing to yourself. Joy is flooding your mind.
You: Yes!
You look out to the apartment's parking lot as your eyes wander aimlessly. Gentle wind blows into your bedroom.
Something lands on a tree branch not too far from your window.
A blue bird is cooing to several other birds like it around the area. Its vibrant feathers are caught in the sunlight like a beacon.
You stare at it.
It stares back at you.