45-52 - rule 4 - CHERREADS

Chapter 45

In a way, even being fully aware of the things that awaited in the near future, it was comforting to be back in class, Momo found, looking around the classroom with a small but fond smile as her classmates were still chatting among themselves. They had all returned to the Dorms from their internships the previous day, and were met with yet another celebration feast courtesy of Midoriya-san, to general delight (the feeling that they could get used to those becoming a frequent thing was quite unanimous among the class). A lot of sharing of stories and experiences in everyone's internships had ensured, and the excitement had carried over well up until now.

"Man, I still can't believe you actually squared up to the Hero Killer, Midoriya." Kaminari was commenting, to which Mineta gave him a flat look.

"Oh, can't you? Can't you really?"

"Well… yeah, no I can totally believe it," The first teen conceded, considering who they were talking about. "But still, while unsurprising, you gotta admit it is pretty badass. The guy got that moniker for a reason."

Midoriya, for his part, was grinning a grin that, for once, looked less "psychopathic murderer" and more "happy to be praised" as he made to reply-

"Will you dipshits shut the fuck up about Deku already?" Katsuki growled sourly, glaring at everyone and everything from his seat even harder than was the default the class was used to. "So he got into another fight, big fucking whoop!"

"…I honestly cannot tell whether you're upset that Midoriya's getting attention instead of you or that he did get into a fight while you didn't." Kaminari replied dryly with a shrug, unbothered by the other teen's aggravation, which just magnified it further. "Probably both."

"Screw you, Lightbulb! I ain't upset over nothing! I coulda kicked that Shitstain freak's ass with one hand tied behind my back if I'd been there!" The ashen blond all but roared in outrage.

"Oh, dontcha fret none, Ol Katsu." Midoriya said in what sounded like honest to goodness friendly encouragement. "You'ze can get dah next big foit."

"Shut the fuck up, Deku, nobody asked you!"

"Please don't jinx us, I for one could do without getting caught up in another mess." Jirou cut in, rubbing the bridge of her nose in exasperation, before turning a disapproving frown towards the one who had started this. "And on that note, could you please drop this whole Stain business? It might not be as "cool" and "badass" as you think to some people here…"

For a moment, Kaminari could only blink owlishly, not quite getting the implication, until he followed were her eyes were meaningfully glancing at, his own widening in sudden realization.

"Oh, oh damn, I'm sorry, Iida." He immediately said, cringing a bit at the sudden awkwardness. "I shouldn't have, uh, brought it up…"

"It's quite alright, Kaminari-san." The spectacled teen replied, with a shake of his head. "I will never have a good thing to say about Stain or agree with anyone who does, but there's no need to walk on eggshells around me over it. I have… been coming to terms with what happened. And much as I'd prefer not to discuss the matter, I do appreciate what Midoriya did."

Momo couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly at that, shifting from Iida, who she'd known long enough to recognize how stiff he looked, even by his usual standards, towards Midoriya and Todoroki, the both of them rather pointedly saying nothing. Those three definitely knew something the rest of them didn't…

"Well, speaking of surprises, the biggest one right now was that with all the troublemakers in class, you're the only one whose internship ended early, Iida." Sero commented curiously, sending the teen in question into a startle. "Worked out better for you in the end, I'd say, but still, real unexpected."

"Y-yes, well, I, uh…" Iida fumbled, trying to come up with a reply, with little success. "I guess I was… having some trouble handling things, yes…"

"Hey, man, it's fine, no need to try to make excuses." Sero said, hands raised placatingly, though his smile was still teasing. "It was easy to see you weren't doing so well. And heck, the fact you ended up getting in trouble just goes to show you're human like the rest of us, ya know? The idea you were some robot programmed to be law-abiding has been getting tossed around before this."

"…I've been hearing that in every school I've ever been at." Iida admitted after a moment, in apparent realization of that very fact.

Any further conversation was cut short by the sound of steps approaching the door. By the time Aizawa-sensei entered the room, everyone was quietly waiting in their seats, which had him nodding in approval. Momo did not miss how his stare seemed to linger on Iida, Midoriya and Todoroki in particular, however…

After that, things swiftly fell back into the usual routine as their homeroom teacher went about things in his usual weary, couldn't be arsed manner, giving the class a quick compliment on finishing their internships, followed by an unsurprising warning not to get complacent, and a reminder of the incoming final exams, and how passing those was mandatory for attending the summer camp that'd follow during the holidays. The only other noteworthy occurrence was a quick vote for a vice-president to replace Iida (who was trying his best to look accepting and dignified throughout the process but looked like his soul was leaving him instead).

It was nice to get back into a routine.

However, by the end of the day, there was a new surprise.

"Say, Yaomomo," Jirou called out, as they were packing things to leave. "Think you could help me study for the exams? You seem to get this literature stuff pretty well and I'm kinda struggling."

Momo blinked, taking a moment to process what she just heard. But before she could come up with a reply…

"Oh my god, yes!" Mina cut in, clapping her hands together as she bowed in supplication to the taller girl. "You've been acing English since classes started. Please, teach me your ways! I can't lose the chance to go to Summer Camp!"

Well, uh, that was-

"Say, you'ze pretty gud wiff numbers, ain't ya, Boss Lady?" Midoriya of all people approached, looking like the words alone left a sour taste in his mouth. "Well, if you'ze ok with it, I'z culd use all the help I culd get with dat." Then he grumbled more quietly to himself. "Wish I could just chop the zogging things…"

…

…They were being serious, Momo realized. They legitimately wanted her help because they believed she was better than them in these areas. And they weren't the only ones, as a few other of their classmates, seeing the commotion, threw in their own requests for help.

How…

"…Wonderful!" The pony-tailed girl cried out in excitement, sparkles all but flying around her as a wide smile of pure excitement bloomed on her face. "Of course, of course, I will be more than happy to help whoever needs it! We can organize a big study group during the weekend. We could use my room, it has more than enough space! I'll be preparing the best tea on my stock and-"

And so the class president went on and on, downright blinding everyone around with her sheer exuberance (and once again, Aoyama felt annoyed at someone infringing on his schtick, which went unnoticed by everyone).

And so it went. A few days later, the Saturday mid-morning found Momo at the kitchen, humming happily to herself, as she finished preparing the tea for the incoming study session, positively glowing at the thought that she was going to be helping people, and have a joint study session, something that she had never had the opportunity for before. This was going to be so much fun!

"Ah, Yaoyoruzu-san," A kind, serene voice pulled the girl out from her eager musings. "Just who I wanted to see."

"Oh, Midoriya-san," Momo replied, finally noticing the dorm keeper approaching her. "Was there something you needed from me?"

"Izuku told me about this little study session that you are setting up for your classmates." The woman replied, her usual smile seeming a tad more amused than normal. "Personally, I think it is a wonderful idea, and I wanted to thank you for agreeing to help my son." She shrugged an amused little shrug. "You've shared a class with him for a while, you noticed by now that theory isn't his strong suit."

"I… can't argue that." The pony-tailed girl admitted, figuring it wasn't rude to agree when the woman had said it herself. If the class was explicitly about heroics in one form or another, or parts of history where there'd been war and violence, the green-haired teen, more often than not, seemed like he spent half the class dozing off out of sheer boredom... "But I will do what I can to help, I promise." She did owe him at least that much, after all.

"I am sure you will." Midoriya-san said in that indulgent way of hers. "And that is the second reason I've come to you. Knowing my son as I do, I am certain you are going to need to know the trick."

"…Trick?" Momo repeated, blinking in confusion.

"The trick I have been using all this time to make sure he can focus hard enough on studying to get at least a passing grade." The woman replied as she approached, beckoning the taller girl closer. "See, all you gotta do is…"

Momo leaned, letting the senior Midoriya whisper what she intended in her ear…

…

"I'll… keep that in mind, Midoriya-san." She said uncertainly, after a small moment of silence.

Surely, it wouldn't get to that, right…?

"…RrrrAAAAGH! I CAN'T STAND DIS NO MORE!"

…Or maybe it would, she realized dryly, just a bit later, when everyone had gathered in the living area of her room (she'd gotten some funny looks from that, but had been too excited to notice).

Midoriya, sitting at one end of the couch, had just slammed the math book on the coffee table, looking thoroughly fed up and about ready to start hitting something. Incidentally, Sero, who had been sitting next to him, was trying to discretely inch away from the incensed teen.

"…Midoriya, we've been at this for only 15 minutes." Momo pointed out, starting to realize she may have underestimated the boy's… lacking proclivity for studying. In that time, they had gone over two of the simplest problems, and he couldn't for the life of him get around them…

"Dude, you can build things that break the laws of physics," Tooru said, her curiosity apparently outweighing her concern at his bad mood. "How are you this bad at math?"

"Dis is dis, and dat is dat!" The green-haired boy grumbled in response, looking down sourly at the papers arrayed before him as if they had personally affronted him. "I don't need no stinkin' numbahs fer me gizmos! This whole thing is stoopid!"

He seemed about ready to call the whole thing quits and storm off, and with that in mind, skeptical as she was, Momo decided she may as well give it a shot…

"Midoriya," She said carefully, as that red-eyed glare grudgingly turned to her. "You are going to calm down, pick up your book back up, and you are going to work through these problems, and use what you learned to pass the class. You're going to do this, and do you want to know why?"

"Why?" The green-haired teen grumbled, clearly dubious.

"Because…" Momo replied hesitantly, faltering despite herself. "Because I heard some… git saying you couldn't…?"

…

"…WOT?!" Midoriya exploded. "Is dat zoggin' roigt?! Oh, I'll show'em! I'll show dat git!"

And then he picked up the book, picked up his pencil, and started aggressively scribbling, as everyone around glanced uncertainly towards everyone else.

By the end of the session, he had managed to get over half of the problems right, forcing Momo to acknowledge that if it worked, it worked.

Chapter 46

The room was dark, the weak, faint lights that lined the ceiling working only to cast even more shadows around the place. It was quiet too, a silence bordering on the sepulchral permeating the gloom. Despite this, however, against what might be expected, it was not empty.

Multiple figures sat around the large, circular table in the center of the place, little more than dark shades, ominously still, with almost statuesque patience, sitting, waiting…

A door opened, the light near blinding in contrast to the room, as a figured stepped in and immediately stopped the blatant breach in atmosphere by closing the door behind them. With swift, assured steps, this new shadow made its way towards the head of the table, taking its rightful place in the one, vacant seat.

"Apologies for the wait. But it does so gladden me to see that everyone is here." The figure said pleasantly, tone chipper, pleasant, and all the more malicious for it. "Now, before we get started on this great endeavor, are there any questions?"

For a moment, no shadow moved or made to reply, as if none wanted to draw the speaker's attention upon themselves. But then, one figure further away on the other end of the table hesitantly raised their hand.

"Uuuh, is it really necessary for the room to be this poorly lit?" The lanky, sickly figure asked, letting out a hacking cough. "This feels like the villain gathering of some 30 year old B-movie…"

"Just… indulge him." Another shadow replied, sounding both sleep-deprived and thoroughly done with everything in general. "He can't help the theatrics when he wants to plan something "dastardly", it's easier if you just don't question it."

"So glad you see things my way, Aizawa!" The diminutive shadow that entered last stated gleefully, not bothering to deny anything. "Now, if there are no other questions…"

And then the ominous feeling of menace was back in full swing.

"Let us begin…"

Momo had to admit, tutoring her classmates had turned out to be a more… lively event than what she had been expecting. Or perhaps that wasn't quite being fair to all them, since it was just the one that had proven a greater challenge than anticipated, but still, she liked to think she had managed it well enough in that one case (still, she made a mental note of getting something nice for Midoriya-san, both out of gratitude for showing her that trick, which made the tutor sessions as smooth as they were conceivably going to be, and as a sign of sympathy and respect for the woman's saintly patience), and for the rest of them it had honestly been pretty fun.

Right now, the pony-tailed girl was at the school's cafeteria alongside some of her classmates, enjoying a delicious meal after all the morning classes. And despite the stress and concerns that some of her classmates seemed to have about what was waiting for them, those around her seemed to be in good spirits.

"Oh, Yaoyoruzu-san. Hi." A voice called out, making the pony-tailed girl look to see the approaching red-head. "You got a moment?"

The class president of their sister class was looking as polite and chipper as ever, but there was a certain weight to her eyes that Momo did not miss, a certain unspoken understanding going on between them.

Kendo had indeed ended up picking the internship Momo herself had been considering, and going by their discussions on the matter, it had turned out that Midoriya's assessment of Uwabami had been spot-on, and an experience on media exposure hadn't been all too useful for the combat-oriented girl. To her credit, the martial artist had taken it in stride, and taken what lessons she could from the experience, but Momo had seen it in her face, had understood all too well the sinking feeling of falling behind. So she had shared with Kendo the wisdom she herself had learned, confided in the girl her own low point. And it had helped. More to the point, it had been the turning point from a casual acquaintance into an actual friendship.

"Kendo-san, sure, is something the matter?" Momo replied with a smile, gesturing towards the empty seats at their table. "Care to sit?"

"Appreciate it, but nah, I got a spot with our class." The redhead replied, throwing a thumb behind her to the spot in question. "Monoma would become even more insufferable if he saw me "fraternizing" or however he'd phrase it. Half of why I wanted to talk to you, in fact, is to give the heads up that he got even more jealous after finding out about how some of you guys had that encounter on Hosu. A very brave if reckless thing to do, by the way, Midoriya-san." She quickly said to the boy, who didn't raise his head from the gory spectacle he was making of that bowl of katsudon, but did give a slight wave of acknowledgement. "He was about to come here himself and pretend to bump into one of you to start something before I put a stop to it. Just wanted to apologize in advance if he tries. Pro-tip, call for me, or even better Shiozaki-chan if he tries. She scares the heck out of him now."

Ochaco giggled with a little knowing nod. Yep, that internship at Gunhead's had been very good for the both of them.

"Alright, duly noted." Momo replied with an accepting nod. By now she was more than aware of the boy's obsession with pursuing a grudge with their own class for any slights real or imagined, and despite their class presidents' efforts at mending the gaps between them, so this all came as little surprise. "And the other half?"

"That would be the second heads up I wanted to give." The girl replied with a smile. "We all know by now that we're headed for exams with a theoretical and practical parts. And I heard from an upperclassman that the practical component has always been fighting robots. Just that they're cranked up to the higher difficulty settings like at the Festival."

…

Her smile faded slightly into hesitant confusion when her information just had the 1-A students knowingly staring at each other, as if sharing an unspoken conversation through a link shared by only them.

"Nope," Jirou remarked dryly, sounding rather unimpressed. "Not buying it."

"Same, ribbit." Tsuyu replied, nodding sagely.

"Too good to be true." Shoji joined in.

"Fat chance." Ochaco too, almost scoffing.

"Fool me once and all that." Even Mineta, not even bothering to look up from his meal.

"Pfft, dat'd bee too easy. Fun, but easy." Izuku capped off the shared agreement, having just finished his gorging.

…

"Uh, what?" Kendo couldn't help but ask, kinda thrown off by the skepticism.

"Oh, please don't take this the wrong way, Kendo-san, it's not that we are doubting you specifically." Momo was quick to clarify, lest there be unfortunate misunderstandings undermining the classes' budding comradery. "It's just that, well… we do believe that's how the exams have been. It's just that, knowing Aizawa-sensei, and considering everything that's happened to us, we're just not quite sure that's how they're going to stay."

Kendo blinked, as they all nodded in unison at that. She had heard the explanation about the class's absence on the first day, and had heard from other classmates that had interacted with 1-A how oddly cynical the class could sometimes get, but still…

"Isn't that a little paranoid?"

"You know wha they say, it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you." Jirou replied, tone dry as the desert. "You don't interact with him all that much so you wouldn't know, but Aizawa-sensei really likes his "logical ruses". Every other thing he says is tailor made to make you let down your guard so he can get the drop on you later."

"Man can tell you "good morning" and be lying twice." Mineta once again threw in, drawling it with mirthless irony. "And besides, we got Midoriya to consider. Ever since the festival, the few robots we've used in hero training classes are scared out of their motherboards by him. Can't say I blame them."

"Ok, that first part is a bit of a hyperbole, Sensei is not thatextreme, and he's not planning the whole exam alone either." Momo once again cut in, causing Kendo to double take upon realizing she wasn't even trying to defend the second part. "The point here is, Kendo-san, that our class has learned, from personal experience, I might add, to not take things at face value, and to not expect what has thus far been the norm to stay that way. We do appreciate the warning, truly, but I would honestly recommend that you and the rest of 1-B take it with a grain of salt and prepare for other eventualities. You know, better safe than sorry."

Kendo blinked owlishly at that, opened her mouth to speak, stopped, and took a moment to consider.

"Well… I guess I can't argue with that too much. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst and all that right?" She eventually conceded the point. "I'll keep that in mind and share it with the rest of the class. All the same, best of luck with the exams for your all, hopefully we'll all be able to meet at the summer camp."

And with that she was off, back to her own classmates, and the meal proceeded with the same casual chatter until it was time to head back to classes.

And just like that, the days of studying and preparation had come and gone, and the exams were upon them all.

To everyone's immense relief, all of the class had managed to pass the written part, even the ones that had struggled the most, (Midoriya had drawn a lot of eyes on him from the student body while checking the scoreboards due his loud 'AH, TAKE DAT, YA MYSTERY GIT!' bellow upon finding his passing grade), but the relief was short lived, because after some last minute training and preparations, it was now time for the practical.

Which was why the class found themselves heading towards the school's plaza, all of them in their costumes, waiting in tense anticipation for whatever was to come.

They didn't have to wait long, as it was readily apparent as they approached that they were expected. The entire teaching staff of the academy was there, which, needless to say, sent some alarm bells ring in the students minds.

"You're here, right on time, good. Let's get down to it." Aizawa said with an approving nod as he approached them. "As I'm sure you are aware due to word trickling down from your upperclassmen, normally, these final exams would involve scenarios were you'd be expected to fight robots similar to the entrance exam. However, things are going to be a little different this time around."

Despite himself, the scruffy looking teacher couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the students' reaction. Not the shock and dismay he had been halfway expecting, but rather an unsurprised resignation.

"Called it." Jirou muttered, a sentiment shared by more than a few of the others.

Before the teacher could speak again, a cackle broke out from his suddenly moving scarf, as out from it popped the Principal.

"My, my, Aizawa, it seems like you've underestimated the children's ability to read between the lines. Perhaps you should consider a change in approach before you become too predictable." The animal commented cheerfully, drawing the hero's unamused stare.

"I wasn't the only one planning this." He pointed out, only to be summarily ignored.

"At any rate, yes it's true, you children will be the lucky first to experience a new standard of evaluation for this exam. Lucky you!" Nezu said, and despite the cheerfulness in his tone, the students couldn't help but tense, something that just made the animal chuckle all the more, especially when he notice some of them eyeing the teachers. "That's right, for this exam, you will be facing us!"

…Well, it wasn't the worst possibility the class' discussions and speculation on the matter had yielded, but it was a close thing.

"You will be grouped up in pre-determined pairs, and be matched up against one of us." Aizawa picked back up, forestalling any questions, holding up a pair of hand cuffs in one hand and some sort of thick armband in the other. "The goal is, either you manage to detain and slap the handcuffs on the teacher, or you manage to evade them well enough that one of you manages to escape the assigned area. To make things fairer, we are all going to be wearing weights that'll slow us down, but otherwise, we will do what we can to stop you. You've been warned."

"Remember," The principal replied teasingly. "Your stay at the summer camp will depend on your performance today."

And with that, he pulled out a pad with a list on it, and everyone tensed. It was going to be fine, Momo, told herself. They weren't caught off-guard by this turn of events, they would be able to work something out. Things were going to be ok.

"Yaoyoruzu, you will be paired up with Midoriya. The two of your will be up against…"

"None other than me!" All Might proclaimed. Loudly. "Better be ready!"

…

…Given her upbringing, it was unsurprising that Momo had never been one for swearing. But it was perhaps equally as unsurprising that she was suddenly feeling a mighty urge to do just that. The downright unhinged grin on the boy's face did not help one bit.

Chapter 47

Amidst the streets of one of the academy's many cityscape training areas, for once Momo didn't have the time nor the mind to be marveling at the sheer attention to detail that went into the creation of these spaces that could've been actual cities all their own, far too preoccupied with what awaited her.

They had just been dropped off at the center of the grounds, given the rundown of exam parameters, and given exactly ten minutes to prepare and plan before it started. That would have already felt tight as it was for any of the other teachers, experienced and capable heroes one and all, but considering that they had been set up against All Might, you know, just the greatest hero in the entire history of the profession all the way back to the dawn of quirks, Momo couldn't help but despairingly think that no amount of prep time would be enough. It was all that she could do to not fretfully pace back and forth and waste what little grace period they'd been granted.

How did she end up in this mess…?

"So, wot'z dah plan, Boss?" A cheerful voice asked, making the girl look towards the speaker.

Midoriya hadn't stopped grinning like an absolute lunatic since the matchups had been decided. Some would have thought that meant he was completely oblivious as to what awaited them, but Momo was painfully aware that he did know and was absolutely looking forward to it. What he quite clearly failed to grasp, as he eagerly awaited for her reply, was that she did not share his enthusiasm in the slightest…

"…Midoriya," She eventually replied, after a deep breath to center herself. "First of all, tell me you're not just thinking of rushing in there looking for All Might to challenge him to a fight…"

To her mild surprise, his grin did lessen a bit, as he looked at her with an owlish blink.

"I mean, I dun need tah go lookin' fer him. Ain't dah whole point 'a dis exam dat he'z gunna be trying tah stop us? Either he'z gun be huntin' fer us, or guardin' dah only exit. Eithah way, we'z gun see him soonah or laterz."

…

…Why, oh why, did this boy only start making sense when speaking unfortunate truths?

"Be that as it may," She conceded the point, after fighting down the urge to run her hands across her face in frustration as she decided to try a different approach. "It is still better if you don't go in guns blazing to draw him out. We'll have better odds with the element of surprise on our side." Insignificantly so, statistically speaking, but still better.

"Oooooh, dah sneaky way, uh?" The boy replied, a gloved hand to his chin in consideration. "I like it!"

Well, that was at least one disaster averted, even if it was still far too early to feel any sort of relief over it. Momo had absolutely no intention of actually fighting the Number 1 Hero if it could at all be avoided, thank you very much…

"Good," Momo replied, before a thought suddenly struck her. "Say, Midoriya, you've got your teleporter on you, right?"

"Sure, I'z added it to me rig," He replied, promptly, clapping a hand to the unwieldy contraption strapped to his back. "and I got me so remote triggers, but roigt now itz range is line'a sight, and dah current set up ain't potent enuff tah bring othah gitz wiff me. Been workin' on dat, but it'z slow goin' wiff all dah othah stuff I got on dah ol' backlog."

Aaaaaand there went that meager hope before it could even fully form…

"Of course…" The pony-tailed girl breathed out softly, before once again addressing him directly. "We'll keep that in reserve for an emergency. What else do you have available?"

Better be completely sure where best to spend her own quirk to fill the gaps. Honestly, Momo couldn't help but wonder whether they had been placed together on the potential synergies between their quirks alone. She also couldn't help but lament that the combination would have worked so much better in a more defensive scenario, but then forced herself to shove such thoughts aside, they weren't helping right now.

"Lesse here…" The boy replied, reaching his arms into the pouch in his leather apron, far deeper than the compartment's apparent outward size should've permitted, look downright cartoon-esque in the doing. "I got me Mega Armour, first of all. I'd be usin' it already but yer wantin' fer sneakiness and it don't got dah roigt paintjob fer dat. I shuld really make more of dem like dat comics hero… Anywayz, I also got me powah klaws, about six flakka dakka guns, fully loaded, and den dah basic stuff I got lying about. Got me choppas and chain choppas, got me shootas and dakka shootas and boomstikks and rokkit launchas, got me burnas and me explosives, stikkbombs, tankbustas, landmines, force field generators, and zog I really gotta work on dat one, been lyin' around since before I got intah U.A.-"

"Ok, ok, I get the idea." Momo interrupted before the boy got too distracted running inventory, not wanting to even start guessing at what some of those might do… "Do you have anything in there that is not ordnance or otherwise meant for war…?"

"Well… Oh, I got dese sandwiches Mah made fer me." The boy supplied proudly, after a little more digging around. "Subspace corridors make fer great fridges, ya know, ain't nothin' dere tah make food spoil. Ya want one?"

Of course, in hindsight that had been a stupid question, and right now there was no time to unpack that answer…

"…Perhaps later." She replied, because despite everything, Midoriya-san's cooking was Midoriya-san's cooking, before another thought sprang to mind. "But that reminds me, are you actually packing live ammunition for this? We're facing All Might, not trying to kill him."

The irony was not lost on Momo, that she was feeling so pessimistic about their chances against the Symbol of Peace, and still the possibility of her teammate's arsenal doing more than mildly inconveniencing him terrified her, but in her defense, what had happened at the USJ was still uncomfortably fresh in her mind…

"Ah, gud one, Boss, like dat was evah gun happen." The boy replied with an amused snort. "All Moigt's been shruggin' off all kindz'a dakka since before we wuz born. I'z seen vids'a him takin' tank rounds point blank an' barely flinchin'. Of course I'z had tah bring in dah real stuff, dah rubbah rounds wouldn't do zog. Just a shame I culdn't finish workin' on some taser dakka like dah ones Boss Nagant showed me, but dere wuz no time fer everythin' wot wiff all dem stoopid exams… Mah did insist on runnin' inventory tho, and vettoed a bunch'a things I culdn't use here."

…

…Was it normal that she already felt this exhausted before the whole thing had even started?

"Right, of course, of course…" Momo muttered, this time not quite managing to keep from running a hand through her face, before deciding that it just wasn't worth the effort right now. Time was running short as it was.

So thinking, the pony-tailed girl decided to get to work. Under Midoriya's curious gaze, she focused on her quirk, carefully thinking of what she was intending. Soon, she was holding a round cylinder of clear, plastic like material, which she then held against her stomach, and a faint, pale mist-like substance started filling the container.

"Wotcha making?" The goggled-boy inquired, with that look of intense fascination he always held when he witnessed her quirk in action. To this day, Momo still didn't know whether to feel flattered or uncomfortable about it.

"Ever since the internships, I've been thinking of ways to use my quirk to safely restrain people. And so I had the idea of talking to Midnight-sensei about her quirk." Momo explained, even as she closed the lid and started the process anew. "The composition of her gas is very complex, and I haven't quite fully cracked it yet, but I did manage a somewhat working facsimile. It won't knock out All Might or anything, but it should at least slow him down a bit if it comes to a confrontation. I should be able to make at least a couple more of these without tapping into my reserves too much…"

She would've gone for a more direct method of applying it, like darts and blowpipe, or even a tranquilizer riffle, but Midoriya did unfortunately make another sound point in that it was unlikely that anything she made would be able to even pierce All Might's skin, so maybe they'd have better luck with an airborne variant. Any faint hope was better than none at this point.

Honestly, his mention of a taser actually sounded like a fantastic idea, but then there was the similar problem that anything she could make that was powerful enough to even phase All Might would tap her out too much. She had yet to figure out how the conversion rates of her quirk worked ever since Midoriya had pointed out the discrepancy, but she was fairly confident it was beyond her capabilities, unfortunately…

Momo shook her aid, keeping her mind from wandering. Now really wasn't the time, a quick check of the clock showed that the exam was almost about to start. Having finished the gas canisters, almost as an afterthought she also created the usual bo staff. Again, she had no intention of actually fighting All Might, but the familiar, almost comforting weight in her hands helped keep her centered, and right now she needed all the help she could get.

"All right, Midoriya, we don't have much more time, so listen." She said, looking towards the boy, and trying to look and sound as serious as she could. "As soon as the bell rings, we move. We stick to the back alleys and avoid the open spaces where we'd be easily spotted. We try to keep as low a profile as possible as we circle around towards the exit. If All Might is hunting us, we have a shot at getting there before he finds us. If he is guarding it, well… cross that bridge when we get to it. Point is, right now, stealth is paramount. Got it?"

"Aye, aye, Boss!" Midoriya replied, and while the grin on his face was still one that'd make children cry, he at least seemed to genuinely mean it, so Momo would take what she could get.

Not long after, the alarm signaling the exam start blared, and Momo tried not to imagine it sounding like an ominous bell tolling for them. Steeling herself, the pony-tailed girl moved.

As planned, the duo made a beeline for the closest alley, and begun the trek towards the training grounds exit, as quietly as they could manage.

It was only a couple of streets later that Momo realized that it wasn't just them. The whole cityscape was eerily, hauntingly quiet. No pedestrians, no moving cars, though many were spread around the place, probably for authenticity's sake, not even the chirping or wing flapping of birds, or the skittering of mice along the back alleys. And no sign whatsoever of All Might, not even a hint of anything indicating the hero's presence. Needless to say, even as she slowly checked around each corner, it didn't do any favors to the girl's already rattled nerves…

Pretty soon, the duo had gotten to a crossing and… there! In the distance, barely visible at the other end of the long, long road, an open space in the grounds' high walls, the exit!

And not way to head in that direction without going through the crossing, leaving themselves out in the open, however briefly…

Gulping heavily, Momo looked one way, then the other, then up towards the rooftops. Still nothing…

Ultimately, she looked toward Midoriya, silently motioning towards the other side, beckoning him to follow. A moment later, they were dashing through the street.

They didn't make it even half-way through before something crashing right in the center of the road with the force of a meteor.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Two little heroes, skulking in the shadows?" A jolly voice called amidst the dust, trying its best to sound villainous, and if Momo was being honest, doing a great job of it. "Now, that just won't do."

Chapter 48

What happened next came as no surprise to anyone.

"WAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!"

The moment All Might stopped speaking, Midoriya charged forward with his war cry, having apparently reached for his pockets the moment the hero crashed right in front of them, for he was donning a power klaw in one hand and a gun in the other, shooting as he went.

All Might certainly didn't seem surprised, his grin just a tad wider as he darted forward, swiftly crossing cracked and ruined pavement, moving out of the line of fire and right to the side of the charging boy. To his credit, Midoriya immediately noticed this and was undaunted, immediately lashing at the hero with raking steel talons.

The symbol of peace sidestepped the attack, swiftly wrapping a hand around the offending limb, red-painted metal groaning dangerously under his grip.

"Now, now," He said, his jovial tone chiding, but with a hint of menace that felt disturbingly alien to anyone accustomed to seeing his wide smile, as he easily pulled the gun out of the boy's hands with his own free one. "Let's not be disturbing the peace and quiet with all these toys, shall we? Someone might end up getting hurt."

Then, with all the casually ease of someone taking out the trash, the mountain of a man flicked his arm in an over the shoulder throw, sending Midoriya flying into a cartwheel spin and disappearing into the still settling cloud of debris behind the hero, a crashing sound the only indication of a rough landing.

All of this happened in the span of the couple of moments it took for Momo's mind to process the shock at the hero's sudden appearance, fight down the ensuing panic, and realize she was another moment away from having All Might's undivided attention.

Immediately, the pony-tailed girl grabbed one of the canister she had just created and tossed it. It landed right before All Might and immediately shattered, making him look down towards the white smoke billowing towards him.

"Ah, I see you've been taking pointers from Midnight, young Yaoyoruzu," He said approvingly, his usual exuberance briefly dimming as he muttered something too low for her to pick out, but which sounded suspiciously like 'Thank Heavens it's the right kind of pointers…', before he swiftly recovered. "However, you will have to try better than that!"

And then to Momo's immense dismay he casually clapped his hands together, and the sheer air displacement caused by such a simple movement caused all of the gas and dust in the hero's immediate vicinity to blow away and disperse too much to have any significant effect.

Reflexively, she took a combat stance, even as her mind raced, running through multiple options as to what she could try next. One part of her couldn't help but notice that, while the man's strength was still very much terrifying, he was moving slower, or else she wouldn't have even seen him get close to Midoriya, so the weights were actually doing their work, but considering how swiftly he had dispatched her test partner even with that, it came as a cold comfort and not all too useful right now-Wait, that might work!

Immediately Momo made to activate her quirk, but her motions to do so caused an immediate reaction as All Might came rushing straight at her, hand reaching out, clearly intending on restraining her and preventing whatever she was planning…

…And with eyes wide, as she beheld the man barreling towards her, time seeming to slow to a crawl, and for a split second she saw the image of the monster that had tried to kill her at the USJ superimposed upon the symbol of peace, her mind suddenly screaming at her to do something, anything, the pony-tailed girl just… froze, stood there as the hero loomed ever closer…

"WAAAAAAAAAAGGH!"

And then something large surged out of the lingering dust and debris and slammed into All Might from the hero's left, pushing the him off course with a sudden grimace of surprise and discomfort.

It took Momo a moment to blink and realize that it had been Midoriya, who, far from down for the count after that first clash, had taken the opportunity to don his Mega Armour, which while considerably increasing his bulk was still dwarfed by their opponent, had just used it to tackle All Might away from her, and was currently in the process of grappling with him, and to her shock, All Might actually briefly gave way, his feet sliding across the pavement under the momentum of the boy's charge.

"A sneak attack, uh? Rather underhanded."

Sadly, the emphasis was on briefly, as with a grunt, the man found his footing and stopped, refusing to budge any further, locking hands with the boy's own, grasping around the thickly armored wrist, and then taking a step forward, forcing Midoriya back.

Again it all happened in the span of a couple of moments, but that was all the time that Momo needed to pull herself together.

"Midoriya, hold him off! Just a few more seconds!" She cried out as she frantically set to work.

"Aye aye, Boss!" The boy replied, sounding entirely too jolly for the kind of situation they were in, as he put his all into answering the hero's push with his own, muscles and pistons straining as much as they could. He was still giving ground, the massive, steely feet grinding and carving through the pavement slowly, inexorably, but he was making the hero work for it. A small part of the girl's mind couldn't help but be in awe at the sight, remembering the boy's once boastful claim that his armor was meant to let him fight like All Might, a boastful claim that no longer sounded that far-fetched…

Especially when it gave her the time she had needed, an orb not too different looking from the ones she had used during the festival popping into her hand, although one with significantly different inner workings.

"Midoriya, heads up!" She yelled as she threw the thing at the struggling duo and immediately covered her eyes. She had heard enough of Midoriya's gushing over his creations to feel fairly confident that his helmet was guarded against what she was trying to do…

All Might's attention was momentarily drawn to the orb flying their way, and he made to finally shove the boy aside to stop whatever they were trying, but in that exact moment Midoriya lashed out with a headbutt straight into his chest, the sheer surprise of the sudden hit, more than any actual damage done, ensuring the hero's eyes were wide open when the flashbang went off and blinding white light filled the intersection.

The symbol of peace could only grunt in discomfort at the sudden blindness, breaking off away from the armored student as he tried to shake off the daze. Then he heard and felt glass crashing against him and the sudden smell in the air told him that the rest of young Yaoyoruzu's gas canisters had just been tossed at him, and just a moment after that, he felt something brushing against his arm.

Even disoriented as he was, All Might was fully aware that this was just a test, and that even with Recovery Girl on hand, he couldn't risk causing serious harm to the children by lashing out blindly, so he reacted by pulling his arm back and jumping. Even blinded, he perfectly recalled the vicinity, so he landed on the roof of a nearby building, clapping his hands together as soon as he did, once again dispersing the gas before it could truly affect him.

Honestly, he had to respect young Yaoyoruzu for being smart enough to try alternatives to brute force against him, but that didn't make the current situation any more pleasant for him. The kids had no idea how lucky they'd been that Midoriya had managed to hit him right in his wounded side, he couldn't help but think as he gingerly reached a hand towards that sore spot…

Still, he thought as he checked himself to confirm that, no, there wasn't a cuff anywhere on him, it wouldn't be enough, he just needed to keep his distance for long enough to shake this off and then go jump back into the fray. Sooner or later, they'd run out of tricks.

Soon, his sight started coming back, if still a bit blurry and faded. Still, he risked a glance down at the street. The lack of bullets flying likely meant the students at taken the chance to retreat, but still-

Smack!

"Ow!"

…The number 1 hero's head snapped backwards as something hit him right in the forehead before landing on the roof next to him with a loud clang. On the bright side, the shock at the sudden hit had been just the jolt he needed to shake off any lingering daze.

Blinking the stars off the edges of his vision, All Might immediately turned to the projectile that struck him, worried it might be a bomb or some other kind of dangerous contraption courtesy of Midoriya…

…Instead, he saw the unmistakable round shape of a manhole cover.

"…Uh." The hero couldn't help but let out, after taking a moment to process what just hit him and once again glancing down at the street. Sure enough, the kids were nowhere to be seen, but one of the entrances to the sewers beneath the mock city (to this day the attention to detail that went into these training grounds staggered him) had been quite clearly clawed open. It would seem that, having realized they couldn't get past him, young Midoriya and young Yaoyoruzu had decided to try going under. Clever, especially because the enclosed space would make it more difficult to avoid whatever else they decided to try at throw at him. But still…

"Get ready, heroes!" He called out, his booming voice carrying far. "Because ready or not, here I come!"

And with that, the hero jumped off the building into the streets, and promptly widened the sewer entrance with a well-placed punch, diving in in hot pursuit of his targets.

As the dust settled, silence once again fell upon the crossing…

"Welp, dat ought'a buy us sum time."

Glancing from the corner of a nearby alley, Izuku couldn't help but nod in satisfaction. His sneaky misdirection after the Boss Lady's failed attempt at cuffing All Might while he was blinded was paying off. Still, best not waste the opportunity.

So thinking, the armored boy turned around, looking towards his partner, who had been standing behind him with her back to the wall, breathing heavily. That this was likely because she had been holding her breath in sheer dread at the thought of being discovered went completely over his head.

"So, Boss," He asked chipperly. He was enjoying himself greatly, and he was looking forward to seeing where else this was going. "Wot'z dah plan now?"

Chapter 49

"Uuuh… Boss, ya dere? We'z on a bit of a timer here."

Still struggling to catch her breath, Momo managed to center herself enough to look up towards the green lenses of her teammate's helmet, its toothy grin visage doing little to help her settle her nerves.

"Wot'z dah plan now?" Midoriya repeated, once again entirely too casual and chipper for the kind of situation they were in. Which again, was doing little to help her fraying nerves.

"…Why are you asking me, Midoriya?" She finally replied, breathing out the words despondently, and even though she couldn't see it, she couldn't help but get the impression that he was blinking under the armor.

"Uh, cuz yer dah Boss? An' I'z wantin' tah know wotcha thinking tah do next?" He replied, as if confused that something so obvious needed to be said out loud.

"Because that has been turning out so well for us so far." The pony-tailed girl replied, shaking her head ruefully. "None of what I tried to do since this mess started has worked. The gas didn't so much as wind him, the flashbang just barely phased him, I couldn't get the cuff on him in the split-second it took him to react, and let's not forget that when he came at me, I just stood there, like a deer in the headlights." Her back slid down the wall as her legs seemed to lose strength, slumping down to the ground, and looking up towards the sky, defeat plain to see on her face. "What else could I possibly do against that…?"

What where the teachers thinking, setting her up against the Symbol of Peace of all people? What had she been thinking, acting like they even had the ghost of a chance when she already knew otherwise? That just a week would've been enough to fix her problems and she'd suddenly be able to do anything when it actually mattered the most?

Did she really deserve to be here, faltering as she was when the situation was insurmountable…?

"I mean, dat'z wot I asked, cuz we shuld be thinkin'a sumthin' else while we can." The boy replied plainly, his good cheer sounding dimmed even through the modulation of his voice. "An' I'z really open tah ideas roigt now, Boss."

"And why are you still asking me when we've seen how myideas work?" She replied, exasperation replacing defeat as she looked up to the armored boy sourly. "Don't you understand, Midoriya? We're up against All Might! I've known you long enough to understand that is great for you, but your approach has only worked marginally better than mine so far, and even then only until he catches on to your misdirection. We are outmatched. We can't fight him. We can't escape him. We… we can't pass this exam. Not like this. We are going to fail, Midoriya, plain and simple."

For a moment, as she once again caught her breath, the boy just stood there, with such stillness his armor could pass for a statue. Then, there was a soft hiss as his helmet split and folded open, revealing his face underneath. To Momo's honest surprise, he was no longer grinning like a maniac, but nor did he seem to be judging her for her breakdown. No, instead it was something else, but something still familiar. The same kind of calm, serious look that she'd seen that day when their class door had been crowded…

"It'z true, we'z up against All Moigt, dah best hero dere evah wuz." He said in a tone that was oddly contemplative. "It'z true, our oddz been slim from dah start. But so wot? Dat ain't gonna make us fail dah exam."

…

"Come again?" Was all that Momo could reply, for try as she might, she couldn't quite see what he was getting at.

"Yeah, see, if we'z sumhow manage tah pass, den we pass. And if we'z fail, den dat just means dat we'z gotta train more aftah an' come back fer anothah go." He said, bluntly but not harshly. "Ten tah one oddz dat'z wot that summah camp's all about and dem'z who fail are still goin' and just be made tah work hardah dan dah ones wot passed. Dis school likes tah be sneaky like dat." He shrugged at that. "Point iz, methinks you'ze overcomplicatin' a bit. If ya win, ya win, if ya don't, den ya get tah try again. Ain't no such thing as failing, and it ain't weak tah be knocked down, long as ya get up an' dust yerself off tah try again."

"…I could see that bit about the camp being true," Momo conceded, before a sigh escaped her lips. "But as for the rest… if I'm overcomplicating, you're the opposite, Midoriya. You make it sound so much easier than it actually is. What if I am not strong? What happens if I am knocked down and I don't think I can get back up…?"

He looked at her, his red eyes blinking, is calm and serious expression shifting again into confusion.

"Well, duh, dat'z where I'z come in tah pick ya up an' dust ya off. I mean, dat'z why we'z been paired up. Dah whole point iz fer us tah be workin' together, roigt?" He replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and despite herself, Momo couldn't help the widening of her eyes. "You'ze a smart gurl, Boss, didn't take me long tah figure dat out. I trust ya tah think on dah thingz I don't, and if ye come across somethin' ya can't outsmart, dat'z where I come in tah beat it down!"

With that, the boy extended a steel-taloned hand towards her with a grin on his face. Not a savage, horrific grin of insane bloodlust that stretched almost to its physical limits, no. Something altogether smaller, more natural, more human.

"All Moigt's gun be comin' back any moment now. Dah exam timer'z runnin' out. We'z outmatched. Wotcha gun do about it?"

…

This was unbelievable, Momo couldn't help but think. Here she was, about ready to accept the reality of their situation, and there her partner was, trying to give her a rousing speech based on a logic that was childish at best, straight up delusional at worst. It was ridiculous. It was insane…

…And God help her, despite being fully aware of it, she couldn't help but envy him for how genuinely he believed. Couldn't help but want to believe too…

…Ah well, in for a penny, or so the saying went.

"…You really are out of your mind, Midoriya." She ultimately said, not quite able to contain the small giggle that escaped her at the sheer foolishness of it all, even as she carefully placed a hand against his gauntlet, carefully avoiding the claws as she got up. "But perhaps I am too, for letting you talk me into this."

"Dat mean ya got a plan, den?" The boy asked, not even bothering to deny what she just said, but looking distinctly amused by it.

If only it were that easy, but Momo still frankly had no idea how they could turn things around. She glanced around their surroundings, risking a glance out of the alley's corner into the streets beyond. Still no sign of All Might, but that was not likely to last with how much time they already lost to her near breakdown, and while she could see the exit in the distance, there's no way that they could make it on foot before being intercepted and-

-At that point, there was a detail in all the many efforts taken to make the training grounds feel like a genuine city that caught her attention. On foot, there was no way. But what if…?

"…I can't believe I'm actually considering this." She couldn't help but mutter to herself, before speaking up. "Say, Midoriya?"

"Yeah, Boss?" The boy replied promptly, approaching behind her.

"…I don't suppose you know how to hot-wire a vehicle?"

For a moment, he blinked at her, before looking over to where she had been, to the nondescript, black van parked right there, on their side of the sidewalk. Then he broke out into the kind of grin that she was unfortunately more used to seeing in him. Clearly he approved of her "plan"…

"Eezy peezy, Boss. Just gimme a moment," He replied eagerly, his armor hissing, parting and folding in on itself as he got out, leaving only one claw still attached to his arm as he dashed to the vehicle. "Now, lesse here…"

With casual ease, he raised a briefly green-glowing talon, slicing a large circle into the window's glass and poking it in. Credit where credit was due, Momo supposed bemusedly as she too cautiously approached, eyes open and alert, she was half-expecting him to just smash it open…

Wasting no time, the boy just shoved the clawed gauntlet back into his pocket (She still was not quite used to the sight of something so large disappearing into so small a space…) and reached his arm into the opening, unlocking the door. Within moments he was at the driver's seat and leaning under the dashboard. Some cracking and snapping noises ensued.

"Ah, here we iz. Blue on yellah, classic. Just gotta touch it like so…" He mumbled, and a moment later the vehicle rumbled as the engine roared to life, and the boy bot back up give throw a happy, puppy like grin her way. "All done, boss!"

"Nice work, Midoriya." She replied with a nod, and despite herself, a small smile. At this point being surprised by how easily he had done this felt pointless. "Now move over."

"Wait wot?" Came the confused reply, as he looked at her with a look of uncomprehending surprise.

"I said move over, I'm driving." The girl again stated simply.

"But Boss-"

"Have you ever driven, Midoriya?" She interrupted him with a flat look.

"Of course! Why ya think I-"

"Let me rephrase," She once again cut him off, leaving him even more nonplussed. "Do you have any actual, official, formally recognized training with motor vehicles?"

"Uuuh, no, but why-"

"Well, I do. That's how I used that moped you took back in initiation." She said bluntly, and it was true. While she was still a minor and thus couldn't get a license yet, driving had been one of the many things her parents had hired experts to teach her, in the privacy of their estate, to better prepare her for her chosen career. She had never expected it to be too terribly relevant, in fairness, but here they were. "And I'd rather reach the exit alive, thank you very much. So, again, move over, I'm driving."

…

…Grumbling under his breath like a pouty child, Midoriya reluctantly did as he was told. Again, despite herself, Momo couldn't help but smirk as she wondered if he regretted talking her out of her funk, before she got in and took her seat.

A quick check that everything was in order, a quick shifting of gears, an immediate and textbook about turn upon leaving the parking space, and away they went.

Chapter 51

If they were to hear of the exact situation she now found herself in, and if it had happened in just about any other context but the current one, her parents would probably have a conniption. Such was the random, stray thought that had crossed Momo's mind, unhelpful as it was, while she drove a commandeered vehicle down the road, with no license to speak off, going over just about any legal speed limit and disregarding a vast majority of the highway code, all actions that couldn't help but make her feel less like a hero and more like the hunted perp making a desperate getaway.

There was a sudden lurch, and a bump as she had to swerve slightly to avoid the worst of a pothole in the road, giving thanks to whatever higher power was listening that she didn't have to worry about other drivers and passersby right now. Still, it really would perhaps be for the better if she glossed over some details when recounting this to her parents later…

Risking a side glance at the passenger seat, she could see that someone at least seemed to have swiftly got over their disappointment at not driving. Midoriya had enough presence of mind to not be whooping loudly and add greater risk of giving away their position to their already loud maneuver, but going by the grin on his face, he was clearly having the time of his life.

Shaking her head, Momo focused on the road. The exit to the training grounds, once so distant, was swiftly looming closer, more and more distinct. This was working, part of her couldn't help but think in wonder, they could do this…

Suddenly there was a loud crash that rocked the van, and it took the girl more effort than she cared to admit to not blurt out something unlady-like as she fought the wheel to keep the vehicle on track.

"Uh, I wuz wonderin' wot wuz takin'im so long." Midoriya commented, with that tone of someone who had been expecting a later come to a party, as he glanced back through the window.

At that Momo look at the rear-view mirror, dreading what she was about to see, and sure enough, her stomach dropped as she saw the plume of dust and debris they had just barely avoided, courtesy of All Might making himself an exit to climb out of the sewers. Even as the figure of the Symbol of Peace standing up became smaller and smaller behind them, Momo could see clear as day the look of open shock and surprise on the hero's face as he realized what they had been doing.

Could have been worse, a small part of her mind couldn't help but think, with a level of calm the girl wasn't quite sure she should be feeling, he could've burst out ahead of them, or directly below…

Unfortunately, that surprise did not last nearly enough, as the hero swiftly leapt in pursuit, crossing the distance between them with distressing speed. A quick glance back and forth and the ensuing mental calculations confirmed, to her chagrin, that at this rate they wouldn't make the exit before he caught up.

Which left her with just one last, desperate option…

"I can't believe I am doing this…" She muttered to herself in desperate resignation. "Midoriya!"

"Yeah, boss?" The boy replied curiously, looking entirely too at home in this situation, but then that wasn't really a surprise at this point.

"All Might's coming! I can't do anything but keep going as fast as this goes! Get back there and do whatever you can to slow him down!" She ordered frantically. "We absolutely have to keep him at bay for just a little bit longer, so short of anything with serious odds of killing him, just do something!"

For a moment, the boy just sat there, blinking blanky as he seemingly processed her desperate request. Then came the psychotic, downright feral expression she had come to associate with him, and Momo tried very hard not to listen to the part of her that was suddenly worried she had just made a huge mistake.

"Aye, aye, boss." The boy replied, the menacing growl to the words belying the cheer of a kid who had just been told they had the run of the candy store, immediately unclasping the seat belt and moving towards the back of the van, keeping steady on his feet with surprising ease, reaching for his pocket as he went.

A moment later, the van's back door swung open, and All Might saw a cluster of something falling on the road ahead of him. A quick check showed that there were a bunch of heptagonal disks, each with a small button in the middle.

Immediately deeply suspicious of whatever stunt this might be, even more so when he could see Midoriya grinning tauntingly from the van, the number 1 hero leapt, intending on jumping over this obstacle…

…And just as he was in midair directly above it, he saw the boy had a remote on his hand and had just pressed a button.

The entire cluster started beeping.

Fuck.

Surprisingly enough, this wasn't the first time that the Symbol of Peace had found himself in such a situation. With experience earned throughout a storied career, the hero punched down, just as the revealed explosives went off.

The clash between both shockwaves allowed him to avoid the worst of the blast, but still the hero found himself projected, sent into a rough tumble that ended in a kneeling position as he shook the dizziness and the ring in his ears away, trails of smoke still clinging to his otherwise unhurt form.

Immediately, the man resumed his pursuit…

…Only to just as immediately realize the boy was no longer holding a remote.

"Ya see, All Moigt?! Dat be how a roigt'n proppah landmine'z gotta be!" Midoriya called out cheerily, holding a fridge handle welded to a large cylinder, with a circle of smaller tubes within the tip aimed straight at him. "Now say hi to me lil' friendz, all 3642 rounds per minute'a dem!"

Fuck!

Experience made the hero not break his stride despite the realization of what was about to happen, but he did still slow down, eyes firmly on the barrel, muscles tensing and waiting for the precise second he'd need to move away.

…And the boy's grin just grew all the wider, as if expecting exactly that.

"WAAAAAAAGGGGH!"

His bellowed warcry was swiftly drowned out by the defeaning roar of his ramshackle gatling gun, a deluge of bullets raining down on the tarmac slightly in front of the hero, punching lines of holes across the road with all the rhyme and reason of a mad artist, sending chunks of tar and clouds of dust flying and obscuring the hero's vision of the van.

The hero promptly clapped his hands together, allowing the air displacement to clear the cloud once again. But that apparently just made the boy change tracks, when a quick glance to the side showed that the van had just passed by a building that was clearly meant to represent some kind of store, with huge glass panels lining the entire front. Without missing a beat, he opened fire across the building, shattering the pristine installation and caused a curtain of glass shard and debris to rain down on the street.

This obstacle was only slightly more hazardous to All Might than the one immediately before, but the hero could tell that it was having the intended effect. They had been going down the training grounds' main street at great speed for the last few moments, and it was only a matter of seconds before the students made the exit.

Quickly considering his options, the hero decided on one last move. With bullets pursuing (although it was clear to his mind that Midoriya was very deliberately avoiding any direct hits as opposed to firing wantonly), All Might dashed to one of the side roads, disappearing behind a corner that was swiftly pumped full of holes behind him.

"Zog." Izuku grunted, eyes peeled for any sign of movement, even as he kept firing and wreaking ruin across the various buildings they passed by in that general direction. "Boss, I'z not seein' All Moigt no more! He may be tryin' tah go around tah cut us off. Keep yer eyes peeled!"

Just barely hearing him over the firing rate, and it frankly amazed the girl she had managed to stay on track as well as she did with all the cacophony going on behind her, Momo couldn't say that the warning was reassuring. They had just about reached the end of the road, they were so close now, she could see the gates just in front-

Something crashed down from above just between the two stone pillars marking the exit, All Might standing up and bracing, clearly intending on stopping the van in its tracks.

For a moment, Momo panicked, part of her screaming at her to hit the brakes, that this was it, it was over, they were done. Then Midoriya came back to the front, hand clasping at his seat as he looked defiantly to the hero, and another part whispered of one last, desperate gamble…

…She really was losing her mind, wasn't she?

"Midoriya!" She called out in a desperate yell as, against all that propriety, common sense and self-preservation were screaming at her to do, instead of braking, she floored it. "Lean away from me and close your eyes tight!"

Then she did exactly the same even as she activated her quirk, allowing a small cloud of powder to project from her right arm, immediately followed by just the tiniest amount of a compound that she knew would ignite upon contact with open air.

Immediately the desperately rushed flashbang went off, making everything go white, and the only thing she could detect was a faint cry of surprise.

Time seemed to slow down, stretching for what felt like an eternity…

Then there was big bump that rocked the van, immediately followed by a loud siren blaring.

"Students have left the training grounds. Exam passed." A monotone, robotic voice echoed through the area.

…

As the words slowly registered in her mind, Momo slowly opened her eyes, registering her surroundings. Their vehicle had ground to a halt, but glancing back, the gates were behind them. They had, indeed, escaped the designated area.

But that could only mean…

"Uh." A voice grunted from her side, where she finally noticed Midoriya, on his feet and looking no worse for wear, looking ahead of them with a look of genuine surprise. "Ya just ran ovah All Moigt, Boss."

Slowly, very slowly, Momo turned her head straight ahead, seeing no sign of the hero anywhere.

…

"… Oh my God, I ran over All Might." She eventually said, in that oddly calm, almost blank, tone of someone who was just barely holding off the sheer weight of a realization by a hair's breadth. "I just ran over the Symbol of Peace. I just ran over the number 1 hero. I just-EEEEEEKKKK!"

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how one chooses to look at it, the girl's plunge into full blown panic was stopped by her nearly jumping out of her skin as a large, familiar hand clasped itself against the windshield.

"It's alright, children, I am here!" A familiar voice said with a bit more strain than they were used to, as the hulking figure of All Might slowly came into view, somewhat rattled, but otherwise unharmed. "Rest assured, while I was caught by surprise, this wasn't the first time I had a van trying to get past me like that, and it probably won't be the last. I am quite fine. Just a bit winded because I didn't brace properly, but it was I who stopped you, otherwise you'd have kept going until you crashed in the fountain there."

The hero's reassurance was met with nothing but a blank, unblinking stare from the girl at the driver's seat, leading the man to cough awkwardly.

"Aaaaanyway, while I have to admit things got a bit chaotic there, you both did technically complete all the intended parameters of the exam, so yes, you did indeed pass. Congratulations, children!"

"Zog yeah!" Midoriya cheered with a wide grin. "We'z done it, Boss! Gud job!"

…

"Uh, Boss?"

There was no reply. The sheer emotional overload of everything that had just happened had caused the girl to faint in her seat.

Chapter 52

Wakefulness came slowly to Momo, her mind slowly stirring she could feel light on her face, and a faint sensation of motion. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was blue, immense, distant blue. It took her a moment to realize she was staring up at the sky.

"Ah, good to see you back with us, Young Yaoyoruzu." A familiar voice said, jovially, but with a slight hint of concern.

Blinking slowly, she looked to its source, seeing none other than All Might looking down at her with his usual smile.

"You gave us a bit of a scare there; we're on the way to the infirmary and everything." The hero continued, when he saw he had her attention.

And at those words, Momo's thoughts finally re-organized themselves and she remembered everything that had just happened and had led to her current situation. Perhaps it was because she had just had an overload, or because realization hadn't quite hit her yet, or maybe she was just that exhausted, physically and mentally, or maybe it was all of the above, but it still struck the girl as impressive just how calm she was feeling right now.

"…How long was I out, Sensei?" She asked, tone curious but polite.

"Oh, not long at all, just the time it took for us to get you out of the van and get about halfway to the infirmary." The hero reassured her. "I would've tried to dash you there, but I didn't want to risk doing anything that'd disturb you further, you see, so we've decided a softer pace would be best."

Momo blinked at that, taking a second or two to process it, until the hero's repeated use of "we" sank in, and she finally realized that she wasn't currently moving under her own power.

Turning her head the other way, sure enough, there was Midoriya, holding her in a bridal carry, looking thoroughly unbothered by the effort or how awkward it might look given the disparity in their heights.

"Welcome back, Boss." He said when he noticed her looking, a friendly grin on his face. "Thingz got a bit intense back dere, eh? Can't blame ya for getting' tired."

…

"…You can put me down now, Midoriya." She replied, far more composed than she should probably be in this situation, paying no mind to the slight heat in her cheeks. "I'm awake, I can walk."

"If yer sure." The boy replied without a single hint of the awkwardness she was trying to keep in check, as he proceeded to let her back on her feet with surprising gentleness, one hand still on her shoulder to help keep her steady.

"Glad to see you have recovered so quickly, Young Yaoyorozu." All Might once again cut in. "But all the same, we should probably see you to the infirmary, we do need to check your injuries."

For a moment, Momo was once again confused, but now that her mind had finally rebooted properly, and the adrenaline levels were coming down, she finally noticed the stinging sensation she was in her arm. She looked down, and saw the raw, burnt patch of skin where she had triggered that last flashbang, wincing slightly at the sight. Then she glanced over at Midoriya, also finally noticing the various bruises and cuts he had all over, no doubt courtesy of his brief bout against All Might, injuries that going by his grin he clearly bore proudly.

"Yes, I think that might be for the best." The girl agreed as she allowed herself to be guided away from the plaza, before a thought struck, and she turned towards the hero, making to bow. "Also, All Might-sensei, I want to say, I am deeply sorry for-"

She was interrupted by the hero's signature laugh.

"It's quite alright, young Yaoyorozu, you have done nothing that you need to apologize for." The man replied with his usual grin. "Like I said, it was not the first time I've been hit with a van in my career. Sure, I will admit you caught me by surprise with that last flashbang, but catching me by surprise was how you managed to succeed, and that was the whole point. Needless to say, I do expect you to know better than to resort to these kinds of measures unless circumstances are truly dire, but chin up, young lady, and be proud of what you've accomplished. There aren't many who can claim they got the better of me, you know."

…Momo wasn't quite sure how to react to the hero's words, as there was so much to pick apart from them, but then, there was one part that she couldn't help but home in on.

"…The whole point?" She repeated, looking up at the hero uncertainly. "You mean, this outcome was expected? Was that why the match was set up this way?"

"Oh, the specifics of how it turned out were very much notexpected, but you're not wrong about the rest." All Might replied, nodding approvingly at her insight. "This exam was meant to evaluate you children, but naturally there's more than that. We teachers have been observing your progress, noting where you excel, and where you falter. The teams and their opponents were decided the way they were to put the students in a situation where they'd have to face their weaker points, while also having the best teammate to help cover for those."

"You mean, because of synergy between our abilities?" Momo clarified, seeing where this was going.

"Oh, that played a part in it in some cases, for sure, but it wasn't all." The hero agreed, before pointing at her. "In your particular case, it's been clear for a while that you have a keen mind, which is a necessity to handle a quirk as powerful and complex as yours. You know the theory, and you can handle the practice well enough, but you have also shown yourself to be… somewhat rigid. Inflexible. You tend to falter, hesitate, you fumble when things don't go your way." Then he pointed towards Midoriya. "Young Midoriya here, on the other hand, is basically the opposite. He's cunning, and doesn't hesitate to act when needed, he's quick to adapt, but he's… a bit too eager to get in the fight, a bit too quick to charge ahead. By pairing you two together, we were hoping that you'd be able to curb his recklessness, and that he'd help you keep your head in the game."

All while setting them up against an opponent that'd be pretty much an immovable object against both of their usual approaches, and Momo was under no delusions that they would have stood a chance if All Might hadn't been massively holding back for the sake of the exercise. A part of her really wanted to be cross at having been put in this situation in the first place, but she supposed that the unfairness of the match too was part of the point.

"All in all, it is like I said." The hero continued, and going by his expression he could probably guess what she had been thinking. "The specifics aside, it worked out like we'd hoped. You two worked together, covered for each other, and managed to overcome me. Be proud of what you've accomplished, and hey, you are cleared to join the training camp now!"

At that, the two students shared a glance, one that the hero couldn't help but noticed looks rather unimpressed.

"Be honest, All Might-sensei." Momo couldn't help but state dryly. "We would be going even if we hadn't passed, wouldn't we?"

The awkward coughing that she got in reply was all the confirmation she needed.

"Anyway, here's the infirmary." All Might said, a bit too eager to change the subject, as he opened to door they had just arrived at. "In you go, Recovery Girl will see to you. Meanwhile, I gotta go, do teacher's work. A lot goes into organizing this sort of thing you know. I'll see you children later!"

With that hasty goodbye, the hero swiftly about turns and walks away, disappearing around a corner. Her suspicions all but confirmed, the girl decided to leave it at that, and the duo entered. She did not miss the frown on Midoriya's face, one that seemed displeased and… uncomfortable?

"Ah, there you are."

Another voice cut through her musings, making the girl finally notice the only other occupant of the room. And then notice how empty the place currently was.

"Pick a bed and have a seat, dears, I'll be with you in a moment." Recovery Girl said, apparently just finishing something up at her desk.

"Did… Did nobody else get hurt during their exams?" Momo asked tentatively while doing as she was asked, not quite sure what to make of the implications of the empty room. "Or were people already discharged?"

At that, the nurse finally looked up at the girl, giving a snort of amusement, which needless to say, just confused Momo further.

"Oh, dearie, nobody else has even finished their exams yet, you two were the first." The old woman replied, her tone one part gentle amusement and one part exasperation, as she finally jumped down from her seat and began approaching. "I understand that what you just went through was a harrowing ordeal that must have felt like an eternity, but honestly, you were only in there for a few minutes. It's probably one of the fastest exam clears in this school's records."

"…Uh, here I was thinking we'd been about to time out." The pony-tailed girl replied numbly, for lack of anything better to say to that revelation.

"Well, ya know what dey say, Boss, time flies when yer havin' fun." Midoriya replied cheerily, sitting on the bed across from hers. Momo decided that it was best not to comment on that, because fun wasn't a word she'd use to describe what just happened, but then another thought occurred to her.

"Wait," She muttered, once again turning to the approaching nurse. "You've seen what happened?"

"Well, of course dearie, that's what those are for. It makes my job easier if I know what's coming my way before it does." Recovery Girl replied, pointing to the wall, where Momo just now noticed the set of screens showing various locations, in many different angles, and more than a few, she could see her classmates. She winced as she saw Mina and Kaminari just barely dodging a wrecking ball…

"Now then, let's see to you." Recovery Girl said, as she got up on a chair right next to Momo (all beds had a chair similarly placed, but Momo politely chose not to comment), and checking her injuries. "Hhhhhmm, near as I can tell, you seem mostly fine, dearie. Do you feel any lingering dizziness? Nausea? Anything sore?"

"Uuuh, no, not really, nothing of the sort."

"Yes, I didn't think so, but it's possible your body still hasn't had the time to start feeling it. See me immediately if you start feeling any such symptoms over the next few days. Now, about this burn…"

One quick application of the woman's quirk later, and the stinging in her arm faded, the area still red, but no longer raw and singed.

"Honestly, dearie, you should know better than to create flammable substances like this." The nurse chided, taking a moment to check over her work. "Now, get some rest. I'd give you some of my gummies, but I honestly think you could probably do with a heartier meal than that."

"Oh! I'z can help with dat!" Midoriya called out, drawing both women's attention as he reached for his pocket and… "Ahah! So, ya be wantin' a sandwich afta' all?"

…

"…If I may?" Momo replied after a moment of staring at the neatly wrapped package she was being offered, looking towards the nurse, somewhat pleadingly.

"…I'll allow it, just try not to make too many crumbs." The nurse said, smiling bemusedly at the speed with which the girl took the offer, before turning to the boy. "And now, let's see about you…"

And as she got to sit back, relax, and enjoy some delicious food, Momo's attention suddenly found itself torn between two spectacles. Her classmates going about their exams, and Midoriya, who just a little while ago had been fighting toe to toe with All Might himself, acting like a child afraid of needles as the nurse approached him.

All Might, meanwhile, found himself walking back towards the entrance of the exam area, the scene of the crime, such as it were. The Symbol of Peace hadn't been lying when he had praised Yaoyorozu and Midoriya for their ability to work together to surprise and best him, but there was one particular aspect to that surprise that required some confirmation…

Which was why the hero was currently popping open the van's hood, because according to what the Principal and Power Loader had told him…

…Yep, the vehicle had no engine, no battery. Like all vehicles in the training grounds, it had been a prop, with all potentially explosive components removed for safety

Chapter 302 - 45-52