The observation room overlooking U.A.'s examination grounds was filled with multiple monitors plastered all over the room, displaying different areas of the obstacle course. Several screens were showing live footage from cameras positioned throughout the testing area, while the others monitored the equipment on the course and the applicants' information. A large central monitor showed the starting line, where the first group assembled to start the race.
Only a handful of U.A.'s faculty were present for the examination. Among them was Present Mic, who had returned to the observation area after he finished explaining the race. He was setting up to call out the next group once this was done. Thankfully, he had a bit of time. The race was three kilometers.
"Well, the written exam results are great as usual this year." Present Mic commented, scrolling through the scores on one of the monitors. "A lot of these kids scored great. Especially this student "Momo Yaoyorozu". She got 100% on every section of the test.
Standing near him against the wall was a tall, pale-skinned man with messy, shoulder-length black hair that partially hung in front of his face and half-open eyes. He looked fatigued. His facial hair was stubbly and unkempt. He wore a plain black outfit with a long wrapped scarf around his neck.
"That's not really that surprising is it?" the dark-haired teacher replied apathetically. "These are recommendation students. Most of them are already among the best academically at their respective middle schools. I'd be more concerned if their written scores were poor."
Present Mic leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, fair enough. Doesn't give us much to work with when nearly everyone's getting high marks, though."
"Exactly. Their academic records are already good enough to get them here. What matters now is whether they can actually use their quirks effectively. The practical examination will tell us more than another written test." The man replied.
"I agree. "A voice said. It was a small white-furred stoat-like creature with circular black eyes, a large scar over the right one, relatively rectangular-shaped ears with pale pink insides slanting outwards from the top of his head, and an elongated muzzle with a small round black nose. He also had paws with pink pads and a thin, long tail. His legs were barely hanging off the chair. He wore a white dress shirt, a dark red tie around his neck, a black double-breasted waistcoat, and matching dress pants. He wore oversized orange sneakers with incredibly thick white soles and black laces. "Academic ability is certainly important, but it is a small part of what makes a capable hero. We have students here with excellent records, powerful quirks, and impressive backgrounds. Let's see how they approach this exam.
Another Teacher approached, nodding his head. It was a large humanoid block of cement with black, seemingly shut eyes and gray hair tied into a short ponytail. His body shape was evenly blocky. He had extremely tiny eyes. He wore a sleeveless cedar colored suit that had yellow stripes, shorts, and an elongated collar. He also wore gray boots with yellow soles. "There are some promising candidates this year," he remarked. "A few of them have particularly impressive extracurricular records. Several have already completed internships with professional hero agencies, and there are some interesting quirks among them as well."
"Well, I guess we will see soon enough." Present Mic said, glancing toward the main screen. "Looks like the first group is ready."
The staff returned their attention to the course. On the central monitor, six students stood behind the starting line, preparing their quirks while an examination official completed the final equipment checks. Several smaller screens displayed around with different sections of the course so the teachers had multiple views.
A notification appeared on the control panel, confirming that all checkpoints and timing sensors were operational.
"Alright, here we go!" Present Mic announced.
The starting signal blared.
On the main screen, the six applicants immediately rushed forward. Everyone activated their quirks, They made their way towards the first obstacle. The cameras automatically adjusted to follow their movements, and the timing system began recording their progress. One student with snow white hair was speeding up much more then the others. He was riding a Lance.
The teachers watched with interest as the students approached the opening section. However, they were suddenly stunned when all they saw were five students. The student on the lance was missing.
"Where is the six-" The cement man asked. However, he was suddenly interrupted by electronic chime that declared the results. Numbers populated.
Present Mic glanced at it.
"HOLY SHIT!"
His voice echoed through the observation room, causing several of the nearby monitors to vibrate. Cementoss flinched, and one of the examination operators covered his ears.
The dark-haired teacher immediately turned toward him.
"Watch it, Mic. We're in an enclosed room."
Present Mic barely acknowledged the warning. He was staring at the timing display, his eyes wide behind his sunglasses.
"AIZAWA! LOOK AT THE SCREEN! SOMEONE JUST FINISHED THE COURSE!"
Aizawa frowned.
"What?"
"The course! He finished it!"
Present Mic pointed toward the main monitor.
TODOROKI, HAISE · APPLICANT 017
00:14.11
COURSE COMPLETED
For a moment, nobody said anything. They were all stunned into silence.
The man named Aizawa stared at the result before looking toward the live footage. On one of the screens, a white-haired boy stood near the finish line, looking at the timer. Meanwhile, the other five applicants from his group were still making their way through the earlier obstacles.
Cementoss was the first to speak.
"Fourteen seconds?"
"Wow," Present Mic said, still staring at the monitor. "It was 3 km."
"That's impossible," Cementoss muttered, turning toward the equipment readings. "The course is three kilometers long. Even with a mobility quirk, that kind of time is extraordinary. Principal Nezu, are you seeing this?"
Aizawa leaned forward in his chair. His eyes widened in surprise.
Principal Nezu looked at the display, then toward the student standing at the finish line.
"Well, this is certainly unexpected."
Even the principal appeared surprised. He had anticipated some impressive performances from the recommendation applicants, but this was far beyond what he expected from the first group. The examination had barely started, and someone had already finished it.
"Did anyone actually see how he did it?" Aizawa asked, he regretted looking away.
"Not all of it," Cementoss admitted. "I was watching the students at the starting line. I didn't expect someone to reach the finish so quickly. But we can just rewind it."
"Lets wait for the exam to finish. We have to keep an eye on all of the students."
"Mic. who is this applicant?"
Present Mic was already bringing up the applicant's information.
"Wait a minute," Cementoss said, looking at the name on the screen. "Todoroki? As in Endeavor?"
Aizawa glanced toward him.
"Probably. It's not exactly a common surname."
"I heard Endeavor was personally training his son to become a hero," Cementoss continued. "He's supposed to have an extremely powerful quirk. Half ice and half fire, if I remember correctly. What was his name again?"
"Shoto Todoroki," Aizawa answered. "I've heard about him too. Endeavor's been preparing him for U.A. for years. Some agencies have kept an eye out for him. He is a very promising recruit"
Present Mic shook his head.
"Yeah, but that's not the kid who just finished."
Both teachers turned toward him.
"What do you mean?" Cementoss asked.
Present Mic pointed at the name on the monitor.
"Look. It says Haise Todoroki."
He had noticed the surname, but the significance of the first name had only just registered. The applicant on the screen was not Shoto.
"Haise?" he repeated.
Nezu opened the applicant's file, examining the details more carefully.
"Yes, Todoroki Haise. Fifteen years old, third-year middle school student. His recommendation was submitted by Endeavor as well"
Cementos looked between the file and the live footage, visibly confused.
"Who the heck is this Haise Todoroki?"
—
Gray stared at the display for a moment, standing a few steps beyond the finish line.
Fourteen seconds?
He blinked and looked back toward the course. It wasn't that long. Was there a second part he missed? The other five applicants had started at the same time as him, yet he couldn't see any of them approaching the finish line either.
"What the hell? Did they finish before me?"
Gray scratched his head and looked around. There was nobody else waiting nearby. There were a couple of proctors and robots who were cleaning up the debris. He considered asking one of the proctors, but the timing display clearly showed his name and completion time. The other should be waiting here if they already finished right?
Then a thought occurred to him.
Oh. I see.
Gray grinned and found somewhere to sit. He was first. Good. It's what he trained for and expected.
Unfortunately, there wasn't anything else to do while he was waiting. There were no monitors showing the other students. Gray leaned back against the bench and folded his arms, occasionally glancing toward the final checkpoint, waiting for someone to arrive.
He really hoped this wasn't the entire practical examination. The course was interesting, but there was no way that was everything. If it was, then he had severely overestimated this exam. Maybe it was just starting?
'Ah, whatever.' Gray thought as he leaned back and closed his eyes. It was best not to overthink things. Sometimes, he had to be like Natsu and just go with the flow.
Eventually, Gray heard movement coming from the field. He looked up and spotted several applicants approaching the last checkpoint. They were moving at roughly the same speed, each using their quirks to reach the endzone first. One student with an animal quirk suddenly accelerated, using the last of his strength to dash ahead.
The boy crossed the finish line first among the remaining applicants, slowing down several steps afterward. He bent forward with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily as he recovered from the race. After catching his breath, he looked at his time, a smile appearing on his face, clearly satisfied with the results.
Gray glanced at the result.
Seriously?
The time was considerably higher than he expected. He knew the course was three kilometers long, and not everyone was suited for mobility, but still, he had assumed the others would be much better than this.
The animal-quirk student turned away from the display and finally noticed Gray sitting nearby. His pleased expression immediately changed to surprise.
"Wait. You already finished?"
Gray raised an eyebrow. "Yeah."
"When?"
"A while ago."
The boy looked back at the timing display, then toward the empty course behind him. He appeared to be trying to figure out how someone could have arrived before him without his noticing.
Before he could ask anything else, the remaining four applicants began crossing the finish line. They arrived almost milliseconds apart from one another, with only a short gap separating them from the second place finisher. Most were breathing heavily, and several immediately checked their recorded times before moving aside to recover.
Gray watched them for a moment before standing up and stretching his arms. He wasn't disappointed with his own performance, but he had been hoping to see what the others could do. So far, nobody had shown him anything particularly unusual. Although, a race wasn't really the best place to show what you could do. He hoped at least the final part of the exam would be an actual fight.
A nearby proctor approached the group once they had finished. "Alright, everyone. Your group's results have been recorded. Please return to the designated waiting area. We will have to finish the other examinations."
Gray glanced toward the course again. Another group was probably preparing to begin, and he was curious about how they would perform.
"Can we stay and watch the next group?" he asked.
"I'm afraid not. Applicants who have completed the practical examination must return to the gymnasium. You'll receive further instructions there."
"Ah. Alright."
Gray followed the other five students away from the finish line. They passed through a side entrance and entered a long corridor leading back toward the main facilities. Several staff members were stationed along the route, directing them toward the gymnasium where the recommendation applicants had gathered earlier.
When they arrived, Gray noticed that the waiting area had been rearranged. Several rows of chairs had been placed along the walls, and refreshments were available near one of the entrances. A section of the gymnasium had been reserved for students who had already completed their practical examinations. Gray's group was first so there were no other applicants here.
Gray found an empty chair and sat down.
Shoto had been assigned to a different group, and Gray hadn't bothered checking when he would be competing. He considered wandering around for a while, but there wasn't much to see inside the gymnasium, and they weren't allowed to just freely wander the school. So instead, he just leaned back and rested.
As time passed, more students began returning from the course. Some looked pleased with their performances, while others were noticeably frustrated. Gray overheard several conversations about the difficulty of the exam and how they barely beat their competition.
Gray listened with mild interest.
He hadn't really considered the possibility of getting stuck on any of those obstacles. He just used brute force to smash through the exam.
Eventually, he spotted a familiar head of half red and half white hair entering through the doors.
"Shoto!"
His brother turned toward him and walked over.
"You're finished?" Shoto asked.
"Yeah. Our group was first so I've been here a while."
"How did you do?"
"Pretty well." Gray shrugged. "What about you?"
"I think I did fine."
Gray laughed. That was about what he expected Shoto to say.
"Any trouble with the course?"
"Not particularly. I came in first." Shoto replied.
"Nice."
Shoto took the empty seat beside him, setting down the bottle of water he had collected near the entrance. Gray considered asking about his finishing time, but decided against it. They would probably receive the results soon enough, and they both came first so it didn't matter much to him.
For a while, the brothers sat together as the remaining groups completed their runs. Gray occasionally glanced toward the entrance whenever another set of students returned, but most of his attention had drifted elsewhere. He was already thinking about what kind of practical examination U.A. might have prepared next.
A combat test would be nice. Maybe even fight a teacher or two.
Unfortunately, the staff hadn't mentioned anything about it yet.
Gray sighed and sunk further into the chair.
"Something wrong?" Shoto asked. Shoto was much more composed than he was. This wait was starting to get boring.
"Nah. Just wondering what we're doing next."
"They said we'd receive instructions after everyone finishes."
"Yeah, I know. Can't they finish faster?"
Gray glanced toward the gymnasium entrance again. There were no entries. He couldn't believe it but he was actually missing Natsu here. He would've definitely caused some kind of chaos.
Eventually, after what seemed like forever, the final group walked through the doors.
The examination staff allowed the final group some time to recover before asking everyone to gather at the front of the gymnasium. The students turned towards the platform, where the proctors and administrators were lined up.
One of them stepped forward with a microphone.
"Thank you for your patience, everyone. The practical examination has now concluded."
Gray straightened slightly in his chair.
Finally…
"The written and practical examinations make up the primary portions of today's assessment. However, there is one final part of the examination before we are finished for the day."
Gray leaned forward.
"The final stage will be individual interviews conducted by the U.A. faculty. Applicants will be called according to their examination numbers and escorted to the assigned interview rooms."
The administrator paused while another staff member displayed the instructions on a screen behind him.
"These interviews will be brief. You will not be required to complete any additional written assignments or demonstrate your quirks. The interviewers simply wish to ask each applicant questions "
Gray blinked.
An interview…not a fight??
That was the whole test?
He glanced at Shoto, who appeared to be actually paying attention.
"Interviews, huh." Gray muttered.
"Maybe they want to understand our reasons for applying," Shoto suggested.
"Yeah, probably." Gray mused. It made sense. It was a top school and they wanted to make sure he didn't have a screw loose.
Gray folded his arms and looked back toward the platform. Whatever the interview was, he would be prepared for it.
—----
The interviews began shortly afterward. Students were called off in small groups to various rooms. Some returned quickly, whilst others took their time. A lot of the students were relieved to finally be done.
Shoto was eventually called up for his own interview, leaving Gray by himself. He contemplated what kind of questions would be asked here. He thought of possible different questions that could be asked.
He sighed 'this is stupid… I am overthinking this.' He decided to just relax until he was called up.
Finally, one of the examiners called him up.
"Todoroki, Haise?"
"Here."
"It's your turn. Please follow me."
Gray stood up and followed the official out of the gymnasium. They walked through a quiet corridor. Most of the others had already finished up and Gray was one of the last ones to be called up.
They eventually stopped outside a smaller room near the end of the hallway. The official checked his clipboard before pointing at the door with his pen.
"Your interview will be here. You can just go in." He said before walking away.
"Thanks."
Gray knocked before going in.
The room was plain. A large desk stood near the windows, with several chairs arranged in front of it. A small stack of documents were on the desk, and a small teapot sat beside a cup. Gray wasn't sure who he was expecting but it wasn't a large mouse? Small bear?
The small, white-furred creature sat comfortably in his chair, wearing a neatly pressed suit and had a cheery expression on his face. There was some tea leaking from the side of his mouth. It didn't look like he realized it. Gray wasn't going to point it out.
"Welcome, Todoroki Haise!" He greeted him pleasantly."
Gray nodded and took the chair across from him.
"I am Nezu. The principal of U.A high school."
Gray was surprised. He didn't know he would be interviewed by the principal himself. But he recovered quickly.
Nezu opened the folder and briefly looked through its contents. His eyes moved across the pages before settling on Gray again.
"Your academic record is superb, and your internship is particularly interesting. Not many students would choose Antarctica for their studies. Furthermore, Endeavor personally recommended you for this examination."
"Yeah. He did."
"Marvelous! You've certainly accomplished quite a bit." Nezu closed the folder and folded his paws together on the desk. "Don't worry, I wont take up too much of your time. It'll be a short interview."
Gray straightened slightly in his chair. Here we go.
"Alright. Shoot."
Nezu smiled, observing him for a bit.
"Tell me, Todoroki, Haise. Why do you want to be a Hero?"