Finals were coming up. Sam was in the top spot.
Not because he studied harder—because he remembered everything.
And that was the problem.
Right now, everyone was talking about their rankings. Sam looked at Momo and saw she was a bit upset about being second.
'Too bad.'
Sam thought seeing her sad expression.
She probably studied harder than anyone. Most of the things taught, he was forced to learn in training.
And Sam rarely forgets. That's a blessing and a curse in itself.
"Hey Sam! How did you get first?!?"
Kaminari and Mina come up to him, distraught at their lackluster grades.
"It's because I knew the right answers to each question. It's that simple."
Sam didn't really care. He had no intention of participating in the practical of the final exam.
That was for those of the hero course.
"I thought you would be one of us!!"
Kaminari said.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?"
Kaminari waves his hands.
"No, I'm not calling you stupid! It's just… you're kinda… you know…"
Sam sighed.
He stood up.
"Listen, it is usually the smart ones that are affected most by PTSD—Because they rarely forget things. That's a blessing and a curse."
With those dark words, Sam left for lunch.
———
At lunch, Sam was sitting with Midoriya, Iida, Tsu and Uraraka.
Despite his dark words before leaving, Midoriya and the others caught up to him and asked him to eat with them.
Sam was actually grateful they didn't act like he was made of glass after that. It was what he preferred.
They started talking about the finals and how they were afraid. Midoriya then tries to hype everyone up.
"We can't just study! We have to be in good physical shape- ah!"
Midoriya was interrupted by an asshole.
Monoma.
"Sorry. Your head is so big it's hard to miss."
He said with that shit eating smirk.
'God, this guy is a douche.'
"You're from class 1-B. Monoma. Right? Ah, that hurt."
Midoriya sheepishly rubs his head where he is hit.
Monoma didn't even acknowledge Midoriya.
"I heard you guys ran into the hero killer. Just like the sports festival, 1-A isn't satisfied with all the attention they got, so they need more. But you know that being in the spotlight doesn't mean you're good heroes, right? It's because you keep getting in trouble!"
Sam rolled his eyes.
"Dude, would you kindly fuck off? We're eating here. We don't need you whining about your irrelevance anywhere near us."
Sam said, completely destroying the blonde boy.
Everyone at the table winced at that burn.
Monoma had a red face. Both from embarrassment and rage.
"Why you- gah!"
He is smacked upside the head by a giant hand. It's none other than Kendo of class 1-B.
"That's enough Monoma."
"Kendo."
Iida acknowledged.
"I'm sorry about him. I'm sure there is a hole where his heart is."
"No, it's just that he is a corpse without his ego."
Sam replies.
Everyone winces again. Sam just isn't letting up on the burns.
Kendo gave an awkward laugh, before changing the topic.
"I heard you guys were talking about the finals. You were worried about the practical, weren't you? I heard it's going to be combat against robots."
Midoriya's eyes light up.
"Woah really?!? How did you know that?"
"One of my friends is an upperclassman. I know it's basically cheating, but oh well."
Monoma tries talking more bullshit, but before he even has the chance, she hits him again.
"Damn. You're a martial artist aren't you?"
Sam saw the chop was advanced karate.
"Yeah. Karate."
Sam nodded.
With that she took Monoma and left.
———
"All right! Robots are super easy!"
Kaminari shouts with glee.
When they came back to the classroom. Midoriya told them all what they heard from Kendo.
"Such awesome news!"
Mina exclaims with relief.
"Why do you too sound so happy? The both of you don't have good control of your quirks."
Shoji points out.
"Yeah, but with robots, I don't have to worry about collateral!"
Kaminari says with a smile.
"And melting them will be easy for me!"
Mina adds.
"Aizawa never gives easy tests," Sam said.
Sam decides to enter the conversation, giving his idea.
They turn to him, who is sitting at his desk.
"What do you mean?"
Kaminari asks.
"I mean, Aizawa isn't someone to give any of you an easy time. I'm sure that he has something else in mind."
Mina and Kaminari can't find fault in Sam's logic, but they choose the easier option: they believe Sam is just overthinking it.
"Or maybe you're overthinking?"
"Yeah!"
Mina and Kaminari both have their smiles back.
Sam sighs.
"Or maybe I am overthinking it."
He just decided to stay quiet.
———
It was the end of the day and Sam was returning to his room.
Ring!
Ring!
Ring!
He hears his phone ringing.
He knows who it is.
He answers it.
"Hello?"
"Yo! What's up!"
It's none other than the muscle rabbit, Rumi.
"Hi Rumi. What's up? You don't usually call me."
Sam texts with Rumi a lot. She always talks about how annoying people are and how she dealt with stupid villains that pissed her off.
He thought it was funny how she vented to him.
Since they both already knew their deepest secrets, they both grew to trust each other.
"I'm coming to get ya! We are fighting!"
Sam rolled his eyes.
"No, we aren't. I'm tired."
"Well then you better be untired! I'm coming."
She then hung up.
Sam just sighed.
'That rabbit.'
Still, he had a small smirk on his face.
He decided to go and get changed into his workout gear.
———
"Yo!"
When Sam went out, he saw Rumi waiting for him. She was wearing her casual clothes.
"So? What's the deal?"
"Obviously, we aren't fighting. I'm coming in!"
"I don't think you're allowed to-"
"I asked and said if I could train with you here. They agreed."
Sam sighed.
"Well… I guess you can come in then."
She just gave him a battle hungry smirk.
———
He led her to the gym, and they proceeded to start fighting.
Rumi and Sam never held back when they fight.
They both acknowledge each other as dangerous and the fight seriously.
But, as expected, Sam couldn't win 1v1 battles against her.
Sam lay sprawled on the grown, bruised and bloody.
Rumi had some bruises and cuts as well.
"Whew! That was fun."
She said with a smile.
"Yeah. Great."
Sam said sarcastically.
She walked over to him and sat next to him.
"Oh don't even go there. You used to beat me when we first started sparring."
"Yeah. Because when we started sparring, you were just a big meathead who flailed her legs around like an octopus."
Mirko had a vein pop from her head.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!?"
She said with a nasty snarl.
"It means what I said."
Sam said nonchalant.
They both stared each other in the eye. Rumi looking menacing and Sam being unfazed.
But then she just laughs. Sam smiles.
"You're a crazy bastard," she muttered.
Sam smirked. "Maybe."
Rumi had gotten to know firsthand how dangerous Sam is. Sam was the type of guy to always have a plan of action. Rumi hated to admit it, but if Sam had gear and was willing to cause serious damage to her, she might not win.
She fought monsters before. Sam was worse—because he thought.
"Maybe. But it wouldn't be pretty."
She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah."
Sam just scoffed.
Sam kept lying down on the gym floor.
Rumi just sat next to him. Wearing her workout clothes that she brought with her.
They just stayed there in silence.
Until Rumi broke it.
"Hey Sam."
Sam could hear the seriousness in her voice.
He sat up.
"Yeah?"
She opened her mouth to talk. But stopped herself.
She looked down, feeling guilty.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head.
"It's nothing. I'm gonna head out."
"Already? How about you fix yourself up with Recovery Girl with me?"
She smiled.
"Thanks. But I'll be fine. See ya later!"
She gave him her signature cocky smile.
Sam just smirked.
"Very well. See you."
Sam waved her off.
He then returned to his room to shower.
———
Rumi watched Sam leave to his room.
She sighed.
There was a reason why she was feeling guilty.
———
Yesterday.
U.A. staff had a meeting.
"Finally, we will have All Might fight Katsuki Bakugo and Midoriya. Bakugo would need to work with Midoriya, whom he resents dearly, in order to win. This will test his maturity. And it will test Midoriya to stop following behind him."
Aizawa said looking at the paper.
They were all discussing the plan for the practical.
"Any objections to the match ups?"
Aizawa asked his co-workers. They all shook their heads,
"Yeah, I got a question. Why am I here?"
Not only was she confused, everyone else was also confused why the rabbit hero: Mirko was brought to this meeting.
All except one.
"Well, that's because I am requesting you be the one to fight Samuel Suzuki!"
Nezu chirped.
The heroes all looked shocked.
"Nezu. I thought you weren't going to force him into hero work."
"I'm not. If he refuses, he won't be penalized. However, if he wants to be tested, then it's a great opportunity to help him."
The other heroes were unable to refute.
"Why would he refuse a fight? That sounds great!"
Mirko punched her hand, excited to fight Sam again.
However, everyone noticed Nezu lost his smile.
"No. This is going to be less about fighting, Mirko. You will be required to fight, but trust me. It will not be the fights you are used to."
She was a bit worried.
"Just tell me the truth. What's going on."
Nezu sighed.
"I spoke with Doctor Hanayama. His therapist. She can't go into specifics, but noted he was actually doing better. But she notes he isn't even close to being free from his past. That's all she was allowed to tell me."
Nezu looked glum now.
"So I think, that's if we are to be teachers, we should try and test Sam."
Rumi didn't know what the rat was thinking, but wasn't liking where this is heading.
"After consulting with her, I told her my plan for Sam's practical. She nearly threw me through the window."
That concerned everyone.
"Nezu. What are you planning?"
Aizawa asks warily.
Nezu couldn't laugh or joke. This was going to be difficult for any of them to accept, but after telling his therapist the specifics, she said she would never support such a test.
"What I am planning for Sam is…."
———
When Sam entered his room. Rumi just stood there shivering.
She didn't even want to recall the test. But even she couldn't deny. If it worked, Sam could truly take a big step in his recovery.
But as a hero, she knew that for allowing this test to happen, she might lose all trust and friendship Sam found in her.
But Rumi, decided that she would put their friendship on the line if it meant helping him.
She believed he would overcome this test. But she was afraid of never being able to talk to him again.
She sighed.
She felt her heart race in fear.
She was truly putting it all on the line.
"Sam… forgive me. But I know you can get through it."
Rumi straightened her posture.
If helping him meant losing him—then she would accept it.