"Practical exams begin!"
Surgeon X's voice cut through the air like a blast siren, loud enough to rattle nerves. The gate groaned open a second later, and Tetsuo was already moving.
No hesitation. No second-guessing.
His shoes hit the pavement hard as he bolted through the entrance, electricity sparking faintly along his skin. All around him, examinees surged forward, some faster than others, some already panicking as they tried to figure out what to do.
Charge said I'd need to go headfirst into this.
Tetsuo could almost hear Denki's voice in his head, half-smirking, half-serious.
Flashback – Under the Overpass
Gray clouds hung low over the old bridge where they always trained. the sides stained with graffiti. That familiar sharp smell of river water in the air.
"Well," Denki said, adjusting his hoodie and cracking his knuckles. "I think it's time."
"Time for what?" Tetsuo asked, quirk already humming as he practiced low-level discharges in his palm.
Denki waved lazily at a passing cyclist. "Time to drop some real exam advice. Not the textbook stuff, but actual survival tactics."
"Finally." Tetsuo grinned. "I was starting to think you were just here for the aesthetic."
"You hurt me, kiddo," Denki said with a dramatic hand to his chest. "I'll have you know my aesthetic is at least half the reason I passed the licensing exam. You need to have the swag~"
As they headed home, Denki stopped mid-sentence to help an old lady cross the street, holding her groceries with one hand and throwing a few sparks into a malfunctioning streetlight with the other. The lights started working again.
"The practical is where they weed out the overconfident," he said casually. "You know...guys with too much flash, not enough awareness."
"I've got this," Tetsuo said, climbing a tree to retrieve a cat for a crying kid.
"You think you've got this," Denki corrected, flicking Tetsuo in the forehead. "Your quirk's powerful, sure. But overusing it without thinking? That's how you turn into a vegetable, and trust me, that doesn't look good."
Present – Simulated War Zone
Tetsuo ducked behind a half-destroyed wall, eyes scanning the chaos. The arena was a full-scale replica of a city under siege. Rubble everywhere. Car alarms are blaring. And combat robots, dozens of them, crawling across the streets like metallic vultures.
They're not just watching how many points you rack up, he reminded himself. They're watching how you move. What you see. How do you think, everything.
Tetsuo could've easily sprinted ahead. He had the speed. But his quirk came with a cost. If he just rushed at things, he'd be unconscious before the real test even started.
So instead of charging blindly, he watched. Measured. Waited.
Flashback – Outside the Shop
Denki was rewiring the lights of an old corner shop they'd taken over for training drills.
"People forget this," he said, tightening a screw with a snap. "But information? It's a hero's best weapon. Even better than a flashy quirk."
He glanced over his shoulder.
"Your surroundings are a resource. Learn how to read them, and suddenly every broken streetlight, every puddle, every loose cable becomes an opening."
Present
A loud crash shook the arena as a massive examinee barreled through a row of enemy drones like a living battering ram.
"It's clobberin' time!" he bellowed. "You junkers are nothing compared to Ken Hori!"
[Tell me how many of you got the reference:)]
His body was encased in dense, stone-like armor, chunks of it breaking off as he shoulder-checked a towering robot into a smoking heap.
Ken Hori
Quirk: StoneformKen's body generates a mineral coating as hard as industrial alloy. He can fire off shards like high-speed projectiles and unleash them in area bursts. However, recharging takes time. His stamina determines how long the armor lasts, anywhere from seconds to an hour. Overuse leaves him exposed and unable to regenerate new armor for extended periods.
Observation Room – UA
"Okay, that dude's built different," Kaminari said, sipping from a giant can of energy drink.
"Who?" Eri asked as she stepped inside, tying her lab coat on.
"Ken Hori," Aizawa answered, not looking away from the screen. He was watching another feed, one with a familiar face darting between buildings.
Airi.
"You've got this, kid," he muttered under his breath.
Eri gave him a side glance. "Was that encouragement? From you?"
Aizawa didn't respond. But the corner of his mouth twitched.
Arena – Tactical Moves
"Volt Break!" Tetsuo shouted, slamming a surge of electric energy into a three-pointer drone. The machine exploded in a burst of sparks and smoke.
"That's number six," he muttered to himself, keeping his breathing steady.
Tetsuo's
Current Score: 19 Points
Quirk: Electrical Surge . His body produces bioelectricity, enhancing his strength, speed, and reflexes. He can absorb external electricity and manipulate it in short bursts. Minor static control. Prolonged use risks short-term paralysis or full neural shutdown.
X said the test would have layers… but right now it's just bots.
He launched himself upward.
"Magneto Dash!"
With a burst of polarity, he shot to the top of a nearby building, boots locking onto the steel girders. From up high, the battlefield was a chessboard, explosions, bots,and examinees trying to score.
Observation Room – Continued
Midoriya folded his arms as he watched the feed with Tetsuo on it. "His movement is sharp. Looks like he's pacing himself."
"You trained him well, Kaminari," Aizawa said. "Still turning us down?"
"Appreciate the offer, Dadzawa," Kaminari replied with a grin, scratching his goatee. "But Hana's still in her clingy phase. I'm not trading dad life for paperwork just yet."
"Stop calling me that." Aizawa's eyes twitched.
"It's affectionate."
"It's annoying."
RING.
Eri's phone buzzed. She checked the screen, and her expression changed immediately.
"Who is it?" Aizawa asked.
"Medics." She was already moving toward the door, voice tight.
UA Medical Wing – Incoming Emergency
"Emergency, Miss Reverie," her assistant said through the phone. "three heroes just arrived. one of them is unconscious. Possible coma."
"Clear Ward Three and prep a crash cart," she ordered, jogging now. "Vitals?"
"Stable. Barely."
"I'm five minutes out. Send everything you've got to my device. I want full telemetry by the time I arrive."
"Yes, ma'am."