[EVENT] - THE U.A. ENTRANCE EXAM

The weather seemed to reflect the jubilant and spriteful moods of the hopeful heroes in the making as they gathered outside the gate. The exam was scheduled to begin in just five minutes, and the excitement hung in the air like a spell, as though waiting in line for a rollercoaster. The impatient few who couldn't stand the wait were trying to peek over the fence, yet none were daring enough to bust through the gates of deep obsidian black. The narrow pathways could barely hold the abundance of teenagers desperately hoping for a chance to succeed. Notes of tension and gritty desire played in the back of the minds of all who were present, the idealistic youth hopeful for a chance to reignite the spark of heroism and bring back the colours of a fading world - and knowing it all started, or ended, here.

From inside, the headmaster peered down at the growing mass. She could see them. They could not see her. Truth be told, she was greatly concerned. There had been small reports of increasing criminal activity - more than the odd case here or there that was the now accepted norm of their utopia. The slow but noticeable surge of crimes was being felt throughout all of the higher ups, bringing with it an air of unease. As the director of U.A. Academy - the most prestigious academy in all of history - she felt personally responsible for ensuring that these youths could withstand the torment and torrent of the coming dark times. Her comrades were far from capable, she reminded herself. Just thinking that left a bitter taste in her mouth. She was working alone in this. They felt no such unease. Could she count on them? Her pale red eyes flicked to the clock. It was almost time. Turning around, she made to walk for the entrance, her black heels of glass dimmed by the thudding of her heart. Was it an exam for them, or for her?

[ Gather in the surrounding area while awaiting the start of the event. The event will begin as soon as everyone has posted and is accounted for, or enough time passes. ]

Chizue was leaned up against the black door, a scarf covering the lower half of her face.  She wanted it to be blowing coolly in the wind, but it was hard to have that happen while also leaning against a wall.  The wind wasn't even blowing in the right direction or very strongly in the first place, leaving the scarf just sitting there.  Normally.  Like a scarf.  In warm weather.  It was a pretty heavy scarf too, with an "edgy" red and black pattern on it.  Her chocolate cosmos streak of hair, however, had been jostled by the surrounding crowd's movements and fallen in just the right spot to start tickling her cheek.

Her eyes were shut as she tried to ignore the uncomfortable warmth around her neck and the hair that was tickling the side of her face, forcing her face into a grimace in a futile attempt to look menacing amidst the undying positivity she was surrounded by.  In a few moments, it was going to start.  The road to becoming the strongest Hero to ever live, to prove wrong all those who had said otherwise.  She raised one of her hands, looking at the bandages on her palms before clenching it into a fist.  She's been training herself for this for years, trying to master her Quirk on her own.  Soon, it'd be time to put it all to the test.

The light of passionate justice and heroism had begun to fade, leaving the world in a growing tint of gray through apathy and complacence. Yet, those swarmed here had varying reasons and desires to come into the limelight of righteous endeavors. U.A. Academy stood tall as a rainbow emerging from the storm and one girl trembled with nerves and excitement among the energetic crowd. Young Virtua tried her very best to remain composed, keeping her back straight, eyes forward, mouth closed, arms to sides with fists lightly clenched. This was no ordinary hero school for the adolescent swordswoman, no... it was the very institution in which her role model - her inspiration - the idol she borderline worships and the man who is her motivation: Izuku Midoriya had been a student of. Through pressure of simply being here - never mind other expectations - caused the Victoria heiress to feel... very small and insignificant. Even so, she maintained her demeanor in the audience and continued looking toward the future, not forgetting the impactful words and actions through stories of the greatest hero in history that spurred her on. Bright eyes of atomic tangerine - a peach gaze resting upon the educational establishment glowed with hope, filled with a quiet fire of exhilaration.

Could really do something about this obvious, anxious shaking though.

Needing to relax a little, not tensing up so much, the girl took a deep breath and closed her eyes, recalling a short, encouraging dialogue with her elder sister. A red haired knight who stood was one of the few remaining champions of valiance - a hero who had told the fearful youth: "Worry not, you will be fine. Because just like Deku and All Might, you will one day be able to calm the masses by telling them 'I am here.'." And those words coupled with a phrase that echoed through time brought ease to mind. Her eyes opened, wearing an expression of determination. A long, black ponytail adorned with a pretty white ribbon matching her black uniform and white tie - she dressed somewhat modestly despite bearing her midriff, covering her legs properly via dark stockings. It was easy to move in, which was the point. Not quite the exact image of her hero's costume, but it was something she could call her own until she came up with her own costume and name.

As much as Virtua wanted to be like Deku and her elder sibling, she still wanted to be a historical and gallant figure of her own renown. And in the longest five minutes of her life, the journey to that would begin.

She started shaking again, overcome by nerves and fervor through a wavy smile.

A very large cat was pressed up against the U.A. fence. Or was it a person? Both was a better descriptor. The boy was clearly part of the ever growing crowd awaiting the entrance exams for the world's greatest hero school. His yellow fur shone brightly in the sun, contrasted by dark brown spots. He had on a sleeveless shirt which stopped short of his waist and typical gym shorts, both made of a jersey-like material and blue in color. He wore no shoes and was hopping from foot to foot. Perhaps because of the heat of the sun-warmed concrete but more due to his enthusiasm for the situation. Shinobu was desperately wanting to see inside the school grounds yet he was also making an effort to keep out of the direct crowd. So he found himself inching further and further along the wall as people continued arriving. He was ready to outshine them all. So ready in fact he'd nearly forgotten to get dressed on his way out this morning. Only his mother's well-timed panicked call kept him from arriving here au naturale.

His clothes seemed to be clinging to his body like they'd just come out of the dryer. The cat boy seemed in the middle of considering jumping, as if confident he could get a look over the tall fence bordering the facility. But he managed to restrain himself, not wanting to chance the infamous security measures in place. Instead he kept to small hops in place, trying to keep loose. He grabbed a hold of his tail with one hand, not wanting it to brush into someone on accident given all the movement.

"Come oooonnnn. Lemme in already!!" he cried aloud without regard to who heard it.

----------

A girl kept herself toward the back of the crowd surrounding the academy. Her lime green hair caught the light due to her posture in a way that radiated maturity. At least Izumi liked to think that's what it was doing. It was hard to say given the matching athletic gear she was wearing. It felt difficult to give off a serious atmosphere when dressed for a morning jog or trip to the gym. Still she wished there were a bit more order to everything going on. She understood excitement was appropriately high but she thought aspiring heroes would conduct themselves more respectfully of such a profound institution. But then maybe the behavior here before the exam even started was part of it too. Those who did not know how to restrain themselves when appropriate would surely not be admitted into the hero course.

Or maybe they were simply younger than her. If so they merely needed a helping hand. A guide among their peers to steer them the right way. Izumi knew that was something she could do. And so she began moving about the crowd, looking for the loudest and most rambunctious of those gathered. A warm greeting and reminder of the importance of the soon to be proceeding events was surely enough to settle them into appropriate behavior.

There was a feeling hanging deep in the air. It was more than the average excitement that came with something as prestigious as this. It was more than jitters and the general swelling hearts and swirling guts of every student preparing for their adventure ahead. It was all so much more than that now. There was pride on the line, stakes being so much higher than they'd ever been before. To some, that was probably the case. This school was designed to shape the future generations of heroes, mold them into something that would defend the world and defeat those who would try to upset that status quo. It was the penultimate start, the epicenter and origin, for someone who strove to be a hero. So this picture of vitality and youth was blotched with one awkward spot in the corner. Standing somewhere violently jumbled into the crowd of heroic students stood a boy, earbuds clicked into place.

Hinata Nagamine, fifteen and physically unable to move with the current swarm of people in around him. If it weren't for his rather nonexistent vocal disposition, he'd have asked for some personal space or pushed out on his own. Instead he endured the swarthy torrent of screaming teenagers with his eyes glued to his phone, reading local news reports about events happening in the city. He saw a small message pop onto his screen, a text from his father appeared on top.

"Good luck, son! Everyone at the house is rooting for you! Your sisters are already cooking you your favorite meal for when you get home to celebrate."

It was short and sweet and yet stung Hinata a bit more than he had hoped. The expectations piled a bit but he didn't let the nerves show. In fact, nothing showed on him. The only thing visible was when he flicked the message away with an affirmative nod, pulling out the earbuds and wrapping them promptly into his bag. His eyes were feline in shape and color. He took a half-breath, his face remaining patient and inexpressive. Contrary to that however, as difficult to see as it is in that kind of crowd, he had a foot tapping with energy and a white-knuckle grip on his phone as the jitters began to finally pass through him. It was all getting ready to begin.

Shizuka stood among the crowd, before the prestigious U.A., bouncing on her heels in excitement. She had scarcely been able to sleep the night before, having been completely overcome by her own anticipation. There were only three things keeping her awake right now. The first was the cup of Cosmic Latte in her hand, that she had picked up from the local Sundoe before coming to the school. The second were the earbuds in her ears, currently blaring rock music from well over two centuries ago. The third was the excitement that was pumping through her veins. She had spent so long waiting for this day, and any moment now, she would be able to start her journey into hero-dom.

Adding to Shizuka's excitement was all the new faces she was getting to see. So many new and interesting people were all around her, and she waved excitedly to everyone she saw, though she got very few responses. In particular, she noticed a girl standing on her own, leaning against the door. Despite the warm weather, she was wearing a scarf. It was a cool-looking scarf, and the girl looked kinda cute in it, so Shizuka assumed the girl just cared about fashion more than the heat. She happily bounced up to the girl and gave her a grin and a little wave, "Hiya!" she greeted her, "I like your scarf! It's a bit hot to be wearing one today though, don't you think?" she said. Without waiting for a response from the girl, Shizuka stuck her hand out, "I'm Shizuka Emi, by the way! What's your name?"

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Yuri waltzed through the crowd, basking in the morning sunlight. She had spent a great deal of time prepping herself for today. She had her hair clipped, and soaked up lots of sun to make sure her skin was nice and green. She felt particularly radiant today, and she swore she could feel the masses eye's on her. The truth was that she was likely imagining it, but it felt good nonetheless. She had arrived to the school barefoot, leaving her shoes in her backpack. She felt much better when her feet could touch the soil, but currently everything around her was concrete. She quickly stretched her neck up to try and get a peek over the fence, but retracted it back immediately before she could see anything. A sudden panic overtook her the moment her eyes peered over the wall, as if she were being watched, and was about to get in a lot of trouble. She was certain of one thing though. There was definitely grass on the other side. Anything would be better than the concrete she was suffering right now.

"Some competition here..." Muttered a green haired boy, dressed in a questionable arrangement of colors that had everything ranging from black to pink.

Among the crowd were more people than he could count which was surprising to him after everything that had happened with heroes up to this point. He was far more used to lines than most, and even more used to crowds as someone who'd frequent concerts. His headphones slung over his neck, he was more concerned than anything else. This many people to compete for spots against? He could hardly activate his quirk much less utilize it, so there was a good chance he'd be turned down here. Then again, he wasn't much for all this; the 'hero' thing wasn't his idea, but his parents'. "Let's see if you were right about me, old man..." He said to himself, referring to his father and his strict belief that he'd make it through to the top. He decided he should attempt scouting out the competition; not that he could defer whether they were strong or not by looks, but it'd at least be something. He compacted his headphones down to a smaller size and slid them into the bag he had slung over his shoulder, then taking a brief look around at the crowd. He took an exhale in an effort to remove any negative energy or needless nervousness, and began to survey through the crowd, surprisingly making it through the masses quite easily. He wasn't big on this idea his parents had put together for him, but he wanted to make his family proud even if thinks he didn't have much to gain here. His name is Ryder, and he was going to see this through.

Keiji giggled and shook with excitement as he approached the esteemed academy. He had slightly spiked, peach colored hair. He was wearing a short white shirt and short black pants, and he had a pair of black sunglasses hung around the collar of his shirt. His eyes darted left and right to take in the sight of the huge crowd that stood before him. To his right was his sister, Minako, wearing a large hat to shade her from the heat of the day. Her hair matched her brothers in peachiness, but was much longer and more straight. She was wearing black sunglasses and a long, light blue dress.

Keiji’s eyes lit up as he pointed all around the crowd and started shouting. “L-look, there’s a cat dude over there! And I think that’s a plant woman! These guys have awesome quirks!” Minako grabbed the boy by his ear. “How many times have I told you not to stare and point at people? It’s rude!” Keiji nodded. “Ow, s-sorry! I won’t do it again, sis!”

The woman removed her sunglasses and turned the short boy around, then handed him a water bottle. “Please stay hydrated too.” The boy nodded. “I know, I know….” She leaned down and gave him a hug. “I’m so very proud of you… but I’m not gonna stop worrying. I know being a hero in this day and age isn’t as dangerous as it was in the past, but I still want you to try and stay safe regardless, okay?” Keiji nodded and pulled away from the hug. “I gotcha sis. I’ll be a hero you can be proud of! The legendary Ardent Rocket, just you wait!” Without another word, he took off into the crowd with a spring in his step.

She smiled. “That’s still a stupid name, you know!” She shouted as a tear rolled down her cheek. Shortly afterwards, she put her sunglasses back on and left.

With an ocular lens covering one of his eyes, Yumi carefully scanned the crowd gathered in front of the gate, piece by piece acknowledging every single hero-to-be in his presence. Naturally, he kept some distance from the crowd. It was his idea of being inconspicuous, even though it crossed his mind that separating himself from the others might have the opposite effect. Alas, he didn't dwell on the thought. After all, he needed the distance to get a proper view of his fellow students.

Midway through his internal monologue, his scope fixated on the green haired boy, the rainbow colored getup almost making Yumi physically recoil, as if to spare his sensitive eyes from being scraped by the odd, mixed shades of dark and bright. The boy's name, he would later found out, was Ryder.

"That's just... Insanity.", he mouthed to himself, swiftly recovering from his melodramatic reaction. Instead, Yumi slowly came to a realization. This captivating colorbomb that stood in his line of sight may very well attract the machinations the students were informed of playing a major part in their upcoming entrance exam.

By chance, Ryder happened to be scouting his competition much like Yumi was. It was the moment the eyes of both boys met, that Yumi whispered subconsciously.

"Yes... You'll be a good lure to secure my place with."

The hallways were crowded with people ranging from students to faculty. Incessant chattering mixed with laughter and whispers, metal lockers being slammed with a loud "click" after, and never-ending footsteps on the marble floors. Yep, we're in high school boys and girls - class is in session.

Well, not yet anyways. For some, it was the entrance exam to enroll in this high school. A chance to become part of the legacy of the few chosen people whom set their sights to become those who have decided to dedicated themselves to serving the public and protecting their city as heroes. Sounds like rather big outcome to be decided on a mere entrance exam of just any old high school. However, that was a very likely outcome for anyone who planned to enroll in this high school - the distinguished U.A. High School. Many people spent their time dreaming for the chance to become a renowned hero ever since they were in preschool, and for one of those students was about to be the start of his own journey.

"Excuse me." he said politely while trying to squeeze through the clusters of people huddled together, rushing to find his testing room. His skyblue eyes shined with anticipation and anxiety, hoping to get their safely and without any incident whatsoever.

"Pardon me, 'cuse me. Sorry." Just a few of the words he kept repeating as he continued to dodge the groups of people that were approaching him as he walked down hallway after hallway, turning corner after corner. With the way he was moving, finessing without breaking momentum, you'd think that'd be his Quirk. He sighed as he recalled the events of this morning: sitting at the table combing his silvery white hair while eating triangle shaped french toast, drowned in syrup and cinnamon, with sausage links and ketchup stained home fries on the side of his plate, and a small cup of coffee. He picked up a knife and began to tear away a clean slice of his toast before lifting it up with his fork and consuming it.

"Mmmm..." he said while savoring his favorite breakfast. "Your cooking will always be the best thing about you sis." He said with a gentle smile as a small drip of syrup ran down the front of his mouth hanging on the bottom of his clean chin.

"Yeah well, you better hurry up and finish your breakfast. Don't want you to miss your big day." Before she could turn around, her brother had consumed everything on the plate and was stuffing his backpack with his school supplies before letting out a loud belch. "Please don't forget to pack your table manners too."

"I won't." he said with a nervous chuckle. "Besides, how do I look?"

"You could look better, but you look pretty sharp. Big brother and dad would say the same." She approached her younger brother, grabbing his collar and adjusting it along with his sleeves. "You'll do great. UA is a tough school, but I believe in you. You've been through a lot so you have a lot more that's driving you than most people, even me when I attended. So don't forget, remember why you're there and remember what all of your adventures have taught you: that you're a strong resilient person, just like Dad." They both aimed for the door, as she continued to dust his hair and the shoulders of his shirt off.

"Go and become a hero, Rihan." She said while embracing him before he left. Rihan remembered that she had embraced him like this once before, when she found him after being stranded for a week. He could feel the hope from inside her as he opened his arms and held his sister tightly. Rihan then picked up his backpack and left without saying a word, but his sister knew as she watched him run out the house that he would become what they wanted him to be. Rihan looked up above to find himself at his destination, his classroom where he'd be taking his exams. He grabbed hold of the door and let himself in.

"Hi there, excuse me." He said after seeing a few of the students have made their way in and some exchanging conversation. It didn't appear that he was late nor that he was too early, but he took a break to relax himself and took a seat in the back of the class with his bag slumped over against his desk, awaiting for his moment to begin.

Sixty pushups! Sixty sit-ups! One hundred squats! Forty back extensions! And so, that meant the final workout was… two hundred and fifty volts...

Even as he got dressed in his family’s fitted uniform after finishing his second professionally recommended breakfast, he could still feel himself shaking and buzzing from the exercise… fifteen years, and he still couldn’t handle it? Yuuki did everything he could to restrain his body from reacting to the lasting shock, but he could tell my his mother’s ever-so-slightly sombre smile that he wasn’t doing a very good job. Work upon work, with every inch of effort and potential squeezed out, and yet… this Thunder Ryu’s future was not looking so bright right now.

Before he knew it, he was standing at the door – of course he’d be cycling there himself; regardless of the family’s pride or prestige. Every bit of him had to be in perfect shape; not too much stress, but more than enough to get him going. Every box had been ticked now, and his family’s pride weighed on his shoulders – quite literally, with the imperial uniform that would no doubt stand out like a sore thumb from his potential classmates. But right now, he felt like the one he ought to be calling a potential classmate was…

“Don’t look so serious, dear! Come on, it’ll be a breeze for you. Just go out and do your best, and I’ll be proud of you.”

Yuuki couldn’t choke out a response to that; only giving a hasty bow – but even a kid like him could feel the mixed messages swirling around such a farewell. Bicycle, backpack, ID, and all; and he was gone –

He could feel her frown as he left, even without looking back.

---------

The would-be Thunder Ryu was early, of course; half-an-hour, an hour; he couldn’t even remember. In the midst of his jittering and checking notes, he couldn’t possibly track time as well. Though he’d originally been close to the front of the crowd, Yuuki had soon been pushed aside by the sheer presence of the other would-be heroes – he was tiny compared to most of them, after all. But, that suited him just fine right now… being against the wall and away from all the heated conversation towards the front meant more room to hunker down and double check his notes. Wise words from past heroes and teachers, notes on previous exam details, every bit of advice from his mother on his powers, and his own detailed writings on his limits; all poured over and double-checked every night for the past week…

But, in spite of all this, he was still like most kids before such a huge test. Hands shaking, knees weak; trying to cram in every detail… would he miss his name being called, and fail before he started? Would he say something stupid? Would the test totally not suit his powers and leave him useless? Would it end up being something he hadn’t studied at all? Did he forget some important piece of paperwork? Did he do something wrong already? What if he – What if he – What if he –
What if he –?!

*yawn*

Tora walked down the road that lead to U.A. She wasn't at all sure about this...she didn't feel good about anything as of late. This felt as if it was forced, but it was her decision and desire to try this for real once more. She'd shown up just enough last time to not be kicked out, which was like...five times to class? During those classes she had also slept or perhaps taken a cap nap was the appropriate term?

Her right ear twitched a little as she walked around the corner, she wasn't exactly hurrying and she didn't have a good guess of what the time was. All she could say was it was before the entrance exam had started, how did she know? There were a bunch of kids outside the gate. She figured that if she was late most of them would look defeated ot cheering in joy.

So she was still on time. That was good, her tail waved a little, swaying behind her as the big cat walked down the road. She wore a black t-shit, with some writing on it. In white letters styled as if it was claw marks said the words. " Hear Me Roar". Over the black T-shirt she wore a leather jacket, unzipped of course as it was far too hot for that. A pair of black jeans and this time she actually wore a belt, a white studded belt, a pair of heavy biker shorts as her long fluffy mane fluttered in the wind.

" Well...here goes nothing." She muttered out to herself as she took a deep breath, she would do this. She wasn't happy about it, this wasn't where she felt she belonged, but she would do this. She'd give it as best of a shot as she could. She had to, for various reasons...walking up towards the crowd, just a few steps away from the furthest away from the gate, she would squat down, knees up, feet on the tarmac as she placed her arms over her knees to let them rest. She'd done this before, getting in wasn't a big deal for her, unless they radically changed the entrance exam since last year.

Oh boy...This is huh?

Hagane stood amongst the crowd, in front of the imposing stature that was U.A. Academy. Even with how everything was with his parents, doing their best to push and pressure Hagane to pursue his dreams of being a hero with the best they could offer and how he casually proclaimed that he can past the entrance exam with ease. All of that bravado suddenly became scarce when met with the reality of the cutthroat nature of this academy's entrance exam. Only the best of the best were able to get into this prestigious academy, and as much of a slacker that Hagane had become, even he couldn't turn a blind eye to this amount of pressure. The tutoring he had received before hand had done a spectacular job of driving that point into his head. Repeatedly.

Haa....maybe I should've just hero'd up and told my parents I just wanted to take a normal job...damn this is going to be tough.

Sighing out, the red head rubbed the back of his head. He peeked open an eye as he looked around the other students vying to be apart of the most famous hero academy in the Nation. But in the end, even with all of the things that has happened where being a hero wasn't in the forefront of his mind, still within his heart there was the Hagane who wanted to be a hero deep down inside.

"Well...I'm here. Might as well ace this test." Hagane resolved himself, if he wanted to convince himself that he was going to get into this academy to make his parents proud, he first had to act like it. Rolling his shoulders and his neck, trying to get all of the anxious nerves out of his body as he was suddenly beginning to realize that all of his want to slack about and waste time, he was definitely finding trouble doing so as each minute seemed to drag on into an agonizing eternity as he stood among his eager peers.

The summer sun blazing down on those gathered outside U.A. seemed especially hot for Sylva as she cleared the walkway to the gates. Perhaps it was just her attire. She had on a simple pale pink suit, accompanied by a simply gorgeous array of pearls hanging from her neck. Sky blue heels of glass rounded out her rather professional look, though she certainly didn't look too comfortable. It was the longest walk of her life. She heard the roar of chatter just outside of her reach, blocked by the walls, and heard them slowly dim as she approached. They could hear her. Taking a deep breath, she stepped up to the control panel hidden within the stone walls. Only she could access it. Those attempting to reach it would only destroy the intricate panel hidden beneath the thin layer of stone. At her touch, violent cracks began to run through it. It glimmered brightly before breaking off in floating shards, suspended around her fingertips. She keyed in the code and then stepped back into the middle of the pathway.

Moving her hand in a short, sweeping motion, the layer of stone she had ripped apart quickly reassembled itself. Another safety precaution - commands would not go through until the panel was covered up again. Standing with her hands behind her back, the obsidian wall neatly began to shrink into the ground, revealing to her the swarm of teenagers who would no doubt burst through the second they got the chance. She hardened her eyes and held up a hand, forcing them to halt. She waited until they'd all stopped chatting amongst themselves, a horde of sounds and syllables she couldn't make out. "Greetings. Follow me, please." Turning on her heel, she began to march towards the school, leading them through the hallways and into the lecture hall. It was a large and spacious room with an elevated stage towards the back. An obscene amount of comfortable-looking chairs filled up the rest of the room, and Sylva motioned for the examinees to fill the seats up. She then continued her walk to the stage, looking around at the heroes. Not heroes yet, she reminded herself. Soon to be.

"Never forget that every face you see walking across the street is a dreamer like you. With their own ambitions, heartaches, and lives every bit as intricate as yours. To forget this fact is to forget what it is to be a hero." Her voice effortlessly filled up the room. Betraying the way she felt inside, she spoke with the confidence of a lioness, a natural born leader. There was gravity in every syllable, even if she was wildly uncomfortable with the role she had to play. "My name is Sylva Yukimine. I am the new headmistress serving in U.A. Hero Academy. I hope to be of service to you in your journey to becoming heroes." These words, however, were far different. Unlike her previous words - delivered with purpose and sharp intent - these were obviously rehearsed. The mental image of her in front of her mirror the night before practicing this speech was easy to picture.

"I would love to chat more, but there will be time for that later. For now, we must press on. As you will be aware, the U.A. Entrance Exam changes constantly. I hope you are ready to persevere in the face of this unknown element and show all of the staff here your capabilities." Click. She motioned to the screen behind her, suddenly glowing brightly as the lights dimmed. It showed a drawing, a diagram of sorts. It looked like a maze you'd find in the newspapers of old (who read newspapers at all nowadays?). The main catch seemed to be the lack of an exit.

"The exam will take place in this maze. Scattered all around this maze are tokens - and your job is to collect them. Some are lying around, easy as can be. Others are retrieved through aiding helpless citizens. Escort them back to the entrance point and they will give you their token. If you're daring enough, you can steal tokens from various volunteers acting as villains roaming about the place. However relax - these villains will not engage on you without you doing so first, and will make no attempt to seriously injure you. Merely defend their token. You do not need to defeat these villains to gain their token. It is free to grab from a belt on their waist. Once you have retrieved that token, that villain has been defeated. The tokens are small gems - rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Rubies - the ones you'll find lying about - are worth one point. Sapphires are gained through performing rescues, and are worth three. Finally, emeralds are worth a whopping five points, and will be obtained from villains. The amount of points you need to pass the exam are fifteen. You may leave the maze at any point through a warp in the middle of the maze - the place you will be dropped into. Simply give your tokens to us and we will record your results. You may leave and re-enter as many times as you like, or even leave for good if you don't feel up to it anymore. You will have one hour to complete the tasks. The first thirty-six students to gather fifteen tokens will pass the exam."

Sylva smiled contently, confident she hadn't missed any major details. Well, except for one. Her smile slowly shifted into a sly smirk, as she stepped down from the stage. "Please - for your own safety - do not get up from your seats or move in general, really. Don't worry. You will be fine." She kneeled down, pressing her fingers to the floor and closing her eyes. Her skin seemed to be coated in a slight purple tint, before deep cracks of violent purple bursted through the floor, somewhat like a light show. She kept her fingers pressed firmly to the ground as a spider-web of cracks spilled across the floor like stars plastered on the night sky. Once the floor was coated in violet, she stepped back onto the stage and smiled at them.

"Your time starts now. Move quickly." Another practiced sweeping motion with her hand, and the floor erupted into shards that narrowly missed harming anyone. Perhaps that had been accounted for, given the strange positioning of the seats. Whatever the reason, the youth were sent tumbling down in their seats. A few seconds before they landed in a bruised and broken heap, they were saved by an almost comical revelation - parachutes sprouting from the seats and lazily descending into the middle of the maze. On their way down, they were gifted with the view of the underground maze; walls of obsidian much like the gate outside loomed over them already. They looked nigh indestructible. A dizzying web of twists and turns awaited them - how would they fare in an environment with very, very little prior information?

Sylva couldn't wait to find out the potential bursting in these heroes.

[ This exam isn't just for your characters. You'll have noticed that I left the location of tokens completely vague. You are free to tackle this event in any way you wish, but know I'll be using this to get a closer look at how you plan to tackle problems and events in this roleplay to tailor to you guys. Run wild. If you'd like someone else to play a volunteer to fight for a token, such as myself or Cherry, please don't hesitate to ask since it's kinda what we're here for. If my explanation wasn't too sound, please let me know, and ask questions as you need them. Happy hunting. ]

Well shit...

Hagane watched as the Headmaster of the Academy addressed all attendees for the exam, she definitely had the presence of a Headmaster from the looks of her, the fact that the obsidian wall retreated into the ground for her arrival only made that face well known to everyone. When she ordered everyone to follow, only fools would dare not to follow as the crowd started to move, Hagane smack dabbed in the middle of the crowd as he made his way into the illustrious proving grounds of aspiring heroes. Which of them would fail and who would stand above would all be determined by this exam.

Entering the room, Hagane almost gagged at the absurd amount of chairs. He knew that this school was prestigious, but still just the sight of all the chairs made it all the more apparent to him that everyone wanted to be the best at the best that was offered. The nerves that he had beaten back came rushing back to the forefront as he noticed that the seats were piling up. Quickly finding a spot, Hagane wasn't too picky about where he sat, shuffling in to near the back left of the middle ground as the presentation of what was to be the exam was displayed.

Well double shit...

U.A. was known for having a mock trial of defeating mechanized menace, but dangers that Heroes face comes in all fashions as they said. Listening to the voice that commanded respect, Hagane began thinking of what was the best way to tackle this program. Well, quickest way would be to beat five villains, accumulating fifteen points with three emeralds. But they're god damn villains who probably are worth triple the effort. Collecting fifteen rubys would be the less amount of effort, but I sure as hell don't run around the maze trying to find them over others. Saving civilians is the halfway point of effort and time, but I can only imagine that there's only going to be a finite amount of them in the maze, so not only comes the problem of saving them but competing with other people who have the same idea will be a hassle. Gah, decisions.

The mental planning in his head was cut off as Hagane was leaning on the desk with his hand propping up his chin as the ground literally erupted from beneath! "What the-" taken by surprise, before any of his reflexes could take a hold of him, he fell with the debris down below as his eyes widened but before any thought of serious harm could enter his mind, a parachute popped out and gently brought him down along with everyone else into the maze. "When did they..?" he let out in confusion, looking down at the dizzying maze that awaited the examinees as the drift down landed them smack dab in the middle. Hagane's landing ended with him landing on his butt, his training and tutors never once teaching him anything about how to operate a parachute as the cloth buried him underneath.

Fighting his way through the mess, he shot to his feet and looked around at his options of where to go. Corridors that absolutely no defining features of where to go. "*Sigh, welp. Faster I find those gems, the faster this can be over with!" he shouted out loud to himself, picking a random corridor to race down looking for the first civilian he could save! Also any other rubies that he found laying around. They may have been one point, but they definitely would build up quickly.

“Oh man, it’s starting!” Keiji had a massive grin on his face as he watched the headmistress’ elegant display. “Is that her quirk? Wow… it puts mine to shame!” Keiji followed along with the crowd to enter the building and sat down in a seat relatively close to the front.

Keiji watched on as Sylva explained the rules of the exam. He pondered for a moment about is strategy. “My quirk isn’t super developed, so as much as I’d like to take down a few villains, I won’t be able to. I think my best bet is gonna be saving people. If I get in a pinch though, maybe I can take down one villain to get those final 5 points!” He nodded to himself.

Keiji was snapped out of his inner thoughts by the violet cracks beneath his feet “Wait, what did she-“

"Your time starts now. Move quickly." Another practiced sweeping motion with her hand, and the floor erupted into shards that narrowly missed harming anyone.

The floor started crumbling away as all of the students were sent down into the maze. “H- Haaah, nononono! ” Keiji swung his chair around right about the time the parachute deployed, causing it to deploy upside down. “Oh, phew… they had a safety precaution… HEY WAIT-“ The parachute had snagged under the chair and provided no lift as Keiji fell to the ground. Fortunately, he knew how to land and got away with only minor bruises.

“Ahh… not a good start. I really have to take this more seriously.” He looked to his right and noticed a ruby lying just a few meters away. He brushed himself off and calmly started jogging towards it. He reached down and picked it up without losing momentum as he headed deeper into the maze. “I am ready!”

Introductions aside, the game had started and none of the class seemed the wiser to the implication of it. The headmistress having given her opening spiel helped set the Hinata's mind a bit at ease but that was only the beginning of it. Within mere moments Hinata and the rest of the applicants for UA were sent on a fast-track to the subterranean maze of what looked like the same material as the gate at the front of the school. Hinata gave it a quick analysis going down as the parachute function came into play, saving him from a near heart attack. If these walls were the same kind as at the front of the school, they were likely too difficult to break down and definitely way too dense to consider moving. That was only the start of it, really.

It was a time test: the students were to collect gems worth a collective of fifteen 'points', each type of gem differently assigned point values and obtained in various ways. Simple enough, though there were added intricacies to this test that the proctor failed to mention, or rather, that were set apart from the base rules. Completing the objective in the required time was only the premise for passing, but other elements such as the abundance of gems in the maze were made unknown. How many villains would appear was anyone's guess, who whoever had the quirk of a perfect memory and caught them all on the way down. Furthermore, this test was tailored to suit different styles and at different point values. Rubies being the lowest point value meant trying to fast track through the maze with no intention of stopping was only an applicable strategy for a trailblazer — quirks that created high-level mobility or insane speeds would utilize this strategy most likely. Hinata didn't have that in any capacity really; quite the opposite in fact.

Second was the option of obtaining large chunk value from the emeralds through defeating villains. This method would ultimately prove only useful to those with combat quirks, or, alternatively, creative uses of rather unique quirks. What those are is anyone's guess as before, but it seemed like a less than desirable choice for Hinata once again because the level of range he had to commit to in order to initiate combat in this maze was too low. He wouldn't be able to dash in for the crystal take before someone else with a higher impact quirk could swoop in to grab it, due to the immobile status Hinata had to undergo to even utilize his. Combat was... less than optimal, but not out of the running entirely.

Last but not lease, rescues. Hinata concluded that despite the average income of points it received, it was the only method he could compete with competently against other people here. He drew his hand from his chin with an eager nod, opening his eyes to see that many of the students had already taken off into the maze and that he had been left too long to his thoughts.

With a complete analysis of options, Hinata took to the race and started jogging out into the maze pathways. It was difficult to draw conclusively if he was right about the material of the wall, but he could always ask at a later time down the road. He kept jogging, mentally mapping plots on his phone at places he'd turned before. He couldn't so easily as mark the walls, but he was able to whip up a kind of map using his phone stylus and a paint-app. It was incomplete, but slowly filed in as he continued down making turns at a haggard breath's pace.

The first of tasks was to complete a rescue at first glance. He had to keep an even pace to recall information from his makeshift map as he turned down new avenues and made choice calls to return to earlier locations to find his mark. Time thus far; seven minutes and forty-two seconds. And as he turned the corner, Hinata locked on to the first gem to collect. He slid to a halt in front of a woman shrieking in terror of some cardboard contraption taking a route perpendicular to hers. Hinata looked up at it as his hands hit the ground and the barrier formed over him and the woman, but the cardboard construct seemed to have other plans, turning entirely away from Hinata and taking a stroll opposite him. This was... awkward. The barrier didn't reach far enough to encompass the construct to disable it, so he'd have to let it up and run forward to deal with it. The woman tapped him on the shoulder with an embarrassed look and put the gem in his palm.

"Sorry about that! Normally rescues aren't so stiff, but the first instinct to protect was kind. Next time, though, maybe look at your opponent before dropping to all fours in front of them."

Hinata took the gem and started trotting away awkwardly, nodding at the woman's suggestion. She was right— he hadn't even looked at what he was up against before he tried to throw his barrier into the mix and muck it all up. There wasn't any telling how to approach these rescues and in the end, Hinata realized he was given a freebie at best. Solemn, he continued on his way.

The time racked up quickly, about ten more minutes passed and the only reward Hinata managed to acquire were two more stray rubies in untouched corners of the maze. His map was working out for his beautifully, though the drawing wasn't nearly as crisp as he wish it could've been and the phone battery was just below half now. Another rescue mission was down the path and fewer and fewer students were showing up in his path. He'd started taking more untapped pathways and that meant more opportunities awaiting him. His breath was getting a bit raspy, feeling tinges of pain in his lower chest as he ran. Coming to a halt at the new rescue, he encountered a lumbering machine. Not so deadly as it wasn't moving that fast, but it was certainly big. The fact the sheer mass of this thing didn't shake the maze ground was unbelievable. Hinata, taking a less technical approach and simply grabbing the risk of the rescue target to move was found with no success— they were 'injured.' At the very least, they were guised to have an injured leg. Hinata gathered himself for a moment, dropping to all four and using his quirk for something he hadn't really done so much of. Quickly, and with great strain, he lifted the body of the disabled person and draped their form over his back, lifting them then from his crouched position and running down the maze pathway. Sweat beaded his forehead but another sapphire was rewarded for his efforts, as well as an earnest thank you.

The clock was ticking away and Hinata's phone battery had dropped to a third by the time he'd found another ruby down a second set of paths just in the for north corner of the maze. At least, Hinata believed it was the far north. At this point he'd gotten a bit dizzy and had to stop to take a couple breathers. He hadn't seen another applicant for at least fifteen minutes and that meant whatever path he took was far enough off that he could secure his points in whatever way he saw fit. That wasn't an excuse to stop though, and that was enough motivation to have Hinata begrudgingly pushed himself off the wall of the maze and keep jogging forward. Counting his points, he was close, only five left. Taking on a villain would be enough to settle in the score, but Hinata reevaluated that idea as soon as he had it in the first place. He felt the heart in his chest beating like a base speaker every time he took a couple steps, there was no way he could take on a villain and get their emerald without fainting at this point. The stress was on but he had to run it out for the end. He kept mapping on his as best he could but the battery was ticking away. The last quarter was beeping out; Hinata was on his final stretch.

Another two turns and a long hall-run, Hinata found it— his ticket: two rescues in one. He darted down the hall sliding in to see what awaited the triplet of people but down the hall he saw nothing. His brow furrowed as his breath calmed a bit, choking a little on his spit. Turning around, the two girls who previously displayed expressions of fear and terror were now giggling and grinning respectively. He furrowed his brow, looking at their belts.

Crap. Emeralds hanging. He rose a brow to them, looking side-to-side.

"Well, what're you gonna do pudding-head? We can't take the first swing but you know... you know?" The taller of the two girls slyly teased Hinata, goading him into taking the bait. He stepped back a second, preparing to turn on his heel and get a headstart off the next best deal he could before time ran out but he needed the map on his phone to orient him back to the center of the maze in good time. He'd already strayed really far off from the commotion, so now was his chance. He planted his hands to the ground and the fight took off...

... Another five or so minutes later, Hinata walked away with a small bruise on his cheek and a lipstick stain on the other with an emerald in hand. Seriously, who uses kissing as one of their quirks?! Is that even allowed on students? Hinata shook his head, skipping the semantics. He made a count: two sapphires, three rubies and one emerald. He was one off.

Just down the hall sat a ruby hanging from a bag tied to a cord, way out of the reach of Hinata even jumping at max height. He drew a reserved breath, heading in its direction. Upon arrival he dropped to all fours, trying to get his barrier into its range to maybe pull it down through force, to no avail. The barrier seemed to be about a yard out of reach even from the edge of the dome of Hinata's quirk. After a few moments of thought and browsing his map on his phone for a better option, he saw the answer. It was one that made him grimace, but he shook his head. This was the only way to cut down on time. Tossing his phone into the air, Hinata chucked it up at the translucent bag where the ruby was stored. As they clanked together, it remained tightly fastened as Hinata's phone fell. He dropped to all fours in a panic, catching it midair using his field. With more kinetic force, Hinata gave his phone one more determined chuck using his quirk this time, succeeding in knocking the cord apart and the bag loose. With a wipe of sweat from his brow, he'd done it, all fifteen points were his.

Checking his phone, Hinata saw his phone battery depleting rapidly through a cracked screen. There was maybe fourteen percent left; enough to make the sprint back to the middle and conclude his race against time. He started sprinting full speed back to the central hub the proctor and headmistress, Sylva described as being their final destination once all of their points were collected. The little map he made saved him loads of time backtracking to the center, giving him what he felt was the ultimate edge; a long-con played through and through. Every second spared was one that could be put toward something else - time was of the essence in a hero's line of work.

Returning to the proctors, more out of breath than he'd been since grade school when he used to race kids on the blacktop, he plopped the gems haphazardly onto a counter where the collecting agents were located. Hinata's gambit paid off, though not without repercussions. He could feel his body worn out way more than he expected from this kind of exam. Was he really so physically unfit? In the end he finished with a decent enough time to call respectable, but he was leagues behind everyone else who finished before him. Checking his phone for a text from his parents, the screen promptly shut off to black. Battery drained to zero, and so was Hinata after all that transpired.

Chizue was more than a slight bit displeased as this sudden bundle of cheer, joy, happiness, and energy approached her. The only outward response she gave to the "Hiya" was a brief opening of her eyes to give Shizuka a glare before closing her eyes again. She made a very slight nod to herself, as if trying to tell herself that what she had just done was the cool and menacing thing to do. Definitely trying to validate her own actions, but it wasn't too obvious she'd even done it so most people wouldn't even notice unless they were paying very close attention. Her scarf even hid a slightly satisfied smile that was quickly replaced by a look of disgust when she realized she'd failed to drive off Shizuka with her glare. Chizue's eye twitched as she looked at the infinite... what's the opposite of an abyss? Heaven? No, that's way too nice of a thing to compare someone to. Infinite... Dumbness. Yeah. Dumbness. Abysses are cool and philosophical. This girl is totally neither of those things. Thankfully, before Chizue was forced to give any response beyond that, she felt the door she was leaning against begin to move. Quickly, she pulled away from it and silently turned to see the figure on the other side, briefly feeling the push of the crowd once the door was out of the way enough for people to start making their way forward and stumbling a bit before they were halted. Another glare was shot at the impatient children behind her, thinking of them as that despite being the same age as most of them and in a few cases younger.

Finally, it was time to begin. Chizue followed close behind the fashionably dressed prime minister, her scarf awkwardly flapping a bit behind her now. Once they reached the lecture hall, Chizue took the front-and-center seat, sitting with what she felt was a relaxed and confident but also cool and edgy posture that took up as much space as her small frame could manage. She wanted to stand out, be seen here and now as much as possible. Chizue took in the principal's words with intent, a look of fire and determination in her eyes. Even if she cared little for heroes and their ideals, this test and any information she could get on it was important. Ruby tokens? Worthless. Sapphire? Too time consuming. The emerald tokens? Chizue smirked under her scarf when she heard that. A test of combat. They were worth the most too, just three was needed to pass. These were her targets.

When the floor began to glow with the spiderweb of violet cracks, Chizue breathed out a tiny gasp of awe with a "Woah," barely audible even to those in the seats right next to her. Now that was a cool-looking Quirk. However, the awe was quickly replaced by frustration as she started tumbling down towards the ground in her chair. Her posture had one negative effect, the chair was spiraling out of control in her descent. In a moment of quick-thinking, Chizue pushed off of her chair and ripped off her bandages, throwing them to either side of her before activating her Quirk causing two large chains to emerge from her palms with spikes and handles forming. Once she was low enough, she extended the chains outward quickly towards and into the walls, barely striking deep enough into the tough material to allow her to control her descent by manipulating the length of the chains and swinging herself down to safety and making a three-point landing. Sadly, three-point landings, while looking cool are really ineffective and the landing causing her to wince slightly as pain shot through her knees and wrist. Still, she quickly stood up and shook the pain in her wrist off.

"Now, let's start the game."

Virtua's ears perked upward upon hearing U.A. Academy's headmaster of this generation speak up. Sylva Yukimine... The youth would remember this name with appropriate fear and respect as the mass of potential heroes followed to the lecture hall. It was there she noticed the seating arrangements looked off compared to what she assumed was the norm through clan meetings. Though, she thought little of it as a hero school would naturally have some quirky features. Here, the heiress got a better look at their principal and noted that she was a remarkably attractive woman dressed professionally for business rather than a hero costume. Or perhaps that was her hero costume? Taking a seat, she began to ponder what type of person the lady was and just as importantly: what kind of test she had come up with for the entrance exam. Attentively, the girl focused while keeping her hands pressed face down onto her skirt, instinctively hiding away the scar of her "heritage" out of anxiety. While other people would be affected by their "gifts" in ways that could change their very appearance, it didn't make hers feel any less grotesque, shaped as a growth where her hand was cut. Virtua bit her lip, feeling a new source of nerves wash over her.

The test was a run through a large maze as shown through the screen. Being a hero involved your speed, saving others, and defeating villains to obtain jewels - jewels to be exchanged for points. The young Victoria gulped, feeling she would not fare well in for gauged haste and potentially not even the others. Orange eyes drifting to see others, some had brought along especial equipment and others came off as intimidating. No one around her seemed to noticeably share the same ball of terrified nerves she had, which only made the feeling worse.

I-It's okay, I just have to pass. Just do your best, Vivi... Her breath was unsteady and her eyes bugged out a little as sweat rained down her forehead. She was not going to have a good time.

Believing things to be ready after the explanation, she almost jumped out of her seat just to quickly make it to the testing grounds - get it over with as fast as possible. Unfortunately, what came next reminded her of what her elder sister warned her of: "Just be prepared. U.A. Academy has historically been... a little extra for their entrance exams."

This isn't quite what Vivi had in mind as the floor gave way through what was presumably the headmaster's quirk. "Aaaah!!" She screamed with the vast majority of victims now plummeting to the earth underground. She gripped onto the arms of the chair tightly, panicking as it seemed like something was going horribly wrong and instead of becoming like her idol: Deku, she'd be becoming one with the pavement. Surely the teachers wouldn't kill them, right? Surely the headmaster wouldn't kill them, right?! Vivi clenched her teeth, tears flying from her eyes in a frenzied state of mind while desperately clinging onto the hope that officials weren't expecting everyone to have a quirk to save them from a trip to the hospital if not worse. Thankfully, God had mercy on the heroes-to-be as parachutes shot out from the chairs, allowing everyone to float down rather than try to quirk their way out of imminent death. Mewling frightfully, she felt relief upon being able to see the giant maze from above during a slow descent. It was quite vast and the walls looked incredibly sturdy, so it was definitely designed to do its part by being built to stop potential cheats. The underground was well-lit and outfitted with an abundance of funding to have varying uses - today being for the entry exam. It was quite the spectacle, but that was mainly because it was a sight of the scary situation having calmed down.

"Ah..." Vivi's mouth was left agape in awe until realizing that the test had effectively begun already. "Ah!" Tensing back up, she realized a need for haste. If she didn't make it in time, she would never fulfill her dream. So, the lass worked up some grit to dig for the razor she kept on her person, deciding to cut off the parachute once the chair was a reasonable distance from the ground and dropping down, letting the chair fall helplessly on the floor. "Have to move, have to move!" Gripping the edge tool tightly, Virtua began running as fast as she possibly could to begin racking up points.

Unfortunately, it was quickly dawning on her that she is simply just not as fast as others. Not to mention despite having a strong combat quirk, she's not the best at fighting and scared of running straight for villains in general. Over time, she was getting lucky to find some rubies lying around in various locations and kept going, believing that cashing in her rewards all at once would be most efficient. Still... The aspiring swordswoman would have to step up the game and pursue bigger rewards if she wanted any chance of passing. So the girl at least went for a rescue, with the volunteer understanding her frail, girlish frame so she didn't have to carry them back. With a sapphire in hand, she was... still falling behind!

"Ah... I have to do something... What would Deku do..." Vivi tried to not think about how the hero she borderline worships - Deku - nearly didn't make it in.

As the walls opened, Yuuki was almost immediately swept up in the tsunami of eager would-be students – but, it stopped as suddenly as it began. That voice on the microphone… it sounded a bit familiar. For a moment, he considered hopping up and down to try and get a peek at who it was; but as the students were finally allowed to move on again he soon found out he wouldn’t need to. While briefly awed by the lecture hall alone, he swiftly turned his attention to his earlier question… Sylva Yukimine… d-darn, the name didn’t ring any bells. He’d done his best to research as many heroes similar to his legacy as he could, not to mention all the major stars, but it looked like he’d missed a spot…

Hastily realising he was gawking, Yuuki took a seat – near the front row, no less… which ended up being a little bit empty, to his confusion. Looking about the room, it seemed like there were a lot less people at the entrance exam than his mother or grandfather had described. Heroism had changed a lot, hadn’t it? B-But, he ought to be focussing on the rules! G-Geez, he was getting so flustered already. Nodding along with every word like a primary schooler, Yuuki was giving every bit of his attention right now... which soon proved to perhaps be a bit too much.

As the explanation ended, Yuuki was already doing hasty calculations in his head – fifteen, t-that shouldn’t be so bad. And, he didn’t have to fight, s-so it’d be okay, s-surely. But so much competition. S-So much competition! The first thirty six was the goal. He just had to focus, and move swiftly, and everything would be…

His heart sank. His hands were trembling, and his head was spinning, and he…

No no, everything sank…!

Barely restraining a squeak that was anything but masculine; Yuuki was left holding onto his chair for dear life upon finding out he was in a very unlikely freefall… but! His training all soared through his mind – this was it! A trial like this… he’d surely handle it. First, analyse your situation… no overhead view, so no chance to scrawl a map. No apparent signs or hints of a map – just an outright maze. So, second – a plan of action. Rubies would be first to vanish, so they might not be worth the trouble, but sapphires were ideal for his situation... that’d be his first objective. As his unlikely voyage came to an end, Yuuki daintily hopped onto the ground. The confidence honed by his studies shot like electricity through his body – alongside the actual electricity. Words danced across his tongue, almost instinctive – “Arrive like lightning, roar like thunder; the guardian dragon – Thunder Ryu!”

…well, alright, he did just whisper it, though; the embarrassment of blurting out that century-old slogan overwhelming him. But, it did feel so good to say it, and mean it. Though he lacked a quirk built for speed, Yuuki’s sheer initiative jetted him ahead of a lot of the crowd – in spite of his original plans, rubies soon proved themselves to be his first priority. His peak fitness at least gave him the edge in anything requiring actual gymnastics, especially with hand-eye coordination to match – the rubies sneakily hidden up high or hanging out of reach were his first targets. One, two, three; and looking so smooth while doing it… h-h-he was doing it! He was a hero! He was a hero! He was -!

The next ruby in his path disappeared, just like that; as a shard of glass simply knocked it off of its perch right in front of him. The next in sight – snatched in a flurry of feathers. They’d well and truly caught up to Yuuki now, and with their quirks… it wasn’t a good start. He had to go to his back-up plan, a rescue – but while he did find at least one agreeable volunteer, his nerves were overriding his professionalism already; making communication a mess. And his next bet – once again, was gone. A-At least that girl student looked as worried as he did… he felt like he could see more than just his reflection in those atomic tangerine eyes.

But, no time for self-pity! A ruby’s sparkle around a high-up corner caught his eye; and it seemed a safe bet as most students had moved on from the early section already. Above a few of his more flustered classmates, Yuuki carefully slipped his way along the carved stone to another prize… he hadn’t even had to use his quirk once yet; and he was certainly glad for that. Maybe he’d – “Kuuh!”

Just like that, Yuuki felt himself falling again. Wind had vanished from his lungs, and he’d been sent careening… another student? He hadn’t even heard them coming; hadn’t even seen them. Was it deliberate? Accidental? His own fault? He couldn’t even tell, and right now the ground was seeming like a much more pressing issue! With a thump, he felt pain shoot through; and sparks fly instinctively… ah, this was a softer landing than expected…!

“An admirable tackle! But, surprise attacks are hardly heroic…!” lectured his unlikely ‘hero’ – one of the volunteer villains was clearly enjoying their role; idly tossing Yuuki off and across the ground. The boy’s head was still spinning by the time he started to put two-and-two together; and he definitely did have the composure or time to explain himself – “Though, really… shouldn’t someone your size still be at home…?” came a further well-meaning taunt – Yuuki couldn’t help but blush with embarrassment at that remark…

Finally taking stock of his situation, Yuuki found himself staring down an oni… steel club and all. Now that was an impressive quirk… and wearing such a fine suit and tie, too. But, the emerald that shone at the man’s waist drew his attention too – a-ah, oh no. Immediately, Yuuki reached for his dulled sword – and just in time; as that club came to greet him without a second to spare! “I won’t go easy on someone who uses such cheap tricks!” Barely standing, Yuuki was forced to defend himself with all his might against the makeshift hammer; his sword left ringing with every blow. Five, six, seven, eight… h-he could feel his back leg falling away, inch by inch…! T-This was it! If he got blown away now, or even just caught up in such a useless fight, it’d be over! He only had six points! He’d n-never make it! His mom… his family… this, this, this wasn’t really happening…!

Tears trickled down his face without him even realising it, and words came to his mouth once again – this time with far less confidence, but just as much energy – ”H-Heeelp!”

Vivi continued pressing on, struggling with jumbled thoughts as she scurried about. This was becoming abundantly disastrous as she couldn't find any more rubies, and she only had three! That wasn't as bad as it sounded coupled with her lone sapphire, but there were just so many more capable people running around! It was a little calming for her gaze to meet a young lad who looked about as panicked as her. At least she wasn't alone in her plight, maybe... It didn't matter much since it wouldn't change she's falling behind on time, and falling behind on the easier pickups too. At this rate, she was going to have to fight a villain or hope there was a nice volunteer to rescue like the last... It wasn't that the girl wanted the easy way out for a cheap win, she was just scared.

But you can't be a hero if you're too scared to stand up in the face of adversity. That same boy from before let out a cry for help, and Virtua had still been around the scene to witness a volunteer hero playing villain. A quirk that formed an actual ogre demon of sorts - an oni - with the surprisingly well-dressed gent wielding a club and having a field day against the unfortunate child. Oh... That's not good. The woman stared for a minute, admittedly hesitating out of fright. Normally, others would just move on or even use the kid as a distraction to take the antagonist's shining emerald at his belt for themselves. He was just another slow youth who would struggle in the competitive society of heroes - in the competitive rush toward the dreams of being a hero... Yet... none of those thoughts came to mind. What did instead was: How can I help him? Fingers fidgeted nervously against the smooth metal of her razor as the only thing holding her back was the image of getting beaten down herself. She's already slow so if she couldn't fight back well...

...

No, just forget that.

Just go! The plan, the how, the why, the everything could come later - maybe even in the moment. For now, she rushed forward toward the direction of the two, regretting that she didn't bring a real weapon like one of the clan's swords to fight with. It didn't matter now, so she brandished the sharp metal and instinctively attacked in hopes of getting the man's assault to relent. "Hiyaaa!" A shrill war cry, taking a slash and swiping at the brute's arm. If her mind was jumbled before, it was definitely on fire with fervent thoughts she couldn't comprehend properly. I just have to help!

"Gyaaah!" The oni-quirked goliath hollered in pain. Though his skin was tough enough to not get a nasty gnash, the sting from the cut was enough to bring him into reeling backward, wincing in pain.

"I-I've got you!" Virtua reassured Yuuki - the name she would hopefully come to know later - with... shaky confidence. The poor lass was trembling like a leaf. Whether it be from the adrenaline or fear of getting whacked by that huge club, not even she could fathom in her mental firestorm. She wasn't even using her quirk...! That's asking for trouble!

The cat boy could barely contain his excitement as the crowd was finally ushered into the UA campus. He reeled back after a shock passed between him and another of the aspiring students. With the mob of people so focused on entering a single place a few zaps were bound to happen but that didn't make him any less apologetic for it. Eventually they were brought into a room with a bunch of seats. The room was absurdly tall and it felt like things just sort of went up forever. Shinobu sat and listened as they were welcomed but more importantly as the exam was explained.

He'd heard the entrance exams were usually a mixture of exciting and alarmingly dangerous. A maze sounded tame enough. Collecting gems was pretty straightforward too. But then there came the different ways to collect them. They needed fifteen points to pass but there were many ways to get them. Rubies worth one point would be free to grab throughout the structure. Sapphires would be for rescuing those playing the part of civilians and would be three points each. And the emeralds would be five points a piece but be in the hands of fake villains. It sounded fun but he already knew what he was going to do. The first thirty-six to make it back made it in and he was going to be sure to be among the first back. This was going to be almost too easy.

Granted things weren't going to be so straightforward. Somehow they were falling in the sky when they had all been in their seats. To call this unusual was putting things nicely. But it was an adrenaline rush to get the cheetah boy raring to go. He got a nice view of the place and within moments of touching down he took off at a blistering speed, at least for the typical human. It took almost no time at all for Shinobu to find his first ruby which he snatched up off the ground while barely slowing his pace. This was his focus. There were plenty of points just sitting out here and with his speed he'd have fifteen of them before he or the proctors knew it. There were opportunities to go off to a rescue or fight a villain here and there but his focus was purely on what was obtainable at high speeds. On he ran at speeds normally requiring a car to attain. It felt like the rubies were largely falling into his lap. He doubted many of the others would have been able to keep up with him and indeed he seldom ran into another applicant.

"And that makes seven." he said after some time with a smirk as he smoothly lowered his upper body so one of his paw-like hands could swipe the rock as he passed. Running like this was great. He loved just getting to run and all the turns let him show off his mobility past just raw speed. His fur had long been standing on end as the static electricity had been steadily building on the surface of his body. His bracelet doubled as a voltmeter but he didn't bother checking what he was at. All that mattered was the arcing between hairs looked really cool as he sped along his way. His clothes were tightly stuck to his body at this point from the electric force but they weren't proving to be uncomfortable. It really was just a good run. It's like UA was desperate to have him. He figured he could oblige if they were so smitten.

A bit more time passed and Shinobu found himself with a dozen rubies. He had yet to even consider a rescue or a villain and at the rate he was going he was set that he could do this the original way he intended. But now he felt it was time to stop messing around. He'd been going at a comfortable pace which for him was still around thirty miles per hour. For the end he was going to exert himself some. More sparks flew as he shot forward, gaining speed quickly. Thirteen came quickly as he did so and he nearly missed it on his first pass from the faster pace. Fourteen wasn't long after and by this point he had the technique down. He pushed himself further, ever climbing toward top speed and fifteen came into view. In a moment it was secured and Shinobu turned himself about and began working his way back toward the center of the stage.

Making it back took a bit longer than intended as he hadn't kept particularly good track of the path he'd taken. But it was still a relatively fast effort. The cat in him had just wanted to run and time wasn't very present on his mind. He knew he was fast though and that he was about to make a splash with his performance. He exited the maze through the portal in the center and found himself close by the proctors who stood ready to collect. They seemed surprised to see him finished but he happily produced the fifteen rubies. They were even more surprised as there seemed to be a pull on things toward the boy as he approached. His hands got close enough to the proctors as he deposited his points that the large voltage jumped between them. A loud snap sounded as the charge passed between them, causing both student and proctor to reel back in pain. In fact they both fell over and medics attended to both quickly. The boy's voltage hadn't fully discharged thankfully or else it could have been pretty bad so when the two came to quickly he took to standing off to the side to cool down and discharge safely. He seemed immensely proud of himself being among the first to finish. It had been a pretty good run as it happened too and he wiped the sweat from his brow which only helped to dampen the fur on his arm.

The runner's high felt good.

STATS:
Points Collected: 15/15
Rubies (1) Collected: 15
Sapphires (3) Collected: 0
Emeralds (5) Collected: 0
Recorded Time: 14:53:45

----------

Izumi had found some success in reminding people of the importance of the exam they were about to take and seemed to calm some of the people she interacted with. At least that's how she perceived it. People were more just not wanting to engage with her further and shut down to get her off their backs. But little of that mattered as the exam proper was getting underway. She sat calmly and patiently through all the opening of the proceedings and was interesting in hearing the explanation of the event. Immediately the prospect of obtaining her points through rescues appealed to her. She wanted to be a hero that specialized in rescues as it was so this was perfect. All she needed was five sapphires and so long as she was fast enough she'd be in. However she wasn't prepared for the unorthodox method of entry into the labyrinth.

The girl's landing was less than graceful and she felt some sense of frustration as she began running into the maze but she needed to form a plan. She needed secure and fast ways back to the center once she found the mock civilians in need of rescue. She tried to make mental notes of things that could stick out enough to count as landmarks which seemed like it might work out some. Though perhaps there was something else she could do. The single point rubies could be found here or there and so the girl picked them up as she passed them. But instead of holding onto them she'd place them at junctions in somewhat inconspicuous ways to mark her path. It was anything but fool proof given others participating would be likely to pick up the trail. But with the two sources of small clues she felt she could make it back effectively.

Now there remained five rescues ahead of her. She felt confident she could get it done in time.

Shizuka tilted her head, staring at the girl before her, somewhat puzzled. It looked like she hadn't quite heard her. That was understandable. It was pretty noisy. Shizuka opened her mouth to continue talking, when the door to the school finally started to open. Once again, excitement welled up within Shizuka as their principal appeared before them. It looked like it was finally time. A grin spread across her face, and she fell back into the crowd, bouncing happily along with them, making sure to stay close to the cool scarf girl she'd just met.

Upon reaching the lecture hall, Shizuka immediately took a seat right by her new friend, and listened intently to the rules of the entrance exam. It seemed really fun! Like a live exercise in "hero-ing." And the idea seemed simple enough. Shizuka breathed a sigh of relief that combat wouldn't be mandatory, knowing full well how bad she would be at that. She'd have to rely on picking up the rubies, and escorting the civilians back for their sapphires. Maybe her quirk would help the civilians get back more easily. Either way, combat probably wasn't an option for her, so she'd have to get creative.

It was as she was absorbed in this thought that the floor suddenly began to open up beneath her. She yelped in surprise, jumping up out of her chair out of pure instinct, and violently windmilling her arms to try to regain her balance, but to no avail, and she clumsily began tumbling down towards the floor. On her way down, she watched as chains seemed to erupt from the hands of the girl next to her and dig into the walls. "Woah!" Shizuka let out a sound of awe, seeing the girl's quirk in action. How cool, she thought! It wasn't just cool, it was effective, as it seemed to let the girl safely lower herself to the ground. Unfortunately, Shizuka had no such quirk, and was currently hurtling towards the ground at lethal speeds. Right. She forgot about that for a second. Not knowing what else to do, Shizuka could only try to aim her body at the softest thing she could see.

A moment later, Shizuka crashed into chain girl, wrapping her arms around her instinctively, and throwing the both of them to the ground. Luckily, it turned out, the girl was indeed pretty soft, and Shizuka's fall was mostly broken by her. It still hurt, for sure, but she was alive, and it seemed all of her bones were intact. A moment later, she looked at her cushion, and remembered exactly where she was. She let go of the girl and leapt off of her, now sitting on the floor, blushing with a rather sheepish grin on her face, "S-sorry about that," Shizuka said, chuckling nervously, "I hope I didn't hurt you." Shizuka wasn't too worried. The girl seemed pretty tough. She could probably take it. "Y-you're really soft, though!" she added, not stopping to think that the "compliment" might not be appreciated the way Shizuka had intended it.

Then, a light went off in Shizuka's brain. "Oh, I know!" Shizuka suddenly realized how she could make up for using the girl as a landing target, "I can totally help you out!" Shizuka's words were backed by her quirk, and the girl would suddenly feel adrenaline pumping through her veins. Any pain she might have felt from Shizuka landing on her (or from her own landing, or the chains shooting out of her hands) would get dulled to the point of irrelevance, and she'd find her body suddenly operating more quickly and powerfully than normal. "Feeling better?" Shizuka asked with a wink.


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Yuri looked down at the boy that had just been deposited at her feet by the crowd. He looked like a bit of a mess, and Yuri couldn't help but chuckle a tad at his misfortune, seeing him land flat on his face. Rude? Maybe. But it was pretty funny. She stifled her laughter, then extended her arm to the boy, "Not something so interesting," she admitted, responding to his question, "I only got a peek, but it didn't look like anything related to the exam. Just the courtyard. Still, it looks like a nice place to hang out," she commented, shooting the boy a smile. Not a moment later, the doors to the school opened, and it seemed as though the exams were about to begin. "Well, looks like that's our cue," Yuri said. Her extended arm suddenly split apart into a series of thin vines that wrapped around the boy and picked him up off the ground, planting him on his feet, "See you after the exam," she said with a wink, then turned and waltzed away, joining the group.

After the rules for the exam were explained, she immediately began formulating a strategy. Her quirk was suitable for rescuing people, her stretchy limbs allowing her to scout out and easily pull people out. They might also be useful for quickly nabbing the emeralds from the villains, but that might be a bit too ambitious. Could she get away with spending time on the emeralds? If she got stuck in combat with a villain, it could hurt her time. She'd have to think carefully about when to disengage if she was unable to grab the emerald quickly. How much time was she willing to sink into just one emerald? And if she disengaged, all the time she spent would be lost. No, she would play it safe. Focus on sapphires, and pick up any rubies she sees along the way. As she decided upon her strategy, the floor opened up beneath her. Seeing the stage for her test, Yuri grimaced. Sunlight and soil were nowhere to be seen. Yuri would be burning reserves, which meant she had to use her quirk conservatively. As such, she waited patiently for her chair to touch down, then leapt into action. In this scenario, fighting villains was absolutely out of the question. She'd have to be smart about this.

Keiji kept up a brisk jog as he went through the maze, figuring that rushing in as fast as possible would run him out of energy too fast. He kept his eyes wide open and made a left turn, then looked up and saw a ruby situated on the top of a large angel statue. “I can’t waste my time climbing that…” He looked around and found a small piece of rubble. He grabbed it and chucked it up high to knock the ruby down, but failed. “Ah jeez… huh?” Upon closer inspection, he noticed an emerald wrapped around its side. “Now that’s funny, I swore that the emeralds were… only… with….” He nervously looked up as the statue brought down its massive hand right on top of Keiji’s head. “Ow! Crap!” Just a second later, Keiji bolted backwards away from the villain.

“Haha, you alright there, kid?! It’s okay if you wanna run away, maybe just try again next year!”

“Shut up! I’m still conscious ain’t I?!” Keiji darted to the villain’s left, keeping his distance. “Now….” He took a deep breath and a purple orb started forming in his hand. It glowed bright as he shot it right at the face of the villain. With a quick turn of his head, the mighty villain dodged the projectile.

“Ahaha! Nice try!”

Keiji smirked and looked at the giant menacingly. “I wasn’t aiming for you….”

The villain’s eyes widened as he turned around towards the wall behind him. "Huh?” There was a small, black mark where the firework had hit the side of the wall. “But… nothing’s there…” He turned back around and noticed that the emerald on his side was gone. “Hey, you little punk! You tricked me!”

Keiji bolted away across the maze until he had made some good distance between himself and the statue. “Man, that guy looked tough! I doubt my rocket would have done that much even if it did hit!” He continued forward, picking up another two rubies on the way. “And that’s 8 points, not bad!” He looked at the time: 23 minutes had passed.

A few corners later, Keiji noticed a young boy crying under some rubble. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” He pulled and pushed the rocks away, slowly but surely. “Phew… okay, come with me!” The boy smiled and jumped on his back as he got the child to safety. The boy rewarded him with a sapphire. “Okay, now I just need 4 more points….” He looked back at the time and his face grew pale. “I spent so much time clearing that rubble! There’s only 11 minutes left!” Keiji calmed himself down and started running back into the maze. “There are so few rubies left, I think a villain is my best option! I’ve only used one firework, I should at least have a couple more in me.”

With a leap, he sprang into a long hall. He saw a villain and his heart soared! But the grim reality set in quickly. There were 4 emeralds shining down that hall and 4 villains to match.

One was a man with a serpentine body and sharp claws, one was a large woman with hair set ablaze, one was a young man with some sort of purple ooze dripping from his body, and the last was a mysterious old man with a dark aura surrounding him.

Keiji gripped his hand tightly. “This is bad….”