Lamentations of a War Machine

A Test of Heroism

1 ¼ Years Ago:

"And he'll be ready for use in a year?" The voice speaks. The same voice that used to spark fear and terror and anxiety inside of a young Izuku, but now only ignites his spite and anger.

A sentiment shared by the next to speak, but not voiced.

"Of course, sir. With rapid progression in the leg mechanics, he may even be done sooner." A softer voice speaks, one which some might say resembles that of a sickly old man. He'd argue on the old part, but sickly was assuredly a correct word to use.

"Good. Much as I detested this idea, having a backup in case one is able to pry away control of our Nomu's is important. I've received information recently that my old friend is looking for a protégé of his own now, and I must have Tomura ready to face them." The voice continues, the boom of his baritone shaking Izuku's eardrums.

Were he not covered in his armor currently, it would make his skin crawl. But, the rattling of metal would do no good for him, as it would reveal his state of being awake for this conversation.

The fact he hasn't been caught yet is a miracle in upon itself.

"I expect more good news from you soon, professor." The voice speaks one last time, before that ghastly sound that always precedes and succeeds his entrances and exits echoes through the halls.

The professor lets out a sigh, and a door opens. "I can only lie so much about the progress before he catches on. I have to complete him soon, I must."

The light in Izuku's cell turns on, and from his chained restraints on the table, Izuku sees the skeletal man with black and grey hair enter, a lab coat over top of him.

"Alright then, Project Hop. Let us begin our new day shall we?" He asks, a sad smile on his face. "First up on the itinerary..."

"Examinations."

Present:

Izuku watched as the scenery went by, second by second. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his jade green hoodie, as he scratched the heel of his red shoes against his exposed knee in his ripped jeans. A pair of black sunglasses covered his eyes, and a blue beanie covered his hair.

He had to dress a bit more cautiously than usual, due to a certain thought constantly popping up in his mind.

Kacchan would be here for sure.

Without anyone to stop him, the blonde boy would be on his way to UA, confident in his chances of getting a spot. And, most assuredly, he would. After all, he was a natural at combat. A spotlight like him could make the school a lot of money. So, Kacchan is practically a guaranteed student.

Which means if Izuku runs into him, there could be trouble.

So, he's covering his most recognizable traits, and doing his best to blend in. Be an 'extra' as his old friend would have said.

That said, Izuku wishes he could have just gone with Shouta. Unfortunately, the man was as logical as always, pointing out it would give Izuku an advantage over others, simply because he knows his coworkers would definitely blabber about something. And considering that Izuku knows the man works with Present Mic (who, a couple weeks prior, actually gave the answers to one of his tests) it was probably a wise decision.

So, Izuku did as he could, and took the train. It gave him more time to sleep, and time to dress up. So, thinking about it, it's even better that he didn't go with his guardian. Izuku cracks a small smile, thanking logical thinking for once.