Daughter of the Hero: The Lost Hero

The Hero Exam

"The next person who gets out of their seat will be thrown out the window and made to walk the rest of the way!" Aizawa announced, facing backwards again.

Everyone was jumpy – Even Astrid, who had already taken the exam and passed a few days ago.

The buss was filled with nervous chatter. Everyone was trying to figure out what the exam would consist of.

And after a little while, they had arrived at the exam center.

Everyone spilled out of the door, backpacks slung over their shoulders, costume case in hand.

Astrid stood at the front with Aizawa.

"Hey Eraser!" Everyone turned to see a woman with an orange bandana over her sea-foam green hair. She wore a black turtleneck tank-top and sea-foam-and-orange striped parachute shorts – She had on black boots and orange gloves.

The Smile Hero: Ms. Joke.

Astrid and Aizawa let out a simultaneous sigh.

"This must be the famed Class 1-A!" She smiled, hands shooting up in fingers guns as she winked at him.

Astrid's eyes narrowed. Seriously? She thought, She's flirting with dad?

"What'd'ya say we grab coffee afterwards?" She offered.

"No thank you," Aizawa responded evenly.

"Ah," her hands flew around her middle, "You'll come around."

Mm... I don't think so.

Astrid walked through the corridor with her class to the locker room, waited for everyone to change, and walked with them into the entrance lobby of the arena. So far they were the only class there. All the other school classes were still getting ready, apparently. 

Astrid rested her hands on Shoto's shoulders. He sat on a bench, bouncing his knee and fiddling with his shirt sleeve. He was jumpy, nervous. She just hoped he wasn't starting to panic. He needed to go into this with a calm, clear mind...

She gave him a squeeze, "You'll be fine – Take a breath."

He did as she told him, sucking in a breath through his teeth and leaning back on her.

Bakugo let out an uneven laugh – He was nervous too. "What's wrong, Icy-Hot? Scared?"

"We all are, dude. Don't be mean," Kaminari shot back at him.

"I'm scared," Shoto whispered. "So scared of what I can't control..." They both watched the door as more students started to enter the waiting room. "What if-"

"Don't think like that," Astrid murmured to him.

"Attention all heroes in training: The test will begin in five minutes – Please find your way to the arena."

Shoto was the last one going in through the doorway, and Astrid caught his wrist before he walked into the arena. She pulled him close and gave him a quick kiss.

"Go kick some ass, Todoroki."

He smiled, giving her a nod. Then he walked out into the arena.

Astrid took her seat in the bleachers next to her father just as the first test started.

She crossed her legs, fingers drumming anxiously on her knee as she watched.

Then Ms. Joke went on to talk to Aizawa about how UA was always targeted in the hero exam. She let out a sigh.

She knew it might be a problem, but her class was a bunch of clever kids (excluded a few... like Mineta) and Astrid believed that they would pull through.

But what if none of them do? A voice inside her head questioned.

They will... they have to... There is no way Midoriya will let anyone fail if he can do anything about it – They've all studied and prepared. They have a solid foundation. They'll pull through.

She felt a hand rest over her knee, stopping her drumming fingers. It pulled her out of her thoughts.

She saw her father, watching her before turning back to look down at the arena. "They'll do great, all of them." He murmured to Astrid.

"Heard you took the exam by yourself – Took down Gang Orca on your own. That's pretty impressive," Ms. Joke commented, leaning forward to see around Aizawa.

Astrid only gave a small nod.

She barked out a forced laugh, "I also heard you took down a villain like the day after you got your license, and you were on the news! I even saw you!"

Astrid only nodded slowly once more.

"And um..." Ms. Joke hesitated, thinking, then smiled again. "You're hero name is The Illusion Hero: Vision. That's so cool!"

"Yeah... Yeah, thanks..." Astrid murmured, before she completely tuned out her voice, focused on the exam below.

"H-he didn't pass?"

Astrid's voice was almost silent, expression completely shocked. Kids were starting to leave the arena now.

Shoto didn't pass. Her eyes saddened when she imagined how upset and disappointed he must've felt.

"I'll meet you at the bus," she told her father.

Aizawa nodded slowly, watching her leave.

Astrid picked herself up from her bleacher seat, brushing off her uniform skirt to straighten it, and walked down into the lobby. She found Shoto sitting alone on a bench. The room was empty.

Astrid sat down next to him, "You did great." She said softly, eyes on the ground.

"I failed."

"You'll be able to try again."

"But I failed," he said. His voice was shaking, head down in his hands.

Astrid rested her hand on his back, rubbing it gently, trying to comfort him. "But they're offering that course to get your license."

All he did was let out a sigh. She knew he felt defeated.

Astrid just hoped he wouldn't give up.