Energy | MHA/BNHA

8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Rational Deception

After completing the final three tests, class 1a stood in silence in front of Aizawa, waiting for the results on the Quirk Assessment Test.

Rikona stood beside the boy who she raced against in the first test: Shoji Mezo. She pondered her performance, but her thoughts were interrupted when Aizawa spoke out.

"Okay, I'll quickly tell you the results. The total is simply the marks you got from each test," he explained, "It's a waste of time to explain verbally, so I'll show you the results all at once."

Rikona looked across the crowd and right at Izuku, seeing his fear stained expression. Feelings of pity echoed through her mind for the boy.

Truthfully, she didn't think that Aizawa would expel him. Izuku had shown potential with his Quirk in the ball throw, and his determination throughout all of the other tests.

Aizawa's eyes flicked through the students one by one, and when his eyes landed on Izuku, they narrowed, the movement was almost so subtle that Rikona nearly missed it.

'Surely he won't...'

The teacher pressed a button on the device he was holding, and a hologram lit up in front of the students.

Rikona searched through the names on the list, looking for her placing.

1: Yaoyorozu Momo,
2: Mochizuki Rikona,
3: Todoroki Shoto,
4: Bakugo Katsuki,
5: Iida Tenya,
6: Tokoyami Fumikage,
7: Shoji Mezo,
8: Ojiro Mashirao,
9: Kirishima Eijiro,
10: Ashido Mina,
11: Uraraka Ochako,
12: Koda Koji,
13: Sato Rikido,
14: Asui Tsuyu,
15: Aoyama Yuga,
16: Sero Hanta,
17: Kaminari Denki,
18: Jiro Kyoka,
19: Hagakure Toru,
20: Mineta Minoru,
21: Midoriya Izuku.

Rikona didn't know who most of them were.

She noticed herself in second place, and a rare small smile lit up her face.

The smile dropped, however, when she noticed Midoriya Izuku's name in dead last.

She stared at his sorrowful expression and frowned, almost wanting to walk up to him and place her hand on his shoulder, assuring him that the expulsion was just an empty threat, but she restrained herself, looking away and settling her eyes on someone else's features.

Katsuki's expression was the epitome of smug. He was wearing a massive cocky smirk, and his eyebrows were raised in satisfaction, whether it was for Izuku's placing or his own score, Rikona did not know. (Though she doubted it was about his own score since he wouldn't settle for anything but first place and he was, evidently, not in first place.)

Aizawa pressed the same button on the device and the hologram disappeared, "By the way, I was lying about the expulsion."

Nothing but silence was heard. The class was in shock.

'I knew it,' Rikona smirked unnoticeably at her accuracy, and almost snorted out loud at everyone's expressions, especially Izuku's.

Aizawa grinned, "It was a rational deception to draw out the upper limits of your Quirks."

'If I had counted how many times he's said rational today on my two hands, I'd have run out of fingers a while ago.'