A Silent Kind of Strength

Chapter 15

The next week was rough for everyone involved. Izuku had to be talked back from at least one anxiety spiral a day. Hitoshi spoke even less than usual, often just sitting to the side and tracing the thin scar that ran along his nose and cheeks. And Mei over compensated by being even more hysterically energetic than normal. Mia did her best to support them all. Keeping any snacks she knew they liked well stocked in the break area, and coffee and hot water for tea ready at all times.

When the envelopes bearing the UA seal showed up at their doors everyone felt a sense of relief that the limbo space they were suspended in was finally over. The green and purple boys were over at the shop in no time flat, Izuku skipping his martial arts lesson for the day and Hitoshi sending an excuse to his guardians over text.

By the time they got there Hatsume-san was already buzzing around their little break area, clearing off the coffee table of leftover napkins and soy sauce packets from last night's dinner and placing down cups so she could pour tea. Emotional talks were best recovered from with hydration and love after all. And no matter how things went she knew this little gathering was going to be emotional.

It took the woman almost an hour of coaxing to get them to decide on their course of action. None of them wanted to be the first to open their letter, so after letting them bicker it out a bit she decided for them that they would all open theirs on a three count. But then Mei and Izuku spent another thirty minutes stalling before she could bring their scattered and frazzled genius back on task.

Before they could drift off again she quickly counted them down, all three teens scrambling to get their envelopes open on time with her call of 3. As they tapped the sheaves of papers containing their verdicts out of the confines of their embossed prisons, Shinso let out a sound of confusion as a black disk dropped onto the short table between them. Before they could try and figure out the unexpected extra addition it lit up with a hologram. Freckled hands immediately snatched up Mei's grabby fingers so she wouldn't try and take the device apart.

When he saw the face floating before them he had to grit his teeth, luckily the others were focused on the man in an ugly yellow suit who was screaming at them through the hologram and didn't notice his look of distaste. "Hello! I, All Might, Japan's number one hero, AM HERE to deliver your results! Why is the number one hero giving out the exam results you ask?! Because I AM HERE to teach the next generations of heros! That's right! Starting this year I am on staff at my own Alma Mater, UA! Now! Let's get to business shall we?!"

The giant of a man pulled a script card out of his pocket, the piece of paper looking ridiculously tiny in his hands. "Let's see..." The mic picked up the mumble clearly and the greenette had to try not to roll his eyes. "Ah! Shinso Hitoshi! For your written exam you made a very solid 87%! Good job using that brain! Now for the good stuff! The practical exam results!" He stepped to the side revealing a screen with three slots on the shown graphic. Shinso's name blinked to life in the first slot.

"Alright! Young Shinso! In the mad dash of teens and robots you managed to take down 11 robots! For a total of 23 points!" The second slot was taken up by a brightly colored 23. "Now, unfortunately 23 points would not be enough to make it into the course!" They all watched as the purple haired teen slumped in his disappointment before their attention was brought back to the floating embodiment of peace with a large gesture and an exclamation. "But! What kind of hero school would we be if we ignored the heroic actions of our examinees?! Therefore you were all also graded on a second set of points as well! Rescue points!" The image of All Might's smiling face disappeared, replaced by short clips of Shinso pulling other kids out of the way of falling debris and scattered lasers. Of him stepping in when a kid was cornered and bashing the casing of a robot in with a piece of rubble so the other boy could escape. And, finally, of him running towards a towering beast of a bot while everyone ran away. It showed him use his quirk on a girl who was pinned by a slab on concrete so she could ignore her limit and use her quirk. It then cut to him running with the same girl Draped across his back. And then after the test it showed him holding her hair back as she puked.