Emote: Bakugo x OC Reader

Chapter 95

The day had finally come for the provisional hero licensing exam and as I stood in the crowded room waiting for orientation to start, it felt as though a thousand butterflies had been let loose and were causing havoc in my stomach. I took a deep breath in through my nose and slowly released it through my mouth. I had been trying to do more meditation and breath work to help me manage my emotions since our training had intensified for the exam. It worked surprisingly well and I felt my anxiety lower slightly as I glanced over at Katsuki. He had been quiet and withdrawn all morning and it was adding to my nervousness. 

"There's so many others," I said, leaning in close so he could hear me over the crowd.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, a voice boomed through the loud speaker, causing the students around us to quiet and turn their attention towards the front of the room. My eyes shot forward to find that a haggard and disheveled man had begun speaking to the group. He introduced himself as Mera, a member of the Hero's Public Safety Commission. He discussed the recent upset among citizens regarding heroes being paid for the work they're doing, which was a seed that Stain had planted while he was still running the streets. The mention of his name caused me to flinch and I was brought back to that moment our eyes met right before his blade sunk into my chest. Subconsciously, I lifted a hand to press against my chest, resting over the scar that lay beneath the thin fabric under my fingertips.

Suddenly the screen above his head lit up, with an announcement that the first 100 students to meet the requirements of the exam would pass. It felt as though my heart suddenly dropped into my stomach.

"Seriously?! There's over 1,500 of us!" I said, suddenly finding it hard to breath. I felt the nervous energy around me erupt like a ripple of water through the crowd as we all digested this new piece of information. We'd originally been under the impression that at least half of us would pass.

"The basic rules of the exam are this," Mera was explaining in a painfully monotonous voice. "Each examinee will put three targets on his or her body which must be in plain sight. Each of you will have six balls. The targets are programmed to light up and if all three of your targets light up, you're out. The person who lights up your third target gets credit for your defeat. You need to take down two others to pass the exam."

I looked to Katsuki, but his eyes were locked ahead and he had that crazy grin plastered on his face. He's not even worried. I thought, trying to channel the same confident aura I felt radiating off of my boyfriend.

"Well, I guess we'll start passing out the targets and balls and then you'll have a few minutes to situate before we open." Mera said, stifling a yawn.

"Wait...open?" I said, looking around, confused.

Suddenly the ground beneath us began to shake and I braced myself as the ceiling above us began to split open. What the fuck? Are we already starting?! I thought frantically and then realized as the walls started coming down that we were already in the arena.

"You've got to shitting me," I muttered, my eyes darting around the expanse of multiple terrains we were now surrounded by. Among the different terrains we had to choose from were a residential area, city, highway setting, mountainous terrain, factory setting and a forest-like area complete with a raging waterfall pouring into a large body of water.  

"I'm sure you all have different terrains you like or want to avoid. Use your quirks to your advantage." Mera was saying, already making his way off of the podium as a representative finally made it to our group and began handing out targets and balls.

Katsuki immediately began attaching his three targets side by side along his lower abdomen. I was about to question why he would put them so close together before thinking better of it and beginning to attach my own targets. I figured the best chance of survival would include spreading them out. I tried to ignore the slight tremble in my hands as I attached one to my left calf, one to my left forearm and one on the upper right corner of my stomach.