When Aizawa announced what the kids would be doing during the lesson, Danny was honestly kind of excited. He had all the reasons to be. This was a test of skills — Quirk Apprehension test. And as long as Phantom was able to do what he excelled at, he was more than happy to participate. There was a part of him that wished to flaunt his powers in front of his classmates, like a kid that brought McDonalds food to school. But it was mostly an easy grade that tempted him.

However, as their homeroom teacher started explaining what their were going to go through, Danny's enthusiasm took a dive.  From the description, it appeared like a normal PE session. The gym uniform they were all now wearing should have given him a hint, but Danny hadn't thought about it too much.

The entire class gathered outside, on the special prepared ground, ready to face whatever Aizawa had in mind. Well, mostly ready. To his surprise, Danny noticed the purple-haired shorty that he had rescued during the exam. The guy was shaking just as before. How he got in was a question the teen wasn't eager to ask. Danny really didn't want to antagonise any of his classmates.

His thoughts were also on their recently revealed homeroom teacher. Once the initial thoughts of him being the unluckiest person subsided, Danny began to wonder how he was going to coexist with the man that did not appear friendly at all. And boy, had he given him an opportunity to dislike the half ghost from the start. The teen hoped that he wasn't that kind of a teacher.

"What about the Entrance Ceremony?!" The brown haired girl nervously called out to the teacher. The same girl that had made Mydoria blush like crazy. "Or guidance sessions?"

"No time to waste on that stuff if you want to become heroes," Aizawa responded instantaneously, obviously having anticipated such questions.

So, he was a man of action. Danny liked that. He would take that over the boring ceremonies at any time. Still, something was amiss, and the teacher was soon reminded that being absent from ceremonies like this was fraught with terrible consequences. To this, Aizawa had an answer as well.

"The school is aware of my methods. The U.A. is known for its creative approach and its own education system. This applies to teachers as well. The Entrance exam is a futile attempt at discerning at least some level of skill. However, it is too rudimentary, too basic, and thus, unimportant. THIS is what truly matters."

The way the man looked down upon the exam probably meant that Danny's result was not going to affect the teacher's attitude towards him whatsoever. Still, the teen was somewhat assured by the fact that an elite school was placing enormous trust in that man. They had standards and world-renowned status — too valuable of a resource to be wasted by even one incompetent teacher. Danny just didn't want the hero school to become another Casper High.

"We will be running the usual tests you did in middle school: dash, softball throw, grip strength, things like these. The government is not in a hurry to change anything, and the schools nowadays still do not allow the use of Quirks during such tests. I believe this to be irrational."

As the man explained it, his eyes deadlocked on one particular raven-haired teen.

"Fenton," he called, and Danny just knew it would be him being called out. Whether it was because of his own outstanding results or personal dislike, the teen did not know. "How far could you throw a ball back then? I presume you did go to one, correct?"

"That was just unnecessary," Danny mumbled, stepping forward. "Thirty...ish, I think."

He heard and saw how the blonde kid snorted. Danny had to admit, his human form wasn't nearly as strong. But it's not like he could use what little he had during the classes, lest the people of Amity talked about the strange Fenton kid even more. Aizawa tossed Danny the ball, which he caught with ease. The teen really wished he could understand what the man was thinking, but his face was totally apathetic.

"Now throw it, do whatever you want with your Quirk as long as you don't leave the circle. Have a go."

Danny thought about it for a moment, wondering how to best approach the situation. Meanwhile Kirishima and Mina were getting excited. They never got to see their friend do anything flashy.

"You think he will do it?" Kirishima asked.

"I dunno," the pink-skinned girl shrugged. "It would be really cool."

"Do what?" Midoriya immediately came up to them, eager to learn about his strongest classmate.

Kirishima grinned. "Fenton-san can make himself super-powerful. It's like his ultra manly mode!"

"And he also can do so much more with it!" Mina added.

"I see," Midoriya mumbled as he started writing down something in a journal he had seeming taken out of aether.

"I can hear ya, guys," Danny smirked, before finally turning to the line before him. It ended at one hundred meters, he was going to aim higher. Just remember how they do it in baseball, he told himself, before realising he never even properly watched a match, let alone never played one. He would just have to throw.

His right hand was suddenly engulfed in the faint whirlwind of ectoenergy, which appeared as a mix of green flames, smoke and single sparks. And Midoriya started taking down the notes as quickly as he could. By imbuing his limbs with power Danny made them many times stronger even without him going ghost. Coupled with the full strength of his human form, all of this was bound to get him result. Danny readied for the throw, his blue eyes turning green. And then the ball was launched.

With a loud wheezing sound it flew forward, and the force of the throw was enough to blow everyone's hair. The ball flew over the treetops, and obviously out of school grounds whatsoever, which made the rest of the students watch the halfa in awe. Danny smiled and pulled his hair back. He was beginning to like all that attention.

"702.31 meters," Aizawa spoke after looking at his phone.

"Really?" Danny didn't seem satisfied with the result. "Gotta be the lousy throw," he muttered to himself.

The teacher only pointed towards the rest of the students, obviously not wishing to comment on it just yet. There was nothing new to Aizawa. If anything, he expected the teen to exceed the actual distance. From what the boy's friends had already said, it could only be theorised that they were referring to the teen's white-haired persona. Eraserhead made a mental point that the boy wasn't as strong like this. But examining him was not why Danny was summoned forward.

During the brief moment of Aizawa's contemplation Phantom rejoined the rest of the students.

"Woah, Fenton-san!" Kirishima exclaimed. "You threw it so far away! That's so manly!"

"Why, thank you, dearest friend," Danny put a hand on his chest, before seeing Midoriya come up to him.

"That was amazing! What kind of energy did you use back then? How did it help you throw the ball? And what was that light..."

"Shut up already, nerd!" The blonde menace of a teen shouted at them, visibly scaring the curious kid. "You are giving me a headache!"

"Tell ya later," Danny winked at the green-haired boy, before turning to Aizawa. "That sure looks fun, teach!"

"Fun?" The teacher asked slowly, as the cheerful atmosphere around was mercilessly murdered by him. "Is this what it is to you?"

Danny blinked and shrugged. "Among other things. It sure ain't boring."

"You all are hoping to become heroes in three years. If you think that it's all fun and games, then you can be already shown the door."

Danny didn't appear offset by the man's threatening aura. "We are outside," he jested without really meaning it. "Really though. We are not in a life threatening situation at the moment, Aizawa-sensei."

His classmates blinked. Had their teacher told them his name already?

"Oh?" Everyone could swear there was a glint of emotion in Aizawa's eyes. "It seems I have neglected to mention that the one who scores the lowest in this class will be deemed as hopeless and immediately expelled."

That statement caused a round of shocked gasps and exclamations among the students.

Danny himself knew that it wasn't because of him, but because that was Eraserhead's method. The man must have known that Phantom was not going to get the lowest score, so it couldn't be some personal spite. It was a very cruel attempt at a wake-up call, threatening kids with expulsion on their very first day. Aizawa in general seemed like a man who always meant serious business, his sleeping bag in the middle bag aside. With his constant lack of said seriousness, Danny knew they would be at odds on more than one occasion. And yet, the teen could understand those actions. Didn't mean he was going to take it the way Aizawa wanted.

"T-The lowest score will be expelled...?" The same brown haired girl — Uraraka, of whom Danny learned the name from Mina, tried to confirm if everyone had heard correctly. "It's only the first day! I mean, even if it weren't... that's totally unfair!"

Whatever reaction the girl expected, she received almost none. Not a flash of sympathy was present in the man's tired eyes.

"Natural disasters, highway pileups, rampaging villains. Calamity is always right around the corner. I'd say Japan is full of unfair things. Heroes are the ones who correct all that unfairness. If you expected to waste your time on pointless theories and spend your evenings on leisure, then I'm about to disappoint you. Me personally and the UA will run you through the ringer. THAT'S Plus Ultra. Use your strength to overcome it all."

Aizawa flashed a tiny smile. "So bring it."

Kirishima in the meantime looked at his thoughtful friend. "Fenton-san, you are not spacing out, are you?" He whispered.

"Nope," Danny said. "I just thought about what he said. The teach is right. The bad guys ain't gonna sit around and wait for you. Sometimes they even come at you while you sleep."

And how the teen hated when they did that.

"How would you know?" The redhead scratched his temple.

In response the half-ghost only gave an enigmatic smile.

"It really shouldn't be that bad, Kirishima-san. Just focus on not coming last," he said, before a smirk crossed his features. "It's all about physical, eh? You might actually stand a chance against me."

"Ya bet," Kirishima fist-pumped.

Phantom knew that the classmates had to remember the consequences of their failure, but it didn't mean that he would not try and cheer everyone up. That's just who he was — an always upbeat teen that laughed in the face of the Ghostly tyrant Pariah himself. Danny wanted to be known as someone like this, not as a delinquent, even among his classmates.

What he most certainly didn't want to come across as, was someone who looked down on his peers and always knew what was better fir them, albeit he had the field experience and mastery of his power that was hard to match at the time. He knew what that feeling of intrusion was like. So, for now, let them themselves come to him, if they so wanted. And he would do his best to push away the sentiment of uncertainty. At the time, he simply needed to show them that he was both approachable and powerful to give such advices.

That was the decision he made before setting out with others, preparing for the first proper test among many.

And the first test in line was a fifty meter dash. Whether to save time or to more easily assess the performance, the kids were going to be split into pairs. There were some interesting groups, and Danny couldn't help but pity Midoriya. Katuski Bakugo, the mean blonde that so far spoke only by shouting at people, was especially hateful towards two people in the class: Fenton and the one he was currently going to face. Those two seemed to know each other, Danny reasoned. The lot also decided that he was going to face his most recent acquittance Iida. The bespectacled boy appeared jovial upon learning this.

Danny himself approached him with a smile on his face, and yet it was Iida who spoke first.

"Fenton-san!" He called, his moves just as quick and robotic, "I am glad that I am getting a chance to face the top-scorer so soon!"

"You don't have to be so formal with me, Iida-san," Danny raised his hands slowly. "Let's both do our best."

"Thank you for your openness, Fenton-san!" Iida bowed his head. "If I may ask, can you boost all of your limbs?"

"Never did this for running quickly. Usually those were kicks or high jumps. Too much energy, and each step will turn into a jump. Or my limb will burst. There is a limit to how much a human body can handle. What about your Quirk?"

Iida sat on the bench nearby and crossed his legs. Only now Danny saw something, and it made his eyes go wide with surprise. On his surprisingly ripped calves Phantom could see exhaust pipes, six on each leg.

"Wow, that's... certainly unique."

"Thank you for your compliment, Fenton-san! My Quirk 'Engine' gives me an excellent speed boost!"

"I see," Danny put a hand on his chin. "I guess you fight with legs, too?"

"You guessed correctly!" Iida said, before seeing how the half ghost began to laugh. "What did I say, Fenton-san?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that of all the people I am running against a guy with car engines in his legs. Eh, just my luck," the halfa smirked.

"I am sure you can achieve great speeds! Otherwise you would not have been so quick to dispatch villains and save bystanders during the exam!"

"Huh, the guess is on point. Well, the teach did say 'Do whatever you want with your Quirk,'" Danny parodied the teacher's gloomy tone and voice.

"Yes, you are free to do that."

Danny felt the colour drain from his face. Glancing over his shoulder, the teen saw Aizawa standing behind him.

"Hey, teach," the halfa said slowly.

Aizawa sighed and pointed towards the running track. "Get in line, you two go first."

"Again?" Danny asked in confusion.

"Since you know what sudden disasters feel like, you should have no problem, right?" Aizawa smirked.

That boy was going to be a handful, Eraserhead had known that ever since the moment the principal put down the stamp of approval on the boy's paper. Still, it appeared that the boy truly did have the necessary control, something one particular student on the teacher's mind was severely lacking. Nonetheless. Aizawa decided that Phantom must not feel cozy in his class. He was ahead of the rest, so Eraserhead had twice as bigger expectations from the American student. The school was all about going beyond. And if Fenton's limits were yet to be determined, Aizawa needed to see everything for himself.

The tired-looking teacher knew about what his colleague Vlad King was like. While an outstanding hero and a mindful teacher, that man was extremely biased towards his students. If he got his hands on a boy that walked in toe with many pros, Fenton would just be basked in praise instead of being forced to grow. That was largely the reason why Aizawa had insisted that Fenton be assigned to his class. It took no small amount of convincing for Vlad King to surrender such a promising kid to another class. However, Nezu believed that Aizawa's arguments were more solid, and at the last second Danny was assigned to class A.

As Danny and Iida were about to take place at the start of the track, all students were either excited, curious or both. Aizawa hadn't given the half ghost much time to deliberate on how to approach the challenge. Danny didn't want unnecessary risks that came with experimenting. Last time he tried, he froze the entire arena full of spectators. Better not try anything where staying at school was on the line. As he and Iida stood near the starting line, the latter spoke up.

"Have you figured it out Fenton-san?"

"Pretty much. As I said, I may not run that fast, but I have just the replacement," Danny grinned and raised his hand. He liked those theatrics more and more.

With a snap of his fingers, the teen summoned the bright rings of light that changed his form with a loud whirring sound. Phantom's transformation earned strong reaction from the crowd around them.

"And here he goes!" Kirishima exclaimed. "Fenton is going all out!"

"What's with that changed appearance?" Someone asked.

"Woah," Midoriya whispered and took out his journal. "Fenton-san has energy control, and yet it somehow changed his looks as well! Is his Quirk all about energy or is there something more to it? But what kind of energy even can change the way you look?"

"We can hear you, Midoriya-san," Mina giggled. "It's so cool to have a suit always ready!"

Now that she pointed it out, Danny's uniform was also gone, replaced by his usual hazmat.

"Did he already get his? That's not fair!" The purple haired shorty exclaimed.

Aizawa probably should have addressed this, but there was no ground to assume that it was the suit that boosted the teen's power. The cause and effect were in fact switched. Furthermore, the teacher had read a more detailed description of the boy's power. Every student was required to make it. As expected, Phantom's was quite detailed. He would allow that change of attire, since it appeared that Danny's form always came with an outfit.

Meanwhile the teen in question was fully concentrated on the race. Taking a low starting position alongside Iida, he prepared to start. And the second the metaphorical gunshot resounded across the area, Iida burst forward. The pipes on his calves spewed the jet flames as the teen ran forward at an astonishing speed.

Danny didn't waste a split second, reacting to the signal supernaturally quickly. The halfa's legs pushed him forward, and when he was in the air, in a fraction of a moment he turned intangible. The razor-sharp air resistance was no longer an obstacle to the speeding half-breed.

And then the levitation, the power nigh exclusive to his ghost part, came in play. A jump meant a single burst of speed. The lack of resistance would not let the momentum die off, but the power of flight would only increase the latter's potency. To summarise, Phantom made a dash forward, the same way he did when he fought.

The audience could barely see how fast the teen was, a single blink and some could miss the teen crossing the finish line, leaving speeding Iida behind. After this Phantom tilted slightly upward, spun and faced the rest, stopping mid-air.

"1.02 seconds," the machine barely had the time to announce the time before Iida finished the track with a result of 3.04 seconds.

The stunned bespectacled boy looked up several meters in the air to see the cross-legged half-ghost smiling at him. There was no doubt left in Iida's mind that that was the person who bested them all — the teen with speed that rivalled All Might's. And atop of that...

"He can fly, too?!" Midoriya exclaimed excitedly, before filling his journal once again.

Aizawa sighed. He was still unconvinced that all of that was due to some random energy. That little monster was certainly more than that. It took years, if not decades, to develop someone's Quirk to such an extent.

"I told ya!" Kirishima exclaimed. "Don't get too full of yourself, Fenton-san!"

"I'm the epitome of humility," Danny laughed, descending low enough to face Iida while still remaining in the air. "That was an awesome result, Iida-san," he grinned toothily. "I think you still gonna have that second place."

"Thank you, Fenton-san! There is no doubting that your result exceeds mine by a long shot!"

"I still flew, and not ran. You still probably run faster. In case my flight shuts off, you are the go-to," Danny outstretched his arm and shook hands with Iida.

In his hubris the halfa did not notice the look Bakugo was giving him. And it was the gaze of utter hate.

The reason behind the seemingly groundless hate was surprisingly easy. He had scored whole 77 villain points. Had it not been for Fenton — that annoying extra — he would have been on top. He was far smarter than that dumbass, the written test clearly showed it, made them nigh equal in terms of overall points, but the foreigner that had appeared out of nowhere still overtook him.

Fenton got all the attention because of his flashy Quirk. He was sitting atop of a high mountain, thinking he was hot shit. While he was nothing but an extra. Bakugo would show him and everyone that he was going to be on top, not that white-haired moron. The laughing half-ghost, surrounded by the fellow students and currently wrapping one of his hands around Iida as if they were long-time buddies, meanwhile remained blissfully unaware about the one-sided competition.

Bakugo's trial came with an addition, in the form of another person the blonde despised. He didn't know how Deku, the worthless, Quirkless nobody made it into the school, let alone to top ten. It made Bakugo doubt that the rest of the students had even a fraction of his strength. Izuku would be the first one he crushed.

While not knowing the reason behind Bakugo's hostility, Danny was still intrigued by the next pair. A bit bummed that Aizawa told him to remain human while not performing, he took his mind off of it and concentrated on the two students. It was an encounter behind the second strongest and the one who took down a zero-pointer. Admittedly, Phantom was more interested in what Midoriya would show. He appeared like a kindred spirit of sorts.

What happened next was certainly flashy.

"Explosions, huh?" Danny mumbled amidst surprised reactions of other students.

Indeed, Bakugo's palms were the source of loud, yet small, booms and cracks. It was oddly fitting for a guy as hot-blooded as him. Danny could already conclude so from the brief, indirect confrontations they had. The fiery gusts propelled him forward almost as quickly as Iida. However, he was still visibly slower than the previous examinees. When he reached another end, the robot neutrally announced the result.

"3.97 seconds."

That was an impressive result on its own, however Bakugo only gritted his teeth and cursed quietly. He had given it a lot of effort, yet he still was the third. If he wasn't going to overtake Fenton on this one, the rest of the extras sure as hell would not. And certainly not the green-haired nobody that lagged behind so much. As Bakugo expected, Midoriya's result was by far the worst one, as it took the boy over seven seconds to cross that distance. No Quirk was used during that exercise, which baffled the audience, but left Bakugo gloating on the inside. Of course Deku would not use a Quirk, because he had none.

"Why didn't he do anything?" Danny quietly asked nobody in particular.

"Ochaco-chan told me," Mina was quick to rid her friend from the shackles of obliviousness. "Midoriya-san got hurt a lot when he used his Quirk."

"I see..." the halfa mumbled. "So he can't fully control it. But if he saves up till the last second, he will be outmatched. Decisions, decisions."

"He should concentrate on tests where his Quirk shines the most!" Iida concluded.

"If the drawback is as severe, yes," Danny shrugged. "That's what he probably has in mind. Question is, is it really worth it?"

Little by little, all examinees were showing their prowess in the dash. Phantom and the rest of the students each observed closely what others could do. The halfa was impressed by the score Mina showed by gliding on the acid she produced. Kirishima, too, showed a good result, but it was due to his own physical capabilities rather than his Quirk. His Hardening was hardly feasible in given situation.

There were others, of course. Danny was genuinely curious to learn more about his classmates. By the end of the first trial the teen remained mostly quite impressed. Their abilities mostly went beyond what Danny would usually imagine. For instance, there was a hulking giant of a man with many protruding limbs, or a girl that could leap like a frog and even had a couple of features resembling said amphibia. Another contestant caught Phantom's attention due to the fact that he slid across the ice ground. Ice control was something both of them shared, and unlike super-strength, it was much higher in the priority list for the halfa.

The guy didn't talk much, however.

The next test was that of endurance. People had to be creative in order to run two kilometres without fainting, and that was the whole point. Danny himself could utilise his ghost form once again, but since the goal here was to cross the line in a more generous amount of given time, he wasn't in any hurry. Besides, Aizawa came up and insisted that Phantom used his legs. That rule applied to everyone. After all, if Danny just flew the distance, he wouldn't make any proper effort. The teen wasn't that inventive. His ghost form could handle that level of physical strain.

It did not produce the acids that burned one's muscles, it did not require him to breath. The only thing that mattered was the energy output. And he still had more than enough. Thus, the halfa planned on simply running the distance. His suit was not meant for that, though. He would be boiling in it by the end.

That was probably the biggest challenge during his run.

Somewhere after the first kilometre the heat started getting to him. The ghost body also did not produce any sweat, so he was already extremely uncomfortable, convinced that he truly needed a proper suit. Somewhere in the distance, watching the screens, Aizawa could not resist a smirk. If Fenton chose to throw aside the provided uniform, then he would reap what he had sown.

If it was a walk, Danny would have been taken in by the lush forests around. However, the beauty of the school grounds went over his heating head. Danny still ran fast enough, and once he made another turn on the road, he came across the same boy with half-red, half-white hair that controlled ice. The guy had overtaken everyone at the start, sliding across the ice trail he made, and Danny seemed to have caught up with him. The boy ran as normal now for some reason, so the halfa reached him quickly and grinned, with neither of them stopping.

"Hey there!" He greeted again. "You are Todoroki, right?"

The boy did not respond, and Danny finally noticed something. The white-haired part of the teen's face was covered in thin frost.

It reminded the halfa of when his core was awakening, back then it made his teeth chatter in the middle of the hot autumn.

"Sheesh, you alright there, pal?" Phantom asked. "This doesn't look healthy."

It still was intriguing to the halfa. It appeared that the overuse of his power made Todoroki turn into an icicle. With Danny it was the opposite. If his power saw no release, then he would freeze over himself as his core spontaneously combusted with cold.

"I'm fine," Todoroki said bluntly and increased his pace.

Yeah, the guy was totally not the social one. He still gave Danny an idea. Phantom never tried sliding the way the other teen had been, but he had ice. Danny's eyes became cold blue, and under the teen's shoes the ground was being covered in a thin layer of snow. His core let out the cold it had kept inside, bringing out the cold breeze.

"Ah," the halfa sighed, "Much better."

Danny was not the first person to make it to the end. Iida was among those who overtook him, confirming what the halfa had said. When it came to running, the stickler was the guy who was ahead of everyone. And among those who came before the half ghost was Bakugo, of which he was informed very subtly and politely.

"Ha! Not such hot shit anymore, eh?!" The blonde shouted almost into the halfa's face.

"Excuse me?" Danny blinked.

"Know your place, you extra!" Bakugo said and did not elaborate further.

Danny still had no idea what the guy meant by that moniker. Phantom also didn't like that attitude. It brought back the memories of the bullying Danny had to endure in the past. Bakugo was just the type to bully someone, and his attitude towards Midoriya was a clear indication of that. And if the blonde was going to persist, the halfa's patience was going to dry up. Danny already had a faint idea about what Bakugo was trying to accomplish, but seriously. It wasn't even a race.

The next test — a long standing jump, ended in a stalemate between the two. Both Bakugo and Fenton could make themselves airborne, so they easily reached the end of the sandbox — the maximum possible limit. Danny could see how frustrated the blonde was, and with all the restraint of Buddha the halfa held back on his sarcasm at the time. The test was done largely the same for everyone. It was all about staying in the air for as long as possible. And it also often repeated the techniques used during the dash.

What Phantom was concerned about was that Midoriya was still yet to use his Quirk. Danny wasn't sure why he cared this much. The green haired kid was someone he could relate to, he supposed. It was only natural, especially since others had no need for his assistance, even if only vocal. Midoriya was hesitant to answer Danny's question.

"It's just... I am not sure how I will end up afterwards," the boy answered.

"I figured as much," Danny sighed. "But I suppose you are still physically stronger than that guy," he pointed at Mineta who landed face down in the sand.

Cut to the sidestep part of the test and that same purple-haired shorty who actively bounced from the rubber balls he had mustered.

"Alright, so not all the time," Danny mumbled and turned to Izuku. "Pretty cool, but this brings us to square one."

"I'll... be fine, Fenton-san," the boy smiled and raised a thumb.

Danny didn't believe a word of what was said. Except maybe his last name. It was still Fenton, as much as he loathed it.

As for the test itself, Phantom faired pretty admirably. He spent years fighting the most sleazy and agile creatures who also had the supernatural reflexes. Danny had learned to be pretty agile, although he really couldn't come up with anything to assist him in that particular test.

The next segment of the tests was going to take place indoors. The first among them was grip strength, and for that Danny actually sought out Kirishima so that they could actually compete. The latter was eager to take him up on the challenge, despite probably knowing that the halfa could bring out his all. The two got some extra audience as well, and Danny was a bit uncomfortable.

In a span of half of their session he was already at the centre of attention from his peers. It felt unusual, uncomfortable even, but it also seemed like a very nice change of pace from the school he had dropped. Perhaps that was the reason behind the goofy smile the teen had and everyone could see. From his musings the white-haired teen was interrupted by Kirishima.

"Come on, don't space out, Casper!" He shouted. "Let's give it our all!"

"You first, brick head," Danny teased.

At his words Kirishima hardened his right hand and lifted a small device that measured the aforementioned strength. The next second he pulled on it with all his strength. The display on the device showed the result of 346 kg — the result that was exceptional and normally unattainable, especially for someone Kirishima's age. The average one was several times lower.

"Nice going, Kirishima-kun!" Mina cheered as Aizawa peeked over everyone's shoulders and wrote down the result on his notepad.

"Man, I wish I had muscles like these," mumbled a guy with blond, streaked with black, hair. He also put a hand on his biceps and sighed.

"I'd say the result is quite 'manly'," Danny copied his friend's speech pattern and smirked.

"Let's see how you do, Fenton-san!" Kirishima fist pumped.

Without saying another word, Danny gripped the device and pulled on it. The machine screeched, as if it was in pain, before a piece of the metal casing chipped off. And yet, it was functioning, and the display still showed the result.

"999 kilos?" Kirishima exclaimed in shock.

It was a very imprecise result, Aizawa could see it. The device simply could not show any higher numbers. The manufacturer never anticipated that someone would reach higher than that, hence the damage to the machine. So it was safe to say that the boy could hit like a truck, if him breaking robots with one finger wasn't enough. Honestly, it was like someone had purposefully created a living weapon. That boy had speed and strength that could rival All Might back in the day, and he had an entire arsenal of powers to boot.

It really felt like back during their first encounter it was Aizawa that had dodged the bullet, and not the teen that was currently proudly grinning from ear to ear. That statement did not mean that Aizawa thought any higher of him because of that alone. A monkey with a grenade was equally as dangerous to people around. And just as uncontrollable. Still, by then Aizawa had made a mental note to later assign the prodigal student something special if he took everything in stride.

When it came to a seated toe-touch, Eraserhead, who had got tired of this by that point, had to write down a new power the boy possessed. He could bend and twist his body however he wanted, including the slight extension of his limbs, and the non-existence of spine in his ghost form. Aizawa WAS annoyed. That test was meant to breed innovation, not to make Fenton pull more rabbits out of his hat. That power was also something amiss from the given list. It seemed that even the teen himself couldn't always fully recollect every tool in his disposal. It sure was something to remember and remind the halfa of.

Sit-ups? Phantom merely assisted himself with his floating ability. It truly wasn't anything special.

What was special, however, was the beginning and the end of their test — the pitch for a ball throw. Maybe Aizawa wanted to be symbolic. Nonetheless, the one to step out first without any consultation was Bakugo, unsurprisingly. Eraserhead had no objections, and the smirking blonde made sure to pass the half-ghost on his way and even shove him.

"Watch and learn, you extras!" He shouted.

"Jeez, this guy is mean," Mina mumbled. "What did you do to make him so angry, Fenton-kun?"

"I wounded the poor lad's pride," Danny said dramatically and wiped a nonexistent tear. "And they call me vengeful."

Bakugo heard all of that. That condescending tone drove the blonde mad, but he held back for just a moment. He had his own trial to complete first. Readying his hand for a throw he shouted loudly into nothing:

"DIE!"

With a lot of noise, cracking, whooshing, and all other sound effects accompanying a loud concentrated explosion the ball was launched forward. The smoke, the flames followed it like a long tail, as the projectile flew forward.

"705.2," Aizawa announced with disinterest.

A large, malicious smile crossed Bakugo's features.

"Ha! I beat you again, you upstart runt!" He pointed towards Danny.

Mina could see her friend's left eye tick. Who was he calling a runt?

Danny was getting really tired from that one-sided competition. The blonde was just asking for a proper reaction.

"Join the rest of the students, Bakugo," Aizawa ordered firmly. "You people are already taking too much time," he grumbled and took out some eye drops. After easing the dryness, he called out for more contestants.

Apparently, Aizawa was not letting Danny re-throw, despite the fact that his throw was but an example of what's to come. The distance of Phantom's throw was still more than adequate, and Eraserhead wasn't going to dedicate time to whatever rivalry the two kids had instigated during the lesson. Besides, Danny himself wasn't the one that asked for the second throw. Rather, it was his friends that did.

"Come on, Kirishima-san," Danny put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "It's nothing. Just concentrate on your own result."

Eraserhead was pleased with the maturity Phantom displayed, which led the teacher to correctly assume that that rivalry was one-sided so far.

He wasn't changing his decision, however.

As the students tried their best with their Quirks, there were some interesting things to see. One raven-haired girl actually pulled out a smaller pitching machine from her bare midriff, stunning some and activating some neurons in the minds of several boys. Mina glanced back and noticed a peculiar scene.

"What limit could there possibly be?" Danny mumbled.

"She probably needs some matter to turn into objects," Midoriya continued and wrote down their common observations.

The girl grinned. Those two really were very much alike. Nerds, as Bakugo so elaborately worded, growling quietly. The blonde was still feeling triumphant, and everyone could see it. The results Danny and Bakugo had shown were still unsurpassed until a certain point. When Ochaco stepped into the metaphorical stage light.

"What say you, Midoriya?" Asked Danny. Getting no response, he glanced to the side and saw the boy blushing. "Midoriya-san?"

"Uh? What?" The boy rapidly shook his head. "If she makes the ball avoid gravity, it might be easier for her to throw it, right?"

"That's not how it works," Danny pointed at the pitch.

As Midoriya looked at Uraraka, he and the rest of the students were surprised when the ball, instead of going forward, chose to go up.

"The ball is in zero gravity, but we are not in space," the teen explained as they watched the ball go higher and higher. "The air resistance is a thing. The ball is also weightless, which doesn't help either."

"How were you a D student, Danny-kun?" Asked Mina.

Danny only shrugged, before hearing a beep from the machine that determined the distance of the throw. When he saw it, his expression became that of surprise.

"INFINITY?!" several people in class shouted in shock.

"Aizawa seems to really like bullshit surprises," Danny muttered. "What kind of distance counting is that?"

"She did throw the ball. It just went up!" Mina gave a thumbs up.

"His name sounds familiar somehow," Midoriya muttered. "Do you know him?"

"Yeah, we met before. I later did my homework. Nevermind that," Danny's face became more serious. "You go next, pal. You are the last one."

Midoriya gulped and took a sigh. "Alright. Here I go."

"This is the last test. You either use your strength now or never," Phantom stated.

And as the green-haired aspiring hero went towards the pitch, Mina approached her half-ghost friend.

"You seem pretty invested in this guy."

"I don't want anyone to be ousted on their first day, even if it is inevitable. I'm not intrusive, am I?"

"Nope," Mina popped her tongue. "It's really sweet you are trying to help everyone. We can all learn from each other! Just don't let it get into your head, spook. You aren't always on top."

Danny chuckled and got up from his seat. "The tests did make this clear. Alrighty then. Let's see if I make a good advisor, at least."

The half ghost and everyone else could see Midoriya readying for the throw. The green-haired boy's body was covered in what could only be described as crimson-pinkish ruptures of energy. Midoriya took a sigh and with all the strength he could muster he launched the ball.

Before it landed less than fifty meters away.

The stunned silence of disbelief was only interrupted by guffaws from Bakugo. Everyone was trying to make head or tail of what just happened. And Izuku was probably the one who was shocked the most. His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly agape. He had prepared to throw the ball, everyone could see and feel the force he was about to put into that.

"But... I was trying to use it just now," Midoriya mumbled. "What...how..."

"I erased it."

Every student looked towards their teacher, and to say that he had a fearsome presence was an understatement. His loosely hanging scarf was now floating in the air, alongside his long, shaggy hair. The man's look was collected, yet obviously annoyed, with his eyes glowing red.

"How many times will I have to say how ridiculous an entrance exam is? It is a complete ruse, considering someone like you got in."

"You erased it..." Midoriya repeated, before the man's name, the man's ability combined, and something in the boy's head clicked. "You are an Erasure hero: Eraserhead!"

Danny now felt awkward for not telling anyone. But honestly, nobody properly asked.

Aizawa ignored the chattering crowd, continuing with his small enlightening lecture. "I saw how well you handle your Quirk. Which is to say, you can't control it at all. What were you hoping for after you broke every single bone in your body? That someone else would come to save others and you in addition? That someone will assist a hero in need?"

"No! I wasn't... gah!"

The hero's sturdy scarf didn't let the boy finish, as it was tightly wrapped around the teen. Danny didn't know how Aizawa made it work like a bunch of tentacles. Telekinesis wasn't the man's power. There must have been some advanced tech in play.

"Whatever you were planning," Aizawa hissed. "It would have inconvenienced those around you. Way back, a certain hot blooded hero saved over a thousand people during a disaster. He made himself a legend. You've got the same restless streak, but you are totally useless after saving just a single person. Midoriya Izuku," he paused before announcing his verdict, "You cannot become a hero with that power of yours."

The hero's words made a lot of sense to the half ghost, too. Initially Danny had to rely on his friends a lot. His powers were still young, he had little control and broke more than one bone in the process. And it led to his friends being harmed too. Phantom was faced with the horrible reality that he could heal from anything, while Sam and Tucker were only humans. One time he went to school, completely fine, while Tucker was limping the whole week with sprained leg. The night before Danny had had several broken bones, internal bleeding in multiple places.

His friends had no idea how many injuries he sustained. Had he not have the power of regeneration, his entire body would have been riddled with scars, he would have been rendered blind and crippled. But as he returned to his home in the middle of the night, haphazardly wrapping the flimsy bandages, he lay down in his bed and had everything healed by the morning. That's why ghosts never held back their punches. A lost limb was but an inconvenience.

Danny didn't want to be an inconvenience, a burden. He didn't want to force his friends into such a danger just so they could alleviate some of his pain.

However, there was also another thing, something Aizawa was terribly wrong about. Danny got less and less harmed as the time went. He grew stronger, he gained control over his power, and his fights against most of the undead foes ended quickly. Aizawa had already crossed Midoriya out without even seeing if there was an actual room for growth and was ready to shunt any attempt at getting better with his power. And Midoriya most certainly held the necessary spirit. And thus, despite agreeing with the initial message, Danny couldn't possibly agree with the man's verdict.

The halfa also knew that if he spoke up now, it would only make the situation worse.

"This is too harsh," Mina mumbled. "Will Midoriya-san be alright?"

"We can only hope," Danny commented, while giving Eraserhead a brief glare.

Something told him that if he had resisted the arrest, that man would have chased him to the end of the Earth.

Looking back at Midoriya, Danny could see the sudden flash of determination in his eyes. Yes, the halfa thought with confidence. He got it. Danny gave the fellow nerd a thumbs up, while other students who had had a chance to interact with the unfortunate teen were much more vocal with their support. Yes, Danny still wasn't confident enough for such open display of emotions in front of everyone.

"What are you shouting about?" Bakugo barked. "This Quirkless nobody can't do jack shit!"

But Danny was confident enough for that.

"Have your powers flash banged you by any chance?" He asked the blonde. "We all saw that energy in Midoriya. You're just being in denial."

"It's you who can't accept the simplest thing, dumbass! There is no way that no-good wannabe can produce anything but a wet fart!"

"Alright. Ew."

Their brief argument was soon concluded when Midoriya finally made a throw. And what a launch it was. With a loud noise of the air being teared through, the ball flew forward. This earned several surprised gasps from the audience, and a triumphant smirk on Danny's face, with which he rewarded the blonde bully. The distance-measuring machine soon announced the result.

705.3

That was higher than what both what Fenton and Bakugo had done. Danny was surprised himself, for it appeared that even at that stage Midoriya was as strong as his human form. What's there to say about the boy's strength when he actually improved. But that was bound to come with a drawback, wasn't it?

"Aizawa-sensei," the joyous, panting Midoriya looked at the teacher and smiled. Everyone could see how one of his fingers was purple and swollen, like he had slammed it hard in a door. "I can still move!"

Even the ever-apathetic hero teacher could not resist the emotion that appeared on his face. Aizawa gave a small smirk, "This kid..." he mumbled inaudibly.

"Way to go, Midoriya-san!" Kirishima shouted louder than anyone. "That was so manly!"

"He has most certainly improved since the entrance exam!" Iida said, having witnessed the teen's performance back then.

Danny recalled Mina's words just before Midoriya had gone to the stage. Yes, he wasn't going to be on top in every aspect, whether by mistake, coincidence, or his own weaker self. He certainly would not ask Aizawa to let him make another throw. Better not break that euphoric idill Izuku was going through. But there was always one person that wanted to ruin the moment.

"What the hell, Deku?!" Bakugo roared across the entire pitch. As he started narrowing the distance towards the terrified teen, he demanded loudly:

"Explain yourself!"

Danny decided that that was enough. The eyes of his currently human form glowed green as he lightly raised his palm. The rapid step of Bakugo was interrupted by him bumping full-force into a wall of energy.

"Can you not be an obnoxious prick for a fraction of a second?!" Danny finally blew up. That guy was just asking to get punched.

Before furious Bakugo could retaliate, Aizawa interfered. His scarf lunged at the rampant blonde and held him tight in place. Bakugo snarled and tried to get out, but to little avail.

"What the hell... is this?!" Bakugo said through his clenched teeth, still unable to move.

"It is a 'capture weapon' — carbon fibre and a special alloy wire," Aizawa tiredly explained. "Geez, you are giving me a dry eye."

And then his look turned towards Danny. "Fenton. Do NOT jump in before your teachers."

"But I just..."

Aizawa's look gave no room for debates. "You are unused to this, but we have discipline in place, Fenton. You are not at home where you were free to do whatever you liked. Here, you listen to the rules. Got it?"

It was clear to Danny what the man was insinuating. He had read Phantom's file, alright. Danny begrudgingly nodded and looked away.

"Fine."

When Bakugo finally calmed down, Aizawa let him go, before pouring a couple of eye drops. "I'll announce the results shortly. Take your last breaths until then," the teacher smirked.

-Linebreak-

Danny couldn't say that he watched everyone closely during the tests. Sure he might have had some names memorised, and could certainly recollect what each student was able to do, but for the most part their results were a mystery to the half ghost. So, the intrigue was largely there. But that feeling when you know you did splendidly and yet had a chance to fail was there. Obviously Danny wasn't the worst case, so he wasn't that worried. What he was worried about was Midoriya. Yes, his last test was superb, and yet the rest did not go that well.

He really didn't want to see the green-haired teen kicked out. Izuku was determined and potentially incredibly strong. And if there was no place in that school for someone like him, then what kinda school was that?

As everyone approached their teacher, the tension in the air could almost be touched. The silence among the students was a cue for the teacher to begin.

"Okay, time for your results. Explaining the principles behind them will be a total waste of time, so here they are."

Aizawa pressed a button, before the screen in front of them started showing the names of the students in descending order.

And the first one on that list was Fenton Daniel. Upon seeing his name, followed by Todoroki and Yaoyorozu — the girl that could produce objects out of thin air, Danny laughed happily. And also gleefully. Because in the fourth place everyone could see Bakugo's name. He wasn't even in the top three, and to say that the boy was pissed was to say nothing. As the list kept going down, Danny approached the blonde and leaned forward with a smile on his face.

"Don't worry Bakugo. You will always be number 2 to me."

"What did you just say?!" Bakugo exclaimed, before the teacher's pointed look towards them extinguished the conflict.

"I see you cannot deal with this defeat," Danny said quietly as his eyes, that were transfixed on the screen, glowed once more. "I can see now why you were so angry with me at the start. I scored more than you."

"Get to the point," Bakugo growled quietly, careful not to provoke Aizawa.

"I tried to befriend as many as I could. But I suppose some things are inevitable. Two can play this game of contrived rivalry. And until you manage to actually best me, you will always be "Number two"," Danny smirked.

The last beep signalled that everyone's name was already on the screen. And Danny's eyes immediately darted towards the last spot. To his inner dread, on the bottom of the list was Midoriya.

"Fudge," Danny mumbled as Bakugo began laughing once more. "Do I have to freeze your mouth shut?"

"By the way," Aizawa spoke. "I was lying. Nobody is getting expelled."

"WHAT?!" Everyone yelled.

"That was a rational deception meant to bring out the best in you," Eraserhead explained.

So he preferred a whip to a carrot. Dully noted. Still, nobody was going to give the student their lost hair. Hair that all the stress had deprived them of.

"Well, of course it was a lie," Said Yaoyorozu. She may have sounded condescending, but she actually looked surprised that nobody else figured it out. "I'm sorry, I should have said something."

Danny gave her a smile that was completely devoid of emotion. Yes, that would have been very much appreciated.

"Don't look at me like that!" She shook her hands in embarrassment.

Aizawa coughed to get everyone's attention. "It was a test to measure your capabilities. And I would say that it was a success," the teacher pressed another button and the image with the performance chart vanished. "In any case, we are done here. When you return to the classroom you will find your curriculum. Give it a look. And Midoriya, go to Recovery Girl and have her patch you up. Tomorrow's trials aren't going to be any easier."

"Who is Recovery girl?" Danny quietly asked Mina.

"Oh, she is the nurse here. Haven't you met her during the exam?" She tilted her head.

"Didn't have the need to see a doctor. I also don't like check-ups," Phantom shivered, causing the nearest people to snicker.

"Is our strong, bad ghost afraid of doctors?" Kirishima laughed.

"Rather them being overzealous... Hey, Midoriya!" Danny called out to the still stunned green-haired boy. "Will you be alright getting to the nurse on your own?"

"It's just a finger!" Izuku responded, visibly happy about how everything turned out in the end. "Thank you. For your support, too! I mean it for everyone!"

Danny couldn't help but smile. At that moment, surrounded by his friendly and energetic classmates, many of whom were already extremely good, Phantom felt like his first day at a new school was a success.