It was too damn early in the morning for this. 

A yawn escaped me as I hoisted myself onto the bus. I hadn't hopped onto one of these since elementary school, but when your Heroics teacher says final exams will be off campus starting at dawn, you don't have much say.

Towards the back row was the last empty seat. Once I sat down, the bus pulled out of the parking lot and the lights inside flicked off. It was still dark outside, and the only noise came out of the rumbling engine.

I sat by myself, but for whatever reason, I was on edge. I became really aware of my breathing, and I couldn't shake the feeling away.

I looked over to the empty space, and Aizawa’s first lesson started to replay in my head. 

If you ever walk into an empty room, try and say…

“Hi, Hagakure?” I half whispered. If I was wrong I sure didn't want anyone to think I was talking to thin air. 

I tuned in to the very faint sound of the seat creaking, like someone adjacent to me had moved. A bright voice appeared out of nowhere to greet me. 

“Hey, you noticed!” A  pair of gloves waved. “People don't usually notice me in my Hero costume." 

I made a mental note to Aizawa for the advice and smiled at Hagakure. 

“Yeah, I don't think we've met. I'm Rose,” I tried to stay quiet out of respect for the exhausted students around us, but I finally met another classmate that wasn't giving me the cold shoulder, and I couldn't mask the relief in my voice. 

“No duh, everyone knows who you are,” Hagakure giggled. My face warmed as she tapped my shoulder. “Are you excited for finals?" 

“Kind of.” I wasn't sure if excitement was what had my heart pumping and my head spinning. Maybe paralyzing-fear is the better word for that. 

Hagakure assured me that I'd be fine. She went on to fill me in on all the gossip and drama about the class, but it was five in the morning, and I was dead tired from training. Safe to say I wasn't exactly keeping up with all the names she threw out. 

Soon, the sun began to rise up over the horizon. As morning sunlight slowly crept in through the bus windows, everyone began to wake up. 

I tried to keep up with all the overlapping conversations. Everyone donned their Hero costumes, showing off their personalities and Quirks without saying a word about them. 

I looked down at my sleeveless button down and cargo pants, gadgets strapped around my back and my legs. I didn't look too out of place, but my self consciousness thought otherwise. 

“I can't believe we're going to the USJ again,” Sero muffled through his helmet. “Feels like yesterday we were fighting actual villains there."

“That must have been scary—” I tried to chime in, but Mina jumped in at the same time. 

“I know right!” She turned around in her seat to face us. “Plus Iida and Deku just had their second run-in with villains. Talk about too soon!"

I got ready to say something else, but Hagakure beat me to it. “I'm sure we'll be okay! I mean, what are the odds they attack the same place twice?"

Everyone within earshot loudly scolded Hagakure and begged her not to jinx us. 

⋘══════∗ {•『 ❀ 』•} ∗══════ ⋙

Just as the sun was finally up, we were ushered inside the USJ. It had a TARDIS-style illusion, appearing normal on the outside but tremendous beyond imaginable on the inside. 

The dome ceiling created this global look. Six monitors were mounted to the wall, each labeled with one of the six terrains. As of now, the TVs just displayed the USJ logo.

“What do you think the exam is?” A boy in front of me asked through a yawn. He squinted as his jaw flexed open, holding his arms over his head of bright yellow hair. 

Kirishima stroked his chin, tapping on the metal guards around his mouth. “It's gotta be robots from the Entrance Exams. I heard Aizawa talking to the heads of the Support Department the other day."

Another blond boy eagerly said, “Man, I hope you're right! Then we wouldn't have to hold back if all we're fighting are those robots."

He curved the tail behind him, raising his arms and high-fiving Kirishima with both hands.  

“Everyone quiet.” The chatter died down as quickly as it started when our teacher's gravely and drained voice took over. 

Aizawa stepped in front of the large metal doors, drawing our attention his way. He leaned his head back and raised a clear dropper over each eye. He blinked away the excess solution, which rolled down his cheek. 

“Welcome to your finals, 1-A. You've been training harder than you ever have before. So, we did our best to come up with a good test of everything you've learned.” He scanned the colorful heads in front of him. His glance, no matter how brief, was enough to put his rowdy class at attention. 

“And we guarantee this is not anything you've prepared for!” A certain tone made me freeze. I whipped my head around until I saw him there, standing taller than most of my class and straightening a white lab coat. 

Q pranced up next to Aizawa. He flashed a goofy smile and hugged a silver thermos close to his chest.

Before he could get a word in, Mina gasped. She bounced on her toes, pink curls flapping over her forehead. “We'll be fighting the robots from the Entrance Exams, right?” 

Q’s smile dropped, but his tone still carried amusement with every word. “Dear, how can you expect to be a Hero if you only ever compete against machines?”

He took a step to the class, a smirk slowly pulling at his mouth as he explained his genius plan. “No, no, you can do better than that. This test will provoke your combat skills, strategy, and teamwork!"

Aizawa nodded. “Today you will be playing Capture the Flag." 

Mina’s arms fell limp at her side. She leaned her head sideways. “Seriously?"

“Aw, I thought we were going to fight,” the kid with a tail whined.

“Isn't that a game for kids‽” Bakugo shouted, lunging forward and pushing Todoroki out of his way.

My hand shot up. “Are we going to be in teams for this?"

What can I say? That was the most urgent thing in my mind. I could handle a race— I think. But it was the teamwork that scared me. 

Q had my back. He made eye contact with me and answered loud enough for the class to hear. “Teamwork is essential for Pros! You'll each be assigned a partner."

I frowned at Q, hoping he'd get my message. 

Q shot back an eager smile, pushing his glasses up. The circle frames gleamed in the light. 

“The goal of the game is for you and your partner to retrieve your team flag, which will be scattered in any of the six zones. Then, deliver it back to the Central Plaza.” Q pointed to the monitors above that began to show pictures of the different terrains inside the USJ. 

“Getting your flag in under 30 minutes is the only way to guarantee a pass. You will be graded on other factors, and stealing another team's flag can earn you extra points,” Aizawa droned monotonously. I wondered how he was able to stay weary with Q’s hyperactivity right next to him. 

“Sounds easy enough, right Kiri?"

Kirishima and his friend seemed on board with the new game. They shared a quick fist bump. 

“I hope we're on the same team, Kaminari!"

Aizawa cleared his throat, and the two guys quickly settled down. “There will be obstacles in your way to stall you."

“Like what?” The tail-boy asked. 

Q tented his fingers, and Aizawa glanced up at the monitors. Aizawa corrected the student as live footage took over the screens. “More like ‘who.’"

Damn.

“My students eagerly volunteered for the roles as mock villains!”

Damn!

“They designed their costumes and gadgets themselves, so their grade will depend on how well they can slow you down."

Q rubbed his hands together like a cartoon villain proclaiming his master scheme. I looked at all the TVs as they panned over each terrain where my old classmates stalked every corner in their own villain costumes. Their simple UA uniforms were replaced with bright colors and advanced tech. Some wore makeup to sell the act; others held onto sci-fi style weapons. 

They went full main character for this one. 

“Trust that they don't plan to hold back. They'll be giving it their all. No mercy,” Aizawa warned, but his class didn't seem to take him that seriously.

The boy in front of me, Kaminari is what Kirishima called him, crossed his arms with a smug grin. He whispered, “This is somehow easier than the robots."

Granted, I've never seen my class fight. And I knew they didn't have powerful Quirks, but the one thing I was sure about was why they were put into 1-H. They were smart as hell. 

Q let out a giddy laugh, proudly gazing at his class as they sneered at the cameras. “Yeah, they're maniacs.”

The TVs changed, and Aizawa continued over us, “You have one minute to figure out which flag belongs to you and your teammates. The exam will begin in sixty seconds.”

Pictures of the different flags took over the screens. The designs seemed to be a hint, so I scanned every flag, looking for one like me. 

The first had a red fist behind an explosion. Nope.

The next one was a UFO next to a lightning bolt. Maybe? No, probably not. 

One flag was a black bird and a frog under an umbrella. Definitely not. 

Finally, I noticed one that was even a little bit close to me. I saw a glimpse of what could be a silver arm and rushed to the front to get a better look at it. The others scrambled to find their partners as I studied my flag. 

Six metal arms were drawn onto the face of it. Each hand made a different symbol, a fist, a peace sign, and so on. The intricate design mirrored my bionic pretty well. Every screw and visible wire was detailed to perfection. An eyeball and ear was placed in either corner, tying everything into a beautiful, abstract portrait. 

“What the hell does that mean?"

Time was running scarce, and my head was spinning. I turned around and looked for anyone who wasn't paired up with. Todoroki found Sero, Kaminari ran up to Mina, and everyone else seemed to be deciphering their flag instantly. 

A hand was placed on my shoulder, making me jump and swiftly turn around. The tall boy behind me pulled his arm away and took a small step back. 

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you,” he confessed. His face was hidden behind sharp, slate bangs and a furtive mask. All I could see were his iris-less eyes, but his voice was gentle and polite.

“My name is Mezo Shoji. I think we're working together,” he added, pointing up at the TV. With his arm raised, two additional arms flared out underneath. They were webbed together along his side just like the six bionic arms on our flag. 

“Looks like it,” I agreed, turning back to him. We didn't have much time to strategize. Any second now the timer would go off and a loud—

BUZZ.

“Time's up!"

“Crap,” I groaned as Aizawa opened the metal doors to the USJ zones. 

Heroics students wrapped up the conversations with their teammates while Shoji and I barely broke the ice between us. A pit formed in my stomach, sinking lower and lower as the new timer started. 

The monitors quickly panned over the zones, giving us insights as to where a few of the flags are. The hands at the end of Shoji’s arms morphed into eyeballs, looking up at all the TVs at the same time. 

“I think I see ours at the Flood Zone,” he said and started moving towards the doors. I took off after him. We passed Q and Aizawa to the side. 

Q wagged his fingers at me. “Take a deep breath, Heroes.” He then glanced at Aizawa, “This gon’ get good."

⋘══════∗ {•『 ❀ 』•} ∗══════ ⋙

Inside was pure chaos. 

It was a mass display of power, everyone fighting tooth and nail to get the upper hand in brutal competitiveness. 

And I usually live for that shit, but this wasn't as fun. 

I didn't know the USJ as well as my partner, so I let him lead the way. A bright green water slide stuck out like a beacon, and we raced towards it. Between us and the Flood Zone, though, was the Downpour Zone, entirely isolated from the rest of the USJ by a glass dome and perpetually raining. 

The raindrops flicked against the walls. I couldn't see much if I tried. The only peek inside was through the entrance as we ran by. 

I brushed past Kirishima and Bakugo as they hurried inside. He barked orders at Kirishima. “Run faster! That blue-haired extra has our flag!”

Before I knew it, there was an even more grating, aggravating voice bellowing through the air. 

“MOVE THIS CAR!” Siri shouted from somewhere inside. What followed her scream was a loud crash that sent an already beat up beige minivan barreling through the doors. The car alarm wailed like the poor van was crying for help as it blasted towards us.

As I ducked for cover, my curls blew across my face. The car landed next to me, sparing my life by a few feet. A hand firmly grabbed onto my wrist and began pulling me along. 

“Are you okay?” Shoji didn't look over his shoulder, instead turning one of his hands into an eye and using that to check. 

“Yeah, thanks!” I pulled my arm back and ran by his side. The Flood Zone was in sight. If I listened closely, beneath the aggressive cacophony of noise, I could hear waterfalls. 

Shoji and I stopped as we made it up to a cement wall that sectioned off our zone. The entrance was near. However, the glass doors were closed, and the metal frames had welding seams merging them together. 

To up the suspense, two mock villains were stationed at the doors.

I didn't quite recognize them at first, but patches of Double’s orange hair poked out of his blue helmet. He wore a matching, cyberpunk jumpsuit with tennis shoes. Next to him was a student in a pink combat skirt and white gogo boots, likely Teo. 

Shoji and I crouched behind the wall. One of his extra eyes peeked around the corner. “Ashido and Kaminari just made it. Looks like they're fighting them head on."

I stood up and tried to look over the wall. I stood on my toes and caught a quick glance at the fight. Teo had somersaulted away from Mina's acid and took her up close. Chunky bronze gauntlets hugged her wrists. 

“We should split up.” I put my back against the wall as Shoji faced me. He repeated, “Splitting up will be our best bet. They're already distracted with the other Heroes on the scene. If we go around them, we can break the doors first.”

The pit in my stomach was back. “I don't know.”

Glass used in places like these was built to withstand anything. I wasn't sure either of us could break in so easily. But Shoji was more experienced than I was. I didn't want to be difficult and start an argument. 

Before I could say anything, he stopped me. “You're allowed to disagree with me. If you think there's a better way in, it's okay to say it."

Lightning crackled, brightening the area in a golden hue as Kaminari called out for Mina’s backup. Time was moving, and it wouldn't slow down to let me make a decision. 

“Let's go with your plan.”. I didn't give Shoji a chance to talk me into thinking it over. I made a run for the gates. 

Teo was closest to me, so I signaled for Shoji to take the opposite side with Double and Kaminari. Mina skated across her acid as Teo effortlessly dodged every incoming splash. She hardly looked the part of a big, bad villain in the frilly pink skirt and satin bow tied around a long, blonde ponytail. This should be easy. 

As I ran at her, Teo spun around on her heel. She raised her fist up and winked through thick, false lashes. A beam of hot energy exploded from her gauntlet and landed on my shoulder. I was thrown back before I knew what hit me. My chest ached, and my fake arm was scorching. 

“Oops! Did that hurt?” She hid her mouth behind a set of perfectly manicured nails and giggled. “Sorry, hun. Hope you understand!"

Teo pulled her arms back and the gauntlets recoiled, glowing magenta and preparing to fire. 

I wasn't ready to find out how bad two lasers hurt. Teo brought her arm back out, and I quickly grabbed onto her. The laser shot out in front of us as she struggled to pull away. 

I pivoted until she was on my back and threw all five feet of Teo over my shoulder no problem. 

“Watch yourself!” Mina cautioned, sliding up to us.

Holding onto Teo's arm, I could feel her gauntlet heating up, and I had to let go. 

“Duck!” I yelled at Mina seconds before another laser zipped in the air. 

Teo waited for me to get back up to throw a punch my way. The actual hand-to-hand action threw me off, and her fist hit me dead center in the face. 

Pain bloomed across my cheeks, so I immediately applied pressure with my palm. I faced Mina and cocked my head towards Teo. 

“Help me get those stupid gloves off."

“Happy to,” she chirped. 

Mina flicked out her wrist, letting acid spill from her hands as I ran at Teo. My boots hissed against the acid, but I kept going. 

Teo panted and held her arms up in defense. I threw a kick at her leg with my fake one, and she jumped to avoid me, landing in the acid and slipping. 

Mina threw her arms out and caught her, pinning her arms up in a T-pose. We each yanked off a gauntlet. 

I strapped one onto my arm as Mina was undoing the other. She tossed it up in the air, shouting, “Here, Rose!” 

“Thank you!” I caught it and pulled it over my bionic as fast as I could. “And I'm sorry!” 

I shoved Teo into Mine and knocked them both down. I love Mina, I do, but this was still a race. 

“Really, Rose‽” 

“Shoji, let's go!” I turned to see him holding Double upside-down by his ankles while Kaminari hung on his back. 

His fourth arm gave me a thumbs up as he dropped Double on his head. Thankfully he wore a helmet. 

Shoji and I had only a moment to get inside before Double and Teo caught up. I powered on my new gauntlets and yelled at my partner, “On my mark!” 

My arm felt hot as power surged through the left gauntlet. I reared my shoulder back and inhaled. 

“Jump!” 

The second my feet left the ground, a bright, blazing laser fired out of my arm. I punched the glass, letting my brass knuckles coat my fingers as the doors fell apart. 

A million glass shards sprinkled down. I snapped my eyes shut and soon tripped on my own foot when landing. I tumbled onto my knees with my hands on the ground. 

I was never good at dismounts. 

Finally, I could breathe. I pulled myself up onto one knee, ready to grab our flag and get the hell out of here.

But the wind was knocked out of me before I could even try. I opened my eyes to see an iron net wrapped around my arms. Weights attached to the wires pulled me down until I fell on my back. 

I cursed under my breath as I tried to find the end of the net and pull it off, but I could barely move. My heart raced and sweat beaded against my face. 

The instant I heard footsteps, I shut up. I didn't move a muscle as a low, hissing voice floated towards my ear.

“Don't forget the final boss, girlfriend.” Her steps got closer and closer until she was right there. She knelt down next to me, fangs poking out of her wicked grin. “You didn't think it would be that easy, did ya?”

AN

I'm writing like the wind lately! Thank you so so much to everyone who gave their support on the last chapter! I'm psyched to write the rest of this exam, you guys have no idea!

Here we see everyone break off into teams to battle the Support Department! If you were in Rose's shoes, who would you hope your partner is? Or would you rather be in Team Extras??

I'll stretch this exam arc into a couple more chapters before we move onto a certain summer camp *wink wink*, and I hope you all stick around for that!

Until next time!!

Character Spotlight: Mezo Shoji
(Canon)
Quirk: Dupli-Arms
Likes: Octopi

Dedicated to FoxyPuff