[ U.A. MALE CHANGING ROOM]
The sound of lockers opening, zippers being pulled up, and students laughing filled the locker room like a muffled storm. Metal cases bearing the U.A. emblem had been delivered to each of us — inside, our first official hero costume. A symbol. A burden. A promise.
When I opened my case, I took a deep breath.
There it was.
My suit.
Tailored exactly according to the specifications I'd submitted in the form. But seeing it there, materialized... it felt more real than ever.
A full-body uniform, black and green. The fabric was dense, resistant, and elastic, with a snug cut that hugged every contour of my body. The legs and arms were black, with fine green lines outlining the muscles, and the chest was marked by a large "X" in vibrant green tones, converging in dark details into an oval-shaped opening on the back.
The gloves were integrated into the suit, seamless, and the feet fit into sleek, continuous boots. There was a stylized whitish-gray belt at the waist, and on my left wrist… a circular black metal plate with a silver rim — where, in the original series, the Omnitrix would be. But here, it was merely decorative. A symbol. A reminder of what lives inside me.
It was elegant. Practical. And somehow… heroic.
As I silently put the suit on, I noticed something strange.
"Hey, Tennyson…" a voice called from behind me. It was Kirishima, adjusting the collar of his own uniform. "You… been working out or something ?"
"Huh ?" I turned, confused.
"Seriously, dude. Your body looks different. More defined. Like… actual mass. Chest, arms… your back." He whistled in surprise. "You look like a pro already !"
I frowned.
I looked down at myself, the suit half-zipped to the waist. And it was true.
My muscles were more pronounced, my shoulders broader. My abs, which had been average before, were now visibly sculpted, like I'd been training hard for months. I touched my own arm — solid, like living stone.
Then it hit me.
The implant.
That alien symbol pulsing at the back of my neck. That strange system… it must be optimizing my body. Adapting. Enhancing.
Not just when I transform. But even when I'm just… me.
I swallowed hard.
"Yeah… I guess I have," I lied, zipping the suit up to my neck.
"Well, if that's all it takes, send some to me," he laughed, turning back to talk to Kaminari.
I stood still for a moment, staring at my reflection in the locker room mirror.
I wasn't the scrawny, forgotten Ben anymore.
Now I looked like a hero.
[U.A. PRESENTATION AREA – FRONT COURTYARD]
All the students gathered in the main courtyard, now fully suited up. It looked like an identity expo — some with flashy costumes, others in heavy armor, some full of gadgets, others overly stylized.
When I stepped out of the corridor, the stares came immediately.
"Whoa…" Uraraka murmured. "His suit is amazing…"
"Minimalist, but full of presence," Yaoyorozu commented. "It suits him perfectly. The silhouette of the cut is… very strategic."
"Looks like… an intergalactic hero," Sero said, clearly impressed.
Midoriya stared at me with that same look — the one where he's mentally jotting down every detail.
Even Aizawa raised an eyebrow.
"Hmph. At least someone understands how to align style with functionality."
I stayed quiet. Hands on my hips, feeling the wind brush against the freshly-fitted suit. My eyes swept over my classmates. And for the first time, I didn't feel like an outsider there.
[ U.A. – TEST BRIEFING]
The second day at U.A. started earlier than expected. We didn't even get to sit — Aizawa already had us heading to the locker rooms with that look of his that said, "If you can't handle it, leave now."
Combat test. In pairs.
In the corridor, everyone whispered, trying to guess the pairings, the strategies, the matchups. Me? Honestly, I just wanted to fight. I needed to move. I felt my blood vibrating with energy, begging for movement, for action, for more.
Then I heard it.
"You still act like you stand a chance, Deku. Don't forget where you came from. People like you belong at the bottom of the food chain."
Bakugou.
His voice dripped with disdain. Not just anger — pure venom. I turned slowly and saw Midoriya, shrinking into himself, trying not to react. Bakugou stood with his arms crossed, that crooked smirk on his face, like he'd just won something.
That's when I felt it.
The anger.
Not for Midoriya. But for what Bakugou represented.
That kind of person. The ones who kick you while you're down. Who laugh at your weakness. Who point fingers when you don't shine… and panic when you start to.
He reminded me of everyone who ever called me worthless. Every slap, every laugh, every shove. Raito. The bullies in middle school. The principal's office. My old school.
I clenched my fists.
"Say that again…" I muttered.
Bakugou turned, confused. Saw me.
"What ?"
"Say it again. Repeat it. Just so I'm sure you're dumb enough to say that in front of me."
He frowned, stepping forward.
"And who are you ? Lucky number one ? The cocky kid who thinks he's hot stuff because he beat the zero-point robot ? Think you're better than me ?"
"No," I smirked. "I know I am."
Aizawa appeared, like a grumpy ghost.
"That's enough. Tennyson, Bakugou — perfect. You're facing each other. Excellent."
"What ?" Bakugou laughed. "I'm gonna crush this clown."
Aizawa didn't even respond. He continued.
"Randomized pairs. One hero team. One villain team. Objective: stop the opposing plan or capture the simulated weapon. Tennyson, you're with Yaoyorozu. Bakugou with Kaminari. Ben and Yaoyorozu will be the heroes."
"Wait your turn — you'll go last."
[COMBAT TEST SIMULATION – TRAINING ARENA]
The simulated building was huge, with wide hallways and metal staircases. All designed like an urban rescue structure. Yaoyorozu and I entered through the south entrance. The plan was simple: she'd create equipment to track and monitor, and I'd handle the heavy stuff.
But then I stopped.
"You can stay here."
She looked at me, surprised.
"What ?"
"I'm going alone."
"You're kidding ? This is a two-person mission !"
"Trust me. I don't just want to win… I want him to remember this."
She hesitated. Then nodded, reluctantly.
I activated a transformation. The green energy surged around me like a living tide.
XLR8.
I became a blur. In seconds, I was on the third floor, scanning corridors. I heard voices — Kaminari laughing. Bakugou, impatient.
"He won't have the guts to come up here. He'll hide like Deku."
Oh, perfect.
The next transformation glowed. My limbs extended, multiple eyes emerged. My skin turned dark and chitinous.
Stinkfly.
I clung to the ceiling like a mutant spider, moving silently. I got close. Saw Kaminari with his back turned, distracted.
I jumped.
One second later, he was stuck to the floor with sticky threads, wrapped up to his neck. Eyes wide.
"Hi."
"L-LET ME GO !"
"Time-out for you."
I moved on.
Bakugou was upstairs.
I wanted him to see me.
Transformed again.
Ghostfreak.
Phased through the floor. He turned immediately, startled, when my body emerged in front of him, shrouded in smoke.
"BOO."
He tried to blast my face, but I was already on the wall, phasing through boxes, appearing behind him. I tapped his shoulder and let just part of my hand materialize.
He froze.
"What… what was that ?!"
"Fear," I whispered. "You're starting to feel it."
He blew everything up around him, retreating. I let myself be pushed back just to provoke him. Landed on my feet, laughing.
"That's it ? The great Bakugou is just a stove with an ego ?"
He roared. Jumped. Launched a volley of explosions at me.
I transformed mid-air.
Diamondhead.
The blasts bounced off me like fireworks hitting a wall. I pushed forward under direct fire, not hesitating, until I was right in front of him.
"Let me show you what strength really is."
Crystal punches. He blocked with explosive bursts, backing away, but losing rhythm. Each strike cracked the wall behind him. With each step, he shrank more.
Bakugou… was feeling it.
Fear.
Transformed again.
Four Arms.
A punch to the ground. The floor shattered. He flew. I tried to catch him mid-air, but he dodged with an explosion, slipping behind pillars.
I smiled.
"You called Midorya weak for being Quirkless."
I walked slowly.
"You humiliated him. Just like you humiliated others. Just like i was humiliated. For years."
Another step. My voice echoed through the floor.
"But now you know, Bakugou. Now you've felt it."
One last transformation.
Heatblast.
Fire lit up in my palms, my eyes like lanterns, heat melting the ceiling lights.
"You know that if I wanted… I could end this right now."
He swallowed hard.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME !"
He ran. Bakugou — ruthless, feared Bakugou — ran.
I let him.
Mission complete.
"Hero team wins. Weapon captured. Villains neutralized."
The announcement echoed.
I exhaled. The fire faded. I returned to normal.
The echoes of the explosions still vibrated through the concrete, but the real impact… was inside Bakugou's head.
[TRAINING ARENA – POST-COMBAT]
The final siren blared. The loudspeakers confirmed the victory.I walked down the stairs with steady steps. The echoes of my footsteps sounded louder than before. The air still smelled of gunpowder and smoke.
Down below, Bakugou leaned against a broken wall, panting. He said nothing. He just stared at me… as if trying to understand what the hell I was.
I didn't say anything to him. I just stopped beside him.
"You get it now," I murmured. "What it's like to feel fear without knowing why. To be unable to fight back."
I saw his jaw tighten. Saw the frustration in his eyes. The doubt. And for the first time… insecurity.
Then I turned my back and walked away.
[U.A. – TEACHERS' OBSERVATION ROOM]
The battle was shown from multiple angles. Every transformation, every move, every second of tension was recorded.
The room was silent.
"He fought alone," Cementoss said, breaking the silence. "Ignored his partner, took on two opponents, and still avoided significant collateral damage."
Aizawa stood still, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"It wasn't just a show of strength," said Midnight, her voice with a slight tremor. "He controlled the fight. Psychologically. Strategically. Emotionally."
"Terrifying," Vlad King muttered. "Not because of what he did… but because of what he didn't do."
All Might, in his skinny form, stood quietly in the corner of the room. When everyone turned to him, waiting for his take, he spoke in a deep, almost somber tone:
"He didn't fight to win. He fought to teach. And that… can make someone a hero. Or a villain."
Aizawa looked away from the screen for a moment.
"For now, he's just an angry kid. But we better keep a close eye on him."
[HALLWAY – RETURNING TO CLASS 1-A]
When I got there, the classroom was already half full. Yaoyorozu waited at the door, arms crossed.
"You should've let me fight with you."
"You would've gotten hurt."
She scoffed, but didn't argue.
Inside the room, all eyes turned toward me.
Tokoyami stared in silence, like someone who recognized a familiar shadow. Jirou and Kaminari whispered, eyes wide. Uraraka stood open-mouthed.
"He made Bakugou run…" she murmured.
Bakugou came in right after. Silence. No one mocked him. No one laughed. The sound of his shoes against the floor echoed hollow. He sat down… and stayed quiet.
Unbelievably quiet.
Midoriya approached me. Hesitant.
"Ben…"
I looked up, expecting the usual admiration in his voice.
But it wasn't.
"Thank you," he said softly. "I don't know if it was for me, but… thank you."
I looked at him for a second. Then looked away.
"It wasn't for you. It was for me."
He nodded. But there was a different light in his eyes. It wasn't admiration… it was something deeper. Recognition. Understanding.
Two former Quirkless. Two survivors.
[CLASSROOM ENTRANCE – A FEW MINUTES LATER]
Aizawa walked in. The mood instantly became tense.
He stepped up to the electronic board, typed something, and a list of notes appeared in the floating hologram.
"Combat isn't just about strength. It's about intelligence, control, and most importantly… intention."
He looked straight at me.
"Tennyson. You won. But if you pull something like that again without considering teamwork, you'll be out of the next evaluation. Understood ?"
"Understood."
"Good."
He turned to the class to explain the next steps. I glanced up at the ceiling and let out a tired sigh. Thanks to my training, I no longer collapsed from draining myself — but even so, I was exhausted. Back-to-back transformations tend to have that effect.
At least it was worth it.