Disclaimer: WFAF's writing improves exponentially each chapter, as it is my first fic. Give it a chapter or two of a chance to earn your interest, should you have the time!

Underneath a thick blanket and the radiant glow of neon lights, a young man began to stir. While the warm lighting that illuminated his dim room was something the messy-haired blond had long since gotten used to, it was the encroaching beams of natural sunlight that had caused him to emerge from his slumber.

As he blinked the sleep from his eyes and tossed his comforter aside, the boy nearly leaped from his bed entirely to prepare for the day as his still somewhat sleep-muddled mind recalled what this particular morning had in store for him.

'The U.A. entrance exams! I've gotta get ready!'

His eyes immediately glanced over at toward the soft glow of his clock to note that he woke up a few minutes after his alarm had already sounded. "Oh no…" He muttered, and he hopped along the floor to try and dive into his uniform's pant legs before he bolted into the bathroom – a wispy blue trail left in his wake.

Within mere minutes of waking up and dashing into his bathroom to wash up, the amber-eyed boy was as alert as ever and he was racing down the steps, throwing on the ringed necklace he wore with everything and grabbing ahold of his backpack when the husky voice of his proverbial warden sounded from within the kitchen.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, no small amount of amusement lacing her tone.

Letting his other arm fall from its position half-inside his backpack's other strap, the young man scratched the back of his head. "Well yeah, Mom. I slept in and I don't want to be late to the entrance exams. I can't exactly become a hero if I don't even manage to show up in time, so…" He trailed off, creeping ever closer towards the door.

"Mhm. Well, that doesn't excuse skipping breakfast – you're going to need all your strength for the practical exam, right?" she asked, wheeling herself into view with a tinfoil-covered plate in her lap as she spoke. Crippled though she was, she could still cook.

"Wait… you made breakfast for me?" When he saw the time earlier that morning, he figured that he didn't even have time to grab a granola bar, but with a complete breakfast just waiting for him… maybe he could make the time to eat something. "Thank you, Mom."

He dropped his backpack by the couch and bent over slightly to take the proffered meal and give his mother a hug before he promptly made his way to the table.

"Jomei Nishimura, if there's one thing I learned being a police officer, it's that everyone's better off having something to eat before they go out fighting. So, it's the least I can do to make my son a meal before he tries to get into U.A. of all places." She smiled, her hazel eyes lighting up the room as she wheeled herself over to join her son. Unfortunately for her, Jomei had already scarfed down the plate and was headed over to the sink to wash the dishes he'd neglected to clean the other night.

"You know, you could at least let me be in the same room as you for five minutes before you run off to become a hero." She shook her head, a fond smile tugging at her lips as she was reminded just how like his father he was, what with his ability to make up for lost time so effectively.

'At least he isn't up all night making music…' She thought to herself.

"Sorry!" Jomei hurriedly apologized, looking at the clock before he dried his hands and ran back over to his backpack. "It was delicious though – and I'll do the rest of the dishes when I get home!" He promised, bending over to give his wheelchair-bound mother another hug before he made his way towards the door.

As he stopped at the door, sensing his mother wasn't quite done with him, he turned around to find her with that same knowing smile she always wore when it came to his dream of becoming a hero. "Don't worry about the dishes – you just focus on that exam. Good luck," she encouraged, earning an appreciative smile from her son as he left with a spring in his step.

Crossing the threshold into one of the greater residential centers of Musutafu City, Jomei wasted no time in beginning his trip towards U.A. While the academy wasn't too far away from home on foot, today was the day every junior high student came out of the woodwork to see if they had what it took to become a hero. Thus, the streets on this cool morning were both crowded with as many cars as people, and even those going about their ordinary business seemed to be out in greater droves than ever. U.A. was connected to dozens of suppliers and support businesses, so it only made sense for there to be that much more mobilizing of resources in preparation for the upcoming school year. After all, in the world Musutafu City was built in, there was no telling of when supply for just about anything could go through the roof.

'Maybe I should just go into Light Speed to get there faster? I'm running the risk of being last to arrive as it is.' He considered, summoning a warm ball of gaseous blues and purples in his hand as he did so. Jomei was just about convinced that it'd be better for him to use his Quirk than arrive almost dead last to orientation; however, he noticed a wolf-looking man being chastised on the other side of the road by some police officers for using his Quirk in public.

While he wasn't aware of what the man had done, Jomei paused and considered the gaseous ball in his hand he'd reflexively brought forth. 'Yeah, probably not a good idea to get myself stopped by Mom's friends while I'm on my way to try and become a hero.' He thought to himself, and he crushed the ball before quickly entering a brisk jog instead of using his Quirk's speedier application to hasten his journey.

Despite Quirks having been around for generations, with eighty percent of the human population possessing some superhuman trait unique to them, it was still a law in Japan that one simply wasn't allowed to use their Quirk in public. Though now the law was often interpreted with as much seriousness as one not being allowed to ride their bike on the sidewalk, in the early years of the Quirk phenomenon, society was reeling to cope with the appearance of such widely varied abilities, and thus, created the blanket statement against the use of Quirks in public. The law was designed in part to maintain the peace, but the greater purpose of its catch-all nature was to avoid the need for endless addendums and exceptions to the rule. The law had worked wonders for decades, despite the restrictions it placed upon people outside of their homes, for one simple reason – heroes were keeping the peace.

Heroes were one of the only groups of people in Japan that were licensed to use their Quirks in public, and it was for good reason. Whether it be for stopping villains or conducting rescue operations, heroes were the pillars of modern Japan's system of law and order, as well as its chief enforcers. In the face of such new and powerful criminals, heroes were a necessity, and with their help Japan had become one of the most peaceful countries in the modern world – boasting a six percent crime rate compared to the rest of the world's average of twenty. Whether this was because of U.A. High School producing the best heroes the world had ever seen or because the government mandating of Quirk use to stop crime was more effective than the rest of the world's vigilantism, no one knew for certain, but Jomei was determined to become just like the heroes that could be seen every day on TV.

As the aspiring hero was caught at a busy intersection alongside a dozen other pedestrians, Jomei finally paused to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. 'I wonder if Akiko will be there.'

Akiko Takara was one of Jomei's best friends since before either of them had ever even considered becoming heroes, as well as one of the kindest people he had ever known. Though their relationship was more built by Jomei's outgoing nature than Akiko taking the initiative to keep in touch with him at first due to her somewhat quiet nature, the pair had become thick as thieves over the years as they realized their shared goal of becoming heroes. As such, Jomei was privy to the knowledge that Akiko was just as eager to attend U.A. as he was. The only problem was, U.A. happened to be the most prestigious hero academy in the world, and thousands applied there every year. Jomei considered himself lucky to have had his application for the opportunity to try and get into the school accepted, but with how stringent U.A. was when it came to acceptance rates, mixed with how busy Akiko had been studying the past few weeks, he wasn't even aware of if his best friend had been given the same chance he'd been blessed with.

'I suppose I'll find out soon enough, huh?' As the light turned green, he resumed his jog, now just as eager to see if his hopes concerning Akiko were true as he was to try and pass the entrance exams in the first place.

After a few minutes and some near-misses with fellow pedestrians, U.A.'s four interlocked towers came into view alongside its near-impenetrable security gate. While the building before him was the main schooling and workshop area of the academy, and U.A.'s campus extended for kilometers beyond the bounds of the city, Jomei was still awestruck at the sight of the place. He hadn't even yet been properly accepted into the prestigious academy's ranks, and he was already pumped to see what was in store for him next within the building's storied walls.

Finishing his gawking, Jomei shook his head and whipped out his guest ID provided by U.A. when his application for the entrance exam was accepted. Crossing the threshold of the academy's impenetrable security gate, Jomei readjusted his backpack full of spare clothes all applicants were told to bring, caught his breath, and resumed his journey into U.A. As he drew ever closer and the historic building grew ever grander in its sense of size and importance, the student's heart soared at the hope he'd be one of the lucky few that would find themselves returning here in the future.

Unfortunately, the almost storybook scene before him was ruined as a rather plain-looking green-haired boy looked like he was about to faceplant into the pavement right as Jomei passed him by. 'Well, there he goes,' he thought to himself, not sparing a second glance the boy's way. 'Wait, there he goes!' Jomei caught himself, spinning on his heel and preparing to bolt back in the boy's direction to stop him from getting hurt when he realized his concern was for nothing.

The boy was suspended in the air, flailing around as a kind young girl apologized for using her Quirk on him without his permission. Whatever the girl's Quirk was, it'd just saved the now-flustered boy's face from an untimely meeting with the pavement before Jomei's distracted mind could register he was even in trouble.

"So much for quick reflexes, Jomei…" He muttered to himself before he turned back around – it was nearly time for orientation to begin.

Jomei made his way through the hallways in record time, all the while careful not to bump into anyone as he reached the orientation hall. Despite being in such a hurry and so few others being around him on the way to get there, he couldn't help but notice the diverse range of people that filled U.A.'s halls even now. Many were endowed with physical anomalies as a result of their Quirks, ranging from multiple appendages, to pink skin and yellow horns, to an entirely avian head attached to an otherwise perfectly normal-looking body.

What's more, some looked like they'd been training their whole lives for this exam, others carried themselves with attitude, and still others padded around the hallways with barely withheld nerves that Jomei couldn't help but relate to. While he was more than prepared for the practical and written exams, and excited to take them, there was still the ever-present possibility of failure that hovered over him like a cloud. U.A. wasn't known for its low acceptance rate for nothing, after all.

Taking in a steadying breath to calm himself, he opened the door and made his way to his designated seat in the orientation hall, and soon found himself looking around the crowd in search of Akiko. Though he did catch a glimpse of the same green-haired boy shuffling into his seat that he passed by earlier, there was no sign in the crowd of the familiar silhouette of Akiko he'd grown accustomed to. Or at least, nowhere that he could see, since the orientation hall held hundreds of students of varying sizes and shapes.

'Maybe she got sent to another hall – there's still hope yet.' Before long, the soft murmur of conversation that had fluttered about the large room began to slow to a stop, and Jomei knew that the instructor, one of U.A.'s very own teachers, had arrived. "I wonder who it could be…" He mused quietly, craning his neck around a six-armed fellow applicant to see. His jaw almost fell to the floor the moment he saw who it was.

In all his larger-than-life, radio talk show host glory, the Pro Hero Present Mic stood at the podium, idly stretching as he prepared for the clock to hit their designated time for orientation. 'Dad's gonna go nuts if he finds out Present Mic is teaching here…' Jomei thought to himself.

While not a Pro Hero himself, his father – a traveling DJ acting under the name 'Synth' – always held a sort of half-hearted rivalry with Present Mic. Though the now-Pro Hero had always been an acquaintance of his father before deciding to enroll at U.A., around the same time his father decided to become a DJ, the pair had wordlessly taken their different choices in career as a sort of challenge to see who could become more famous. The sweet irony of it was, despite both giving it their all, they were equally famous as one another in their respective fields, and so their 'rivalry' often boiled down to who could desperately try to one-up the other by grabbing the public's attention. Unfortunately for them, the media didn't pay too much mind to middle-of-the-pack individuals when there were top-tier people like All Might and Synesthesia Auditiva in their fields to fawn over.

It wouldn't be the end of the world if his father found out, sure, but Jomei decided then and there to try and keep the knowledge to himself, and his mother, if she asked. When it came to the pair's rivalry, his mother wanted as desperately as her son to keep the two men's childish rivalry as far away from them as possible, lest either party do or say something that'd result in another round of petty squabbling.

Just as soon as Present Mic had finished applying an inhumane amount of gel to keep his long, spiky blond hair upright, Jomei was struck from his thoughts, the instructor's high-tension voice filling the room. Even without the use of his microphone nor his Quirk, the Pro Hero's voice was more than enough to grab everyone's attention.

"What's up U.A. candidates, thanks for tuning in to me, your school DJ! Come on, and lemme hear ya!" He cheered, turning and holding a hand to his ear only to be met with dead silence. His smile never wavered for a second. 'Was he always like this?'

"Keeping it mellow huh? That's fine, then lemme skip to the main event. Let's talk about how this practical exam is gonna go down. Are you ready!?" He raved, the massive screen behind him lighting up to begin relaying all the details everyone in the room needed to know.

Adjusting his stylish glasses, Present Mic continued. If nothing else, he was able to read a crowd enough to tell when they weren't about to give in to his enthusiastic persona. "Now listen close, because there's not gonna be a repeat of this track, ya dig?" He began, the presentation shifting behind him, to display an almost video game-like example of the test ahead of them.

As Present Mic relayed the presence of seven battle zones, all including three kinds of mechanical 'faux villains' of varying numbers of points depending on their difficulty to take down, Jomei couldn't help but wonder if he was doomed not to hear or see Akiko again for some time. 'Seven chances for us to not end up in the same zone – and that's if she was even invited here…'

Quickly, Jomei shook his head and decided to refocus on the task at hand, jotting down some quick notes on the one through three-point difficulty system of the faux villains. Even the single-point targets seemed to be no slouch in terms of sheer size, leading him to assume that a hit-and-run strategy would likely be for the best. Not that he was worried. If there was any strategy he preferred when it came to his fighting style, it was hit-and-run ranged attacks. A small smile crept onto Jomei's lips. 'I can do this! Just some buckets of bolts I don't have to worry about hurting.'

His confidence only grew as he noted some of his peers' reactions to Present Mic's instruction. Some were just as confident in their skills as him, the spirit of competition beginning to flutter around the room between them, but just as many others were tense with anticipation. At the end of the day, nerves were just as much of an opponent every aspiring hero had to overcome as the faux villains they'd yet to face.

"Just be sure to avoid attacking other test-takers, ya hear? That's a U.A. no-no and will result in your immediate disqualification – so play it heroic-like out there!" Present Mic advised, sounding like he was about to begin closing out his lecture when a student around the middle of the auditorium stood.

"Excuse me sir, but I have a question." He said formally.

"Hit me with what you've got!"

A spotlight illuminated the blue-haired applicant, and though his movements were a bit choppy, his posture was nothing if not perfect. "On the print-out, you've listed four kinds of faux villains, not three." He pointed at the paper, seeming to put on his best Phoenix Wright impression as his voice adopted an accusatory tone. Looking over at his own print-out, Jomei saw that the blue-haired inquirer was indeed correct – there were four faux villains listed there, though he simply assumed that was something Present Mic simply hadn't gotten around to yet.

"With all due respect, if this is an error on official U.A. materials, it is shameful. We are exemplary students, we expect the best from Japan's most notable school. A mistake such as this simply won't do! Additionally, you with the unkempt hair!" He turned around, throwing a finger in the direction of the green-haired boy Jomei had passed earlier. 'Man, can't this guy catch a break?'

"You've been muttering this entire time. Stop that. If you can't bother to give this orientation the serious attention it deserves then leave. You're distracting the rest of us!" He proclaimed, turning back to Present Mic as the others around the now-embarrassed applicant laughed quietly.

"He wasn't distracting me…" Jomei muttered, earning a silent shrug of agreement from the six-armed student in front of him. "I'm glad not everyone's a stick in the mud here," he smiled.

"Alright, alright, examinee number seven-one-one-one! Thanks for calling it in with your request! The fourth villain type is worth zero points!" He revealed, throwing his hands enthusiastically into the air as the silhouette of the villain came into view. It certainly looked sturdy, but without any details, there was no telling how large the thing was.

"That guy's just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way. It's not that it can't be beat, it's just that… there's kind of no point. I recommend my listeners try to ignore it and focus on the ones that are toppin' the charts!"

'I can't decide if that's just a metaphor or if he's being passive-aggressive towards Dad even when he isn't around…' Jomei thought, giving the print-out another look.

"Thank you very much, please continue." The blue-haired student said, giving a courteous bow before he sat back down, and the spotlight faded.

Present Mic shrugged. "That's all I've got for today – but I'll sign off with a little present. A sample of our school motto! As General Napoleon Bonaparte once wrote down; "a hero is one that can overcome life's misfortunes." Mhm, now that's a tasty little soundbite. Now… you ready to go beyond? Let's hear a plus ultra!"

Not a single peep was heard from the crowd as everyone began gathering their things.

"It'd be treason if I did…" Jomei joked to himself, though he did earn a confused look from the silent, six-armed applicant one row down. "It's a long story." He dismissed, and when the taller man turned back to his own things, Jomei was headed towards the door.

"Good luck! Hope you practiced hitting more than just books!"

As all applicants were instructed to prior to arriving at U.A., after initial orientation, everyone found their way to the locker rooms and swiftly changed into whatever spare clothes they had on hand. With the amount of damage and havoc that was expected to occur in the practical exam, everyone had been well-advised to bring something with them that they could expect to have damaged or dirtied without much bother. Some of the more wealthy and egotistical people present wore custom-made gear that would likely serve as a cornerstone of their potential hero costumes, but most found themselves in whatever gym clothes they'd been using in junior high.

Akiko massaged her hands after she finished stretching, trying to center herself in the present and cast away her worries about the endless 'what ifs' that'd been running through her head since she arrived at U.A. Though Present Mic had done his best to keep the mood light and encourage everyone to do their best, being surrounded by so many capable others reminded her just how much competition she had to go through to even have a chance of becoming a hero. Couple the crowd with the intimidatingly tall concrete walls of Battle Center A, and it was everything she could do to remind herself how long she'd been training and studying to get where she was today.

With the final handfuls of aspiring heroes assigned to the battle zone still filtering in, it was reasonable to assume that there were still a few minutes to prepare. While most were busying themselves with idle conversation or verbal flexing, Akiko was one of the few still both mentally and physically preparing themselves for the exam to come.

'You're going to be fine, Akiko. You've been training for years for this exact moment. Just remember your training, and don't overdo it. Besides, it's not like you're the only person in this whole place who's stressed.' She thought, her gaze drifting towards a somewhat tired and thin-looking examinee with indigo hair who looked as nervous as she did. Although he hid it well beneath a stoic mask, Akiko knew from the beads of sweat that rolled down his temples that he was internally reeling as much as she was.

"Akiko? I knew you'd be accepted for the exams!"

Before she could even turn around, Akiko knew who'd called out her name. She didn't need to see who spoke to know that her best friend had been assigned to the same battle center as her. As much as U.A. had tried to avoid assigning people who knew one another to the same battle center, with the popularity of hero teams on the rise, it was now left to chance who ended up where during the practical exam. Luckily for her, this random chance worked out in her favor – this time.

"Jomei!" She exclaimed, a small smile crossing her lips as some of the tension she'd been feeling drained away at the sight of a familiar face eagerly headed her way. "Sorry I haven't stayed in touch – I wanted to make sure I was really ready for this." She apologized sheepishly when her friend finally reached her.

Jomei simply clapped her on the shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry about it! I'm just glad you got this far. You've kinda been working your butt off for this chance, so I don't blame you for focusing on preparing instead of texting."

The purple-haired girl let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. But how'd you find me? There's like… dozens of people here." She said, gesturing to the small crowd of others around them.

"Crystal core, remember? Kinda shimmers in broad daylight even more than my necklace." He responded, pointing at the crystal embedded in Akiko's chest that even now glittered from the sunlight overhead before gesturing to his necklace in turn.

"Right." Akiko suppressed the urge to slap her forehead, though she chalked up her forgetfulness to the nerves of the moment. As she folded up the cuffs of her sweatshirt and continued massaging her hand, Jomei quickly picked up on his friend's distress. Even if she wasn't visibly somewhat anxious, the way her mismatched eyes were pointed downward – more than they usually were, anyway – was enough to tell him something was wrong.

It wasn't hard for him to discern exactly what it was that had her psyched out, either. Years of knowing Akiko had informed him of her tendency to doubt herself when it came to her desire to be a hero, and he knew when to pick and choose when to discuss her anxiety. The best thing he could do right now was lighten the mood – even if he didn't get her to stop stressing right away, it would only help her to be more focused when the practical exam began.

"So, do you wanna guess who my orientation was led by?" Jomei began, idly stretching his legs and rolling his arms.

Akiko stopped massaging her hand and looked at Jomei. "Mine was led by Cementoss, and I didn't catch you there, so… wait, don't tell me it was Midnight." She cringed, all too familiar with how the Pro Hero fought with attraction as much as she did her Quirk.

"Nope. Though that would've been interesting! It was Present Mic." Jomei enunciated with a grin.

Akiko's mouth fell agape. "No way, I didn't know he taught here! Wouldn't your dad flip if he found out his arch-nemesis got a job here?" While her anxiety was far from gone, a good distraction never failed to help her forget, if only for a moment, how worried she was about the trial ahead of them.

"It's very likely. Which is why I'm going to keep this news between you, me, and my mom if she asks who conducted orientation." As he finished his stretches, the blond rose to his full height and pointed to his friend and himself in kind.

Akiko's small smile returned. "Good idea. I don't know how you and your mom put up it, with how often you've told me he goes on about Present Mic sometimes."

"Eh, you get used to it – but that isn't gonna stop us from trying to avoid it when we can."

A companionable silence settled between them for a few moments before Akiko spoke again, her smile adopting an apologetic undertone. "Thanks for finding me, by the way. I know I can get all wrapped up in my own head sometimes – sorry you had to drag me out of that."

"It's no big deal, Akiko. But, if you're still feeling bugged out over this whole exam thing, how about we try and turn it into something fun?" He proposed, hands on his hips as a wry grin found its way onto his face.

The older applicant rolled her eyes, the last remnants of her tension being forced back to the recesses of her mind as her thoughts drifted to what 'fun' often could mean for Jomei. "What do you have in mind?"

"This whole thing is like a video game with the points, right? So, I say that we see who can get more points on the exam between you and me – winner gets bragging rights." He extended a hand, and behind him, the rest of the would-be students were striking ready-for-action poses in preparation for the exam's start. An aura of wispy blues, purples, and faint glimpses of reds began to flow around Jomei. "You in?"

"Just don't do anything crazy, okay? I don't want you getting hurt." She said, shaking Jomei's hand. As she turned to face the grand steel gates of the battle center alongside him, she couldn't help but recall how often his overconfidence with his Quirk got him hurt in some way when he was testing out some new technique or stunt with it. While she was more than willing to embrace the distraction of their friendly challenge, she still cared too much about others' safety to let Jomei endanger himself for no good reason.

"Are you ready listeners? This show's about to start!" Present Mic's voice clearly boomed from atop one of the battle center's observation towers, even though he was well over a hundred meters up above them – still not even using his Quirk. "Now here are some last-minute tips for ya," he continued, and before anyone knew it, most of the crowd were readying themselves for action.

"One – don't attack your fellow applicants." Jomei entered a low runner's stance, ready to sprint the moment that the exam began. Beside him, an examinee with long arms and cylindrical elbows rolled his shoulders and seemed to focus his attention skyward.

"Two – take down those faux villains to earn some groovy points!" Akiko closed her eyes and opened them, her hair turning crimson alongside her crystal core at the same time her eyes appeared to shift into a mismatched pair of reds of their own. Beside her, Jomei's eyes began to glow brightly with the same colors that were beginning to surround him.

"And three – there are no countdowns in real battles, so go, go, go! Time to hit the music!"

Authors Note: Soooo… as you may or may not have gathered… this is likely gonna be my first attempt at a full-blown, third-person story on this site. I adore my previous projects, but as Iridescence taught me, writing about characters I endear myself to so greatly via the medium of third person is something I want to experience so much more! That having been said, I'm not exactly gonna go back and rewrite ToTI a third time – its style and its relation to its supplementary fic will remain as-is. Both because of the potential workload, and the fact I'm still not sure how to write combat competently – if you want some high-class literary combat, go investigate Dunedan and EbonySum on this site. They're my literary inspirations and some heccin' nice people! Cheers!

PS: Just a disclaimer… I'm ah… probably not going to be the most rapid uploader of content you've ever seen. With all my other, less intense projects, I had the whole thing done and just paced out my uploads from there but with this? This is going to be my first active ordeal of a fic. So, ah… probably don't expect the speediest of updates. That's what the rest of the community's talented authors are for, eh?

PPS: This fic's writing gets way better as time goes on. Looking back, I kinda exponentially get better each chapter. As of 12/18/19 though, I think I'm pretty steady with my quality now! If nothing else, this first chapter's sorta a cool milestone to mark where my real writing style began to form!