Chapter 1: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

Shota stared at the piece of paper on his desk, irritated at how difficult it was to decide the students being paired up. The finals were quickly approaching for everyone involved, and the faculty had made the difficult decision to replace the usual standardized test typically used for the first-years for something...much more suited to their newfound experiences. In a normal year, the students would be fighting against robots and forced into various scenarios made to test them on every single thing they've learned in the classroom.

Except, his class been exposed to the horrible reality many pro-heroes face regularly in their careers. Criminals and villains had attempted to kill them, who hoped to use their deaths as bait to lure All Might out into the open. Their exposure to the real world, while cruel, had allowed the teachers to challenge the first-years in his class like none before them.

Now, Shota had hit a setback after the faculty decided on the brand new format for his class's final. His dark eyes immediately stared at the piece of paper with his class roster on it. In particular, four names had been the main source of frustration for him.

'Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, Shoto Todoroki, and Momo Yaoyorozu.'

These four students had vast potential in each of them, but like any student...they had their flaws holding them back.

'Izuku Midoriya,' Shota could see the raw power being contained within the student's frame. It was almost terrifying to imagine what the boy was able to do when he fully gained control over his quirk, but the problem was his lack of control and his severe confidence issues hindering such progress. Yet, the boy had the odd ability to focus on serious situations and make rational decisions with ease. Along with his immense power, the boy's intelligence was not to be ignored as it seems to rival the others on his list.

He already thought about pairing Izuku Midoriya with another student on the list. A boy named Katsuki Bakugo, a fiery and foul-mouthed individual, and someone who gave Shota more problems than any other student in years prior. And, somehow, Shota saw the enormous potential in the boy's instincts and fine-tuned control over his quirk.

Shota was well-aware of the animosity Bakugo directed towards Izuku, and other students in the class definitely noticed the behavior between them.

Originally, he was dead-set on throwing these two students into the ring against All Might and forcing them to work together. Now, the pro-hero was still leaning towards that option until he came to the other two students on his list.

'Shoto Todoroki, the son of Endeavor,' Shota, for lack of a better term, didn't give a single shit about the boy being Endeavor's son. In his class, the man treated everyone the same way as he only allowed those with the potential to remain in his class, with no exceptions to his rule. Still, there was no denying the immense talent wielded by Shoto, and anyone could see the young boy was going to go far in his career.

The relationship between the three of them could be described using one word; tense. Izuku and Shoto had, for the most part, manage to have a healthy friendship after the destructive battle between them in the sports festival. Most people might assume there weren't any issues between them, but that thought couldn't be farther from the truth as the two boys intended on surpassing the other. While the sports festival may have cleared the air about any potential negative feelings between them, it forced them to respect each other and continue pushing themselves onward.

As for Bakugo, he was intent on grinding his classmates into dust. No one was safe from the boy's anger, especially Izuku Midoriya. The timid boy seems to receive the worst treatment from Bakugo, making Shota wonder about their history as they did come from the same school before their acceptance to U.A High. He knew the little tolerance U.A High had for bullies, making it clear individuals who can't behave like a proper hero were not going to be tolerated here.

'Jesus, these boys can't give me a break,' he rubbed his eyes, desperately fighting back the urge to crawl into his precious sleeping-bag and get some sleep. It was a Saturday night, and the test was going to start on Monday. Thankfully, the practical portion was not going to be taking place until Wednesday morning and finishing in the mid-afternoon.

His eyes landed on the final student, 'Then there's Ms. Yaoyorozu.'

Compared to the three boys, Momo lacked the raw power, combat prowess, and sheer talent being used by the others. Some might believe she was at a disadvantage against them and, truthfully, she wouldn't last long in a fight against such heavy-hitters. Yet, there was one thing she held against them and it had to do with her versatility as well as her intelligence. Those were the two factors that would allow her to stay alive in a fight against them.

Now, the problem facing Ms. Yaoyorozu was similar to Izuku Midoriya. Her defeat against Tokoyami had, for lack of a better term, destroyed the confidence once held by the class vice president. Shota saw how much she second-guessed in training scenarios, contemplating if she was making the right choice, and her hero internship only made the situation much worse. Choosing a hero like Uwabami seemed utterly stupid in Shota's eyes, forcing the pro-hero to wonder if he should finally step in and speak with the girl.

'These finals will either make or break Ms. Yaoyorozu,' Shota concluded, knowing how much the girl must be stressed for the practical portion. Students like Izuku, Bakugo, and Shoto most likely focused more on their studies than practical training as the underground hero can imagine the staff, including himself, struggling to hold back against the power wielded by these three. The only individual he imagined was going to be fine was none other than All Might.

When he glanced between the three students, Shota already crossed Bakugo's name from the list. If Bakugo unleashed his anger on Ms. Yaoyorozu, there was no telling how much damage he could do to the girl's already crumbling confidence. It meant only Shoto or Izuku were potential partners for the finals.

Shoto, while powerful, didn't seem like the type to work well with others. He knew the boy made some progress when it came to socializing with others after his fight against Izuku.

'Yet, his progress seems to be thrown to the side for combat training,' Shota had seen the boy tune out others and use his overwhelming abilities to win the fight, hardly giving his partner or team a chance to speak their mind. 'She doesn't need someone to win for her. Ms. Yaoyorozu needs someone to help snap her from whatever funk she's in. Plus, I can already imagine the lively conversations between Shoto and Bakugo during the practical portion.'

He sighed, crossing Shoto from the list. The pro-hero almost wanted to bang his head against his desk, "Why does Midoriya always seem to enter my crosshairs?" he muttered.

Personally, Shota believed the green-haired student can become a great hero. Sure, he didn't always seem to show such confidence in the boy, preferring to point out his mistakes during class. The hero hoped Izuku would learn why he was so tough on him. It was one thing to constantly praise a student's abilities, but to constantly point out their mistakes meant the teacher expected more because they were capable of much more.

Izuku went from someone who couldn't fight without breaking his limbs to moving at great speeds like he was a bolt of lightning. He went from terrified by the obstacles standing in his way to someone willing to face those barriers to break through them. Each day, the boy gained more and more control over an immensely powerful quirk. It was only a matter of time until the boy could level a building without hardly any trouble.

So it was even more possible to imagine how Shota felt about witnessing the interactions between Izuku and his classmates. The boy retained his timid nature, constantly stuttering, and almost seemed hesitant to add his thoughts on a topic or discussion. Despite his powers, it can't fix whatever had happened to the boy during his previous years before U.A High.

'My attempt to help Ms. Yaoyorozu build her confidence...is to pair her with someone who shares such similar issues,' Shota prided himself on being logical. Maybe, he placed his faith in Izuku because of his ability to somehow inspire others and help push them past whatever was facing them. It's why Shoto seemed to be able to relax around his classmates following the sports festival, and here he was placing his faith in Izuku to help Momo.

The silence in his office was pierced by a heavy sigh, "You better not fail me, kid."

Shota entered their names into the system, looking at the bracket created to pair two students against a faculty member. He saw Izuku and Momo were being paired against him, causing the teacher to shake his head, "...Cause I'm not going easy on either of you."

(X)

(Wednesday, the following week)

Izuku was relieved to know the written portion of the finals was finally over. The boy felt pressure to pass as the practical element to the finals was going to be something familiar to him and his classmates, but there was a bad feeling in the back of his head. It happened the morning before the USJ attack, the days leading up to his encounter with Stain, and right now.

'Focus!' he shouldn't be thinking about the past. 'I-I have to pass or I can't go to the training camp.'

Mr. Aizawa had informed the class on Friday about a special camp being held for those who passed the finals. From what they were told, the camp was going to push the students to their absolute limit and test them in ways no one expected. The ninth inheritor didn't need any more motivation to pass, considering the legacy he carried within him.

All Might was slowly approaching the end of his career as a hero, and only a few select individuals even knew it was coming. His impending retirement forced Izuku to look for any advantages to help accelerate his training to gain better control over the quirk passed down to him. The boy was expected to take his mentor's place as the symbol of peace and, at some point, bring an end to the man simply known as All for One.

"Deku?"

The green-haired boy didn't seem to notice his friend, Ochako Uraraka, calling out to him. At first, the girl believed he was thinking like he usually did before some big exam or training scenario. Letting her curiosity get the better, the brown-haired girl called out to him.

"Izuku," she said, deciding to use his real name. Ochako was not expecting a response, but it manages to shake him from whatever thoughts were roaming his mind.

He spoke up, "H-Huh?"

The ninth inheritor seemed surprised to hear his name, "W-Were you talking to me?" he asked, feeling panic and embarrassment flooding into his system. "I-I-I'm so s-sorry if you were talking to me, Uraraka!" he apologized.

To his relief, Uraraka smiled at him and shook her head. "Nah. I just wanted to see how you're feeling about the test. Everyone is nervous, but you seemed pretty calm right now," her response was enough to make Izuku feel guilty for misleading his closest friends like Uraraka and Iida.

"N-Not really," he immediately replied, hoping to steer the conversation away. "I-I've been, uh, pretty nervous about what we're going to face."

Currently, Ochako and Izuku were walking among their classmates to the proposed building being used for the practical portion. Many seemed excited from Izuku's perspective, talking about how they're going to be able to go all-out against robots and not worry about hurting anyone. The ninth inheritor thought it would be easier to join everyone's excitement over concerning himself with thoughts regarding his responsibility.

He was nervous about the practical portion, suspecting it wasn't going to be as easy as everyone had believed from what Itsuka Kendo had told them.

In the distance, Izuku saw the testing site the teachers were going to use to administer the finals. The boy scrunched his eyebrows in confusion as he could see numerous teachers standing just outside the front door. What was the reason for so many teachers? Some definitely didn't teach any classes they took, which made Izuku wonder what was happening.

As usual, his brain seems to already formulate a reason. 'No, they...could they? W-Well, it is U.A High. Teachers are able to...do...whatever...they want,' Izuku's curiosity morphed into internal panic.

The ninth inheritor wasn't the only one questioning their presence as he heard his classmates talking about the teachers. Some like Ashido and Kaminari seemed to be riding on cloud nine, apparently looking forward to going all-out on the test against robots. Meanwhile, other classmates like Shoto and Kacchan seem to glance at the teachers and seem to realize what was happening, he thought.

"Sure are a lot of teachers here..." Jiro pointed out.

"Five...six...eight of em?" the invisible girl started counting the teachers. Hakakure agreed with her, "You're right. But why are they here?"

As if answering her question directly, Mr. Aizawa spoke up. "For starters, it is possible to fail this exam. So don't think your seat for the training camp is the only thing on the line here."

Izuku listened as the teachers, including their principal, began explaining the revised practical exam. Originally, they would have gone against robots like Kendo suggested...if they were a normal class in any other year. The school recognized their experiences against real criminals and villains, deciding they could no longer simply use robots to test students in the hero program.

Everyone felt the hairs on the back of their necks rise upon seeing the expression on Mr. Aizawa's face, "As such, you students will be facing be pairing up and fighting against the teachers you see standing here today."

"A-Against a teacher?" Izuku heard Uraraka mutter.

Their homeroom teacher kept speaking, "Your pairings and assigned teachers have already been decided. Your battle moves, your grades, your friendships with one another...all these factors and more were considered, so without further ado...let's begin."

Izuku saw Mr. Aizawa immediately turned towards him, "First, Midoriya...is with Ms. Yaoyorozu."

At that moment, the ninth inheritor thought the world was coming to an end. How did Mr. Aizawa think pairing him and Yaoyorozu was a good idea? Honestly, Izuku had trouble believing he was going to be working with the class vice president, who happens to be a really, really pretty girl. And the worst part was he's never had a single conversation with her during the first few months of school.

Izuku wondered if his real quirk was supposed to be bad luck...

Another My Hero Academia story?

Yeah, I'll admit...I wasn't exactly planning on it either. As for where the idea came from to pair Izuku and Momo, there were two sources; a buddy of mine who kept pitching the idea to me while we were playing Wargame: Red Dragon and reading a story called Thank You (my personal all-time favorite MHA fanfic) by MizuToriFFN.

Now, I personally choose the Final Exam Arc as the starting place for a few reasons. The only one I will reveal is deciding to switch Izuku and Shoto. When you think about it, Izuku can relate to Momo a lot more than Shoto, who tends to do the lone gunslinger act, and create a friendship between two people you think would get along in the actual source material. Or, maybe that's me looking way too much into things.

Ugh. I think I'm going to stop talking and work on the next chapter.

Hopefully, I can get the next chapter out soon! Please, stay safe out during these tough times!