The monitor room buzzed with tension as U.A.'s top instructors reviewed the final minutes of the entrance exam. The wall of screens flickered with chaotic footage from every zone — candidates dashing through broken streets, Quirks lighting up the sky, robots crashing to the ground in piles of scrap metal.
Present Mic leaned forward, squinting at one of the Ground Gamma feeds. "Yo, is did you see that Midoriya kid? He had zero combat presence the whole exam and then suddenly—WHAM! One hit and the Zero Pointer's toast?"
"Izuku Midoriya," Eraserhead muttered, pulling up the applicant's file. "Quirkless . At least… he was up until two days ago."
"Remarkable raw output," said Power Loader, adjusting his visor. "But not sustainable. That arm was shattered like glass and his legs weren't much better."
Recovery Girl sighed, tapping a finger to her cheek. "He nearly destroyed his limbs. That kind of power — its as though it didn't belong in his body."
All Might stood behind the group, arms folded tightly across his chest. His eyes were fixed on the screen showing the moment Izuku leapt, face full of desperation, slamming his fist into the Zero Pointer's head to save the girl trapped under the rubble. Ochaco Uraraka — her name now flashing on a separate screen, marked as injured but stable.
"He saved her without hesitation," murmured Midnight. "Didn't even think about the damage it'd do to himself."
"True," Cementoss nodded. "But even bravery needs a foundation. And Midoriya didn't have that.
"
Vlad King added, "We can't ignore his instincts. But something doesn't line up. We're not just scoring points — we're admitting potential heroes. We need to know what we're dealing with."
Nezu, who had been mostly quiet, turned to face the teachers. "There are questions we must ask later, yes. But the moment that matters? He risked everything to save someone else."
Eraserhead sighed, dragging his fingers through his hair. "We'll monitor him. Closely."
"Agreed," said Snipe. "But let's also look at our other standouts."
Another feed rolled, shifting focus to Kael Ishiro and Yumi Hoshino in Ground Beta. The wreckage of the captured Zero Pointer still smoked in the background.
Cosmic energy shimmered faintly around Yumi's arms, fading slowly, while Kael now stood tall, breathing calmly as the tendrils of DarkBind retracted into his shadow.
"Those two showed coordination well beyond entrance exam standards," said Vlad King. "Kael's DarkBind Quirk was surgical. No wasted movement. And Hoshino used that energy manipulation Quirk of hers to cover ground and direct attacks from all angles. She's truly her fathers daughter."
"Kael not only defeated robots, he protected others without faltering," added Power Loader. "He even rescued a team that had no way out of that collapsed overpass."
"And Yumi?" Midnight said with a smile. "Grace under fire. She was everywhere at once. Fast, confident, dangerous — but not reckless. Thats gotta be through her mothers training."
"They weren't alone, either," said Present Mic, switching another feed. "Akari Tamae in Delta — her crystal armor deflected multiple direct hits. And that kid from Epsilon, I think his name was Rento Sora — manipulated wind pressure to keep bots from closing in on others. Impressive under stress. Let's not forget Katsuki Bakugo and his overwhelming explosion Quirk."
Nezu steepled his paws. "A strong group this year. But the final placements will depend on more than just destruction points."
All Might remained silent, though his eyes now flicked between Kael and Izuku.
In the U.A. infirmary, the quiet hum of medical machines filled the room. Izuku lay unconscious, his arms bandaged heavily, his legs propped slightly with gauze-wrapped supports. Monitors beeped softly.
Kael sat near the window, fingers drumming lightly on his knee. He didn't look at Izuku — he stared out into the late afternoon sky, brow furrowed.
Yumi leaned against the foot of the bed, arms crossed, expression thoughtful. She finally broke the silence.
"He was quirkless just a few days ago."
Kael's hand paused mid-tap.
"I mean, he didn't have an ounce of strength. What happened?"
"I know," Kael said quietly.
Yumi frowned, narrowing her eyes. "So what? Did you have something to do with this …?"
Kael turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze. "No. I didn't give him anything."
She raised a brow. "Are you sure?"
"I wouldn't forget something like that," he said with a faint edge to his voice. "Especially not a quirk with that much power. Shit nearly killed him."
Yumi glanced down at Izuku's unconscious form. "Yeah, it felt like his body was rejecting it."
"It was," Kael said flatly. "He broke his entire arm and leg just from using it once."
Yumi folded her arms tighter. "So then it might not actually be his quirk?"
Kael looked back toward the window. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."
They both went quiet again. Outside, students were slowly filtering out of the test zones, now in the recovery and processing stages.
Yumi's voice dropped, laced with concern. "You think someone gave him a Quirk?"
"I don't know," Kael said. "But if they did… it wasn't someone ordinary. Even my Kinetic Forge can't produce that much strength. Non of my Quirks can."
Yumi nodded grimly. "You think someone here gave it to him?"
Kael said nothing, but his silence was answer enough.
Footsteps approached from down the hall, faint and slow. Neither teen reacted as Recovery Girl stepped into the room, clipboard in hand.
"He'll be out for a few more hours," she said kindly, glancing between them. "He'll recover, but..."
Kael stood slowly. "Thank you, we understand. And thanks for letting us in."
"No problem, dear," she said. "You two did well today by the way."
Yumi gave a polite nod before following Kael out into the corridor.
Behind the next corner, out of sight, All Might stood still — arms behind his back, gaze lingering on Izuku through the small window. He hadn't missed a word of their conversation.
…