Pins and Needles | Todoroki Shoto | S/H

It's Just Fact

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     "Now, we will begin the practical exam,"  Aizawa says.  "Of course, it is possible to fail this exam.  If you want to go to the training camp, then don't make any stupid mistakes."  He pauses for a moment, Jiro making a comment that (Y/N) didn't hear.  "I expect that you all have gathered information ahead of time and have some idea of what you will be doing."  
     "We're fighting robot warriors like the entrance exam, right?!"  Kaminari shouts excitedly.  
     "Fireworks!  Curry!  Test of courage!"  Ashido jumps in.  She pauses when she sees (Y/N)'s confused expression.
     "I doubt we're fighting robots, they usually order a new batch before things like this."  She says.  "I don't think they have a big enough stock for something like that.  They haven't placed any orders..."  Ashido and Kaminari's faces fell.  
     "Too bad!"  A squirrely voice calls.  Principal Nezu wrestles his way out from under Aizawa's scarf.  "For various reasons, the exam will be different starting this time!"  He clambers down the stoic man's body.  "From now on, we want to focus on person-to-person combat and hero work and stress teaching that is closer to actual fighting.  So... we'll have you form teams of two to fight against one teacher!"  
     "Against... the teachers?"  Uraraka asks.  
     "In addition,"  Aizawa begins again.  "the pairs and who each pair will be up against have already been decided.  These were determined at my discretion based on various factors including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships, so here they are:"
     Shoto was against Aizawa along with Yaoyorozu.  (Y/N) was with Uraraka, who she didn't know well, against Thirteen, who she didn't want to know well.  
     "Assuming you come across the enemy, if you think you can win a fight against them, then that's fine.  However-"  Snipe starts, only to get cut off by their stoic teacher.
     "In cases where there's too big a difference in your abilities, it would be smarter to run away and get help.  Todoroki, (S/N), Iida, Midoriya, I'm sure you four understand this well."  
     Shoto glances over at her.  (Y/N) was shaking her head.  She's more heroic than most of us, he thinks to himself.  Is it because she doesn't care if she's heroic or not?  It's amazing that that's her natural instinct.  
     There was something strange about her expression, though.  He hadn't seen it in a while.  It was reminiscent of their match during the sports festival, when he'd encased her in ice but she'd still gotten up just to tie the match in the end.  He wondered if that had been on purpose.  
     The teachers were given about half of their body weight in brace- and anklets to give the students less of a disadvantage.  Shoto and Yaoyorozu went ahead and began to think of some way to beat their teacher.
     "Do you w-"  Uraraka glances around, but (Y/N) had disappeared.  

     She slides open the monitor room door, slipping inside.  Midoriya turns to look back, and when he gives her a sweet smile, she feels butterflies light up her stomach.  
     "You're watching, too, Deku-kun?"  Uraraka asks.  
     "Yeah."  He breathes.  "We don't have many chances to see other students and the teachers fight."  He explains.  She nods her head, eyes shifting to the screens before them.  Kirishima and Sato were first against Cementoss.  "Besides, even if I wanted to talk about strategies..."  She nods her head.
     "I see."  Of course, Bakugo wouldn't want to talk about anything like that.  "Well, for me..."  She sighs.  "I don't even know where (S/N) went... she just disappeared.  That's why I thought I'd try to use everyone else's fights for reference."
     "Yeah,"  Midoriya agrees.  His body nodded, but his mind was somewhere else.  
     It was strange to start off the exams with a failure.  Midoriya thought aloud that these tests were probably forcing students into their biggest weaknesses, and the test was mostly based on being able to either overcome or think around them.  
     The second match was Tokoyami and Asui.  Midoriya had never really imagined either to have a weakness exactly.  Tokoyami's quirk was strong, and really, it was that strength that would become his weakness when it overtook him.  Asui didn't really have a lot of weak areas, she was well-rounded and a bit better than average with a good head on her shoulders.  
     Recovery Girl explained that aside from extreme darkness or light, Tokoyami's next biggest weakness was being overcrowded.  It would be hard to fight off lots of villains, and it was harder the closer they got since his body was kind of useless under his cloak.  Asui just needed to be there to help him as much as she could and use the time he gave her to think ahead.  They passed just fine.  
     Uraraka and Midoriya were eager to watch Iida's.  This exam was pretty important to him.  It was a good way to show that he realized how childish he had been going after Stain.  He was matched with Ojiro against Power Loader, meaning they lost stable footing.  
     Power Loader set up invisible mines throughout the field between them and the exit.  He was hiding underground, ready to capture them.  Iida put Ojiro on his back and sprinted across the field faster than the mines could even blow.  
     Once Power Loader sprang out of the ground, Iida used only one leg and spun him and Ojiro in the air until he could fling the blond out of the exit gate.  They passed their exam with some praise from the support-course teacher.  
     Uraraka and Midoriya glance back as the door slides open.  (Y/N) wandered in, but stood away from them.  There was anger settled in her eyes, which was a strange sight since (Y/N) wasn't very expressive at all.  At least, not that Uraraka knew, because she'd never said a word to the girl.  
     Yaoyorozu's match was a brutal one, mainly because of the psychological warfare going on.  Uraraka's head felt like a blur, especially when she remembered her fight was next.  They did win by the end of it though.