Heroics and Other Things

Chapter 32: If The Shoe Fits

Izuku was fairly confident that Nezu had already made his decision about whether or not the second handicap constituted cheating. Recovery Girl had called him after Satou and Kirishima's exam, and he hadn't told her to shut them down. It was just the kind of clever twist Izuku thought Nezu would get a kick out of. The Principal favored planning and trap laying, maximizing one's odds before ever stepping out onto the field. This was just the kind of preparation he would admire. It was likely he'd even known about it beforehand, and decided to let it go because he enjoyed the idea.

Some of the others, however, weren't so sure.

"Do you really think we won't get in trouble for using the buttons?" Uraraka asked anxiously, jostling Izuku's arm as they milled around with a few other students near the front of the room.

"It'll be fine!" Izuku told her, smiling his best reassuring smile. "Recovery Girl already spoke to Nezu about it, if he didn't stop us during the exams then I'm pretty sure it'll be OK!"

"What if they factor it into grading though?" Jirou speculated with a furrowed brow. "A lot of teams only used the button once or twice; what if they dock points for using it too many times?"

She glanced over at Kouda, who nodded energetically in agreement. They had used the button the most out of all the teams, except Uraraka and Aoyama's. Doubtlessly realizing the same thing, Uraraka whined pitifully and pressed her forehead to the wall.

"I'm pretty sure the exam is just pass/fail," Hitoshi said dismissively, putting a hand on Jirou's shoulder. "Unless you were really lazy and just let your partner do all the work I'm sure they'll follow the rules they set out. If you were able to escape or cuff the teacher, you pass."

"I'm sure they'll see all the other cool stuff we did and grade us on that, at least," Kaminari insisted, but his voice was a little strained.

"Unless they decide to discount everything after we used the buttons," Satou moaned.

Kaminari's expression twisted until it looked like he'd tasted something sour.

"Guys it'll be OK!" Izuku assured everyone. "I'm almost positive that-"

He was cut off when the door slid open and banged loudly against the end of its track.

"Once the bell rings you should be in your seats!" Aizawa called as they all dove for their desks. He walked slowly to the podium, and by the time he was standing in front of the class the scrape of chairs had given way to dead silence. "Morning."

"Good morning Aizawa-sensei," the class chorused.

"In what is, I assure you, an unusual twist," Aizawa began, "everyone in class A and class B passed their final exams."

A general sigh of relief swept the room.

"However," Aizawa continued, then paused as though to let the nearly audible tension rise, "there is the small matter of the additional handicap that was built into the weights the teachers were wearing."

Izuku kept his eyes front and his expression neutral. He knew several members of the class were looking at him for signs of unease, and he resolved to stay strong. He would not be the weak link that made everyone worry. Aizawa's eyes swept the room like a hawk searching for prey. Izuku looked back unwaveringly, refusing to give in to fear.

"A meeting was held to determine whether that additional handicap could be considered cheating," Aizawa told them. "It was created at the behest of the students, the result of deliberate conspiring between the hero and support courses, and was included in the exercise without the knowledge of the teachers. Principal Nezu thought long and hard on these factors and came to a conclusion."