Kumo

Chapter 13

Izuku chewed on the end of his pen as he read over the math equations splayed out in front of him. His eyes flitted across the writing, but his mind didn't register any of it. He kept going over the words principal Nezu had said.

"Why it's your entrance exam, of course!"

Of course? Why phrase it like it was obvious? What is that chimera planning?

His thinking was interrupted by a foul taste spilling into his mouth. He dropped his pen and spat out the ink onto the table.

"You're supposed to write with the pen, not eat it," Shinsou drawled without looking up from his own papers. "Didn't know math was so thought provoking."

Izuku sighed and left to grab a tissue from the bathroom. He wiped whatever he could off and scrubbed the remaining ink with water. Once his hands were dry, he looked at the mirror. Ink was slowly drying on his mouth and chin.

He opened his mouth and saw the blue ink staining his teeth. Great.

It was ten minutes when Izuku finally exited the bathroom. Blue still stained his gums, but it was better than nothing. He took his spot at the table and fished through his backpack for another pen.

Shinsou had glanced at him once before returning to his work.

Izuku tried to resume his homework, but the offer still played on loop. He wanted to get into the hero course, yes, but as his vigilante persona? It was a given that he would have to go into underground heroics, and he wouldn't mind that. But his vigilante persona was already getting popular, and he wasn't sure how well that would go.

And there was the matter of hiding Kumo. If he made it in, he'd have to drop out of general education.

Izuku dropped his new pen and looked up at Shinsou. "If you were given a choice that would make your life better but you had to make a huge change, would you?"

Shinsou looked startled at being addressed, his pencil pausing briefly. "Depends on what it is." His pencil resumed scribbling across the paper.

Izuku sighed. "Like if you were given the opportunity to do something you've wanted your whole life but you had to leave everything behind, would you?"

Shinsou put his pencil down. "Are you moving or something?"

Izuku shook his head, waving his hands in front of him. "No, no nothing like that! Completely hypothetical."

Shinsou gave him a look that said he clearly didn't believe him, but didn't say anything about it. "Well, if there was a way for me to get into the hero course I'd sure take it. But I don't know what your hypothetical situation is referring to."

Izuku mulled it over in his mind, turning his answer around and inside and out. He nodded. "Thanks."

                                                               _________________

And that was how Izuku found himself inside Mei's warehouse for two hours. He had to give himself an alibi for when he went to the school and agreed to whatever Nezu had planned. Izuku had let her know what was going on, and the original plan was to get at least one thing that could counter each teacher, but given the short time frame that wasn't possible.

So now he just stocked up on smoke bombs, extra vials, and a few pocket knives.

Mei was busy fastening the straps of a new pair of boots she was working on while Izuku sat on a cleared off table, sharpening one of the knives. Once the boots were on, Mei stood up and cleared her throat, bringing Izuku's attention to her.