TIME TRAVEL - I ADOPT A BUNCH OF BRATS

CHAPTER 34 - FINAL EXAMS

"Typically, we'd have you fighting robots. But due to the events of this year, we thought it would be better to have a more...hands on approach."

It was the day of practical exams and through Kendo, 1A had been told they'd be fighting robots. They were sorely mistaken.

"First Group: Todoroki and Yaoyorozu. You'll be fighting me." Mr. Aizawa announced as Shouto stood still, perfectly calm. If UA really made them fight robots for their final exam after the year they've had so far..they'd be stupid. With all the villain attacks, and the newly debuted "League of Villains", the teachers had every right to be on edge. It'd be stranger if they weren't. Robots were easy enough to take down; from what Shouto heard from his peers during the Sports Festival, most of them could already take down a few with minimal training. It wouldn't be enough of a challenge to have to fight them again.

Shouto zoned out through the next few names, considering different plans they could use to take down Mr. Aizawa until-

"Group Five: Midoriya and Bakugo. You'll be fighting-" the principal was cut off when All Might appeared, dropping out of the sky and landing heavily on the ground. Shouto was surprised the man didn't make a crater around him.

"ME!" So Midoriya is fighting his sperm donor... Shouto started to feel concerned for his new...friend? He'd consider the green-haired boy his friend. The other boy was interesting, he reminded Shouto of his siblings in some ways. Midoriya's intelligence and kindness was reminiscent of Natsuo and Fuyumi, and sometimes it was like he could see a spark of Touya's mischief in those green eyes. That spark had been missing for the past few weeks though. Shouto wasn't sure if he was the only one who noticed it, but it was like Midoriya had crafted a carefully placed mask over his features, hiding his true emotions underneath. For anyone who wasn't looking, he was just like he usually was. Kind, nerdy and always willing to help anyone who approached him. Nevertheless, Shouto could tell his new friend had been distracted with something, and now that they knew what the final exam was...Midoriya must be afraid of confronting his deadbeat dad. As if to confirm his suspicions, the green-haired boy suddenly had a complex look on his face. Alert eyes darted between Bakugo and the No. 1 Hero. No doubt, Midoriya would find a way to confront All Might on his own during their exams. It was just a question of whether or not Bakugo would stay out of it.

"Todoroki! I'd like to talk strategy if you don't mind!" Shouto was distracted from his thoughts when a voice called out to him. It was his partner. Momo Yaoyorozu was someone he'd met a few times at the formal events his family had gone to. As peers around the same age, they'd been introduced on multiple occasions, told to play outside as "the adults talked". In short, Shouto was very familiar with Yaoyorozu, though not as much as he was with Tenya.

"Of course, Yaoyorozu."

—-------

The past couple of weeks had given Izuku the time he needed to gather his thoughts. What Monoma had said the week before the Sports Festival had struck a chord with him.

The way he'd been treated in the past had been wrong. The way his classmates had hurt him, and laughed at his tears was bad-no...it was villainous. It wasn't normal for him to second guess his friends. He shouldn't have to constantly think over his words, fearful that what he said would cause someone to react violently against him. He shouldn't shrink in on himself whenever he heard yelling in his direction. No-What Monoma had told everyone had made Izuku rethink his life.

Why was it that a four-year-old was condemned to a life of uselessness, of bullying and tears just because of a genetic factor that they couldn't control? Why was it that no one helped him? His teachers had turned a blind eye to his suffering, but in the past, UA had expelled nearly an entire Hero Course class over it. If heroes followed the laws and represented the good in society, what did that say about his teachers? Shouldn't teachers help their students? But then...why wasn't he included?