Chapter Text
Izuku was so confused. He'd woken up that morning with a strange marking on his arm that reminded him of a tattoo. He'd been sick the last few days, ever since asshat told him he wasn't being given the quirk he'd worked his ass off for. Then that morning he'd felt so much better, but along his arm was a strange yet beautiful tattoo. On the underside of his wrist was what looked like an ornate pencil, from that golden ornate markings went up his arm, and stopped on his neck. It was beautiful, as a would-be artist he couldn't complain.
Now he left his run down apartment and headed to UA university. It was the day of the entrance exams and he was excited. Even if he was still quirkless. He'd gained a decent amount of muscle in the last ten months. He would do his best to complete the exam.
He arrived at the school and looked around in excitement as he went to check in, he saw Katsuki Bakugou ahead of him in line. He really didn't want to deal with his abusive ass. But he did need to register. He stood several people back hoping he wouldn't be noticed by the blonde.
“Name and school.” The Blood Hero: Vlad King requested as Izuku walked up to him in line.
Izuku sighed in relief when Bakugou finished and went into the auditorium. Soon it was his turn, "Izuku Midoriya. Aldera high."
“Midoriya. Midoriya. Oh, here, you’re to go to testing center C, but don’t enter, there will be a member of the faculty waiting for you. You’ve been marked for Selective test.” Vlad King informed him, handing Izuku a pamphlet.
Izuku frowned as he took the pamphlet. Selective testing? Were they gonna drag him out of here because of his status? He took a deep breath, "Thank you, Mister Vlad King Sir." He said before he headed to the testing area.
Vlad waved the kid off, "Don't thank me yet kid. You haven't seen your test." Poor kid was in for it. Hand selected by Nedzu to do specialized testing? Oof. Vlad didn't wish that upon anyone, even his worst enemy. Granted, Eraser had been one of Nedzu's personal students, so maybe he should just hide for the rest of his life from anyone who takes Nedzu's test.
Izuku was a bit worried, but also excited. A test for himself? That could be really fun if it was real. He made his way to testing center C when he got close he saw a man leaning against the wall, wearing a black hero costume with a grey scarf. "Holy shit- Eraserhead."
Shouta turned, bored expression on his face, finding the kid- Nedzu told him this boy was still a kid, not a damn man. He looked nothing like any of the other examinee's showing up for the exam, this kid looks filled out and well rounded, like he's been training to be a hero for almost as long as Shouta himself. "Midoriya?" He asked dully, trying to hide his shock.
Izuku bit his cheek so he wouldn't squeal at the fact eraserhead, his absolute favorite hero and all time crush knew his name. "That's me, but… Izuku, please."
Shouta nodded, “Follow me. You’re in a room on your own. Nedzu’s got a test for you.” He didn’t give the young man, because Shouta couldn’t consider the male in front of him a boy or kid, not with how damn attractive he was. Shouta frowned, mentally smacking himself.
He nodded softly. "Okay... This- This is a legit exam right?" He had to ask after all, and with Eraserhead being an ally to the quirkless he didn't think he'd lead him astray.
"Why wouldn't it be? Nedzu's hand selected you out of thousands of potential students for this exam." Shouta glanced at the young man following him over his shoulder.
Izuku frowned. "Because I'm quirkless?" He stated with confusion, "Why would he pick me? I know what my file looks like."
Shouta waved a hand dismissively. “Nedzu doesn’t care about that type of thing.” He stood outside of an empty classroom and gestured for Izuku to enter. “He looks past everything that is surface level. Take a seat in any seat. I’ll be back with your test in a few minutes.”
He nodded after letting out the breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you." He said as he walked into the room and took a seat. He was now a bit more excited about taking the exam.
Shouta left the room and found Nedzu in his office, “Well? That’s him right? You said he was a kid.”
Nedzu looked at the camera and nodded, "That's him. He seems to have… Changed some since the last time I saw him. Before he had a much more baby face look about him." Nedzu squinted at the camera, "That tattoo... Hmm interesting."
Shouta looks at the computer screen in front of Nedzu, seeing the photograph of Izuku from a few months ago. “He seemed to have, as Yamada would call it, had a ‘glow up.’” He also notices the markings along Izuku’s skin, more so now that the boy has removed his uniform jacket. “Those don’t look fresh by any means. You’ll have to ask him about it when you put him through your practical.” Shouta grabbed the test from Nedzu’s desk and left the office; not wanting to leave Izuku for long.
Izuku was bored while he sat there, so he took the pencil sitting there and began to draw on the desk. Hey it's a pencil so it would wash off right?
Shouta let the door slide open easier than he usually would, not feeling the need to strike fear into the young man as he did other students. “You’ve got two hours. If you don’t understand something, leave it blank, you’ll get a worse score if you try and guess at something.” He placed the test on the desk, overlooking the drawing Izuku had been creating.
Izuku looked up from his small bunny drawing as the man came in, a small blush on his face, "Thank you." He told the man as he looked at the thick booklet in front of him.
“Mhmm, let me know when you’re done. I’ll be in the corner.” Shouta grunted, before walking to the corner of the room and wrapping himself in his bright yellow sleeping bag, set on ‘napping.’
Izuku looked at the man and shrugged. He opened the booklet and got started. Most of it was easy and Izuku was pretty disappointed by it, but as he got to the end it became a bit more difficult and he had to put more thought into his answers. He didn't know how long passed before he finished. He turned and looked at the man, his head tilted curiously. "I'm finished."
Shouta blinked, eyeing the clock. “You’re sure?”
He nodded, "Yeah... I looked over everything twice."
Shouta grunted as he pushed himself up. “Alright, follow me.” He grabbed the test book as he walked passed, not waiting for Izuku to follow him.
Izuku quickly followed after the hero, he made sure to stay somewhat behind him since he didn't know where he was going, and because, well, he was enjoying watching him.
Shouta entered Nedzu’s office and dropped the test booklet on the desk. “Let me know when you’re done. I’m going to help keep an eye on the others.” He wasn’t. He was going to sit in the vents, but Izuku didn’t need to know that.
Nedzu smiled at his pup, "Thank you Shouta-kun."
Izuku looked at Nedzu for a minute. "Huh… Chimera." He mused as he went and sat down, massaging his hand.
Nedzu’s ears twitched. He was amused. “So, you finished my test in an hour and fifteen minutes. That’s the fastest someone’s done so.” He paused for only a moment. “Tell me about yourself, Midoriya.”
Izuku blinked at that. He didn't really think he'd done that well. "There's not a lot to tell, sir. I'm quirkless, which you know. I'm an orphan and on my own now, I like to learn, but have a passion for art." He told him, trying to think of what else to say. "I've always wanted to be a hero, not for the money or fame, but to help others like me, and those like yourself... I- had an opportunity taken away from me a few days ago so I'm not sure I'll be able to do so now but I'm gonna try damn hard. Mama always told me I could do anything I set my mind to."
Nedzu hummed, turning his computer screen toward Izuku, “You’re speaking of this. Correct?”
“Young Midoriya, I’ve found someone better to be my successor. As much potential as you have, I just don’t think you’ll be able to handle my quirk or the responsibilities that come with it.”
Izuku felt rage flow through him again as he watched the hero crush his dream for the second time. "Exactly that. Ten grueling months of abuse he called training and he decided to back out."
Nedzu nodded, “Well, I will not back out. You have a brilliant mind, Midoriya, and the clear need to be a hero for the right reasons. I want-” Nedzu stops when his phone rings, “Apologizes. It’s Eraser. Yes, Eraser, what can I do for you?”
“Check the classroom footage. The desk Midoriya sat at.”
“The footage? Alright,” Nedzu loaded the footage on his computer, letting Izuku see it as well. “Let’s see what’s so important.”
Izuku's fists were clenched as he sat there. He was so angry looking at the footage. Then he frowned, his head tilting curiously. "Footage? What footage?"
“Eraser said something has happened in the classroom you tested in. We’re going to see what it is.” Nedzu began fast forwarding through it from the moment Izuku left the room, waiting to see something change.
Izuku watched in confusion, until his eyes widened and the bunny he'd been drawing on the desk came to life. "What- But- How?" He asked in confusion. He'd just been doodling but the bunny was now sitting on the desk and looked as real as can be. He didn't notice the lines of his tattoo dancing and shifting slightly on his arm
Nedzu nodded as he watched the footage. “Eraser, try using your quirk on it.”
“Already did. Didn’t do anything.”
“Interesting. Please come back to my office.” Nedzu ended the call and turned back to Izuku. “How long have you had those markings on your skin?”
Izuku wasn't sure what to think as he sat there. When he was asked the question he looked at the pencil on his wrist and back at the mammal, "I woke up with it this morning. Why?"
“Interesting.” Nedzu said once again as Shouta entered the office. “If you would please, Eraser.”
Shouta huffed and looked at Izuku, his quirk flaring to life.
Nedzu watched the screen with rapt curiosity seeing that the bunny was now just a drawing on the desk once more. “Well, it would seem you manifested a quirk out of spite, Midoriya.”