Once Again From Better Days

The rest of the term speeds by as the weather grows hotter. Katsuki appreciates the switch to the summer uniforms more and more each day as they walk to school. The UA facilities are all thankfully air-conditioned. It's easier to concentrate on class when he doesn't feel like he's more sweat than human. During the hero exercises in the afternoons, which are frequently held outside, the heat is a pain in the a.s.s. Katsuki feels the fabric of his gym uniform sticking to his back, and the excess of sweat makes it harder to control his quirk.

Todoroki, with his ice, becomes more popular than ever. For the most part, Katsuki ignores him. But when Izuku spends every last second of their downtime hovering by half-and-half's icy side, Katsuki starts getting annoyed. The next time it happens, he stomps over after Izuku, despite Kirishima's attempt to keep him back. Half-and-half looks surprised to see him glowering over Izuku's shoulder. If he thinks back, Katsuki wonders if he's ever had a proper conversation with Todoroki this time around. Standing near Todoroki's ice, Katsuki grudgingly has to admit that his quirk is awfully convenient.

The time until final exams passes by, and with the lack of an immediate threat from the villains, Katsuki manages to focus on studying. (Unfortunately, his memories from before don't encompass things like calculus formulas, so he has to look at the textbook now and then). He spends the evenings studying with Izuku, quizzing him on vocab and teasing him when he drops a minus sign somewhere and somehow ends up with three times the correct answer.

For students in the hero course, however, the academics are only a part of the curriculum. In preparation for their final exams, the exact details of which are being kept secret, the hero course exercises are ramping up. So they go home tired both in body and mind.

And then the exams start. Katsuki's brain feels like an oversaturated sponge, but he manages to get through until there's only one left.

The hero exam is the last one on the schedule. After so long spent hunched over his desk scribbling answers on little sheets of paper, a chance to move is welcome. In an unexpected stroke of luck, he's assigned to be partners with Izuku. Perhaps the teachers wanted to see what they learned from their internship. Perhaps it was just chance. Either way, Katsuki finds himself in a better mood than he has been in a while as he changes into his her costume and heads for the test grounds.

All Might stands in front of them when they arrive at their assigned area. It's an imitation of a city, complete with a variety of buildings and even street lights. All Might leads them to the center of the arena, and they fall in step behind him. They have a simple goal: get to the gate. But their opponent is formidable.

They get 90 seconds before All Might comes after them. 

Izuku ducks into the first alley he sees. "We can't beat All Might head on," he says.

Katuski doesn't reply. Even without a quirk at full power, he is the number one hero for a reason.

"So one of us should hold him back while the other runs for the gate."

It seems like a reasonable plan, but–

"I can probably only manage for thirty seconds by myself, so you should start for the gate now," Izuku concludes.

Katsuki stares at him. "Who the f.u.c.k said I was running? I can blast myself short distances, but yours is more suited to something like this."

"At Nighteye's office, you gave me the stamp," Izuku says. "It's only fair."

"That–Both of us got the internship you f.u.c.k.i.n.g moron! Now, go!"

Izuku stays planted. "Kacchan–"

A gust of wind interrupts them, and All Might appears. "I thought you two were getting along better, you have no time to be arguing," he says. 

That's all the warning they get before he attacks. They dodge to the side, and the wall they had been leaning against a moment earlier turns to dust. Katsuki avoids the next blow and blasts an explosion in return, but it's easily dodged. The next one manages to hit his target. He sees a flicker of green and ducks while Izuku sends a kick at their teacher's face. All Might lifts a hand to shield, and Katsuki sees an opportunity. He lets two explosions release from his palms, and makes a move for the street before the entire block gets disintegrated. (There was something about keeping damage to a minimum, wasn't there?) 

Izuku lands on the pavement a moment after he does. Their eyes meet and Katsuki jerks his head in the direction of the gate. Now is a good chance to go. Green sparks spring over Izuku's limbs, and he makes a grab for Katsuki, getting him in a fireman's carry before he can complain.

"What the f.u.c.k?" Katsuki hisses.

"You said my quirk was better suited, plus, you can still use your quirk to attack, right?" Izuku asks, sounding smug, or as smug as Izuku ever sounds.

For lack of a better retort, Katsuki pinches Izuku's arm.

Sooner than he would like, All Might reappears. He's slightly dustier than he was at the beginning of the test, but otherwise no worse for the wear. He's also really f.u.c.k.i.n.g fast. Katsuki aims over Izuku's shoulder, trying to concentrate his explosions into shots that will travel and still hit with a decent impact. All Might evades most of them and the ones that do hit don't seem to have much effect. On top of that, his speed hardly suffers.

"Put me down!" He yells at Izuku.

As he continues to fire at All Might, he thinks Izuku must be purposefully ignoring him. But then Izuku shifts. He has half a second to register the power surging through his arms and the green light flickering at the edges of his vision, before Izuku sends him flying. As the air rushes past his ears, he silently swears that he'll get Izuku back for this and unlatches the gauntlet from his wrist. Whether Izuku catches the gauntlet or not, he doesn't see, because he turns to face the ground where he's landing.

Damn Izuku. 

In front of him, he sees the gate.

He uses an explosion to prevent him from slamming into concrete and another to send him through the arched gateway. Behind him, he hears the boom of large explosion and the ground shudders underneath his feet. A moment later, Izuku stumbles out of the smoke a few bruises worse for the wear, but smiling in triumph.