Fandom Mount Olympus Academy (My Hero Roleplay) (Closed)

[BugDozer73]

Welcome to Mount Olympus, international academy for the most gifted quirk users to train and become the leading forces of good in the world: Heros. With this invitation, join us at the entrance exam to begin your journey into become a world famous Hero.

 

[BugDozer73]

Noah Mamea
Hawaii, USA​

As Noah sat on the surfboard and watched the waves rise closer, he slipped his fingers into the water. It was cool and light, the way only pacific water could be. It was almost fluffy, but much too fluid, like silk. His sweat mixed with it, and he could feel his mind and heart expand, encompassing the water around him, which began to move with his breathing.

“Easy, Pepe: Like I told you. Focus on the speed, and feel your heart beating. Every molecule is yours, right? Focus on your breathing: That’s right” Aleki’s voice echoed through his mind, and as Noah closed his eyes, he took a deep breath. The feeling of the water pulled in, hanging on him like someone staring off a cliff working up the will to jump down into the waves. It was so easy for him before to just pull up the water and release it with no control before, but it was another feeling entirely to just sit and feel the sensation of holding it: like sitting still and flexing all his muscles just to know they were there. As he concentrated on focusing his quirk, his brow began to bead deeply with sweat.

Noah lifted the water up under his board, and it bubbled and rose gently, supporting him with the wave that stood still, waiting for hIs will.

“THERE YOU GO!! Alright nice and slow, focus on the pressure, brother!” Noah listen to Aleki’s words, which mixed with the surf expanding and the blood pumping, and Noah opened his eyes and brought his feet to the board. The wave was high enough now that he could see over the rocks of the reef, and some of the people on the beach, who had begun to notice him as well. His face broke into a grin, and his breath became ragged as his heart began to beat furiously in excitement and fear. He pushed forward with an aggressive wave of his hand, and the wave took off, surging towards the beach with a roar of water.

Noah crouched low, centering his gravity so he didn’t fly backwards. He leaned into the wind blowing his hair back, bringing some tears to his eyes. The wave curled over him, spraying water downward with a “SPPRRSHHHHHHH” and he rose it beneath him to get to a higher level with the rocks. His heart slowed for a minute as he realized how quickly he was rushing at them. Aleki’s voice screamed from behind him, but the rolling roar of the surf behind him drowned out the noise.

A pit of fear set in as the inevitable crash was coming, and his legs began shaking on the board. Turn..TURN! Why wouldn’t his mind work? The waves began to speed up as his heart began to race, and freeze.


“Breath deep, hold your stance, grip tight and push through, Noah”


One quick deep breath filled his lungs and kept his eyes focused in front of him now. He shifted his left leg back, steadying his stance, and flicked his hands back, sending a spray of sweat into the waves. And he pushed.

The wave, still shoving forward, slowed for a moment as he deepened his connection with the water. He focused his mind again, and the water curved, curling around the first rock. Noah pushed down and ground his board through the wave, jetting past another stone and into the field. More rocks: The wave moved up, lifting him over one more, then he swirled it low, narrowly missing two others. Left, then further, and back right: each rock passed inches from his face, and the water he moved through them surged past, crashing and rolling over the surface to keep him zagging though the minefield.

Almost through. He began to weave with the board, thinking less and less about the water, which now flowed naturally with him, like breath entering his lungs. One final rock, jagged and larger than the others, loomed over his jetting approach. Noah pushed pressure to the surface, rising up fast.. faster… not fast enough: he wasn’t going to make it without a shove. The sharp stone broke the waves, and with a solid push he hurled the wave upward, sending him and the board both flying franticly past the stone, but no longer in control. The water smashed into the rocks and sprayed foam and sea in an explosion in every direction, and Noah himself felt his stomach drop as the momentum carrying him slowed and he began to fall 30 feet towards the waves below.

He could feel the water sluggishly react to his will: he didn't have enough new sweat in the water: 30 feet falling. PUSH! The surf swelled slowly beneath him to cushion him, but not fast enough. 20 feet. Noah dragged his hands over his brow and hurled it out, sending moister and sweat hurling into the sea right beneath: 10 feet. RAISE. UP. The water surged upwards, wrapping around him and cushioning the impact, reaching him then retracting, helping to slow his inertia. He sunk under the waves, cradled by the water. The waves and current surged over and passed him. He was alive. All his limbs still attached. Holy shit, he was ALIVE.

After floating in disbelief, he brought the waves around him and righted himself, and willed himself forward, until the sea itself deposited him onto the beach. It took a few minutes for Aleki to reach him, and during that time Noah spent it face up breathing in the air and decompressing. The warm sand felt nice on his back, burning at just the right temperature.

“Holy shit bro, are you alright? I said take it slow you dumb ass. Are you hurt?” He rushed to Noah and started looking him over, but Noah simply lifted his head and shot a huge goofy grin at Aleki. The silence of the stare broke almost immediately into relived laughter: the stress flying from their forms like air from a balloon.

“That was the craziest thing I think I’ve ever seen you do. If you can’t make it as a hero, you should join a circus.”

After catching their breath, Aleki collapsed next to Noah on the sand, and looked back out to the sea and reef and the waves, now left to their own devices, slam on and over the protruding stone.

“I remembered him teaching me when I was little. I heard his lessons.” Noah said after calming down. His face had fallen a little. Aleki’s smile eased, and he looked back at Noah.

“Your father?” he asked.

“..yea.” Noah didn't move his eyes as he answered. They stayed forward, like they were watching something: an old memory, perhaps.

“Do you still want to do this?”

Noah stopped for a moment, taking time to really think about it.

“No one will look at us the same again after what happened. I don’t want to spend my entire life having people looking at us and only thinking of dad’s mistakes. I want to go. I can be a hero.” Noah stood up as he spoke, watching the sun finally beginning to dip over the waves, turning the peaching cream sky into a deeper orange, like the tips of a fire that danced under stars.

“Here” Aleki reached over to their bags, now covered in sand, and pulled out a golden yellow pamphlet with navy blue lining: the MOA school informational. “Don’t worry about your mom. We’ll take care of her. But how are you going to afford it even if you get in?”

“That’s the thing actually: they have a scholarship for kids with incarcerated parents. If I get in, there’s a good chance I might get it all covered, so long as I keep my grade up.” Noah stood up with a towel, drying himself off, and took the paper. This was it right here: his ticket.

“That means no surf breaks, valea.” Aleki snickered, and Noah shoved him playfully. “Are you going to say goodbye at least?”

“Umm.. not quite. I wrote a letter telling mom I would be gone for a few days. If things don’t go well, I'll be back mid way through the week like I was never gone, and can sink into being a lifeguard or mechanic for the rest of my life.”

“You are going to kick ass, Mamea. You have the strongest heart I’ve met. People can depend on you. And, maybe when you go pro, you can let me be your side kick with my terrible quirk.” Aleki struck a quick pose, letting his fingers extend, wiggling like rubber.

“Extendo Fingers isn’t a bad quirk, Aleki. You told me its what you do with it.”

“Yeah yeah I know. Hard to agree though when the best thing I can do is grab the remote when it falls under the couch. Anyways, when’s your flight?” he picked up his bag and dusted off some loose sand.

“2 hours” Noah said, looking at his old phone. “Holy cow, we gotta move.”

“Hop in Toa” they tore off up the beach to his old green jeep that took 14 minutes to start up. It was almost time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE NEXT MORNING:


As the plane touched down, Noah finally breathed a sigh of relief. Who knew he had a terrible fear of turbulence and planes. After that horrible adventure, it was finally time. Within the day, he would be stepping onto Mount Olympus Academy to take the hardest test of his life: The entrance exam.

 

[LunaSolaria1218]

Aspen
Athens, Greece​

Aspen found herself back amongst the trees, running the same path she's run for years. Focussing on her breathing, urging her legs to move faster, pushing herself further.

A branch snaps to her left, her ear momentarily flicking toward the sound. A quick glance in its direction rewards her with the sight of more trees, not a soul in sight but herself. She knows better than that. Having been training with her mother and father for years to get to this point.

As she continues through the woods, another noise comes from her right. So both of them are here this time... That makes things a bit different, She thinks to herself. With that thought in mind, Aspen surges forward before jumping up and into the canopy of the trees. Her darker fur and clothing helping her blend into the shadows. Once she was sure that she wouldn't fall from her location, she looked down to see what would happen, her bright amethyst eyes almost seeming to glow amidst the shadows of her hiding place.

Sure enough, out of the tree line, from both the left and the right came her mother and father both looking around, trying to figure out where she had gone.

"She's getting faster Luka", her mother, Selene, stated, "Tomorrow she will be leaving to find her own way. If she doesn't already have one figured out..."

"Trust me... I know. As much as I don't want to admit it, she's not a little pup anymore", her father, Luka, begrudgingly admitted, "but she has some tricks to learn from her folks." Luka continued to look around the trees surrounding him and his wife, before raising his nose and sniffing the air. He quickly snapped his head to where Aspen was hiding, jumping up to where he believed his daughter should have been, only to find nothing.

Having realized that she would eventually be found, Aspen quickly took off toward her goal the moment her father closed his eyes. Quickly reaching a clearing where a large rock was located, she began to pick up her speed further, pushing herself past her usual limits, hoping to finally beat her parents, her mentors.

Just a little further... 20 yards left. I can do this! 15 yards remaining. I'm ready... 10 yards. She hears her parents break through the treeline. I need to finish this, I have to finish this... 5 yards... Her father and mother are closing in! With the last bit of her energy, Aspen launches herself toward the rock as her father launches himself toward her.

A dust cloud builds up around them. Selene just watches, waiting for the dust to settle to see the results of today's training. As the dust fully settles down, Selene smirks at her family. Aspen opens her eyes, having closed them to keep the dirt and dust from getting in them, and looks behind her to see her father lying flat on his face just inches away from her. Turning back toward the rock, she realizes that she finally succeeded in beating her parents.

Immediately jumping up, she expresses her happiness by launching herself onto her father.

"OOMPH", Luka grunts from the sudden weight of his daughter on him. Rolling over, he pats Aspen on her head, feeling pride welling up in his chest at her achievement.

Selene walks over to join her family in the group hug on the ground. Smiling at her daughter, proud of how far she's come since they started their family training sessions when she was 8 years old.

After catching their breath, the family of 3 walked over to the car that was parked on the other side of the clearing. Ready to head home for some bonding time before having to say goodbye in the morning, when Aspen has to fly out for her entrance exams to get into MOA.

*Time Skip: Two Days Later*

It had been a crazy couple of days since beating her parents in the clearing. She had to say goodbye to her parents with promises to call if she made it in. Her parents were sad that their only child would be leaving and possibly not coming home for some time. They knew it was bound to happen eventually, though they didn't plan for it to be so soon. After having been sent off into the airplane with tear-filled hugs, Aspen was quickly flown across the world where she would be taking the entrance exams to get into MOA, which is where she is currently entering to gain her spot in the school with a spark in her eyes...

 

[Gallus]

LYRA
Olympus City, USA​

Olympus sings.

Loudly, too. It’s unabashed in its overture, the rambadabrum of a starting car punctuating the ululations of seagulls and honking of angry drivers. Idle chatter swells to a crescendo until people are yelling, laughing, living. It’s a different song than Lyra’s used to -- all cities have their own unique song -- but its melody sinks deep into her bones, grabs her by the shoulders, calls to her to join in because, this is our city, songbird, and the music never stops.

And Lyra, sitting on a balcony that is not hers, in the home of a man she has only known for a week, sings back.

Allegro, allegro! Her fingers are quick. They dance across the strings of her harp, plucking high notes in rapid succession. A scale with her left hand, its partner strumming its accompaniment. Soft, quiet, growing into a swell, and then up it goes. The thrum of deep notes reverberate as its chord cries out; run a hand down, ride the music, let those notes speak. It is a language with no words, but Lyra feels every meaning, even with her eyes closed. Until, finally, she slows, and the city sings over her in quiet approval as she finishes with a flourishing bow.

“Not bad. A bit too Vivaldi-esque for my taste, but not bad at all.’

Lyra’s eyes snap open. It’s Cobb, her uncle, leaning against the doorway with a half-smile plastered on his face. “No, keep going. It’s a nice little wakeup call.”

“I--” Oh. Oh. Lyra’s face flushes a deeper shade of red. Because, yes, the city is awake at six in the morning, but the residents of the street are…well, were previously not. “Uncle! I-- It wasn’t, um…I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“Nah, nah! I mean. Eh. A bit. It’s fine.” Cobb waves a hand and laughs, a hand slipping into his pockets for a carton of cigarettes. “Not the worst thing to wake up to. ‘Sides, it seemed like you needed it.”

Lyra straightens up, her embarrassment turning into a different kind of apprehension. This one creeps lower in her stomach, twisting her innards into tight knots. She needs a lot of things. Confidence. Practice. A miracle. Instead, Lyra just has a harp. “Uncle Cobb? Answer me honestly. Do you really think I’ll get into MOA?”

“A bit too late to be asking those types of questions, don’t you think?” Cobb hums in amusement, before sobering up and lighting his cigarette. “I don’t know. What I do know, though, is that you’re clever, you’re determined, and you’re too much of a bloody Cygnet to not know when to stop. I know that you’re scared of your mother, but you’re more scared of not being like your father. I know that you’ve got big enough balls to run away from your mum to live with an uncle you barely know, simply on the whim of a chance of attending a prestigious school. And I know that, no matter what happens, you’re always welcome to come back and visit my shitty little flat above my shitty little bar.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“It’s not for me to answer, is it?”

Lyra blinks. Then, slowly, shakily, she laughs. It’s a rough sound. Nothing like the tinkling little giggles she gives in the face of modesty, but something hoarse and exasperated. She leans her head against the cool bronze of her harp. “...I’m really in it now, aren’t I?”

“Not yet, but you will be in a few more hours.”

“Uncle!”

“Oh, am I not allowed to tease?” Cobb laughs, and it's so infectious that Lyra can’t help but join in. “I’m only joking. Partially. The test is today, after all, but you know what that also means?”

“That I’m going to be feeling sick all day?”

“That, regardless of how you do, we’re going to celebrate. We’ll hit the corner shop. I’ll call out of work, order some pizza, and we’ll drink slushies until our brains are proper mush. How’s that sound, hm?”

“Terrible. I love it.” There’s a brief pause as Lyra considers something. “You know…I don’t think I’ve ever had a slushie. Is that sad?”

“A bit. I’ll have to talk to your mother about that.”

“Don’t. I imagine that she’s already furious with me.”

“Then it’ll be our little secret.” Her uncle holds out a hand, pinky extended. “To pissing off mothers, corn-syrup, and future heroes.”

Lyra looks up, smiles shakily, and hooks her own finger around his. “…Yeah. Alright. To pissing off mothers, corn-syrup, and future heroes.”

 

[Purize]

ALICE​

Alaska, USA
​

Light is more beautiful in the dark. That’s what a lot of people didn’t understand about Alice; she thinks in contrasts and comparisons. The yin and the yang, the ups and the downs... When people would say they were afraid of the dark, she’d just smile. “But isn’t it beautiful?” she’d always reply.

Of course, many also had never spent most of their lives in Alaska— where the sun is very stubborn about when it shows its face and for how long. Alice was used to dark days and the way the world sparkled more brightly under precious light.

This Alaskan day was no different, the world was quiet, cold, and dark as Alice sat in the snow drift, the occasional flake melting against her cheek. She looked up into the sky full of stars, mentally pointing out and categorizing the different celestial bodies and constellations that her father loved so dearly. She didn’t remember very much of him, but the lessons he taught about astronomy stuck with her always.

Her palms underneath the thick gloves began to feel warm as she lifted them toward the sky. Threads of blue and green light appeared, spinning themselves like silk into bright waves of color. She could already feel how weak she was. As much as she loved the night sky, she didn’t get a lot of opportunity to charge up her quirk in the slim windows of daylight here. She only had the moon’s reflections to rely on most days.

Strands of her hair began to glow green, illuminating like bioluminescent algae. The waves of light extended upwards from her hands until they filled the sky with radiant colors. They were warm and wonderful, but certainly a smaller display than the true Aurora Borealis.

Alice let out a soft sigh, her breath forming a puff in the cold air as she let the heat recede from her palms. The lights in the sky faded and she stood up, brushing off the snow.

“Alice honey! Are you out here? It’s time to get ready to go!” a woman called from down the slope. Rather than replying right away, Alice started down the hill where her mother stood waiting.

“Are you ready? Are you excited? Oh my goodness, I’m so excited! My baby girl going to MOA! You’re so precious!” Her mother planted a firm kiss on her cheek and fluttered about, draping an extra scarf over Alice’s shoulders. This will have been the third scarf her mom donned her with in the past few hours, but Alice didn’t mind her parent’s over-doting antics.

“Mom?” Alice chirped distractedly, “Do you think I will do well at MOA?”

Her mother, still flitting about, stopped and crouched down in front of Alice with a soft smile. “That depends, sweet girl. What does your heart tell you?”

Alice contemplated this as she had so many times, never wavering in her sincerity. “I want to... I want to do really well and be a hero like you and Dad.”

Her mother’s face changed slightly at the mention of her father, a sort of expression mixed with old grief and heartfelt pride. Alice also felt a pang of sadness for bringing up her father, but she meant it when she said that she aspired to be like them. Her parents were not necessarily quirk-based heroes that stopped villainy, but they were both scientists. Nevertheless, Alice regarded them both as heroes of their fields and wanted to contribute to society the same way they chose to.

“No matter what happens in the exam, you’re already wonderful, Alice Annalise Holloway.” Her mother gave Alice’s shoulders a gentle squeeze and fussed with the placement of her newly added scarf.

Alice smiled and nodded, filled with hopes, dreams, and wonderment. Her mother stood and gathered up a pair of suitcases that were amassed by the doorway. “Come now! We’ve got a plane to catch and the Anchorage airport is absolutely dreadful.”

---

*~ A plane ride later ~*​

---

Alice’s memories of where she was born in New York were like faded photographs in her mind, but aside from those fleeting images and her experience with the city of Anchorage, not much could have prepared her for Olympus City.

It was loud, busy, absolutely bursting with people, and bright. The UV rays of the sun, poorly blocked by smog, beamed down on Alice making her body feel like it was humming. She had always told people that charging felt like a thrum of energy that you would expect a generator or microwave to make. The idea of laying down on the sidewalk and baking in the sun like a lizard was tempting, but she was busy being pulled by her mother through crowds of people.

Her mother juggled a phone in one hand and luggage in the other as she barked orders for a diver to pull up outside the terminal. Within moments, a limousine that Alice had only seen in movies and old pictures of her parents pulled up. Sometimes the reminder that she and her family were considered wealthy surprised Alice. Generally, they lived humbly and away from society— but her mother hated travel so deeply that she would do everything in her financial power to make it more bearable.

The limo pulled up to a tall building that rivaled an upstate New York apartment complex. It was beautiful and ostentatious— nothing like the typical Holloway style of living.

An hour later, Alice found herself in her new room. Hopefully temporary... Alice thought to herself. If she was excepted into MOA she would get to live on campus. The view was breathtaking though. The window looked out to a luscious green space, and a block away she could just make out the top of MOA’s main campus. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she thought about the days ahead, but as she felt her palms warm with soft blue and green light... she felt all the more determined.

 

[Brendanfp]

Monday, September 4
7:42 AM EST
Olympus City, NY

Nathaniel Ngoma
Mount Olympus Academy (Bus Stop)

Olympus City was far different from what Nathan had expected. Compared to the sticky swelter of the Congo it was almost too pleasant. He didn’t like it but he would adapt. It had almost been a week since he touched down, and now the all important day had arrived.

Nathan found himself seated at the local bus stop directly in front of the grandiose main entrance way of Mount Olympus. He had been seated at the bus stop for a couple hours at this point. Why? Nathan was doing his due diligence of course. Scouting the other applicants who stepped off the bus and crossed the street towards MOA’s illustrious halls. Loose lips and idle conversation gifted Nathan with a wealth of intel. His hand methodically jotted notes as the students arrived in steady intervals.

In front of his feet a dark figure changes position. For a moment Nathan’s eyes glance over at the creature laying inches away from his feet. She was a spotted hyena with short fur colored in muted blacks and grays. Most busy city goers would confuse her for an exotic dog breed and continue peddling. Nathan had named her Cheka when they first met in his youth, and she was his best friend for a long time. It wasn’t unusual for him to find more comfort among the animals of his home, than the people. It hadn’t even been a year since she passed away. Now all that remained were his memories.

Nathan remained fixed on the hyena as she occasionally fidgeted before going still. This creature was only the hollow visage of his friend but having her near made him feel more at ease in the unfamiliarity of his situation. Her restlessness was a reflection of his own nerves. He was confident in his abilities but could he really stand out among the elite? He honestly wasn't sure. Unease slowly welled up inside him, and for a moment he let pessimism take hold. Nathan felt a nudge at his leg as Cheka bumped her head into him. His heart lightened, and he thanked her with a gentle hand atop her head. It was time to go. Nathan closed his notebook and began to gather his things. It would be 8 AM soon and the first announcements for MOA applicants would be broadcast. He stood up, now looking down at his old friend’s visage.

“Wish us luck,” he chimed at her.

The hyena lifted its head from the ground looking up towards Nathan. Then slowly its detailed features began to melt away as streams of black ink peeled off of the inky creature and into a black leather sack that hung across Nathan’s body on a sash. Cheka disappeared in moments.

Nathan now set his glare across the street at his goal, Mount Olympus Academy. There he would learn from the best and gain the skills necessary to keep the world a peaceful place. Nathan started towards the main entrance way in strides.

BugDozer73 Gallus LunaSolaria1218 Purize

 

[Tinytoad]

Focus on the breath, keep it slow and steady. You’ve trained years for this chance, don’t be so foolish as to let it go.

Flying over New York was much like Seoul, familiar metal pillars scraping reaching higher and higher towards the sky above. A city like this with such potential, or could hold the same amount of failure. The price of failing this test, her father attempted to assure her, would be no big deal. She would be valued in any sort of physical work, having extra limbs to work with is useful in any situation. But, it isn’t enough. She needs to be valued for who she is, to make the world a brighter place, and see smiling faces of those she can save. Putting hundreds of hours of self study into English, as well as her own quirk confined within her father’s home and the alleyways of Seoul. The money her father earned for the flight, his hard work as a single father to give them as comfortable a life as possible. The countless hours and years of determination have led to this moment, and she couldn’t be more afraid. Turbulence on the plane momentarily shakes her out of anxiety, her stomach flipping, but not able to tell if it is from the bumpy landing or panic at what awaits.

Deboarding the plane, she ensures her mask is covering below her nose, and hair covering the cursed eyes that lie on her forehead. For the many hours she had by herself while her father worked, she has never felt so alone as she did walking alone through the airport. While others seemed not to notice her in the large crowd walking to baggage claim, she pulled her arms in as tightly as she could, kept her head low and made her way to her bag.

Another deep breath, one step at a time.

“You have potential, trust yourself kid," rings through her head, memories from a lifetime before, beckoning her forward now as it did then.

After taking a moment to clean her glasses, she looks for the bus line she tracked down when she was still in Seoul. She pulls out her phone to text her father about her safe landing, but between her hand shaking viciously and the large crowds, it takes her far longer to type the message than usual. As she types, her phone charm, a Korean based hero named Shinku, against the star charm tied together, bounces with a gentle clacking sound. Stepping up to the bus, she takes another deep breath, and makes her way forward.

Now, just down the street, rising above the horizon, daunting as exciting, terrifying as fitting, the school she has worked to call home, Mount Olympus Academy.

"Keep Breathing, don't panic. You’ve got this. I know you can kid."

Stepping forward, in her attempt to scrape the sky, to touch and find her place among the stars, her hand curls around her luggage.

This is where I’m meant to be. I have to believe this. I’ve worked for this for so long. I can’t fail now. If he once believed in me, I can too.

 

[Zack Savage]

Tokyo police station


Yoshiro sits in a near empty room by himself, his eyes ruby red shaped like a diamond. In the center is a table with 2 chairs on one side and 1 chair on the other, a glass of water near Yoshiro's hands and a single potted plant in the far corner of the room opposite of the door. "I can't believe they got me, I was so careful, and I didn't think my relationships with my 'friends' were so flimsy" he thought.

He listened through the walls and could hear his "friends" in the cells of the jail asking if their sentences will be reduced in exchange for information on Yoshiro, the police didn't give them definite answers and Yoshiro could hear the anguish in their voices. "They were criminals, not the worst but they were criminals no less, I should have known better" he thought.

A couple days before being arrested, Yoshiro was acting as a lookout for the local gang. Their profession was exclusively drugs, but because of yoshiros ability to hear, see and smell far distances the gang used him as a lookout which allowed the gang to operate almost entirely unnoticed, the gang grew as did their customers and it was inevitable that they would be caught one day.

And that day came very suddenly without warning. yoshiro sits on the 3rd floor balcony of a small apartment complex in what could only be described as the slums, trash littered the streets, even with his quirk not activated the smell was disheartening, "I hate it here" he thought, "but this is the easiest way I can take care of my mom" suddenly, 3 miles away he could hear engines... a lot of them, given the level of noise each engine produced they were going fast given the speed limit, this is unusual because no one owned cars besides the dealers in this part of the city and no one dared drive by for fear of getting robbed or worse. The vehicles reached 2 miles away, at this point he could hear the distinctiveness of each engine, all V6's, all 2.5L engines based on the resonance of the exhaust, he knew what they were and everyone here was about to get grounded to reality faster than they would ever want to. These engines belonged to the Toyota crown, the primary car in Japanese patrols, but there were at least 25, 30 on the high end, and they were all headed straight for the gang's main operating area.

"There's nothing I can do for them, if I don't want to get caught I need to leave now. If I don't warn the others and they tell the police about me they'll think they're lying since I wasn't at my post and I never gave the alert. I should be fine, its unfortunate for them but I can't get caught for the sake of my mom."

While fleeing he could hear his comrades getting arrested, a lot of yelling and even some fighting amongst them, but there were obviously too many cops and their fate was sealed. Upon returning home, it was already night. Yoshiro and his mom lived in a humble apartment complex in a lower middle class area, theres not a lot of crime but you still would prefer to not walk around at night. He stands outside the apartment door and listened for a second "her heartbeat is slow and feint, she must be asleep". He enters the apartment quietly keeping in mind his sleeping mom, taking a walk to the fridge to find something for dinner and upon opening the door he sees some leftovers wrapped in foil and a note that read "love you!".

Yoshiro's mom was a frail but younger woman, she wasn't particularly intelligent nor was she physically fit enough for any kind of job japan offered, which meant Yoshiro took on the role of provider at a very young age taking odd jobs mostly entailing eaves dropping for money. It wasn't a lot but he happened upon a gang when he was 12 which found use in his abilities and paid much better.

2 days later while he was sleeping, Yoshiro was having a dream. It was a dream about a small house in the mountains overlooking a forest below, it was spring, cherry blossoms surrounded the property throwing their pink leaves onto the ground over the green grass with a small yet noticeable breeze that was slightly cold to the touch. He stood several feet behind his mom, who sat on a nearby bench overlooking the valley. Yoshiro loved the quiet, but he loved seeing his mom happy and without worry more than anything else. While admiring the elegant view something rang in his ears. 1 heartbeat, 4 heartbeats, 9 heartbeats, then 14 all at once pounding within human bodies at a high rate as if anxious, as did the sound of heavy cloth rubbing on itself and the scratchy noise of velcro. Then the smell of testosterone entered his nose along with hormones mixed with excitement, fear, and anxiety. His mother turned to Yoshiro and told him "they're here, they found you" in a slightly threating voice. Yoshiro woke up and just as suddenly as he stood up, 14 men stood outside the apartment door, one armed with a breaching ram who had just hit the door wide open. The sound of metal against wood, wood shattering into thousands of pieces and falling to the ground was too surreal.

Yoshiro sits handcuffed to the table pondering the nights events, then footsteps enter his perception, one set of footsteps moving as though with confidence, and another set alongside walking lightly. A man and a woman enter the room, the man in a messy police uniform and the woman wearing what could be described as receptionist attire without the heels.

The man opens his mouth, "you gave our men quite a run for their money tonight" he pulls out a binder and reads off it "4 incapacitated, 9 injured, no deaths, suspect refused arrest and was combative, suspect was subdued after being restrained by 5 officers and shot with a tranquilizer gun. Do you have anything to say about that?". Yoshiro sat quietly with his head down and his eyes closed, "I know I'm going away for a while, the only thing that can make it worse is opening my mouth". The officer begins talking "we know who you are and we've been trying to get you for a long time, you've never been found by our officers personally but we have a lot of evidence against you on cameras thought the area, we only knew your face before but thanks to the stunt we pulled a few days ago we were able to throw you off your routine and we followed you with the cameras". "How stupid, there are cameras everywhere, its impossible to avoid them, I should have been more careful" Yoshiro thought.

Officer: "Other than the cameras, we also have testimonies of your friends telling us of your role in their operation"

Yoshiro: "I know, you don't need to explain it to me"

The officers heart skips a beat as though stunned, the aroma around him now has a slight stench of anxiety.
No one has interrogated Yoshiro yet so there is no way he could have known, but perhaps the officer forgot or didn't know the scale of Yoshiro's abilities.

Officer: "right...well listen, we have an opportunity for you, while what you did was bad you didn't do anything violent until last night and you have no previous record of crime"

Woman: "we want you to join a rehabilitation program, upon investigating you and especially after what happened last night we're aware that you have a quite powerful quirk. With an agreement our institution has with the city, the police will throw out all the charges against you as long as you attend our prestigious school"

Yishiro: "so I'm just supposed to leave my mom, she can't work, how am I supposed to take care of her"

I looked up at the two questioning me forgetting my appearance. They both stare at me, theirs eyes widen a little and their hearts beat slightly faster, I must have caught them by surprise.

Officer: "if you accept our offer she will be placed into witness protection where the country of Japan will take care of her, so long as you continue to attend this school she will be protected, but, specifically because of your actions tonight you will only be able to call her, she won't be visiting you and you won't be visiting her until you prove to the institution that you will apply yourself and your abilities productively to society."


The next morning...

I was woken up at 5am and I was taken to an airport. Now I'm not exactly a violent person nor do i think I'm a threat to society, but I do feel like being alone in a plane with 15 other police officers under constant watch was a bit much, they almost made me feel like the US president... or some terrorist. Whatever, they're paying for all my snacks so I might as well take advantage while I can.

 

[loch_ness]

Camille Monet
Paris, France​

Camille Monet’s hand shook as she picked up the phone. Immediately getting met with a angry voice on the other end, it was her mother.

“I know- I know, I left very abruptly. I’m sorry, but I have something to tell you. .”

Camille bit her lip as she gripped on to the handle of her suitcase. Her mind scrambled for a good explanation for her absence.

“I’m not going grocery shopping- I might’ve. . .lied?”

She heard even more angry squawking from her mother. Camille waited until there was a pause from her parent.

“Just let me explain. Y’know that international school, that forbid me from going to. . . I’ve been asked to take the entrance exam.“

She was cut off by a announcement in the background, a ladies voice spoke in French.
Flight 548 to New York, Olympus City will be leaving soon. Please proceed to gate 5-B, thank you.

“Yeah- I’m going to New York for the exam. Don’t worry about me.”

She was quickly bombarded with questions and curses in French. Camille managed a quick ‘I love you’ and hung up with a sigh.

“This is the right thing to do, you can do this. You will become a hero!”

She turned to face the crowd of people that boarded her flight. She grumbled under her breath, a sinking feeling formed in her stomach.

“If you don’t, your mom will probably disown you. Oh merde. .”

She straightened her back and proceeded to walk up to the crowd. Her growing fears overshadowed with a calm face.

A long flight later…​

Camille’s hand hadn’t left her phone since she landed, let alone the photo button. France was pretty but Olympus was a new level of city. Sadly, her exploration didn’t last long once she saw the towering buildings of the school, Mount Olympus Academy.
The sinking pit in her stomach made her legs wobble as she craned her head back to see the top of the building. The pressure in her chest built until it felt like a boulder laid on it.
“No big deal- just one of the biggest hero schools in the world. All good. . .”

Her attention was drawn to the sound of hurling, her head turning and lowering to the ground. She saw a blonde-haired boy throwing up after he stepped out of a taxi.



‘Should I be that nervous?’
She thought.

 

[SchmittBitt]

Samuel Scott

California, USA
​

Spoiler: Samuel Before MOA

“So you’re telling me I have to travel all the way to New York for some test?”

“Well it’s the best school in the US so you are just gonna have to deal with it”

Samuel, lets out a sigh and rolls his eyes.

“And you are sure? Absolutely positive I can’t just go to a local university. You know how I do with travel, it’ll be hell man”

“I’m sure this is the best place to build your potential. Also give me some respect. I’m not your man, I’m your teacher.” The old man lifts his coffee cup and takes a sip only to spit it out

“You fell for it again” Samuel leaning back at an outrageous angle in his chair bursts out laughing. Some glances from nearby tables at the cafe cause him to sit upright

“Yeah yeah, sugar for the sweetest teacher ey kid” The elderly man smiles and shrugs as he relabels the "sugar" as salt.

Samuel looks at his teacher. The man who has taught him everything he knows since he made it to elementary. His laughing fades. “Ok if you say it’s what I should do…. I’ll trust you” with a long pause “Soooooooo when do I leave?”

“Tomorrow, and hopefully you won’t come back” The old man smiles seeing the surprise develop on Samuel’s face. “Good luck Sam.” He gets up with his cane after finishing his coffee and pats Sam on his shoulder leaving the one way ticket to New York on the table “You’ll make it through the test if you really try, just apply yourself and I’ll read about your success in the papers.”

Samuel, stunned at how quickly this is all happening, takes his ticket and pays for the man's drink. He gives out a triumphant “Lets goo!” as many customers look over confused. He turns to the cafe and says “I’m gonna be so great nothing can slow me down!”

An overnight plane ride and short taxi later​

Sam stumbles out of his taxi onto the street seeing the MOA symbol he saw on the paper the old man gave him.

“Awe hell” Sam quickly hands over the money for the ride. Then feels his stomach continue to churn and ache from his motion sickness “Like I said nothing… is… gonna.. slow….” he stops mid sentence. He reaches for his paper bag from this morning's breakfast and throws up.

 

[CactusJuice]

Nolan Light ​

It started to rain. Of course. A thunderstorm was perfectly fitting for the "Great Olympus City", right? Nolan stared up into the swirling gray clouds above him. Lightning flashed among the clouds, and he vaguely wondered if it had something to do with his mother as the water began to run down his face. It pooled on the stained cement beneath him. The fresh smell of rain did little to cover the reek of dumpsters nearby.

His view was a abruptly interrupted by a fist flying into his face. How did he get here again? Nolan quickly raised his hands in a practiced defense. This was probably the only reason he remained conscious as the next blow hammered against his now raised arms. In his dazed state, it took Nolan a second to rummage through his memories, but then it slowly became clear.

He had been on another one of his "jogs". Nolan always went on a few of these every week. Cardio was important after all, and he purposely ran in areas where hero patrols were lighter, so he himself could practice keeping his eyes out for trouble. He didn't run into things too often, but he would help out here and there. Helping an old lady or two cross the street, catching people who tripped over, and he even saved a dog from an oncoming car once.

He also passed by some schools, so every now and then he would stop a bully from picking on some poor kid with a weaker quirk. His quirk itself might not be that strong, but he had some prior hand-to-hand combat training, and most bullies backed off once they saw someone was actually willing to fight back. Nolan knew all too well how those with strong quirks liked to pick on those weaker than them. He knew it likely didn't make much of a difference in the long run, but it was his little way of fighting the injustices of reality.

A strike to the stomach brought him crashing back to the present. His eyes flitted about assessing his situation. It seemed like a few of the bullies had coordinated and caught onto his routes. Maybe frequenting less-patrolled alleyways in some of his routes was a bad idea. The bullies were a bit smarter than he had thought, and the faint ringing from a strike to the back of his head reminded him that one of them was pretty stealthy too.

A kick cracked him in the side, and Nolan became aware of the fact that the liquid pooling beneath him wasn't just water. That was fine; he could use the water. And these bullies, well they weren't that smart. Nolan could feel his hair begin to lift as his quirk sparked to life. He rolled away from the abuse narrowly avoiding another swing at his head. Couldn't they tell? Nolan placed a palm against the wet cement, and it started to crackle. He had just been biding his time.

It was over in a flash. Nolan sent electricity flowing across the cement into his opponents. The water on their bodies sizzled and steam began to rise as they collapsed with hardly a sound. Nolan shakily stood up, clutching onto his ribs. All of them were going to be hurting tomorrow, but luckily for his attackers Nolan knew how to hold back. However, just in case, Nolan hobbled toward the alleyway entrance.

"Excuse me?! Is there anyone around who can help? Those guys back there look like they could use some . . . help . . ."

He felt his legs give way. It looks like he waited a little too long, or maybe he just never fully recover from the first hit. Nolan still had a long way to go. As his grasp on his consciousness faded, all Nolan could think of was how far behind him he still was.

A week later​

Nolan slung a yellow and black bag over his shoulder and started on his path down a sidewalk. He gingerly stretched his limbs searching for any lingering bits of pain. A small smile formed on his face when he found none. Thankfully, they hadn't really been looking to kill him either, just to "teach him a lesson". It would have been a real shame if he was still feeling injured today of all days. He then put on a set of headphones before breaking into a light jog.

It felt good to be out and about again especially with the improved weather, but enough of that. Nolan's mouth set in a hard, determined line. He had a job to do. He remembered his visit with his father in the hospital. His father had come in with an arm draped around his flavor of the week; Nolan didn't even bother to remember their faces anymore let alone names.

His father had been worried, sure, but more about his reputation than anything else. It had "only been three guys" after all and one of them "didn't even have a combat quirk!" Nolan has tried to tell his father that they had jumped him. He tried to tell his father he could have dealt with those punks easily if not for the sucker punch, but his father waved it off with a "You think villains play fair?" Nolan hated it, but his father was right. Nolan should have been more vigilant; he had fallen into routine, but that didn't make his father's next words sting any less.

"Like I've been saying this whole hero thing really isn't suited for people like you. Even if by some miracle you can become one, you'll be stuck as some D-lister or forever sidekick. It will just be embarrassing for you and me." His father smirked. "If you really want to serve your community, why not try being a whatchamacallit . . . sanitation engineer? Yeah, picking up trash is definitely more your speed!" His father chuckled. Nolan clenched his fists just thinking of his father's smug face.

Nolan shook his head. And then the real kicker, he just had to let it slip. He had let his anger get the best of him and proudly announced he would be taking the entrance exam for MOA itself. That sent his father laughing out of the room. The way his dreams were just laughed at like that, Nolan couldn't get it out of his head. It was completely humiliating. Nolan shook his head and picked up his pace as the Gates of Olympus came into view. It was decided. He wouldn't just pass the exam; he would ace it. Nolan was going to score so high that no one . . . no one would be able to deny him.

A small smile once again formed on his face. Those punks, his own father, the whole goddamn world could throw jabs at him. It seemed like everyone just liked to beat on him when he was down. That was fine. After all, it only made him stronger.

 

[Waste of Flesh]

Heath Bronte

Georgia, USA​

*spin spin spin*

Early in the morning of a sleepy Georgian Village rests a young man; however that wasn’t quite accurate. What should have been a young man sleeping in his bed was instead the scene that, while not considered normal in the predominantly quirkless Village, was very normal for the Brontë residence. The young man gently floats in a fetal position with his eyes closed, high in the air. While not someone who gave too much thought to anything not within his immediate vicinity, young Heath began thinking about everything and anything. Thought and memories polluted his simple mind, which he found somewhat aggravating.

*spin spin spin*

The cycles began to slightly increase in velocity. With each full rotation a new thought popped into his mind. Heath was born with his quirk. It was unintentionally drilled into his head through playful jokes and jabs from his mother and father that early on he was a handful. “They don’t warn you about babies just up and floating away from ya” his curly haired mother would playfully tease, her voice loud but jovial. “We had to tie your lil’ ass down! We shoulda had sold tickets to show off our very own ‘Balloon Baby’” his father joined in, both their southern cadence echoing in his head.

*spin spin spin*

“Ma always said I was a crybaby”, he thought to himself. Heath was never a physically tough boy. With long travels to doctors came the revelation that due to his constant 0-G stunts as an infant, the structure of his skeletal makeup had not been going as intended for someone as young as him. The strength and density of his bones was underdeveloped, and if an eye wasn’t kept on him, long term damage could plague the rest of his life at such a young age. It’s why he was always crying when he wasn’t floating, his young body couldn’t keep up with the constant shifting between 0 and regular gravity. His mother, Clair, would rarely recount how powerless she felt. That as someone who didn’t have a quirk herself, why her second born was burdened with such a needless curse. His father, Hermann, would often regale Heath of how smart he was, even as an infant. “I’m telling ya boy, not long after your momma kept hoopin’ and hollerin’ about your body, ya just up and stopped doin’ it. Doc said it was a blessing or pure luck, but I know better. You’re our star child”. Heath remembers the praise his father showered him with feeling good. He didn’t know how else to say it, he was never good with his words, but he knew that it was invaluable to him. Though, the love from his parents didn’t do much to alleviate the occasional bodily aches he went through.

*spin spin spin*

The spinning grew even more intense, this time being accompanied with a slight but constant changing in altitude. But it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. This was his own little world, while he never had much growing up, he did have this. A space all to himself. It never mattered how big or small he thought his room was, the world above was his and his alone. No one could ever lay claim to what he thought to be his birthright. “Hehehe…” He softly laughed to himself as he began reminiscing on slightly softer memories. Due to his status as being one of the few gifted with a Quirk in his village he was often either the talk of admiration or ridicule and as such, whether he wanted to admit it or not, he occasionally acted out. This often added fuel to both sides' already rooted feeling on him, but it mattered very little. There were of course exceptions to who he decided to lend an ear to, his mother and father being the two standouts in his mind, but there was another. Demian. Demian was always the exception no matter what. Despite knowing Demian since he was around 10 or so, he sadly couldn’t say he understood him. Heath thinks back to how they first met. Heath was caught by a child he had never seen before causing misery to a lone bovine that he had “borrowed”. Demian didn’t speak like everyone else, his words were clear and articulate, nothing like Heath.

“What are you doing?” the young boy asked with a blank expression on his face

“Bwhuh? Uhh…..Spinnin’ cows?” responded Heath, surprised he had been caught in the act, not by an adult, but someone, only slightly(?) older than him.

“Why?” pressed the new boy. Heath wasn’t expecting someone around his age to actually ask the method to his madness, he was used to them either throwing insults or requesting that they be next. He took a good look at the boy. He was taller than Heath, though that wasn’t saying much as Heath was considered short by his peers, and had medium length brown hair that swept to the left and covered his forehead. Other than that he dressed rather plainly yet carried himself with something that Heath himself couldn’t put a word to.

“Uhh…” Heath couldn’t come up with an answer. He did it because he could, that’s all there was to it.

“You should put it down, you’ll kill it doing that.”

“H-HUH?!?” Heath responded in genuine shock, he liked spinning the animals around, sure, but he by no means intended to hurt or kill them for that matter.
He immediately realigned the cow with its proper center of gravity and had it barely hovering above the ground. He then snapped his finger and the cow softly plopped its four hooves on the ground before sitting down and resting its head.

“See? It’s probably nauseous from all the spinning you did to it.” He looked Heath straight in the eyes, voice neither condemning nor demeaning.

“Sorry, I didn’t really think bout’ it…” Heath admitted, slightly feeling embarrassed for a reason he couldn’t explain. The young boy walked past Heath and patted the bovine on the head.

“It’s fine, you don’t seem like a bad person.” Heath smiled at the boy's words and sat down along with him, joining in on easing the cow with pats and scratches. A long time passed without either boy speaking to each other, both of them focusing on the animal. The cow eventually stood back up which signaled to the boys to rise to their feet as well. The brown haired boy dusted the dead grass covering the bottom of his shorts and then raised a hand towards Heath

“My name is Demian. You’re Heath, right?”

Heath quickly dusted himself off as to return the brown haired boy’s politeness.

“Yea! Name’s Heath. I don’t remember ya around here. Where ya from?” Demian explained that he and his mother lived slightly out of the village but would often come for this or that. The boys talked casually about many different things, but if Heath were to take anything away from their discussion, it was that Demian was smart. He was embarrassed to admit it but despite how little time Heath had known Demian, he found himself entranced by every word he spoke. No one, not even his parents were able to grab Heath’s attention like this boy had. Eventually the discussion had to end and everything needed to be put back in its place.

“I think I've been out for too long. I don’t want to worry my mother, so I should get going.”

Heath remembers feeling disappointed that this newfound interesting person was already gonna leave. He involuntarily slacked his shoulders and responded.

“Oh, alright. Sorry ‘gain for the whole cow thing- OH SHOOT!”

Heath realized that he had spent all this time without returning the bovine to its rightful owner. He turns to the cow lazily eating grass and urgently shouts

“I dang forgot to return this thing!”

He turned back, but instead what greeted his vision was not Demian, but a clearly annoyed owner looking for their missing cow.

“Heheh…” Heath giggles as the memory waxes and wanes from his mind. As the spinning that had been encompassing his world slowly abated he found himself being drawn back to reality. His eyes were greeted to the crack of dawn being blanketed over his little village. He didn’t have many strong feelings about his home, but instinctively took in the sight as it might have been a very long time before he was able to see it again. The sound of his dear mother calling out for him reached his ears and…

*fwoosh*

Heath drops hard, feeling the air pressure rushing against his small frame. No matter how many times he did it, no matter how much he was scolded for its danger, he couldn’t help but find the feeling of letting the world take him back to its absolute domain exhilarating. Three….Two… and what would have ended in a major injury for any normal man, or possible death for the boy was halted. Hovering five feet from the ground was the young boy, now gently descending in front of his slightly annoyed mother. Heath expected the same old rant that he would soon come to miss, but what greeted his senses was his mother’s soft yet firm embrace.

“You know we both love you…” spoke Clair, slightly crushing her second born in her fervent embrace.

“No matter what happens out there you always have a place t’ call home.”

“I know ma.” Heath replied. Noticing a spider crawling on his mother’s back, he sent it elegantly floating off of her person, before making a audible *plop* on the ground; the spider crushed under its own existence. Clair continued to shower her baby with love that Heath admittedly wasn’t paying all that much attention to. Eventually they separated and, wiping tears from her eyes said

“Let’s get yew the hound Superstar”

The two walked to the bus stop, Clair’s talk being filled with nostalgia. Heath didn’t talk much during the trip, partially due to the fact that he was rather sleep deprived, and partially because he didn’t want to interrupt his mother. Her sweet southern tones reverberated in his ears as the two soon came to their destination. Pa wasn’t accompanying them due to him needing his rest before the morning labor started.

“Here we are.” Clair said solemnly. She did her best to put on a strong front so as to not make her baby nervous before his big trip. She hugged Heath once again before going over what had been gone over what could’ve been hundreds of times now.

“When yew get off, your brother should already be there waitin’ for ya. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to im’.”

The Greyhound was in sight now, making its trek to the stop it came to time and time again. Hearing the engine’s roar, Clair removed herself from Heath and gave him one final gift. She produced a long, red cloth embroidered with stars and other space related iconography.

“Don’t ya ever forget that no matter where ya are, yer loved. Get out there and give em’ a taste of the Brontë special.”

Heath wordlessly nodded as he took the cloth and slowly boarded the bus. He did as he practiced and paid the driver who gave a nod without looking at Heath’s general direction. He grabbed his suitcase, filled with only the essentials and sat down. The revving of the engine sounding time of departure. Heath looked outside the window and saw his mother watching him. The bus began to head towards one of its inevitable stops in Olympus City, New York. Heath’s destination. As he looked out the window and saw his mother waving her final goodbye, Heath unconsciously wiped his face. Tears?

“Aw shoot…” Heath sputtered, during all of the time walking and listening to his mother, he realized that he never gave anyone any words of gratitude.

 

[mbconsonants]

They don’t really have heroes in Croatia like they do in the United States – quirks aren’t even evaluated unless you’re somebody’s son and it’s something worth showing off, or you use it to disrupt the peace.

In comparison, heroes are everywhere in Chicago, which makes sense once you’ve been there long enough: It’s a place with 1% of Croatia’s landmass, and 70% of its population, and in so, so many ways, America is a very different place.

Vasilija’s English teacher has one motivational poster of Thunderhead in between another describing “EXCELLENCE,” paired with the visual of a soaring eagle, and the commonplace, “In thirty years… [it will matter what you learned]” poster. There are public service ads featuring heroes like Mento and See-More at every stop on the L. Her mom laminated the newspaper clipping of Sunspot congratulating her school’s Science Olympiad team when they placed the highest in the Illinois State Tournament, and two Christmases ago, she saved up tutoring money to buy her dad a children’s Fixit lunchbox, partially as a lighthearted joke, but still, as something to bring a smile to his face when he had to work the night shift at a project site and enjoy dinner away from home.

Heroes are everywhere, but even still, the first hero Vasy truly meets is Basilisk.

Spoiler: Medical Emergency/Mentions of Firearm Violence

He is on patrol at the junction of Chinatown and Bridgeport when he hears about a distress call just across the river in Pilsen. He makes quick work to close the distance, descending the apartment complex from the roof. If he had to guess, he only has a few minutes until residents are awake and curious, if they aren’t already, so he has to work fast. By the sounds of it, there are at least two people present, and one of them definitely injured. Without a clear visual, however, the best he can do is prepare to engage the dispersal fan in his mask and announce his presence to the people on the stairwell platform beneath him.

“This is Pro-Hero Basilisk responding to a reported breaking and entering, additional report of sh–”

“Please help!...Please, please, my name is Vasilija, my parents Mihovil and Tonka rent the apartment next door, and I made the call to the police. He–...he had one friend with him, who ran away, and…and his weapon is on the ground, I kicked it into the apartment, but he’s bleeding a lot and I—”

To be safe, Basilisk hucks two restraining traps at the possible entry/exit points he can see, then drops, hooking onto the balcony to land directly below his previous position…

And it’s not the most shocking or gruesome thing he’s ever seen — hell, most of it he was warned about — but he can’t shake how off it all feels.

There are two people on the landing — a kid with blue dishwashing gloves (the same blue as her hair, to add to the absurdity) taped up around her arms, putting her entire body weight onto [presumably] a lump of gauze affixed to the other person — and if he’s not a kid too, he doesn’t look much past it. The signs of blood loss are obvious, even more so with his clothes striking a dark contrast to the clammy pale tone of his skin, which seems to have some kind of armored/plated quality to it — all of that making less sense when paired with the gauze and Saran-Wrap taped to his chest. Basilisk spots and secures the weapon, which is, as promised, in the entryway to the open apartment behind the two, and also takes notice of the contents of a well-stocked first aid kit scattered across the landing.

The only detail that really throws him is that there is a hole and saturated red stain in the girl’s t-shirt; that hole exactly mirrors where the gauze is placed on the boy’s chest, and whatever round was fired is sitting blood-covered and somehow ejected on the floor of the apartment entryway.

Content Warning Summary: Vasy is injured in an altercation at her neighbor’s apartment, transfers most of the injury in panic, and then medically stabilizes the other individual. This is told through a Pro-Hero (Basilisk) walking in on the scene and deducing that Vasy has a quirk that can partially explain the situation.

---

First to emerge are her neighbors (Mrs. Ramos — the cross-hall neighbor who had fallen asleep while watching Vasilija in their apartment — among them), then the paramedics, and then the police closely after. They call both of her parents, though she knows it’s another hour or so until her mom clocks out of her restaurant job, and her dad will be at work until the morning.

While they’re still waiting on help, Basilisk is able to concentrate his quirk, Medusa’s breath, to petrify and stop the bleeding of both matching wounds, set up a perimeter, and once the paramedics arrive, manifest near Vasilija to, presumably, prepare her for giving a statement to the police, as well as determine absolutely everything that honestly happened — why and how.

And she does panic, at first. After all, she hasn’t received specific quirk training, but she does know enough to be scared for having used it to inflict harm on somebody — intentionally or not. However, the hero tells her in no uncertain terms that 1. She acted in defense of her own life (and, all said and done, ensured that the person she used her quirk on lived as well) and is not in trouble, 2. You should never feel like you, a thirteen-year-old, have to pay a member of the justice system your tutoring income to ensure they corroborate true, evidence-supported events (because she does offer — again, America is a very different country than Croatia), and, 3. I will personally petrify and shatter any individual accessible to me who makes you question my previous point.

So, she explains her quirk — about her family leaving their home after spending two years exhausting every avenue available to them and still having no answer, medical or otherwise, as to why their child was always sick or injured; explains the necessity of understanding medicine — all of the things that could go wrong and how to respond if they do; and, perhaps most relevantly, explains why she would leave her apartment when hearing the lock of her elderly neighbor’s front door shatter, why she would try and take back any of a life-threatening injury, and why she would stay to try and perform first aid on a wound more serious than what a teenager could reasonably be asked to deal with.

It doesn’t take very long — they talk on a bench on the first floor of the complex, but over the course of the conversation, Vasy needs the shock blanket less for shock and more for just sheltering against the vicious teeth of the Windy City’s namesake, which is an improvement, even if the same can’t be said for the bruising that still lingers between her ribs. By the time the smattering of sirens and red-and-blue lights resonate through the atmosphere, Basilisk stows away the pen and paper he uses to jot down her full name, the school she attends, and her family contact info, offering, “You’ve got hero shit, but you are a kid, and I won’t advocate for anyone to take on such extreme risk without proper training. You could still pursue medicine too, but your guidance counselor can explain all of that better than I can. I’m just gonna send some options, but I strongly advise you to consider them,” by way of explanation.

---

The weekend passes, and Vasilija gets called into the guidance counselor’s office early Monday morning. Tearing open the envelope from the Hero’s Public Safety Commission afterward, she finds all of the things she’s expecting, chief among them being the materials to apply to Mount Olympus Academy in New York, but also, schedules for mixed martial arts classes, free prep classes for those testing into quirk-focused high schools, and outlines of paired hero certification/medical doctorate career tracts. However, unexpected was the sticky note stuck to the top of the application, signed by Basilisk, reading:

Everybody’s going to have the scariest moments of their entire life. Hero shit is knowing when you’re stepping into those moments for somebody else — though sometimes, they’ll be yours too — and doing everything you can with your body, your mind, and the seconds you have to make it better. You are a person who can make the seconds count.

And don’t let anybody take your money.

---

Vasy’s mom elects to travel with her to Olympus City, and it’s hard to say which she does more on the day of MOA entrance exams: kiss her cheeks, or check to make sure she’s not missing anything (gloves? red backpack? no. 2 pencils? advil? ice pack? heat pack? liquid stitches? left shoe? right shoe? — she thinks, tiredly, but in good humor, that her mom probably feels like her daughter is teetering on the edge of a second [spiritual] “leaving of the homeland” moment, with them being the homeland — if her iterations over her list of necessary testing supplies are anything to go by.)

“My sweet, sweet mala,” she croons in Croatian, “-you are even braver and smarter than your father and I could have hoped you would be, just please, remember part of why you do this is to learn how to be safe. You have so much love for the people you want to help, but tata and I, we are a little bit selfish, and love you most of all.” At some point in all of this, the taxi they called beeps at them to hurry it up, but Tonka pays them no mind, but gives Vasy a longer gentle pinch to both cheeks, at least some part of her knowing that they’re about to separate. “Don’t get hurt if you don’t have to, and please be careful. Yes?”

Locking eyes with her mother, Vasilija confirms, “Yes, I promise,” before hiding her own nerves in a returned kiss to Tonka’s cheek and squeezing her in a tight embrace. “You’ve never seen a hero like me, mama. I love you.”

Pulling away, she bows graciously as her mom realizes she left lipstick on both of her cheeks and works to rub it free, commenting, “What a thing, to see none most of our lives, and our little glass baby—“

Vasy, rightly, scrunches her nose at the nickname.

“—would be the one to show us what we were missing.”

Ever the tactile family and relishing every touch while she’s still healthy, before the practical exam, Vasilija gives her mom’s hand one last squeeze while opening the door into the taxi. Accepting the gesture, Tonka finishes with, “I love you too, my sweet Vasilija.”

Closing the door and buckling into the taxi feels hopeful, but just a little nerve-wracking. Thankfully, the lack of regard for life and limb exhibited by the cab driver actually serves as an effective palate cleanser. The speed and bumps and shifting aren’t all that distinguishable from the jostling of the L train. It’s just another ride to school for a Science Olympiad tournament; to a gym to train in Krav Maga; to the community center for coffee and checkers; to America, because her quirk changes life for herself and everyone she touches.

Who knows, this exam might be one of the scariest moments of her life, but regardless, whatever is in store for her or the hundreds of other students with the same goal in their minds, her seconds will count.

Hero shit. She tells herself.

 

[BugDozer73]

GM POST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Date: September 4th
Weather: partly cloudy, 74 Degrees, no wind
location: Mount Olympus Academy


The streets leading to the main campus buzz with life, even early: MOA, renowned international hero academy, is having its annual entrance exam. The crowds, which clogged the streets, are filled with beaming and shaking applicants, doting parents and professional heros with eyes peeled to the (hopefully) emerging talent. As people gather and collect, the main gates begin to slide open, as a voice rings through the air, dulling the passive roar of the masses.

"Attention applicants! Welcome to the Mount Olympus Entrance exam. The exam will consist of both a written and practical test. Please, step beyond the doors to find your way to the written portion of the exam. Once placed in a test taking center, you will have exactly 80 minutes to complete the written exam. Afterwards, you will be split into 4 groups and taken to facilities to complete the practical part of your exam. APPLICANTS: GOOD LUCK! Olympus awaits true heros."

As the announcement concludes, the gates are now fully open, beckoning to the heros to enter, and the crowds begin to part; Applicants striding towards the future and the heros and parents cheering from behind.

 

[Purize]

ALICE​

Mount Olympus Academy​

Arches of concrete and hundreds of other daunted faces filled the pathway leading up to the entrance of Mount Olympus Academy. The immense Grecian-inspired building rose up in front of her like a great monument of something out of a legend. The statuette heads of other famous heroes line the grounds and Alice recognized many of them as she passed. In addition to her ridiculous amount of astronomy knowledge, her main hobby was learning about heroes from around the world. What makes someone a hero? How is every hero different? She loved watching countless interviews of the pros answering those exact questions.

Earlier, her mother had followed her all the way to the gates of MOA, fussing incessantly while Alice was lost in thought. “Have everything you need? Enough pencils and erasers? Your fitness wear for the practical? What about Eebi? Did you pack Eebi?” Snapping out of her thoughts, Alice whipped her head towards her mother, cheeks red in embarrassment.

“Mom! I’m not bringing Eebi! I’m too old to carry plushies around anymore! I’ll be fine,” she blustered.

“Aww, you used to carry them around everywhere when you were little! Ah, kids grow up too fast.” Her mother chuckled and gave Alice a pat on the head. “Best of luck, darling. Remember to be present in the moment and to use your head. I’ll see you later.”

Be present in the moment. Got it. No space cadet, today, Alice thought to herself.

Now, inside the reception area, signs pointed students to various locations for their exams. Alice’s eyes flicked from board to board until she found the one she was looking for: M.O.A High School Hero Course — Written Exam.

As Alice approached, a few adults were passing out tickets while kids lined up for the area leading to the exam. When it was her turn, a woman with bright yellow skin and hair in business casual attire turned to her, handing her a piece of paper:

Exam ticket
Examinee No.: 246
Test Location: Battle Center 3

“Here you go, sugar. Take this with you and head down the hall to the third door on the right. Like the announcement said, once the test starts, you’ll have 80 minutes for the written portion and this here will tell you which group to be in for the practical portion afterward,” the woman explained.

Alice nodded, taking the ticket, and began shuffling down the hall, squeezing and weaving her way through other high schoolers. Once she got to the third door on the right as the woman had noted, she picked a seat in the middle of the room and waited as other people filtered in around her.

Deep breaths. Be in the moment. I’ve got this.

A chime rang out indicating that it was time. A man walked around the room, handing out the tests and soon it was time to begin. The room was filled with the sounds of the voracious scratching of pencils on paper, but Alice was focused. Despite having been homeschooled, her mother was a world-class doctor and researcher and did not go easy on Alice when it came to academia. Multiple choice questions were a joke in the face of research papers Alice was made to write as question answers.

Even so... this entrance exam was no laughing matter. Alice found herself second-guessing a few of her choices, but in the end, she was confident that she would get a decent score. The eighty minutes were grueling, but eventually, the time ended and there was a unified sigh of relief in the room as the timer rang.

The man at the front stood up from the desk he’d been sitting at as people began to forfeit their test answers, “Everyone, once you’ve handed in your exams, gather in the respective courtyards of your battle centers— the tickets you received earlier will have your assigned station numbers.”

The campus for MOA was immense, but with the volunteers around to guide lost students, Alice eventually made it to her battle center. Gratefully, they were asked to wait in the courtyards outside. The sun beamed down through partial clouds on the lawn grass as people milled about. Alice smiled up at the sky, humming with solar energy. It had been months since she’d been charged this fully. When she saw on the news the day before that it would be partially cloudy, she was so nervous she wouldn’t have enough time to charge that she’d been up since sunrise. Several cups of coffee later, she felt bright and ready.

 

[loch_ness]

Camille Monet
Mount Olympus Academy​

Once she regained strength in her legs she took a couple steps forward. As her legs moved, so did her mind, thoughts began to flood her brain.

‘I got this..do I got this?’
‘They look scary, why does everyone look so serious?’
‘If I turn back now will mom not be so mad?’

While her mind raced her face showed quite the opposite. Her resting face always seemed calm compared to how she felt on the inside.

She kept her eyes straightforward her silver, winter hair resting at her shoulders lazily. The campus was big, the complex concrete reminding her of some building in Europe.

“Wow, now this is. . .”

Her mumbled words were wisked away by the bustling of students inside the reception building. Once she navigates the crowd she found the found the board for her:

M.O.A. High School Hero Course -
Written Exam​

She was handed a ticket by one of the many adults near the entrance. She was immediately given instructions of where to go. Giving a quiet nod, not trusting her voice to speak.

One Stressful Exam Later…​

Her jumbled thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind as she tried to read the ticket given to her.


Exam Ticket

Examinee No. : 341

Test Location: Battle Center 4


She took in a breath of fresh air as she followed the many volunteers set out to guide testers the right way. Once she was safely in a quiet corner of the battle center, she activated her quirk. A small Chibi-version of herself popping into existence in front of her.

“Listen my petit soldat, here’s our game plan, pay attention.”

 

[BugDozer73]

Noah
Mount Olympus Academy​

Some students walked in with bags full of what Noah assumed were supplies. Papers, pens, snacks, changes of clothes: maybe even support items? It was clear many of the people charging the gates after the announcement were quite wealthy. Noah, however, also came prepared. With the little cash he had left over from the plane tickets, he had gone to a local convenience store and purchased a small canvas back pack, two small bottles of water and a Thunder bar. He was ready.

He stepped lively through the crowds: he definitely wasn't the only one there unaccompanied by adults. The practical exam would be televised, so plenty of people watched from home, even if they didn't have friends or family participating. Noah remembered fondly the late nights of going over old practical exam footage with Aleki; taking notes, discussing strategies. Ever since he decided to be a hero, he had been working his ass off to get a play book together.

The first thing he discovered was that MOA changed their exams every year: no two exams were ever exactly alike. The second was that sometimes, people who you would think failed, passed. He had really mused over the second function of it with Aleki, theorizing the possibilities. Three years ago, the exam was a race to the top of a collapsing building, most likely simulating moving through a deteriorating urban environment to find civilians. One contestant, a kid with deep red hair, ended up getting rocked early by one of the for-running examines with a crazy quirk: kinetic displacement. The kid with red hair spent the first 25 mins of the exam entirely unconscious, but he had 5 minutes when he came to. He never even finished the exam, or made it past the second floor: but part of the building fell, about to crush one of the examines. The kid used his quirk to save the other one, but he ran out of time. Noah figured it would be the last time he saw him, but months later during the sports festival, he was front and center. The only thing Noah and Aleki could figure out for sure was that they must have had a secret instruction: something he knew the others didn't. Maybe he was the son of a staff member and was let in on a secret? If Noah passed this year, that kid would be going on to be a senior. He could ask him himself.


"Young man? You're holding up the line." The woman behind the desk rolled her eyes and shoved the ticket into Noahs face. "This is your exam ticket. You DID come here to take the exam, didn't you?"

"O-oh, yeah!" In a daze, Noah reached up and took the ticket. It was hard paper, with the navy blue and noble gold of the schools colors.
Had he really been so lost in thought he didn't even pay attention to the campus? What about the arches?! The beautiful gardens and fountains? WHAT ABOUT THE GIRLS?! He'd missed it all, like an idiot.

"Hey asshole, real applicants are trying to do things with their lives. stop standing there and move." A boy with long hair, a thing face and nice suit glared at him from the front of the line Noah was impeding. He looked down at him through polished glasses which sat perched elegantly on his nose

"Im sorry!" Noah bowed his head and quickly stepped aside, and the long haired boy stepped forward to grab his ticket. He was tall, taller than Noah, who's eyes fell a little above his shoulders. And a girl stepped up from behind him as the line began to move again. She also had long dark hair, and round cheeks with some freckles, and a simple smile that gave way to 2 beautiful blue eyes that he realized quickly were looking right at him. Wait, was she talking to him?

"What did you say?" He asked in confusion, and she giggled. "I said good luck on your exam..." She leaned forward and looked down at his exam ticket. "...Examinee 118. Maybe i'll see you in practical." She smiled brightly and moved forward with the line, waving at him before returning to what she was doing. Maybe, Noah hadn't missed all the girls.

"Thanks!" He called to her, and then he pinched himself and pulled off to the side to look at the paper.

Exam ticket

Examinee: 118

Test location: Battle Center 2


Ok, get it together. There will be time to see the campus later: after he passed the exam and was fully enrolled. For now, he had to focus on the first part: the written. Noah took off down the hall, searching the tags on the walls until he found his room. He snuck in as best he could, looking over the dozens of other students conversing as the prepared to take their exam. This part would be easy: answer a few questions? He could handle this. How hard could it be?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright students, 5 more minutes, then pencils down."

5 MINUTES?! Noah has already skipped so many questions. he flipped aggressively through the pages while running strained fingers through his hair. What did some of this even MEAN?! Hero logic wasn't so bad, but who would have guessed there were physics parts of the exam! There was no way he could calculate force necessary to stop the collapse of a 12 story building in down town. Was this it? Was he finished? Who knew the heros were all ROCKET SCIENTISTS?! If he didn't find an answer soon, he would be right there with Extendo fingers Aleki stuck on the island forever.

Noah looked around the room at the other applicants: They all looked so calm and composed. And there, sitting at the front, was the gorgeous girl with long black hair, and a smile that filled up the room. She was so kind, and smart for sure. Noah would bet money that she was probably doing perfectly fine. She was meant to be here. If only he could answer this question, he could get in. He could talk to her again. He could see him asking her out after an evening quirk work out: they would go and try some pizza on campus, and hold hands down the main fields, and as the sun would set, she would look into his eyes, with her pools of ocean blue, and he would lean in, and-

"Times up- Pencils down. This concludes the written exam."

Noah's blood drained from his face, and the pencil fell from his hands, clattering to the desk. Just like that, it was over: total wipe-out.

"All applicants, please exit through these doors and make your way to your designated practical exam locations. Best of luck to you all."


Noah followed the crowd and quietly lurked into the 2nd Battle center. The room was filling quickly with students, but Noah couldn't stop thinking about the written exam. If he was lucky, maybe he'd get a C. Which means all he had to do was.... ACE the practical. Noah slumped his shoulders down, and leaned up against the concrete wall of the waiting center, in-between groups of applicants talking about how easy the test was.

 

[Gallus]

LYRA
Mount Olympus Academy​

It’s a twenty minute bus ride to the campus; the ensuing traffic makes it feel even longer. Lyra’s fingers drum against the black canvas case on her lap, lips pressing into a taut line. There’s a litany of cars around them, yellow taxis and vintage cars and sleek electric hybrids, all blocking together like sardines in a can. The morning rush is always bad in Olympus, but this? Distantly, Lyra wonders how many of those cars hold future students.

Future competition, comes the distant thought. She shudders and sinks deeper into her seat.

“Offenbach.”

Lyra jumps slightly and turns. Cobb is sitting beside her, eyes distant with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. He gets a few harsh looks from the other passengers, but no one says anything because technically he’s not smoking -- yet. The older man scratches the stubble on his chin and waves a thoughtful hand.

“I’ve been thinking about the song you were playing earlier this morning. Said it was like Vivaldi, but no. I was actually thinking of Offenbach.”

“..O…kay?”

“Just thinking out loud here. Offenbach, see, he’s credited with composing Orpheus in the Underworld. You know the story of that, right?”

Lyra, still unsure of where her uncle is going with this, nods vaguely.

“Guy loses his girlfriend, goes to Hades to get her back, only to lose her again. Anyways, gorgeous fucking song, even if the story’s a complete tragedy. It’s got all these dramatic swells and, if you ever hear it live, there’s usually a clarinet solo that--” Cobb stops, considers himself for a moment, before waving a dismissive hand. “Nevermind. Not important. What I’m getting at, though, is that everyone’s heard of this goddamn song, even if they don’t know it. Because, in a song about tragedy, you know what the one fucking part is that everyone remembers?”

“Where are you going with this, Uncle?”

Cobb laughs, the sound gruff and full of weathered edges, and he turns his gleaming blue eyes on Lyra. “The Can-Can, Feathers.” His grin bites down on the cigarette. “In a story about losing everything, it’s also the song with the fucking Can-Can.”

“...What?” And, despite herself, Lyra can’t help but laugh along. “Uncle, what are you on about?”

“I don’t know, just trying to cheer you up. Get your mind off of things. It’s not good, being stuck on one shitty thought, over and over until you’re sick of it. Makes you worry too much. Makes mistakes easier to make.”

“Well,” Lyra looks down at the case in her arms, then back up at her uncle with a small smile. “I’d day that it worked. I certainly don’t feel like I’m gonna be sick anymore. But I’m still nervous.”

“Bah, those are nerves. They’re different. Those are good. Keeps you on your toes and all that.”

“I still don’t understand you, Uncle.”

“Don’t have to. Not when we’re already here.”

What?

Cobb points out the window, and sure enough the MOA campus looms ahead. Lyra’s heart jumps. Already? It feels too soon, too fast. Lyra’s not ready. Except…

Her hands clasp tightly around the bag.

No. She is ready. She’s stolen from her mum for this, traveled across the world for this, risked everything. Lyra steadies her breathing, straightens her back, and nods to Cobb.

“Wish me luck.”

Cobb cocks her a grin. “Luck’s got nothing to do with it, Feathers.”

The bus pulls up in front of the campus. Already, there’s a dizzying swarm of students, all heading to one central building. Lyra steps off, Cobb following close behind.

“I’ll wait by the entrance, okay? You’ve got this.” Her uncle gives a wink as he pulls out his lighter. “Make sure you beat up some kids for me.”

“Uncle, it’s the written exam.”

“And?”

Lyra shakes her head, turning with a smile as she passes through the gates. Moving past the sea of students, she follows the arrows posted around, joining the current of students as they all receive their tickets from a line of staff members.

Exam Ticket
Examinee No.: 392
Test Location: Battle Center 2

Lyra carefully stows away her bag and takes a seat. It’s…nerve wracking. She’s nervous. Oh, god, she is nervous. But nerves are good, unless they aren't? So stuck nerves aren’t good? Unless they keep her sharp, which she needs, until she starts thinking even longer and the Can-Can is playing in the back of her mind and why did he have to mention that song, what did that story even mean, was he drunk--

Breathe.

A chime rings out. Eighty minutes on the clock. Lyra picks up the pen. In this moment, in the silence of a room where the only sound is quiet breathing and the hush of moving pages, Lyra stills her mind. She is here. She is present. And she is ready.

---

─ • ─​

---

Lyra’s hands ache. It’s nothing she hasn’t handled before -- there are calluses on the tips of her fingers -- but she still flexes them testingly as she turns in the test. It’s…nice? Satisfying. That’s a good word for it. Satisfaction of having done something and finishing it, even if it were difficult. The nervousness from before settles into a tired sort of acceptance as Lyra heads out onto the courtyard proper. The sun is warm, at least, and though there’s hundreds of students milling about, it doesn’t feel crowded. Just…busy. Exciting.

There’s a bench underneath a spindly tree, and Lyra hurries before someone can take it. She has time until the next portion of the exam, and she needs to get those nerves out. Maintain whatever clarity settles her mind, without falling into overconfidence. Granted, looking around, what is there to be confident about? Antsy hands unzip the black bag, unveiling the carved mahogany frame hiding underneath. The harp is small, even for a clarsach, yet the modifications carefully ensured that each string still rang true.

“Alright, Odette,” Lyra murmurs as she plucks a few strings. She exhales, letting the serenity carry itself into each note. “Now is your time to shine.”

 

[SchmittBitt]

'Awe man everythings starting already.' I’ll just get in line when it’s a bit less crowded. Sam thinks to himself as he stares at the large sea of students getting into unorganized lines to receive a testing ticket. “You really picked one hell of a school didn’t you old man” Sam says to himself as he takes in the large stylized gates. The cameras and crowds of wealthy looking families cheering towards their kids “Go get em tiger” and “You’ll make us proud I know it!”

Sam, lost in thought, tosses his paper bag in a nearby trashcan and heads to get in line 'This place makes me sick' he thinks as the taste of stomach acid and garlic bagel washes up in his mouth. “I really need to get to the bottom of this motion sickness” he chuckles as he brings up the very back of the line.

“Apply yourself”

The words the old man told him stick out in his brain and Sam clears it thinking 'What I’m just giving myself room for a running start' After waiting for the candidates ahead of him to get their tickets he brings up the rear receiving the ticket from the now exasperated ticket giver.

Exam Ticket
Examinee: 400
Test location: Battle Center 4

“Right this is the starting line, I need to finish this quick” Sam says as two of the candidates ahead of him turn with confused faces. Sam smiles and waves as he looks for the last available place to sit.

40 minutes later
​

Sam flips the last page and sets his pencil down. Alright I’m finished. Most of those weren’t too bad. Some definite tricky ones here and there but it was alright. “How's that for applying yourself old man!” He suddenly realized that he didn’t just think that, but blurted it out as some focused and annoyed eyes shift in his direction. Without a second thought he smiles and waves trying to dismiss it. Real smooth Sam real smooth.

“Apply yourself”

He hears it again in his head as if beckoning him for more effort. The countless days he’d been lectured and tutored on “You have so much potential. You really do. If you just put in some real thought as to what you want to achieve with your quirk you’d be able to speed past the best of the best. Learn to focus down Sam and the sky's the limit!”

Sam looks down at his completed test and begins shifting back through it. Re-reading it. Taking the extra due diligence to pass this test. 'You’re right old man, you always have been.'

37 minutes later​

After checking back over his answers three times and fixing minor mistakes he rushed through, he hears the proctor say “Times up”

Sam smiles and rushes towards battle center 4. He weaves between people and makes it to the front. Feeling his momentum build, his smile brightened. Sam thinks 'I get it now old man' and Sam has only one focus: “Speed past the best of the best”.

 

[Waste of Flesh]

Heath and Nathan
Olympus City/Mount Olympus Academy​

“What’s the plan Heath?”

“I go into Olympus School and take the hero thang?”

“It's called Mount Olympus Academy, Heath.”

Heath rolled his eyes and humored his brother with a dispassionate “Okaaay” before the officer in uniform continued his cross-examination.

“Take this seriously Heath; I need to make sure you know exactly what’s going on. You’re my responsibility until you take this whole “Hero Business” is taken care of”.

“C’mawn Robby, the sarcasm isn’t needed!”

“I only dish out what’s given, little man.”

Robert Brontë was an officer working for the Olympus City Metropolitan Police Department, or the OCMPD. He was a rather tall and muscular individual (though in comparison to his younger brother, most would look tall and built) that had left his small Georgia village as soon as he turned 18. Heath was around 5 at the time, so the times he actually got to speak with his brother post his departure were rare. The two continued to bicker in a way that only family could, not pushing too hard but with just enough familiarity to get on the other’s nerves. Until finally, they both arrive at MOA.

“Looks like we’re here. You remember my number in case the worst happens?”

“I’ll be fine.” Heath insisted. “I doubt the test will even be that hard in the first place.” Heath levitated and spun two small rocks around his finger like the planets on an orrery.
“I’ll be in and out before ya even know it.”

Robert wanted to say more to Heath. That he was being overconfident. That he hadn’t even been to a proper public school before. That he wasn’t even sure if the education standards were even the same from a small insular village. How Heath even got the idea to apply here in the first place. But in the end, he took a deep breath, pushed his younger brother forward and said

“Show’s yours.”

Heath rubbed his back from the slight stinging sensation that came from his brother's push and walked towards the monolithic structure. He had seen large building since coming to Olympus City, but even then, he could feel that this one was different. He couldn’t put his finger on why, he just knew. He looked around to see what was going on. Men and women from far and wide gathered outside the building in hopes of testing their mettle against each other in order to earn the prestige of attending MOA and he was no different. He spotted a young girl setting fire from no starter other than her own body, a young man hovering above the ground with precision and ease and… a blonde haired boy emptying the contents of his stomach into a brown paper bag.

“Wonder if he’s sic-.”

Heath’s thoughts are cut short when he notices something quite unique. There was a dark skinned young man resting with what looked like a dog? No, it looked too…wild? A coyote maybe? Yeah, let’s go with that, he thought. This coyote that was at one second resting with the young man quickly made its way into the man’s backpack in a fashion that could only be described as turning into some black liquid. Seeing as though he knew no one, and that his interest had been piqued, Heath ran up to the dark skinned young man and tugged on his clothes.

“Hey.”

Nathan halted mid stride, his head spinning back towards the tugging at his rear. The momentary tension subsided once he examined the source of interruption. The kid was short, maybe a middle schooler? But then why would he be walking this way? Could he be another applicant for MOA, and if so perhaps this act of physical contact was some sort of condition for his own quirk. His thoughts spiraled on for a few moments longer before he snapped back to reality. With a quick jerk, Nathan freed his black shirt out of the hands of the student.

“What can I do for you?” he demanded through a thick Congolese accent.

“Did your coyote just slither into your bag all water like?”

Heath had seen a bit in the couple of days he’d spent with Robert, but despite being outside of his little home, he hadn’t quite seen many quirks yet. He figured that if this wasn’t some exotic animal trick he hadn’t seen before, he could see something cool or even make a friend? Heath made a half-hearted attempt to smile at the young man.

Answering a question with a question, Nathan’s least favorite form of reply. On top of that the stranger was now attempting to gather intelligence on his quirk. Nathan was having none of it.

“It is simply one of the many applications of my quirk...”

As a matter of habit, Nathan took a quick glance down at his wrist. The announcement would be starting soon and he would not be made late by anyone.

“...and if you have any other questions I would suggest you walk and talk.”

Nathan continued his stride towards the gates of Mount Olympus.

Nice, Heath had thought. The ol’ Brontë charm did it again.

“W-Wait up!”

Heath hurried along with the dark skinned boy and tried to match his pace, which was more troublesome than he’d like to admit.

As the two passed under the gate and into the main hall, Nathan looked over and down at the kid as he rattled on. Definitely a student then, he noted. The main hall was crowding quickly and as announcements started blaring over the speakers Nathan and the other students found themselves in a sea of what had to be a couple hundred other colorful applicants. Following the natural flow of traffic he found himself at a desk where students would receive a navy card with gold trim.


Exam Ticket
Examinee No. 198
Test Location: Battle Center 3


“So wut, is your quirk coyote tamin’? Wait, that can’t be right. I’ve seen plenty of doggies in my time and I’ve never seen one squish and squash like that into a hole as small as that. OH WAIT! I DID quash a nasty one once, hehe. Ma was real mad at me. Not for squshin, naw, she was mad that I did it so close ta home. It made a real mess everywhere and-”

Nathan reached out placing a lone finger against the lips of his verbal assailant. “Let your lips be still,” he insisted as he withdrew his hand. “Listen…” he paused to gather his thoughts, “...how about this. If both manage to make it through this exam together I will humor you until the day grows long. For now take this, the written exam is starting,” Nathan handed an exam ticket down to the boy.

Did he just put his finger on ma mouth? Heath thought about just pushing him slightly back before thinking about what the young man actually proposed. Other than the fact that he had been, in Heath’s mind, ever so rude, he decided that it was probably for the best to comply. It’s a new place and there’s no need to stoop to his level. Who knows, maybe he’ll be able to impose onto him the merits of southern style hospitality. Heath took the card and read its contents.

Exam Ticket
Examinee No. 199
Test Location: Battle Center 4

“Sure. But uh, what’s ya name?”

Heath reached out his hand and spoke

“Mine’s Heath.”

Nathan examined the outstretched hand for a moment before meeting Heath halfway with his own. With a firm grip he responded, “I am known as Nathaniel Ngoma , second son of chief Ilunga Ngoma.” Pulling his hand away Nathan began to make his way towards the examination hall, stopping after a few steps.

“You coming?” Nathan encouraged looking back at his fellow applicant.

'Chief'? Does that make him a big deal? Heath pondered the status of his new acquaintance as he was led to the written exam room.

 

[LunaSolaria1218]

Aspen
Mount Olympus Academy, Olympus City
​

Aspen walked through the doors to MOA feeling well-rested and ready to do her absolute best to pass the exams ahead of her. She began reviewing her checklist in her head one last time as she approached and waited in line with the other exam takers.
Work out gear for physical exam? Check

Pencils? "Check"

Water bottle? "Check"

Snacks? "Check"

Arms guards? "Check"

Leg guards? "Also Check"

As she finishes going over her items, she finally reaches the desk where a young woman was stationed. "Hi, I'm here for my ticket for the exams!" Aspen stated kindly to the woman. The only response she received was being handed a slip of paper and a hand motion telling her to go down the hall to her right.

I was just trying to be nice... Ears drooping a bit as she walks down the hall, Aspen looks down at her ticket to read her information.

Exam ticket
Examinee: 98
Test location: Battle Center 1

Here goes nothing... Aspen walks into the room for the written exam and takes her seat to begin.

*Time Skip: After Written Exam*

That honestly was as hard as I thought it would be, some of the questions felt a bit harder than the rest, but overall I feel good about how I did on this portion, Aspen thinks as she goes into a bathroom to change for the next part of the exam.

Once she was done, Aspen walked the rest of the way toward her exam site, curious to see what the surprise would be this year and thinking, I hope things go well with whatever it is the exam makers have planned this year, just hope it doesn't get me killed...

And with that, Aspen finds a spot against a wall within her testing location and leans back against it, staying alert while scanning the other examinees either already in the room or having just walked in, taking note of a guy with bright blonde hair and a girl with blue pigtails and red ribbons. Those 2 look interesting, wonder what they can do?

 

[Tinytoad]

Pen, check.

Eraser, check.

Wallet, keys, phone, scrap paper, testing cloths

Lucky charm

All check.

Carefully packed by Geomi, then double checked and delicately repacked by her dad.

Deep breaths, in, and out.

Stepping onto campus was stepping into a different world. The air teeming with excitement, and pressure all the same. And so many people, more people than Geomi had predicted, being a hero isn't easy after all, she didn't expect so many would readily step forward for the task. .

Glancing around, seeing mobs of hopeful applicants passing through students handing out tickets, she approaches, takes her ticket with two hands and a kind head bow, and continues moving forward.

Exam Ticket
Examinee: 388
Test location: Battle Center 3

Mutants and impressive looking peers everywhere, bright blue ombre hair, some standing far taller over the crowd, other mutants even, all walking towards the foreboding building beyond. Almost all of these applicants won't stay here long. But Geomi will. “I have to.”

-----

Focus, Breathe. Just what Geomi has studied for. So long as she understands English, and if she doesn’t, she can ask for aid, so long as she passes enough of the literacy portion. Geomi was the best English speaker at her secondary school in Korea, aced the exams, and was understandable the few times she did speak out loud.

Reeling in the weight of it all, Geomi takes a moment, “There could be others like me here, unafraid to show and speak for themselves... Maybe I could find some peers to connect with, or at least a kind study group for friends, but first, focus.”

"Students please take your seats"

The English instructions are easy to understand, 80 minutes on the clock, then go to area 4. The packet doesn't feel too thick.

Breathe, one step at a time.

"You may begin the written portion of the exam."

Testing begins, pencils begin to fly, and focus is all drawn into the words written on the pages. Except for some kid aggressively flipping through pages… He’s tearing through the pages like he has to complete in ¼ of the time. How obnoxious. Focus, do your best to ignore…

Bursting out from the front of the room, “How's that for applying yourself old man!”

Geomi’s head snaps up, all pencils stop moving. This blonde kid’s packet is… shut?? Is he done? Seriously? How inconsiderate can these Americans be. Calling it a polite smile is a stretch, but crosses his face nonetheless. He waves the air as if trying to cut the lines between the other applicants and him from his ignorant outburst. He awkwardly looks back to his test, and begins flipping through.

He’s completed and Geomi’s, maybe 2/3s of the way through. Crunch time.

—--

Geomi is double checking answers as time is called.

"Please put your pencils down. Testing is finished."

Trust yourself, one step at a time. Ignore others who try to distract you. Like that dumb blonde - is he sprinting out? Why is he running everywhere.. A heavy sigh escapes from Geomi, exasperated, but also, drawn away from the pressure of it all. Another breath in, with a curt huff out - to the practical exam, and show the staff your true self.

 

[CactusJuice]

Nolan Light ​

Nolan slowed as he reached the crowds in front of the gates. . . was that a Hyena? He stared for a second before it disappeared.

Nolan shook his head and smacked his hands against his cheeks. It was time to put his game face on. His face became a stone mask as he approached; his eyes hardened to a resting glare. He wasn’t here to make friends. Not that it would have mattered either way.

He was the son of the mighty Powercrest. A nationally ranked hero known for his pure combat ability. He was even known to take on international missions every now and then when there was a raid on a powerful villain organization. The other thing his father was known for was being a playboy, party man who enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. Ironically, if his father actually bothered working on his public image, he probably could have broken the top 10 in the US rankings.

Nolan was also the son of the beautiful Voltaire. The hero celebrity extraordinaire. Her electric quirk made her stunning to villains and those who saw her on the big screen. From movies to missions to charity events, her work for the people never stopped . . . not even for her son.

And being their son naturally meant you had the honor of dealing with a lot of preconceived notions. People either hate you at first thinking you were like them or hated you later because you were nothing like either one. Not to mention those who didn’t care for you really at all, and were just trying to brown-nose their way up. It didn't help that both his parents tended to limit their public comment on him.

As Nolan approached, some of the cheers from hopeful students and parents died down, and so it began. Nolan walked through the gates. Whispers became audible in the crowd.

"You see that kid's hair?"
"Yeah, that's Voltaire's kid for sure."
"Doesn't that make him PowerCrest's son too?"
"I'm surprised they're even making him take the exam."
"He's probably got one heck of a quirk."
"He walks like he does."
"Probably has a cocky-ass attitude too like his pops."
"Shhhh, he'll hear you."

Nolan turned up the volume on his music; the sweet sounds of rock filled his ears. He took a deep breath in and out. He needed to tune everyone else out; they didn't matter. Most of these kids lived in a different world than Nolan. They wanted to go to MOA, but ultimately they could achieve their dream elsewhere. Nolan needed to make the cut here. Otherwise his dream was dead in the water, and everyone was right about him.

Nolan stepped into the crowd. As people began bumping into him, Nolan countered with a small electrical charge effectively giving those who made contact a strong static shock. Nolan's personal bubble became very distinct as people parted ways around him. He was sure he drew a few angry glares and muttered comments, but he drowned it out in music just like the whispers.

He continued until he found something resembling a line, and then just waited with an impatient tapping of his foot.

After finally making it to the front, Nolan received his exam ticket.

Exam Ticket
Examinee: 202
Test Location: Battle Center 1

He briefly wondered if the Battle Center was just a randomly assigned location or meticulously calculated placement before walking into the written test room. He slid his headphones into his bag.

As Nolan sat down and eyed the questions, he knew he was in for a bit of a headache. He knew he wasn't the brightest bulb around, but thankfully he'd at least received a good education. His various tutors had basically bludgeoned him over the head with this stuff.

One headache later

Even though he was certain he scored fairly well, Nolan was glad it was over. His brain had felt like it was just about to fizzle out. Nolan rubbed his forehead before sliding his headphones back on.

Nolan played some smooth jazz in his headphones to mellow him out. He then headed to the nearest restroom to get changed from his typical semi-formal white button up with a gold trimmed black jacket into simple black workouts sweats and a yellow polyester t-shirt. He then approached his battle center. This was when the real test started.

When Nolan walked into the Battle Center 1’s waiting area, he couldn’t help but notice a few sideway glances from the other students. If he hadn’t been drowning them out with music, Nolan was sure he would have heard some whispering again.

Nolan secured a corner of the room before putting his back against it. He scanned the room for people of interest. A few of the students who had been looking at him quickly looked away. Nolan briefly wondered why before realizing that he was basically glaring at everyone.

That was fine. A lot of them were probably gunning for him anyway.

 

[Zack Savage]

As Yoshiro exited the taxi with nothing but his senses, the clothes on his back, and a pen that was given to him by his escort, he was greeted by the overwhelming noise surrounding the academy.

He wasn't overwhelmingly impressed, but rather annoyed because everything was so loud and it was hard to process every heartbeat, footstep, and voice at once. Because it was somewhat warm he could also easily smell every individuals BO, some people in the crowds had especially intense aromas about them.

"Some of these guys must've not bathed in days, what is wrong with these people" he thought. I can't stand this, I'll just leave my ability off for now.

Exam ticket
Examinee: 309
test location: battle center 2

while walking the halls toward the written test location he was catching a lot of looks from other examinees. Upon momentarily turning on his ability and listening around him, he learned the others are wondering why he's even there since he doesn't have a bag with his stuff or even some kind of suit for the practical test. "How annoying, I just got here and I'm already drawing attention to myself, but its not like I had a choice, I was practically ripped out of my home." He thought

The written exam was a breeze, some questions seemed like common sense with random mathematical, physics, and other science related questions. "Maybe for an exceptional hero these things might be necessary, but for most it's going to be a waste of time, for a normal person doing these calculations on the fly in the midst of battle would be impossible, thankfully I'm not exactly normal hehe" he thought.

After the written exam, he made his way to the gate for the practical exam. "That test was a breeze, but it seems I have to fight some people with quirks now, let's just hope they're not super fast otherwise I'll be in trouble" he thought

 

[Brendanfp]

Monday, September 4
8:27 AM EST
MOA Campus, Written Exam Hall

Nathan & Heath​

Nathan pushed the dual doors open to reveal the massive exam hall where a seemingly endless sea of students were testing. The students were sat across rows of tables that ascended up the auditorium steps. Sets of uniformed officials paced up and down the steps as they handed out stacked sheets of papers to the students just entering the hall and collecting completed tests. Nathan took in the atmosphere. It was quiet, aside from the steady rhythm of graphite on paper. His muscles relaxed and slowly a gentle smile crossed his face. This was his element.

“I hope you enjoy front row seats,” Nathan whispered as he made his way towards the tables nearest the front of the auditorium, as if pulled by a magnetic force.

Heath’s heart began to palpitate. This level of uniformity and organization was foreign to him. It was quiet enough to hear the drop of a pencil. He unconsciously followed behind his new associate, receiving the testing paper and sat somewhat close to Nathan. Deep breaths, Heath thought to himself. There wasn’t even any danger present, what reason would he have to be nervous? It was only when he took a closer look at the testing paper did he realize that his anxiety had merit to it.

“H-Huh..?”
“I know right,” Nathan responded in hushed tones, “these questions are elementary.”

Nathan was breezing through the papers without trouble. It made sense for the institution to not make the exam too difficult, but he had expected more from the renowned academy. Surely he would finish with time to spare. A few more moments passed and Nathan had set his pencil down, now completed. As he doubled over the exam to eliminate any mistakes, Nathan couldn’t help but glance over at Heath.

“How is it coming?”

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!? Heath couldn’t believe his eyes! The paper revealed to him numbers and letters arranged in a way that he could only imagine you’d find in a pharaoh's tomb.

“X equals?” Heath muttered under his breath.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Was this math or english? In despair, the pencil that Heath had been holding on to slipped from his fingers and onto the desk. He clutched his head in disbelief and utter horror, his eyes spiraling into a concoction of anxiety and self hatred.

“I’m only at the first part, the hell is wrong with me..!”

“Now is no time for jokes, Heath surely you--” Nathan stopped short as his eyes fell upon his neighbor’s exam sheet.

“Heath?! What is this?” Nathan’s voice almost peaked beyond a whisper.

It was worse than bad. Not only had Heath only just begun, but the parts that he had attempted were completely wrong. If he were to continue at this pace his newfound friend would surely fail. Stress and anxiety welled up within Nathan. It was a hero’s natural instinct to save someone in need, and he was no different. Slowly a hand dipped down towards the leather pouch strung across his body. With a swift gesture he uncorked his reservoir of ink and from the spout, a single drop bubbled up. With a thought the drop became a single black ant sitting squarely on Heath’s exam papers.

“Listen Heath” Nathan warned, “I cannot watch you butcher this test.”

The black ant began to move. It walked in strange patterns as it maneuvered the sheet of paper. Where the ant crawled it left behind splotches of black ink and slowly the blank questions were answered.

“Turn the page brother,” Nathan said hurriedly.

Heath absentmindedly turned page by page, each one a cruel reminder of his imminent downfall. In his state of disarray, he didn’t even notice the pages miraculously being bestowed with the solutions to his literal and metaphorical problems.

“S-Shoot…” Heath let out a feeble sniffle as he accepted his fate.

He solemnly rose from his seat and dragged his body hosting his shattered spirit to the area where “finished” tests were to be placed. If you didn’t know any better, you’d mistake the child as a prisoner walking to the gallows.The sheet was placed in its rightful spot and Heath took a long look at the classroom that he was once inhabiting. His eyes fell on Nathan and he felt too ashamed to do much. He raised his hand and made the most pathetic excuse for a thumbs up and left in shame.

Sighs of relief left Nathan’s lips as he barely finished the exam for the second time over. Nathan barely had any time to say any last farewells to the miniature American cowboy. He wondered for a moment why Heath looked so glum as he trudged across the room to turn in his test. Perhaps he was too ashamed to properly thank Nathan?

“Oh Heath I hope you have one hell of a quirk” Nathan said to no one in particular as he stood up and turned in his exam. He was confident that he had secured high grades both times round. Now came the real test.

He watched as Heath disappeared into the crowd headed towards Exam Hall 4. Nathan said a prayer under his breath as he spilt off towards Exam Hall 3. Hopefully their paths would intersect once more.