Start!

Mirai stood before the towering gates, behind the very gates was the cityscape that stretched out before her. As expected of UA..

With a deep breath, she reached up and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, this is the first time she is by herself, usually, she was with Midoriya. The name brought about worries in her, she didn't want to bring this up to Midoriya but even with the intense training Toshi-san made for him, would he still be able to pass it?She furrowed her brows, then promptly pinched her cheek. 'Stop thinking about that boy and focus on yourself, especially with this exam..'

Then a loud buzzer sounded, and the gates swung open with a metallic groan. In an instant, the examinees surged forward.

Mirai hesitated, her feet rooted to the spot. Around her, the other students were already unleashing their quirks, their powers as varied and impressive as they were destructive. A boy with spiky red hair let out a fierce battle cry, his skin hardening into an impenetrable shield as he slammed his fists into a robot, reducing it to a heap of sparking scrap metal.

Mirai ran forward, she admitted she was envious, her quirk, as convenient as it was, was not suited for combat. And she couldn't simply charge in and start smashing robots like the red-haired boy. She needed a plan, a strategy…

A flash of movement caught her eye, and Mirai turned to see a blond boy standing a few yards away. He rubbed his hands together, a grin spreading across his face as electricity crackled between his palms.

"Time to light things up!" he slammed his hands against the ground.

In an instant, a wave of electricity surged outward, engulfing the surrounding dozens robots in a blinding flash of light and heat. Mirai threw up a hand to shield her eyes, her skin prickling with the sheer power of the blast.

But even as the light flared, Mirai's eyes widened. The electric attack was headed straight for a group of nearby examinees, their faces frozen as the crackling energy bore down on them.

In a burst of blue light, she teleported to the students, her hands outstretched. She grabbed one by the arm, then another by the collar, her mind racing as she calculated the angles and distances.

With a final, desperate lunge, Mirai blinked out of existence, dragging the examinees with her just as the electric blast tore through the space where they'd been standing a heartbeat before.

They reappeared a few yards away, stumbling and disoriented but unharmed. Mirai released her grip on their clothes, her chest heaving with exertion as she rounded on the blond boy.

"Hey, idiot!" she snarled, "Watch where you're aiming that thing! You could have killed someone.."

But as she opened her mouth, the words died on her lips. The blond boy was swaying on his feet, his eyes glazed and unfocused as he mumbled incoherently.

"Yeeey…" he slurred, his head lolling to the side.

"W-what the…" Mirai stared at him, her eyes twitching.

Suddenly, a robot loomed up behind the boy, its metal claws glinting in the sunlight. Mirai cursed under her breath and teleported forward, tackling the blond out of the way just as the robot's arm whistled through the air where his head had been a moment before.

"Are you… ugh, goddamn it," Mirai grunted, hauling the boy to his feet.

She dragged him to a nearby alcove, propping him up against the wall. "Stay there," she ordered, "And don't move."

The boy giggled, his head rolling back against the concrete. "Okey-dokey, pretty lady…"

Mirai ignored him, her mind racing as she tried to get her bearings. The exam had only just begun, but already she felt like she was floundering.

"How many minutes has it been?" she muttered, "Three? Four?" Not only that, but she had to be careful of her limit. Any more reckless teleportation like that, and she'd be rendered useless.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble beneath her feet, the vibrations growing stronger with each passing second. All around her, examinees stumbled and cried out in confusion, their voices tinged with fear.

"What the heck is happening?" someone shouted, their words nearly lost in the cacophony of crumbling concrete and twisting metal.

Mirai looked up, a shadow fell across the battlefield, plunging everything into darkness. A robot, as tall as a skyscraper, loomed over them, its massive form blocking out the sun. It stared down at the examinees, like mere bugs ready to be step on.

"That's… the gimmick?" Mirai whispered, were they trying to kill the students?

Panic erupted among the examinees, and in an instant, everyone was scrambling to their feet, running in the opposite direction of the colossal machine.

"5 minutes!" The speaker announced.

5 minutes…and no points and now she has to avoid that?

But then, her gaze fell on the blond boy, who lay motionless on the ground, his face pale and his eyes closed. If she left him there, he would undoubtedly be crushed beneath the robot's massive feet. But she couldn't carry him and run at the same time…

"Shit,"

In a flash of blue light, she teleported in front of a spiky-haired redhead, the guy almost stumbled back in shock, "Hey, you! Carry this guy for me," Mirai gestured to the unconscious blond.

The redhead only stared at her, his eyes wide,"What? I can't do that! I gotta outrun this thing!" He exclaimed, showing his pointy teeth.

"Just do it, you won't have to do anyway."

Without waiting for a response, she dumped the blond into the redhead's arms and took off running towards the giant robot.

"Hey! Come and get me, if you can!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the buildings.

Then, in a burst of blue light, she teleported away, reappearing further down the street. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, leading the giant robot towards a cluster of smaller bots.

As the colossal machine bore down on her, Mirai teleported away at the last second, leaving the giant robot to crush the smaller bots beneath its massive feet. The sound of crunching metal and shattering circuitry filled the air as the robots were reduced to scrap.

Mirai repeated the process, luring the giant robot from one group of bots to another, using its size and slowness to her advantage.

Finally, she found herself at a dead end, the giant robot looming over her like a mountain of steel and circuitry. As it raised its foot to crush her, Mirai closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the impact…

But it never came.

"Alright, students! Please go back to the gate. The exams are over. Anyone injured, please report to Recovery Girl!" a voice announced again, echoing through the now-silent battlefield.

Mirai slumped against the wall, her body aching with exhaustion. She had used up all her teleportation power, pushing herself to the very limit. Glancing to the side, she saw the piles of destroyed robots that littered the street, a testament to her efforts.

If this didn't count for points, then this school must really suck…

┏━°⌜ 赤い糸 ⌟°━┓

┗━°⌜ 赤い糸 ⌟°━┛

Mirai's memories of what happened next were hazy at best. She vaguely recalled a kind voice, an elderly woman, and the taste of gummy candies dissolving on her tongue. Only then did she begin to regain some level of consciousness.

"Aiya, these students," Recovery Girl muttered, shaking her head. "This is the second time today I've had to rush in for an unconscious child."

"Second time?" She blinked, "If I may ask, who was the first?"

As Recovery Girl relayed the information, Mirai felt her senses going numb, her heart plummeting into her stomach.

"Eh?"

Under normal circumstances, Mirai's first instinct would have been to interrogate Midoriya within an inch of his life. After all, when you hear that your best friend ended up with a completely busted arm - not just a fist, but an entire arm - you want answers, and you want them now.

But as Mirai waited for Midoriya outside the school gates that afternoon, she found herself at a loss for words. Students passed by, their heads turning to stare as Katsuki Bakugou stalked past, his face set in its usual scowl despite the minor injuries marring his features.

For a split second, their eyes met, but Mirai quickly glanced away, crossing her arms over her chest.

Bakugou let out a derisive snort. "Honestly, that idiot has a death wish, coming here."

"Shut up, Bakugou," Mirai snapped.

"Excuse me?!" Bakugou snarled, his eyes flashing with anger.

Mirai turned to face him, her expression carefully neutral. "Nothing," she muttered, looking away.

But Bakugou only seemed to grow more incensed, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "No, come on! Face me, you extra!"

Mirai scoffed, leaning back against the gate. "I'm exhausted. I don't want to waste any more energy on you."

She knew she was provoking him, that to imply he wasn't even worth fighting was an insult greater than any name she could call him. Bakugou would rather be something to anyone than nothing at all.

"Mirai…" a soft, familiar voice called out.

Mirai's head snapped up, her eyes landing on Midoriya's hunched form. His head was bowed, his arm wrapped in bandages, and one look at his expression was enough to tell her that now was not the time for questions.

Bakugou let out a grunt and stalked away.

"Izuku, are you…" Mirai began, her voice trailing off as she searched for the right words.

"I'm okay," Midoriya said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I… I'm okay."

"Oh, Izuku…"

She wanted to say something, to offer some words of comfort or reassurance. But as she looked at Midoriya's defeated posture, at the way he seemed to be holding himself together through sheer force of will, she realized that words were not what he needed right now.

So instead, Mirai simply stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Midoriya, pulling him into a tight hug. She felt him stiffen for a moment, surprised by the sudden contact, but then he melted into her embrace, his uninjured arm coming up to clutch at the back of her shirt.