Izuku approached the massive building, the entrance to UA, his mouth agap as he watched it in shock. Venom's head twisted and turned, springing from his shoulder, as he looked at it in slight wonder. He didn't even notice the cool autumn air, nor the other people hurrying inside to get in the warm building.
"It's certainly large." Venom quipped slightly, before looking to Izuku. "I thought it'd be bigger."
"I can't believe this is UA!" Izuku yammered in shock. "I mean, I've always dreamed of coming here, but this is so unreal and..."
He continued on, as Venom's head bobbed slightly, before the creature made a growling sound and hissed.
"Come on, Deku, we need to get moving." Venom grumbled in agitation. "Quit nerding out."
"Sorry, sorry." Izuku muttered sheepishly, marching up to the open gates with the other students.
Some of the students eyed Venom, but most simply carried, as the small, blackish serpentine creature twisted and turned about, observing the other students, before turning to his host's ear.
"So, what is the plan, Deku?" Venom asked.
"I don't know, there are bots I think?" Izuku muttered to his companion. "So probably just smashing things up right?"
"We can do that rather easily." Venom said, his fang-filled grin widening.
"And I've got the written exam covered." Izuku replied with a little smile.
Venom bobbed it's head slightly, looking around for a moment. He seemed slightly taken aback by everything around it. Izuku raised an eyebrow at his Symbiote's behavior.
"What you thinking Venom?" He asked.
"Trying to see which ones we'll have to deal with." Venom said, turning to his host. "Only a few can get in, after all."
Izuku laughed nervously. "Well, it's just an entrance exam. We're not gonna hurt them, alright?"
"Hmm." Venom hissed to himself, as Izuku gave him a weary look, but said nothing. Venom knew not to hurt innocent people. Even in his rampage, he stayed away from civilians. Izuku hoped he'd keep that up.
Izuku made their way up along the path. The two walked along, Venom's head looking around once more, before they heard a familiar marching behind him. He turned, before his eyes widened in surprise slightly. It had been a long time since the two had last seen each other.
"Oh, hey Kacchan!" He greeted cheerfully.
"Even look at me and I'll light you on fire." Katsuki snapped, as Venom made a small shriek, and lurched backwards.
Izuku himself jumped out of his way, holding up his hands as his eyes bugged out. "HEYGOODLUCKOUTTHEREOK? OK!"
He watched Katsuki walk by, smoke rising from his body, as Izuku watched him leave, several others moving out of Bakugou's way, as Venom looked up at his host, shaking his small head slightly.
"You are way too scared of him, given everything we can do." Venom replied, leaning into his ear. "We're destined for something far greater then him. Embrace it, Deku."
Izuku took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders, and nodded. "You're right. We can do this. I'll become a hero, no matter what Kaachan or anyone else says."
The young Hero Hopeful began walking along, heading down the path and towards the main doors, his head held high. As he took his step, his foot caught on a step leading to the front gates, causing him to lose his balance, and go flying into the ground.
'I'll guess I'll die!' He thought deadpan as he flew to the bottom, face-first into the stone pathway.
He prepared for the horrific face-first slam into the bricks, and the horrific embarrassment and injury on his first alone. Even Venom tensed up within his brain and body, coiling around within like a serpent, as Izuku shut his eyes tight before the impact.
Before he could, his body came to a stop, freezing right then and there, and suspended in mid-air, like his entire body was being held by wires. He stopped for a moment, looking down, before yelling in shock, struggling to move, before a hand gently gripped his shoulder, and righted him, putting him on his feet, and releasing him. A girl around his age, standing to his left, pressed her fingers together, as the feeling of weightlessness left him.
He turned, to see the girl, with shoulder-length brown hair, cheerful blue eyes, and a small smile on her face. He found himself at a loss for words, as Venom appeared out from his body, looking her over, his slated white eyes narrowed.
"Sorry I used my Quirk on you." She said, pressing her palms together with a wider smile. "I figured it was bad luck to start the day with a trip."
"Thank you." Venom replied, bowing his head slightly in a nod, as Izuku stood there slack jawed. Venom almost wanted to roll his eyes, if he could. 'Never change, Deku."
"Anyway, I gotta go, and I guess you do to!" She said with a bubbly laugh, as she waved and ran off. "Good luck!"
"Oh my god." Izuku stammered as he watched her leave. "I just talked to a girl!"
Venom wanted to say something about that, before stopping himself. He didn't want to ruin his Host's good spirits, so simply chuckled to himself. "I like her. We should pay attention to her."
Izuku nodded, running off to the frontgates, and into the wider academy awaiting them.
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Izuku found getting to the auditorium rather easy. It wasn't just following the mobs and crowds of other students, but also Venom's ability to locate large bodies of people in an area around them. Though the school was throwing him off today, he was quite proud of himself when they arrived, and took their assigned seat from the invitation letter.
"So what now?" Venom asked, having withdrawn into Izuku's body and out of sight, not liking to appear within such an enclosed area.
"Just wait, and don't do anything to draw attention." Izuku muttered, looking around, as he plopped down in his seat. "We don't want any negative attention."
"Got it." Venom hissed, falling silent for a moment, as Izuku waited, going through his backpack, and putting notes and his books in order as he waited.
He didn't even noticed Venom tense up within his body, or Bakugou sit down beside him without a word. His former classmate glared at him, before focusing ahead.
As Izuku finished up his organizing, the stage before the students opened before them, revealing the Pro-Hero down below. He was dressed in a leather jacket, with shades over his eyes, blond greased into two large tufts above his head, and fingerless gloves along his hands.
"HOW YOU DOING STUDENTS?!" He shouted, his voice almost shrill with excitement.
Izuku yelled in agony immediately, grabbing his ears, as spines and tiny tentacles of blacks sprang and jumped from his body, as Venom's own screams of agony joined his host's. Many of the students turned and looked at Izuku, many terrified of his reaction, or mystified by it. One of the students to his right, a tall, atheltic young man, with combed-back, groomed hair and wire-frame glasses.
"Excuse me, sir, are you alright?" The Athletic boy asked, slightly annoyed by how Izuku was acting during a course.
Present Mic stopped to look at him, as Izuku fell silent, his breath heavy, eyes unfocused, as sweat drenched most of his body. He shook heavily, as he looked up, his vision still blurry and unfocused.
"I...I'm sorry..." He muttered, struggling to raise his voice. "My...my Quirk...is sensitive to high sound..."
"Sorry my dude!" Present Mic shouted, his voice softer, apologetic, but still excitable. "I didn't realize it, I'll keep my voice more in check."
"Disgusting." Bakugou muttered. "Disgusting and pathetic."
"Hey! Don't speak down to one of your fellow future students!" Glasses shouted at Bakugou. "Don't look down at him for a shortcoming."
Glasses leaned in towards Izuku, grabbing his shoulder. "Are you alright, do you require medical attention?"
"I'm good." Izuku gulped with difficulty, as his vision returned to normal.
Venom made a primal, gurgling growl within Izuku's mind. "I...I hate that creature!"
'Calm down Venom, it's fine.' Izuku thought, as Glasses withdrew to his seat, still eyeing Izuku uncertianlly.
He tried to concentrate on the rest of Present Mic's words, but still was having difficulty from the loud noise and sound that had hit him and Venom. He was still breathing heavily. Venom had withdrawn from making any commentary, as Izuku struggled to focus on Mic's words. He barely comprehended what he said, before the class was dismissed and told to head out. He looked around in confusion, before Glasses came up and grabbed him gently by the shoulder again.
"Excuse me, we're heading out to the Field Tests, are you alright?" He asked, as he helped him to his feet.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Izuku managed through his teeth, following Glasses along. "You don't have to help me."
"It's fine, this is hero work after all." He replied with a grin. "The name's Tenya Iida by the way."
"Izuku Midoriya." He replied, nodding his head, as Venom's own tiny head swirled and manifested from his shoulder. "And this is Venom."
"Hello you two." Iida said, not missing a beat, as he guided them along. Izuku was surprised he could see a Venom and not freak out.
Iida lead him along, helping him along to the gym room. Venom seemed more silent then usual, as though he was still recovering from the injuries it took from the Present Mic shout. Izuku wasn't sure if he could keep going with this, but kept going. Even after everything that had happened, he couldn't give up on his dreams of being a hero.
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Unlike the others, Izuku didn't need to change. The rest of the class looked at him strangely, as he stood stiffly in the school uniform. He had recovered mostly. He looked out across the crowd, to see the girl from earlier, the one who had saved him from falling on his face. He had a lot of things to say. Perhaps he could say his thanks and start a conversation with her. He began to step forward, before his limbs stopped. He jumped slightly, before Venom's head appeared from his side.
"Hold on Izuku, you need to hold still and focus." Venom cautioned. "We need time to build our body back up again after the last incident."
"A...What?" Izuku asked, rather confused by his attitude.
"You're nerves are almost fried, and we still have to fight a bunch of...robots right?" Venom stated, looking out at the gates to the testing grounds, and the other students. "So just hold still and let me work."
Izuku nodded slightly, still feeling rather off after everything, rubbing his eyes slightly. "Alright."
"Besides, she needs to focus." Venom hissed, nodding slightly. "As do you. We can't work well together if you're distracted."
"Alright, gotcha." Izuku said with a nod, as Venom withdrew back into his body. He still felt out of it, but as time went on, he began to feel more refreshed and recharged.
"We're going to have to eat a lot to get back in shape." Venom cautioned him in his mind. "Unless you don't need this liver..."
Izuku opened his mouth to hold Venom back, before Present Mic's voice shouted off again. "Alright Future Heroes, begin!"
Izuku's eyes widened as the rest ran into the opening gates, as he sprinted after them with everything he could muster. Some eyed him sideways, already writing off the weirdo kid for his strange dress habits for a physically active course, and his response to loud noises. He looked around for a moment, as he tried to scan the replica of the city around him.
"Venom, come on!" He shouted.
"Hold on." Venom hissed.
Izuku continued on, looking for anything to fight, as Venom bubbled inside him. He could feel the symbiote pushing and brushing against him, like something was squirming and moving just below the skin. He looked around nervously, as the time ticked on in his head. What was Venom doing now? They couldn't take on anything or get in the course if Venom wasn't going to come out and fight.
"Venom, come on!" Izuku shouted into the wind.
A massive machine, nearly twice Izuku's height swung out of the corner of a building, two massive clawed arms hanging from it's shoulders, a single red eye dominating it's head. It slammed into the ground, focusing on Izuku.
"Target detected. Prepare for extermination." The machine announced.
"Mask!" Izuku shouted, as Venom finally responded.
"Copy!" Venom hissed, bursting alive and into the air, expanding and enhancing Izuku's body into a muscular frame of blackened muscle and claws.
Venom's fang-filled grin appeared, as he clenched his fists in preparation. Though he staggered slightly, before slamming his foot down and regaining his balance in preparation for the coming battle. He bared his fangs, opening his jaws with a savage growl of glee.
The machine prepared to attack him, before a blazing beam of blue energy, fizzling and sparkling like a burst of energy from a star. Venom recoiled back in surprise, as the machine was almost completely vaporized, before falling apart and into pieces, smoke rising from it's remains. Venom and Izuku gapped at it in surprise, before looking up to see the source of the beam attack.
"Thanks, moni mi!" A voice called, as Izuku looked over in shock, to see a thin, blond kid around his age, with a small smile on his face. "I couldn't have gotten that without you. Thanks."
The Kid ran off, as Venom shook his head slightly. "Is he Spanish?"
"Let's find a robot." Izuku commanded, as Venom bounded off, smashing through the buildings and getting to atop one of the building.
The two looked around, Venom's eyes scanning the area, before spotting a machine still in one place. He jumped off, clawed hands held out in front of him, before smashing down into the machine fist first. The machine barely had time to react before it was crumbled like a massive tin can. Venom stood up shaking himself off, as his mouth split into a slightly wider grin.
"One point." Izuku said. "We can't pass with just one."
Venom looked around, walking around for a bit to try and find something, anything to fight, but could detect nothing but warm bodies and humans that would've made a nice quick snack. Nothing else could be picked up by his senses.
"I don't detect anything." Venom muttered in reply.
"What are we going to do?" Izuku shouted in reply, panicking. "I...I can't fail!"
"We won't, Deku." Venom said, bounding away, before coming to a stop, his white eyes narrowed as he slowly looked around. "Keep calm."
Venom stood still, almost completely motionless, as the other students watched him in shock and awe, the vaguely reptilian creature slowly rising to his full height once more.
"What are we doing?" Izuku said, still panicking. "We need to find more bots!"
Venom turned his head down the street, to the left, eyes still narrowed. "Something is wrong Izuku..."
Suddenly, a massive foot crashed down into the earth, shaking the replica city's streets and the students within. The machine rounded the corner with another lumbering step, as Izuku gasped in shock. Most of the others took only a moment to look over the massive machine, before running off in the other direction. Not only was it too big to fight, but there were easier points to get from the smaller bots before time ran out. It's massive clawed hand knocked over one of the building, utterly pulverizing it into small fragments of rock and metal.
"Should we run too?" Izuku asked, voice shaking in fright.
"I think not." Venom said simply, pointing to the girl from earlier. "You like her, no?"
It was indeed the girl who had saved him from getting his face smashed in by the street, now pinned under a piece of the building from earlier. Izuku gasped, as he looked around to see no rushing in to save her, or even noticing them.
"We have to do this!" Izuku commanded, as the two bounded off towards the massive skyscrapper sized mecha. "You can do this right?"
"I might, but it will overtax us. Expect to be asleep for a long time, and hungry when you awaken." Venom advised, as his hand claws tore apart the street beneath him with every stride.
"Don't care, just save her Venom!" Izuku repeated, intense and focused.
Venom grunted in repsonse, before briefly standing and swinging his right arm out, a long strand of his biomass swinging out and sticking onto the machine's right leg, before he swung his other arm upwards, in the direction of the machine's massive clawed limb. Another massive strand of tissue-made rope extending out, and enveloped part of the machine's fingers. Venom crossed his arms, growling and cursing slightly, as the machine struggled to get free and crush the Symbiote-Hero. It lifted it's free arm up, intending to crush him, before Venom roared in response, and pulled back with both arms with more intensity then before.
With a groan, the machine fell and was toppled, slowly falling to the ground, as yet more buildings were crushed and pulverized by it's form, yet more pieces falling all around them. More massive chunks of masonry and rock headed right for Uraraka, as Venom sprouted another strand of biomass from his shoulder, knocking the rock pinning her under, as she scampered to her feet and ran off, before the rocks could crush her.
The machine fell to the ground, crushing most of the road beneath it, as the streets struggled to hold it's weight. Venom retracted all the strands back into itself, before throwing his right arm to the side, and grabbing up a rock, swinging it around and over his head like a flail, before swinging it down at the machine as it disappeared into the pit it had made, the rock smashing into the head of the machine, and with the added force of Venom's swing, combined with the damage, caused it to explode with stunning force.
Venom marched away as fire burst to life from behind him, as he threw his head back and roared to the skies. He looked around for a bit, before falling on his knees, and gradually disappearing into Izuku's body, who fell to the ground, eyes closed tightly. The girl he had just saved rushed forward, grabbing him and gently lowering him down, as the last parts of the machine crumbled and broke apart, fires roaring behind him.
"Amazing." One of the students said.
"All that power and noise is what does him in?"
"I can't believe he only scored a point." Another replied. "What the heck was he doing?"
Uraraka looked back in shock, eyes wide at the statement, the breath almost taken right out of her like she had been hit in the gut. How could someone who took down a machine like that have only destroyed one of the easier bots. Surely there was a mistake. She was about to say something, before Present Mic's voice called over the intercoms.
"And that is it! We hoped you got all the points you needed students, because the Practical Exams are done!"
Uraraka could feel her heart sink like a stone inside her. After everything this weird boy and his Quirk had done, and he wouldn't be able to get in. She wasn't sure what to say, before an old, gentle voice called out.
"Everyone hold still, and don't move. Let's all take a deep breath, ok?" She called out, as the rest of the crowd turned to her.
The lady was very old, and short, dressed in a doctor's coat with thick framed glasses that could've probably picked up even health imperfections on skincells and gray hair. The lady walked along with the help of a cane in her gloved hands, handing sweets to some of the students, and kissing some of the others, fully mending and healing the injuries in seconds. Uraraka's eyes widened in surprise, as she watched the old lady approach.
'That must be Recovery Girl.' She thought, as she stayed with Izuku.
Recovery Girl hobbled over, looking him over, as she raised an eyebrow in surprise. She kneeled slightly, touching and proding his muscles and examining his bones.
"Hmm, he pulled three muscles in his arm, hyper-extended his left elbow, and tore the muscles in his lower back," She reported, Uraraka cringed in terror at her words. "But something is healing them rapidly."
Recovery tapped her chin slightly, before taking out four gummies, and began to prepare to feed them to Izuku, or test if he was responsive. Before either could react, Venom took over his upper body again, his night-black head splitting into a wide maw, as he snapped forward like a ravenous alligator and chopped up all four, barely chewing them, before swallowing them. Venom disappeared out of sight again, melting back into Izuku's body, as he slowly got to his feet, dazed and confused. Uraraka made a small yelp in the back of her throat, as Recovery Girl blicked several times in disbelief.
'Like that giant lizard from '84...' Recovery Girl thought, shaking her head, before clearing her throat to speak to him.
"Excuse me, son, are you alright?" Recovery Girl asked slowly, as Izuku looked at her, his eyes distant and hollow.
"I..ugh,..yeah." He stuttered with difficulty, before looking over at Uraraka. "Are you ok?"
He tried to walk over to her, before Recovery Girl held out her cane, stopping him. "Hold it, I need to figure out if you hurt yourself, alright?"
Izuku swallowed slightly, and nodded. Recovery Girl eyed him carefully, before holding up her fingers.
"How many am I holding up?"
"3 Fingers." Izuku answered.
"Where are you now?"
"UA testing grounds."
Recovery Girl nodded slightly. "You're not having a concussion. But you do appear exhausted."
"My Quirk needs a lot of food." Izuku explained tiredly, legs wobbling slightly.
"Alright, don't move about too much." Recovery Girl said, steadying him. "We'll get some food in you, and check you out for any other injuries."
Izuku nodded slightly, as Venom slowly sprouted and solidified from his shoulder, shaking himself off.
"No MRIs or high noises!" Venom growled, shaking slightly like a snake ready to strike, before Izuku lifted a hand to stop him.
"Alright Venom, calm down." Izuku said deadpan, rolling his eyes.
Recovery motioned for him to sit, before turning to the other candidates. "Alright, move along, move along. You're all finished up here."
She turned to Uraraka, smiling slightly. "You can go to sweety. He'll be fine."
Uraraka shifted uncertainty, before looking at Izuku in worry. "Are you sure?"
"He'll be fine, just get on home now." She said, patting Uraraka on the shoulder.
She readjusted and zipped up her tracksuit, before nodding and heading off, looking at Izuku's dazed form, before running off.
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Izuku spent a lot of hours being examined by Recovery Girl and her assistants and their analyzing the young hero recruit, making sure it was just exhaustion from overdoing it with his Quirk. The young hero was still rather tired out form everything, but otherwise had mostly recovered, and Venom had been able to fight back the urge to start snacking on Izuku's organs.
Though some of the heroes that passed through the infirmary zones of the school gave him some odd looks, he didn't mind. The young hero wasn't put off by it, and Venom didn't seem to mind their gaze, just happy to get something inside them and some nutrients. After a large slice of chocolate cake was handed out, Venom almost didn't want to leave the place. Despite this genarsity, however, Izuku found himself on edge about everything.
"Do you think we passed?" Izuku muttered to Venom, as they walked away from the school, the sun now setting behind them, waving to Recovery Girl and the team.
"Hard to say." Venom hissed slightly.
"One point is hardly anything to write home about." Izuku responded, focusing ahead as he began the long walk home. "I don't know if we'll make it in."
"Maybe not, but perhaps being Vigilantes would be more our style." Venom suggested with a gleeful chuckle. "Snacks would be much easier to come by."
"We're not doing that." Izuku commanded. "We're going to do this the right way."
The Symbiote and host continued on their way, heading for home after a long and very stressful day. Whatever happened next, they had to leave up to fate from here on out.