The Wraith Within (On Hold Indefinitely)

The days after the UA Entrance Exam felt like a blur. Izumi had spent the hours leading up to the results with an odd mix of anticipation and quiet confidence. The exam itself had felt… almost too easy, like she had been waiting for the opportunity to unleash her full potential. But even with the exam over, she couldn't help but wonder: Had it been enough?

Her towering figure and abilities had certainly set her apart, but the question lingered in her mind—Did they see her as more than just a monster?

Finally, the day arrived. The results were being posted on the large screens in front of the school gates. A crowd of hopeful students had gathered, all eyes trained on the screen, murmuring excitedly as the names flashed one by one. Izumi stood at the edge of the crowd, her glowing purple eyes scanning the list.

"Midoriya Izumi..." The name appeared in bold letters, followed by a green box with the words "PASS" next to it.

For a moment, everything went still. The crowd around her erupted into cheers and gasps of relief, but Izumi stood frozen, her heart thudding in her chest. She had passed. The reality settled into her like a heavy weight, and for a few seconds, she allowed herself to feel the rush of accomplishment.

She had made it into UA. The dream she had worked so hard for was now within reach.

The following day, Izumi received a special notification. She had been called in for a one-on-one meeting with Principal Nezu, the head of the school. There was no explanation for why, but the urgency of the request was undeniable.

Izumi arrived at the principal’s office, her towering figure making her presence known as she stood in front of the large wooden door. It was slightly ajar, and as she knocked, she was invited in with a soft, welcoming voice.

Principal Nezu’s office was as warm and welcoming as the principal himself. The small, mouse-like figure was perched on his chair behind a desk, his ever-pleased expression giving Izumi a sense of both authority and kindness. His sharp eyes, hidden behind large glasses, never missed a detail.

"Ah, Izumi Midoriya, welcome! Please, come in," Nezu greeted her, motioning for her to sit. "I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to discuss something important that came to our attention after the exam."

Izumi hesitated before taking a seat across from him, her long limbs shifting uneasily as she tried to keep herself composed. "Is something wrong, Principal Nezu?" she asked, her voice calm, though there was a faint undertone of worry.

"Not at all," Nezu said with a reassuring smile. "In fact, I have some very positive news. You may not have realized it during the exam, but your actions—your tactics, in particular—saved several students, many of whom were unaware they were in danger."

Izumi blinked, her eyes wide. She hadn’t been aware of anyone else other than the robots during the exam. She had been too focused on her own performance to notice anything else.

"Saved?" she echoed, puzzled. "I didn’t—"

"Ah, yes," Nezu interrupted with a soft chuckle. "Your stealth and speed played a key role in helping others, even if you didn’t directly engage with them. There were a number of students who were caught in dangerous situations, but you, unknowingly, saved them through your actions."

Izumi was silent for a moment, processing what Nezu had said. She had saved others? But how?

Nezu continued, pulling up a series of images on the large screen behind him. The footage showed various parts of the exam—Izumi moving like a blur, dispatching robots with precision. Then the camera zoomed in on moments where other students were in peril, the chaos of the exam clouding their judgment.

One of the clips was of a 0-pointer robot about to crush a student who had fallen, their legs pinned beneath debris. The camera showed Izumi warping through the smoke, cutting down the robot in a single strike. The student—Uraraka Ochako—had been completely unaware of how close she had come to danger, but thanks to Izumi’s swift intervention, she was spared.

Another image showed a scene where Izumi’s decoy had distracted a group of robots, allowing a student with no combat experience—Kirishima Eijiro—to escape from being cornered. The students had never realized that the reason they survived was due to the girl with the glowing eyes, the one who had blended into the chaos without drawing attention to herself.

Izumi’s heart skipped a beat as she saw Uraraka in the footage. She had saved her? She hadn’t even noticed the girl in peril at the time. In fact, the name Uraraka Ochako didn’t even register in her mind until now.

"These students," Nezu continued, "had no idea they were being protected by you. You didn’t directly interact with them, but your strategy of disorienting the robots and causing confusion allowed many to escape unharmed. Your use of stealth, speed, and overwhelming force didn't just benefit you—it kept others safe as well."

Izumi felt a strange warmth in her chest, but it quickly turned to unease. "But I didn’t do it on purpose," she murmured, her mind racing. "I didn’t even know anyone else was in trouble."

Nezu’s eyes twinkled knowingly. "And that is what makes your actions so remarkable. You fought for yourself, yes, but your instinct to neutralize threats without drawing attention to others is the sign of someone with an unspoken hero's heart. The fact that you saved so many people without even realizing it shows that you possess the true qualities of a hero: not just strength, but selflessness."

Izumi’s face flushed, and she lowered her gaze. She wasn’t used to hearing such praise. She had always felt like an outsider—different, monstrous even. The idea that she could be seen as selfless, as a true hero, was overwhelming.

Nezu gave a small, knowing smile. "I wanted you to understand that you not only passed the exam with flying colors, but you also did something that very few would have even considered in your position. You've already demonstrated that you have the heart of a hero, Izumi."

As Izumi left Principal Nezu’s office, her mind was clouded with thoughts. Saved others? Without even knowing it?

She made her way through the school’s hallways, still processing everything that had been said. The idea that she had been invisible, yet still managed to protect others, was strange to her. She had always worked alone, never expecting anyone’s help, but to think that someone else—Uraraka, in this case—had unknowingly been spared by her actions was a strange feeling.

She reached the entrance of the building and found herself standing in front of the group of students who had gathered to leave. Among them was Uraraka, the bubbly, cheerful girl she had briefly seen on the exam footage. She was talking animatedly with some of the other students, her smile infectious as she laughed. Izumi stared at her for a moment before turning her gaze away, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

She doesn’t know I saved her, Izumi thought, a small, almost embarrassed smile tugging at her lips.

But maybe, just maybe, that was for the best.