Holding Out for a Hero (Hiro_ Applepoisoneer)

[Applepoisoneer]

Mikichio, who really hated to see his name written out, waited in line for what felt like hours to do just that. The Hero Association was swamped with hopefuls who'd all taken the same test he had, and he was sure most of them had done better on it. While he was confident that he'd at least passed the written portion, his physical score was probably the worst. Sure, he could run a bit and jump a little, but the guys he'd been tested with must have trained their entire lives to look the way they did.

The hero exams had just been another self-imposed trial, not to be taken especially seriously. Still, a failure would hurt. Mikichio was not a man accustomed to failure. Once it was his turn at the desk, he muttered his name to the official handing out the envelopes containing the results, and received his. He barely moved out of line before cracking it open with equal parts agony and ecstasy.

The fairly large type-face placed him in Class C, currently unranked. He'd done it! He'd actually been classed as a hero! Now, the only question that remained was, would he stay a hero? Out of a total 100 points, he got a perfect 50 on the writing section. Just what he had been hoping for. A glance down revealed that he'd scored an 11 on the physical portion, which was right at average. Despite it not being a great score, the young man breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was physically average and not...well, whatever they would consider below average. He leaned against the nearest wall and ran a hand through his shaggy, plum-colored hair, and watched the next couple of possible heroes receive their scores.

 

[Hiro_]

Sneakered feet shifted slightly from side to side in mild impatience, their owner noting that he was now the 4th in line to receive his results. Something he was feeling rather anxious about as he chewed on his own bottom lip.

"Hey, aren't you that guy that killed the punching machine back there?"

A voice broke up Saitama's anxious shifting as his head turned to face where it had come from, a rather bored look playing on his face as a questioning one stared back. It took a moment for him to register what the other had said but as soon as it was processed he responded in a dulled tone.

"Ah, it wasn't like I meant to destroy it. They did say give it my all but I didn't want to destroy the building so I held back." Saitama stated flatly, his eyes shifting away awkwardly as he removed a hand from his hoodie pocket and lifted it to his neck rubbing it as if to offer some semblance of comfort. "I hope they don't charge me for the damage."

The man who questioned him stood with a weird look on his face that he had a hard time trying to decipher but as quickly had it come it was replaced with a sort of disgusted? look before the other spoke again. "Dude, you're a monster." Internally Saitama was taken aback by this response unsure how to respond but externally he simply stared at the other for a moment before shrugging and turning back around. He was used to something similar. People were either too shocked to say anything or scared of what they did see and on some level he supposed he couldn't blame them.

As the person before him went up he shoved his hand in his pocket and ignored the people around him until he was asked to step up. Offering his name he was handed a manila envelope in exchange, a small smile pulled at his lips as he thanked the lady behind the desk and left towards the nearest available space. Spotting one next to a plum haired man he casually leaned against the wall a decent distance away from the other. His hand lifting the envelope in front of him staring at it for a moment before carefully ripping the top off. Swallowing hard he tried to calm the dryness in his mouth as he slowly slid the paper from the envelope.

"Ah.."

He said out loud to no one in particular as he read the results. Class C with score of 71 points.

 

[Applepoisoneer]

"Hey, how'd you do?" Miki tilted his head to glance down the wall at the other man who'd examined his results next to him. "You've got to be at least an A Class after a display like that." The plum-haired youth laughed a little nervously. Talking to strangers wasn't something he practiced often, and especially not people who intimidated him. "I mean, you broke everything, including records."

Although he was intimidated, Miki wasn't what he would consider to be "afraid". There was something almost...calming? Yeah, he thought calming was a good word to describe it. Something calming about how chill this man was. For all his strength, he didn't seem like he would hurt a fly unless he had to. If anything, he just seemed bored. Perhaps a bit of test-anxiety, but otherwise he met everything with a kind of confidence that wasn't overpowering. Unlike most of the other guys taking the exam, he didn't seem to need validation or pats on the back, and Miki only wished he could have that kind of confidence.

 

[Hiro_]

Saitama tilted his head forward as his shoulders slumped slightly, he could of done better if he was more book smart. He offered a heavy sigh before being interrupted. His head lifting and body straightening a bit before he turned to where the voice had come from.

".. huh?" It took him a second to process what the other had said, the plum haired male continuing to speak as Saitama's face drew in more shadow. A slight grimace pulling at his features as the other assumed he made an A class rank. Speaking through a clenched jaw he revealed to the other the truth. "I passed.... with 71 points making class C." A hand lifting the paper up for the other to view fully. His eyes seemed to dart off to the side and down some, his shoulders returning to that slumped position. For a moment he stayed like that before straightening again. Lowering a hand to his side he gave the man a quick once over before speaking.

"Oh... How'd you do?"

 

[Applepoisoneer]

Miki was perfectly shocked to hear that he was only at a C class, and even more so to find that they'd actually gotten the same amount of points. He couldn't help but lean in and examine the paper the other man held up, and before he could stop himself, he laughed.

"That's crazy! We got completely analogous scores. See?" He held up his own score sheet, showing that he had a perfect score on the written and a miserable physical one. He tried to smooth over the laughter, hoping it wouldn't be taken the wrong way, it stemmed more from shock than anything else. "I guess between us, we got a perfect score." He snickered.

The laughter subsided, but his smile remained. "Honestly, you probably deserve these points more than I do." He indicated his own score. "I was really just here to see if I could pass. There's a ton of time between now and going for my Ph. D, and I've been kind of miserable trying to fill it. Y'know, something to challenge me." He lifted his hands in a kind of submission. "It sounds really petty, I'm sure."