Darrel Clovers entered the UAI campus, and immediately almost tripped. He staggered to his feet, looked around, and found that only a small group of girls had noticed his blunder. They giggled and looked away. Darrel rocked himself. Nice going, he thought, not even minute 1. The room was hot and clustered; groups of young prospective hero material filled the interior view. He had never seen so many quirks in one place before. And each one, he realized in bewilderment, was a quirk that could probably beat his.

People were pushing past him from the door, so he moved aside. There was an off corridor to the left, where every now and then a student would walk down to relieve their bodily anxieties before the entrance examination. He decided to lean against the wall at its edge, out of sight of the main crowd, if not for his curious head poking around the corner. 

The room was filled with sights to behold; students with antenna and crab claws on their feet, a girl whose skin was completely reflective, one with 6 arms, another with green skin, lances protruding from shoulders, a boy who towered above the rest, stag horns above his silky black hair. There were so many of them. “Excuse me” he heard, as a girl with giant mantis claws attempted to walk out the hallway from behind him. He pressed against the wall, and watched as her bodily aberrations melded with the wall of strange wonders he had only seen before in comic books. 

He suddenly felt the closeness of another person. Just on the other corner of the wall, a girl was standing, leaning up against the wall as well. She was listening to music with her phone out: big headphones, dark complexion, incredibly curly hair. He glanced at her phone. It read BASELINE as the artist.

“”Ah,,, hello?” she said, startling him. Darrel blushed; he had no idea what she was thinking, him just staring at her phone from around a corner. 

“Ah, hi!” he responded, walking out a bit so she could see him fully. He was wearing a green t-shirt with a star on it, black shorts and blue running shoes. 

“I'm Darrel, im sorry, I didn't mean to stare like that,,” The girl, Darrel realized, was used to his level of poor social skills. 

“It's ok,” She smiled a bit, “I'm Adilah. You listen to Baseline as well?” She took off her headphones. 

Ok, Darrel thought, so far it's still ok. “Ah yeah, I do!”

“Oh wow! I've never met someone else who was a fan of their music before, and here of all places”. 

Adilah was a bit cold at first, but Darrel noted she was warming up to him quickly. “what's your favorite beat?”, she asked. 

“Ahh” Darrel stepped back, hands up, “Oh in all honesty I only listened a bit. I first heard of them because of the Saradilla attack, and when I read they played music as well I thought I'd give a listen.” 

Adilah was not as excited anymore, but still seemed interested, so he continued. “I liked how their quirks weren't anything really special. Risiko could amplify wavelengths if they were in a harmonic, good for music, but nothing really hero worthy. Yamata had long golden nails, good for that strange guitar sound but again, nothing you'd expect from heroes”.

“And yet” Adilah finished his train of thought “ when the attack in Saradilla happened, they were the first on the scene, instruments and all. And they held off the villains until more suitable pros could show up. You know, my parents were in Saradilla when it happened.”

“No way!” Darrel exclaimed, “that's awesome!” 

“Yeah, and I was almost born as well. My mom says that's where I got my strange taste in music from. When Risiko was using his guitar during the fight, it could be heard all throughout the city. They say a lot of Baseliners were created in Saravilla that night.”

“Thats, just.. wow” Darrel was taken aback. He wondered how many other people in here had a connection to the heroes he had always read about. 

Both suddenly found themselves with no topic to talk about. Darrel ran through the options. I could say nice to meet you and walk away, he thought, but then i'd be alone again. I could talk about the weather, but that's too cliche,, I could comment on  her hair, but ah that probably won't go well. Maybe her accent? No, stop thinking of those things, you're gonna creep her out. Just basic conversation Darrel. What is your…

“Hey, so what's your quirk?” Adilah chimed up. Darrel blinked. 

“It's called Rubber. I ah,,,” he waved his hands, trying to make a simple yet interesting explanation, not wanting her to think he was in the wrong place. He grabbed his finger and pulled. The knuckle popped, and a moment later, he was able to stretch his finger across the width of his body. 

“Oh cool!” Adilah said. “So your body is made of rubber then?”

 “Yeah kinda, and I can retract it back pretty quickly” His finger came snapping back to his hand, like a rubber band. “Though, in all honesty i'm not sure how useful it'll be fighting,,”

The front doors behind him swung open, garnering the attention of more than just Darrel and Adilah. “OUT OF THE WAY” they heard, as a pink haired girl pushed through. She was wearing a tight tank top that made Darrel uneasy; a gym bag in her hand and blue jean shorts. Above her arms floated many strange diamond-shaped spikes, about 2-3 inches long. They seemed impermeable to Darrel; they were of a strange, matte metal. “COMING THROUGH” the girl yelled, and the spikes started rotating around her skin rapidly in perfect geometric circuits. People displaced pretty quickly so as not to get cut (except one boy, who luckily had gravel skin and didn't feel the spinning blades cutting through his arm and shirt).

“Wow, she's intense,” Adilah noted.

 “She has a strong quirk” 

Both looked at the boy sitting in a chair by Adilah’s other side, who had made the comment. He was asian, with light blue skin that seemed off, as if it didn't have pores. He had stange plates on his cheeks, connected by a nose strap. Dark blue hair, with a thick white streak on top that was pulled back into a bun. His arms were crossed. “She's very threatening at close range, but her medium and long range capabilities are probably limited. Also, she’d be weak to specific elemental attacks, as well as opponents with unbreakable or malleable skin.”

He seemed to be talking to noone in particular, but Adilah was moved by nervous energy. 

“Hi!” she said “Im Adilah, this is Darrel, well I just met him but...” 

“I know, I heard,” the boy said, standing up. He was taller than the both of them, and already wearing the UAI uniform. Maybe a second year? Darrell then noticed something he hadn't before; a slight humming sound. Must be the plates, he reasoned.

“I didn't know support items were allowed during the exam” Darrel said “I would have brought..” 

“It's not a support item” the blue boy snapped, “Its ... medical. And it doesn't matter. I'm already in the first year class.” 

Adilah and Darrel were dumbfounded .“What? Then why are you here?” Adilah queried, “if you're recommended or something, you don't need to be here right?” 

“I just came to watch,” he said. 

Adilah furrowed her brow, confused. Suddenly the intercom came to life:

“Prospective UAI students, what an incredible turnout we have today! We will be starting the exam shortly, so please prepare yourselves. On the screens you see on the walls you will be able to find your name and the respective quadrant of the hall you should locate yourself at for the exam’s beginning. Thank you, and good luck!” 

“Finally” the boy said. He started walking with the mass of students crowding around their sections. He turned his head back as he walked “It was pointless trying to make friends now. Most people here have quirks that are,,” he looked at Darrel directly for a moment “...lacking. They don't have a chance”. The strange humming of his body died down as he strode away. 

Darrel felt more insecure than ever. He looked down, and contemplated going home. What if he was in the same hall as that bladed girl? Or one of the countless others with cool quirks. The ground was covered with scales, sand, ash, wood chippings, evidence of the students that were flexing their powerful quirks here before he even showed up. 

“Hey” Adilah put her hand on his shoulder “everyone has a chance. Passes aren't determined on strength alone, you know. Just be yourself; I'm sure you'll rank even higher than that guy if you do your best.” Darrel thought about it, breathed out, and thanked her. 

“Let's get to our halls,” Adilah winked. “You take the lead; people find it uncomfortable when I do."