[Third Person Pov]
Tony, Melissa, and Momo all exited the classroom wearing expressions that made it seem like they had just endured hours of torture rather than a short written exam. Tony looked the most affected out of the three, his shoulders slumped and his face twisted into a look of deep mental exhaustion as if the questions had personally insulted him. Melissa looked irritated more than anything, her brows slightly furrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line, clearly annoyed by the experience. Momo, on the other hand, appeared the least bothered, her posture still composed and elegant, but even she couldn't completely hide the faint tension in her eyes that betrayed that the exam had been more taxing than she wanted to admit.
Outside, Kane seemed to be getting along well with Howard, the two of them engaged in casual conversation, while Maria was focused entirely on Eric. She stood close to him, fussing over him and asking him question after question as she caught up with him, her tone affectionate and warm. She adjusted his collar slightly and brushed imaginary dust off his shoulder, clearly doting on him in a way only she could.
Maria quickly noticed the exhausted looks on Tony, Melissa, and Momo's faces and immediately rolled her eyes in response. "Oh stop with the exaggerated looks," she said dismissively, waving her hand as if to brush away their suffering. "You guys were barely in there for ten minutes, maximum."
Tony let out a long, dramatic sigh and shook his head slowly as if recalling a traumatic experience. "Ugh, you don't know the type of questions they were asking," he complained, his voice filled with disbelief and frustration. "They asked if a baby was strapped to a railroad track and a family of four was strapped on the other track, which one would you save and why?"
"What?" Howard asked, his eyes widening in surprise at the absurdity of the question. He leaned forward slightly, genuinely curious. "Did they really ask something like that? How did you answer?"
Tony straightened his posture immediately, puffing his chest out proudly as if he had delivered the most brilliant answer imaginable. "I said I would save the people on the train since it's clearly been hijacked by a supervillain," he said confidently, nodding to himself as if reaffirming his own genius.
Everyone stared at him in silence, their expressions varying between disbelief, confusion, and secondhand embarrassment. Melissa gave him a flat, unimpressed look, while Momo blinked slowly, unsure how to even respond to that logic. Kane looked mildly amused, and Howard seemed unsure whether Tony was joking or completely serious.
Eric was the only one whose expression didn't change at all. His face remained perfectly flat as he looked at Tony. "I honestly doubt that question was even on the test," he said bluntly.
"It wasn't," Melissa scoffed immediately, folding her arms across her chest.
Tony's confident expression crumbled instantly, replaced by a pout as he crossed his arms defensively. "You guys just love to spoil my fun, don't you?" he muttered, sulking.
Before anyone could respond, the classroom door opened again and Principal Issac stepped out, peeking outside as his sharp eyes scanned the group. He cleared his throat slightly to get their attention. "I would like to have a word alone with the parents, if you all don't mind."
"Certainly," Maria and Howard both said without hesitation. They exchanged brief glances with their children before excusing themselves from the conversation and heading inside. The door closed behind them with a soft click, leaving the students and Kane alone in the hallway.
Tony turned his attention toward Kane and Eric, his earlier sulking already forgotten. "So, what are you guys doing after this?" he asked casually.
"I have to get back to work, unfortunately," Kane said with a sigh, shaking his head as if lamenting his responsibilities.
"I have to get back to training," Eric said simply. "I'm only here because my dad asked me to accompany him."
Kane frowned immediately at Eric's bluntness. "Eric, that's rude to say," he reprimanded gently.
Eric paused, then rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as he realized how it sounded. "Ah, I suppose you're right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude, but it was just the truth," he said sincerely, his expression honest and slightly apologetic.
Tony chuckled lightly, amused by the interaction. "Why don't you guys skip and join us?" he suggested casually. "We're going to have lunch after this."
"I can't exactly skip work—" Kane began.
"I'll pay you double your salary," Tony interrupted immediately without hesitation.
"So what are we having for lunch? I'm thinking steak," he said pensively.
Everyone laughed at his shameless response, even Eric, who couldn't help but let a small smile form on his face at Kane's complete lack of loyalty to his workplace.
However, Eric's smile quickly faded as he sighed softly and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to skip training," he said firmly.
Tony blinked in surprise at his answer. His opinion of Eric rose slightly at that moment, as he hadn't expected him to be so disciplined and committed. Most people their age would have jumped at the opportunity without hesitation, especially with free food involved.
"If you want, you can come over to our house to train," Tony offered. "I have a virtual training space you can use, and our training equipment is a thousand times better than any modern equipment. No offense, of course."
Eric raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued despite himself. That definitely caught his interest.
Tony noticed his reaction and immediately pressed further. "I'll also personally train you if you want," he added, sweetening the deal.
Eric frowned slightly at that. He didn't know how he felt about having someone his own age, much less his cousin, train him.
Momo chuckled faintly, her expression softening as she looked at Eric. "I know what you might be thinking, but believe it or not Tony is a very capable trainer. He helped me train my quirk since we were little and has even helped train our entire class back in Japan. His training is one of the main reasons our class was so strong, strong enough to even stand a chance against someone like Ultron when most pro-ranked heroes failed."
"Not to mention," Melissa added as she crossed her arms confidently, "there's no one in this world that understands quirks better than Tony. Since we don't possess one, he made sure to learn everything he possibly could about the topic. He studied quirks obsessively, their biology, their limits, their evolution, and their applications, to the point that he's even capable of creating technology that can replicate practically any quirk out there."
Tony rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearly embarrassed by the praise, though the faint smirk forming on his lips betrayed how much he enjoyed it. "Guys, stop, you're making me embarrassed," he said, shaking his head slightly. He paused briefly before adding, "But who am I to stop you? Go on, say more."
Melissa rolled her eyes while Momo giggled softly.
Eric remained silent as he processed everything they had said. It was easy to forget, especially with the way Tony behaved, that he wasn't just some eccentric and dramatic person, but someone regarded as one of the smartest people on the planet. What made that even more impressive was that he had accomplished all of it without the help of a quirk. Everything he had achieved was purely through his own intellect, effort, and dedication.
Not to mention, Tony was now considered a national hero, someone who had played a direct role in saving the entire world. His name carried weight, not just as an inventor, but as a symbol of hope and ingenuity. There honestly wasn't anyone more qualified or more capable than Tony when it came to training, especially when it involved pushing beyond limits.
Still, Eric hesitated. No matter how convincing their words were, he wouldn't make a decision like this on his own.
He turned his head and looked at his father, silently asking for his opinion. He would never agree to skipping his training or altering his routine without his father's approval.
Kane noticed his gaze and smiled warmly. He reached out and patted Eric on the shoulder reassuringly. "After my battle with him, I can confidently say you'll benefit a tremendous amount from taking some pointers from him," Kane said honestly.
Eric let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His shoulders sagged slightly, almost in relief. He turned back toward Tony and gave a firm nod. "I'll accept your request. Let me just grab my bag."
Tony grinned immediately, clearly pleased with the outcome.
While Eric went to retrieve his belongings, Tony and the others waited patiently. It wasn't long before the classroom door opened again and Maria and Howard stepped out, having finished their meeting with the principal. They both looked satisfied, and the principal himself followed shortly behind them.
Principal Issac turned his attention toward Tony, Melissa, and Momo, his expression warm and proud. "I want to personally and officially welcome you three as students of the Hero Institution of the Gifted and Honored," he said. "I expect to see all three of you in uniform by next September, following the start of the next semester."
This was standard procedure in the modern era. Ever since the age of quirk awakenings began, the structure of society had changed drastically. Wars, conflicts, and disasters involving quirk users had become a constant reality, forcing governments and institutions around the world to adapt.
As a result, the school system had been restructured to better prepare future generations. Much like Japan's academic structure, the year was divided into three semesters. The first semester was followed by summer break, the second semester was followed by winter break, and the third semester concluded the academic year. This structure allowed students, especially those training to become heroes, to balance education, training, and recovery more efficiently in a world where strength and readiness were essential for survival.
And it totally wasn't because the author forgot that the American school system was different.
Not at all.
By the time Eric returned, he was already dressed in his normal clothing and had his bag slung over his shoulder. Tony, Melissa, Momo, Kane, Maria, and Howard exchanged their farewells with the principal and staff, thanking them before turning and making their way toward the school's exit.
They talked casually among themselves as they walked, the atmosphere noticeably lighter now that the exam and meeting were over.
However, they didn't even make it to the front gate of the school before their path was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a special guest.
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