I Am Ironman (MHA)

[Third Person's PoV] 

Tony and Bakugo sat silently on opposite sides of a large, humming bus, driven by none other than the Flame Hero himself—Endeavor. It was a bizarre sight that Tony never imagined would exist in any timeline: a top-ranked Pro Hero acting as their personal chauffeur to an examination site.

Tony leaned back against the window, arms crossed, his gaze unfocused as thoughts swirled in his mind. The silence between him and Bakugo was thick, but it wasn't born of tension—just mutual disinterest in conversation. Each of them was too caught up in their own thoughts to bother with the other.

'Most of the others haven't changed much…' Tony thought, glancing up at the ceiling. 'But for completely different reasons than expected. Aizawa's in for a surprise if he still thinks Momo is just another support-type who leans on her Quirk. That's going to be fun to watch.'

With a subtle mental cue, he commanded, 'Friday, record all of today's combat sessions. I want every angle—send it to me once it's over.' His AI assistant gave a quiet confirmation only he could hear.

The bus screeched to a sudden stop, snapping Tony out of his inner monologue. They had arrived.

Outside, a massive simulated city awaited them—an urban battlefield of towering skyscrapers and empty streets. It was built to mimic a modern metropolis, complete with alleyways, rooftops, and industrial obstacles. A perfect stage for a combat exam.

Endeavor was the first to exit the vehicle, his boots slamming onto the pavement with purpose. Bakugo followed, his expression unreadable but body tense with anticipation. Tony exited last, his hands in his pockets as he stepped off the bus and scanned the battlefield ahead.

The number-two Pro Hero turned to face them, flames flickering along his beard and shoulders as he crossed his arms. His expression was as fiery and intense as ever.

"From what I've been briefed," Endeavor began, his voice deep and commanding, "this exam is designed to test both your combat effectiveness and your decision-making. You will have exactly thirty minutes to either apprehend me with these—" he held up two pairs of standard-issue hero handcuffs, "—or escape the area while I prevent you from doing so."

He tossed one pair of cuffs to each of them. Tony caught his with a casual flick of the wrist, while Bakugo snatched his mid-air with a slight growl.

"Hmph. Running away isn't an option," Bakugo muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.

Endeavor ignored the remark. "Because you're students and I'm a Pro, the conditions have been adjusted in your favor. I will be wearing weighted restraints—" he pulled out thick, metal cuffs laced with dense alloy—"to double half the weight of my body, restricting my mobility and power."

Before he could finish strapping them on, Tony raised a hand. His liquid metal suit flowed over his arms like mercury, and with a pulse of electromagnetism, he flung the restraints from Endeavor's hands, sending them crashing to the ground several feet away with a thunderous clang.

"There's no need for that," Tony said, eyes narrowed, voice sharp with confidence. "Holding back would only hinder you. We want you at full strength."

Bakugo nodded in agreement, a wicked smirk tugging at his lips. "Yeah, don't insult us by acting like we need a handicap just to keep up. I want the real fight."

Endeavor stared at them both for a long moment. "I understand now why the two of you were paired together. You're both arrogant... and reckless. You assume strength without knowing what true power looks like."

Tony's suit fully activated, the liquid metal flowing over his body until only his face remained visible. His eyes glowed faintly, the repulsors on his palms whirring to life.

"Maybe that's true for him," Tony said, nodding toward Bakugo, "but not for me. I don't act out of arrogance. I act out of certainty. I know where I stand in this world. I know my capabilities. I don't underestimate the opposition, but I won't underestimate myself either."

Bakugo glared at him, sparks flaring in his palms. "You got a problem with me or something?! You're always mouthing off like you've got something to prove!"

Smoke began to curl between Bakugo's fingers as his quirk began to warm up, but Endeavor raised a hand, stopping him from escalating further.

"Enough. As I said, this exam is to judge your decision-making. You've made your choice—no restraints. That's fine by me," he said, turning away. "I wasn't planning on holding back anyway."

With that, he began walking toward the center of the mock city, flames trailing behind him like a warning.

---

As Tony and Bakugo stepped into the city together, the tension between them simmered just beneath the surface.

Tony glanced at him. "So… how about we make this interesting?"

Bakugo turned his head slightly, his scowl returning. "What the hell do you mean by interesting?"

Tony smirked. "Let's be real. We're not going to team up. Our egos would never allow it. So instead of pretending to cooperate, let's compete. See who can do the most damage. Who can push Endeavor to his limits. Who can actually capture him."

Bakugo didn't respond right away. His fists clenched slightly as he mulled it over. 

"So, what does the winner get, since this is supposed to be a contest?" Bakugo asked, arms crossed, eyes narrowed with skepticism.

Tony smirked, the expression as sharp as the glint in his eye. "I'll personally upgrade your hero suit if you win. And let's be honest—dislike me all you want, but you know a suit built by me would be an absolute game changer."

Bakugo let out a low growl, clearly irritated, but his interest was piqued. The thought of having a custom suit from Tony Stark, despite how much he annoyed him, was too tempting to ignore. "Confident bastard," he muttered under his breath. Then, with a pointed glare, he asked, "And what do you get out of all this?"

"The pure, unfiltered satisfaction of watching you lose your temper and go absolutely mad, obviously," Tony replied with a laugh, voice laced with mischief.

Bakugo snarled, swinging a quick backhand at Tony's head. Tony ducked with ease, still laughing.

"YOU BASTARD!!!"

Before the moment could escalate any further, a loud voice rang out through every speaker across the battlefield.

"All units in position?! This is it—let the final exam for U.A. High's First-Year students… BEGIN!!"

The air between Tony and Bakugo exploded into a shockwave of heat and raw kinetic force as they launched forward at the exact same moment, neither willing to give the other even a millisecond of an advantage. The blast from their departure shattered the windows of every building nearby.

Tony's helmet flowed into place seamlessly over his head, the HUD lighting up in an instant. In perfect sync, the two launched skyward, their paths streaking through the air like twin comets.

And then, almost as one, they roared in fierce defiance.

"ENDEAVOR'S MINE!!"

The battlefield trembled under their speed and intensity. Wherever they passed, shockwaves and shattered glass marked their path. But suddenly, flashing alerts danced across Tony's HUD, accompanied by Friday's urgent voice.

"Warning: Incoming threat from above!"

Tony's eyes darted upward, just in time to see a massive figure descending like a meteor wreathed in smoldering flame—Endeavor, falling fast, his body radiating lethal heat.

Tony didn't speak or give any warning, he just instinctively firing his repulsors and blasting backward with all available thrust. Bakugo, noticing Tony's movement, mirrored him, propelling himself away in a burst of concentrated explosions.

A split second later, Endeavor slammed into the ground between them with a colossal impact. The sheer force of his landing tore a crater into the earth, the explosion of heat vaporizing debris and engulfing the area in a swirling inferno.

When the smoke and flame began to clear, Endeavor stood tall at the center of the destruction he'd caused—silent, still, and absolutely terrifying. Flames danced around him like angry spirits, and the intensity of the heat warped the air.

He said nothing.

But his cold, piercing blue eyes locked onto Tony and Bakugo, unblinking.

The real exam had just begun.

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