CHAPTER ONE
EXAM

The Hero Watch Weekly: International Edition / Published 28 February 2113

Powerhouse American Hero Family Relocates to Japan: What are the Valentins Planning?

Tokyo's hero fanbase community is buzzing this week after confirmation that the renowned American hero family, the Valentins, have officially relocated from America to Japan. Known internationally for their coordinated combat styles and powerful Quirks, the family's sudden move has sparked widespread speculation among fans, analysts, and pro heroes alike.

The Valentin family rose to prominence in the United States over the past decade, gaining a reputation as one of the few fully active hero families operating as a unified team. Led by veteran pro heroes Atlas and Flexline, the family became well known for their high-profile disaster response work and large-scale villain containment operations.

However, the family's reputation has not been without controversy.

In several widely reported incidents over the past few years, the Valentin children, known online as Spectra and Flashpoint, were seen assisting their parents during active hero operations. Video footage circulating online appeared to show the teenagers using their Quirks during rescues and villain encounters despite not holding official hero licenses at the time. While supporters argued the children were simply helping civilians during emergencies, critics labeled the actions as unlicensed vigilantism, raising concerns within American hero regulatory circles.

Although no formal criminal charges were ever publicly confirmed, the incidents reportedly triggered investigations by American hero authorities regarding the use of Quirks by minors outside official training programs.

Some experts now believe those controversies may be directly connected to the family's move to Japan.

While official details remain limited, immigration records and hero licensing filings confirm the family has finished the process of transferring their professional registrations to Japan's Hero Public Safety Commission. Sources suggest that at least two of the Valentin children may soon enroll in hero training programs, possibly including the prestigious U.A. High School, widely regarded as the top hero academy in the country.

If true, such a move could provide the Valentin children with a more structured path toward legitimate hero licensing; something Japan's academy system is specifically designed to support.

Still, the family's arrival has sparked mixed reactions among members of the Japanese hero community. Some pro heroes have expressed cautious optimism, noting the Valentins' impressive track record in large-scale rescue missions. Others worry that the children's past behavior suggests a willingness to bend hero regulations when lives are at stake.

"There's no doubt the Valentins are talented," said one Tokyo-based hero analyst. "But Japan takes hero licensing extremely seriously. If their kids want to operate here, they'll have to do it by the book."

Online discussion has only intensified the speculation. Supporters argue that their teamwork makes them uniquely effective during emergencies, while critics warn that such coordination outside official supervision could be dangerous.

For now, the Valentins have remained largely silent, issuing only a short statement confirming their relocation and expressing their "enthusiasm for Japan's hero education system and the opportunity to work alongside its incredible heroes."

Until more details emerge, one thing is certain: with a family as powerful and as famous as the Valentins entering the Japanese hero scene, the country's hero rankings may soon see some dramatic shifts.

Hero Watch Weekly will continue to monitor the story as it develops.

For more information about their quirks, go to page 5.

"Dad!" a bright, excited voice calls from the living room. "We're on the front page of Hero Watch!" The announcement echoes through the house, cutting through the soft sizzle of a frying pan. At the stove, a tall man with broad shoulders and sun-blond hair lets out a long, weary sigh. His blue eyes flick briefly toward the hallway, though his attention remains mostly on the eggs he's flipping with practiced ease. This man is known to the world as the Colossal Hero: Atlas but at home, he is simply known as Alexander Valentin, the father of three children.

"Great," he mutters dryly. "And I'm sure it's all good things about us."

"Well..." The speaker leans around the corner of the kitchen wall, revealing a young boy with the same tousled blond hair and bright blue eyes as the man at the stove. This young boy is known to the world as the Velocity Vigilante: Flashpoint but at home, he is Maxwell, the middle child. He holds up the magazine like evidence, a crooked grin tugging at his mouth. "It's mostly good things." He glances down at the page again, squinting as he reads. "They're calling Iris and me vigilantes," he says casually. "And they're 'concerned that we might—'" he pauses, reading the line word for word, "bend hero regulations when lives are at stake." The man at the stove snorts, the sound half amusement and half exasperation.

"Maybe hero regulations are just dumb and need to be changed to fit current times," another voice chimes in. A teenage girl steps into the kitchen, crossing her arms as she leans against the counter. Unlike the blond pair, she has sleek black hair that falls past her shoulders and sharp brown eyes that gleam with quiet defiance. There's a thoughtful stillness to her posture, but the smirk tugging at her lips suggests she's enjoying the argument already. This young girl is known to the world as the Veil Vigilante: Spectra but at home, she is Iris, the eldest child.

"Honey," a warm but firm voice interrupts. A woman stands near the kitchen table, watching the two older children. Her chestnut-brown hair is tied loosely back, and her brown eyes narrow in warning as she lifts a finger toward them. "You both promised," she says pointedly, "that while we're in Japan, you will follow the hero regulations." She adjusts her arms where cradled comfortably is a giggling toddler with messy brown hair and bright blue eyes. The little boy kicks his feet happily, completely oblivious to the lecture happening around him, his laughter filling the kitchen. This woman is known to the world as the Elastic Hero: Flexline but at home, she is Victoria, the mother of the children and in her arms is Lucas, the youngest of the bunch who has yet to show any signs of a quirk.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the two older children say in near perfect unison, rolling their eyes with synchronized exaggeration. Max slumps forward in his chair, resting his chin in his hands as he studies his parents across the table with narrowed, suspicious eyes.  "You've never told us the real reason we moved here," he says slowly. His gaze flicks between them, sharp and searching. "Is it because of Iris and me?" Across the table, Alexander and Victoria exchange a brief look.

"You can't tell us, can you?" she says, her brown eyes narrowing slightly as she picks up on the tension in their shoulders. She leans back in her chair, crossing her arms with a small, knowing smirk. "So obviously," she declares, nodding to herself, "it's a secret hero operation." Max straightens instantly and begins nodding along with her in exaggerated agreement.

"Definitely a secret mission," he says solemnly. At the stove, Alexander exhales through his nose in quiet amusement as he slides perfectly cooked over-easy eggs onto waiting plates already piled high with toast, bacon, and sausage. One by one, he carries the plates to the table, setting them down in front of each family member before finally taking his own seat.

"Will we be here long?" Max asks. Before anyone can answer, he vanishes in a blur of motion. In less than a second he's back in his chair, chewing happily, while several strips of bacon have mysteriously disappeared from everyone else's plates.

Iris eyes narrow into a glare as she drags her plate closer to her chest. "Max." She hisses. He grins innocently through a mouthful of stolen bacon. Iris's eyes flash purple as she flings a small shield at him, knocking him in the head. He flinches and glares at her. Across the table, Victoria shakes her head fondly at the familiar chaos. Lucas kicks his legs and giggles as she cuts his eggs into small pieces.

"We're not sure," Alexander answers at last, his voice softer now. "It all depends on how long this operation takes." He pauses before adding, "It could be weeks... months... or even years." Both older children groan in unison. Alexander gestures toward their plates. "Eat up. You both have your entrance exams today." Victoria wipes a smear of egg from Lucas's cheek before glancing at the siblings.

"How is your Japanese coming along?" she asks. The move to Japan was discussed months prior and the parents hired tutors to teach their children the language.

"Pretty good," Max replies through a mouthful of food. "Writing it is still kinda hard though."

"I'm having no issues with it," Iris says smoothly. She shoots her brother a look of pure disgust when a tiny piece of sausage flies out of his mouth and lands on the table with a soft plop.

"Do you feel prepared to take on the U.A. exam?" she asks Iris.

Iris shrugs, twirling her fork lazily. "It's just robots," she says confidently. "I'm sure I'll be fine." Then she turns her fork and points it directly at Max. "Now you, I'm worried about."

Max gasps dramatically, clutching a hand to his chest as if mortally wounded. "Me?" he says in fake shock. "How rude of you. I will do perfectly fine on the Mustafa exam."

"Hmm," Iris hums skeptically. "It's a private middle school. That means you actually have to put effort into your work this time."

Max stares at Iris for a long, dramatic moment, his dark eyes wide with wounded disbelief. Then, with slow theatrical misery, he lowers his head until it drops onto the table with a dull thud. "My own sister has no faith in me," he groans into the wood. "How will I ever go on?" Lucas bursts into delighted laughter from Victoria's lap, his small hands clapping together as if Max's despair were the greatest performance he'd ever seen. Max lifts his head and flashes the toddler a bright grin. "At least someone in this family appreciates me."

The peaceful chaos of the breakfast table is suddenly shattered by a loud ringtone that echoes sharply through the kitchen. Everyone freezes. Alexander's work phone vibrates against the counter, the sound cutting through the room like a siren. Alexander pushes back his chair and stands up. "Excuse me," he says, already reaching for the phone. The rest of the family watches in silence as he steps out into the hallway to answer the call. Iris's appetite vanishes instantly. She pushes a piece of egg around her plate with the edge of her fork, her brow furrowing slightly. Back in America, calls like that had meant action; sirens, rushing out the door, the electric thrill of helping however they could. But here in Japan, everything was different. Stricter rules. Licensing. Oversight. Which meant she couldn't step in and help. A few moments later, Alexander returns. "I'm being called in to help Endeavor with a villain," he informs them. He leans down and kisses the top of Lucas's head first, making the toddler giggle. Then he presses a quick kiss to Victoria's hair, followed by Iris's and Max's in turn.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Victoria asks, concern threading through her voice. "I can drop Lucas off at daycare."

Alexander shakes his head gently. "No. You stay here. I'll let you know if I need backup." Then he taps the sleek bracelet on his wrist. In a ripple of light, his civilian clothes dissolved away and were replaced instantly by his hero costume: a deep crimson bodysuit hugged his powerful frame, reinforced with matte black armor panels across his shoulders and forearms; a polished golden V-shaped emblem stretched proudly across his chest like a crest; heavy gauntlets encased his hand and thick combat boots with shock-absorbing soles grounded his stance; a simple black eye mask frames his bright blue eyes, completing the transformation from father to pro hero Atlas. He gives them one last reassuring smile. "Good luck on your exams today, kids," he says. "I love you."

"Love you too," the children chorus automatically. They watch through the window as their father sprints down the front path and disappears into the morning streets. The moment the door shuts, Max leans back in his chair and stretches.

"I still think it's cringe that we have matching family hero costumes," he comments. Iris immediately wags a finger at him.

"Uh uh uh," she corrects. "We have vigilante costumes. We're not heroes yet." Her voice drips with sarcasm as she added, "Even though we probably do a better job than half the licensed heroes out there."

Victoria's expression tightens instantly. "Iris," she says sharply. Iris meets her mother's gaze without flinching.

"What?" she says defensively. "You've seen it too. Heroes standing around waiting for someone stronger to come in to help while people are in danger because they're too scared to act. They're only in it for the fame and money when we," she gestures to herself and Max, "can jump in and actually save the person in danger because we care more about helping people."

"That's not what's happening," Victoria replies, her voice calm but firm. "Hero regulations exist for a reason."

"Yeah," Iris shoots back, "to slow people down when someone could just help." Max leans forward in his chair, eyes darting between them with open interest.

"Oh, this is getting good—"

"Max," Victoria warns without looking at him. He immediately pretends to focus very hard on his toast. "Being a hero isn't just about power," she says quietly. "It's about responsibility. Structure. Trust."

"And what about when the system fails?" she asks. "What happens then?"

"Then you fix the system," Victoria says. "You don't ignore it." For a moment, the kitchen falls into a tense silence. Lucas break it with a happy squeal as he waves a fork in the air, completely oblivious to the debate about hero ethics happening around him.

Max leans toward Iris and whispers just loud enough for her to hear, "For the record, I'm on your side but don't let mom know that." Iris rolls her eyes, but a tiny smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.

⋆˚꩜｡

Iris finds herself sitting in the middle of the auditorium, surrounded by people who animatedly speaking with their friends. She grumbles to herself while sinking into her seat.

At the front of the room, a tall man with wild blond hair and sunglasses steps up to the microphone with theatrical flair. "For all you examinee listeners tuning in—welcome to my show today!" he booms, his voice echoing through the entire hall. "Everybody say hey!" The room answered him with... silence. The man blinks once. Then he grins. "What a refined response! I like the enthusiasm!"

"That guy's loud," Iris mutters. Her ears perk up when she hears someone else muttering and turns to see a green haired boy practically vibrating with excitement.

"That's the Voice Hero, Present Mic!" the boy whispers loudly. "Wow! I listen to him every week on the radio!" A blond boy with explosive eyes sitting beside him scowls.

"Shut up." The blond snaps.

Present Mic snaps his fingers dramatically. "Let's quickly present the rundown on the practical exam! Are you ready?! Yeah!" The hall fills with murmurs as everyone leans forward. "As it says in the application requirements," Present Mic continues, pacing across the stage, "you listeners will be conducting ten-minute mock urban battles!" He points dramatically toward the doors behind them. "You can bring whatever you want with you. After this presentation, you'll head to your designated battle center!" Students begin checking their cards.

The blond boy clicks his tongue. "So they won't let us work with friends," he mumbles.

The green-haired boy nods nervously. "Ah... you're right. Even though our examinee numbers are consecutive, we're assigned to different battle centers."

The blond shots him a murderous glare. "Don't look. I'll kill you." The green haired boy freezes instantly. Iris watches the exchange with mild amusement.

"Wow," she mutters, "Friendly bunch."

Present Mic claps loudly. "Three different types of faux villains are stationed in each battle center! You earn points based on difficulty!"

"Basically smash robots," she nods her head.

Present Mic continues, "Your goal is to use your Quirks to immobilize the villains and rack up points! Of course, attacking other examinees is prohibited!"

A tall boy with glasses suddenly stands. "May I ask a question?"

Present Mic points at him. "Okay!"

The boy raises his printout sharply. "According to this sheet, there are four types of villains listed! If this is a misprint, then U.A., the most prestigious school in Japan, should be ashamed of such a foolish mistake!" The boy suddenly points toward the green-haired student. "And you! The one with curly hair! You've been muttering this whole time! It's distracting!"

The poor boy shrinks. "I-I'm sorry!"Laughter ripples through the hall.

"That's not very hero-like of you to yell at someone," Iris speaks up loud enough for her voice to carry across the laughter. The laughter dies down as people stare at her. "Everyone here is nervous, maybe muttering is his way of coping. Be more mindful in the future."

Present Mic waves his hand. "Okay, okay, Examinee Number 7111! Thanks for the great message! And Examinee Number 8215! Thank you for standing up for the other examinee!"  He grins. "The fourth villain type is worth zero points! It's basically an obstacle. Big guy. Causes chaos. No real reason to fight it." Present Mic points finger guns at the crowd. "I recommend you listeners avoid it!"

The glasses boy bows sharply. "Thank you very much! Please excuse the interruption!" He then turns and bows to the green haired boy. "Please excuse my behavior!"

Present Mic strikes a dramatic pose which faintly reminds Iris of her brother.  "That's all from me! Finally, I'll give you our school motto!" He raises a fist. "The hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said—A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes! Go beyond!"

The entire room echoes. "PLUS ULTRA!" Iris stands up, glancing down at her card to see that she will be in Battle Center B. She heads over with the crowd and sees that the green haired boy from earlier is with her. The massive steel doors groan open. Sunlight spills into the artificial city, casting long shadows across empty streets, cracked pavement, and abandoned buildings designed to simulate disaster zones. A murmur ripples through the gathered examinees.

"Whoa..."

"They built an entire city for the exam?"

"This place is huge..."

Iris finds herself standing near the middle of the crowd, arms folded loosely across her chest as she studies the battlefield with sharp, calculating eyes. The wind tugs lightly at her dark hair as she takes in every detail; locating escape routes, advantage points, and blind corners where she can surprise attack robots. 

"Okay," she mutters quietly. "This is actually impressive." An examinee next to her nods their head in agreements.

Then the loudspeakers crackle and Present Mic's voice explodes through the city. "What's wrong? There are no countdowns in real fights!" Students erupt into motion. Iris steps to the side, allowing the stampede of people to rush by her before heading in herself.

A one-point robot rolls around the corner almost immediately, red targeting sensors locking onto her. Iris doesn't hesitate for a second. A faint shimmer spreads across her forearm and with a flick of her wrist, a translucent force shield slams outward.

The robot flies backward like it had been hit by a truck, smashing into a brick wall and collapsing in a heap of metal. Iris glances down at the remains with a frown. "Is that all?" she mutters. Another robot drops from a nearby rooftop. Then another. Their red sensors glow as they surround her. She exhales slowly. "This is better." The air around her ripples as three shields form at once. The first one blasts outward, knocking one robot into a parked car. The second shield curves around her like a battering ram as she sprints forward and collides with the other robot, sending it flying backward. The third shield spins like a discus and slices through the legs of another machine that appears. Metal clatters across the street and she brushes dust from her sleeve.

"Four already," she murmurs. Suddenly, she hears panicked screaming and bolts in the direction she hears it. She stumbles upon a group of examinees being cornered by a few robots in an alleyway.

"We're trapped!"

"Move!"

One robot raises its arm cannon and the students scream. A shimmering wall of energy forms between them and the robot. The blast strikes the barrier and explodes harmlessly. The examinees stare at their savior in surprise. She changes the shape of her shield to allow a small tunnel through the robots and out of the alleyway to form.

"You guys might want to move." The students scramble away immediately. The robot fires again and the blast ricochets back toward the machine. The robot collapses in sparks. Another lunges toward her from behind. Without turning, Iris snaps her fingers and a second shield bursts outward behind her and the robot's torso dents inward as it flies across the alley. Iris walks away and her entire time in the battle center continues to be a dance between protecting other examinees and destroying robots.

Another scream echoes from a rooftop which catches her attention. She looks up to see a boy has been cornered by a three-point robot. The robot swings its heavy arm causing the student to stumble backwards. She holds out a hand and a circular shield appears around the boy. He freezes in confusion as he is slowly lowered to the ground before turning to see her. "Thank you—" he is cut off as the robot charges toward them. Three shields form in rapid succession, one strikes the robot's legs, another crushes its torso, and the final shield slams into its head like a hammer. The machine collapses in pieces.

The boy gapes at her. "You just—"

Iris shrugs. "Keep moving." She advises and walks away, wondering if any of the people here are truly prepared to face actual villains if they can't even handle a few robots. She stumbles as the ground begins to violently shake. A deep metallic roar echoes through the city. A gigantic shadow stretches across the street. Then the zero-pointer raises above the buildings like a mechanical titan.

Iris stares up at it in shock. "...Okay, what the hell."  She notices that the robot's massive arm is about to slam into the ground where a bunch of students are scrambling away for their lives. She rushes towards them and flings her hands out, a giant shield forming above the students just in time as the arm slams into it. She grunts at the force, her arms shaking. It raises its arm again and slams it in the shield, over and over. She typically doesn't need to withstand such force for long since her father usually takes the villains down within seconds. She drops to a knee.

"Run!" She yells at the students underneath her shield. They rush out of the way. The robot gets bored of her shield and turns it attention onto a building. It punches the building and rubbles goes flying. She drops her shield only to reform it around a girl who was about to be nailed with the rubble. The rubble bounces off her shield. She quickly focuses on the shield and yanks the girl toward her as more rubble falls.

"Thank you!" The girl cries out, launching toward Iris and hugging her as the shield falls.

"You're welcome, get to safety." Iris awkwardly pats the girl's back before turning her attention back towards the robot. She realizes that she is going to need to create more than three shields to cut through the robot and bring it down, but anything more than three at a time takes a lot of her currently. As she tries to figure out a plan, a green-haired boy suddenly sprints toward the monster instead of away. She blinks. "....What?"

He launches himself into the air. "SMASH!" The robot's head explodes and shockwaves rip through the street. Students stared in disbelief. The boy begins falling from the sky. Iris moves instinctively to form a shield around him, but another girl reaches him first, slapping his face and must have activated her Quirk as their fall slows. The unconscious boy collapses safely onto the street.
She crosses her arms, watching the unconscious boy being carried away as the exam is announced to be over.

⋆˚꩜｡

The week after the entrance exam drags by slower than any week of Iris Valentin's life. She tries to pretend she didn't care but every time the doorbell rang or footsteps passed their mailbox outside the apartment, her attention snaps up instantly. She knows she did well, she knows she got in...probably...maybe...

Max, of course, is making it worse. He lounges upside down across the couch, kicking his legs over the armrest while tossing a tennis ball in the air. "You're pacing again," he says lazily.

"I am not pacing."

"You've walked past the window fourteen times."

"I'm observing."

"You're pacing." Iris shoots him a glare sharp enough to cut glass. Before she could respond, the door bursts open.

"It's here!" Victoria rushes inside holding a large envelope with the unmistakable red-and-gold crest of U.A. High School stamped on the front. Iris freezes and her heart slams painfully against her ribs. Victoria hands the envelope over and picks up Lucas, while calling out for Alexander. Iris holds it shakily in her hands as her family gathers around to either celebrate with her or comfort her.

"Open it already." Max demands.

"I'm thinking."

"You're stalling."

"I am not stalling."

"You're definitely stalling." Iris rolls her eyes and tore the envelope open. A small metallic disk slide out and clatters onto the coffee table. "What?" She furrows her eyebrows in confusion but then, the disk suddenly floats into the air and a light bursts from its center. A hologram flickers to life and then a massive, unmistakable figure appears.

"I AM HERE!" The booming voice fills the apartment. The hologram of All Might stands proudly above the table, arms crossed and grinning. All Might points dramatically toward the projection camera. "Hello there, Young Valentin! Congratulations on surviving the U.A. entrance exam!"

"Okay," Iris says. "That's pretty cool." Max leans closer to the hologram.

"Is All Might gonna be teaching at your school?" He asks excitedly. "This is so cool."

"Now then! Let's discuss your results!" A glowing screen appears beside him displaying the exam scores. All Might gestures proudly. "Villain points earned by defeating faux villains..." Numbers flash across the screen. "Thirty-six points!" Another number appears. "But that's not all!" All Might raises a finger dramatically. "U.A. does not judge potential heroes by combat alone!" New footage appears on the screen, showing Iris saying numerous examinees. "These are rescue points! Points awarded by our judging panel when examinees demonstrate true heroic instincts." The final number flashes onto the screen. "Rescue points: thirty points!" All Might laughs. "Your defensive Quirk and strategic thinking saved multiple students during the exam! Your final score..." The numbers combine. "Sixty-six points! Which places you as fifth place overall." Iris hums, looking at the names on the hologram and wondering which ones will be in her class.
"Young Iris Valentin!" He gives a massive thumbs-up. "You have passed the entrance exam!"

"...I got in." Iris says in disbelief. Suddenly, her parents wrap her in tight hugs and shower her in praise,
Lucas claps and giggles like he understood the moment, and Max grins from ear to ear.

All Might chuckles. "We look forward to seeing you at U.A., Young Valentin Because this..."

The hologram begins fading.

"...is where your hero story truly begins."