《My Hero Academia: EMTs》


 Prologue: From Darkness

    The Villain


    Henry Miles: The Purple Bandit


    The tales of my purple mask blow in the wind as I look over the city. I tighten my running shoes, my purple cape draping on the ground. I then survey the crowd below through purple binoculars for anyone who looks to have valuables.


    I smirk as I watch a woman with a large purse walking along. "Perfect..." I say.


    I dive off the roof, spreading my arms to slow my descent as I plummet five stories to the ground, my cape billowing behind me.


    Several feet before impact and my eminent doom, I swing my right arm, and a duplicate of me appears in midair, itself having far less momentum than I currently do. About to impact, I eye the clone, and- suddenly, my mind is in the clone.


    I am the clone; my mind has fully transferred. My first body crashes into the pavement, blood splattering and bones crunching as I walk away from it. As the people around turn in fear and disgust at the sight of my crushed body, I snap my fingers, the corpse disappearing. I go into a sprint.


    The people around me aren''t sure what to do as I move through them. I grab the purse of the old lady and take off running.


    "Thief!" The woman yells. "Help!"


    "It''s the Purple Bandit!" someone yells.


    "Get him! There''s a reward!" another yells.


    "He''s just a boy. Be careful!" a concerned young woman yells as I commit a crime right in front of her.


    Men and women around me try to grab at me, but it''s hopeless. I duck under several extended hands as I maneuver to an overhanging fire escape. It''s some eight feet up, but I jump for it anyway, extending my right arm.


    Three feet above me, another copy of me appears in the air, barely making up the distance and grabbing the bottom of the platform. I transfer to that clone, quickly snapping away the last body again. I''m too heavy to pull myself up to the platform with just my fingers, but no matter, I''m close enough.


    I look up, and yet another copy of me appears on the above platform. It dashes over to the stairs and starts to climb.


    All eyes turn to the copy, and everyone assumes that I transferred to it instead of staying in the body that has just crashed to the ground.


    They''re all wrong, though. When I hit the ground, it''s obvious to see and feel why they assumed I would body swap again. Everyone looks away from me, following "the action" as my clone retreats up the fire escape.


    A man dressed in a black coat and jeans drops down the fire escape, holding some kind of silver scarf to break his fall and hook onto the floor just above my clone. "Stop right there!" he yells at the clone.


    On the ground, I smirk. Even Pro Heroes have a hard time keeping up with my quirk. I get up and sprint away, gulping down the pain from my earlier fall, leaving all the knuckleheads in the dust as I tear down an alleyway.


    I see a door in the alley and run over to it, trying to open it.


    Dang it! Locked!


    I snap my fingers on my left hand again. Making my clone disappear will give away my game, but I have no choice. I can only make one clone at a time and need my quirk to escape the alleyway.


    I quickly peer under the locked door into the room past it. It looks like some kind of restaurant kitchen. Well, it''s better than staying out here, right?


    I swing my right arm, and a clone of me appears inside that kitchen. I transfer my mind to the clone, leaving my current body in the alleyway.


    I hear the pro hero in the alleyway as I move deeper into the kitchen.


    "Hey! Give up, Bandit! " he yells, but of course, he''s talking to a puppet, not the master¡ªI''m already in the building.


    I stay low and hook around one of the counters as the door I just bypassed suddenly crashes open. "I suppose you think you''re clever?" Asks the hero as he walks in, stretching to oversee the entire place. "Your tricks won''t work on me forever, kid. Why don''t you just give up?" He jumps on top of one of the counters, peering down the sides of it, "I have a soft spot for little kids; c''mon, we''ll work out a deal. I don''t offer that to everyone, ya know."


    I move my right arm, and a clone of me takes off down the side of the next series of counters. The hero hears him and jumps to the top of the counters I''m hiding behind. I know he has to pick a target, and I also get up and take off deeper into the restaurant.


    I move fast, but not fast enough, as that silver scarf suddenly surrounds me. I''m quickly trapped in it, arms pulled down to my sides when the hero yanks me back. "Like I said, it''s not gonna work forever, kid," he says, slapping handcuffs on me. "Now for your copy."


    "Hmm..." I say, grinning. "You think you''re the clever one, huh?"


    The hero yanks me to him and pulls me within inches of his face, "You''re lucky you''re a kid. You wanna make me work this hard? I''m tempted to pummel you into the ground- but I wanna sleep tonight." He throws my restrained body to the ground and takes his scarf back, running off in the direction my copy went in.


    Just because you hear someone or something moving in a particular direction doesn''t mean it actually IS moving in that direction. My clone moves back around to me as the tape recorder he planted on a far-off table continues to play. He runs past me, and I mind-transfer, continuing to run in the new body.


    "Damnit!" the man yells behind me. "How many tricks do you pack, you brat?" I run over to a nearby window. I know who this hero is- I have seconds before my escape plan won''t work.


    I make it within three feet of the store''s front window and swing my right arm- nothing happens.


    "Forgetting my power?" the hero asks behind me. "My eyes make your power turn off."


    "Yeah... I got that..." I turn around seeing him staring at me from across the large room, his eyes glowing red.


    "I''ll give you this- this is our tenth bout, Bandit." He starts walking towards me, unblinking. "You''re good at hit and run. It''s too bad you''re wasting your potential like this." I quickly run to a nearby table and grab a chair, spinning and hurling it at the hero- who just grabs it out of the air and tosses it aside. "Not gonna work, kid. I''m not closing my eyes."


    "You forget one detail."


    "Oh?"


    "It''s not like you tied the first one''s legs, right?"


    "You have to snap him away, and you can''t transfer to him until I take my eyes off you and... he just ran out of the restaurant, didn''t he?"


    I nod and grin. I offer him my hands. "Go ahead, cuff me again."


    He sighs in frustration. "I restrain your right arm. You can''t make another clone, but the second I take my eyes off you as I take you in, I have no way of knowing where the hell your copy is- you could jump into him and take off from anywhere within hundreds of feet...'' he folds his arms. "Fine... that is clever."


    "C''mon- let''s play this out. Maybe you''ll anticipate my clone, maybe you won''t." I keep my hands up to let him cuff me, a smirk on my face.


    "You REALLY think I have to play your game at all?" Suddenly, I feel myself pulled off the ground. I''m slammed against the wall, and I have to cough out in shock as I feel the impact. The hero pulls back his right hand, making a fist and aiming right for my face as I raise my hands defensively, knowing this guy could decimate me.


    I sent the other me out of the restaurant and into the street. I have no out. I overplayed my hand, and now I''m about to pay the price. I wait for the pain, the beating, the blackness...


    It all never comes.


    The man sets me down. "Who am I kidding?" He asks. "Am I really gonna beat a kid unconscious over a purse?"


    "But if you don''t... you know I can escape..."


    "And I don''t know how to restrain the second phase of whatever your quirk is. You''ll eventually body swap to wherever your clone is. Yes, I''m aware."


    "You''re just gonna let me go?" I ask, looking at the hero.


    The hero growls. "Listen to me, Purple. You aren''t beating heroes out here; you''re taking advantage of people who care about you."


    I look at the ground as he says that, my heart feeling like it''s in my stomach.


    "Something tells me you aren''t that kind of person... c''mon kid. Tell me what''s wrong. I want to help you. I really do. Risking your life and going up against pro heroes for... purses, jewels, and a few fancy clothes every now and then? Most of the stuff you take you can''t even use."


    I can''t look him in the eyes as he says what we both know is true.


    "You can''t use that stuff. I doubt you know how to hawk it at your age, and someone has to take care of you, so that leaves... someone is using you."


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I step back, looking around at the ground. I don''t want to explain. I don''t want to tell him. I know by just being around him, he''s figuring things out. Not now, not him. Why does it have to be him? I know he''s brilliant. I know he''ll figure out what''s going on in time.


    "Kid, tell me. What''s happening?" The hostility is gone from his voice. He''s honestly concerned. His eyes return to a normal color as he tries to extend his trust to win me over.


    I know what I must do... but I don''t want to.


    Hearing his voice, I remember being seven years old. I remember seeing his shadowy figure in the papers for the first time. I remember the silver scarf that captured my imagination. I remember his gruff voice from the few times he gave interviews to the papers. I remember... all the dreams of a little boy who wanted to follow his idol''s steps.


    Finally, I look up at him. "Eraserhead... I''m sorry..."


    "Stop apologizing. If you mean it, then-"


    But I don''t hear the rest. I see my clone hundreds of feet away and a few stories up in some random building. It''s just visible through the restaurant''s front windows. I transfer my mind to my clone and just run.


    I retreat, eyes filling with tears, feeling the dreams of what I really wanted to be still dying, no matter how much I want to rescue them. In the back of my mind, I know it. I''ll never be a hero like I wanted.


    I live in a city of heroes, but my monsters have done the impossible. They''ve made damn sure- no one can save me.


    The Hostage


    Tori Miles: The Good for Nothing


    "I promise to pay¡ªlisten to me!" the old man pleads. "Please, just let him go, let my son go."


    The man in the suit looks around the small shop. He sees fresh fruit and fish here and there, along with a small pet store in the corner.


    Amid the shop, a young man stands between two gentlemen dressed in black uniforms, each holding metal batons. The young man is backed up to the wall, and one of the men takes aim with his baton to bury the teenager''s head into the wall behind him.


    "Please, just a few more days!" The old man, dressed in a typical shopkeeper''s uniform, said.


    I watch. I know I''m the one who brought this on them... I have to do something. I have to say something. "Daddy, maybe... maybe we can just take the value of the money from the store."


    The large man in the suit looks down at me, eyes cold, but his head cocks slightly to the side as he speaks slowly. "It would be... prudent to keep a source of money if we can. But we must make a statement. I do not offer these people my protection for nothing."


    I look over at the pets. My eyes travel over them and the prices for each. I see one that costs over a thousand dollars. "They owe us five hundred," I say. I point my finger at the expensive puppy. "So we''ll take her. Just the resale value should easily cover the cost."


    The man turns and looks at the puppy as if to consider. "I sense you could have ulterior motives here, my child." A smile creeps across his face. "But you''re not wrong." He snaps his fingers at one of his men. "Take the black one on the bottom. It''s a rare mastiff. It will turn a pretty penny. Then take the one in the middle; it''s a corso and a good guard breed. Finally, take... yes, that one in the corner left. A beagle will be a good companion for my little girl."


    One of the thugs moves away from the boy and secures the three puppies in a small burlap sack. The young dogs seem happy to be held for a short time, blissfully unaware of who holds them.


    In minutes, the two thugs and I, and my father, are back in the car. The thugs move to the front as my father sits with me.


    "I know what you were trying to do out there, Tori," He says as he situates beside me. "And I appreciate it in my own way." He looks up to the gentlemen in the front. "You two secured proper supplies for our new investments, I suppose? May we see the beagle?"


    The beagle is handed back to us in a small carrying cage. I look at him, eager and happy, believing his best days are ahead of him with me and his new family. If the dog only knew, he would be planning his escape this instant, but how could he know? "We paid for some of the supplies. We''re not looking to bankrupt our customers, only to make a point," My father explains. "And you were right, of course. We get more money from living people than dead ones. Though I suppose your actions were based more on your weak heart than weighing consequences."


    I look away from him, trying to hide the tears. He turns my head by holding my chin. "Oh my sweetheart, don''t be like that," he says, wiping a few tears. You have a new friend here," he says, quietly letting the puppy out of its carrying case. The small creature jumps on me and starts licking my face, making me laugh as the car lurches into motion.


    "Stop, stop... stahahahahaahpppp..." I push out through, laughing and struggling for dominance over the small, friendly creature.


    "See? Life isn''t so bad, now is it?" my father asks. He leans his chin on his fist. "Still, we have some work to do. You told me this last man was behind on his bills to the company. What is the next thing you''ve discovered,"


    "I hihihihi¡ªstop it, you." I''m finally able to wrestle the creature under an arm and pet its head. "We have a request to track down stolen property from the jeweler downtown."


    "Head there now, driver," my father says. "Is he up on his payments, this jeweler?"


    "I believe so," I say, getting drawn into the puppy''s happiness and giggling a little.


    "Good. We will go and gather evidence. Anyone who dares attack my customers should be taught a swift lesson." He straightens his jacket as he says that.


    "Hey boss, maybe you should listen to what''s on the radio," says the voice of one of the men up front.


    We next hear a new broadcaster''s announcement: "The young Purple Bandit has evaded capture again. This time, the young menace escaped the grasp of Vlad King himself. We go to the Blood Hero himself for comment."


    The Blood Hero speaks. "Don''t anybody take this the wrong way. He''s a slippery little guy, but what was I supposed to do? Every time I got him pinned, he would switch bodies and I''d be left holding a body that would either disappear or go limp like a puppet that got its cords cut. It''s a creepy quirk he''s got, but he''s still a kid. I''d have to hurt him to get around his quirk. He just stole some jewels, and frankly, I''d rather he get away than have some middle schooler''s blood on my hands. He''s quick and clever, but he''ll be caught eventually. We pros are working on it, though frankly, an underage petty thief isn''t a priority."


    "Do you have a comment on him abandoning the jewels outside the police station?" The announcer asked.


    "Hm? Oh, he did, huh?" asked the hero. "Well, that''s a hopeful development. Sounds like he''s having second thoughts. He''ll still have to pay for his disruptions, but I''ll say that Bandit kid is no monster. Honestly, I think he''s just a kid in trouble. I or one of the other heroes will get him eventually and put him back on the right track. In the meantime, no one should misinterpret our hesitance to hurt the kid as confirmation that he''s harmless. He''s still a well-trained individual who is willing to use his quirk dangerously. Do not approach him or try to capture him. Leave this to the authorities."


    The radio is switched off. "So what do you think, boss? Yesterday, he got us a nice sum from that old lady, but I don''t know about today. It seems your son messed up," the driver said.


    "He dropped off the goods with the police, which means they''ll be returned; no real harm was done, " the man on the passenger side points out.


    "He stole from one of my clients," my father says in a deep growl. "He and others like him are meant to sow distrust in the law, so people turn to me. If I cannot answer chaos and bring order myself, why bother coming to me either?"


    "Well, he''s your son, and he is a boy. Boys will make mistakes. He did try to undo the damage, " the driver points out.


    "I understand that. I will not kill him or do any damage that cannot be undone- as sons do not grow on trees. Still..." My father looked out over the street. "Pull into that alley up there."


    My stomach sank. My father put the puppy back in its kennel and stowed it in the back through a small opening in the rear seat. We turned into a small alleyway, and the engine turned off. My father cleared his throat. "Tori," he said.


    I close my eyes, my heart thumping like a jackhammer. I''m so scared. My father and I get out of the car and come to the backside.


    My father, Charles Miles, stood over me as he took out a small smartphone and called my brother.


    I wait with baited breath to see what was about to happen. Charles started the conversation when Henry picked up. "Hello, son. I suppose you know why I''m calling?"


    I hear my brother. "Look... I made a mistake, okay? The jewels looked valuable, so I figured we could sell them for a lot. I never knew that guy was a client."


    "Henry, Henry, Henry... what should I do with you? You must check the client lists before you start your jobs. You''re not supposed to just hit up random stores and civilians. Our family has a business. We''re not reliant on your harassment campeigns to bring in money, that''s just a bonus. We rely on you and the other beaters to make potential customers see why they need us. Without our protection, they could be robbed, intimidated, or harassed, you see? You''re only helping people understand their needs, understand? You''re not just a thief. You''re... waking people up."


    "I mean- that jeweler still feels like he needs protection, I imagine," my brother attempts.


    "That jeweler should feel secure. After all, they have our security services. You''re undermining us, dear Henry."


    "I... I didn''t mean to do it, sir..."


    My father started talking in precise and clipped words. "You refer to me as "father" or at least "dad" when we are on friendly terms. You only call me "sir" around polite company. It seems you are forgetting your role in this family. You need to be reminded how important it is to remember your position. What happens if you act like this and you''re higher in rank? Your misbehaving could cause our communities to devolve into chaos and our employees to go without their needed pay- you don''t want that, do you? I thought you dreamed of being heroic."


    "Sir... Father... I''m sorry."


    "I must do what I must do, Henry. You stole fifty thousand American dollars worth of jewelry."


    "I dropped it off with the police, and the jewelers got it back¡ªall''s well that ends well, right?"


    "I''m afraid not. However, you''re right. Your punishment should fit your crime." Charles started to put black gloves on his hands. "Nothing was lost forever. There was only pain and worry so that you will experience that."


    "Look... I''ll come down there, you can just-"


    "Just what?" Charles interrupts. "Break one of your ankles? You can just body-switch and fix that. Besides, I''ll lose your services in the interim. No, I think we both know what must be done."


    "Please..." I can hear my brother beg.


    I look up at Charles as the back of his hand comes at me- my vision goes black for a few seconds, and I hit the pavement. "I''m sorry, Tori," says my father, "but your brother has to learn."


    I look and see as he forces my foot near the wheel of the car. My head is too stunned by the hit for me to move. I can only watch as he orders his men to turn on the car- then I scream as the car backs up, my bones breaking- I can hear my brother begging and crying for Charles to stop.


    I mercifully go unconscious.


    The Victim


    Haturo: The Lab Rat


    I feel the hard metal floor beneath my feet, my hands on the cage wires. I want to leave this place badly, but my cage door is padlocked.


    I look at the room before me. Dead in front of me is a padded examination table with leather restraints. Off to my left is an X-ray machine that displays images of my skeleton. Ahead of the table is a series of vials of different and often dangerous chemicals. To my right is a hall that leads to the rest of the facility.


    My thoughts go into a loop: ''No- no, I got out. I got out! My heroes were around me. It wasn''t a dream. It wasn''t a dream... I got out! I got out!''


    I hear footsteps as someone approaches the cage. I slam my back against the back of the cage as the blonde woman comes into view. She''s holding that tranq gun that always knocks me out, so I can''t fight her. She aims at me, and I scream-


    Suddenly, I feel myself being picked up. I''m being held gently and patted on the back as I cry and scream.


    My eyes open, and- I''m instantly relieved. I''m in my father''s arms. He shushes me and hugs me as I wrap my arms around him in my dark bedroom. He switches on a light and walks back and forth in the room a few times till I settle down. He slowly lays me back on my bed and pulls the covers over me. He smiles at me and pets my hair a few times.


    I want to smile at him, but I don''t. I want to be happy, but I''m not. My life is better, but I can''t feel it. I cry into my pillow. I hear him walk out of the room. In a few moments, I listen to him outside.


    "Sakura? Yeah, it''s Aizawa again... yeah, I know it''s late, but her subconscious is at it again. She keeps missing out on sleep. It''s interfering with her schoolwork; she''s always tired, and it''s rare just to see her smile... you keep saying that isolation is hurting her, but there are people- bad people who are after her. I can''t just put her in a normal elementary school or social club... so she can''t progress until I figure something out... I guess that makes sense... Well, I have an idea. It''s not ideal, but it will be something."


    He comes back into the room and puts his hand on my head. "Haturo," he sighs and hangs up the phone. "Hang in there, kid. I promised I wouldn''t give up on you, and I won''t." I wipe my nose on my sleeve and look into his eyes. I want to feel better so badly. "In the morning, we''re gonna try something and see if it helps." He puts his hand near mine, and I squeeze it, "I''m gonna need you to trust me, kid. What I have in mind won''t be easy, but it might help."

 First Friend

    Hotaru Aizawa:


    My dad sits with me in the principal¡¯s office, and Mr. Nezu sits back in his chair. ¡°She¡¯s cute, Mr. Aizawa, but I¡¯m not sure this is such a wonderful idea.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡± My father asks, holding up his hands in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ okay, so let¡¯s review again. Your daughter Hotaru was someone¡¯s human lab rat for a long time. You took her in as your own to give her a better life and keep her from the government- fine, fine, I get all that. And I suppose I get you hiding her till now¡­ But why do you think having her attend this school will help her?¡±


    ¡°I can pay.¡±


    ¡°You are a valuable asset to this school. I¡¯m happy to help you, Professor. That¡¯s not what I asked for. How will attending UA help her? She¡¯s eleven years old. She should be going to middle school, not high school. She could be overwhelmed by the other students here. Even the first years will be so much bigger and stronger. I hope you¡¯re not planning to put the poor thing through hero training. I¡¯m not even sure that¡¯s legal- in fact¡­¡± The intelligent chimera pulled a book out of his desk drawers and quickly turned through its pages, ¡°Ah yes, right here. Fourteen years of age. No one is allowed to train in even SIMULATED live fire exercises ¡°until the age of fourteen¡±.¡±


    ¡°Did you really have to check that?¡± My dad asks with lowered eyebrows.


    ¡°No- I thought you needed to check it.¡± he closed the book.


    ¡°Daddy, what is Mr. Nezu?¡± I finally ask. I look at him, hiding behind my father¡¯s arm, but I can¡¯t help it. Mr. Nezu has the head of a rat, the paws of a dog, and a dog¡¯s tail. I¡¯m unsure what his midsection is; maybe it''s a bear.


    Nezu chuckles. ¡°Oh my, aren¡¯t you blunt? You should have just asked right away,¡± He says. ¡°I¡¯m a chimera and an animal with a quirk of superintelligence.¡± He smiles at me and seems friendly, but something about how he looks at me tells me he¡¯s okay with me being scared of him.


    ¡°Hotaru has an enhanced quirk, Nezu.¡± My father says.


    ¡°Listen to me, for the good of your daughter¡­ you said she has a what?¡± Nezu seems to pause.


    ¡°In that lab, when she was experimented on, her quirk was enhanced, artificially.¡±


    Nezu hopped off his chair and wandered around his desk to look at me. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the kind of power she can put out. For a middle schooler, it''s insane.¡±


    ¡°For an adult?¡± Nezu queried further as he examined me from a short distance.


    ¡°If I had to guess, her Lightning-Storm quirk has the potency of a decently trained adult,¡± My father confirms.


    ¡°I would love to see that¡­¡± Nezu comments.


    ¡°Sure, I trust you. But there are people who want to see what she can do, and they want much more than that. She has¡­ maybe ten or fifteen times the kind of power she should have.¡±


    ¡°Do you suppose it will keep growing?¡± Nezu asks.


    ¡°I can only hope not for her sake,¡± my father says. ¡°She¡¯s having a hard enough time controlling it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should do some tests to see if she can be-¡±


    ¡°NO TESTS!¡± I scream. ¡°No labs¡­¡± I wrap my arms around my legs. I know that word. The mean lady in the lab always used that word before bad things happened to me.


    Nezu looks me in the eye and stops talking. He cocks his head a little, then looks down. I notice a big scar around one of his eyes, and there¡¯s something about it¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ he looks at me like he and I just made some kind of connection.


    Nezu swallows then reaches a paw to me and pats my foot. His look of pleasure at me being scared is completely gone. ¡°I promise these tests will not be painful and will do no damage.¡±


    ¡°No restraints,¡± I say.


    ¡°They won¡¯t be necessary, I promise,¡± Nezu says, looking me in the eyes like he¡¯s earnest on that note for some reason. Nezu turns back to my father. ¡°You¡¯re saying this is the only way she can socialize?¡±


    ¡°I put her in a regular school, and her power will draw unfriendly attention. She¡¯ll be in danger, not to mention the kind of danger her peers could be in.


    ¡°You trust the high schoolers to mind themselves around her?¡± Nezu asks.


    ¡°What do you think they¡¯ll do?¡±


    Nezu shakes his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. What am I saying? Our students will respect her. They respect me.¡±


    Of course, they respect him. He¡¯s the principal. What a strange connection to make.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to figure out a schedule for her,¡± Nezu says as he returns to his desk. As he moves, I take the time to notice that he¡¯s actually smaller than me. He has to hop up on his chair to resume speaking. ¡°You want her to socialize, so we¡¯ll need to put her with a class, not just have her be alone¡­¡± Nezu starts writing notes in a book, ¡°Even though she will have to be taking her own lessons.¡±


    ¡°She could follow my classes.¡± My father points out.


    (***)


    The next morning¡­


    Dad got me up very early today.


    He walks me past the gates to the giant school again, which looks around fifteen stories tall. It¡¯s an imposing building, but Dad doesn¡¯t seem worried, so I¡¯m not either.


    Dad holds my hand as we walk through a large open area. We go up in an elevator and then travel up, me staring at the glass as all the people below us seem to get smaller and smaller until we get to the classroom floors. Dad keeps telling me that today will be exciting, and I can¡¯t wait.


    He walks me out of the elevator and down a long hall.


    Then he lets go of my hand and tells me he has to leave me for now. ¡°Go ahead and ask the other kids where class 1-A is okay, kiddo?¡±


    I blink a few times, not sure if he¡¯s serious. However, just like he said, he walks away from me. I hold up my hand and try to run after him, but he turns and looks at me with a look that I know means business.


    I wrap my arms around my chest and look around the strange hall, suddenly noticing that people are coming and going all around me. Daddy gets further and further away. I want to yell for him to come back, to beg him to protect me, but my voice catches in my throat.


    Nearly terrified I back up against one of the walls.


    Several big people walk past me. Some look at me, though thankfully, most don''t pay me any mind.


    A very tall person walks by me and pauses as he¡¯s about to pass me.


    He turns his head and adjusts his glasses as he looks down. ¡°Excuse me, little girl, you seem to be missing your parents,¡± He shoves a hand almost into my face. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll take you to the principal¡¯s office.¡± I pull my hands up to my face and almost flatten myself against the wall. He¡¯s so big and confident. It¡¯s scary. ¡°C¡¯mon little girl. I don¡¯t want to be late to class, but I can¡¯t just leave you out here alone.¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Is¡­ is it not safe?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s¡­ safe,¡± he says, looking around.


    ¡°Daddy left me here and said to find class 1-A.¡±


    The large boy puts his hands by his sides and looks left to right. ¡°Are you sure you heard your father correctly?¡±


    I nod.


    He then shoves his hand in my face again. ¡°Very well, then I will escort you to my class.¡±


    My eyes go wide, and I shake my head at him. He¡¯s still scary.


    He steps back, and people continue to walk past him, but he seems focused on me. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to hurt you, little girl.¡±


    ¡°Hey, watch where you¡¯re backing,¡± a blonde boy practically growls. He shoves past the tall boy talking to me, drawing my attention to him. My eyes follow the blonde boy till he suddenly glares at me. ¡°You wanna say something pipsqueak?¡±


    I shake my head quickly and back away from him. The blonde boy clicks his teeth, rolls his eyes, and returns to walking.


    I¡¯m shaking in fear after that encounter. That boy looked like he might even want to hurt me.


    Next up, a brown-haired girl with pink cheeks comes up next to the tall boy. To be honest, I prefer the company of the tall boy- he¡¯s better than the blonde boy, at least.


    ¡°Hey, Tenya,¡± says the girl. ¡°Whose this?¡±


    ¡°So far, she¡¯s barely talking to me, Uraraka.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh,¡± she almost coos. ¡°She¡¯s just scared, poor thing. Everyone is almost twice her size. And you- well, you¡¯re HUGE.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m normal height for a boy of my family,¡± Tenya says. ¡°Now, as heroes in training, when we see a child in distress, we should be all too happy to help, as I am. My size should make her know I can protect her from a dangerous world.¡± He says, swinging his hand in chopping motions to emphasize each point.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re capable, but you''re also huge, fast, and loud, and you look ready to snap the poor thing in two without a thought. If she needs you to slay a dragon, we¡¯ll give you a call. In the meantime, I¡¯ve got this.¡± Uraraka says. The boy looks at me as if he¡¯s hesitating to leave. ¡°Tenya, it¡¯s not a problem. I have cousins who get it like this.¡±


    ¡°She does seem a little old to be running from shadows,¡± he says, adjusting his glasses.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a phase.¡±


    ¡°You believe you can handle this?¡± Tenya asks.


    ¡°She¡¯s a little kid, I think I can handle her- go,¡± Uraraka says, chuckling. Tenya finally walks away.


    Uraraka turns to me and folds her arms. This is typically a sign that big people are upset, so I quickly move away from her and go behind a large support column in the hall.


    ¡°Hey¡­ hey, no, I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± I hear her say. ¡°I¡¯m not upset. Come back out, please?¡±


    I stay hidden. I would rather wait until Daddy comes and gets me. He might even be upset if he has to, but at least I can trust him.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± she sounds frustrated but calm. I hear her trying to quietly move around the column, so I move to keep it between us. When the column runs me into the wall, and I¡¯m cornered, I squeak in fear as she comes into view.


    Looking at me, she backs up, holding up her hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯ll go back behind the column, okay?¡± She then¡­ does just that. ¡°I¡¯m still here. I¡¯m not leaving, but I won¡¯t force you, okay?¡± She says. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just talk? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Her voice sounds calm and happy. I¡¯m protected by the column if she does anything, right? ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m Hotaru.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s your first name. Thanks for saying it. It¡¯s pretty. Do you know what it means?¡± She asks.


    ¡°No¡­ no, I don¡¯t.¡± I think for a bit. ¡°But¡­ I think I would like to.¡±


    ¡°It means firefly. Then there¡¯s my name, Ochaco, it means tea child¡­ do you like tea?¡±


    ¡°That is a cute name. But I¡¯m not a fan of tea¡­ I think I¡¯ve only tasted a few that I actually like¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re Japanese?¡± Ochaco asks with a small laugh. I chuckle back. ¡°How about a juice box? There¡¯s a vending machine over here. What¡¯s your favorite kind?¡± She keeps talking to me calmly in a happy voice. I can¡¯t help but answer.


    ¡°Um¡­ strawberry if it¡¯s over there.¡±


    ¡°Give me a sec¡­¡± I hear her put money in a machine, and then I hear the clicking and crunching of the machine. She comes over again and stands with the column behind us again. ¡°Strawberry. It looks good.¡±


    ¡°Daddy says I shouldn¡¯t take food from strangers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cause it could be poisoned. But I just bought this from the machine, and it¡¯s totally sealed. See?¡± I see her hand from behind the support beam. She¡¯s holding a red box with a picture of the sun with a giant strawberry in the foreground. It looks inviting. She even turns the box end for end several times, showing that it¡¯s sealed- which does indicate it just came from the machine¡­ but to take it, I have to come out from hiding.


    ¡°Wh¡­ what¡¯s your quirk?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s not much. Zero gravity. I can make things float, basically.¡±


    ¡°That actually sounds kinda cool. Does that mean you can fly?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± she answers.


    ¡°Mine is called lightning storm. I can gather, amplify, and manipulate electricity into constructs or attacks.¡±


    ¡°Wow- that¡¯s impressive. Do you have a decent range?... What am I talking about? You¡¯re probably still developing it-¡±


    ¡°Two hundred and fifty feet.¡±


    She pulls back the juice box and seems to go quiet. After a minute, ¡°You¡¯re kidding right? At your age?¡±


    ¡°Is that bad?¡± I ask, a little worried now.


    ¡°I mean¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Can I still have the juice?¡± I want it now since she took it away, but I''m unsure why.


    ¡°Oh, of course,¡± She holds out the juice box again and I grab it this time.


    ¡°Can I come around and see you?¡± she asks.


    I pop the straw into my juice box and take a sip. It¡¯s good and cold, helping me relax a little. Finally, I nod- then I realize she can¡¯t see me, and I say, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can come out and see me.¡±


    Ochaco comes into view and looks at me with her warm smile. She bends her legs so she could talk to me at my height. I smile as I drink my juice. ¡°You¡¯re cute, you know that?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Daddy sometimes says that too. You¡¯re very pretty.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re so nice!¡± She reaches out a hand and moves my hair out of my face. I don¡¯t back away this time cause I realize I¡¯m not scared of her now. ¡°Of course, he says you¡¯re cute. Who is he anyway? You think I might know him?¡±


    ¡°His name is Shota.¡±


    She folded her arms again, but I noticed it wasn¡¯t a hostile gesture this time. She put her finger to her lips. ¡°I know a few Shota¡¯s, but only one in this school.¡± She seems to think for a bit. ¡°And I kinda doubt that old grump would have such a pretty and shy daughter like you.¡±


    I smile at the compliment.


    ¡°Where are you supposed to be, Hotaru?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to go to Class 1-A¡¯s homeroom. Do you know where that is?¡±


    She looks at me curiously. ¡°Are you visiting a sibling or something? Maybe Momo?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is,¡± I say honestly. ¡°The principal says that if anyone asks, I should just say I¡¯m dual enrolled.¡±


    ¡°So you must be like, brilliant for your age or something, right?¡±


    I go back to drinking my juice and shrug.


    She offered her hand to me. ¡°Well, whatever. Here, take my hand. I¡¯ll take you to class. Don¡¯t worry about everyone else. For now, I¡¯ll watch you.¡± I take her hand, and she gives a gentle tug, taking me away from the pillar and down the hall. ¡°Hey- you want to see my quirk?¡± She asks as we walk.


    ¡°You said it¡¯s zero gravity.¡±


    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s the next best thing to making you fly if you wanna try. I promise not to let you get hurt.¡±


    I bite my lip but then nervously nod my head. ¡°Alright, go for it¡­¡± My body suddenly becomes light as my feet leave the ground. In fear, I grab her hand with both of mine. She gives me a warm smile in turn.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine. I won¡¯t let you float high enough to get hurt. Trust me.¡± With one hand, she lets go of my hands- but with the other, she grabs the side of my belt, moving me to the other side of her, letting me almost feel like I¡¯m flying.


    I give a nervous laugh. Slowly, the laugh turns genuine as she keeps a hold of me and walks forward. ¡°This is kinda cool,¡± I say, looking down at my feet. ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m a human balloon.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ hey, grab around me, let¡¯s see how fast I can piggyback you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± She pulls me into place, and I grab her shoulder and wrap my legs around her chest. She takes off running down the hall. She¡¯s pretty fast, not just cause I don¡¯t weigh anything, but she¡¯s moving faster than I think an average person can. I start giggling, unable to control myself.


    We come to a stop a few feet from a door, and Ochaco has to grab the side of the door to make herself stop. We¡¯re both chuckling and grinning. She puts her hands together and says, ¡°Release,¡± I feel my weight return, ¡°Ooofff!¡± she goes to her knees and laughs even harder, me following her example in the laughing. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would be so heavy!- Oh, you wanna laugh at me, huh?¡± She tickles my sides, and I crumple to the floor. It¡¯s a brief attack, but I¡¯m not very resistant.


    When she stops, I get back up. ¡°Again, again!¡± I shout. I loved that so much. ¡°You¡¯re better at piggybacks than daddy!¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say that!¡± she says, ruffling my hair as she gets up. ¡°You might upset him if he hears¡­ oh, but you are SO cute!¡± She retakes my hand and takes me into the classroom.


    ¡°My dad will be meeting me here he said.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, you¡¯re way too old to be the child of one of my classmates. I wonder who your dad is. It¡¯s not like a sweet little thing like you could be related to¡­¡±


    My eyes light up with glee when I see my father at the desk in the front of the classroom. ¡°Daddy!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you have to be kidding me¡­¡± Ochaco says as I run to my father.

 Escape! Day One.

    Momo Yaoyorozu:


    Finally, Uraraka comes in. Honestly, I feel we¡¯re waiting on her a lot- it¡¯s not good. I¡¯ll have to talk to her about it later. A little girl runs in ahead of her, yelling for her daddy.


    ¡°Ochaco, you¡¯re almost late,¡± I scold. I watch the little girl run across the room. ¡°Who is that? A cousin or something?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ not exactly¡­¡± Uraraka says, nervously scratching the back of her head.


    ¡°Get to your seats- now,¡± The Professor says, as usual, not in the mood to negotiate or wait. Ochaco and I both take our seats. The little girl is still in the room. She¡¯s at the front of the room. I would get up to grab her and spare the Professor¡¯s wrath, but I dare not disobey¡­ she¡¯ll be fine. The Professor wouldn¡¯t hurt a child¡­ right?


    The child pauses and looks at us all. Professor Aizawa walks up behind her, and I cringe¡­ here it comes¡­ poor kid. He puts a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Greetings, everyone. This is my daughter,¡± he says without any sense of affection¡ªin fact, as always, he sounds bored.


    The room goes silent.


    He¡­ he has a child? I look at her face¡­ nothing about this little girl says, ¡°daughter of the hardest teacher in UA¡±. She¡¯s just a freckle-faced cute little girl, holding up her fists to hide her face.


    "Her name is Hotaru, and I expect you all to treat her with the same consideration as any child her age. She''s dual enrolled in UA because her life is in grave danger if she doesn''t have good security protecting her. Think of her program as something like witness protection. She will take her lessons and not be allowed in formal hero training, nor will she receive any perks that help her become a hero. She will not be receiving special treatment. Are there any questions?"


    "So- daddy''s little girl gets in here based on... what?" Katsuki Bakugo, our loud blonde jerk of a classmate, interjects. "We did practical application tests, grueling academic tests, or had to have recommendations. She gets in cause she was, like... adopted by you at some point? That''s it?"


    The Professor closes his eyes and sighs. "All she''ll do is complete sixth-grade schoolwork in a corner somewhere. Maybe I''ll have her cheer you guys on during hero practice sessions. Still, nothing she does will help her qualify to be a pro hero or help her qualify to be a hero trainee when she''s fourteen like you. If she wants to be a trainee like you, she will have to pass the same tests you did." Bakugo''s expression doesn''t seem to falter. The professor then cocks his head at Katsuki. "There are ways to question these kinds of things young man- all you''re doing is making a scene. But hey, if you want that to be how you spend your time here, I can change your curriculum immediately, Mr. Bakugo... no practice, no resume assistance, no credits, no access to employers... would you like me to go to the principal with that lesson plan for you right now?"


    Katsuki looks down at his desk and grumbles. ¡°No, sir.¡±


    The Professor smirks, ¡°You sure? Putting you on academics only would certainly make things easier for me. I am a father. I could use the time off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure, sir,¡± Bakugo says, defeated, on this issue at least. He looks furious, but that¡¯s his default mode.


    The Professor nods. ¡°Let¡¯s clarify: if any of you want to make allegations of favoritism, make them with proof and send them to the proper channels. Anyone bothering Hotaru with misplaced envy, I will gladly put on their own academics-only program.¡± The Professor stared at the room for a minute, challenging anyone else to make the same allegation.


    I honestly couldn¡¯t care less if some preteen does schoolwork in a corner, so I¡¯m not risking all that to make a point about it, and it looks like I¡¯m not alone there, as no one backs up Bakugo¡¯s point.


    ¡°Um, Daddy¡­ the principal gave me a note to read to the class,¡± Hotaru says, tugging her father¡¯s hand. I¡¯m still processing that the cute little girl at the front of my class somehow belongs to the man who loves to put us through a near boot camp every week¡­ okay, that¡¯s an exaggeration, but still.


    Professor Aizawa folds his arms and leans against the board. ¡°Well, then read it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m kinda nervous, Daddy¡­¡± she says. Oh dear lord, she¡¯s so cute!


    The Professor is not affected by cuteness. ¡°Read. The. Note.¡± He demands.


    Hotaru turns back to the class and gulps. I can sense that my class is not an excellent audience for someone with stage fright. I want to hold her little hand and reassure her but now is not the time.


    The girl takes a note out of her pocket and clears her throat. She tries to talk, but only a squeak of fear comes out. Her father rolls his eyes¡­ oh you poor little dear, what must it be like with him for a father?


    Hotaru tries again. Her voice is shaky, but she pushes through narrating the letter this time. "I am Hot-a-ru Aizawa. Think of me as a little sister. I was a victim of human ex-per-i-men-tation, and now bad people are hunting me, so I can¡¯t go to a regular school. I need pro-tect-ion, and your principal is sure you will watch over me. I am not allowed to participate in your fast-paced training exercises, and nothing guar-an-tees my entry into the hero course when I¡¯m older. I¡¯m not cheating my way into the school in my dad¡¯s name, so don¡¯t think that. In two years, I will have to earn my way in like the rest of you did. Your principal trusts you all to act like the heroes you want to be around me... thankyou.¡±


    Sheesh. The pieces are falling into place. Maybe the Professor rescued and felt sorry for her, so he took her in. Regardless, she¡¯s old enough for the sixth grade, but she¡¯s having to sound out words like someone lucky to be in the fourth grade.


    I must do something when she finishes since the poor girl looks ready to shake with fear, so I quietly clap. Everyone else follows my


    example for the short applause. Everyone except Bakugo and her own father, of course. The girl gives us all a slight grin, but her father shakes his head.


    ¡°Well, that says it all. You should go sit in the back,¡± her father says.


    I turn and see a lone desk in the back.


    I raised my hand. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yaoyorozu?¡± The Professor says.


    ¡°Professor, if your daughter is in danger, perhaps it¡¯s not best for her to sit alone. If you would allow, I¡¯ll move my desk beside hers.¡±


    ¡°I want to make sure everyone understands she¡¯s not part of the class- not entirely,¡± he says. She¡¯s just kind of a tag-along. I get the basic idea, but I still have to object.


    ¡°But she could learn anywhere. I imagine she¡¯s here, in a school, to socialize. She can¡¯t do that if she¡¯s isolated.¡± I point out.


    Professor Aizawa doesn¡¯t like being argued with, but this time, he pauses and looks at his daughter, then at the seat in the back, and then at me. He sighs. ¡°You promise to be an asset to her education, not a distraction? Do you promise she won¡¯t distract from yours? You¡¯re not here to babysit.¡± I don¡¯t want the poor girl sitting alone for a year or longer, considering she¡¯s only twelve. It sounds like he might concede the point¡­ has he ever conceded a point to a student before?


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I confirm. I might want to help her, but I absolutely plan on graduating. Cute or not, some kid isn¡¯t getting in the way of that. Still, a seating change shouldn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°I suppose that would be better then,¡± he says. ¡°Very well¡­ but keep your desks where they are.¡± he points at Tenya. ¡°Tenya, switch seats with Mineta.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, sir?¡± Tenya asks, getting up immediately anyway.


    ¡°If Mineta so much as looks at my girl wrong, expulsion will be the least of his problems. We¡¯re going to have Hotaru sit between the two class leaders.¡± Mineta, a short boy whose quirk has turned him purple somehow, has a reputation as a bit of a lecher¡­. Of course, I doubt even he¡¯s dumb enough to try anything with a girl two or three years his junior, especially if said girl is the daughter of his homeroom teacher. Still, better safe than sorry.


    Thus, Hotaru joins the class, moving her small desk between me, the vice president, and the class president, Tenya Ida. The poor thing looks ridiculously intimidated, and I guess I can understand. She¡¯s being allowed quite the honor of even being in this class, but I doubt she¡¯s appreciating that now.


    Hawks:


    My red wings hitched up on my back as the wind whipped the popped collar of my brown coat. The breeze flowing over the buildings felt good as I watched the city from my perch. You¡¯d be surprised how many crimes you see from thirty feet up¡­ generally not many. It means I¡¯ve been doing my job well¡ªa nice, boring night.


    I casually keep my eyes open but sit back and pull out a giant sub sandwich. Haa¡­ roast beef, you¡¯re a true friend. I dangle my feet over the ledge. When I was a kid, I was told not to sit like this, but why not? After all, if I fall, I have multiple ways of flying. And hey, it looks daring if anyone is watching, and I have to keep up my appearances.


    I munch away at my cold sandwich and watch the flow of traffic and people beneath when suddenly- something unfortunately interesting happens. Something purple just sort of appears on top of a black sedan below. I flip out a pair of binoculars and, sure enough, it¡¯s that dumb Purple Bandit kid.


    I¡¯m reluctant to leave my meal¡­ I mean, it¡¯s not like Bandit is a killer, right? Just a little rascal having fun, right? Yeah¡­ yeah there¡¯s a message to send to brats everywhere. ¡°Bored? Try riding on top of a car!¡± But he¡¯ll be fine¡­ the occupants might not be¡­ and he¡¯s a thief, so¡­


    My wings are already spreading on instinct as I wrap up my meal and deposit it under the ledge. I launch myself off the building top.


    As I swoop down, I see the car slam into a street lamp. It¡¯s not at top speed, so no lives are in danger yet, but someone will ding me on that¡ªI could have launched faster, after all. Yeesh, it looks like the crash even cut into the engine. I don¡¯t envy the owner¡¯s repair bill.


    I land on the sidewalk¡¯s concrete as the cars around the accident turn to avoid it. Bandit¡¯s body disappeared from the top of the vehicle when it crashed, but I sense the boy is still here.


    The back left door pops open, and a young girl gets out. She is dressed in a red shirt and blue jeans, with a brown purse tucked under her right arm. The driver¡¯s door opens, and a man gets out, trying to grab the girl- as Bandit appears on his back and forces the man to overbalance, almost faceplanting into the pavement.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The young boy pulls off his shirt and wraps it around the head of his victim as I jump on top of the car.


    ¡°Two blocks north- RUN!¡± The boy yells to the girl.


    The girl takes off running as I grab the boy around his stomach. Removing his shirt made it so I had to come in closer rather than just grabbing the back of his clothing.


    With the child thief in my arms, several large feathers came from my enormous red wings. They zip out and wrap around the arms of the girl and drag her back to the scene of the accident.


    Another fully clothed version of Bandit runs out of the vehicle, and behind me, the version of the boy in my arms disappears. ¡°Let her go!¡± The boy screams, pulling a folding ax out of the belt on his side and flicking it open.


    ¡°Whoa! Bandit- this isn¡¯t your style!¡± I quickly shout, hoping not to escalate things THAT far.


    ¡°You don¡¯t let go of my sister I¡¯ll make it my style- and don¡¯t you dare reach for that earpiece Junki.¡± The boy turns suddenly to the man with us, who is apparently named Junki.


    Midway to using a blue tooth, the man sighs and stops.


    ¡°You all know each other, huh?¡± I ask as the girl is lifted in the air by my feather and dropped unceremoniously in my arms. The girl squirms, but I hold her tight. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of hurting you, kid, but I¡¯m not letting go till this is sorted out, so just calm down,¡± I insist to the girl.


    The feathers return to my wings, and I continue. ¡°Now, what the hell is happening here?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Be nice if you don¡¯t know if you didn¡¯t get involved,¡± Bandit complains.


    ¡°You know you could just run Purple- but I notice you¡¯re not doing that. This girl, she¡¯s your sister, huh?¡± ¡°Oh wow, you can remember things said five seconds ago. Are you able to remember I said to let her go?¡± The boy asks, getting angry with me. I only give him a smirk. Even if he did attack, I doubt he¡¯d be a match for me, and given that he isn¡¯t attacking, I¡¯m probably right. I look to Junki. ¡°Now, what¡¯s happening here, sir? How do you know these two?¡±


    The man shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯m technically a bodyguard working for their father. Look, give me the girl,¡± he says, holding out his arms.


    Suddenly, the girl grabs my coat tightly, looking me in the eyes. Her eyes widen as she shakes her head, begging me not to hand her over.


    ¡°You hand him Tori, I swear you¡¯ll meet your maker¡­¡± the boy almost growls.


    I pause. Something is very off here. Bandit isn¡¯t exemplary, but he¡¯s a runner, not a fighter, or so everyone has told me. However, from his expression and that ax, this boy is not kidding around. ¡°Kid, I can¡¯t let you or her go¡­¡± I say.


    ¡°I was trying to run to the police two blocks away,¡± the little girl suddenly says. ¡°If you¡¯re arresting us- screw it, just take us there.¡±


    I look to the right, past the cars starting to wiz by. It can¡¯t be that simple. They want to go to the cops? ¡°I mean, I have no objections to that.¡±


    ¡°Sir, these children belong to the Miles family. There¡¯s no need to take them to prison. We won¡¯t be pressing charges for the vehicle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must take little Bandit in any way, sir,¡± I say. ¡°What he did back there was wreckless endangerment of you, his sister, and the public. Maybe you can have the girl-¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Bandit shouts.


    ¡°Unless one of you has a reason I shouldn¡¯t give her to him,¡± I say, looking at Bandit and his sister.


    ¡°He¡¯ll hurt her,¡± Bandit says.


    ¡°Normally, I might have to believe you, Bandit, but your reputation precedes you- can you prove it?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the police. What difference does it make?¡± Tori points out.


    ¡°All you really want to do is go to the station behind that building over there?¡± I ask the girl, nodding toward the police station behind an office building on my right.


    ¡°Escort us if you want. We don¡¯t care, do we, Henry?¡± she asks the Purple Bandit.


    ¡°I suppose not¡­¡± Bandit says, apparently not pleased but not wanting to argue. I look back to the bodyguard. ¡°Sir, can you think of a reason to object?


    ¡°I suppose not,¡± he says.


    I look down at Bandit. ¡°Long as I have her, you¡¯re not going anywhere, are you?¡± I ask. He shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯m good with that, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to go?¡± The bodyguard asks.


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange question,¡± I note. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you stay with them?¡±


    ¡°How strange of a request? I gotta go get the old girl fixed¡­¡± The man looked back at his car as he and I both cringed. ¡°Talk with the boss, smooth things over, and see if he wants to bail Henry out again. But let me see Tori¡¯s purse there; I think she grabbed something before she got out.¡±


    ¡°Reasonable enough¡­¡± I say and start to reach for the little girl¡¯s purse. She pulls it tightly to her side. ¡°Little miss, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to hand that over.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Bandit says.


    ¡°Kid, this happens when you make a nuisance of yourself. You¡¯re not on equal footing with everyone else,¡± I tell Bandit.


    ¡°Do. Not. Give. Him. The. Purse.¡± Henry says, doing his best to sound threatening.


    ¡°Freaking boys!¡± Tori yells. ¡°Look- you carry it.¡± she slaps her purse into my chest. ¡°But we need it at the station¡­ to prove that someone¡¯s been hurting us. Now let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Kids, you have to give me a reason to work with you, or I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll take you to the cops ¡¯cause I¡¯m gonna have to anyway.¡± I start, but the girl subtly pushes my fingers into her chest. I didn¡¯t realize what she was doing until I felt it. One of her ribs bends slightly to the touch. She winces slightly when she makes sure I feel it.


    I¡¯m unsure if the man saw what she did, but I¡¯m starting to suspect I¡¯ve stepped into something big and dangerous. Bandit might be a bad apple, but I get the feeling even he doesn¡¯t deserve whatever is happening here. I clutch the purse and hold onto it. ¡°On second thought, I¡¯ll have the police sort this out,¡± I say. I look at the man. ¡°You can come with us, sir, but something about this situation is getting too complicated for my liking.¡±


    ¡°What, just because they want to go to the cops?¡± the man asks.


    ¡°That is quite the complicating factor, actually,¡± I smirk. ¡°I have no means of holding you, sir, so you can come with us or not.¡±


    Now I¡¯m in protector mode. I want these kids to be as far away from this man as possible. Honestly, I don¡¯t even want to put the girl down. Who knows how much walking and running hurt her with an injury like that?


    The man gives a defeated sigh and a shrug. He walks back to his car as I walk away with little Tori still in my arms, Bandit following me.


    As we walk along, Bandit talks to me. ¡°Maybe we should take to the air.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that idea,¡± I say. ¡°Let¡¯s stay on the ground under the buildings. Do any of your enemies have guns?¡±


    The boy tightens his fists as he looks around. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he says. ¡°If you didn¡¯t step in-¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. I-¡±


    ¡°MOVE!¡± Henry screams.


    In a fluid motion, I jump into the air. We were walking across the street to the station when a car that had been stopped bolted forward. The vehicle runs Bandit over as the little girl screams for her brother. I close my eyes and spread my wings over her, my control over my feathers keeping me in the air regardless.


    Poor Bandit¡­ honestly, I never had much against you. You could have- totally cheesed that entire scene. In fact, you did¡­


    I watch the boy in a copy of himself finishing his run to the police station. As several cops run out, he runs in. I land on the stairs of the police station, just behind the boy.


    We emerge into the station, and several officers confront the young Bandit with their weapons drawn. He raises his hands and yells, ¡°I surrender.¡± Weapons are lowered, and an officer grabs the boy¡¯s arms and pins them behind him. The boy looks over at me as he¡¯s put in handcuffs. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thanking you Hawks¡­ If you had stayed out of it, I could have killed our guard and kept anyone from knowing about our escape. The only reason we were in danger was you.¡± He says as the officers shove him out of the room, probably taking him for questioning.


    Tori starts to cry. ¡°Henry¡­ don¡¯t take him¡­ I¡¯m scared to be alone¡­ no¡­ stop¡­¡± I gently put her on her feet but keep her from running after her brother. ¡°Where are they taking him?¡± She starts to sound scared.


    ¡°They¡¯re arresting him,¡± I say.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not supposed to work like this- give me my purse now!¡± She yells. ¡°I was supposed to run to the police ahead of him and hand in the evidence- my purse!¡±


    ¡°Evidence?¡± I ask.


    ¡°My purse!¡± she almost screams.


    ¡°You¡¯re the sister of the Purple Bandit, Henry Miles?¡± an officer behind her asks. She turns and nods, still holding her hand out for her purse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. We have witnesses placing you at several crime scenes. You¡¯re under arrest, too,¡± the officer starts to take out his pair of cuffs.


    ¡°No- it¡¯s not supposed to go like this- we need help!¡± she shouts, jumping back from the officer. ¡°Stop!¡± she backs into me.


    I hold up a hand. ¡°Hold on, she¡¯s got a pretty bad injury officer. You don¡¯t need those for a little girl anyway.¡±


    ¡°We needed them for her brother,¡± says the young man. He tries to approach the girl again, but I step between them.


    ¡°Hawks, this is official business. I¡¯m going to have to ask you to-¡±


    ¡°Enough- screw it!¡± Tori yells. ¡°The purse isn¡¯t the only way to prove it.¡± Then little Tori decides to do something I never saw coming. She pulls off her shirt, holding it over her chest ¡­ well, that got attention; several officers turn to look at her. I would call it perverted, but then I see that she¡¯s covered in scars on her stomach and back, accompanying a considerable bruise over the side of her chest where her broken rib is. The girl covers the front of her chest with her arms and the shirt on her arm.


    This isn¡¯t a sexual display that I¡¯m looking at. It¡¯s a desperate plea. Tears flow down her cheeks, and a sob escapes her lips. ¡°We came here for help¡­ we need it badly¡­¡± She falls to her knees and cries in front of everyone. I can see in how she shakes; she¡¯s terrified, lost¡­ I see the stripes up and down her back and bruises on the sides of her stomach¡­ some are fresh, some are old.


    The officers around us stop and take in the scene. Their emotions boil over: sympathy, shock, pity. My emotions boil as well, and my fist tightens.


    Whoever did this is going to pay.

 Plea Deal

    Back at the police department,


    Henry Miles:


    I know I don''t look like a hardened thug when forced to sit down. I don''t seem threatening even before my hands are cuffed to the table before me.


    I give the officer before me the best innocent smile I can muster. I can tell he''s already uneasy with the idea of hurting or imprisoning me.


    I''m sure my Purple Bandit costume, minus the mask, looks ridiculous. The purple sweats, sweater, ripped-up cape, and purple baseball cap reek of a child''s Halloween costume. Of course, in this case, I suspect that helps me. It makes me look more like a lost kid and less like a hardened criminal.


    In front of me is the interrogating officer, and behind him is one-way glass, so I can''t see out. The table is metal, and the cuffs have very little give. The room is actually enormous, and the officer himself is very big. This is clearly set to make me feel out of my depth... and it''s working.


    I look at the man. He''s apparently a heteromorph with the head of a dog and the fur of the same. Honestly, a big, well-built man with the head of a beagle is kind of funny, but I do my best to keep my chuckles to myself. The last thing I want to do is upset my... counterparty.


    He sits down opposite me and puts a manilla folder on the desk. "So... you''ve been operating for quite a while, young man. Your guise was the Purple Bandit, is that correct? Woof."


    "I... did you just bark at me?" I ask, still trying to stifle my laughter- it''s best to never offend your counterparty. An unhappy counter is unlikely to give you what you want.


    "It''s a tick, don''t get sidetracked. Some of the men want to lock you up and throw away the key, but your sister''s display out there bought you time and sympathy. I myself am feeling a little sympathetic; don''t waste that."


    I nod. Then I close my eyes. I need to get in the zone for this- I''ve finally escaped the Miles syndicate with my sister in tow, but this is only the journey''s beginning. I visualize myself in a dark room with the dog man, a simple wooden desk between us.


    I fold my hands in front of me, undeterred by the cuffs. "I understand that. Let me say right now, sir, I fully intend to work with you, if only for a few paltry conditions." I cock my head to the side. "First, sir, can I know your name?" I remember the lessons my father... sort of father... Charles taught me about negotiating.


    "I suppose. I''m chief Kenji Tsuragamae."


    I nod. "Well, I would like to be called Henry if that''s okay. Charles Miles kidnapped my sister and me and then forged our adoption to the authorities. He''s been forcing us to do his dirty work ever since. I don''t think of him as my father."


    "I suppose that''s fair. Very well, Henry, and what are your other conditions... and exactly what is my motivation to give you anything?"


    I smirk, trying not to look too confident, but this is going well. I can see it in his eyes. Talking about Charles like an enemy puts me and the dog man on the same side. Friendly negotiations are much more manageable than adversarial ones.


    This time, I let myself chuckle a little. "What do you think I can give you? I''m the son of Charles Miles, the heir to the throne. I can get you all kinds of crap. Names," I tap the desk with my finger. "Dates," I tap again. "Times," I tap again. "Addresses, associates, methods..." I tap my finger after each point, emphasizing in his mind that these are things he wants, these are his goals, and they are things I want to give him. "I can help you take down the entire Miles organization, piece by piece. Not only am I able to do that, I deeply want to. I want that man''s empire destroyed- burned to the ground. I want to salt the ashes myself." I grit my teeth at that last line, showing my genuine disdain for my former "father". I sigh. "Look- I never wanted to be a villain. It was always "do what I say, or I hurt your sister"- what was I supposed to do? I hate that man with everything in me!"


    The dog man''s eyes open slightly. "You certainly have my attention, young man. It seems you have no loyalty to Charles."


    "I spit on his name."


    "Very well. I do want to take him and his syndicate down. What are your conditions for full cooperation? And make no mistake, that is what I want: full cooperation. Any deal we make can be discarded anytime if you become a thorn in my side."


    "That''s what I want." We''re on friendly terms. He knows what I have to offer him, and he wants it. Thus, I open up with a deal that I know I won''t get. It must sound like something I could legitimately ask for, but I''m unlikely to get it. "I want my sister and I both to only serve... six months community service and six months parole, or some equivalent. No jail time. That''s what I want from you."


    "Barely a year sentence for two years of crime? HA!" Chief Tsuragamae laughs. "You''ve got some fifty or more counts of burglary, at least thirty counts of armed robbery, sixty counts of theft, let''s not even talk about illegal weapon possession for that ax you always carried around, resisting arrest on some thirty occasions- there''s a reason you were eventually declared a full-fledged villain. I want what you''ve got, sure, but I couldn''t give a deal that good to my own son if I had one."


    I give the most subtle smirk I can, slumping my shoulders a little. I look like I was just delivered a defeat. I wasn''t, but I look like it. I''m giving Chief Tsuragamae the feeling that he''s winning. I need him to believe the deal he actually gives me is his idea, not mine.


    "Look- I want to get out of this alive. Is that so unreasonable? You lock me up in a cell with all the guys I help you put away... c''mon, you know I''ve done nothing worthy of death."


    "We''re not talking about a death penalty. We wouldn''t be talking about that even if you weren''t cooperative."


    "But what do you think is gonna happen if me and my little sister serve with the people we testify and inform against?"


    "You both will serve time in juvenile detention, not adult prison. Charles will never have access to you in prison, nor will his associates. Of that, you can rest assured."


    I raise an eyebrow. "You serious? Considering who you''re sitting across from, I would have thought this would be inherently obvious, but I''ll spell it out. Charles uses underage people in some of his dealings. You''ll be locking me up with his associates either way." I look up at him, again trying to look like the ideal, vulnerable twelve-year-old boy. "I don''t wanna die..."


    He sits back a little, looking into my eyes for a bit, but eventually, he has to look away. Good, he can''t look me in the eyes. That means I''m getting to him. "There are things we can do. You and your sister will be safe." He pulls out a calculator and some paper. "Let me crunch some numbers."


    I sit and wait patiently. This is going pretty well so far. I think he''s going to give me something- something without prison time. He wants to protect me, after all. "I can give you... three years in prison, and I can maybe get your sister down to two years. After that, six months of community service. If we manage to convict and put away the big man, I''ll even see about expunging your records." He taps the file in front of him. "It''s an outstanding deal, kid. You really should take it."


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Crap... that is a good deal, but it''s not what I want. Not even twice as many years in prison as I was actively committing crimes for, and even a clean slate. But I know Charles. If I or Tori are put in a cell, we''re dead.


    "I can''t take that, sir... sir, you have to understand, Charles will kill us. He''ll find a way to influence someone in whatever prison you put us in. If you make us helpless, you''ll be offering us to him on a silver platter. Please work with me." Crap- I''m begging. Don''t beg, don''t ever beg. Everyone has a predator in them. If they sense weakness, they''ll pounce.


    "You want a sentence of less than a year based on nothing but my pity and your cooperation? Henry, we can ensure your safety. Stop worrying. Take my deal, help me take down the people who hurt you and your sister, then serve your time and get back to your life. You''re smart and resourceful. I can tell by just talking to you. You have a bright future, and I''m offering it back to you. We can even offer you an education in prison."


    I tighten my fists. "Look- I''m a big brother. Tori did whatever she did cause she was relying on me to figure a way out of that hell hole. So just- make me take it all, okay? Throw the book at me, but let her go. As much community service as you for her want, and as much jail time as you want for me..." I know I''m breaking down, but I don''t know what else to say. This man thinks he knows the dangers here, but he doesn''t.


    His eyes soften. "You''re just trying to care for your sister, is that it?"


    I nod, almost ready to cry. I can''t betray her. I can''t let those monsters near her when they have a reason to hurt her! "She can corroborate everything I say... if we move fast enough, we can get physical evidence of everything, sir- please!" I squeeze my eyes shut and now I''m looking away.


    I have to recover.


    He looks at the file again. I look like a piece of meat right now. C''mon, think Henry... "Look- forget all that pleading, I''m sorry. I''m sure I''m making you feel like a monster right now; I''m sorry." He looks back. "Max our community service and parole, Tori and I will work with you- full cooperation. I''ll even send in clones of myself to spy out operations for your men."


    "That last part is out of the question. You can inform us and testify, but putting you or anything directly associated with you in direct danger as a minor- no." Kenji tapped the desk hard on that point.


    I hate this. Kenji wasn''t trying to hurt me, I could see it. Once again, I was pitted against someone who just wanted to do the right thing.


    "Fine, take that off the table..." I have an idea, haggle. "Three years of community service."


    "Three years prison, six months of community service, and a clean record."


    "Four years service, and we keep our records."


    "You''re really gonna want that clean record, kid."


    "Five years service, what do I care about a clean record? My face is already infamous."


    He gives a growl. "One year in prison, three years community service, and a clean record."


    He moved! "Six years community service."


    He looks at me again. "You''re turning down incredible deals, kiddo, all for a detail." He folds his arms and looks me in the eyes. "You''re that scared of prison time? It''s not that bad in the end. Especially juvenile detention. It''s no picnic, but you''re acting like it''s the end of the world."


    I want to speak again, but he puts up his hand.


    "I''ll take your word that this will be dangerous for you. In fact, I don''t doubt it. You''re not trying to get out of paying a price. I can read that, and I appreciate it." He shakes his head. "But I sense we won''t progress until I take prison off the table. That''s not easy to do with everything you''ve done..." He taps his furry fingers on the table.


    My eyes look scared despite myself. I know I''m ruining the presentation- that could cost me the entire negotiation. I need to protect Tori- she''s all that matters! "Screw it- ten years prison for me, ten years service for Toru."


    "Stop," he says, and now he sounds annoyed. "I doubt you would get ten years even if you didn''t cooperate. You were clearly coerced, manipulated, and abused, not to mention how young you are." he looks into my eyes again. Then he sighs. "You really think you''ll be that much safer if you don''t go to prison?"


    I nod. No matter what, in a negotiation, never lie. I know I''m probably screwed, but I can''t throw things away until I get the final word. I can settle for a deal with jail time if I have to... then hope like crazy Tori and I somehow live... it''s better than what we were going through... I''m sorry, Tori...


    "Seven years service. Probation the entire time, and you will owe a significant amount upon your eighteenth birthday, payable in installments. Both of you will have to pay... I''ll throw in the possibility of expunging Tori''s record but you have a point, the Purple Bandit is infamous enough that expunging yours would be a meaningless gesture. This is a far way worse deal than I initially offered, but no prison time is hard to justify. But if that''s how you feel- that''s what I can do."


    "You... you''ll let me take that?"


    "It clearly means a lot to you. You seem like a good enough kid, and I want to give you what you feel you need. If you tried to get off scot-free, I''d have thrown you out of the room without another word, but you''re not a sleazeball like that. I''ll have to talk to your victims and see if they''re okay with this, but I doubt anyone will care. After all, all of the damage you did was monetary in the end."


    I swallow, keeping from crying as best I can. This is such a relief. "I... I''ll take it..."


    He unlocks my cuffs, and my eyes go wide. He''s... trusting me?


    He takes my sister''s purse off a nearby file cabnet. "Now, this thing sure seemed important to Tori. What''s in it?"


    I take a second to recover... What happened? I lost the negotiation, but he broke and gave me a deal I wanted anyway?


    "I..." I close my eyes. "I''ll take the deal."


    "Yeah- we already established that. The purse?"


    "Oh-" I return to a smirk. "That just full of stupid girl stuff... and my sister''s personal journal... and mine... and a notebook full of names, dates, locations, and all kinds of stuff- more than you would ever need. It''s in code, but well- empty out the handbag, and let''s do this."


    He smirks back.


    Charles Miles:


    "That boy got away from you scot-free, is that right?" I ask Henry''s bodyguard.


    The former guard and I sit in lawn chairs by the dock. I sip my coffee while he sits uncomfortably with his hands tied behind his back.


    "Hey Charles, boss, what could I do? The number four hero in the country was right there. I tried to get the boy taken down afterward, but you know how slippery that little bastard is-" I slap him in the face so hard he almost falls in the water.


    "You do not call my son a bastard; I reserve that privilege."


    The man spits out a tooth, then nods his head, fear filling his eyes.


    I continue. "After all I''ve had to do to raise him, after all, I had to do to train him, after all I had to do to find a boy like him, you think I would now be happy if he were dead? A male, orphan, savant... you think kids like Henry grow on trees?"


    The man takes a few seconds to recover, then returns to making excuses. "What was I supposed to do, boss?"


    "Oh, you''re right. How could I ever expect a mere man to keep up with two middle schoolers?" I ask sarcastically."


    "But how-"


    I smack him again. "I don''t know how you were supposed to stop them, I wasn''t there. I do know that Henry probably knew ways you could have stopped him, which is why he had his ax on him. He was plotting to kill you. But apparently, you''re so stupid that it wasn''t even necessary."


    "I swear I saw his weapon on the rack before we even got in the car."


    "Doppelganger lets him clone anything he''s wearing or carrying. Just hang up the copy and carry the real thing. Is that really all he had to do to trick you? Did you pat him down before the trip?"


    "I swear I did, sir."


    "Did you pat down Tori?"


    The man looks ready to respond when he freezes.


    "Really? A simple double-bluff was all he needed? Put a fake on the rack, give the real one to Tori, then have her get it back- it was that easy?"


    "Look... if I... I..."


    "Should I take solace in still having you? Hmm?"


    "Yeah. I mean, I''m an investment, too, right?"


    "A poor one. Seeing how he weaved around you, clearly, Henry was the better investment, and you lost him for me. Do you know how much that child could reveal to the police?"


    "What are we doing here then, boss? We need to start getting prepared quickly!"


    I shake my head. "He escaped into police custody. Henry won this round. He''s my son. He knows this organization better than some of the highest ranks in the company. There''s no way to predict where he''ll have the police strike first."


    "So... what are you gonna do?"


    "All I can do. Cushion the blow as best I can. Prepare my contingency plans." I sip my coffee again. "I''m only talking to you so I can vent."


    " Well, I... I hope I''ve been of service..."


    "You have. I must thank you." I give him a contented smile as I cock my head.


    The man cringes for a bit but then gives me a slight smile. I smile back.


    Then I kick the cinder block next to his chair into the water. He screams, but he''s pulled in after it anyway. I watch the ripples go out from where he fell in. Too bad that chair was a little spendy.


    Next, I should call my lawyer. No, first, I start looking up my connections in the police department. I need to know what kind of deal Henry is getting. I need to make sure everyone sees what happens when you double-cross Charles Miles.

 Extra Credit: Mentorship

    Two weeks later,


    Katsuki Bakugo:


    Another dull day of class. It''s primarily academics today- hence boring. But it all adds up, so I pay attention. I will be Japan''s next number-one hero- if not the world''s number-one. If that''s gonna happen, nothing can slip through the cracks. Nothing.


    When the professor''s daughter first showed up, I got worried. I''ve seen this movie before, and I didn''t like the ending. The whole class could suddenly start to revolve around the person with the most reasons to stand out: underage, related to the professor, a trauma story- it''s all perfect for her to become the main character- and heck no, that will not happen. She''s just an extra. This is the story of MY rise.


    Course, maybe I was overreacting. Hotaru is slowly fading into the background. Every time we train, she sits in the bleachers and just studies or draws dumb comics to amuse herself. Sometimes, she''ll cheer someone on, but that''s the extent of her participation. Honestly, I''m disappointed in myself for getting worked up about her being here.


    I''ve seen the worksheets she does while the rest of us are studying, and they''re just stuff for a regular middle schooler. She''s not even that good at any of it. If she has to get in on her own merits in two years, then at the rate she''s going- good luck, brat, you''ll need it.


    I quickly finish my math worksheet, doing the extra credit questions. Most kids do those only if they feel they might be behind, a kind of cushion to make sure they get a good grade. I do them because every point counts. Falling behind isn''t an option. I will be the best.


    And... done! I turn over my answer sheet so no one can cheat off my paper.


    I get curious- what''s the brat doing? I look over at her answer sheet. Professor Aizawa sees me doing it but probably doesn''t care. It''s not like I can cheat off her. Let''s see... beginner fraction multiplication. Huh... probably about right for a sixth-grader. And how is she doing on them- wow... maybe the professor should put her back where he found her.


    "Time''s up. Pass your papers to the front of the room," says the professor. Gladly.


    "Professor, Hotaru isn''t handing in her paper. She-" Momo begins, but she''s cut off.


    "It''s you who wanted her to be physically in the class. She''s not part of the class. Just because you''re all taking a quiz doesn''t mean she is."


    Freaking dummies. I figured that part out the day the brat got here. The professor literally said she would just be studying in the corner. I''m unsure why so many classmates keep trying to include her.


    Mr. Aizawa takes the quizzes and then returns a stack of papers to Ida, the class leader. "Pass these around, please. They''re extra credit assignments for the rest of the year." Ida does as instructed as the professor turns to the class, "These do not come before your regular assignments and cannot be used as excuses to not participate in training. I will not permit taking two extra credit assignments; I had a student try that once, and it was more trouble than it was worth."


    I listen closely to the rules. Right, I need to find the assignment that gives me the most points. My finger travels down the page. Let''s see... report on a significant hero, including dates, significant achievements, political beliefs, and why they''re important to you specifically... Fifty points- not worth the effort.


    Make a presentation... 70 points... better.


    Research a correctional facility in person, 150... now we''re talking.


    Mentor, 100 points... per year, though, so long term, that''s 400 points... and I can get more points for doing well.


    Why would I get more points over time for babysitting? Let''s see; you must help a child at least two years your junior in three areas of struggle, improving their grades at least one letter grade in each area. If the area of struggle is not a graded subject, such as weight loss, an applicable standard will be discussed.


    "Are there any questions?" The professor asks. He leans back in the chair by his desk, looking ready to fall asleep. He''s so disinterested.


    I quickly raise my hand. "Will there be new extra credit assignments every year until we graduate?"


    "Maybe, maybe not," He answers.


    "Then how do we know if the mentorship offers the most points?" I ask, taken off guard.


    "I don''t recommend mentorship if you only want the points, but, realistically, if that is your goal, it is a more sure bet. After all, if there are no extra credit assignments next year, you''ll have no way to make up the difference."


    I''m not backing down, however. I will be the best, and no one will question it. If I have to mentor a brat for that, fine. "Can we work with just any kid?"


    "The school has a program with a few foster care facilities and juvenile detention centers. You can choose a kid from those to work with or any other kid with parents who will agree to let you work with their child. I don''t care."


    "The mentor assignment says we can get more than a hundred points- how?"


    "Hm?" Mr. Aizawa takes a copy of the paper off his desk and reads it over. "Huh... what do you know? It does say that. I guess you''ll have to impress the kid''s caretakers- and me. Good luck. Mentorship points are partially dependent on the kid''s initiative. That''s the catch- and why it''s worth so much. It''s a gamble."


    I grit my teeth. He''s right, of course. "How many more points can be made over a hundred on mentorship?"


    "Hmm... a max?" He reclines in his chair again, still looking so disinterested. I don''t know why they let someone so unprofessional teach. "Screw it- fifty points over if you REALLY impress me."


    Crap... that''s six hundred points over four years if I can swing it.


    So... I need a twerp; they have to be two years younger than me... I could track down a real go-getter and make sure I get the grade. I twist my lips at that thought. Would I be impressed by someone improving the grades of a kid who was a go-getter before they even showed up? But if they''re not on the ball already, how do I know the little snot won''t let me down and not do the work to improve themselves, no matter what effort I put in?


    I need a child who is a bit behind so my efforts can be noticeable... but it needs to be someone with a reason for being behind besides laziness... and thus, my eyes travel to THE brat. Hotaru.


    Her dad loves to put pressure on people, and as I look over at her, she sucks at math, but she''s working through everything everyone is doing around her... yeah... yeah why not? She''s even in the freaking school, so that makes things easier.


    The class finally ends, and up to the front, I march, not heeding the line of other students starting to form, freaking extras. "Old man!" I say, slapping the professor''s desk. He looks at me with an annoyed expression. "I want to mentor your kid."


    "No." He says curtly, going back to work and not looking up from a stack of papers he''s grading.


    "Why not?" I ask back.


    "Why would I say yes?" He asks back. "IF I let her be mentored, I already have a short list of students I would allow to do it. You''re not on it."


    I think about leaving... but no, this is too perfect. I look around his desk, with several stacks of papers for grading and notes for his lectures. Among the stacks, there are a few pictures. One of the professor''s graduating class, another of the Professor hanging out with his best friend Mr. Yamada, and finally, one with Hotaru riding on his shoulders and cheering with her little fist in the air. In the image with Hotaru, she must be eight or nine, but I notice something: it''s the only one out of the three in which he''s actually smiling. I don''t doubt that the professor genuinely likes the company of his friends; he''s not the kind to smile very often.


    Hmm... so she must be pretty important to him. I have to focus on her needs if I''m gonna win him over. "Your kid is kinda dumb, you realize that, right?"


    "You''re cruising for a bruising, ya little f- just get lost."


    Wow, he almost cursed; I struck a nerve. "I can fix her."


    "Where should I send your body?"


    "You know I don''t have a soft touch, but the fact is, Hotaru has failing grades, doesn''t she? And between being a hero and being a teacher, you don''t have a ton of time to work with her. I bet you don''t even WANT to spend what little time you get focused only on fractions, do you?"


    He rolls his eyes, but they freeze on that picture of her on his desk. "You''re not wrong on that point." He admits.


    "Look- I''m brash and scary, sure, but I''m observant, I never hurt people on accident, and I''m a straight-A student."


    "How many fights have you caused this week alone?" He asks back.


    "Well... Hotaru also needs to grow a spine. Who better to teach her?"


    "I can think of several people."


    "Yeah, well, they''re not up here asking, so tell me, if someone were to mentor your daughter, what three subjects would you want them to help the kid with?"


    "How do I get you to leave me alone? I mean, without giving you detention... again? I''d rather go home and not have to watch you today."


    "Just humor me for a bit. I can take no for an answer, but not if I''m not even given a chance," I try being a little honest with him.


    "Not a single word that you have said convinces me that you give a rat''s ass about my daughter''s future you little cretin."


    "So?" I fold my arms, "I promise results, not friendship. Results are what you want, right?"


    He raises an eyebrow to this. "Okay, my biggest concern right now is for her social development. How will you help with that?"


    "Um... well... I can help her with math and quirk control. Um... I bet she needs help with science!"


    "You don''t decide what I''m worried about- and you don''t seem to care." He goes back to grading papers. "Literally, anyone here can help her with her sixth-grade math and science studies if she dares to approach them. It''s hard enough to approach teenagers when you''re twelve, but add a history of trauma and social isolation- that''s her real problem." And with that, he once again goes back to his papers.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Dang it- I want those points. I want them even more now that they''re out of reach. Heck, I like things more the harder they are to get- but what the heck am I supposed to do? The professor is barely listening.


    I growl, "Rrrrr- look- your kid has no spine, so she can''t make friends. How did she even get that way? You''re not the protective type of person. You put your students through hell, and I don''t see you coddling her during class, either. Heck, class is over now, and you''re not even paying attention to her."


    "You realize insulting her doesn''t make me more interested in giving her to you, right?... But I''m letting you do this because I hate an anti-climax. At least try to give me a good argument." He loves to taunt people. There''s every chance he''s just dragging this out, fully intending to tell me to get lost.


    I fold my arms. "All right." I look back at Hotaru. "She''s much smaller than everyone in here; she''s at a disadvantage in every way that could matter in a fight. Being a little intimidated is just common sense. She needs to be around kids her age- but you can''t do that because villains will want to get at her, right?"


    "That is the problem. Why? You have a solution?" And- just like that, I seem to have his attention now. He looks up from the papers and puts his chin on his hand, elbow on the desk. He still looks tired, but at least he''s paying more attention to me than the papers.


    "Well... actually, there''s a straightforward solution here. I''ll go hang out with her at some middle school functions. She can have fun with kids her age while I study in a corner. If you think about it, it''s a little ironic; I''ll be the one in the corner of her function. The point is, if someone tries to mess with her, I''ll clean their clock."


    "You don''t have a hero license yet. I can''t let you deliberately get in situations where you would need one, like fights."


    "If we come under attack... fine, I''ll beat feet and get out. It''ll be better for her anyway. And before you point it out, I know her presence could put other kids in danger. But stopping me from blasting out of there would require a coordinated assault. If Hotaru is gone, there will be no reason to threaten the other kids. I''ll stop coordinated assaults from happening by just being spontaneous. I''ll only take the kid to events like an open basketball game or something."


    The professor looks at me, then looks at his desk, then looks at his daughter. He pauses for a beat. I think he''s thinking my offer through, but it''s hard to tell because he''s not showing emotion.


    He eventually sighs. "I can''t believe I''m saying this. That''s not a bad idea."


    "I''ll even bring along other classmates to make it less conspicuous that I''m around at middle school events. Meanwhile, I can make it easier for her to hang out with Uraraka or whatever at some local stores."


    "Yeah, that makes sense." The professor sits back. "And the fact is, aside from Ida''s, your quirk is one of the fastest I''ve seen. But I doubt Ida will go for mentorship; he''s more likely to do a report or presentation."


    I smirk. I won... I won the right to hang out with a preteen girl... crap... how do I make this not uber lame?


    "Professor, can you tell me WHY Hotaru is being hunted?"


    "I thought you would never ask," he says with a chuckle. "In fact, you were STILL not asking was about to get you turned down, but you''re finally demonstrating interest. Hotaru was nearly raised in a lab by a villain. She was subjected to all kinds of experiments for three, maybe four years until she was eight years old." I cringe hearing that. Even I must admit to a bit of sympathy for a living hell like that. "Somehow, her quirk was enhanced... ten, maybe twenty times over."


    I whistle. "Damn."


    "For a preteen girl, it''s more of a burden than a blessing. She''s next to impossible to train, but I''ll figure something out... eventually."


    Oh, oh, this is suddenly too easy. "I''ll train her quirk."


    "Oh boy... Do you have a toughness quirk I''m not aware of? Cause she can put out a lot of hurt in not much time. I have to use erasure on her daily not to get blasted myself, and she likes me more than anyone else."


    "I have something along the lines of toughness- else my explosion quirk would kill me when I use it for propulsion."


    "Good point." He shakes his head.


    "I''m self-trained, sir, and I can take a damn lot of damage. I''m a perfect trainer if the runt''s constantly going nuclear."


    "You''ve got a short temper. You won''t make HER take much damage?"


    "What?!" I almost demand. "Have you lost your mind, old man? Do you have any idea what kind of social hell I would go through if I blasted a little girl? I''m a jerk to Deku, sure, but he''s a boy, and we''re about the same age. Your daughter wouldn''t stand a chance against me, so even if she annoyed me, hurting her would be wrong and- I don''t know, rather pathetic. I know I''m a bit of a jerk, but- pathetic?"


    "You have your moments..." I hate how readily he says that.


    "Well, I promise never to do anything I think could injure her."


    "You''ll temper your training because you''re not licensed in that either? I''m warning you: if I see you taking the same kind of shots at her as you do at your classmates..."


    "Yeah, yeah, we''re only allowed to fight at full speed with supervision, even with peers- right? And since she''s not a peer... I''ll go half speed... maybe a quarter- I don''t know, the point is I''ll be sure not to break her face just for training."


    He sighs. "I hate that I''m about to approve of this. What''s the third thing you want to work with her on? I guess you can pick something at this point. You''re good at math, so-"


    "Whatever, old man," he gives me a look that lets me know I''m on thin ice. "My point is what you already said: literally anyone here could help her with sixth-grade math. What are they doing in a prestigious school like this? But they all eat like slobs. I''ve seen the junk Ochaco gives that brat to make her stop being such a fraidy around her. Also, she uses all her money to eat from the vending machines."


    "Really..." he sighs. "Here, I thought she was saving her allowance for a bike."


    "Ha- no, at the rate she''s going, she''ll manage to be in debt to a candy machine."


    "I can''t believe I''m doing this," he says.


    Hearing that, I grin.


    "Put that grin away; you''re making me second guess this..." He starts to sign- but then writes something on the back. "I have a simple stipulation. Until I say otherwise, you never train her unsupervised or take her anywhere private."


    "I promise I won''t hurt her professor," I say, almost hurt now.


    "Maybe not on purpose, but I''ve known you long enough to know you have trouble reigning it the hell in. If you try to be alone with her, you do not want to know the consequences. Always have someone with you who can report to me that you''re controlling yourself- that''s the offer, take it, or leave it."


    I think for a second but then shrug. It''s not like I want to be alone with the brat anyway. "Works for me."


    Paper for approval in hand, I march out into the hall. I see my little... what''s an appropriate nickname? She''s properly mine now, not in the familial sense, but she does belong to me in some sense, right? Brat works. She''s my brat.


    Anyway, I see her sitting with Ochaco and drinking one of those dumb juice boxes she likes so much. Sugary trash! What''s Ochaco doing? Ruining my pupil, that''s what! I stomp over and grab the preteen by the arm. "C''mon, we''re going to the gym runt," I announce. "I think Professor Ectoplasm is in there. By the way, we have to be supervised."


    "The heck!?" Ochaco demands, getting up and looking like she''s feeling dumb enough to fight me.


    I throw the kid''s drink in the trash, which makes the kid look at me like I''m some monster- but what do I care? "She''s MINE!" I say, holding up my approval letter.


    "What are you talking about- you''re her mentor? Who the hell... are you serious?" she asks, gritting her teeth.


    "Ha- see, she belongs to me now- now- if you don''t mind," I pulled the little girl with me, away from her only friend, possibly in her entire life. I probably should realize how badly this is about to go, but I have this issue with not paying attention to people''s emotions- seriously, why doesn''t everyone have the control I do?


    Apparently, when Hotaru gets pissy... stuff happens. I feel a pulse flow through the room. I turn, looking around the room while holding the kid''s arm. I think maybe some punk is getting some nerve when-


    Pain. Lots of PAIN. I fly down the hall and skid like a rag doll across the floor. What was that number? Ten, maybe twenty times the power she SHOULD have? Ya know I was curious how someone could come to a figure like that when all quirks are different, but as I lay on the floor recovering, I''m figuring... ten or twenty times where she should be... yeah that''s about what it feels like.


    I get up. That was her left arm. This... this could be fun...


    I look up at the two girls. Ochaco looks more stunned than me, but Hotaru is a picture of fury. The little girl''s hair is lifting into the air with electric charges, and static charges emerge up and down the hall. Around the girl, I notice a kind of blue fog or haze drifting into the air. The mist seems alive with energy as the little girl glares at me. Her gaze is so intense at this moment that it gets my blood pumping. I feel just a taste of mortal peril, and I love it.


    I slam my fist into my palm, and- the little demon vanishes from her eyes as the brat runs behind Ochaco.


    I give an exasperated sigh. "SERIOUSLY!? You could eat her for dessert, you dumb tweenager," I say to Hotaru. "Do you know what kind of power it takes to stagger me like that? I get a feeling that''s just a sample, but you''re hiding like a wounded bunny."


    "She doesn''t like you!" Ochaco says, asserting her stance between us.


    "Yeah? The feeling is mutual... but she''s cooler than I thought, or at least she could be."


    "You realize she has a say in this, right?" Uraraka says.


    "What do you mean? I''m her mentor. She has to do what I say." I say as I stomp over to them.


    I grab the little girl and push her against the wall, moving through Ochaco, who doesn''t nearly have the power to stop me. "You..." I growl. "You are going to be a monster when I''m through," I tell the girl. She looks petrified now, but give her a few months; she''ll thank me. I''m gonna transform this kid.


    "Bakugo, if she says she seriously doesn''t want to work with you, that''s her right. You''re not her father. The contract you waved in my face even says," Ochaco waves the paper near my face.


    "Huh?" I look at where she''s pointing on the page as I loosen my grip on the kid. I read, ''The child must give at least general consent.''


    Hotaru breaks my grip and runs behind a pillar.


    "So, I guess that settles that," Ochaco says, going to retrieve her little friend so she can keep spoiling her. No- no, I will not be denied. Does the girl have to WANT to work with me? Seriously? How am I supposed to get a kid to like me? That''s dumb; this assignment is dumb!


    But no, I won''t be defeated- pay attention, Bakugo, you''re going to lose- you don''t lose! Ochaco takes the little fraidy''s hand and walks away with her. "Wait!" I growl.


    "I will fight you..." Ochaco warns as she pushes Hotaru behind her.


    I roll my eyes. "I can''t believe I''m doing this," I look out a nearby window. "There''s a new confectionary opening down the street from school. Why don''t you take Hotaru there for some fun?"


    "That... that''s a weird question from you..." She looks out the same window as me, looking over at the new shop just visible from our vantage point. "I''ve wanted to check out that place, but I can''t do it with little Hotes." Hotaru''s eyes move from Ochaco and then over to the window. I get the feeling the little kid is more interested in spending time with her friend than the promise of sweets. Either way, both girls look like I have their attention.


    "Security issues, right? What would you do if some jerk attacked her? You''re not that strong or fast," Ochaco glares at me, "Where''s the lie?" I ask with a shrug. "I am that fast and strong. So how about this: you two accept me as working with you, and I''ll make it so you can go off campus together. The professor already permitted me to escort the little punk to middle school functions. You can even accompany her in whatever she does with me whenever you want; I don''t care." I shrug.


    Ochaco looks down at her little friend, who looks up at her with trusting and naive eyes. "I do hate seeing her locked up in the school all the time..."


    I fold my arms and smile as I see Ochaco lowering her guard. And that means Hotaru won''t be far behind. I nod. "That''s it. Hotes is it?" I ask the little girl.


    "Only Ochaco can call me that..." Hotaru says, gritting her teeth. I want to put her in her place, but... no, she just stood up to me. The little turd always hides like she''s in a constant state of fear to have her talk back... I figure maybe I should encourage her for now.


    "There ya go. You''re my student now. You don''t take crap from anyone. How about you work with me for a week to start? After that, if you''ve convinced me you''ve earned the right, I''ll take you and your weak little friend to the confectionary so you can have some fun."


    "Weak!?" Ochaco repeats.


    "Uraraka, I''m gonna have this kid standing two stories tall; just you watch. She''s gonna be like me in no time- no compromises, no second place."


    "I don''t know that I like the sounds of that..."


    "It''s not your choice to make." I look down at Hotaru. "What do you say? You could leave the school. You could experience the world a little more. I could do that for you. All you have to do is follow my instructions and not slack. Candy, sports, friends- think of all the crap you''re missing out on, kid. Go on, look out that window. Imagine yourself down on those streets; imagine yourself out there and not afraid."


    Hotaru lets go of Ochaco''s hand and walks over to the window. Her eyes look longingly over the city. I can tell I struck a chord in the quiet little girl''s head- maybe even her heart. I can see what Ochaco sees for a bit. She''s like a bird in a cage. She''s meant to be out there, but she has to live with the trauma forced on her by that villain, the fears of her father, and the threats of villains. It''s not right. I remember my childhood, running around in the woods without a care in the world. Why do I suddenly care that she''s being denied that?


    Well... I''m training to be a hero. When a hero sees something wrong, he''s supposed to want to fix it, so... yeah, it''s only natural. I''m not going soft; I want to make something right that''s wrong. That''s not soft; that''s just what I''m supposed to do.


    "Well?" I ask, and I realize I don''t sound as demanding as usual this time.


    "No more fear?" she asks, looking back at me.


    "You''re gonna forget what fear even is, brat. That''s a promise."


    Those eyes... those hopeful naive eyes... why is she looking at me like that? What am I feeling right now? I don''t get it. What is this? I want to keep my word like always, but... there''s a conviction behind my feelings, a conviction I''ve never felt. Someone is depending on me... "Can you really make me not afraid?"


    "Who the hell do you think you''re talking to? Course I can." I walk over to her. "What do you say?" I hold out my hand to her.


    Her little hand reaches back to me.


    ...


    Ochaco:


    Oh no- that''s not the end of it. If he thinks he''s just walking away with my little buddy... I''ll be watching you, Bakugo...

 Lesson One: Worthless Quirk!

    Ochaco:


    I was going to keep an eye on that creep, especially if he was messing with my Hotes!


    I''m not sure when I decided Hotes was basically my little sister, but she reminds me of several of my cousins when they were five or six. Sure, I know it''s not healthy for a twelve-year-old to act like a five-year-old, but that doesn''t mean shock therapy is necessary- like putting her with that freak Bakugo!


    I follow the pair at a distance. Bakugo and Hotaru see me, but while Hotaru looks back at me as if she wants me to run in and rescue her, Bakugo just keeps walking like he doesn''t care if I''m around.


    Finally, I follow them into the massive UA indoor gym and Bakugo sends Hotaru to go change into gym clothes.


    Bakugo turns around and smirks at me. "Thanks for following- else I might have had just to let her go and try again tomorrow."


    "What?" I snap as I enter the gym behind them.


    "I said I had to be supervised. I''m still fifteen; mentorship isn''t parenthood." Katsuki says as he looks around the gym. I growl in frustration, realizing he just played me a little.


    He nods to a teacher sitting in the stands. The teacher is Ectoplasm, a man whose jaws are so oversized they look fixed in a giant unnatural grin.


    Ecto is rarely seen out of costume, which he''s wearing right now. His costume is a vast beige overcoat that covers his body from neck to foot. He then has gear that covers his head and makes him look like a giant black robot wearing a coat. You can still see his teeth through all that, and his eyes are visible through small yellow slits... a creepy get-up, all told. Ecto often has a harsher approach than even Aizawa, but that''s during class. However, after hours, he''s just a person.


    I wave at him, too. I remember the first time Hotaru saw him; she almost screamed as she hid behind Tenya, the tallest boy in class. Ecto looked resigned when she did that as if she wasn''t the first to do so. I''ve seen his regular human form, and I can only imagine the poor guy having a rough time meeting people in general.


    "Hey, I''m gonna try helping the pipsqueak train a bit here; just keep an eye out for me screwing anything up, all right?" Bakugo asks Ecto. The teacher nods as he continues looking at some math papers.


    "If I have to get up and come down there, you won''t like it," Ecto warns. "Behave."


    "Fair enough," Bakugo says, unenthused. He then turns to Hotaru as she returns in a t-shirt and shorts. She actually looks more vulnerable like that, and now she''s bracing herself, her hands together under her chin. She looks so cute in how she often holds herself- I know I should be worried that she''s not acting her age, but it''s adorable! "Now... how to not waste your time and mine?" Bakugo twists his lips. "I wanna lay down the law- always give me your all, kid, got it? I won''t settle for anything less. You''re going to be one of the best heroes around- in fact, you''ll be second to none... well, none except me... the point is I want you to be the best hero around, else I''ll look bad, you getting me?"


    Hotaru just shrugs. I don''t like the sounds of this, so I fold my arms. I understand having high expectations of someone, but Hotes never said she wanted to be a hero in the first place. "What if she wants to be a doctor or something?" I ask. But Bakugo just waves me off.


    "Let''s start with a lite spar to see your hand-to-hand skills," Bakugo says as he enters an equipment closet and comes out with a big pair of boxing gloves, a small helmet, and a pair of knuckle guards. He forces the boxing helmet over Hotaru''s head and then just hands her the knuckle guards as he puts on the boxing gloves. "I''ll go half-speed so I don''t take your head off, punk." He takes her by the hand and walks her to a set of mats on the floor. "That being said, we all know whose daughter you are. Don''t disappoint me."


    I''m nervous, but he''s at least ensuring she''s safe and protected equipment-wise.


    Hotaru looks confused. "What are you talking abou-" Bakugo suddenly takes a swing at Hotaru. It happens before I can react to protect her. I''m mid-step to run and help when I realize- she deflected it. The little preteen used her left hand to redirect Bakugo''s attack inches from her face perfectly. She did that on instinct!


    Bakugo grins. "I knew it! Of course, the old man trained you in something."


    Hotaru backs away from him. "I... I... I don''t wanna hurt you..." she says.


    Bakugo laughs at her. "As if- hold nothing back, kid!" He goes at her again, swinging what looks like a full-on haymaker with his left. Hotaru steps back and redirects it with her right hand, then snaps her hand back into Bakugo''s face, smacking him straight in the nose.


    Bakugo steps back and touches his nose a few times- but it''s okay. No way could she have hurt him with a half-hearted attack like that. Still, Bakugo is a decent fighter, so even if he is pulling his punches, landing a hit was impressive.


    "Hell yeah!" Bakugo cheers as he barrels at Hotaru. He fires a left, then a right, then a left, then a right again. Hotaru keeps up her deflections with excellent timing until Bakugo does a faint, not following through on a right hook, instead hitting her in the face with a left jab.


    The girl jumps back, holding her nose as she steps back several times. She looks scared until she pauses, pulls her hands down, and looks at them. Her nose is red, sure, but she''s not bleeding.


    Bakugo shakes his head. "What? Did you think I was just being a bull in a China shop? I know how to control my hits. That said- stop holding back already, brat!" he comes at her faster this time.


    The story is different this time. Hotaru moves even faster, using her deflections to create space between her hands and his face in rapid succession. Half his redirected punches turn into backhanded punches right back to him. Still, Katsuki barely seems to care about her retaliations until Hotaru finally grabs his right fist, moves into him, pulls him over her shoulder, and throws him to the mat on his back.


    I figure that''ll stop things, but it doesn''t. Bakugo springs back up, bull rushes Hotaru, and suddenly drives her down onto the mat. Again, I get up, but as Bakugo gets up, he steps back from Hotaru, who gets up and looks confused; looking at her body, I relax. She has a few red marks here and there, but nothing like an actual scrape or bruise. She looks up at Bakugo.


    "Catching on yet?" Bakugo asks. "I can''t guarantee you''ll never get bruises or scrapes when we go at it, but I can and do control myself. Folks look at my demeanor and assume I''m just a lunatic. But I''m not a berserker. My pride doesn''t come from nowhere." He looked at me and smiled. "I had another reason for doing what I did: turn around and look at your security blanket from a friend.


    Hotaru turns around and looks back at me. "Ochaco... what''s wrong?" she asks.


    I force my mouth shut and blink a few times. I should have known she had skills of her own. She''s the daughter of the most skilled teacher in the school regarding martial arts. Did I think he would leave her defenseless?


    "Tah," Bakugo clicks his teeth at me. "Her look says it all, doesn''t it, Hotaru? You keep acting like a scared animal. But the fact is, you''re a beast. Daughter of a pro hero, an enhanced quirk, and I''ll bet it all you won the lottery with whatever that quirk is. No one bothers to enhance a sparkler. You''re a freaking bomb, I bet. You hide like a rabbit- tah! You disgust me. You''re a lion pretending to be a house cat."


    The girl looks from me, then back to Bakugo and back to me.


    "So enough of this," Bakugo says. He stomps on the ground. "Stand up straight, shoulders back, nor more of these cute looks..." I almost glare at him, and he gives a huff. "Fine, you can look cute sometimes- but because you want to, not cause you''re afraid."


    It''s not like Bakugo has perfect posture himself... actually, now that I look at him, he does hold himself with a kind of discipline. I guess I always stood him next to Ida in my mind, a boy who is the picture of near military discipline. I think back on the juice box he threw away. Sure, he didn''t need to do that, but it was a statement that, looking at him, I know he could back up. He''s cut and muscular... unlike myself. Maybe I should be watching what I eat more...


    Bakugo touches his finger to his head. "We need to figure out that quirk of yours. Describe what you know about it."


    "I, um, I control electricity, and I, um, have a range of about seventy-six meters." She stumbles over her words as she tries to keep her new posture. I have to stifle a laugh at how cute she is as she puts so much effort into bettering herself... I hate to admit it, but I think she''s getting something out of this.


    "That''s quite the range," Bakugo says. He then turns around and snaps his fingers at an overhead climbing rope. "Start at the top, generate an electric pulse for me. Form it up there, not by your own body. I wanna see this of myself." He folds his arms and looks up at the rope. "And put some freaking power into it."


    Hotaru raises her right hand. Everyone, including Ectoplasm, looks up at the top of the climbing rope. Electric sparks slowly emerge around the hook that anchors the rope to the ceiling thirty feet above the ground. The sparks danced around the rope, moving faster and faster, getting bigger and bigger. Then suddenly, eight streams of electric power fire into the rope and shoot up and down it, forcing the rope to uncoil from a bar it was on, and it swung down to the ground, electric energy leaving scorch marks along the gym floor.


    Hotaru grins as I cheer for her. "That was amazing!" I say, jumping a few times, Hotaru''s grin growing wider as she picks up on my excitement.


    "You think? It was awesome, wasn''t it? It was really, really cool!" she spins around unnecessarily and stops to yell up to Ectoplasm. "Wasn''t that great?" The professor gives her a thumbs-up


    "Yeah, it was great if you wanna be a magician someday. Course, I could have murdered a man two times your power three times over by the time you pulled that off." Katsuki folds his arms. "You have to go that slow? Do it again, faster this time!"


    She reaches up her hand. The sparks emerge around the top of the rope again. They grow and form, not spinning this time. Eight just form, sparkle for a few seconds, then fire in the rope. The result is... not even half as powerful.


    Bakugo looks back at her. "Are you trying? That took like- ten... twenty... about thirteen seconds, and it didn''t even have any power." He looks back at the rope, then back at the girl. The girl''s excitement starts to fade when she realizes he''s not impressed. He walks over to the rope and taps it, sparks of electric energy coming off it. "Guess that''s something to note- a residual charge... so this is real electric energy." He scratches his chin and looks up at the top of the rope. "Brat- do it again... don''t worry about power, just hit the rope again- do it."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "But I-"


    "Just do it. Trust me... I''m trying to figure this out..." Bakugo says.


    Hotaru shrugs and reaches out to the rope again. Sparks form again, then become more and more powerful until they finally fire into the rope again. "What are you doing, Katsuki?" I finally ask.


    Bakugo just stares at the top of the rope. "She''s not an emitter. Or rather, she''s not a simple emitter. She''s a control emitter. She''s not making the energy- she''s controlling it. That''s why it takes so long, and she makes that big display." He turns back to Hotaru. "You''re obeying me, right? You''re doing things as fast as you can? You''re not just showing off?"


    "I don''t understand what I''m doing well enough to show off," Hotaru answers honestly.


    "Yeah... yeah, I gathered that," Bakugo says, sounding disappointed. "You''re not the kind of person to show off, and you don''t have the guts just to defy me- no, that''s just how your quirk works." He points at the top of the rope. "I think what she does is gather energy from the air itself. There''s always a small amount of electrical energy present in the air. She uses this energy to force electrons to rub against each other, creating more and more electricity through triboelectric charging. She then gathers these sparks together to form a powerful electrical discharge." He shakes his head. "If she has to focus on that process in a fight, she''ll get brutalized by anyone." He sighs. "If she can control existing energy, maybe she would be effective if she pulled energy from a power grid, but otherwise, her ability would be useless in combat." He waves his right hand at Hotaru and turns away from her, putting both hands in his pockets. "Disappointing. Your quirk is pathetic."


    He starts walking out of the gym.


    I clench my teeth. All the work she did trying to obey him, all that effort and sweat when she fought him hand to hand- all that for him to throw it back in her face and call her abilities pathetic!? "Hey!" I shout at him.


    "She tries to fight with that quirk; she''ll get killed. I don''t care if it hurts my grade; I won''t help her learn to fight if she can''t use it." Bakugo says.


    I look back at Hotes, who looks shocked and on the verge of tears. I can''t just let this be. I run after him and grab his shoulder. "She has to live with her quirk either way; someone has to train her," I say.


    "I thought you wanted me to walk away from the start anyway, he says as he pauses. "She can''t be the best, so why should I bother?"


    "I... well, you started. It''s not right to leave a job half-done." I clench my fists. Part of me wants to let him walk out. Still ... all the stuff he promised her, all the happiness she was experiencing discovering her power and being promised she could leave the school... if Bakugo is the one to get all that for her, fine, I would fight for him to work with her. But I needed something... something to make him think... "You were thrown down the hall and staggered by a quirk that takes half a minute just to fire?"


    That makes him freeze. "You... you''re right." He turns around. "The way she fought me in the hall and did things here- they''re completely different." He scratches his chin. "There was this blue fog she was using..." He looks between the young girl and me. Then he smirks.


    I''m suddenly grabbed and thrown to the ground. I shriek as suddenly I''m picked up and thrown, crashing into the mats.


    "Mr. Katsuki!" Ectoplasm suddenly shouts as-


    BOOM! The whole gym shakes as a bolt of energy passes before me. I see Hotaru stand between me and Bakugo, clenching her little fists. Sparks of energy are all around her, and the air is filling up with a blue fog coming off her body, spreading out and rising into the air as it goes.


    I look up to see Bakugo holding up his hands in surrender but smiling anyway.


    "I wasn''t hurting her, Hotaru- look back, she''s fine. You know I can control myself. All of you know that by now." Bakugo looks up at Ectoplasm. "Sorry for the unorthodox method, but I had to know."


    The fog continues to move out and rise as Hotaru refuses just to stand down. I slowly get up. I cautiously reach out to touch her. "I wouldn''t," Bakugo warns. "Much as that kid loves you, hurting you herself would devastate her." I hear him and realize he''s probably right. I keep my hands to myself.


    He puts his hand down and in his pockets and continues. "Look at the ground. Under the fog, as it moves along, there''s liquid. Tah... I never thought those goofy experiments I did on captured fireflies would amount to anything, but what do you know? I know what that is. It''s Luciferin. The chemical a firefly makes ionizes the air and uses to create a blue glow. She releases it as fog, which ionizes the air and exponentially increases the speed of her ability by giving her a ton more ambient energy to deal with. She''s making energy through chemiluminescence."


    I back away from Hotaru, unsure how to handle this. "So... so how do we stop it?"


    Bakugo shrugs his shoulders. "Near as I can tell, it''s caused by emotional distress for now. She snapped because she thought you were in trouble; hmm... plot twist: you''re not just a friendly person to her Ochaco. You''re her friend for real."


    "Yeah, well- she''s my friend too, and I don''t like how you''re running things." I fold my arms as Hotaru holds her ground between me and our mutual foe. "We both mentor her. And I get to veto anything I don''t like. Or else I''m done standing by and watching this."


    "Why would I take that?" Bakugo asks.


    "You threw your classmate unprovoked, young man," Ectoplasm says. He looks at Bakugo with disappointment. "I say she should be in charge too. This whole time, she''s been acting in what she believes is the child''s best interest. You... I''m not sure what you''re going for. Hotaru is in middle school; why are you even talking about her combat potential? The goal of mentoring is to achieve whatever is best for the kid. For all you know, she will be a grade school teacher."


    "If she wastes my time and all she does is..." but now both me and Ecto are glaring at him. He growls. "Fine." He turns and looks at Hotaru. "But if you become a grade school teacher, you still better be a good one, got it?"


    Hotaru is still on guard but said guard is slowly dropping. She nods. I can tell that a part of her still wants to work with Bakugo. All the things he promised her still matter.


    Bakugo buzzes his lips.


    "But... daddy is a hero. I... I kinda wanna be a hero..." Hotaru says, her power fading more.


    Bakugo turns and looks at her. "You wanna make your old man proud, right?" She nods. He grins.


    Oh great.


    "So... let''s do some more tests. First, I want to know if you can make that stuff come out on purpose, Hotaru... if that''s all right with you, of course, Mrs. Uraraka." He says, with a sarcastic emphasis on my name.


    I sigh. "It''s fine- I agree. We need to know."


    He turns back to her. "Okay, Hotes, hmm... you like dinosaurs?" She nods, a confused look on her face.


    "I call her Hotes..." I grumble.


    "Focus, kid- make me a big scary t-rex with that fog, if you can."


    He and I both fold our arms and watch. Hotaru raises her arms, her eyes focusing on the blue fog. The fog starts to pour out of her suddenly. She grins and then points both hands at the ground.


    No way... I watch as feet start to form on either side of her. It''s not like she''s creating the most detailed body I''ve ever seen; in fact, since she''s making a monster out of smoke, it''s apparent that she can barely outline said T-Rex. She can''t make claws or teeth, either. Still, in a few moments, there it is¡ªa thirty-foot-tall T-Rex made of blue smoke.


    Bakugo''s grin grows. "Electrify it..." he says.


    Hotaru''s eyes are glowing with excitement. I can''t blame her; this is amazing. Her control isn''t heavily detailed, but it''s impressive nonetheless, and as she yells into the air, the smoke creation lights up in electric energy. Energy erupts up and down the monstrous creation, sparks flying this way and that, but the basic design of a T-Rex holds, showing power, control, and speed.


    "Awesome!!" Bakugo yells.


    "I have to agree. It''s impressive," Ecto says, watching more intently now.


    "Take a picture! Take a picture!" Hotaru cheers.


    I sigh and slowly take out my cell phone.


    As I line up a shot, Bakugo starts to ramble. "If I had to guess, she has a lot of power and control, but she''s not very fast or subtle. Quick fighters like me will dominate her if we don''t focus on martial arts and taking cover... I can see on her arm where I grabbed her earlier that she has a few slight burns; that means she''s not invincible to her attacks, so she''s a ranged fighter..."


    Blah blah blah, I focus on taking shots of my little friend. She is so happy- and really, she has every right to be. Sure, I can start ticking off possible weaknesses in the construction of her quirk, but once it gets going, it looks like it could be a juggernaut.


    Yeah, I know, I know. Bakugo isn''t the best source for it to come from, but that look on her face is priceless. I see something I''ve been waiting to see from her since I met her two weeks ago: confidence.


    Bakugo:


    The next day, I''m called in by the old man. Apparently, he wants a word or two about his little girl''s performance. Heh- understandable. Course, as she didn''t know about half of her abilities, and I figured them out in about twenty minutes or so, I expect some praise for making more progress in half an hour than he made in four years.


    I stroll up to the desk, and the evaluation begins.


    "Have a seat, young man," Mr. Aizawa says.


    "Ya know, you''re not acting strictly as a teacher; we could be less formal, old man," I say as I take a seat in front of his desk.


    "Were I to act entirely as her father, I would tell you never to contact my daughter again, punch you in the face, pay a fine, and walk away- thank your lucky stars I''m a teacher and could be expelled for such actions."


    I pause... this took a turn... "Hey- hey, look, if this is about me being a little rough with your princess, then-"


    "Rough? I''m rough with all of you. Rough is bruises on your bodies and egos; rough isn''t publicly belittling a student and walking out on them for arbitrary and personal reasons." I look off to the side, feeling a little... nervous... "Everything you did, up until that point, I could have overlooked, but according to reports from both Professor Ectoplasm and Ochaco, despite all of Hotaru''s efforts being exemplary, once you determined that her potential as a hero had a cap below where you wanted, you attempted to walk out on her in front of both of them. Training a child to be a hero specifically isn''t a listed goal of mentorship. There are other professions, you know. Essentially, you used a position of authority and respect to publicly humiliate a girl three years your junior for no reason- is that correct?"


    "Ya know... part of me wants to fight you on this... but I''m guessing that''s only gonna make things worse." I bite my lip.


    "You crossed a line, Bakugo. Bullying children? You think a hero university tolerates behavior like that?"


    "Bullying? I mean, I wasn''t, like, attacking her, sir. I wasn''t really TRYING to hurt her... per se..."


    "You do not deny acting in an unprofessional manner, though?"


    "In retrospect, that wasn''t my finest moment." Normally, I might snap back here, but I''m talking about the professor''s own daughter... now might not be a good time.


    He sighs. "I had a word with Hotaru about this." Crap. "And a word with Ectoplasm about what he saw. According to Ectoplasm, he does not believe that expelling you would fall under nepotism because your actions were objectively shameful and could hurt the reputation of the school if they continue unaddressed."


    I sigh and look at the floor... damn it... how did I think that was gonna go down? Walking out on a professor''s child? How do I even attempt damage control here?


    "Expelling you would not be nepotism... this is nepotism." He hands me a detention slip- for the next month. "You don''t deserve another chance; you really don''t. However, you made more progress with Hotaru in half an hour than I could in a year of attempts."


    "Only a year? I thought-" But he interrupts.


    "That I was so eager to train her quirk that I made it a priority over taking care of my daughter''s trauma and academic needs? Something had to give for a while. I really should be surprised that you didn''t think of that... I should be." He folds his hands and looks at me over them, giving me a pretty intense stare. "Hotaru says you promised her a chance to get out and not be afraid of the world, and she says that you were more than following through on that promise yesterday. She wants to continue with you- you should be grateful; she just saved your ass."


    I gulp and nod. There are times when silence is golden.


    He sighs. "One month detention... maybe two... I''ll think about it... you''ll continue to work with Hotaru. Ochaco will join you and have veto power over any actions you take, and if you embarrass the school like that again, there will be nothing I can or will WANT to do. Are we clear?"


    "Yes, sir- no more screw-ups, sir."


    "Back to whatever your morning routine is- now- before I decide to smack you anyway for treating my child like an inconvenience."


    I get up and speed walk out.


    Look, I can hold my own in a fight, sure, but that guy can expel me "for any reason" according to the school guidelines, and even I''ve got enough etiquette training to know I crossed a line... damnit. I hate eating crow... damnit.


    Kid... you saved my butt... I promise you... you''re gonna be one of the best at whatever you wanna be if I have anything to say about it.

 Going to Jail

    Months later


    Mr. Yamada:


    It''s lunch period, and I decide, what the heck? I''ll sit with some of the students in the cafeteria. The panic-stricken brats, unfortunate enough to be in the class of my best friend, Mr. Aizawa, are always a good source of entertainment.


    I join a group of them. "Denki, Bakugo, Kirishima- how are all of you?" I say as I sit down.


    "Hey!" I hear a young girl protest. Hotaru Aizawa slaps me impotently as I almost sit on her. "Uncle Hizashi!"


    I chuckle and move next to her instead. "Sorry, little listener. I just didn''t see you there."


    "You''re such a jerk, Uncle Hizashi," she says, but she''s chucking a bit too.


    "We''re not related; why do you call me Uncle?"


    "Related? I''m not related to my dad. What do I care about being related?" She jokes. "You just hang out at my house a bunch."


    "You getting out to see the world these days, koakuma?" I ask her. (Koakuma is a similar term to "twerp" in Japanese)


    "What are you talking about?" Bakugo snaps. "Course, she''s getting out! She''s MY mentee. I told her I would make it so she could get around town, and I have." He folds his arms. "First place she visited was a park... first time she''s seen a freaking park is at twelve..." he grits his teething.


    "Is that... are you... you''re concerned about her, aren''t you?" I ask, almost in shock.


    "I... no. It''s indignance, not concern. Kids shouldn''t have to wait that long to just go play." Bakugo argues.


    "Holy crap. You care about her!" I say, slapping my leg and laughing at Bakugo. Soon, everyone at the table has joined me in teasing him as he finally leaves in a huff.


    Hotaru watches him go and yells, "You''re still gonna take me to see the cherry blossoms, right?"


    "Why do you care about that?" He yells back. "Regardless, I said I would, right?" Hotaru nods. "Then I freaking will; stop asking!" And thus, he storms out of the lunch room.


    "Ya know, all things considered, he surprisingly a decent mentor," Kirishima notes, almost snorting in laughter. "I mean, the Chibi is over here eating with us. When she first showed up, she was so scared of everyone Ochaco had to eat with her in the hall."


    "Wish I could see progress like that in the boy I''m helping," Denki notes.


    "Oh? And who is that?" I ask.


    "Henry Miles."


    "The son of Charles Miles?" I ask, "Kid, you might want to work with someone else. Given what he was like, I imagine his son is hardly a monk."


    "I was just curious about the brat at first, but then I got to meet the little guy and... for a few weeks there, he was smart, cocky, and kinda funny. He told me he was only in the rehab center until he had his trial and finished informing on his jerk of a father. But now... lately, he''s been shutting down."


    "He informed on his old man?" Asked Kirishima. "Not sure how I feel about that."


    "Well, you should respect him for that, at least. His father is one of the most dangerous men in Japan," I comment. "And the Miles Syndicate is huge! That boy is risking his life." I looked back to Denki. "How old is Henry?"


    "Twelve. And they''re treating him really bad in that jail." Denki replies.


    "Dude, that''s why they call it jail. If his dad was that bad, he''s probably locked up himself for a reason," Kirishima points out.


    "Can we stop playing guilt by association? Neither of you know him, and I do, and I say he''s an okay little dork," Denki fires back.


    I sit back and sigh, nodding, "You''re right; it''s not right for us to judge Henry by his adopted father. I won''t hear or say another word to the contrary," I put my hand down to signal that I meant for Kirishima to hear me on that point. "How worried about him are you? And big behavioral changes are often not a laughing matter. Do you have any idea what might have triggered them?"


    Denki stops eating, which he loves to do, so I know he''s getting serious. "He used to talk a bunch about what he wanted to be as an adult, and he would always try to get me to laugh from the minute I walked into the rehab center. Now... when I enter the center, he doesn''t want to do anything. He treats talking to me like an obligation and snaps almost as easily as Bakugo. It''s night and day, I tell ya. And then there''s his sister. She''s the only real family the kid has, and he keeps getting turned down when he wants to call her. Finally, they got him in some kinda shackles 24/7."


    "They have an underage non-violent offender in 24/7 restraints?" I ask as I examine Denki closely for a sign that he''s lying.


    "That serious or...?" Kirishima asks


    "You ever hear of muscular atrophy? It''s extremely serious." I shake my head. "You have an address? Looks like I''m going to jail tonight."


    Hours later, here I am. ... Musutafu Juvenile Observation Center... Gee, don''t you love it when they make something sound unnecessarily clinical?


    It doesn''t look bad from the outside. A ten-foot chain link fence with razor wire on top makes me remember this is a prison, but I see a basketball hoop, benches, lovely green fields, and flower boxes here and there. I guess a lot of this is more for parents and an excellent public image, but it still says a lot that the groundskeepers pay so much attention.


    Inside, it''s more obviously a prison. The walls are stone, the floors are laminate, and the lights barely fill the hall. There are rooms on either side of the hall that I can see and guards on either side of the door as I walk in. It''s not a place I would WANT to live, but it''s hardly a medieval dungeon.


    I talk to the guard, show some ID, and inquire about the boy I''m here about. I''m told the number of his room, and off I go.


    I finally stop by his metal door with a heavy black lock on the outside. I know there''s no interior lock- meaning if I want, I could just turn the knob and walk in, but I knock anyway. I''m not a jailer, just a man looking in on the boy''s well-being.


    "It''s not like I can tell you to go away. I dress in the bathroom with how often folks just barge in."


    Okay, there''s the attitude. I open the door, and... it''s kind of nice. White walls, simple furniture, a nice bed with a comforter. None of it is expensive, but it''s all there. And there he is, sitting on the bed with a math textbook. He doesn''t even look up and keeps writing in it. "Wow... you''re dressed like a dork," He still notes.


    I have slick-back blonde hair, a black suit with an oversized popped collar, and a strange audio manipulation device around my neck... a dork... yeah, that''s probably what I look like. I take his comment in stride as I look him over. I fold my arms.


    He looks healthy. Henry is a bit on the small side, with the skin tone and facial structure of a European... no... no, he''s distinctly American for whatever it''s worth. He''s wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. Nothing seems off till my eyes finally land on his right arm, which is shackled to his waist. Denki wasn''t lying. It''s skinny and not naturally so. I can see signs that his body is slowly starting to cannibalize it.


    I clench my teeth. "How often do they take that thing off?" I ask, getting straight to the point.


    "When I shower- that''s it. At this point, I need help doing that." He looks embarrassed and ashamed.


    "Do you have a history of trying to escape or fight?" I ask.


    "No. That''s all you wanted to know? People talk about this dumb shackle a lot when they visit, but no one does anything about it, even that jerk Denki. Always acting so concerned, but he does fu-"


    "Don''t bad mouth my student. He''s the reason I''m here." I cut him off. I start to seethe. "As a matter of fact, you don''t have the right to refuse me on things, so get up," he sighs and gets up without enthusiasm. "Take my hand." I extend my hand, and he takes it with his left in a robotic fashion. "Direct me to the main guard station, now."


    "Gonna report my disrespect?" He asks.


    "Among other things. Let''s go."


    The boy walks normally, his facial expression never changing as he just goes, like his body is running on autopilot.


    Finally, we come up to the door to an office. The door is half window, likely to keep the delinquents from getting ideas while it''s closed.


    I stand the boy before me and start banging hard on the glass. An overweight, balding man in his forties casually opens the door. "What do you brats wa-oh hello Mr. Yamaha!" The man says, his tone changing quickly when he realizes I''m a public figure. "Come right in. Was this boy causing an issue for you?"


    I move as if I barely see the man. "Young Henry, go, take a seat. You think no one means what they say, that it?" Henry gives me a confused look but then goes to sit down.


    I then turn back to the guard. "Will I be getting run arounds or excuses today?"


    "Um... no sir. We run a tight ship here, sir. What is it you need?" he looks very startled to see me acting so curtly, and I admit, that''s merited. Curt is not my public persona.


    "Get out the file for this boy, Henry Miles." The man gets the requested file quickly. "Good. Now, find this boy''s record of bad behavior or escape attempts for me."


    The man looks through the various papers. "This is very specific..." he keeps searching. "I mean, according to what I''ve seen, he''s been above average in behavior. There''s been a concerning change in his mood, but-"


    "Stop rambling and get to what gave you the right to shackle him for so long the body of a preteen child is treating its right am like a vestigial organ."


    The man looks at Henry and pauses for a moment. "I don''t know who issued the order to leave that thing on him, but we have a couple hundred little monsters in here. Sorry, I can''t keep track of the specific restraint levels for every single one of em''." He says, trying to make light of a serious situation. I hold back from smacking him.


    I glare at him. "Even if I was ready to accept that excuse for an excuse, since when do we allow the muscles of prisoners to atrophy..." I have to make myself breathe for a moment before I get violent. I continue. "Is it now, or has it ever been the policy of this prison to torture cooperative inmates?"


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The man pauses before responding, starting to look intimidated. "No sir, I don''t believe-"


    I finally slap him, the sound echoing slightly in the small room. "Do not insult my intelligence or country any more than you already have. You don''t "believe"?" I demand. "Who the hell hired you? Are you not even aware of how restraint levels work? A person under heavy restraint requires close observation so their muscles don''t atrophy or seize up. What you''ve been allowing is inhuman. Hand over the keys-now! Then I suggest you and the other members of your staff start looking for new jobs."


    The man looks at me, starting to clench his teeth like he wants to fight back. I just smile and wave for him to just try it. Guard 1 versus a high-class pro hero with a high-tier quirk- but hey, I need to work out some stress.


    He grumbles and goes to get the keys to Henry''s shackles.


    Back in the boy''s room, I have Henry sit down on his bed as I undo his restraints and toss them aside while the boy keeps looking at me in utter shock. "Well? I said I would do something, and so I did."


    The boy hisses in pain as he moves his arm; it''s so skinny I can almost see the blood running through his veins. "Easy... gently... move it slowly..." I coach him. "If they put that thing back on you without express permission from me, I''ll see to it that there is hell to pay." I pull the chair out from Henry''s desk and sit facing him. "So, tell me what''s been happening in here."


    "What do you care? I... but you DO care..." The boy seems taken aback. "No... no you don''t. This is a trick."


    "What do I gotta do to convince you it isn''t?" I ask back, cocking my head to the side as I jokingly add. "Mind you, listener, I literally can''t break you out of jail."


    "Yeah? Well, you still have all the power." He cradles his right arm on his lap as he gently continues moving it. "I can instantly heal this if you let me use my quirk. I just make a healthy copy of myself and body swap with it."


    "Body swapping? That''s a nifty trick," I say with a grin. "Call me... curious. I want a demonstration." The boy pauses while looking at me for a bit. I just look back for a bit. "Well?"


    "You''re serious? Do you not know what my quirk does?"


    "Not particularly. Why don''t you lay it out for me? Maybe I can solve the mystery of why your guards would rather risk you losing your arm than be able to use it." I fold my arms and sit back.


    He looks down at his right arm and sighs. "If I can swing my right arm, I can make a clone of myself anywhere within three feet of my body. I can even put the clone places where I can''t see. I can then send simple directives to said clone through a kind of... psychic link, you might say. The clone will be able to talk and basically act like me, but if you ask it to do anything that requires thought or fine motor skills, you''ll be out of luck. All that would be interesting enough- but the real kicker- I can switch bodies with it any time I want, from anywhere I want." He smiles. "All I have to do is see my clone, and I can take over its body from... I don''t know, maybe a mile away."


    "So," I turn my head and look at his door. "You could bypass that door by just looking underneath." I chuckle. "Nifty. I''d say that''s a... lower mid-range quirk."


    He smirks. "My clones never inherit my injuries, but they do copy over any equipment or clothing I have on."


    "Hmmm... high mid-range." I modify. "I''ve seen much better." I twist my lips and shake my head. "Still, there are boys with lock-picking skills or things like that. You never know who has them and the whole idea of a center like this is to take things a little easier on the non-violent offenders. Besides, that''s what the ankle monitor you''re wearing is for. I assume that would be copied, correct?" He nods when I point at an electronic monitoring device on his leg. "So, this is ridiculous. Fix yourself."


    The boy looks at me in confusion but still pulls back his right arm once, then jerks it forward- yelping in pain. I quickly get up to help him when- a copy of him appears next to me.


    The new copy of Henry has two working and healthy arms. He snaps his fingers, and the original Henry vanishes. I almost jump in my chair. "What... did you just... did you kill..." I look at the copy in shock.


    "Kill?" The... thing... asks. "No- I''m Henry. I body swapped." He shrugs. "I mean... thanks and all." He flexes his working right arm. "Feels so much better, thanks."


    "So, what''s going on then?" I ask as my mind catches up with what just happened. It''s a creepy quirk on some levels, but it checks out. "Why would they put you on that kind of restriction in an observational center? Heavy restraints like that are barely used on adults."


    The boy returns to his bed and lets himself collapse back on it. "Damnit..." he says. "Damn it, damn it- DAMN IT!" He rolls over and punches the bed. He goes over to the floor, picks up his shackle, and then returns to the bed. "This is a message from my father. It means he can reach me in here- even when he''s in jail. Someone here or in the chain of command works for him." He lets himself fall back on the bed and barely contributes to the conversation for a bit.


    "Well, that''s not good." I put my chin on my hand, "Walk me back a bit. Your father is Charles Miles, right?" He nods to that. "So, before that, you were in the foster system." Another nod. "How many years did you live with Charles?" He holds up two fingers. "Who were your original parents?" He shrugs. "Did you ever meet them?" Shakes his head. I sigh. "Geeze... that guy took advantage. He made you commit crimes- thievery?" Another nod. "You got sentenced for that- how long?" He holds up six fingers. "Six years..." I sit back. This poor kid is in deep.


    "My plea deal was for a clean record and six years community service for both me and my sister, but something went wrong." He says, sitting back up. "It was contingent on all my recorded victims assenting. One victim, the owner of an old jewelry store, said he would be fine with any sentence I got as long as they could assure I would actually serve it. He emphasized that point over and over again."


    "So?"


    "So, I''m an orphan. My sister and I both are." He looks up at the ceiling. "The judges talked it over and concluded that they couldn''t guarantee my sister and I would finish any sentence as long as they had to coordinate with the foster system the whole time." He punched the bed again. "That''s why "damn it". Now my sister and I are separated and in places where my dad can touch us... they''re even limiting my communication with my sister." He drops his head into his hands. "I can''t protect her now..." he almost cries.


    "You''re sure this is all down to your father coming after you- when he''s rotting in a cell himself during his own trial? The judges could have made that decision honestly, and the people here could just be jerks."


    The boy gets up. "Coincidence? Sure, that''s what it''s calculated to look like. Do you think I got away from one of the most dangerous criminal masterminds by being carefree? I don''t believe in coincidence. Coincidence? If the people in this prison are gonna be jerks, why target me? You saw other boys. Were they wearing shackles?"


    "I saw one or two playing outside, and that''s about it- I''ll take your word that it''s not common, though."


    He rolls his eyes. "Like you''re gonna do anything about it anyway. Thanks for letting me out of the cuff, though." I watch him start to pace the room.


    "You''re gonna try to escape now, aren''t you?"


    "Try?" The boy asks. "My sister is in danger. There is no "try", I''m getting to her." He looks over at the door. "Long as they had my quirk shackled, I was giving up hope, but you just have me a chance..." he looks over at me. "Long as you''re not gonna stop me."


    "I suppose that''s one way of dealing with all this," I say. "But your father''s case is still ongoing, right? If you don''t finish testifying and informing and instead try to do a jailbreak- who knows how all that could fall apart? Plus, if you''re caught, things will only worsen for you personally." I put up my hands and act as if I''m weighing options.


    "I''ve dodged pros and police before..." he looks at me, a cringe working across his face.


    "That so? I suspect the pros were going easy on you." I buzz my lips, "And I suspect none of them had quirks with a large area of effect- as mine does." The boy freezes, looking at me. "I''m the voice hero, kid. I don''t care how many doubles you make. One scream will disable you every time. A kid your age would be a piece of cake to stagger. I also have a few taser darts in my gear for small-time offenders like you. They hurt like heck, but they don''t do any real damage. Catching you would be no problem. And once I do, you''ll go to a heavier security prison."


    He clenches his teeth. He pulls back his right hand, slowly starting to glare, looking like he''s preparing to fight. I just sit, raising an eyebrow. "You''ll lose..." I say, giving him a calm and cocky smile.


    He starts to shake with anger. "What''s my alternative? Let my sister be killed?"


    "There''s one other option, ya know."


    "Oh yeah? What''s that?" He holds his fist in the air. I wonder- is that to attack or to activate his quirk? Or could he do both at once?


    "Trust me," I say as I put my hands behind my head, demonstrating that I don''t take this kid as a threat at all. "If this abuse really is from your father, he''s waiting to kill you for a reason. I suspect he''s waiting for the duration of his trial. He''s got too much on his plate to have you or your sister killed right now. Besides, if you or your sister do die, any defense he WAS trying to mount to your testimony probably goes out the window as my goodness will that look suspicious."


    "How long do you think we have?" He starts to relax a little.


    "A few months? It''s up to you. I promise I''ll come up with something if you work with me. If you try to fight me..." I look around his room. "I was gonna say you might want to grab a weapon, but it looks like everything in here is either dull and light or bolted to the floor, so... good luck fighting me if that''s what you want to do." I lean towards him with a smile. "But you don''t want to fight anyway, do you? Let''s face it, the only way you win is to grab something solid and bash my head in till I''m dead- and you''re just not the type, are you?"


    He looks down. "Is that a bad thing? I don''t want to kill... if I have to..."


    I put a hand on his shoulder, changing to a genuine expression as I sit forward. "In this case? You don''t. Trust me. I''ll get you out of here and somewhere safe. You and your sister. I promise."


    "Why do you care?" I can see a longing in his eyes and a hesitance. Foster care, a crime ring, prison... how does he know how to reach out at all? Poor kid.


    I shrug. "This is what I do, listener. I''m a hero. I save people." I sit back again.


    "I have no guardian to negotiate with. And you can''t just grab me a new lawyer to relitigate my case."


    "Relitigate- a big word for a small boy," I say. "Maybe you could teach some of my high schoolers a thing or two." I sit back and gain with that cocky smile on my face. "I got that cuff off, didn''t I?"


    He lowers his hand. "I don''t have a lot of other choices here..." He squeezes his eyes and tightens his fists as if struggling with the very idea of trusting someone. "You better move fast."


    "I already have something in mind, new listener."


    (***)


    I had nothing. On the drive home, I have to force myself to listen to classical music so I can get the old gearbox working. It''s not like I can hire a lawyer and ask him to relitigate the case of some kid I barely know. I don''t have standing.


    I could easily report the abuse of Henry and the possible source of it- but most likely, that would get him and his sister moved to different prisons- but they''ll still be sitting ducks for a full six years if the agents of Charles are still out there. I don''t know if Henry''s fears are legitimate, but if they are... on the off chance... is it an off chance?


    Why shackle a boy without a record of issues while in custody? And the guard said it was due to someone further up the chain than himself, so that rules out him just being sadistically hazed... I don''t like where this is leading.


    I could gather some hero friends and root out the people working under Henry''s father, Charles... on the word of a twelve-year-old boy that they even exist.


    I pull into the driveway of my home. As I do, my little girl Yukari runs out of our home to greet me. I smile and nearly laugh as she jumps up and down outside the car door, begging me to come out and play.


    I pick her up as she laughs and quickly climbs up on my shoulders. She''s just seven years old and a picture of innocence.


    As I piggyback her back up to the house, I can''t help but think about Henry. He''s older than Yukari, for sure, but from what I saw, just as helpless as she would be if she had to face this uncaring world alone.


    I sigh as I set Yukari down in the kitchen I look up at my wife. Suddenly, I know what I have to do.


    "Yuka... how would you feel if he added a few new members to our family?" I work up the courage to ask.


    I get the most confused look. Yuka is a brown-haired woman, but in support of me, she wears it slickly back like I do with mine. She''s a good-looking if small woman. I often call her bite-sized just to get on her nerves.


    "I''m open to the possibility, I suppose..." she replies as she does the dishes. "Do you have someone in mind...?" she asks, leaving a purposeful opening.


    "Look- it''s this boy and his sister. They''re both in serious trouble, and they''re both orphans. I..." I lean against the kitchen nook and look around my spacious home. Yukari sings some random tune on a green fluffy couch as she does her homework. The little girl trusts her mother and me without question. That''s how things should be at her age- and at Henry''s. Henry should have someone he trusts. "I promised the boy I would help him, but I can''t do that if I''m just a random interloper."


    "What kind of trouble is he in?" she asks back.


    "Do you trust me to keep you and our daughter safe?" I ask instead of answering.


    "I mean... yes..."


    "He''s a twelve-year-old convict."


    "Hizashi... you and I would be fine, but Yukari wouldn''t stand a chance. Best she has is her purification quirk- what''s his?"


    "Doppelganger, trust me, it''s an upper mid-tier ability. Give that kid a weapon, and he could probably give me a run for my money. Just being honest. He is guilty of crimes- mostly theft, if you want to know. If we leave him in jail, there''s a good chance his criminal father, who coerced him and his sister in the first place, will continue to find ways to attack and torment him. That is until he kills them, likely starting with the girl just to hurt the boy more."


    "The sick fu..." she starts, but she sees Yukari in the distance and doesn''t finish the swear. "Look, I''m not without a heart, but... Yukari comes first."


    "I know she does. I''ll find a way to make it all work. I''ll see if they''ll let me keep him and his sister in the school dorms for a bit. They let Aizawa bring his little girl Hotaru to classes."


    "Hotaru''s taking classes, Hizashi. Maybe she''s doing it a little early and for unconventional reasons, but that''s still not the same as chucking a... "K¨­han" into the dorms."


    "The correct term is Ky¨­sei hanzaisha. He''s a victim of exploitation, not a criminal by choice. There''s a difference."


    Yuka looks over at our daughter, who continues studying as if we''re not even in the room. "I... she would be utterly unprepared to face him..." She sighs, looking in my face. "I know you''re a brave, caring, and good man, Hizashi. If you think this needs to be done, and you promise me you''ll take things slow with Yukari, this boy... and his sister... I''ll back you the whole way."


    "Thank you. I can only hope the boy and the people at work will understand as well as you."

 Haunted Floor

    Henry Miles:


    I run around the other boys on the basketball court. There''s still phantom pain in my right arm from that shackle I used to wear, but the shackle itself has been gone since that man, Hizashi, visited.


    I duck and weave around the other prisoners, zipping past them like they''re standing still. These boys are all small-time hoodlums; they don''t stand a chance in speed and coordination against someone who had to outfox pros for two years.


    For the first time in a while, I''m having fun. Thoughts about the danger my sister and I are still nagging at the back of my mind, but without someone currently bullying me, I can relax, at least for the moment, and play. I''m playing a game of three-on-one, which is unfair to the three if you ask me.


    I look up from the game for a few seconds and see a big, long black car enter the prison parking lot. I don''t think much of it till I see- Hizashi gets out of it. A surge of relief washes over me, and I drop the ball, running to the fence and forgetting my friends.


    I can''t help it- I feel like an excited little boy again. I hop on my heels as he comes over to the fence. "You found a way to help me? You did, right? You have an idea?" I yell to him as he''s still a good distance away. It''s not like I can get closer with the big fence and razor wire between us. (Eh, em... I can, considering my quirk, but... if I do that, I don''t even wanna know the consequences.) I''m still excited, though.


    A woman gets out of the passenger side of the car, carrying a suitcase, and another woman gets out of the back. I look at him curiously as he comes over to the fence.


    Hizashi smirks as he looks down at me. He''s dressed in an excellent black suit and tie, like the women with him. "Well, kid," he starts. "This will be a little complicated, but we''re working on something." He puts his hand on the brown-haired woman who exited the back of his car. "This is my wife, Yuka, and the other woman is our lawyer, Hiroko Saito."


    "Is there a place where we can talk privately?" asked Ms. Hiroko. Hiroko was a heteromorph with arms covered in blue feathers and a blue beak for a mouth.


    "This is a prison. The basketball course throws people for a loop, but it''s just a nice way to pass the time. There''s no real privacy here. Only relative privacy from other inmates," I reply. "We can go to my room for that." The bird woman waves her hand for me to take the lead from my side as Hizashi talks to the gate guard.


    In a few minutes, the four of us are in my room. Hizashi sits reclined at my desk while the two ladies sit on borrowed chairs from the prison common space. I sit on my bed, feeling a growing trust in Hizashi. Maybe I really can rely on someone again¡ªhe said he would come back, and here he is, wasting his time with me again.


    "First thing first," Saito says, opening her suitcase. We can''t really begin discussing our plans until you read and sign these," she says, handing me a folder with a few pages of documents.


    I scan the first one, which, as best I can tell, is just a standard agreement to let Saito represent me. "um, pen-" but Hizashi has already pulled one out of my desk and is poking my cheek with it. I have to take a few swings at getting it because, apparently, Hizashi likes to tease people. I roll my eyes as I take the writing implement and sign. The following document is... "These are adoption papers..."


    "Preliminary authorization: The Yamadas already have a daughter and are both in positions of relative respect in the community¡ªHizashi is a hero and a teacher at a prestigious university, and his wife is an elementary school teacher. A quick assessment of their living situation allowed me to fast-track the adoption process. All I had to get were the correct forms. It was a piece of cake."


    I hold the pen over the signature space and freeze.


    I''ve been here before. In foster care, Mr. Miles sat at my desk like Hizashi is doing, and I sat with my sister on the bed. There was a lawyer and a nanny. All we had to do was sign, and our new happy lives would begin... in a home... that ended up being the central HQ for one of the most violent crime syndicates in Japan.


    "I know this isn''t easy, Henry," Yuka says, touching my arm. "But my husband and I can''t help you unless we have legal standing in your case. This is the fastest way to get it."


    "You''ll be adopting Tori too, right?" I ask.


    "We can''t do this with both of you at the same time- what with gendered prisons and all. But yeah, she''s our next stop." Hizashi points out, still sitting back like he is entirely at ease. I get the feeling that''s how he always comports himself.


    "Last time I trusted someone this far..."


    Hizashi finally sits forward, folding his hands and looking at me with interest. "We know. But we also know you need our help. Badly. And quickly. So I know this is hard, but you''ll have to just roll with it." He sits back again and puts his hands behind his head. Oddly enough, that pose makes me feel like he''s giving me space.


    I breathe in deep as I pause over the signature line. The weight of the decision I''m about to make hangs heavy in the air. Do I do this? Can I? I squeeze my eyes shut... and sign.


    When I''m done, the lawyer quickly grabs the folder and returns it to her briefcase. "Well then," she says, looking at my two new "parents" on either side of her and then back at me. "Here''s how things are going to go."


    She begins, "Relitigating your case could take years. Getting it out of the way was fast-tracked earlier so you could have an easier time working with the police as an informant and testifying. But now the government will see no benefit in being so expeditious."


    "Yeah- they can shove it if they think I''m gonna keep-" I start, but she interrupts me. I was about to voice my frustration, but she seems to have a plan, so I hold my tongue for now.


    "You will continue to work as an informant and to testify. If your adoption interferes with one of the most crucial landmark cases in Japan, it will fall under harsh scrutiny." Saito stares into my eyes until I close my mouth and sit back. "Now, as I was saying, relitigating your case will take time that we don''t have. You believe your sister and you are in danger. Reporting threats to your life and safety may get the two of you moved to different facilities, but as I understand, your complaint is two-fold. One, if your former father, Mr. Miles, comes after you, you do not wish to be a sitting duck or to be separated from your sister and unable to help her. Two, you are upset because your plea deal fell through, and you''re being asked to continue informing and testifying as though the government lived up to their end of the bargain when they did not. Moving prisons will not help with this. Is all that correct, particularly regarding your complaints about the way your case has thus far been handled? Simply answer yes or no."


    "Well, yes. You see¡ª" I begin, but she cuts me off again.


    "Please, young Mr. Yamada, I do not need lengthy explanations; I need concrete answers to do my job correctly. If I am incorrect, simply correct me; do not go into explanations. Are we clear?" I nod, realizing she''s being short with me for my own sake. "Have I stated anything incorrectly thus far?" I shake my head. "Good."


    She continues. "Thus, we will not endeavor to suspend your sentence; we will simply change where it will be served. The Yamada household cannot serve the essential functions of a federal juvenile detention facility, so living there will be out of the question- though you will be allowed a week''s grace period to settle in with your new family- at the end of which you will be placed back in prison. Don''t ask, I don''t make the rules; I''m just telling you what they are."


    "I suggested we could just put you in a cage in the yard, but she didn''t go for it," Hizashi jokes, but he quickly gets a glare from Siato.


    "A cage in your backyard would not serve the basic necessary functions of a penitentiary, Mr. Yamada."


    "Yeah- it wouldn''t be miserable enough," I say.


    "You''ll find that your misery or happiness is quite irrelevant to the functions of a prison, young Mr. Yamada," Siato answers me curtly. "The functions of a prison, in this case, a youth prison for nonviolent offenders, are thus: One, a facility built with the capabilities of reasonably holding a young offender and securing the public from his activities. Two, a facility capable of supporting said individual''s basic needs and maintaining him in at least fair health. Three a facility with resources available for said individual to receive training for a more acceptable lifestyle than that which lead to his imprisonment in the first place."


    Hizashi grins. "Essentially, a high-security school would serve the functions of a prison just fine."


    I know where my friend Denki and my new father Hizashi go to school, but... "UA? How the hell would I get into a hero high school? It''s not like I''m a prodigy, and even if I was..."


    "You have to admit, it would be ideal." Hizashi waves his finger in the air as he speaks, as if trying to paint a picture on the atmosphere of the room. "You would be able to physically interact with your sister daily if you lived in the dorms, which have actually been... let''s say enhanced in light of some unfortunate recent events... attacks." He looks at me as if he expects that to be a deal breaker, but I have big problems here already, so I don''t even blink. "But if you were in those dorms and taking classes, you would constantly be in the shouting range of someone with the power and training to help. Where could you possibly go that would be more ideal for your own purposes?"


    "More ideal for me? Nowhere. More likely to let me in? Pretty much anywhere," I point out.


    He reaches over and pulls a folder out of Siato''s suitcase. "I have a strict security program you''ll have to follow that will eliminate safety concerns for the other students if they come up, which I doubt they will. You''re not known for physical violence, after all, along with being three years younger than even first-year students." He wacks me on the head with the folder. "All we really need to do is give them a reason to let you in."


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "And, pray tell..." I wave my hand on that one.


    "We''re not doing everything for you, kid," Hizashi says, standing up and stretching. "C''mon, we''re off to get your sister. From there, we''ll tour the school and try to figure out some ideas."


    "So you have no idea how to get me in?" I ask, shocked.


    He looks at me seriously. "I''m giving you an opportunity to help figure this out," he pulls his sunglasses down. "But if you''re not going to do even that much..."


    I put up my hand. "No- no, you''re right. Let''s figure this out together. Besides... did you just say we''ll go pick up Tori?"


    I''m at Musutafu Female Youth Observational Center in a few minutes, which feels like hours. It''s only two miles from the male prison. We were close yet hadn''t heard from or seen each other in months. My hands are on the glass of my car window before we even park- Tori is so close... I can almost feel myself hugging her again.


    Minus the basketball hoop, replaced by a volleyball court, the place looks a lot like the facility where I was being held, at least from the outside. I resist running to the gate as I exit Mr. Yamada''s car. Tori... Tori... sis... you''re so close...


    We go through security and travel down the hall, me bouncing on my heels the whole time, holding Yuka''s hand as she smiles at me. For some reason, I can see a tear journey down Yuka''s face occasionally, but she seems happy.


    We''re at Tori''s room, and I knock fast and loud, but there''s no response. Where is she?


    A girl walks by us. "What are you guys doing?" the young brunette asks. "If you''re looking for the Miles girl, she''s studying in the common area."


    I sigh in relief.


    "Ya know, it strikes me how similar these centers are to a school," Hizashi observes.


    "Yeah, they lock you in your dorms, don''t allow you any privacy at all, take away most of your worldly possessions, and never let you see the outside world¡ªbut they sure can look the same," I say, then shake my head at his foolishness.


    Hizashi just shrugs his shoulders.


    Moments later, we''re in the girl''s common area.


    I''m struck by how nice this place looks. There''s a hardwood floor, some comfy-looking pink couches, and some throw rugs. In the common room in the boy''s jail, we had one torn-up rough Devonport and a couple of scattered chairs on a laminate floor. Is this a jail or a hotel?


    I see Tori on one of the couches reading an anatomy book and quickly duck behind the couch.


    I hear her move and look over the back. "Who are you people?" she asks the group of adults. "I-"


    "BOO!" I shout as I spring up in her face. She shrieks and falls off, clambering to the floor. She glares at me when she looks back, but her face freezes. Her jaw drops, and she climbs quickly to her feet.


    "You... you''re..." she says. I can only grin and nod at her.


    Tori suddenly lurches forward over the couch and hug-tackles me to the floor, tears streaming from her eyes. "HENRY!" She squeals. "My brother!" She looks up at the adults again. "What... what do they want? What''s happening? Henry?"


    Hizashi snatches Saito''s business suitcase, receiving an eye roll from her, but she doesn''t put up much of a fight. He quickly pulls out a folder and opens it to show Tori the adoption papers he needs to sign.


    "What?" Tori slowly climbs to her feet. "Henry, am I dreaming?"


    "I''m not sure what kinda dream this is, but it''s better than the nightmare we''ve been living so far," I say, getting up beside her.


    She bites her lip. "Can we trust this? Last time.."


    "Do you trust me?" I ask.


    She nods her head.


    Hizashi apparently asked for time off to do all this for me. But still, after all that happened, it''s evening by the time we get to school. Adding to that is that I don''t know what I''m anticipating.


    Well... welcome to UA. We walk past a huge brown solid stone wall until we finally reach a giant golden gate with a UA emblem.


    We walk along a neat stone pathway with trees on either side. I notice cameras on the gate and in multiple trees as we go. There are even cameras on the main entrance to the main building. When they say this place is secure, they''re not kidding.


    I step with my sister into a massive main lobby. The laminate floors are white, and a gigantic white fountain is in the middle.


    "Well... if this is to be our next cage, it''s certainly a gilded one," my sister notes.


    "If we gotta be imprisoned somewhere..." I reply. "We could certainly do worse."


    "Certainly one way of talking about Japan''s most prestigious hero academy..." Hizashi says, coming up behind us.


    I sigh. "All I see is two street rats standing in a palace- Like hell, we belong here." I reach down and hold Tori''s hand.


    "You''re gonna need to change that attitude, little guy," Hizashi says. "You''re already challenging a crime lord; we''re way past asking where you belong. You''re where you are."


    "Fair enough..."


    Suddenly, we feel a rumbling coming from off to my right. "Ah!" Hizashi says. "I was kinda hoping to see them. Follow me."


    We travel back out of the main building and across a vast field. More rumbles come out, and eventually, I notice we''re heading straight for the building where that noise is coming from. I mean, heading for dangerous things is par for the course for me and my sister, but I''m not fond of it. Finally, we walk into a massive building labeled "Gym Gamma."


    When we go in, I''m struck by the sheer size of the massive empty indoor space. It''s maybe forty meters tall by sixty meters across by one hundred and twenty meters long¡ªyeesh!


    Part of the place is semi-obscured by a rising blue fog that seems positively alive with electric energy, so I sense something is up.


    BOOM! That confirms my sentiment as a young man with spikey blonde hair comes flying out of the fog and scrapes his feet on the ground to stop. "Heck yeah- that''s what I''m talking about, Hotaru! WHOO!" He sees us and jogs in place. "Oi- Hotaru, let down the storm cloud, will ya? We got company."


    Suddenly, the fog disappears, and the floor is covered in deposits of blue glowing liquid. Amid it all is a dark-haired girl with freckles and a proud look on her face, with her arms folded. "That was freaking awesome- right, Bakugo?" The girl seems to ask of the teenager.


    "Yeah- it was acceptable. But remember, we''re looking for control, not just power... damnit- look at your arms..." Bakugo says. The girl does and then gives an exasperated sigh. Her arms have red marks all over them- and her clothes look torn in several places. "You''re being an idiot, Hotaru- if you can''t handle this much power, speak up. You''re gonna fry the skin off your own body!" She looks down. "Hey- no," Bakugo stomps over to her. "No feeling sorry- you get a serious injury, and THEN you''ll be sorry." He pulls up one of her arms and examines it. "How many times I gotta tell you? You think I like seeing you get messed up like this?"


    "I''m sorry,"


    "Well, I don''t! You have to live with this power. You keep letting it hurt you, and it''s gonna kill you- and don''t you DARE allow that, hear me!?" Bakugo yells at her.


    I want to defend the girl, but all the physical evidence says he''s not exactly wrong. I''m guessing Hotaru is some kind of electrokinetic with poor shielding from her own quirk.


    The girl sees my small group, and her eyes go wide. She holds her hands in front of her like she''s very nervous. "Huh? Oh, right- that''s still a thing," Bakugo says. "You''re afraid of a troop of extras? You''ll be the best; you don''t need to fear anything. Come with me," he says and leads her over to us.


    In the corner, I notice a young lady taking notes in a book.


    "Is he treating her alright?" Hizashi yells to the girl.


    "It''s... okay¡ªbut he''s getting results. One of my compromises is if he yells at her for hurting herself, I don''t step in," the girl says. "I figure she needs to be yelled at for that." She gets up and comes over to us as well. "What do you need, professor? " she asks Hizashi.


    "Well, I need Hotaru if that''s okay. These kids are also looking at auditing the school, and she can show them how that works," he says.


    Hotaru inches behind Bakugo, who simply pushes her back out so she can be seen. The young man looks down at me and Tori. "Peers, huh? Okay- show them around, kid,"


    "I''m not sure I should..." Hotaru says.


    "The heck do you mean? Hizashi is your English professor; you should do what he says. Sides, we''re supposed to socialize you." Bakugo says forcefully. "No way you''re backing down from kids your own age¡ªgo," he pushes the girl towards us and then walks off.


    The teen girl gives a frustrated growl as she watches the boy go, but instead of storming off like the boy, she puts a hand on Hotaru''s shoulder. "C''mon. If they really are gonna go here, that means you can make friends your age. Let''s not pass this up, okay, Hotes?" She leads Hotaru over to us by the hand. Hotaru looks at my sister and me nervously, apparently okay with Hizashi, who I wager could obliterate us both in his sleep.


    The teen girl gets down a little and looks Hotaru in the eyes, saying, "Hotes¡ªstiff upper lip¡ªyou really should do this without me or Bakugo. "Show them around the school, okay?"


    "But-"


    "No buts¡ªnow go on. I won''t be like Bakugo, but I''m not letting you back down from opportunities either." The teen girl''s tone drops a little, letting Hotaru know she means business.


    "Can I have a juice box later?" Hotaru asks.


    The teen girl rolls her eyes. "Of course- don''t let Bakugo know." She messes up Hotaru''s hair and walks away.


    My stomach, for some reason, starts to growl. "Aw- now, if only Hotaru knew a place where we could address that... my treat," Hizashi says.


    Hotaru''s eyes light up, and suddenly, she grabs my hand and Tori''s and half-drags us out of the gym.


    We''ve been led back to the main building and up some twenty flights of stairs in no time. Tori and I are both exhausted, but Hizashi and Hotaru are marching along like it''s nothing.


    "It''s not a place for slackers, you two; I see this week of reprieve from jail will need to be full of conditioning," says Hizashi.


    "What difference will it make if we don''t get in?" I ask.


    "I''m about to smack that negativity out of you¡ªwe Yamadas write contingencies, but we don''t plan on using them. Give every plan your all." He says.


    "He''s gonna get on my nerves," I grumble to Tori.


    "If this is so bad, how is Hotaru acting like it doesn''t affect her?" Hizashi points out.


    Hotaru keeps looking at us behind her. To be honest, I have no idea how she''s climbing these stairs so easily. You would think I would be at some pinnacle after two years of evading pro heroes, but apparently not. If I get into this school, I''ll have to look into how that works.


    I look at the twenty-first floor and notice¡ª"Hey, why is this floor so dark?" I ask.


    Everyone joins me on the landing, looking through the door window. "We call it the haunted floor," Hotaru says, almost giggling. "I doubt there''s anything evil in there, though. It''s just always closed."


    "We do have all night. Would you mind if we took a look?"


    "A waste of time if you ask me, you''re here to find opportunities, not explore the backrooms," Hizashi says.


    "Is the entire floor dark like that? No lights?" Tori asks.


    "There are lights, we just don''t use it," Hizashi says.


    "The whole floor?!" I ask, shocked.


    "I mean- this was supposed to be something once. It was a program we couldn''t get off the ground," Hizashi says behind me as I open the door.


    "Well, if we want opportunities that will make them take us seriously¡ªif there''s something here that we can make useful¡ªthat might be worth something," I say. "Scarcity equals value. If there''s something on this floor, only we can use, well..."


    "Well... that''s the spirit anyway- lead on, son." Hizashi says, waving me into the "haunted floor."


    We travel onto the floor, and I see a long, dark hall until Hizashi flicks a switch, and it''s illuminated. Cobwebs are everywhere, but beyond that, I see hundreds of doors to various classrooms and connecting halls. "This isn''t a joke, is it, Mr. Yamada? Something was ready to go here."


    "It was," He says. "And I would appreciate you calling me dad or something. I did go through the trouble of adopting you after all."


    I keep going down the hall and peering through windows into big classrooms. I don''t want to be rude to Hizashi, but it''s hard for me to even process what a "dad" is. Charles had me call him that, too, and Hizashi isn''t like him at all. "Um... okay... pops..."


    "It''ll do for now," Hizashi says in an annoyed tone.


    Several of the rooms have desks and huge machines. I open a door and enter a classroom.


    "What is this?" I ask.


    "A class-what''s it look like?" My... pop says.


    "Yeah, but a class for what? What''s under this tarp? It looks like some kind of big table..." I put my hands on it and feel around a bit. "It feels- like something complex- a lot of buttons and controls..."


    "Yeah, maybe stop touching it, kid," Pop says. I pull back my hands. "Look¡ªI''m getting hungry myself. If I tell you what all this is, will you stop exploring an abandoned floor for "opportunities?" Pop asks. I nod.


    He sighs. "That table is an advanced and interactive holo projector. It was made to project different parts of the human body- or any body you scanned. We were, in fact, looking into trying to work with heteromorphs after all."


    "That sounds... like something to do with medicine or anatomy." Tori perks up.


    Hotaru is scanning the room repeatedly, seeming fairly disinterested, but she''s being patient.


    "It has something to do with both. This was one of dozens of classrooms for Hero EMTs."


    "EMTs?" Tori asks.


    "Emergency Medical Technicians," I clarify.


    "um... pops... is all this stuff like- beyond repair or..." Tori says.


    "Not you, too," Hizashi replies. "Fffff- fine. I guess you two need to adapt to the new environment, and I should be understanding about the honorific. Anyway, there''s no reason to say it couldn''t all be restored fairly easily- but why?"


    "Yeah, Tori¡ªwhy?" I ask. Tori widens her eyes and nearly glares at me. "What I... oh... ohhhhh¡ªshoot..." I suddenly realize what she''s thinking and why.

 Negotiations

    Henry:


    I actually like suites. Really, I like dressing up, period. It makes me feel important and just a tad more confident. When Charles made me practice business meetings with him, I always wore a well-tailored suit. The fitting process was a chore, but I liked how I looked when it was done.


    Here I stand in the hall outside the office of principal Nezu himself, the man... creature?... who runs the entire school. This is the boss of UA. I''m dressed in a nice baby blue suit to emphasize feelings of innocence, while my tie is pink to give the ensemble a nice pop. My briefcase is a light gray. The Yamadas went all out to get me an interview with Nezu, and I SO appreciate it. Clothes can be a tremendous part of professional presentation, and I don''t want to ask for entry into a prestigious school in my street clothes.


    My nerves are on edge. Hizashi offered to help me present my case, but I can''t shake the feeling that needing someone to hold my hand or direct my speech will only add a layer of inauthenticity. I have to remember the strategies that Charles taught me¡ªat least at the negotiation table.


    A soft adult voice calls me into the office... here goes...


    I step into a surprisingly spacious office. The floor is a laminate green, the walls are white, on my right is a gray closet, and on my left is a metal bookshelf with alphabetized books of nearly uniform height. In the middle of the room is a rigid-looking dark wood desk, and behind the desk is a large black swivel chair facing away from me. The office looks over the city of Musutafu through a huge window that almost takes up the entire wall past the chair. It''s an arrangement that exudes organization, structure, and a sense of responsibility as you overlook the city. I was told the principal is a nice person, but this is more than a little intimidating, to be honest.


    The chair swivels around, and... oh crap. Why?


    This big, imposing office and the guy running it is a heteromorph that looks like a white, anthropomorphic cartoon mouse from a children''s show¡ªcomplete with cute paws and a well-made suit that only worsens the effect. Don''t laugh, don''t even chuckle, you idiot!


    I stand for a second, trying to force myself not to cringe as the mouse man puts his chin on his hand. "Go ahead, have a reaction- it''s actually worse if you just stand there stifling it. I''m honestly not offended," he says. I finally give in to a slight chuckle. "There, see? It''s fine. And honestly, I feel like laughing a little myself. Your outfit makes you kind of adorable, considering your age. Almost like you''re trying too hard to seem like a man." My shoulders slump a little when he says that. "Don''t take that the wrong way; the effort is appreciated, I assure you. Had you come in here with street clothes, I would likely have thrown you out without another word." I freeze at that statement. "Yes... about what I expected. Now that we understand how strict I plan on being- go ahead and explain why you believe I should accept two middle school convicts into the most prestigious high school in the county- mid-session, no less. This doesn''t happen often, and I don''t intend to make it a habit."


    I swallow, then bow politely. He nods and waves to a seat in front of his desk. When I sit down, suddenly, he''s not so cute. He''s huge¡ªat least in my eyes if not in reality. He''s the person who holds my future in his hands.


    He begins the talk by saying, "There are a few things I want to clarify, Mr. Yamada. First, I will not refer to you as Miles out of respect for my friend Hizashi¡ªdoes this bother you?"


    "I would actually prefer Yamada, sir. Miles wasn''t a good father." I say, folding my hands, confident in at least that statement.


    "Good. Next, I am aware of the dire nature of your situation. UA has allowed children to take refuge in its halls before; it''s not unheard of. However, in your case, there are complications. One, until Hizashi took you in, UA had no real interest in your case; second, and more importantly, your criminal status will bring unwelcome scrutiny to the school. We have an eight-year-old girl who lives in the dorms right now to shelter from the Yakuza, but she is innocent, and no one questions her presence because she constitutes no threat. We even have a middle school girl who is also sheltering with us because brutal experiments brought out a quirk enhancement in her that many nefarious agents may want access to. However, she too is innocent, so her presence is taken strictly as us being charitable and heroic. In your case, you are related by adoption to one of the most dangerous men in the country, and you are a known criminal," He then takes a small pack of playing cards out of his desk and shuffles through it until he produces a card. "Look familiar?"


    The deck is a famous heroes and villains card game that is popular worldwide. The card is mine, The Purple Bandit. It has the lowest attack potency but is still above a henchman card. Really, it''s a tactical villain card called a thief card, and my card can summon a special copy of itself from the deck. It steals points from the opposing player, which can''t be returned until both Purple Bandit cards are taken out, meaning both have to be attacked in one turn, forcing attention away from more significant and more dangerous cards. It''s actually well modeled after my abilities and a damn good card.


    "I''m not exactly proud of that kind of publicity," I say.


    "I imagine not, but this is a top-rated card, " the principal says. If I let you into this school, the public will know who I am dealing with."


    He puts the card down and continues. "As I understand it, you fear for your life in prison." My eyes go wide, and he puts up his hands. "Please know that if I really believed that this school was the only key to your survival, I would let you in without question for shelter, if nothing else. However, I am aware of several safe houses across the country, and I have connections. Rest assured, what is on the line here is your admission, not your life."


    That... that takes a little wind out of the sail. If I''m not worried about my life and my sister... why do I want to be in this school?


    "Finally, in the unlikely event that I approve your entry into this school, know that your life here will not be easy. UA has and does host refugee students like yourself, but unlike yourself, most of them aren''t experienced criminals. Twelve-year-old Hotaru, for example, is allowed to use our facilities for normal middle school activities because she is being hunted by dangerous criminals and has few alternatives. However, she presents no immediate danger to the students or staff. Her use of the facilities cost us far less than the average full-fledged student. You, however, have a criminal background, and I have no real reason to believe that''s entirely behind you. We will have to house you and implement security measures and devices to monitor your behavior, which will cost the school. If you think I will not be demanding a commitment from you to balance that out, then you can just go back to sitting in jail or a safe house somewhere."


    I sigh and sit back, thinking for a bit. "Pops... he made it seem like this was life and death. Or at least comfort vs prison."


    "I see," I expect Nezu to tell me to see myself out at this point, but he doesn''t. "But you came in here, dressed up, and used good manners- I''m guessing you had an offer to make, and I''m interested to hear it. You''re wrong if you think UA may have nothing to offer you. We offer a host of courses and some of the best instructors in the country, if I say so myself. As a convict and an orphan, I will say your future, at the moment, doesn''t look very bright, but we can help you change that."


    I think for a few more minutes. "I generally haven''t been able to think of the future. I think a few days or weeks ahead because that''s how fast things come at me. On the street, you have to constantly be on your toes just to survive. If you''re asking if I''ve thought about what happens when I''m an adult... I... I..." I pause, realizing the truth, "At this rate, I just go back to the street when I''m an adult, don''t I? Me and Tori both."


    "I''m sorry, but that is how it looks, yes. If you take the substandard education offered by prisons, or if you''re made to constantly move schools in witness protection of some kind... You won''t have any foundation from which to make a promising future. I mean- it''s possible, but the prospects are poor. If you could make it into a school like mine, your prospects would improve dramatically. Do you value that?"


    I cringe when he asks as if he thinks I might say "no." "Of course I do, especially for my sister. We got away from the street and... and... and damnit we''re not going back- heck no. Sir, I came to give you a presentation, and if you''ll listen, I''ll give it."


    "That''s what I like to hear," Nezu''s expression brightens a little. "You''re looking to better yourself, not just survive. If that''s the case, proceed."


    Here we go. Now, back to the lessons from Charles. The first step is to break the ice and make a good impression. I guess I''ve done that already. The next step is to humanize yourself. No one wants to deal with a monster or a robot. "First, it would be prudent to correct your impressions of me and my sister. From the way you talk about me, I get the feeling you think she and I were criminals by choice... or are you assuming that she and I aren''t too different for me to really represent her?"


    "You''re here, and she isn''t. I''m choosing to take that as intentional between the two of you. Thus, I take it that you are here representing both of you. Is this assumption correct? By the way- goodness you''re articulate for your age."


    "Savant," I say with a shrug, giving that as a simple explanation for my command of my faculties. "And you assume correct, sir," I say with a nod. I put my briefcase on the desk and open it, taking out several manilla folders. I hand him two of the folders. "Those are the case files from the trials of me and Tori; read them if you will." The principal nods and opens them- from the movement of his paw over the pages, I can see he''s speed reading- at an incredible rate. He even waves his other paw for me to continue. Yeesh, when Hizashi said this guy was a brain case, he wasn''t kidding! "Um... right. As you can see from the case summaries, Tori and I both were confirmed to have been heavily coerced. While some of our crimes reached the level of felonies, and I won''t deny that some may have been serious from a... certain context... none were violent. Theft, secretarial work, evasion, yadda, yadda, the point is you have no reason to believe your students will be in any physical danger from us."


    Nezu quickly finds the case summaries as I talk. He nods as I speak. "Yes... yes, I see. Hmm- how ironic that your villain card gets used in combat rounds all the time. Do you even have combat experience?"


    "Um... to be honest, no sir."


    "Interesting. That partially helps you and partially counts against you. That means you present less danger to the students or staff than I thought. It also means you have no qualifications for being here whatsoever."The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "To be fair, sir, I''m twelve. How many people are qualified for anything at my age?"


    "True- but I have no reason to let you in."


    I clench my teeth. No, don''t snap, don''t get defensive. Avoid going on the defensive. Remember what Charles said, everything is about perception. "There are reasons to take me on, sir. For one, I''m a math savant with good spatial awareness. And let''s not forget that I''m experienced in combat scenarios, even if I''ve never thrown a punch in those fights. My solution to conflicts was to run, but they were conflicts that I willingly engaged in, and I arose free and with my objectives intact. Judging a mission by its success is better than how soundly the enemy was beaten."


    "Your "enemies" were heroes that were no doubt going easy on you." Nezu looks up for a moment. "But... I will admit it''s more than most twelve-year-olds can claim to have done. Too bad it''s meaningless when averaged out." He looks at me and cocks his head, raising an eyebrow as if waiting for my obvious question.


    "Why is it meaningless?"


    "Because it was all discovered while in the service of crime. We''re not even talking about tax evasion; we''re talking about theft and directly terrorizing the public. You were a notorious figure- it matters that you didn''t brutalize anyone, but not as much as you seem to think. If I had to say if you were capable of violence, I would say absolutely. If it were a question of you being a threat, I would say that most of the students could hold their own owing to your age and size, but for others, well... I don''t know WHY you never physically hurt anyone. You could have been acting out of conscience, but then why steal? If I argue coercion, then why didn''t the coercion make you violent? No, the most logical reason for your lack of violence was tactical. You didn''t want to be brutalized by Pro Heroes, so you kept the temperature down. This means I have no reason to believe you are a good person at heart."


    My eyes go wide. This isn''t him testing me to see how I respond; these are serious allegations. "I... I... I don''t..."


    "I''m sorry. I thought maybe there was a chance you could find a way to set my mind at ease, though I must admit, I don''t know what you could possibly do. If you''re going to say this isn''t fair, you''re right it isn''t- but with no assurance that you even WANT to reform, I''m not sure how we can proceed."


    "I''m helping to take down the entire criminal empire of Charles..." I croak.


    "Revenge- irrelevant."


    "That''s not..." I clench my teeth. "Fine... just fine. I guess I was a little terrorist, and that''s all. I was put in an impossible position, and you sit there so sure you would have done b-"


    "I''m warning you not to go down that road. You don''t know what my life has been like." He says, putting up a paw. He looks down. "I''m sorry. I know I''m asking a lot here, but is there anything you can do to show me who you are besides what Charles made you?"


    I dig into the suitcase and pull... it... out. "My sister made me bring this. You''re not going to care, but... give it a look. Do you want evidence of who I was? Then here, have a look." I toss him the notebook and lean back in my chair, feeling defeated. The way I am, who would want me? I can''t blame him.


    "The Adventures of the Purple Bandit," Nezu reads off the notebook''s cover. He carefully turns the worn pages of the book as he reads. "I would guess this was made when you were seven or eight from the drawings and terrible grammar. I will comment that the drawings are poor but show good size and distance relationships..." He pauses for a while after reading. "Bandit was supposed to be a hero."


    I look away. "Yeah. Yeah, he was."


    "So why use him as a villain alias? You had to know you would destroy the name and never be able to use it the way you wanted."


    "Why? Because I didn''t have a choice, that''s why." I fold my arms and speak barely above a grumble. "Charles found that in my belongings when he first adopted me. At first, he said it was cute. I discovered who and what he was days later when he took Tori and me into a pool room. He threw that notebook at my feet- then forced Tori''s head under the water, saying I would either don the costume of the Bandit and work for him, or he would kill her." I hold back a few tears. "Have you ever actively taken part in destroying your own dreams? Charles wanted me to be his heir... I wanted to fight, to not be what he was making me."


    I wipe away a few tears and continue. "I didn''t attack the heroes because I knew so many of them from TV. I admired them. I remember watching UA sports festivals¡ªI even went to one live when I was seven. I remember the contests, the skirmishes... I even remember dark and brightly colored heroes telling me, "Young man, come join UA when you''re older because someday YOU can become a hero too." I clench my fist. "But it was all just a stupid dream."


    I start to get up, but Nezu motions for me to stop.


    "Suppose... suppose I hear you out." I slowly sit back down when he says this. "What is your proposal?"


    Had Tori''s insistence on a sentimental old comic book saved the day here? How?


    No matter. I grab a tissue from the desk, clean myself up, and continue. "It''s simple. First, I offer all the intelligence I can legally offer you on how modern crime syndicates work¡ªfrom an insider. From an heir."


    Nezu puts the notebook down. "That''s an interesting offer... to get YOU in. Will your sister be helping you with these... briefings?"


    "She was a secretary, so I guess I can have her fill in a few blanks."


    "So far, you haven''t said why she should be let in..." He taps my old book. "And it would be a shame if you couldn''t offer something. She at least has good instincts if she was the one to tell you to bring this."


    "Oh, I have something for her- for both of us, but she''s the key. Take a look at this."


    Nezu looks at the colorful Academia pamphlet I hand him. "I''ve seen this- I published it. It''s for a defunct hero EMT program that fell through."


    "Why- pray tell," I''m getting my confidence and smile back as I fold my hands on his desk.


    "Simple, really. Emergency Medical Technicians are all about medicine. This school focuses heavily on combat and rescue scenarios- EMT is thought of as mostly a medical field. In truth, several quirks would assist in getting medicine or treatment to people in emergencies, but we needed to beat the image of being a bunch of brutes playing doctor. There needed to be a student with a dedicated medical quirk to feature in advertisements. Investors weren''t interested in backing a medical program where everyone seemed better suited for fighting. See, medical quirks are rare and worth a lot of money. No parent was interested in risking sending their potential doctor to a hero school for an unproven program. The program couldn''t be proven without a medical quirk, and no one wanted to put a medical quirk in an unproven program."


    My smile grows as I hear his voice grow increasingly disappointed. Clearly, Nezu was attached to this idea¡ªperfect!


    I pull another manilla folder out of my suitcase. "Oh... oh... what''s this? Could it be the record of my sister''s quirk?"


    "I thought the court cases said she didn''t have one..." Nezu says, taking the folder.


    I chuckle. "I''m a math savant. Do you think I never tried my hand at hacking? I have a confession to make¡ªone you may understand. I hacked the quirk registry to destroy all records of my sister''s quirk¡ªyou''re holding all that''s left."


    "Why would I understand that? It sounds like you sabotaged her..." His eyes go wide. "I was starting to get a feeling that you treasured her."


    "I couldn''t risk that creep, Charles, realizing what she could do. Who knows how he would have used her? That folder is the only remaining record of... it... the ultimate medical quirk. I call it the miracle quirk- they called it "flesh fuse." She can fuse animal-based biomass on a molecular level. Essentially, from what the doctors saw before Charles got her- she can mend skin, muscle, and bone cells- you name it. In tests, she was able to re-attach a mouse''s front leg. Give her training and practice..." I leave a purposeful, empty space.


    "That''s... that''s insane." Nezu just stares at the folder. "Do you know what an ability like that is worth?"


    "Millions? Billions? But I''ll make it cheap for you. Just give Tori and me relative freedom." My smile is now downright cocky. I can see it in his eyes- I''ve got him. "Maybe work to get us clean records and help us get the training for good careers as EMTs... here''s my proposal. Every week, I brief your staff on what I know about the inner workings of modern syndicates. Over time, you can pass that on to your students and gain an edge in producing better heroes than other schools could hope- at least for a few years, as information like this is time-sensitive. Hence your motivation to NOT just leave us in prison until we''re old enough to attend your school under traditional circumstances." I relax in my seat a little. "Not that you would want to risk me going to a competitor with my sister. Imagine someone ELSE starts your EMT program, along with having my intel... UA could fall into obscurity..." I lean forward, "We wouldn''t want that, now would we?"


    "I see you''re not wasting your previous father''s training. You certainly can sound like a mafioso." His eyes focus on me. "You had to do research to present this- and I wonder, would you really go to other schools if I refused you?" I nod. "Despite that, your new father works here?"


    "Guess I''ll have to work something out."


    "Informed, determined, and ruthless... careful boy, I might start to like you." He smirks.


    "An offer you can''t refuse..." I say, playing into the stereotype.


    "Watch me."


    I freeze.


    "I''ll give you a challenge. Accept, and you''ll be in for a wild ride. Turn me down, and I will let every hero school know you''re a coward." Now it''s his turn to stare me down. I pause, looking at him. "Oh- did you think you were the only ruthless one?"


    My mouth is going dry as I ask, "Okay... what''s your proposal?"


    "You have offered me more than most students- at least regarding my bottom line. Your criminal history shows you have more skill than most children your age- heck, you could run intellectual rings around half my seniors, I''m sure. You have even given me a reason to believe that maybe, just maybe, you really have the desire to be a hero," Nezu looks at the small comic book again. "But I need to know if you can live up to the key values of a hero. We at UA hold three values above all others, determination, excellence, and integrity. If you don''t have these- it''s not worth it for anyone to train you as a hero. I will let you and your sister live on campus for one week. In that time, you may take advantage of any training anyone will give you. By the end, you must be ready for an entrance exam of sorts. Fail it, and back to jail you go."


    "Okay..."


    "There will be a written portion, though the questions will be set for middle school to give you and your sister a fair shot. However, the physical portion of the test will go like this. In a controlled skirmish, you and your sister will be tasked with trying to capture and restrain UA''s top first-year student before he captures both of you. I''ll even allow you to use nonlethal equipment to give you an additional edge if needed. If you pass the test, you will live on campus instead of in jail and be groomed for the Hero EMT course. Once you two graduate from the Hero EMT course, you will likely have guaranteed well-paying careers as you''ll be the first and only ones in your field. If you fail the entrance exam because of a lack of skill, you''ll be free to try again in a month; after all, I do like your proposals. Fail because you can''t live up to UA''s values- then give up and go back to jail because no one will accept you in this field without those values, and no one should."


    I gulp nervously but still proffer my hand to shake. "You''ve got a deal."


    Nezu:


    Was I too harsh? I don''t know. To be honest, I want what that boy is offering, and a part of me feels enough pity for him and his sister that I want to help them for the sake of it.


    Sometime after he walks out, I leave the office as well. A deep, loud, and confident voice speaks behind me, "That was an insane offer, and you know it. A couple of middle schoolers in a battle with Bakugo Katsuki? He''ll take those two apart. I won''t tolerate blood sport..."


    I turn around and raise an eyebrow at the muscle-bound blonde-haired man. "Bloodsport? You know me better than that, Allmight. At least, I hope you do. There are laws on this kind of thing, especially at the ages of those two. Lower your guard. The conditions of the encounter will be that Bakugo has to capture them UNHARMED to win, and they, in turn, have to capture him, again, unharmed."


    The man seems to relax. "Of course, I should have realized that old friend. Still, the Purple Bandit and a girl with a dedicated medical quirk against Bakugo?"


    "I''ll have Aizawa tell them the details. The worst anyone will get is bruises or maybe a twisted muscle. He''ll train them for the week until."


    "One week? They''ll lose for sure!"


    "And the world will see. I''ll be broadcasting."


    "NEZU!"


    "You work for me, not the other way around, Allmight. Besides, I have my reasons. Bakugo''s public showings have been terrible. I want to give him one last chance to show that he can control himself. Conquering the Bandit non-violently is the perfect opportunity for that. Besides, if the world sees Bandit trying to enter the school and he demonstrates our values, they''ll have to give him a chance, too."


    "It sounds like you plan on the boy losing..."


    "Who, Henry? Ha- of course, he''s going to lose. Just don''t tell him," I say, opening a can of tea and sipping... I then almost wretch. "They never make these right," I toss the can away. "Anyway, I''m not only going to be watching how they fight. I''ll be keeping my ear to the ground. How do they prepare, and how do they plan? Will they give it their all, demonstrating determination- or will they throw up their hands in despair till the last minute? Will they plan to cheat or resist the urge, demonstrating integrity?" I turn back, "And when they see cameras on them, will they back out or fight on, holding to their determination and integrity no matter the cost or embarrassment? When the camera roles- will they show me excellence?"


    Allmight chuckles. He then hands me a box. "Juice?"


    "Thanks- at least vending machine juice is better than vending machine tea."

 Shoping Time!

    Hotaru:


    I feel so lonely. Daddy... do you really think this is right? Do you really think it''s good?


    Maybe daddy doesn''t like me anymore. No... No, that''s not daddy. He likes me. But...


    The memory plays in my head.


    It was just a few days ago.


    I had just finished visiting with Ochaco. She showed me how to put on makeup. Daddy came to see me, and I saw tears in his eyes. He took me into the hall. I didn''t know why Daddy was crying, so I hugged him to make it better. He picked me up, like he did when I was smaller, then carried me to a room at the end of the hall.


    "Honey, I''m gonna need you to be strong for me, okay?" He said. I didn''t know what he meant, but I never liked it when he talked about being strong. Something bad always happens when grown-ups say they want you to be strong.


    And something terrible did happen.


    He opened the door next to me into a nice, comfy-looking room. It had a bed¡ªmy bed from home... I walked in and saw that it also had my old, worn dresser. On the dresser were my pictures of Grandma and Grandpa and my picture of my favorite day playing with Daddy in the park back when I was nine. Under the bed were the two dolls I rarely played with and the toy cars I always played with.


    "Do you like it? There wasn''t much to set up. Your clothes are in the drawers- the ones that don''t need to be hung up, of course, and those are in the closet." Daddy put his hands in his pockets while I looked around.


    "What''s going on?" I asked. "Why is all my stuff in here?"


    "Cause this is your room now. You''ll sleep here, study here, play here- well when you''re not doing those things around the campus." Daddy said.


    "Oh... okay. Where will you sleep? At home, you sleep down the hall." I giggled, looking out the door and down the hall. "Those are all girl''s rooms, Daddy. Daddy will be sleeping in a girl''s room. Daddy will be sleeping in a girl''s room. Daddy will be sleeping in a girl''s room." And on I started to chant, playing, of course- I never suspected the truth.


    "Honey," He put a hand on my head. "No. I will be in the boy''s area on the other side of the building. UA is a boarding school now. After the last few villain attacks on the school... all students are being placed under high security, not just you."


    "But... but how far away will you be from me?"


    "Pretty far."


    "If I cry, will you hear me?"


    Daddy got down and looked me in the eyes. He always does that when he''s about to say something I won''t like. "Kid, if you get scared, try to get over it, but if you can''t, one of the girls will be able to hear you if you yell, alright? You''ll be fine."


    "But... I don''t understand... How can I sleep if I... If you''re not there... If you''re not near..."


    He shook his head. "This is how the school is set up now. And really, you need this. You need to be more independent." He chuckled. "These rooms are very nice. There''s even a fridge- go on, check it out."


    "Daddy- you don''t like me anymore?"


    "No... no honey, it''s not like that. I love you, but you need... well..."


    "To be alone?"


    "Something like that." He messed up my hair and got up. "Be brave."


    And he walked out.


    So now, here I am... alone for the third day in a row. After school and training with Bakugo, I just go to my room and study.


    I''m currently doing my homework, but whenever I need help with a problem... daddy isn''t there.


    Math is killing me here. I really do need help, but... do I annoy Ochaco?... It''s just a few problems. I grit my teeth. No, no, I don''t want to be a burden. I''ll struggle through.


    Minutes go by without progress, and... there''s a knock at the door. Ochaco maybe?


    "Hey, shut in!" Comes a voice. Um... not Ochaco. "Hey, open the freaking door. You keep hiding in your room, and you''re worrying, Momo... You hear me? Open the door, or I''m coming in!"


    Um... what do I do? She can''t just do that, can she? THUMP! "Ow... okay, I probably should have figured that would happen- just you hold on though, I''ll pick this lock!" I hear scratching on the door knob. "It''s electric... look, just open up, or I''ll keep yelling at you!"


    Finally, I hear Ochaco. "Kyoka Jiro, knock it off. If she doesn''t want to come out, she doesn''t have to."


    "You coddle her too much, Uraraka! She''s here to socialize, and besides that, she''s here for protection. She could be kidnapped for a whole day before anyone noticed- OPEN UP!" Kyoka starts banging on my door again. Despite her words, she sounds much more angry than concerned. "C''mon brat, Momo sent me to check on you, and I''m gonna do it."


    Ochaco sighs. "Might as well open up Hotaru. Kyoka can have a temper, but I promise she won''t hurt you."


    I slip off my bed and walk over to the door, opening it. "FINALLY!" Kyoka yells as she barges into my room. "Look, Momo has been..." She pauses as she looks around my room. "I... kinda expected a child''s dream of a thousand toys or a video game collection- that would explain why we rarely see you outside of class, but... this is it?" She starts walking around. "A worn dresser, an old bed, and a couple of old toys... let me see that laptop," She picks up my laptop. "Seriously? What is this a word processor?" She turns to me. "What do you even do in here, kid?"


    "Study," I reply.


    "You don''t have THAT much work to do, or at least I don''t think you do. What else do you do?"


    "Sleep, study, play a little... but the toys get boring, so... stare at the walls. Everyone does that sometimes, right?"


    Kyoka just stares at me.


    "You know we''re allowed to customize our dorms, right, Hotaru?" Ochaco asks, looking around my room as well. "You don''t have to be so minimal. You''ll be living here for the rest of the year, so you might as well decorate- you might even live here for six years. UA is a boarding school now."


    "So, do we go home in the summer?" Kyoka asks Ochaco.


    "This boarding school thing got going because of villain attacks, so... beats me," Ochaco admits.


    "Well, still- just sitting in a dark, gloomy room like this, is this even healthy?" Kyoka asks, now starting to sound at least a little concerned. "Are you THAT scared of everyone, Hotaru?"


    "It''s not fear these days..." I admit. "I just don''t know how to talk to you guys."


    "Well, a part of me figured that seeing your room might help me figure out how to talk to you, but... fffff!" Kyoka huffs in frustration as she waves her arms around the room. "Sherlock couldn''t tell anything from this, let alone me." She looks around for a few more moments. "How much homework do you have left?"


    "Math... lots of math..." I say.


    "Give..." Kyoka says, snapping her fingers at me and then opening her hand for my math book. She is technically my elder, so I give it over. She starts looking over my figures. "You haven''t done half the problems, and half the ones you did are wrong. Have you been taking this seriously?"


    "I''m so lost..." I admit."


    "Are you trying to accuse her of skipping because she''s so eager to return to staring at the wall?" Ochaco asks.


    Kyoka puts her head in her hand. "I guess not,"


    "I keep feeling like I''m missing things- like, a lot of things. I just don''t get so many of these concepts, and I promise I''m trying..." I take back my math assignment and get back on my bed. "I barely know what fractions are, so... I don''t know... what am I even doing? I keep checking last year''s math book, but I can''t find any help."


    "Where is your last math book?" Kyoka asks. I point at a drawer in my dresser. Kyoka finds my old textbook easily and starts looking through it. "This... huh... I mean, there''s stuff about fractions in here, but not until the last few chapters, and it''s not very detailed." She checks a few things in the front of the book. "I think... no... no way... it can''t be..."


    "What''s up?" Ochaco asks.


    "Oh, you poor girl, no wonder you''re lost!" Kyoka says, sounding more amused than concerned. "This is a fourth-grade textbook; you''re in the sixth grade." She sits down. "You''re screwed if you keep going like this- you skipped a whole grade." She then takes the assignment I''m working on, wads it up, and throws it in my trash can.


    "HEY!" I shout.


    "Don''t worry about it, munchkin, I got ya. I''m calling your dad right now," Kyoka says. I raise an eyebrow as she takes out her phone and puts my dad on speakerphone.


    "Daddy! Kyoka threw away my math assignment!" I yell at the phone immediately, so Kyoka immediately grabs my head and hand-gags me.


    "What the heck is going on over there? Hotaru, are you really trying the whole "my dog ate my homework" thing? If you try it, you''ll regret it¡ª" my dad starts. Yeah, don''t mess with my dad on homework; just buckle down and do it.


    "I did throw it away. She wasn''t getting anywhere anyway, and she wasn''t going to," Kyoka says.


    "I beg your pardon?" My dad does not sound happy. "She can do it if she just buckles down."


    "No, she can''t," Kyoka says back. "She''s missed too much."


    "And how would you know that?" Now, he sounds sarcastic. I don''t think this is going to work out for Kyoka.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "Look, professor, I''m not insulting your daughter. Rare is the kid who could do what you''re asking of her right now. Did you check the grade level of her last textbook?"


    "What are you getting at?"


    "It''s a fourth-grade math book. It only says so on the third page, but still..."


    "It was the fifth book in a series... oh no... wait..." he suddenly sounds exasperated. "Ohhhhhh... nooo... shoot,"


    "What''s wrong, professor?"


    "That stupid homeschool program. I had her go through five books on each major subject. It was a heck of a slog for the poor kid, but she pulled it off. But now that I think about it, the first book wasn''t in first grade; it was in kindergarten." I hear a sound that sounds like him dropping against a wall. "Why didn''t I think of that?"


    "Professor... you''ve been doing a lot, teaching, crime-fighting, raising a daughter, homeschooling... It seems like something would fall through the cracks inevitably. No wonder you always seem tired." Ochaco says.


    "Thanks. I so need a lecture about work-life balance from a fourteen-year-old," he replies sarcastically.


    "Well, you need it from someone," Kyoka says, apparently fearless, considering my dad can expel her "for any reason" per the school rules. "Are you really expecting your traumatized middle school daughter to just skip a grade out of nowhere?"


    He sighs again. "No... I''ll come over there and sort this out."


    "No- no... how about a deal?" Kyoka says.


    I can hear my father drumming his fingers on a wooden surface, apparently losing his patience.


    "Sir, Ochaco and I will call all of the other professors in our track and inform them of what''s going on with Hotaru so they can figure out what''s best to catch her up. In exchange..." she looks around my room again. "You let us girls take Hotaru on a shopping trip."


    "You need me to set a spending limit?" He asks.


    "Bahhh! We can handle it between the six of us. If the girl is gonna hang out in this freaking cave all the time, then she should at least have things in it. Maybe this way, Momo and Ochaco will stop worrying about the brat."


    "You wanna rephrase that last part?"


    "I mean, beautiful little girl," Kyoka says with a nervous grin.


    "Fair... it''s all six of you?"


    "Sure," Kyoka says.


    "Right, so you should be able to protect her. Don''t miss curfew, stay in local stores, and... Kyoka..."


    "Yes, professor?"


    "Thanks. Tell everyone thanks. It means a lot that you''re all looking after her."


    Kyoka pauses for a few seconds but then gets a pleasant smile and says, "No problem, professor." She then hangs up.


    It occurs to me that being both agreeable and introverted doesn''t work out well when my hand is grabbed and I''m pulled out of my room. And because I won''t say anything, it''s whether I like it or not.


    The girls of 1-A gather, and off we go. The first place we go to a big music store. I''ve never been big into music, but apparently, Kyoka sure is. I guess that makes sense just looking at her. She''s a dark-haired girl with extendable earphone jacks coming off her earlobes that fire off massive sonic attacks.


    "What do you mean you don''t care about music?" she asks when I tell her so. "Nonsense, you just haven''t heard that much- come with me, ya freaking shut in. Do you even know what rock''n''roll is?"


    "Not really..." I admit.


    "Oh... really?"


    "What should I do?" I ask.


    Kyoka seems caught off guard at being correct. "Well..." she looks around the vast, brightly decorated store that is full of posters and different kinds of records and CDs. "I mean, actually buying CDs is a big investment these days and kinda unnecessary. Still... you always want to support your favorite artists..."


    "She just said she doesn''t HAVE a favorite artist," says Mina. She''s a girl with pink fur covering her whole body who can throw acid from her hands, which¡ªyeah, don''t ask me how those go together.


    "She''ll have one soon," Kyoka says quickly as she puts headphones on my head and practically places me in front of a sound station of some kind. She then puts on some music... I think it''s music. The song''s name is "Cut the Cord" by Shinedown. I have a hard time understanding anything the singer is saying, but I think it''s about suicide, so I''m not sure I like it. I like the music, but the ideas, or what I can get, scare me.


    Sweet reprieve when someone pauses the song for me. "If you still want to show her rock, maybe make it something that focuses on things kids might like... my little brother likes this guy." Says Tsuyu. She''s a girl with long green hair, but her face and skin seem to be morphed a little, making her look like some kind of cross between a person and a frog. She punches a few buttons on the music controller, and another song comes on. This style is similar to Cut the Cord, but it''s much more upbeat, and the main singer is singing about... a laser-shooting dinosaur.


    I grin, listening to the ridiculous lyrics about a dinosaur made in Tokyo that fights goblins and apparently has a human rider. There''s even a cartoon on the screen of the music sample device I''m plugged into. The lyrics are simple and easy to understand, and I immediately enjoy myself.


    "Really... Angus McSix?" Asks Kyoka. She sighs. "I guess she could do worse."


    "Ahhh- c''mon, don''t be judgy. This trip is about helping our little friend, not making her a clone of ourselves," says Mina, as she wraps an arm around me and helps me pull up more songs by Angus on the sampler. "There''s a big poster of the laser shooting dinosaur on the wall over there- what do you say, Hotaru? Want a copy for your room?"


    "I... I can have it?" I ask, feeling very thankful as I look at a big, colorful poster of a goofy Tyrannosaur being ridden by my newly discovered favorite songwriter.


    Kyoka doesn''t seem happy with how things are shaping up as she rolls her eyes, but she looks around the store nonetheless and then picks up a big plastic sword with a giant goofy portrayal of the sun on its hilt. "Well... at least if I see this crap on her walls, I''ll have something to talk with her about. It''s not like I hate Glory Hammer or McSix; they''re just super immature."


    "What did you think she was gonna go for, Marilyn Manson?" Mina points out that I naturally have no idea what she means.


    "Oh, this is cute! Do you want it?" Ocacho says, holding up a bizarrely proportioned doll with super-short arms and legs and multi-colored hair that sticks straight up.


    "Not particularly..." I say, even as I don''t want to upset my friend.


    She frowns until Momo, a tall, dark-haired girl, taps her on the shoulder. "Just get it for yourself. Clothes next, gals!" She asserts.


    "I don''t really need-whao!" But I''m pulled along, first to the cashier and then to the next store.


    It''s Mina who speaks up first in the clothing store. "What all do you have for clothes anyway? I mean outside the school uniform."


    "Um... a couple white shirts and blue jeans," I say.


    "Seriously? That''s just sad," Mina replies.


    "Yeah, clothes are a way to express who you are!" comes a voice behind me. I jump when I don''t see a face- but then I calm down, realizing it''s just Toru.


    "In your case, they''re how we even know you exist!" Mina says, teasing the girl whose hero name is literally "The Invisible Girl." "What color is your hair, by the way?"


    "Even I don''t know by this point," Toru admits while... from her clothes, I guess she''s putting her head in her hand. "But c''mon, Hotes, what''s your favorite color?"


    "Um, pink," I say.


    "HA! Pink, pay up!" Mina says to Kyoka.


    "Dang it, I figured it would be blue," Kyoka says, handing over a little cash to Kyoka.


    "You bet on my favorite color?" I ask.


    "You rarely talk, so no one knows you, so we''ve kind of been making up who you are in our heads," Mina says.


    "You really should get out of your room more," Tsuyu says, tousling my hair a little as she walks past.


    "Oh, look at this! It''s such a cute pink crop top¡ªtry it on!" I look at the blouse Toru hands to me and cringe.


    "Dad would kill me if I wore something like this- does it have to reveal my stomach?" I ask.


    "Well- no one cares if I wear these," Toru says, a couple of the other girls snickering at her.


    "Get whatever you feel like, kiddo," Momo says as she hands me a more loose-fitting and appropriate pink T-shirt. It has a picture of a pack of horses running on the front, and I kind of like it. "I''ll pay."


    "We should probably get her a desk and chair, too," Tsuyu says, "I bet she falls asleep studying on her bed all the time."


    "I mean... sometimes..." I admit.


    "We got ya," Ochaco says, putting an arm on my shoulders.


    I look at the shirt from Momo and then at the things I got at the music store and smile, feeling so grateful to everyone.


    "We should get her a phone!" Momo says.


    "Yeah, that way, she can hear enough music to figure out what she likes," Kyoka says, to which Momo rolls her eyes.


    "And so she can communicate, but a minor detail there, right?" Momo says sarcastically.


    "You guys really don''t have to do all this," I say. "Dad already lets me have a phone."


    "Yeah- a clam shell. I''ve seen it. You need something to put songs on- oh, and a stereo would be good; we need to get one for her," Kyoka says.


    "She''d probably be fine with just a headset," Momo says.


    "You guys really..." I say.


    "Oh, let us spoil you a bit. A couple of us just miss the younger members of our family¡ªI know I won''t be able to go shopping with my little sister for a long time with the school''s new security policies," Mina says. This is an outlet."


    "You guys are great friends!" I announce, to which... everyone pauses. "What?"


    "I''m not sure you''re our... friend... so much," Mina says.


    "Be nice everyone..." Ochaco says.


    "You''re more like a little sister to me, one I wish would get out more for her own sake," Momo says. "That''s why I don''t mind getting you stuff."


    "That and your family is stupid rich," Mina says, elbowing Momo in the ribs, "Me- I kinda just see you as the class mascot, no offense."


    "Same here," Toru says. "Sorry."


    "I sometimes forget you exist, and that''s kinda on you, girl, just being honest," Kyoka shrugs. The others seem to give her an evil eye, but she shoots a glare back. "Have I really done anything wrong here? Pretty sure I''ve actually been helpful."


    "Lay off Kyoka, everyone; she''s not being a bully or anything. I''m with Momo; you''re kinda a little sister... when I remember, you''re even in the class," Tsuyu says. "I''m only here because everyone else is really. I don''t hate you; I just don''t know you is all." Kyoka says, looking like she really wants to justify herself right now.


    I start to slow down, my eyes turning to Ochaco. "You''re my friend, right?" I ask. Ochaco has been my anchor, the first person I trusted. Surely she...


    Ochaco puts a hand on her head, scratching her scalp. "Um, sure, of course, we''re friends." She says.


    "Really?" Momo says. "We should be honest with the poor kid. We would all protect her if she were in trouble, but we''re training to be heroes, so that doesn''t mean much. The question is, would you rely on Hotaru if YOU were in trouble, Ochaco?"


    "Well... I mean..." Ochaco looks away from me. "If there was trouble, I would just want her not to be around so she could be safe."


    "Sounds like you''re more in the little sister camp," Mina points out.


    "Hey- but I hang out with her just for fun sometimes; that makes her a friend, right?" Ochaco tries.


    "I hang out with my seven-year-old sister, Ochaco, all the time. She''s a blast when she''s in a good mood. That doesn''t mean she''s a "friend," Mina says.


    I can feel my heart dropping in my chest. Momo kneels down a little to look me in the eyes. "Hey, don''t overthink it, okay? You really do need to get out more, but it''s hard for everyone to see you as an equal, and that would be true even if you were more of a socialite. But we do all care about you." Her eyes shift to Kyoka, "Well- mostly."


    "When we remember that you draw breath..." Kyoka says.


    "Shut up before I smack you," Momo says without even looking at Kyoka, who decides it''s a good idea to shut up and start looking away.


    "But Daddy says I should make friends."


    "I don''t know what to tell you, kiddo. Let us finish spoiling you for a bit and just be happy with everyone being good to you, okay? Just for now... Who knows, maybe if you start asserting yourself more socially, we''ll see your talents and find ways to rely on you."


    "Yeah- hey, I would never rely on you in a fight; that''s kinda an honor thing ''cause you''re so much younger than me, but what if you''re really good with history or English? I struggle with those," Mina points out. "Get out and talk to us more. Half of us are aggressively friendly if you haven''t noticed."


    "I''ll try," I say, keeping a smile on my face even as I look down. "Sorry, I haven''t been good enough."


    "None of us are perfect, girl. But stop letting yourself blend into the background, okay?" Momo says as she finally gets back up. "But hey, don''t get it in your head that us being nice to you doesn''t mean anything. You''re still one of us 1-A girls, and no one can take that away."


    "Except your dad, ''cause he can expel you!" Mina teases.


    I smile again and grip my bags.


    I have a good feeling, even if... it feels like something is missing. No one relies on me for anything? I guess that really is my fault. But they''re all so much bigger, more confident, and better than me in many ways. I just wish I wasn''t so far out of my league. Or, more like it, I wish there were someone else here that was in my league.


    (***)


    Henry:


    I walk into the office of Professor Aizawa, better known as Eraserhead- or one of my former nemeses.


    When he sees me, he almost glares.


    I gulp, "I was told you would explain the parameters of my exam." I push out, regardless of his intense gaze.


    He almost seems to snarl, then he stands up and walks over to a writing board, "Right. As you''ve been told, I''m supposed to be your guide for the next week as you try to qualify for a reform track. I''m supposed to explain the rules and keep you from doing anything so stupid that only a twelve-year-old could be forgiven for doing it." He starts writing on the dry-erase board, "For the next week your work ethic will be your own concern, though I will take tardiness personally-" he suddenly stops writing. "By the way, where is your sister? You were both supposed to meet me here at six, but I only see you." He stares down at me, his size dwarfing my own, and I can feel his shadow over me.


    "Well, I mean, these days, I kinda represent her and-"


    "If you represent her in briefings, then you represent her in class. If you represent her in class, then she has no reason to be here, and she can go back to sitting in jail... seems to follow as far as I''m concerned anyway." He says, almost staring down his nose at me.


    "I um... um..."


    "Unless you want her expelled from even the entrance exam, I suggest you get her fast- I trust she''s in the building."


    "Yes sir, she-"


    But he interrupts me. "Then go get her. And hurry up; I''m taking this as you both being late, and if you''re more than twenty minutes late for anything in this school, it''s grounds for expulsion."


    "Right- I''ll be right back-"


    "Running in the halls is also grounds for expulsion. I hope you''re good at speed walking," I''m almost out the door as he clears his throat, "One last thing- Hizashi is my best friend. You have no idea how excited he is to finally have a son. Don''t even THINK of disappointing him- go!"


    I exit the room to go get Tori. I had never felt tired from speed walking before today, but it turns out that it is actually possible!

 Entrance Exam Part 1: Dig in Tori!

    Tori:


    My big brother half drags me into the office. This is ridiculous. Surely, no one really means for me to take part in a fight. Didn''t Henry tell them my quirk is medical? I''m supposed to be a doctor... going to a hero university... yeah, it strikes me that I might need to modify my expectations.


    Finally, we''re both in the office of Shota Aizawa, one of the heroes my brother fought the most¡ªor, rather, one of the heroes he dodged the most.


    My money is on this going horribly.


    The black-haired and tired-looking man gets up, giving both of us an evil eye as he does so. "Alright, let''s get something straight here," Aizawa says. "I''m not gonna let you two fail on accident... it''s not as fun to watch." He smiles on that note. He gets up from his office desk and walks to a dry-erase board. "I want you both to be clear on something. We had no issue with Henry representing your interests to Nezu alone because he figured one person making an organized presentation might be better than two people talking over each other. However, from now on, both of you will be judged based on your own efforts."


    He draws three circles on the board, two on one side and one on the other. Finally, he draws a giant circle around the three. He continues, "The practical entrance exam will be simple. The two of you will fight Bakugo Katsuki and attempt to restrain him. You can tie him up and engage in strikes, holds, and tricks. Any attacks that could result in serious injury or lethal damage are strictly banned in this fight. Bakugo is, of course, trying to do the same to you that you are trying to do to him. The battle will take place in a circular arena. Falling out of bounds," Aizawa taps outside his large circle, "Will initiate a penalty where you will have to wear a pair of cuffs on one of your limbs for the rest of the fight, risking that your opponent will capitalize and just- finish the job."


    Henry and I are seated in chairs opposite his desk, and when he finishes this part of the presentation, Henry raises his hand. I look at the board. Again, he can''t be serious.


    "Yes?" Aizawa says, cocking his head to the side.


    "I''ve seen the brawls at the summer festival. Some of the attacks they launch could do serious damage. I¡ª" Henry starts, but he doesn''t sound concerned; he sounds more disappointed¡ªbecause boy.


    "Didn''t I just say no injuries or lethal damage?" the professor interrupts, "We train our students specifically to hold back their attacks or strike areas that won''t retain serious injury when struck. However, because of your age, Bakugo won''t be allowed to engage in even THAT level of combat. He will be restricted to low-level quirk attacks and martial arts. Injurious attacks on individuals under 14 participating in a match are prohibited by national law, not just school policy." He glares at us both as if trying to drill home the importance of this point. "You, in turn, will be allowed equipment to make up the skill and experience difference, but non-lethal only, and it can''t be anything professionally made. A staff? Fine. A sword- no. A specially made capture net? If I see something like that, you''re gone."


    "Hold on- where would we even get specialized equipment to cheat in the first place? It''s not like we''re loaded with cash." Henry asks with a chuckle.


    "Hmmm..." Aizawa says with a smirk. "Where? Kid, we have an entire support department and support course on three floors... Oh, you''re not keeping up, are you? Why do you think you''re being given a week? So you can rest up?" He sits down at his desk. "Maybe you think you''re being allowed to... socialize? Of course not. You''re being allowed run of the facilities here. Of course, within reason, and with supervision, but the point remains. You could go to support and request a few things the second this meeting is done, free of charge." He folds his hands and looks over them at the two of us, a look of restrained malice in his eyes. "I''ve been told that this next week coincides with what is known as a "grace period". You''ll be allowed to live in Hizashi''s home and spend time being normal children." He chuckles. "From foster care to a crime syndicate to jail- the grace period will be your first chance at living in a real family. Of course, if you don''t make it into UA, you go back to jail, and this week will be fleeting. Regardless, this will be the last opportunity both of you have to live and interact in a real home for a long time- possibly years. Even if you do make it into UA, you will live in the dorms under heavy restrictions." He cocks his head to the side and smiles. "What will you do? Spend every second you can here training, stocking up, and planning, or spend precious time with your new family?"


    I tighten my fists. "You... you mean to... do you have any idea how much it means to us to have a family?!" I stand up and point a finger at him, inches from his face, to which he only raises an eyebrow. "Is this what your school is about? You could easily let us do this a different week- you just want to hurt us because of a stupid vendetta against my brother!"


    "Nezu set this up, not me. Though I won''t pretend not to have a little pleasure in the irony." I slam my fist on his desk, but he doesn''t even flinch. "I understand Hizashi has a little eight-year-old girl. This is your chance to meet her, form a bond, and throw away your future."


    I clench my teeth.


    Behind me, my brother speaks up. "We''ll do what we must to get into UA. This is about our futures." He sighs as I turn around. "It''s not like Hizashi and his family will go anywhere either way, sis. This is AN opportunity to get to know them, not the only opportunity." He twists his lips, "I mean, WE are the prisoners. If they really care about us, theoretically, what stops them from coming to us? I mean, unless Hizashi is just gonna forget us-"


    "I will not hear you disrespect my friend Hizashi!" Aizawa growls. "He''s sometimes whimsical and childish, but when he gives his word, he means it. If he adopted you two, he''ll visit you every chance he gets." He huffs and sits back.


    I look back at the professor in confusion.


    "What?" Aizawa asks. "Henry is right. If you make it into UA, Hizashi and his wife and daughter will be able to visit you all the time." He pulls back and folds his arms. "I might as well explain something here- something I planned to explain later, but whatever. The professors at this school are harsh, but it''s because we want you to succeed. If for no other reason than your success equates to ours." He shrugs. "Often, the things we say aren''t as bad as we make them out to be, though you might as well take us seriously. You two really are free to blow the whole week off visiting with your new family and then go back to jail, but I don''t recommend it. You both need to learn to look ahead instead of looking only at what''s in front of you. It''ll be difficult to give up time with little Yukari, but you''ll both be able to spend evenings and mornings with her as Hizashi will be taking you home to sleep in his house. You only have a week, after all, so if I were you, I might just write the whole week off and just study and train your asses off. Take the time with your family that you''ve been given- or work so hard this week that you can barely learn their names and earn YEARS of time with them. That''s the choice you''re actually making. A little bit of good things now, or earn far better with your sweat and tears."


    "Oh..." I say, backing up.


    "I did want to see what you two would do with that dumb little act I put on." He smiles. "You have more of a spine than I thought, little girl. You really should stop letting your brother do everything."


    I look down, "He''s smarter..." I say, feeling disappointed that I didn''t see through his ruse as easily as Henry.


    "Is he?" Aizawa asks. "How sure are you about that? Because I think being intelligent is a matter of how hard you press to earn it. Tell me, what was he doing the last two years, and what were you doing?"


    I try to hold back tears. "He was being trained to steal and to inherit a business... I was being ALLOWED to breathe. I was constantly tied up in the corner or dragged around, made to keep records of deals, and... I... I ffff..." But it catches in my throat. It''s hard to even talk about what happened to me.


    He holds up his hand. "I get the idea. You were shoved into a corner while your brother got real training. Sounds to me like you need this while he needs to be put back in his cell for leaving you there."


    My eyes go wide, and I hiss. "HOW DARE YOU! Do you think Henry wanted even ten seconds of that freak breathing down his neck?! Everything he endured was for my sake. If you don''t wipe that smile off your face right now, I''ll-" Henry grabs me from behind and pulls me back to my seat.


    Aizawa raises his eyebrows as I''m pulled back. "Something strikes me, little girl. You''re naturally more believable than Henry. It''s obvious that emotions rule you more than they do him. It''s a weakness in some ways, but in other ways... it lets me see what you''re passionate about." He looks at my brother. "Maybe I''m being too critical of you, Henry. If you can inspire loyalty like hers, well... who knows? Maybe you both belong in this school. Maybe you''ll both show us amazing things."


    Henry sighs and pushes onward. "What are we allowed to do while we have "run of the facilities?" He asks. "Just reading books and acquiring equipment isn''t going to help us win a fight."


    "What are you thinking you need?" the professor asks.


    "I''ve never really fought; you would know that, Eraserhead. I never threw a punch at you." Henry says.


    "If you had, I''d have beaten you to a pulp." He returns.


    "Well, if that''s the case... you sure you could have beaten me down despite my dodging skills?"


    "Hahahahahaha- no problem," Aizawa says. "We both know I was holding back in those engagements. Particularly in the beginning."


    "Then can YOU train us?" Henry asks.


    "I''ve been a total jerk to you this entire time. I''m sure there are people who would be easier to get along with..." the professor says, leaving a pregnant pause.


    "Tori and I will be mostly limited to hand-to-hand attacks, mixed with blunt force objects- if that." Henry says, "Am I understanding this right?"


    "Essentially. Bakugo has a toughness factor to his quirk, so not allowing you staff weapons would be childish. The best you could do with them is... communicate. What about your sister''s quirk? What can it do in a fight?"


    My eyes go wide. "Use Flesh Fuse in a fight? Are you insane? No!" I almost squeak out, pure horror on my face as terrifying visions of human bodies being mutilated by my promising quirk run through my mind. "Ever since I was eight and could understand what my power could do, I swore never to use it in a fight- it just wouldn''t be right. Fuse is like a scalpel; it''s too... too special to be used like a combat knife in a fight."


    "Girly- that''s not how this works. In a fight, if what you have is a scalpel, then a scalpel is what you use," Aizawa corrects in a knowing tone when it''s clear he knows nothing.


    "And when said scalpel mutilates flesh on a molecular level, altering it so fundamentally that a single slash would require months of surgery to recover from? The flesh I fuse does not unfuse over time- that''s why my power is so miraculous. It''s true healing. But if I use it wrong, I''ll fuse skin to muscle to bone to blood... I could turn someone''s hand into an unidentifiable writhing mass in just a few seconds..." I look down. "I did it when I was seven... a man was playing fighting with me... I don''t even think he meant to hurt me; he was just playing, but my quirk activated in defense for too long when touching his hand, and- I think he''s still receiving treatments to this day."This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Aizawa breathes in and just holds the breath. "I... I see... in that case... in that case, I guess you''re right. Some things are too... special... to be used in combat."


    "He''s stronger than us, right?" Henry asks, apparently not as phased by the current topic as the professor and I are.


    "By an insane factor," the professor says after attempting to pull himself back onto Henry''s topic. "And he''s built like a bear. You''d have a hard time putting him down with a revolver."


    "And you''ve fought people stronger than yourself and won, right?" Henry asks. The professor nods. "You''ve done that with your skills?" The professor nods again. "Can you teach us enough of those skills to win?"


    "He''s my student- but he''s a bit arrogant when it comes to combat training, preferring his own techniques. He''s heavily reliant on his quirk and loves to try to adapt his tactics mid-fight. A true expert could run circles around him- however, you two have a week."


    Henry smirks. "If you''re not feeling up to the task, just say so, professor," he says.


    Aizawa grins. "Oh... oh, so it''s like that, huh?" He leans in. "You want to make this a commentary on MY abilities?"


    "If Tori and I throw everything we have at your training, and then me, my clone, and her can''t even make a showing out there... it certainly won''t look good on you, will it?" Henry says, leaning in himself.


    Aizawa chuckles back. "Again- so it''s like that? Fine. I''ll train you two. Meet me in the gym at 18:30. Understand, I estimate with the best training I can give you and insanely good learning rates- which you probably don''t have- I can get you a third of the way to victory at best. You''ll both look cool and be able to stand your ground for about... thirty seconds before you lose, and he ties you up anyway. If you want to do better than that..." Aizawa stands up and motions to the door. "I highly recommend you two make use of the facilities to procure that equipment and maybe strategize."


    Henry gets up, bows, and walks out of the room.


    I start to follow him, but just before I leave the room, I turn back at the door frame. "Professor, just out of curiosity, who are you rooting for? Us, or Bakugo?"


    "Do I want you two in this school or not?" He asks. I nod. "My little girl goes to this school. I nearly begged to help your brother when we encountered each other on the street. I hate to see children throwing their lives away. I''ve always taken his refusal as either some kind of arrogance or maybe an acceptance of the life he was in. You two are in the age group of my child. Thus, I would really rather you both rot in jail." I freeze in place, blinking a few times. "You asked."


    In a few seconds, I catch up with my brother. "What do we do? Our own trainer isn''t even rooting for us!" I ask.


    "I don''t doubt nearly everyone is rooting against us," Henry says. "But I gave them a damn good offer, so if we put on a good enough show, there''s every chance we''ll get in anyway." He folds his arms. "I''ve never successfully stood my ground against someone, so we need a plan."


    "Well, you didn''t give up against Charles."


    "That was metaphorically standing my ground. I mean, I''ve never won a fight." He raises an eyebrow and looks off to the left as we continue down the hall, "Though that might be a good point. You and I have suffered physical and mental abuse far beyond anything the twerps at this school can dish out. Nothing that idiot said so much as phased me."


    "Not so sure I can say the same..." I say, looking down.


    Henry wraps an arm around me. "Ahhhh, it''ll be fine. The point is, you went through hell too. That means this Bakugo guy shouldn''t be able to scare either of us. If we can stay on task, that''s half the battle."


    "But... I''m already scared. He''s supposed to be a champion, and besides that, he''s a high schooler with a combat quirk- which neither of us really has."


    "I have a combat quirk."


    "Doppelganger is a tactical quirk at best- what even IS Bakugo''s quirk? Do you know?" I ask.


    "Nope," Henry admits rather quickly. We have our briefing and our trainer, so our next stop is the school library¡ªlet''s see what the archives have on this Bakugo guy, shall we?"


    "Why would they have records of him in the library?"


    "Haven''t you been paying attention? He''s a champion of something, and I bet that''s the televised summer sports festival. The festival''s final round is a series of one-on-one battles between first-year students. They''ve been trained not to kill each other, but... hooo boy, past that, they really go at it!"


    "But he has to hold back with us, right?" I ask.


    "Yeah, I know, lame, right?" He replies because he''s like most boy''s, completely insane. "Now, where would I be if I were a library?"


    As he stands there puzzling, I do the girl thing and ask for freaking directions from a passerby.


    Eventually, Henry and I are at a table with a school laptop. We''ve been given a sticky note with the address of a decent broadcast of the summer festival. It''s time to watch how our opponent fights.


    First fight: Bakugo vs. Kirishima. Kirishima seems to have a body-hardening quirk, allowing him to harden his own body until it is near impervious to damage. This rock-hard skin also becomes rough and heavy, allowing him to deliver hard punches with rigid fists that tear into the skin.


    The fight opens, and the red-haired Kirishima comes out, facing our foe, a blonde-haired teenager with spikey hair and a glare that scares me just to look at it. Kirishima runs at him without a shred of nervousness, swinging and slicing at the air. One swing, two swings, three jabs, a hook- this is insane. Bakugo is dodging him while watching for an opening. He eventually delivers a blow to Kirishima''s side with a high-powered explosion from his hand that does- nothing. He even has to let Kirishima slice open his face with a strike in order to make that attack, but all it does is mess up Kirishima''s clothing.


    I grin, "Kirishima''s not doing bad, right?"


    Henry shakes his head. "I don''t like it. He''s going all out from the looks of it, and Bakugo is holding back, barely taking a scratch."


    "Kirishima is unscratched too. Maybe Bakugo has a weakness if you have damage resistance?"


    But as I turn back to the screen, I see Bakugo land one in a series of literally explosive hits on Kirishima, and this one breaks the skin. Bakugo gets a cocky gleam in his head and then starts swinging his open palms at Kirishima over and over; at the apex of each swing, Bakugo sets up an explosion from his palm. One blast after another erupts, the stone arena around them starting to tear up as Kirishima is forced to falter. I see blood and hold my mouth, scared I''ll see the worst.


    I heave a sigh of relief to see that Kirishima is only unconscious. He looks to have injuries, but nothing that can''t be fixed. Still, I have to ask, "That kind of brawl is sanctioned?"


    "Hmm?" Henry asks back. "They have Recovery Girl working here. Her quirk lets her exponentially increase the body''s natural healing process. That kid was probably fine in about- an hour or a day at worst- no biggie."


    "Wait? RG works HERE?" I ask. Sure, recovery Girl is known to have the best healing quirk of them all, but she was also once a legendary hero in her own right. She had to fight in the age when quirks were first discovered. She saved hundreds of lives with her quirk, going into the field to save anyone in danger, even in the face of vicious gangs and with no front-line heroes with combat quirks to back her up. Quirks have become more and more powerful over time, but even so, to face those proto quirks with nothing but skill and the ability to heal others- I look up to her like crazy. Her courage and love for others... she is my idol.


    "You''re gonna be like- her prot¨¦g¨¦, sis, so I hope you like the woman," Henry says, then he smiles when he sees the stars emerge in my eyes. "As long as you can help me beat this lunatic."


    I look at that blond freak. The video pauses on his stupid glare. I tighten my fist. "Next fight, let''s see it."


    We scrub forward on the video until we get to Bakugo''s next fight. Bakugo vs Tokoyami. Tokoyami appears to be able to turn his shadow into a powerful, dark, bird-like creature. The creature can take on different shapes and attack or shield Tokoyami, and it seems to act of its own will. Really, Tokoyami doesn''t seem to be doing much himself, relying heavily on the creature, and honestly... I can''t tell from the fight how Tokoyami even made it to the finals. His attacks seem kinda lackluster.


    Even so, Bakugo seems to take his time. His attacks are slow at first, and then he releases a blast that lights up the entire screen¡ªwhat the heck?


    Henry speaks up. "It appears this Tokoyami''s power was weak to light- that was some kind of flash-bang attack from Bakugo... if he just entered the fight and started blasting away, he could have beaten both Kirishima and Tokoyami in record time, but he doesn''t seem to like doing that."


    I take the mouse and scrub back a bit, then rewatch the fight. "You''re right... he lets his opponent throw the first punch."


    "He also loves to taunt his opponents. I think he lets time pass so he can learn his opponent on the spot. That could be his undoing if we play our cards right. We need to aim to take him down in the first twenty or thirty seconds of the fight."


    "Hhahahahahahaha.... Aaaaahhhh," we both hear someone laugh and a sigh over our shoulders. I turn and see Aizawa. "What? I saw you two in here, and I figured, if I''m training you, I might as well see what you''re doing with the time."


    "Yeah, well, what''s so funny?" Henry asks.


    "A couple things," the professor says. "First off, Bakugo thinks he''s the best fighter in the school, yet a couple preteens figured out the weakness in his style in under a minute. Second, if you think exploiting it at your skill level- which, as I understand, is non-existent- is going to be easy, then you''re in for a world of hurt."


    I cringe, but Henry just continues the conversation, a serious look on his face as he watches a third fight, this one a battle between Bakugo and a boy named Shoto Todoroki. "You''re his teacher?" Henry asks. The professor nods.


    I watch the video. As an opening move, in less than a second, Shoto sets off an ice attack that freezes the entire fighting arena and then creates a pseudo mountain of ice that rises through the roof of the entire stadium on Bakugo''s side. The yellow spikey-haired boy looks to have been consumed entirely by the ice- but wait- I thought being the champion meant you won...


    "Bakugo''s fighting method is one born of arrogance, but it is a method nonetheless," Aizawa narrates as we watch. "As you can see, he is fully capable of responding to fast attacks." We watch as the arena shakes in the video, Shoto stumbling back. "He tries to gauge his attacks by the kind of resistance he''s receiving." Finally, Bakugo blasts out of the ice, seems to taunt his opponent for a moment, and then uses his explosions to hurtle himself at his opponent, maneuvering around him at an insane pace. Shoto creates ice constructs with the speed of thought, but he can''t keep pace with Bakugo''s pure speed and unconventional maneuvering- flashing from side to side, spinning, and somersaulting on the ground and through the air. "He''ll take hits that he doesn''t have to, allow you to get off attacks when he could easily beat you in draw time. He doesn''t do it only because he doesn''t believe you can beat him." Eventually, we all watch Bakugo unleash one heavy blast on Shoto''s face, sending the boy flying out of the battle circle. "He wants to know if there''s any way you can win or challenge him. Victory isn''t good enough for Bakugo," We continue watching as Bakugo starts to scream at his unconscious opponent in a fury, apparently disappointed about something. "He wants supremacy. His last battle was decided by a ring out when his opponent held back a key element of his quirk. Bakugo has yet to forgive Shoto for not using the rest of his quirk."


    "So... so he''s like... I mean, he''s quick and doesn''t take too much damage. Does that mean he''s also afraid of getting hurt?" I ask, trying to get in on the strategy."


    "Haha- oh god no, the boy thrives on pain. The other part of Shoto''s quirk is fire control. Bakugo is furious that he wasn''t nearly burned alive, just to show that he could overcome and win anyway. The boy has something to prove," The professor clarifies, a kind of pride for his student mixed in his mocking tone, the mocking obviously meant for Henry and me. Not that I could blame him. I would be laughing at any middle school girl thinking about fighting this kid- if the girl wasn''t me. As it stands- I''m terrified.


    "He can''t just blast the US like he did with Shoto, right?" I squeak out.


    Henry just rolls his eyes when I say that, as Aizawa says, "No, he can''t; that would violate school policy regarding underage contestants. I wouldn''t rely on that to mean you won''t experience pain- think about it like this: if he breaks significant bones or gives either of you a serious laceration or gash, his future as a hero is basically over. If you get bruises, black eyes, bloody noses, broken fingers- those will be healed easily by Recovery Girl and be regarded as par for the course- personally, I would see them as markers of your journey into adulthood." The professor looks down at me exclusively, "Little girl, if this scares you, go back to jail. If you can''t take a few booboos, you don''t belong in a school for elite crime fighters and emergency workers. Serve your sentence and go be a doctor." He smirks at me.


    Henry finally puts an arm between me and the professor. "I think that''s enough," he says.


    The professor shakes his head, "I don''t want a fight in the middle of the library- but a part of me wants you two to somehow manage to get in, just for the pleasure of seeing you, Tori, having to face challenges, like sparing and obstacle courses, without this idiot hovering over you. You''re trying to become EMTs. Do you think when you have to run into a tsunami to get civilians out, that you''re brother will be able to say, "That''s enough," then?" Henry stands up. The professor puts up his hands. "Like I said, I don''t need a fight right now- but go ahead and try stepping to me like that once you''re a student, Henry." Aizawa walks away.


    "What''s with that guy?" I ask once he''s gone.


    "I don''t think he likes us," Henry says. "But we can learn a lot from him, so I''m gonna keep pressing him for more."


    "He''s a jerk!"


    "Everything he said was true, and much of it was useful. You need to stop responding with your feelings and listen with your ears, sis," Henry says. He sits back down next to me.


    As he continues, I can''t help but feel safe again. Henry wants nothing more than to protect me and help me, and I know it. If the school really does separate us during courses and sparring sessions... How will I handle that? When I was separated from him by Charles, I was just bullied into doing whatever needed to be done at the time, like paperwork or chores. Do I even have potential without Henry? I don''t know, and a part of me feels... I think I feel ashamed.


    "He just told us Bakugo''s combat weakness." Henry continues.


    "What weakness?" I practically snap. "That guy is a monster. Shoto did exactly what you were talking about, trying to annihilate him early in the fight, and somehow, he countered him- I didn''t even see how! He''s WAY faster than you."


    "I wasn''t looking at him being slow," Henry argues back. "The point is he hesitates. And he does that because he''s trying to study his opponent. If we can use that tendency against him, we might just win."


    "Well... how?!"


    "This is gonna be a wild ride- but trust me, sis, we''re gonna make it."

 Hero Henry?

    Henry:


    We were totally gonna make it... totally. All we had to do was match up against a true pro in a week. Oh boy, my mind is racing. It''s been racing this whole time, but I''m trying not to let Tori see.


    Out of the library, we walk to a small map of the facilities on the wall. Tori admires the view of the city outside while I review the options available. "On the base floor is the support course. If I had to guess, that''s where we can requisition equipment."


    "Are you sure that''s where? We could just ask."


    I shake my head. "I have nothing against asking directions, but making support items is the specialty of those classes. Maybe we can find someone to help us figure out what to get in the first place. The actual requisition desk is useless if we don''t know what to ask for, ya know?" I say back.


    In minutes, we''re traveling down the hall of the base floor with several support classes. "Why do you think three floors are devoted to the support courses?" Tori asks.


    "I don''t know. Maybe a lot of people like the course, " I shrug.


    "Maybe- but I wonder if it has something to do with the space they might n-" As we walk by a metal door, I hear some kind of explosion followed quickly by the door flying open and a few screws embedding themselves in the wall, missing my face by inches.


    Tori jumps back several steps with a shriek, then seems to remember I''m even there and tries to yank me away from the door and into the safety of the... sheetrock walls of the hall. I suspect more substantial materials are under the sheetrock, but I don''t see them, so I can''t be sure. Tori tries to hug me to keep her and me safely back, but I work my way out of her grasp and over to the door.


    I''m not stupid, just not easily scared. I keep the metal door between me and the room beyond it, but I still peek through the apparently strong glass. Inside, I see a room full of tables and gadgets of all kinds. The floor is cement with-


    The door is suddenly thrown open even further, and I''m slammed against the wall. "Is everyone okay out here?!? " a teenage girl shouts as she suddenly bursts into the hall. "Oh, hey, who are you? You''re cuter than most of the weirdos we have around here," the girl says when she notices my sister. "I would know I''m one of them!"


    I slowly push the door off myself, feeling almost smashed.


    "Oh hey, there''s also you. You both look too cute to be here- must be someone''s siblings- are you lost?" She alternates between normal speech and yelling as she speaks, and her motions seem a little jerky- but at least she has a smile while talking directly to us; that''s a nice change of pace for today. The new girl has what I think is naturally pink hair that''s arranged in dreadlocks and swept to one side, or the back is swept to the side, and the front of her hair-do hangs, framing her face with dreads. For a girl, she actually has a decently strong build, and she wears a thick gray apron that''s covered in grease stains, coupled with a gray tank top and extremely thick and bulky gray gloves. She''s actually gorgeous in my eyes, but I''m trying to stay on task.


    "Um... hi. My name is Henry; who are you? Do you know what that blast was?" I ask.


    "I''m Mei Hatsume, inventor extraordinaire!" She says, and then sticks a hand enthusiastically in my face. "And if I had to guess, you''re someone''s cute little brother... though hey..." She leans down a bit to examine me- which is a bit weird. "I don''t think you''re Japanese- actually, you''re not even Asian- are you from America- yeah, I think you are-" she starts moving around me and yanking my arms up and down as she examines me- I don''t feel like she has a concept of personal space. "Hmm- no significant hair anywhere but your head, but your body has developed to a certain stage, so I''d say... twelve, maybe eleven?"


    "Um- I think that''s enough," I say, pulling away from her as her eyes continue to sparkle with what I guess is curiosity. "Look, we''re here because we need support items."


    She gasps at this, her eyes becoming even brighter. "Really, I¡ª" but then she pauses and deflates a little; " Oh no, you''re probably just here to pick something up for someone; that''s not as exciting."


    "Actually, not so much. You could say we need stuff for a... project of our own," I say.


    "Henry, are you sure we should be talking to the crazy girl-" Tori starts, but she''s suddenly cut off.


    "Henry?" Hatsume asks. "Wait- oh no, I don''t believe this... Brown hair, American, somewhere in his early teens, most likely preteens- THE PURPLE BANDIT!" she suddenly yells. "Oh my goodness- you''re in my school!" She starts jumping up and down in excitement as I stand there, clueless as to why. Most people aren''t happy to see me these days, not in the slightest.


    She grabs my hand and starts yanking me into the room that just exploded. It now occurs to me that I''m fighting really hard to be the only preteen in a building full of teens. Being yanked around is gonna be a thing, isn''t it?


    Naturally, Tori and I aren''t winning even as my sister tries to help, so we all enter the room.


    Thus, I get a better look at the exploding room. As I noted before, the walls and floor are made of cement. There are several desks, many of which are bolted to the floor; all of them are metal, and the ones that aren''t bolted down are currently tipped over from the blast. Around one desk is a huge black ring, and there is a big dent in the middle of the desk. I don''t want to go to a desk that was obviously at the epicenter of a blast, but I''m pulled there anyway.


    I''m not terrified, just nervous- same story for Tori, but she has it worse as she lets go of me and stands back a bit. Some might think I have more courage than Tori, but it''s not that simple. Doppelganger lets me body swap, and my second body never inherits or maintains injuries when initially summoned. Thus, even if another blast went off, I would likely get hurt, swing my right arm, summon my double, body swap into the new body, and snap away my injured body, going on with life like nothing happened. The likeliness of me being killed in an accident is actually relatively low. Tori, on the other hand, has no such gifts. By the desk, I notice a heavy tarp that Hatsume digs underneath.


    She yanks out a jewel case with a CD, holds it over her chest, and shows it to me. I read the cover, and... what... is... this?


    The title on the cover is "Where is The Purple Bandit: Middle School Geography."


    "Your character almost got me through geography single-handedly!" Mei cheers. "International thief and child genius that turned on the man that stole him from his parents. He fights a never-ending battle against human trafficking, taking the fight to the criminals using their own tactics. The game lets you choose to join him or track him down... my teachers said the storyline was hogwash, but- YOU''RE HERE! It''s all true, isn''t it!?"


    "I um..." I start, not sure what to do. This... this did not come to mind as a possibility.


    "I''m really sorry about your sister Cartigan, and I promise, if you let me, I will help you track her down so you can finally get back to your family¡ªI have tons of gadgets, come see!" She opens a metal cabinet, and a massive pile of gadgets of various types, all looking incredibly precise and advanced, scatters over the floor.


    "Um- I''m his sister..." Tori says.


    Mei pauses, blinks, and looks over at her. "Oh right, you''re here- CARTIGAN! Oh my god! Henry- you did it, you did it, you did it!" And now Mei is hugging me. "I followed your show and your games and your comics- I will admit it was hard to explain to the nay-sayers how it could all be real and how you weren''t just some regular thief- but you''re here! You got back with your family. They must be letting you in the school early ''cause you''re overqualified!" She swings me around a few times in a hug and then sets me down again.


    My eyes are wide with shock as my brain desperately tries to keep up. Apparently, someone made me into a hero of some kind. Not a pro hero mind you, more like an old comic hero. I guess it''s not like a thief can copyright his image, so whatever. The point is that this girl is a huge fan.


    Crap- do I lead her on? Do I tell her the truth? I just need to grab Tori and see if she''s on board with pretending to be this Cartigan character. Maybe we can finally have an ally in this-


    "My name is Tori," my half-wit sister just blurts out. "You could say we''re victims of human trafficking- it''s not that much of a stretch, but everything else you''re going on about really is hogwash."


    "I... huh?" Mei pauses, holding up her game again, her enthusiasm slowly fading.


    "Look, my brother is a better person than Charles tried to turn him into, but an international thief working to defeat human trafficking around the world? I''m sorry, but my brother never did anything at that level. Besides, he was only in the public for like two years."


    "Yeah, well... they only launched the series like six months after he first showed up."


    Tori snatches the CD away from Mei and starts reading off the back. "Henry Sullivan, the Prometheus Thief, known around the world as the Purple Bandit, didn''t start out as an international criminal. When he and his sister Cartigan were stolen from foster care, Henry was able to escape. Forced to leave his sister behind by the hero who rescued him, Henry has grown tired of the law taking too long to reunite him with the only family he has. Our vigilante hero thus gathers a growing group of victimized children with special aptitudes to use them to steal the resources of traffickers from their very homes. At times, they will even steal from the innocent to keep themselves going. Will you side with the Bandit and his merry thieves or hunt them down for the system?"


    I chuckle, "I sound kinda cool."


    Tori rolls her eyes at me.


    "But none of it''s real?" Mei says, sounding disappointed as she puts the game back on her desk. "I dreamed that someday I would find you."


    "And help me or arrest me?" I ask.


    She sits at the desk that was at the center of the earlier blast. "Thank you. I was gonna thank you. All the gadgets and gizmos in your game and one of your shows made me want to start designing. I dreamed of making a gadget to find Cartigan and bring her back to you..." She pushes the CD back under her tarp. But there''s no Cartigan¡ªthere never was, was there?"


    "Well... no," I say. "Sorry, I guess I''m a disappointment to a lot of people right now."


    The girl sighs, straightens her back, and turns back to me. "No, no, that''s not fair. People told me it was all fiction. It''s not your fault I didn''t listen. What really happened?"


    I shrug and put my hands in my pocket as I pace the floor a few times. "Two years ago, some guy came to foster care. He looked rich and powerful in a nice suit with a nice-looking woman on his arm. He said he wanted to give Tori and me the home we really deserved. We both jumped at the chance to be in his family. Days later, we found out he was, ya know- a monster. Charles Miles forced both me and Tori to work for his criminal empire, making me use my childhood hero persona as some twisted villain costume. He spent two years educating me in snatch and grab and then in the art of negotiation and other forms of business. But I have turned on him, escaped, and rescued my sister... so it seems your game got a few things right after all. Because of me, that beast is rotting in a cell right now."


    "You were a villain?" Mei asks, "Like a villain for real? What the regular news got it right?" I nod. "Great... well, who caught you?" She asks, her shoulders slumping.


    "Caught," I smirk. "No one caught me. No one can catch me; I turned myself in."


    A grin reappears on her face. "No one, huh?" She stands up and folds her arms. "Why are you in here anyway?"


    "You brute forced me into the room..."


    "I... yeah, I do that sometimes..." Mei admits, finally cringing a little at herself. "Any reason you''re on the first floor of the UA building, though?"


    "We need equipment for a fight," I say.


    "I guess I should ask, is this a LEGAL fight?"This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "It''s an entrance exam, actually. I''m trying to become a kind of... a proto student, I guess? I''m getting UA to groom my sister and me to be part of a proof of concept class for their EMT program."


    "Wait- a whole new branch of Heroism?" Mei''s eyes go wide. "A whole new department that will need gizmos and gear- maybe even sensitive medical stuff that I can spend hours or even days improving?" She gasps with a smile. "Oh my... so if you get in, they launch a whole new program?"


    "I mean- I guess that''s part of the idea."


    Her wild, enthusiastic eyes lock on mine. "What do you need?!"


    "Well, Tori and I are doing a capture battle against Bakugo."


    "The blonde guy who looks like he stuck his tongue in a toaster?" she asks.


    Tori snickers behind me as I nod.


    "I can make something to catch him no problem- just give me... a few hours? Not long, unless you wanna make requests."


    "I... hours?" I ask, stopping.


    "I said I was a genius, didn''t I?"


    I shake my head, realizing this is neither the time nor the place for gawking. "Okay, first off, that''s amazing. But second, no, I''m not allowed to have specialized equipment. Only non-lethal generic stuff."


    "Ahhh..." she says in disappointment. "That''s not as fun. Hmmmm... losing interest..."


    "C''mon, I thought you wanted a new department," I say.


    "I mean... I do. But why do they need YOU for that?"


    "My sister has a healing quirk."


    Mei looked off to the side. "I mean, that IS rare but still... you''ve never been caught huh?" she asks.


    I shrug. Before I can blink, Mei pulls out a gun with a large, bulky barrel and fires it. I would dodge, but I realize it''s not aimed at me¡ªthen I hear a shriek and a small thud. I look back and see Tori on the floor in a net.


    As I look at my sister, I hear a mechanical "click" and spin around to the left even as it''s going off. A large net smacks me on the right side but scatters on the floor because it''s not centered enough on my form to catch me.


    "No way..." Mei says. She aims her gun at me again- only to have it taken by my double, which I summoned while evading her second round. Mei grins and throws herself at the double as I snap my fingers. The double throws the net gun to me before it disappears. I catch the net gun in my right hand, and I move to aim the gun at Mei as she hits the ground. Mei spins around to see- me and my double standing three feet apart, BOTH aiming firearms at her. "Nice- but it only has two rounds per cartridge."


    Mei runs at me as I try to fire anyway- which logically does nothing as she tackles me to the ground, grabbing my net gun and slamming her elbow into my chest, knocking the wind out of me and snatching the weapon away from me. She then quickly loads another round cartridge into the front of the gun as I transfer my consciousness into my double. Mei aims her gun at my current body, and I snap my fingers just as she pulls the trigger and- my old body disappears- along with any equipment and clothing associated with it, meaning the gun in her hand disappears, her cartridge falling to the ground as I swing my right arm, another double of me appearing next to Mei and spinning around, kicking the cartridge to me before Mei can grab it.


    I load the net gun and take aim, snapping the fingers of my left hand, my double disappearing again.


    Mei punches the floor, "Damn it, I-" She looks to the side and sees my double has already reappeared, this time with a loaded net gun pointed at her.


    "Can you dodge four rounds?" I ask.


    Mei raises her hands in defeat. "Sick..." she says. "That was awesome! And you can duplicate and disappear weapons along with your body and clothes?... And did you do a body swap?" she looks back and forth between me and my double, as we''re six feet from each other. (I can only deploy my copy three feet from me, but I can deploy him mid-air with the inertia of a running jump behind him- don''t ask how any of that works; I have no idea.) "The game made it seem like you were just a really good acrobat. But... you''re the real deal. An evasion expert."


    "Well... I don''t like to brag..." I say.


    "You do like just leaving me in a lurch!" Tori yells from the ground, as she''s still stuck in a net on the ground.


    "You''re still here?" Mei asks Tori. "What was your name again?"


    "Tori- how do I get out of this thing?" Tori demands.


    "You''re in a school for academic excellence- figure it out," Mei says, shrugging, then she turns back to me as Tori grumbles and struggles on the floor. "Tell ya what, hot shot. You''re not a secret crime fighter; I''ll accept that. I''ll help you beat Bakugo- heck, I''ll even give you and your sister academic help any time you want- and I think she might need it..."


    We both stare at Tori as she keeps struggling with the net. "Oh- I''m not an escape artist, you jerks!" My sister snaps.


    "Anyway, I''ll be your personal assistant once you get into the school- just like Fumiyo in the game! But in exchange, Henry, you''re gonna be my personal lab rat. I''m GOING to figure out a gizmo to catch you- and you better bring your A game cause otherwise I... I..." Mei is grinning and looking cocky, but suddenly she freezes. "I... I have no leverage on you once you get in, do I?"


    "I mean, no, I guess you don''t," I say.


    "You could just phone in working with me or ignore me altogether once you''re in." Mei sits in her chair and stares at the floor. "I used to idolize you, but now... you''re just a thief. You took advantage of people before; what stops you from taking advantage of me?"


    "I... look, I didn''t want to live that way..." But she has me with that. It''s not like I don''t notice that I think and act differently. I can''t always put my finger on how different I am; I think I''m a generally good person, but let''s face it; when I heard how much this girl idolized my fictional counterpart, I immediately set out to take advantage of her. If not for Tori''s big mouth, I would still be trying to pretend I was some kind of dark avenger so I could get Mei to work with us for free.


    I sigh and pick up a small utility knife from a nearby table. After cutting a few of the load-bearing strands of the net holding Tori, I pull my sister up. "C''mon, Tori. Let''s just go."


    "But Henry she..."


    "We''re just a couple crooks. We''ll be lucky if we get in at all. She won''t help us." I state it matter-of-factly. Mei would take a risk trusting me, and I already know I''m not the kind of person people do that for. I''m not a good bet."


    "Hold on," Mei says, me pausing at the door. "You... you''re not all fake, I... I won''t believe you are, I won''t."


    "Mei- there''s no crime fighter here, just a normal thief, I have nothing to say. If you don''t trust me, you''re probably right not to."


    But she speaks up before I get going once again. "He used Tori against you, didn''t he?" I look back. "Charles, he really did use your sister against you. You really were taken in by a monster, you really did escape, you really did fight against your kidnapper, you really were stealing for a greater good, the greater good of protecting your family. So what if it''s not as cut and dry as I thought it was. You''ve got some flaws... so what?" Mei stands up and looks down at me, putting her hands in her work apron. "For all you know, if I write you an equipment list, it''ll just be so I can watch you embarrass yourselves with crap that can''t help you. You don''t know me; you don''t know if I would do that."


    She walks over to me and offers her hand. "I''ll trust you to keep your word and be my lab assistant if you''ll trust me to know support gear. I don''t care that you''re not 100% of what the show and video game said you were; you''re still one of my heroes."


    "I... I''m your hero?"


    Mei smiles at me and proffers her hand closer to me.


    I look at her hand. She has to know that she knows next to nothing about me. The Purple Bandit from her game is a fairy tale that was only loosely based on me- maybe just based on scraps of public information. I''m her hero? I don''t deserve that, and I know it...


    But screw it. I''ll earn it. I grab her hand. "You''re on." She warmly smiles at me when I say that. "And for what it''s worth, Mei, you''re a hero to me too."


    Bakugo:


    I sit down in the lunch room with my little group of... associates, Denki, Kirishima, and Sero. I don''t know that I have any friends per se, but- well, Eijiro Kirishima is tough enough to give me a good fight sometimes; Denki Kanimari and Hanata Sero are both great for a laugh every now and then. Mina Ashido... just sorta shows up when we''re all together, so whatever.


    Hotaru joins our little squad, sitting next to Sero and quickly being boxed in when Mina decides to almost slam into her, wrapping an arm around her and squeezing her neck. "The squirt is here!" She cheers. "Did you hear? UA is holding an exhibition match for Bakugo. He''s gonna have one last hurrah!"


    "What can I say? The people can''t get enough of me," I say, smirking as I look at the food Hotaru got for herself. One of the things I''m assigned to do with her is watch her diet, and as ancillary as that part of her mentorship seems, it''s still a school assignment. Carrots, apple slices, pork ramen, one of those dumb juice boxes, and two candy bars. "Sero, you like these, right?" I ask, snatching the candy and giving it to the skinniest person at the table.


    "HEY!" Hotaru says.


    "Make something of it- fight me," I say, still tossing the candy to Hanata, who doesn''t object.


    And then the wet blanket of our group speaks up. "Bakugo, there''s no need to be a jerk to her. She''s twelve, and she can afford a few candy bars. You''re just being a bully. Real men don''t-"


    "I''m looking out for my... my people. Hotaru is a growing girl and barely knows what a good diet is, and Sero is a freaking beanstalk. I''m not a bully; I just care for the people around me," I lay out for him.


    "Yeah, right. You want to say what she eats, so you should walk through the line with her. You need to work for authority like that," Kirishima says.


    "I..." but I stop. My internship with Best Jeanist after the festival rears its head. The number four hero drilled into my head that I need to stop losing my temper so often as it''s not helping me. Sides, maybe Eijiro has a point. "Ya know what... point taken." Hotaru looks at me, a little hope that she''ll get her candy back in her eyes. "I still don''t like you eating sweets, but that doesn''t mean I should ignore that I didn''t go through the line with you. I know you like to sneak junk, so I should be responsible. You''re hitting your first growth spurt, so of course you''re hungry. Denki, get up and move it. I gotta get Hotes some better food to snack on. She needs the energy."


    "Oh, for crying out loud- what do you wanna get her, some granola bars and maybe a few more carrots? I''ll grab it for ya," Kirishima says. "Better that than you plowing through me and Kanimari twice."


    "Carrots aren''t filling; she''ll need something for energy... and something practical to eat in the hall... granola bars are good, but make it a PP and j sandwich instead of carrots," I say. But Kirishima stops and looks over at Hotaru before leaving. "Go on and get it then, if you don''t want me getting the stuff but you wanna whine at me for not being responsible then-"


    "First off, I''m not your servant. Would it kill you to say "thanks?" Eijiro demands, gritting his teeth at me.


    "Fine- thanks. Will you get the crap now?"


    "Right after Hotaru confirms she actually likes the "crap."" Eijiro says. "A real man doesn''t just force things on folks- Hotes?"


    "I mean... I like granola... can you also get one of those granola cereal boxes? I like to mix it into the sandwich," Hotaru says.


    "See? I''ve been working with her for months now. I know what she likes." I say, rolling my eyes. Does he think I don''t pay attention to what people like when I hang out with them? Sheesh.


    "Thanks, Eijiro," Hotaru says as Kirishima snaps his fingers at her in a friendly gesture and gets up to get her more food.


    "He''s a boy scout, but... ya gotta respect that guy. He stands by what he says," I say after Kirishima is out of earshot. I turn to Hotaru. "So, imp, how are the rest of your studies going?"


    "I''m kinda having to double down on a lot of things. It seems English I can catch up on by just listening to some extra audiobooks, and with history, it''s easy enough to figure out what I missed with context clues and fill in the blanks from there- but math is a crap shoot," she tells me.


    "Math huh?" I say. "That''s not one of the things your dad was worried about, but- what the heck, I got ya if ya need it. Probably easy stuff anyway."


    "I''m getting it; it''s just a lot of work, is all," she says.


    "You''re gonna get through on your own steam, huh? I like it; keep that up," I say.


    "Aaaaahhh- our class mascot is a hard worker!" Mina burst out, "Look at her- isn''t she cute?" Hotaru has to pull back from eating and squirm a little as Mina tickles her sides. That is until Sero hits the older girl with some of the tape from his elbow, almost plastering our pink friend to the seat and giving Hotaru a chance at a bit of revenge until Mina is finally able to squirm out and fall to the ground, laughing herself. (Sero''s quirk shoots out this strong tape from his elbows.)


    I roll my eyes as Mina returns to her seat, still laughing and grinning at Hotaru. Hotaru folds her arms but still smiles back. "You realize if it was a real fight, Hotaru would pack you up like a suitcase, right?" I note.


    "If you say so. I think Mascott here wouldn''t have the heart," she says, messing up Hotaru''s hair, but the youngest member of our group shrugs off the teasing and just returns to eating. Pinkie turns to me. "By the way, I heard there''s gonna be an exhibition match like I was saying. And no, it''s not because people want more of you; I hear it''s more like you screwed the pooch by throwing a tantrum because the last fight didn''t go like you wanted. The school wants you to show you can control yourself, or you could get expelled- you EMBARRASSED all of UA."


    "Hey, hey- at least he''s known for something; the rest of us are in the background," Sero points out.


    "Better that, then the storm coming Katsuki''s way," Pinkie says.


    I growl at her but grip the table and keep down the urge to tear her a new one. "Look, it''s fine. The idea is to test my abilities to bring down a tough case without resorting to deadly force. Should be a challenge."


    "Challenge?" Sero says. "That''s not what I heard. I heard they got the Purple Bandit, the prodigy of evasion himself!"


    "Henry?" Denki says, suddenly seeming more concerned than I would have expected. Oh wait, that''s right.


    I grin. "Oh, that''s right," I say. "Henry is yours."


    "Look... just don''t hurt him, alright, Bakugo?" Denki says.


    "It''s in the rules of the fight, dude, don''t worry about it. I follow the rules," I say. "It''s not like I really care, but I''m not getting screwed over by a technicality. Besides, from what I understand, your mentee isn''t easy to hurt in the first place."


    "And his sister?" Denki asks like he really thinks I''m some kind of monster. I remind myself not to get offended; he''s just worried about someone.


    "Look, the rules of the game are that both get captured unharmed- so that''s how it''s gonna be. I''ll embarrass them, but save a few bruises, they''ll both be fine. If they get seriously messed up, that means I''ll have screwed up, and I''m not gonna screw up." I glare at him, daring him to correct me.


    "So you''re gonna go easy on them?" Hotaru says. "Really... I kinda hope they win. That way, I can have a few kids in the school my age and-"


    "WHAT?!" It took a minute for me to finally process what I was hearing. "You''re hoping THEY win? After all I''ve done-"


    "For a grade," Kirishima says as he returns and plops more food on Hotaru''s tray. "She doesn''t owe you anything if that''s all you''re doing it for, blondie." I glare at him. He just sits down like he barely notices and then looks me right back in the eye. "You gonna correct me?"


    "Ta- no, I guess you''re right. If I only help her for my own benefit, she doesn''t owe me cheering for me..." I look across the table at Hotaru and growl, "Root for whoever, it''s your choice."


    "Can... can you go easy on them?" Hotaru asks me.


    "I can''t hurt either of them beyond-" I start again, annoyed at how many times I have to clarify what a "capture battle" means- for crying out loud, it''s in the freaking name!- but Hotaru interrupts me.


    "Please? I really want friends, and this might be the best chance I get! So what if you lose this fight, no one''s gonna kick you out!"


    I stare at her. "Who are you? Are you the girl I''ve been training? You''re talking about me throwing the match, aren''t you?"


    "Well, I-" But she stops talking as she sees everyone at the table staring at her with me. "What?"


    "Hotaru, this is the WRONG school to be talking about phoning something in. If the worst I can do to two of those kids is bruise and embarrass them, they''ll be blue all over and humiliated. Maybe the others are too nice to put things like that, but the point is, if you''re not gonna give every paper and every match one hundred and ten percent, then you don''t deserve to be here."


    "Well... maybe not every paper..." Pinkie says, a few of the others acknowledging her as I glare them all down.


    "And that''s why you''re all extras." The table gets quiet, and no one has anything to say to that one. "Henry and Tori will get into this school on their own initiative or not at all. And what''s more, me phoning in the fight will only hurt their chances- so for my reputation and for the sake of them even having a chance- I''m gonna dominate those brats."

 A Real Smile! Catch Him if you can!

    Tori:


    6:30, Training time comes. Henry and I walk into UA''s massive gym, or at least, I trust that''s where we''re going. My nose is in my enormous anatomy book, a "present" from principal Nezu. According to him, no matter what happens, my quirk is a gift too great to waste. Not only that but if we''re going to become EMTs, anatomy questions will be all over our written exam. Another professor, Mr. Ectoplasm, told us the breakdown- 15% language, 15% mathematics, 15% science, 15% social studies, and 40% anatomy. If we''re going to specialize in medicine, we need to know the human body inside and out. More than that, though, without a good study of biology, my quirk will be useless for anything but mutilation.


    Years ago, before all this crap with being informants and giving testimonies, before Charles, before ALL of it- back when I was eight, and Henry was only nine, something awful happened- or nearly happened. I have vague memories of what led up to it, but in one of our foster homes, a butcher knife fell and hit Henry''s foot, digging in deep. Both of us being so little, we naively assumed we had the solution with my quirk. I used flesh fuse to seal Henry''s skin back together. After that, he started walking funny, but we brushed it off, thinking his foot still hurting was a matter of course. He got more and more drowsy. In less than an hour, our foster mother had brought Henry to the ER after he passed out in a cold sweat. She had no idea what we had done till she discovered the knife.


    The doctors were able to wake him up enough to make him make a clone of himself. The head physician had a suspicion about doppelganger, and it paid off. That was the day we discovered that not only did Henry''s double not receive the same injuries as him when it was active, but it didn''t inherit them when it was created. When Henry body swapped, he was still tired, but he was healthy again. He just slept off the episode- while I was chewed out by a doctor for "experimenting" with my quirk on a human being. All I had done was close the skin earlier, so Henry had almost died of blood loss. Apparently, internal bleeding is a thing... I almost committed fratricide at eight years old.


    Well, never again. If my quirk was coming back, it would benefit everyone; I was determined. The next time someone needed me, I would do things right... even if this wonderful school didn''t take me in.


    We walk into the gym. I can tell because the smell of sweat is... well, it''s not awful, but it''s present, that''s for sure. I can also tell we''re here because I bump into something soft¡ªaw, yes, clothing; I''ve crashed into a person for the... third time, I think. I really should look where I''m going, but- well, it''s either properly navigate or study... study, study, study!"


    I look up to see Aizawa staring down at me with his arms folded. He holds out his hand to me, presumably for my book. I reach up to fold the page, but he suddenly bats my hand away and yanks my book away from me. Still glaring at me, the professor takes a sticky note, pastes it to my page, then slams my book shut. He then hands the closed book back to me. "These books cost insane amounts of money, and they have more information than you could need- we don''t even use all of them each year. At the very least, take care of them so your family can re-sell them- hm?"


    "Um... yes sir..." I say, putting my book in my pink backpack.


    "I''m sorry, sir. She''s nervous about the written part of the exam," Henry excuses me.


    "You''re not even carrying a book bag like her, let alone running into people and walls. The question is- why aren''t YOU nervous? Are you some kind of health expert?" Aizawa asks.


    "Well, um..." Henry is at a loss.


    "I see, " the professor interrupts. He then stands up straight with his hands behind his back and seems to take a measure of the two of us. Henry and I both step back a bit. We are a bit uncomfortable but unsure what to do about it. "I suppose you don''t even know the basics of educational environments, do you?"


    "Well, we went to school through... fourth grade in my case," Henry says.


    "I guess that explains the total lack of disciplined presentation," the professor says.


    "Oh!" Henry says. He snaps to standing up straight, hands at his sides, and stares straight ahead.


    I just sort of look at him¡ªhe looks respectable, and I''ve seen him take this pose. I even watched him get trained to assume it... often while tied up in a corner. Needless to say, I don''t look so great as I try to assume the same pose next to him.


    "Stop trying; it looks better if you just commit to the scoundrel persona. One or the other, no one likes a lukewarm character." Aizawa says, both of us slumping a little, Henry putting his hands in his pockets. By the way, Henry is wearing a blue hoodie and jeans, while I''m wearing a bright pink shirt and pink jeans. Hizashi gave them to us and promised to take us shopping¡ªfor the first time in our lives, as before now, everyone has just handed us whatever and expected us to take it.


    The professor folds his arms. "Can you tell me your level of combat training?"


    "Um... hard to finger, sir," Henry says. "I''m pretty good at dodging, but neither of us knows how to throw a punch, and Tori has no training at all."


    "I see- and exactly how were you trained, Mr. Yamada?"


    "I was shown a few tricks here and there to have a goal, I guess. But mostly, I was just hit until I dodged."


    "Are you shooting for pity with that statement? Take off your hoodie- pull it over your head."


    Henry looks at him with confusion but obeys, pulling his hoodie off over his head. Both of us get to see his bare torso for a bit and now his bare arms, as his shirt is only a green tank top. He readjusts his shirt.


    "I see no bruises," Aizawa points out.


    "Oh..." Henry says, looking at his arms and lifting up his shirt to see his stomach- yep, he looks alright, sure enough. He shrugs. "My duplicates don''t inherit injuries, so when I body swap, all the bruises aren''t retained. It''s actually kinda-"


    "Numbing," Aizawa interrupts. "Concerning." He walks closer to us and then- swings both of his hands. In that instant, I''m hit with the back of his fist in the face, but Henry ducks on instinct.


    I hold my cheek and grit my teeth, though I admit the pain isn''t terrible; it''s more a reaction to the act. Henry resumes his earlier pose without a care. "Very concerning. Not many preteens have the life experience to dodge on a dime. Henry, you have skills that, at your age, shouldn''t exist." Aizawa reiterates. "If it''s any consolation, my desire to brutalize the man who hurt you two is only growing. However, that does nothing to help you now."


    Aizawa waves to the bleachers. "Tori, take a seat, I need to gauge exactly where your brother''s skills are." I shrug and go sit down, still holding my cheek. "Stop holding your face; I don''t seriously hit my students just to test them. I don''t believe that hurt, so stop embarrassing yourself." He looks back to Henry. "Now..." Suddenly, he jabs at Henry with his fist- Herny just moves his head slightly to the left, dodging. "I see you''ve continued to improve since our last encounter... what has it been... six months? Just a month or two before you turned yourself in, imagine my disappointment in learning you did. We heroes treasure or rogues galleries. I enjoy the chase- there''s a reason I can''t retire." Aizawa says, both males now smirking at each other.


    "My life mission is resetting- no one said the skills are gone," my brother says, with a daring look in his eyes. Aizawa''s hand opens as he tries to grab Henry''s head, but Herny ducks low just in time. Then Aizawa quickly kicks at Henry''s left shin, and my brother jumps back. Henry jumps into a pose with his hands in front of his head, and his right arm extended. He starts hopping lightly on the balls of his feet.


    "Now we''re talking," Aizawa says as he takes a stance, open hands up and feet shoulder-length apart. He launches his right fist at Henry, but my brother deflects it with his right hand, moving past the professor and behind him. He spins to keep his eyes on Aizawa, who quickly back kicks Henry''s face, but Henry is able to put up his hands in time to intercept the attack, so it only pushes him back.


    Henry punches forward in an attempt to call his clone, but Aizawa''s eyes glow red- I guess that''s his Erasure quirk. "Don''t use your powers to bypass me; fight me!" Aizawa insists. And with that, he hurls a sidekick at my brother that hits home.


    Henry has to dance back, favoring his side. My own fists tighten when I see that.


    "I''m not looking for your skill in cheesing your way out of a battle. You''re looking to become a hero, not remain a thief- FIGHT!" Aizawa shouts. He starts swinging at Henry over and over. Henry deflects and ducts and makes subtle dodges, but the professor doesn''t sound impressed. "You can''t dodge forever- can''t you even redirect?" He starts going faster and faster, every so often landing an attack. "You can just heal when we''re done, head in the game! Try to land something," But the longer they go, Henry doesn''t spontaneously change his approach. He just starts to slow down, his bruises (well, really just red marks) accumulating.


    "He doesn''t know how to hit- STOP!" I suddenly say, starting to stand up.


    But they keep going, Henry taking more and more hits until- I don''t realize what I''m doing until I''ve already done it.


    I throw my textbook at Aizawa, hitting him in the face. I then jump off the bleachers and run at him screaming- and just like that, before I can blink, I''m on the ground with Aizawa''s knee on my back and my left arm twisted behind my back.


    "Go easy..." Henry says, his fist clenched as he stands only a few feet from us.


    "She attacked me- you love her, don''t you- are you just going to stand there? Attack me!"


    Henry''s face changes, his assurance disappearing as he steps back. Aizawa applies pressure to my arm, and I clench my teeth at the pain.


    "I could break her arm- attack me!"


    "Alright, that''s enough," Comes a female voice behind us.


    "He needs to-" the professor starts, but this time he''s interrupted.


    "You''re not gonna follow up on that threat anyway." I squirm on the ground until I look up and see who''s talking.


    "Mirko?" I hear my brother label her. I see an absurdly muscular woman- I''m serious; most dudes would envy this chick, let alone how I''m feeling at the moment. Her biceps and triceps bulge like near loaves of bread, and you could grind meat on her washboard stomach, which is apparent even under her t-shirt. She has rabbit ears on top of her head, which are naturally occurring, somehow. I''m not sure if just rabbit ears make you a heteromorph, but that''s the only real difference I see between her and a normal woman- well, a normal woman with a very gifted physique. She''s wearing a t-shirt stretched to the breaking point and shorts. She''s folding her arms while looking down at me, and that simple motion stretches her gym shirt again.


    "Let her up," Mirko says.


    "She attacked unprovoked." Aizawa objects, but Mirko just rolls her eyes.


    "You just don''t understand the provocation. I''ve seen it before; that was shell shock." Mirko says, kneeling beside me as Aizawa gets off my back. "Better known these days as PTSD, but I prefer the stronger connotation. Point is, it''s not something you can fight." She looks into my eyes. "I remember seeing something like this in middle school from my best friend- he was a quiet kid- turns out his mother tried to force him to be a girl and hit him whenever he tried to assert himself... the things adults do to kids sometimes... it''s sick."


    "You mean she was "triggered". Oh please, another kid who-" Aizawa starts, but then he''s interrupted by... himself. "Wait... you said Charles beat your brother?" He steps back and seems to not know what to do with his hands. "That''s real trauma... most kids just make up a trigger to make me go easy on them."The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I slowly sit down and hug my knees to my chest, shaking a little. I still don''t understand what I did. "What just happened?"


    Mirko pats my back. "You had an episode, honey. You''ve been through a lot. Reconditioning doesn''t happen overnight."


    "What does this mean?" Henry asks. "She''s going to jail no matter what now? Let me guess, you all won''t train her because of-"


    Shouta stands up and stands between me and Henry. "Slow down, will ya? Why is her getting in so important to you anyway?"


    "Because if we return to jail, Charles'' agents could await us. At least here, we would be able to fight!" Henry says. "Fine, toss me back, but I''ve spent my life protecting her from whatever came our way, and I''ll be damned if I''m stopping now."


    Aizawa seems to stop to process that. "I... hm. A part of me figured you were using her to get in yourself. I see it in your eyes, though- you really don''t care if we send you back, just as long as we take her in."


    Without hesitation, Henry says, "Yes."


    Aizawa looks between the two of us for a moment. "The only thing you two had while living in hell was each other." He keeps looking back and forth between the two of us. "I could have you both tossed out of here, but regardless, maybe we should show the judges how far gone you both are and push for a retrial. Prison seems too harsh. You both need treatment, not cells."


    "Maybe both of them are completely selfless, but I''m not," Mirko says, pulling me up. She then forces Henry and I both to look at each other. She looks at my brother. "Henry, I''m here because I am PISSED at you. How many times did you evade me? Sometimes, you had the nerve to even make it look easy. I would search for you for an hour and find you enjoying a burger at a restaurant."


    Henry looks to the side, "I sometimes planned ahead pretty well..."


    "I''m not here for excuses," Mirko says. "I''m here to make you an offer. I''ll train you and your sister, and in exchange, we play a game..." she gives my brother a malicious grin. "Oh, don''t worry, nothing too nasty. There''s a district not far from here- empty warehouses, debris all over the place, no one lives there- you''re gonna train ME. How do you get past people the way you do?"


    "I mean- you''re on?" Henry seems unsure this time. So am I.


    "But one thing." Mirko continues. "Look into her eyes," she motions to me. He looks into my eyes- and I feel trapped. I look away, but Mirko forces my head to look back. "Every time you say you don''t care what happens to you- what do you think that does to her?"


    "If she lives and I don''t-" Henry starts, tightening his fist, but Mirko doesn''t let him finish. I don''t want him to either. I''m sick of hearing it.


    Mirko takes the words out of my mouth. "When you hurt, so does she. Can''t you see it? I saw it in just a few minutes. She lets you talk for her, obeys your every word without question- she''s only here because you told her to come, right? When she convinces herself you''re being attacked, her body acts without her permission. When you get hurt, so does she. You can''t truly care for her without caring for yourself."


    Then the rabbit-eared lady¡ªyes, I would be laughing if this were any other circumstance¡ªturns to me. "You seem to be convinced you''re not contributing enough¡ªand you aren''t. Not when you sit in the corner and only obey orders when they''re given."


    I close my eyes and look away from Henry. "Well... what am I supposed to do?" I clench my teeth. I can''t look my brother in the eyes. All he''s done is to protect me, and what have I done but be a tool to manipulate him? "I have no talents, I have no experience- I have NOTHING!"


    "Oh... honey," It''s not a cooing "honey" but more like a mocking "honey." Mirko grabs my head and makes me look into Henry''s eyes again. "No, that''s not how it works. You were probably the only one who cared what happened to him in his darkest hours. There you were, hoping for him, wanting the best for him¡ªyou did what only you could do. But you want to know what you can do now?" Mirko gives me a side smile. "Are you proud of him?"


    "Of course," I say. Then, I see it. When I say that, Henry looks confused.


    "Are you proud of her, Henry?" Mirko asks.


    "I mean... yeah..." Henry says. It''s my turn to be confused.


    "How long have you two been operating in crisis mode? You don''t even cheer each other on; you just wait for the next thing to break." Mirko asks. I bite my lip, and so does Henry. "Stop acting like one mess-up means the end of your life because I guarantee it won''t. Even if you fail to get in, I promise that I will get you books and supplies myself, in jail even, to help with your education, and I will have agents make sure you are safe and able to communicate... no way I''m letting that freak Charles win something- not if I have anything to say about it. What you''re fighting for here is the chance to do this," she says, taking our hands and making us hold hands. "To be physically together. This isn''t about losing everything; this is about fighting for something better. So stop fighting like you''re afraid of something bad- fight like you want something good. Cheer." She gets up and pushes Henry towards Aizawa. "Cheer each other on. Act like you WANT to be here, or no one is letting you in." It sounds friendly, but her tone clarifies that this isn''t an encouragement but a demand.


    Mirko tosses a pen into the bleachers on the other side of the gym and yells, "Henry, get the pen and get it to your sister. Mr. Aizawa and I will guard it. Tori, do whatever you can think of besides getting directly involved to encourage him. As proud as you are," Now she almost screams at me, nearly intimidating me, except for the subject matter. "You better be that loud!"


    Aizawa shrugs his shoulders, and both adults stand between Henry and the pen in the bleachers some thirty meters from me. Henry looks unsure, and Mirko looks at me. "Well..."


    "Wooo- you got this!" I yell in a loud-ish tone.


    "Not good enough- he''s evaded both of us in the past; what, you don''t think he can do this?!" Mirko yells.


    "GO, Henry!" I scream, "They got nothing on you¡ªgo!" And then I see him grin¡ªbut it''s a different grin. It''s not a sadistic one; it''s like he''s actually starting to have... fun. Can we still have fun?


    Henry runs, grabs his discarded hoodie from earlier, and then turns on a dime, heading straight for Aizawa. Aizawa''s eyes glow red, erasing Henry''s quirk for the moment as Henry throws his sweater at Aizawa''s face, blocking the professor''s line of sight and thus the effects of erasure. Henry then dives straight at the professor''s feet as a copy of him appears behind the man and runs for the bleachers. Aizawa starts having to wrestle with the first Henry.


    "ONE DOWN! THEY GOT NOTHING!" I scream. Mirko quickly runs up and grabs Henry, throwing him. She moves so fast my eyes can''t even track her, her legs pumping so fast she''s a blur. She actually throws Henry; my breath catches with fear as he crashes into a bunch of foam mats on the floor. I pause. I think back to when Aizawa was fighting Henry alone... something was different. Henry didn''t constantly body swap like he did when Charles would "train" him. I realize- he doesn''t have to. These two are pulling their punches. They''re not trying to hurt my brother... he''s safe. He doesn''t need me to protect him.


    Then Mirko saying she would kick us out if I didn''t cheer replays in my mind. I smile and cheer my heart out. "C''mon, big bro¡ªthat was nothing. Go!"


    My brother rolls off the mats as Mirko bounds towards him. Aizawa has his Henry pinned, hands at his sides, as the second Henry runs for the opposite bleachers again. Aizawa''s eyes glow red as Henry pushes his head up and screams directly in the teacher''s ear, causing Aizawa to lose focus.


    Mirko grabs the second Henry again, moving so much faster than Henry can hope to, but my brother''s mind moves faster than bunny legs- I would feel sorry for the speed of light in a race against Henry''s thoughts. I hear a snap as the version of Henry with Aizawa disappears, leaving only the one with Mirko. Mirko slams Henry to the ground, but I don''t hear a loud thump, realizing she''s controlling how hard she hits. A second Henry appears in the air and jumps off of Mirko''s back, crashing into the bleachers. Mirko is able to pin her version of Henry as the one in the bleachers grabs the pen.


    Aizawa puts his hands on his silver scarf, tearing it off as the mobile Henry sprints towards him. I hear a snap, and the version of my brother with Mirko disappears. I''m screaming my lungs out, "Go, go, go!" This is getting more and more exciting.


    And as the action continues, I start to see something I was afraid I would never see again. Henry is genuinely laughing. His laugh is a little haughty, with flashes of uncertainty, as if he''s afraid to look too confident. His eyes sparkle and shoot side to side, but not in paranoia. For years, I''ve grown used to seeing him keeping his eyes open to constantly watch for danger- but now it''s like in foster care, back when he was a goofy and somewhat vain prankster searching for who to pull a trick on next.


    Aizawa''s eyes glow again as he throws his oversized capture scarf at Mirko, who moves behind my brother. My brother quickly jumps back into Mirko before the scarf can wrap around him.


    There''s suddenly a brawl on the gym floor as Aizawa''s scarf fails to trap my brother alone. Mirko is now struggling to get out of it as well; Aizawa is easily overpowered and pulled to the ground.


    In a few seconds, another clone of Henry busts out of the sprawl and runs towards me. I cheer again as he throws the pen to me just before getting wrapped up in Aizawa''s capture scarf again. I jump up and grab the pen out of the air. "You did it! Hhahahahahhaaha ahhh- well um... does this count?"


    I see one version of my brother wrapped up in a scarf and the other with his arms pinned to his sides, being held by just one of Mirko''s arms.


    Herny is laughing, and I find that so am I. Aizawa chuckles, too saying. "Yeah, why not? It counts."


    Mirko grins and shakes her head.


    "Snap this one away; you''re staying tied up, twerp," Mirko says. She''s the least relaxed of all of us, but she does seem to be giving in. She holds up the Henry she captured, which disappears with a snap, and the tied-up version of my brother is deposited next to me.


    "So what exactly did you win for all that?" I ask as my brother sits there, breathing hard but smiling. It''s a genuine smile like I haven''t seen in years. He''s genuinely happy, not just confident. If seeing him like this is possible here, I really want to go to this school. It''s not just that I''m afraid not to; I actually want to ¡ªso I can see his smile.


    (***)


    Aizawa:


    Typically, no, I don''t do things for the express purpose of making students happy; I usually don''t care if they''re happy or not; I''m not here to be a friend; I''m here to teach. But I must admit, when Mirko quizzes Tori on anatomy, and Henry squirms in his bindings to cheer her on, getting tickled by his sister for his troubles- it''s cute. Tori''s smile reminds me of Hotaru''s. She squeaks when she laughs, her eyes widen, and her whole body shakes with the mirth.


    Soon enough, Mirko does what she''s actually here to do: teach the pair strikes. I often ask Mirko for help, but she decides if she shows up or not. After all, she''s not a teacher; she''s a big-time hero and only interested in particular students. Henry caught her eye when she couldn''t catch him when he was a thief.


    Mirko teaches the four basic punches, the jab, the cross, the hook, and the uppercut. And... yep, sure enough, Mirko has a heart, but she has priorities. She shows the strikes to both of them, but when it comes to correcting their forms, she struggles with Henry and basically ignores Tori. As one might expect, since Henry is somewhat familiar with combat, his form is much better than his sister''s, but Mirko isn''t paying attention. Eventually, I must join in and ensure the girl has at least SOME guidance.


    Eventually, Mirko and I sit on the bleachers, watching the two preteens practice. "So, just the four strikes?" I ask her.


    "For now," Mirko says. "You have to get the four basics down and perfect before training anything else- at least that''s what I say. I train in phases when I train. Perfect every stage to get to the next. If you put in the time, it''s possible."


    "Monotonous."


    "If you want something bad enough, you''ll get past that," Mirko says. "Besides, they only have a week to prepare, right? Well, I''m teaching what can be learned in a week."


    "Good point," I watch for a beat, then continue, "What you did earlier was really nice."


    Mirko gives a wide smile. "Not how I normally act, huh? Well... I couldn''t help it this time. Henry took on the world for that girl, so I respect him. At ten, he took on pros like you and me- for his sister''s sake, it seems. I say that''s a kid who could grow into something amazing, and I wanna see it." She grits her teeth. "But men like Charles... he uses his strength to brutalize and intimidate... to control people..." she tightens her fists. "I hate people like that. He took everything from those two, two mere children. What a pathetic monster. I want to destroy every last vestige of freaks like that."


    "How does that explain being so nice to Henry and his sister?"


    "It explains it perfectly. I helped them wipe out his presence in their minds. He won''t define them if they stop being afraid. Don''t get me wrong, that boy will have to work his butt off to keep my interest, and the girl I really don''t care about. What I did wasn''t about being nice to them; it was about fighting Charles."


    "So you''re just using them to fight him? Some people would think less of you for that."


    "Let them. I''m about fighting evil, not raising brats." She looks over at me. "I can see it in your eyes, though. You''re not particularly interested in them yourself."


    I sigh. "Teaching is my job. I''m not going to withhold it from them. Nezu said they could use the resources in this place, and I believe that includes the staff. But don''t worry, they probably won''t make it into the school. So far, both seem to only care about the subjects that interest them. Tori is throwing herself at that health book," I motion to the biology textbook by her backpack. "But her form is still terrible, and she keeps going in spite- not even asking for help. Henry paid careful attention when you were teaching him. However, Henry isn''t even carrying a backpack, so he''s apparently not even looking at the books."


    "You know, you could correct them on those points."


    "They asked me to help them learn to fight- so I''m doing that. They didn''t ask for anything else."


    Rumi cocks an eyebrow at me. "They trust you to care about their education..."


    "I doubt those two trust anyone for anything. And I don''t want them teaching my daughter to be like them."


    Rumi folds her arms. "And what do you mean by that exactly? A brother who defends his sister to the death? A sister who puts her heart into cheering him on?"


    "You made it clear to both of them that they''re not in danger if they go back to jail, so why aren''t they rethinking and volunteering to go back? They''re here to avoid the consequences of their actions. Tori is lazy, and Henry is a cynic... they''re crooks through and through. I offered Henry help several times when he was on the street to have him just run off, and he never even tried to ask for help. I guess he thinks he''s better than everyone so he stuck to his own plan."


    Mirko rolls her eyes. "Henry has every right to be a cynic after what he''s been through, and Tori was trying so hard to learn biology that she crashed into you while reading¡ªthere''s your "laziness. "As to them not wanting to be in jail, it''s perfectly fine not to want to be somewhere you don''t belong."


    "Oh? They don''t belong in jail?"


    "If someone held a gun to Hotaru''s head, what would you do to keep her safe? Where would you draw the line when doing so hurts someone you love?"


    I stare ahead at the two preteens, knowing I can''t answer that question.


    "That''s what I thought. You would have been no better than Henry in his position, and I bet you know it."


    "Why didn''t he ask for help?"


    "From a guy who couldn''t catch a ten-year-old?"


    "I was holding back."


    "Doesn''t change that you couldn''t catch him. Why would he have that kind of confidence in you- enough to change his sister''s life? You could think of all that, though. You know what coercion is, you know the insecurities it fosters in someone''s mind. You''ve dealt with informants and manipulated people before. What is this really about?"


    "What do you think it''s about? Hotaru goes to this school. If they go here too unless I play a total tyrant, they will meet and be friends- they''re the only people here who can see her as an equal. If they want to be students at UA, they better be good. They better be perfect if they''re gonna be my daughter''s first true friends."

 A Home at Last!

    Tori:


    I walk towards the school gate with Henry moving around me, talking a mile a minute, and- honestly, I wouldn''t have him any other way. I know it means he''s happy.


    "Oh yeah! I got to work with Mirko herself- do you have any idea how many people get to do that?! That was insane!" he yells. "I didn''t ask for her autograph- oh, crap, I should be carrying my notebook around here- that book is gonna be worth a fortune by the end of the week."


    "They probably won''t sign," I note. "I''m not sure how many people here actually like us."


    "It can''t hurt to ask¡ªwell, it can''t hurt me; I can body swap!" He snaps his fingers at me as he makes that quip, and I shake my head.


    I hug my anatomy book to my chest. I really do treasure the chance to make something of my power. I''m just not as excited about the people we''re meeting, that''s all. I''m sure they''re all great people. Henry suddenly stops and pulls me back.


    "Whoa¡ªno walking past the gate, remember? We can''t go anywhere unapproved¡ªand certainly not alone. We''re lucky they''re letting us go home today," he says, pulling me over to a gate post on the school side. "We have to wait for Pops."


    I nod and stand next to him. "Henry, question,"


    "Yeah?"


    "Haven''t you met all of these people before as the Bandit? Why are you acting all star-struck now?"


    "I met them while living out a nightmare, sis." He buzzes his lips and looks to the sky. "All I wanted to do back then was ask for help."


    "Why didn''t you?"


    "I can''t outmaneuver Charles. But I can them."


    "They''ve all been holding back against you..."


    "I don''t know what that means. I just know none of them would have been fast enough to rescue you. So I had to do everything perfectly- get you away from Charles, get the guards to relax, pretend to be on their side..."


    "Did you... am I really worth all that?" I ask, moving to stand in front of him.


    He cocks his head slightly and smiles, a kind expression on his face, "Yeah. Yeah, you are."


    "I love you too, big bro," I reach into my bag. That''s why I made sure to get copies of everything they gave us for you. Seriously¡ªno backpack today?" I say as I show him our study guide and a few study textbooks and pamphlets.


    "I forgot, alright?" He says. He takes the paper. "Besides, some of these things won''t be an issue- 6th grade math? Dude, we''re both gonna nail that."


    "More time for the other topics."


    "I got science easy, and reading that anatomy book will also benefit you there. Language won''t be an issue for me, and you were Charles'' secretary, so I''m sure you''ve got vocab covered."


    "That leaves social studies and health slash anatomy."


    "You gonna be done with that book any time soon?"


    "Get your own," I say, hugging the tome tightly.


    "Shouldn''t be hard- sounds like we got everything-"


    "Henry... social studies."


    "Is only 15%, and 85 is a passing grade; we have everything-"


    "Henry... I doubt it''s that straightforward. If you get an F on history and these guys are PART of history..."


    Henry grumbles. "I know the history that involves heroes anyway..."


    "You struggle in history, of all things?" comes a voice. We both look up and see Hizashi in his full hero ensemble: yellow sunglasses, a biker jacket and jeans, speakers around his neck, and long blonde hair that somehow sticks straight up. Just looking at him, I chuckle.


    I''m his daughter now, so I might as well ask, right? "What is it with that dumb costume?"


    He feigns offense as he puts his hand on his chest, or at least I hope he''s faking for several reasons, "Dumb costume?! People always say how cool I look- I''ll have you know your mother says it''s... hmm... eleven might be too young to talk about that on second thought." My eyes widen at the implication, but I don''t encourage the topic. "Don''t worry about it, little listener." He kneels down to be on the same level as my brother and me. "Yeah, I know it''s goofy, but who says I''m aiming to be taken seriously all the time?"


    "If the crooks don''t take you seriously, that''s a good way to get a beat down," Henry says, folding his arms.


    But Hizashi only smirks at him. "I know about your side of the fence, Henry- we may be tied for how much we know as I''ve been fighting longer than you''ve been alive, but you''ve actually had to LIVE in it. People like the ones who controlled you don''t exactly have a dress code. What they care about is reputation. Trust me, I have that- and a costume that stands out helps. Some guys like Aizawa play into things and try to look scary, but I figure actions speak louder than colors, ya know? Of course, I don''t look scary; the costume is for the public, not the bad guys. When I show up, people sigh at my stupid outfit and eventually sigh in relief."


    "In theory," Henry says.


    "Had a rough day, I suspect- how do you feel right now?" Hizashi asks.


    Henry and I both look at each other. "Um... honestly I feel fine... huh... well..." I say.


    Henry shrugs and says, "Well, I guess you can''t argue with results."


    Hizashi nods. "Now, what''s this I overhear about history being a problem? From how everyone talks about you, Henry boy, I figured you were some kind of savant or something."


    "I literally am," Henry says. "But, ya know- no one is universally good at stuff."


    "All Might..." Hizashi says, name-dropping Japan''s number 1 hero.


    "Doesn''t count," Henry says with a smirk.


    "Hmm- really, you work to be as good as him. And this school expects you to work hard. 85 might be a passing grade, but if you get under fifty on any subject, well... I can''t guarantee you''ll have enough teachers voting to let you in. That''s how the entrance exam is decided, you realize, right?"


    "Comittee?" Henry asks.


    "Yes. It''s not just a game of getting a certain number; you must impress everyone. Nishiya is gonna be pissed if you just write off his entire department."


    "Wait... Nishiya? Do you mean that guy who, like, makes wood weapons with his quirk? Kinda a new hero, isn''t he? I didn''t even know he worked here."


    Hizashi shrugs. "Someone has to do history. We often have a group of judges look over the entrance exams, but what we''re doing with you is so unusual we''re just having the relevant UA staff look over you." He holds up a finger, "The point is, the tactics you use to get ahead on a normal academic test won''t work here. We''re not testing your ability to take a test; we''re trying to test your ACTUAL abilities. If you just give up on history because it''s hard, that will be seen as a point against you." He gets back up. "Follow me kiddos. You can leave campus for the next week as long as I take responsibility for you."


    "Can we stay here and keep studying?" I ask, realizing that maybe we need to.


    "What? And miss meeting your new sister? Last night, you got home so late that she was asleep, not to mention you two were passed out yourselves. Do you know how disappointed she was that she didn''t see her new family members?" Hizashi folds his arms. "I know Aizawa''s logic when I hear it. He means well, but if he ran the whole school, we''d be churning out nothing but broken idiots until we closed completely. There''s a reason we have so many professors." Hizashi taps his head. "Regardless of your commitment to getting into this school, the human mind doesn''t work that way. Do you think you''ll be better prepared for test day if you do nothing but eat, train, study, and sleep? Well, I hate to say it, but if you do that, your muscles will be torn to the point of uselessness, and your brains will be overwhelmed with anxiety. If you cram for a day, maybe you''ll get ahead that day- but cram for a whole week, and you may get to the point where you would have done better on the test if you just didn''t study. I''m serious; there have been studies on this stuff. It''s called the "Law of Diminishing Returns." If you two try, you''ll start losing information from your heads in less than three days."


    "That quick?" I ask, rather shocked. "That''s nuts."


    Henry perks up, "I think Pops is describing a bell curve, sis," I look at him quizzically. "You see, all human bodily functions work like that. For instance, if you want skin and muscles more resistant to damage, you can go out there and let yourself get hit progressively harder over longer periods. Your skin and muscles will initially toughen faster and faster until you hit a certain peak of effective training- at which point you''ll just wear your skin thin and tear it right off. In statistics, that''s called-"


    "Hold up, you just broke down an advanced Algebraic concept like nothing... yet you struggle with names and dates?" Hizashi says, taken aback. Henry just shrugs.


    I shrug as we walk to Hizashi''s big black car. "That''s Henry. He''s slow at memorization, but once he learns the rules of a system, he breezes through everything after," I say.


    "Yeah- history is just names and dates. I could explain all the strategies of that one French general dude who conquered large parts of Europe, but um... like his name was... Patton? Greg? Nnnnn... yeah! Greg- Greg Hitler! General Greg Hitler from the 1930s- right?"


    Hizashi and I both have to contain our laughter. "I think you mean Napolean, but I think I like Greg Hitler better," says Hizashi as we pile into the car. "But seriously- you can''t even remember Napolean Bonapart?" Henry shrugs. "Well, we''re going to have work to do then."You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Out of the city and out into the countryside we drove. In time, I was looking over rolling hills and wide open spaces. Here and there were what I guessed were small groups of houses where I could see children playing and talking while adults went about chores to keep their homes up and nice looking. Never in all my life had I seen an open space like this. To me, it was beautiful. When I crack open the window, the air smells so different from the city. I close my eyes and feel like just enjoying it.


    I see new flowers everywhere and even a few small animals. I want to open the back door and run into those fields, picking every one of those flowers. What for? I really don''t know. Maybe I would give them to my brother for all he tries to do for me.


    Eventually, Henry speaks up, asking, "Why don''t you live in the city?"


    "I used to, but it''s too crowded for my wife Yuka," Hizashi says. "This is cheaper anyway, except for the gas price." Hizashi looks into his rearview mirror back at Henry. "So, "Bandit," history is your problem subject, huh?"


    Henry stares out his window for a beat before answering. "Yes, sir."


    "Yes, sir? I''m fine with pops. That sounded serious. No need to feel bad; everyone has something they''re not so good at. We''ll just work on it." Hizashi says. "Or is it that I used "Bandit?" Is your criminal history a sore spot?"


    Henry sits back. "No, no, it''s fine. Call me Bandit whenever. I always wanted him to be a hero, and someday, so help me, he will be."


    "You''re gonna fight to reclaim the name, huh? I respect that." Hizashi says with a serious-looking nod. "So I guess that leaves you feeling bad about not learning history very well. Like I said- and really like you said, it''s-"


    "It''s not just that," Henry interrupts. "I''ve never had an easy time in a normal school. It''s like I''m driving in a vehicle with nothing but an ultrasensitive gas pedal and an E-break. Once I learn the rules of a system and understand how they all work, I blast forward, leaving all the other students in the dust. I must be two grades ahead in math, for instance. But any time I have to memorize something new my progress slows to a crawl."


    "Anyone ever figure out why?" Hizashi asks.


    "Why would they?" Henry asks why.


    "You must be curious."


    "You think I control my own access to doctors and stuff like that?" Henry asks with an annoyed half-glare. I punch his shoulder hard for that, and Henry feigns remorse. Hizashi is silent for a moment.


    "Fine," Henry begins again, "Maybe that wasn''t the nicest way to put a not-so-nice thing. Still, no one cares what I want. No one had time to figure out what was wrong with me. They just called me handicapped till about six when I finally started talking normally- then savant when I started having a bigger vocabulary than most kids twice my age."


    "You didn''t talk till six?" Hizashi asks, sounding concerned.


    Henry just shrugs. "A few words here and there before that¡ªhard to explain, really. I guess memory and language are linked because I have difficulty remembering things before I was six."


    "That''s half your life... you don''t want to know- I mean... sorry, you do want to know; it''s just that no one gave you the opportunity to find out, right?" Hizashi asks, correcting himself before my brother can snap.


    "I mean... yeah," Henry says, staring out the window.


    "Well, we''re gonna find out what''s going on, okay buddy?" Hizashi says. "Next few months or so, I''ll figure out someone to talk to."


    "I..." Henry looks ready to get angry again but stops. "I... you promise?"


    "I swear it, kiddo," says Hizashi.


    I watch Henry look out the window again for a few seconds. After a few beats, he finally talks again, and I can''t believe what I hear. "Thanks... dad..."


    Hizashi smiles as I''m frozen. Henry has never called anyone "dad" through all our foster families and Charles.


    The Yamada home is beautiful as we pull into the drive. Dried-up but still big yellow sunflowers line the right interior of the front yard, and azalea bushes grow around the entire perimeter, lined by different colors of kiku flowers: yellow on the left, pink in front, and purple on the right. The home itself is white with a red Irimoya-zukuri roof, one story, and raised on a concrete support. I can''t tell, but I suspect the property is two or three acres, with most of it in the back.


    I see the white steps leading to the front door as we pull in. On the landing is a woman dressed in a pink flowing kimono with a little girl dressed in a bright red kimono, jumping up and down as she watches us drive in. The little girl cheers, "New big brother! New big sister! They''ll play with me! New siblings! My first siblings!" The girl and mother both have black hair and look small compared to my brother and me as European-born kids. The girl is positively tiny- but she''s so cute!


    As we get out, I''m hit by the fresh air of suburbia for the first time. The air is crisp, and I can actually smell the flowers. I look around the driveway and spot a few purple flowers growing through the cracks and around the perimeter. I run and grab two handfuls and then zip over to the steps to the front door. I pause, looking up.


    Can this be real? A real home? I have tears in my eyes as I go up the steps, watching the two females, my new mother and my new little sister. I present the flowers to them both, the little girl gasping in surprise as she takes them while the mother laughs and grabs my head, pulling me into a tight hug. The world fades away, and all that''s here is these two girls, my mother and sister.


    It''s hard to describe what I''m feeling. My life feels like it''s been leading up to this one moment. Bouncing from home to home in foster care, that hell on earth that was the mansion of Charles Miles, the girls'' prison- but it''s all just a bad memory now- I''m in a real home. This is where I belong... isn''t it?


    I hear Hizashi clear his throat behind me... I hear my father. I just have to pause in my mind, realizing all this, in part, belongs to me now. I''m not just on the outside looking in; I belong here.


    I feel a body pulled into Mom''s hug next to me and recognize the feeling of my brother. He''s crying, too. No matter what they put you through, this is what every orphan yearns for, adoption. The day someone finally claims you.


    Henry and I are taken into the home, and I''m led over to a couch.


    The woman, my mother, is named Yuka, and the little girl is named Yukari. As my brother and I sit together, we realize we still have to push forward to ensure we have as much time with our new family as possible so we''ll be in school, not prison. I take out my anatomy book- but Yuka takes that from me and puts it on the counter, pushing Yukari in front of me.


    "You''ll have time for that later, missy, " says my mom. "But your little sister has been waiting for days to meet you two¡ªand let me tell you when you both just fell asleep on the ride here yesterday, she was frustrated. No more making her wait¡ªgo have fun, you three!"


    Without another word, Yukari grabs my arm and Henry''s and yanks us out of the home and into the backyard.


    (***)


    Hizashi:


    "If only moments like this would last forever, eh, Yuka?" I ask as we watch the children running around outside together.


    Yuka just watches for a few moments. "They... they really are just like two normal children. To think I was ever afraid of them being with Yukari- but just look at them. Henry is gentle with both of his sisters despite having more energy, Tori looks like she knows just what to say, and Yukari is barely keeping up.... I never thought I would see someone with more energy than her. Course, it''s two to one. My girl is..., but they''re all mine now, aren''t they?"


    "Yep- all three of them belong to us now."


    "Does Tori have a kimono of her own? I''m thinking... ruby, maybe? Is that a bit much for now? Hmmm... I''m sure she''s accomplished many things in her life, especially as the former secretary of a crime lord, but I''d rather not celebrate that. Maybe orange to show hope for a better tomorrow. We''ll save ruby for when she has some respectable accomplishments- which she''s our daughter, of course, she will."


    "If she has an orange kimono, I haven''t seen it. Honestly, it might be weird if she had any kimonos since we''re her first real family. I doubt Charles gave her one- well, he was rich, so maybe- but I doubt she''ll care if-"


    "We shall not speak of her as if she ever belonged to that beast," Yuka looks on and breathes in, holding her nose high. "She''s mine now. That''s the end of it. We may discuss her original parents, but I will not have that crime lord''s name spoken in this home as the former father of MY children."


    "How much should we commit to finding that original family?" I ask. "How curious are you?"


    Yuka twists her lips. "Right now? Not especially. I''m not saying it''s meaningless to know, but we have priorities."


    "That''s what I was thinking," I nod.


    "Tell me, how goes the trial to put their abuser behind bars?"


    "From what I understand, Charles is imprisoned for now, and the trial is ongoing. Those two are still active informants and will have to testify. Associating with them is still dangerous. You should know that." I say.


    "As if I would walk away now as a result."


    "I wasn''t saying you would." I pause to think more about the situation. "Charles'' networks are being discovered all over Japan, and I doubt it''s not weakening him and whatever is left of his loyalists..." I get up and fold my arms. "But be careful mentioning our connections to those two in public."


    "But-"


    "I''m not saying we disassociate; they belong to us now, and nothing is changing that. But once they pass their exam, those two will stay in heavily guarded UA dorms. But you and Yukari will still be out here in the country for now."


    "We can''t fight that? Look at them... they''re not thugs- they''re children. They shouldn''t be kept as prisoners anywhere, even UA- it''s just wrong."


    ""UA is a boarding school now, and most students live on campus during the school year. Henry and Tori won''t be allowed to go out independently, but that''s not unusual. Even in regular middle schools, students don''t have the freedom to just go shopping by themselves. Besides, they''re still young; it''s normal for them to have restrictions. Don''t overthink it."


    "And what about winter break and next summer? Where do they go then?" Yuka asks.


    That''s a question I don''t know how to answer. UA closes during winter break and in the summer and may do so even during this time of high security with the rise of the League of Villains. My home here in the suburbs doesn''t have the security to satisfy the government¡ªam I really going to have to put my children in jail for Christmas? The very idea...


    "Hizashi- they''re going to put my babies in jail on Christmas?" Yuka says, starting to get angry. "You have to fight that."


    "At this point, those two are lucky to be getting out of jail at all, Yuka."


    "But on Christmas? They''re even European children- they''re probably Christians."


    "You don''t know that."


    "They certainly could be; if they are, that would only make things worse."


    I sigh and get up, leaning against the nook. "Let''s cross that bridge as we get there, okay?" I cock my head to the side. "Did Yukari change out of her kimono before running out there..."


    Yuka sighs with a slight smile. "No... I didn''t remind her... that thing will be a nightmare to clean."


    "I''ll go get them," I say, moving to go out after the kids.


    But Yuka put up her hand to stop me. "No- no- let them have this moment together- Yukari isn''t going to live with them. How often will she even be able to roll in the grass with her siblings?"


    I watch the three as Tori and Yukari try to force Henry to the ground using their main strength in some random game. It''s not working for them, which isn''t surprising given their relative histories, but it''s cute anyway. It''s such a beautiful and hilarious moment, but... it''s still tainted by what we know lies ahead for them.


    "So- what ARE we going to do? Just accept them being prisoners of UA?" Yuka asks. "I hate that idea- they aren''t just criminals. Honestly, the more I think about it, they''re victims, plain and simple. They had no say in what they did."


    I put my hands in my pockets and prepare my whole speech. I knew this would come up, and I imagine it will be even harder to explain things to Tori and Yukari. Henry seems like he could keep up, though.


    "Here it is Yuka. The government can''t interact with those two on this level; it''s only reacting to what it has. They were foster kids- then members of a criminal organization, one of them even being an individual who was active and dangerous enough to gain the title of villain. That''s enough to put those two in cells for years to come- at least on paper."


    "That can''t be the end of it."


    "It''s not. Nezu and I have a plan based on what he negotiated with Henry in his office. That''s what we''re working out right now- here are the details." I tap the nook in its center. "Here is UA, UA is set to guard, house, and train those two." I tap the left side of the counter. "And here are the investors of UA; if we piss them off, no more UA. Nezu tells them that if he can get Henry''s intel in the short term, he can graduate as a keener breed of hero for the next year, ready to uproot underground organizations like the one Charles ran. Then, in the long term, the new EMT program that Tori will help launch will provide new opportunities for investment and profits." I tap the right side of the nook. "Over here is the government. Nezu is telling them he can keep those two under enough relative control to keep the public safe while helping them gain accomplishments that can potentially start to overshadow their current reputations, letting them earn better lives."


    "I see," says Yuka. "I suppose it''s a perfect plan on paper. What''s your role?"


    "This family''s role is crucial. We can actually represent them when things come up ¡ªlike winter break. But more importantly, I know it will be taxing, but how often can you and Yukari come to the school?"


    "Well, I have to maintain our home here, and Yukari has her own assignments," she starts.


    "Yukari could use her sibling''s help on those assignments."


    "True... I can''t guarantee DAILY visits. But I should be able to swing visits that are close to that- if I have my own car..."


    "Fffff... snag. I''ll talk to Nezu about a bonus or something to cover that, but getting a new car will be a week at least..."


    "Well, this week will be busy enough for Henry and Tori- meanwhile, you and I work on getting that car?"


    "Strange that of all the important directions it could go- this conversation leads to talking about a new car," I say with a chuckle.


    "But it''s important- I want to see my babies."


    "Don''t worry. We''ll get it done."


    We watch for a few more minutes. "You think... Do you think flowers for their dorms are a good idea?"


    I raise an eyebrow at her, unsure how that would even work. Then I shake my head. "Talk to Tori, ya goofy woman. I doubt Henry will even WANT that."


    "Well- a woman has to add her touch, you know- I''ll figure out something for the Bandit- mark my word."


    "That a threat or a blessing."


    "I suppose that''s up to Henry."

 Magic Kid, Im not Impressed!

    Henry:


    The next day rolled around, and save for a nice breakfast with Yukari and Yuka- it was dull and full of nothing but studying and theorizing about strategies for fighting Bakugo.


    Yuka took the time to write up a schedule for us. It had a smattering of subjects for Tori, but when my sister begged, Mom adjusted it to primarily focus on her anatomy studying... I guess I''m okay with that. It will be a big part of the test and our upcoming school careers, right?


    For me, the schedule focused on nothing but flashcard lessons and attempting to memorize vocabulary for both scientific taxonomy and history.


    Thus, Tori buried herself in that anatomy book for hours, and I was stuck doing flash cards.


    I would love to say I made progress; I really would. In reality, every time I asked a passerby in the UA library to drill me- and don''t get me wrong, most people had no problem assisting me for a few minutes, asking me to give names to definitions- but regardless, everyone had to basically tell me the same thing when they were done. "Wow- you are not good at this, are you?" It is wonderful to hear from an entire range of people, whether they look mean or friendly; it kinda lets you know for sure you absolutely suck.


    UA has a nice cafeteria with wonderful-looking food, but we barely had a chance to indulge with our schedules, giving us a half hour before we returned to do quick checkups on our strong subjects. I breezed through math and science equations, and my spelling is really... well, it''s good. Japanese schools expect kids to learn three writing styles, Kanji, kana, and English print. The English rules are various, but I''ve got a handle on enough of them to do alright. Kana is much the same for me. However, Kanji... that one is a nightmare.


    It''s been years since I really had to handle Kanji, history, or taxonomy. It''s not like Charles cared to go easy on me in education, but he employed a different strategy. For one, as far as he was concerned, if I didn''t know Kanji, it wouldn''t matter, as Kana and English are all you need to communicate reliably in Japan anyway. Next, he didn''t care if I could quote names or dates, just so long as I could comprehend the lessons behind history. Finally, he was a mobster. What would he care if I understood taxonomy?


    6:30 rolls around again. We head to the gym, where Aizawa is grading a few papers. A few seats up in the bleachers sits a very tall and very strongly built young man who I don''t know. He''s intently reading¡ªit looks like an algebra textbook.


    When my sister and I walk in, the darkly dressed professor gets up. "No Mirko this time?" I ask as he walks down.


    "No formal greeting? You just ask where your favorite went?" Aizawa asks. He finally gets to the last step and looks down his nose at me. "But I didn''t expect better. And to be fair, I don''t have time to teach you better."


    I grit my teeth but decide to leave that one alone.


    "Mirko only came to give you one lesson this week, and you shouldn''t expect more than that from her normally. If you want to review, she''ll be in the UA base floor gym at 7:30 every day¡ªaccess to the facilities is a perk of being a UA alumnus." Aizawa smiles at that last line as if it''s a perk he likes. I couldn''t care less; I just want to get past the front door.


    "What''s the lesson for today, sir?" I ask.


    The professor huffs and bounces a small blue ball up and down; Tori''s eyes are drawn immediately to the rubber toy. "Why am I doing this?" Aizawa asks. I could just walk away, and you two would be hopeless... but I''m not wired that way¡ªyou should be grateful."


    I look away from him. "Question..." I say.


    "Already? Shoot."


    "Did you know Charles had children?"


    "Of course. I followed that creep in the news all the time. I knew the day you were adopted into that unhappy life," We both look at each other, an uncertainty creeping into my mind. "Okay... just this once, let me say how I feel about that so we''re clear. What you and your sister went through was terrible, I respect that you got away, and I respect that you have enough of a sense of justice to be fighting him to this day. I don''t hate you entirely, alright?" He keeps bouncing the ball.


    He says that, but I cock my head to the side, raising an eyebrow as if to silently say, "Really- but?".


    "But," the man continues. "You''re an arrogant little monster with no respect. Everyone pitties you instead of looking at what you are and what you did. I was far from the only person who tried to reach out to you, but you just used the fact that we had hearts against us and ran away. So, no, I don''t think you deserve to be in my school. You''ve done enough for me to think you deserve a normal school and a rough time while you''re there. But no way in hell do I think you deserve a reward like going to UA."


    I close my eyes, trying to push down my anger, but I know it''s easy to see.


    "Well, I don''t expect you to feel good about it," He pauses for a few beats, still bouncing that ball. I''m about to ask what it''s for when I see him quickly reach into his coat and toss another small rubber ball across the gym, "Tori, point to the red ball- NOW!"


    Tori''s eyes enlarge, and she stutters, her head turning rapidly as she spins a few times, trying to find the ball she WASN''T watching. Eventually, she locks on with her eyes and extends her finger to point at the red ball.


    "Six seconds- abysmal," says Aizawa.


    Tori lets her arm fall back to her side.


    "Nice turtleneck today Tori," Aizawa says.


    "Um, thank you, profe-"


    Aizawa throws the blue ball as she''s in mid-sentence, "Point to the blue ball, now!"


    "I um..." Again, Tori has to reset her mind to tracking a seemingly random toy. "Um-um-um-d-d-d there!" she points.


    "How did you go slower that time?" Aizawa asks. "You''re eleven years old; you have no excuse for such pathetic reflexes. This is an awareness exercise. I''m going to throw random objects. I doubt you''ll be able to get to the point of catching them this week, but that''s the eventual goal."


    "Wait- you want me to catch a ball that you just throw at random? Dude, that''s ridiculous!" Tori objects.


    "Henry¡ªshe seems to think this is ridiculous. " As he talks, I watch him draw out another object and throw it past my shoulder. I turn quickly on my heel and just manage to catch it.


    I hold the object up for Tori- a small pen. Aizawa continues. "If I were throwing this stuff at full power, it would be, but I''m doing one-handed tosses. This is a reflex exercise- looks like Henry is beyond familiar."


    Tori just blinks at me, her mouth moving with nothing coming out, and she sees me casually doing something she thought impossible. "I... I don''t..." she eventually stammers out, but it''s still meaningless.


    "You ever played frisbee with a dog?" Aizawa asks. "Most of the time, unless you throw the toy very fast or high, the animal can get in front of it and catch it mid-air. This is because dogs have incredible reflexes with their heads. However, dogs are not born that way. They''re instinctively driven to play games like fetch to develop their awareness." The professor steps back from Tori about six additional paces. "The same game can be effective on a human."


    Tori looks at him curiously. "Um... so you want me to get the balls and bring them back? Like a dog?"


    "Well, you don''t have to do it on all fours, and you don''t have to carry them in your mouth, but, essentially- yes." Tori runs off to retrieve the balls as the professor holds his head and sighs. "She''s running with no form like she''s five, and she has no enthusiasm... why am I doing this to myself?"


    He turns to me as we wait. "You- I trust you at least have the intelligence of a small dog?" he asks. "Or do you want me to train you alongside your sister?"


    "Hey- she''s just untrained," I object.


    Finally, Tori gives the balls back to Aizawa. "I can tell that," the professor says, then points towards a red line on the gym floor several paces away from him, "Tori, until this game is done, do not cross that red line." Tori goes back and stands behind the line.


    The professor looks at me. "If your sister needs defending, she''s here to learn to do it herself. This is a perfectly normal reflex and awareness training exercise. I can''t control that it''s also played with dogs- if your sister fails to learn the game as fast as a dog- well, I''m a teacher, of course, I will voice my opinion; that''s what I''m paid to do." He motions to the large teenager sitting in the rafters. "Ida, come down here."


    The young man gets up. Sheesh, he''s tall! And he holds himself pretty much like a soldier. Down the steps he walks, letting me continue to get a look at this freaking oak tree of a boy. His hair is almost pitch black, and he has a normal Japanese skin tone. He wears box-rim glasses, and even the UA gym uniform of loose shorts and a t-shirt serves only to show off his well-toned musculature. He stands opposite me and bows perfectly from the hip, compelling me to copy him out of a feeling that otherwise I would look pathetic.


    "This is one of my top-performing students, Ida Tenya," Aizawa says. "You''ll see what looks like engine exhaust ports on his legs- a propulsion system. His speed makes even you look slow with your ability to virtually teleport between two bodies." Aizawa bows to Ida. "Ida, please remember that Henry is only twelve and hold back your strikes accordingly. You may retaliate as you feel appropriate, but the idea of this spar is for Henry to try to land attacks on an opponent who is moving, dodging, and resisting him. You have nothing to prove here, save for your discipline as an individual, understood?"


    "Yes sir, I understand my objective," and Ida... actually salutes Aizawa, who seems to appreciate the respect. Hmm... maybe I should copy this new guy. I might get better responses.


    "Henry-kun," the large boy starts. Come at me." He stands stiffly and raises a hand, inviting me to attack.


    "You want me to hold back?"


    "I''m fifteen, you''re twelve. I hold back, you show me what you''ve got. I''ll judge what I think you can take- is that acceptable?"


    "Well... it does feel kinda weird to know I''m being babied..." I say.


    Tenya smirks, "Oh trust me, I wouldn''t treat a "baby" like this. All the same, I''m not going all out on you and getting expelled for beating up a child just so you can "feel" a little better." He takes a rigid karate stance, and I hop into my boxing stance."


    "Well- the professor underestimates me, I wouldn''t worry about a stiff like you landing a hit on me," I say with a grin.


    Suddenly, I hear a loud hiss and a ringing as Tenya''s whole body moves as a blur. He leans down, sticks out his right leg, and spins so fast there''s no way I can track him. I''m knocked clean off my feet and land hard on my side.


    "You were saying Henry-Kun?" He says as he moves to a position of attention and then back to a formal karate stand.


    Some adults have a hard time touching on me. This guy looks like he barely tried. I will not allow this!


    I shove myself up and resume my stance. Dodging might not solve fights, but it''s what I do! "Try that again!" I demand- and in an instant, I hear that sort of engine-like noise again; I''m grabbed around the stomach and feel myself pulled through the air. I fly back, and my back slams into a pile of mats on the floor. It''s just like with Mirko yesterday, but this guy isn''t a combat vet, he''s just damn fast.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Interesting as this is, Henry-kun, I believe you were instructed to attack me." Ida retakes his position and waves a hand, again inviting me to attack.


    Oh, this guy... he''s gonna get it. I get up and run at him, right fist cocked back as I run. "Ahhhhh-" But I stop moments before I reach him and attempt a left hook. Ida moves back slightly, and I lose my balance, having to hop several times on one foot to regain my balance.


    "I''ve been told you just learned your basic punches yesterday," Ida says. "I recommend practicing normal strikes before you try feints. Nice try, though." He pushes me down with one hand.


    This guy is good and so respectful- I wanna destroy him just for that! I run at him, trying two jabs, one right and one left, but he quickly dodges back with each. "Whoop- nope- over here," the boy starts narrating as I keep landing nothing. "Ya know, it''s weird; you''re the first person I''ve fought in a while with no speed enhancements of his own. It''s like you''re moving in slow motion."


    "You want slow?" I say. I jab with my right hand, and one of my clones appears directly behind Ida, causing the older boy to trip and jumble his moves. I don''t have much time before he resets, so I do a left cross punch to his right shoulder when the boy falls to the ground.


    Ida quickly pushes up and moves after my clone, but just as he goes down, I snap my fingers, and thus, he leans down to grab what is now only air. I swing back and land a right uppercut straight to his gut.


    The boy gasps and staggers back a few steps. He holds up a finger as he recovers, "Ya know- it occurs to me that I should take you a little more seriously than I have been."


    I look over my shoulder to see how Tori is doing. She''s sprinting back and forth, constantly missing whenever Aizawa throws the ball, but she does seem to be limbering up and moving faster and faster... I hope she''ll have better reaction times by the end of the week.


    I duck and tuck my right arm down and back as Ida tries to land a swipe on my head as I''m "not paying attention". A clone appears on his shoulders just as his swing hits its apex, and he''s slightly overbalanced. As he collapses to the floor, I spin away from him, a big grin on my face. Ida is fast, that''s for sure, but he''s not good at adjusting on the fly. I have my clone disappear again before Ida can turn over and grab him.


    Ida gets up, a frustrated grin on his face. "Oh, you think you''re clever?" he asks me. I hear his thrusters rev up again. Crap, I don''t know how to counter this, um... I flex my right arm, making my clone appear directly before me as... nothing happens. I peek out from behind my clone as Ida shoots forward and grabs my collar.


    Suddenly, I''m being pulled at an insane speed. I have to think fast. Before Ida can throw me again, I wrap my arms and legs around his arm and then look back at my clone that is still back behind us. Ida attempts to throw me at the mats again at nearly the same time as I body swap.


    In my new body, I sprint to Ida as he wrestles to dislodge my clone from his arm. My clone fights without any form or fear since I don''t care if it gets injured. Thus, Ida can''t get it off as I come and deliver a series of crosses and jabs to his back.


    As Ida can''t fully recover his balance, I eventually just body-check him from behind, forcing him to fall to the ground.


    I suddenly hear an older boy cheering from a group of rafters opposite Aizawa and Tori. "Not bad. He''s twice your size, but you don''t flinch; you just throw yourself at him. Now that''s manly. Hey Ida, pause for a minute, will ya?" I turn and see two teenagers in the stands as they get up to walk towards me and Ida. One of the boys has spikey hair, almost like Bakugo''s, but it''s in thicker tufts. Also, he looks to have a much more robust build than Explosion Boy.


    Next to the redhead walks a heteromorph kid with a normal enough body, if a little on the skinny side, but also with a large bird head. The head is like a cross between a black hawk because the plumage goes straight back instead of following his neckline down and a typical black songbird since his beak is orange instead of black.


    The redhead seems to be in charge of the pair as he speaks up first. "I wanted to check you out before your big showdown with my buddy Bakugo, and I gotta say- Nice! You''re no pushover, huh?"


    "Indeed, you''re well coordinated. I would like to learn how you work so easily with a quirk-generated construct," the bird boy says. "I''m Tokoyami. Please look me up once you have formally been allowed into the school."


    "Don''t you mean if?"


    "If? Yeah, right. It''s when," the redhead puts his hand forward. By the way, my name''s Kirishima."


    "I can''t even finish this guy off," I say, thumbing back at Ida as he walks up behind us. "What makes you think I''m a shoo-in? I can''t finish the fight over here."


    "You were told to hit him, not win or lose," Kirishima shrugs. "Regardless, you''ve been blitzing the fastest kid in my class. That being said," he yells over to Aizawa, "Hey, professor, mind if we add another... parameter to this fight?" Kirishima takes out a pair of handcuffs and rattles them in the air.


    "Why do you have those?" asks Tokoyami.


    "We''re cops in training, dude; why wouldn''t I have them?" Kirishima asks back.


    "You want to see an actual capture battle, hm?" Aizawa says, waving a hand to tell my sister she can rest. "Jog in place; it''ll keep you from getting cramps or becoming lightheaded," he coaches Tori. "Anyway... sure, why not?" Aizawa shrugs.


    "Let''s see how this goes down!" Kirishima says, tossing the cuffs as he and Tokoyami run back to the stands.


    Before I can get my head back in the game, I hear Ida''s retrorockets, and I''m grabbed around the stomach and pulled through the air again.


    While I''m still being pulled through the air, I feel a metal band snapped around my left wrist, and almost on instinct, I jut my right arm back a few times before my right wrist is grabbed and the second band is snapped down on it.


    I''m next dropped on a big blue mat with my hands restrained behind my back- but it''s too late. I look up, see my clone, and body swap with it.


    My clone only has one hand engaged in the cuffs, so I apply a light amount of pressure and pull them off. I chuckle and snap my fingers, my previous body disappearing with the cuffs on it. "I get to choose which version of a cloned object remains," I say as Ida looks at me and grits his teeth.


    Ida leans down and grits his teeth as I swing the cuffs, toying with them to mock him. I then swing my right arm and create another duplicate, which skips away from me, "Attack. How do you think that''ll go?" I mock. As long as I have a clone out, Ida capturing me will be meaningless, and we both know it. His only hope would be an attempt to grab us both- which is what I''m counting on him trying.


    Wham! I feel my body grabbed up but not at the right angle- my trap has been sprung. I feel myself pulled into a turn as the world around me blurs, and then- I''m sent crashing to the floor as Ida falls to the ground.


    See, my clone laid on the gym floor the second Ida snatched the body I''m in. This meant that it was laying horizontal by the time Ida tried to make a turn to grab it up as well. At Ida''s speed, he couldn''t bend over and likely couldn''t stop before tripping and barreling over my clone.


    I snap my fingers, and the clone lying on the ground disappears; then I swing my right arm as I run to Ida, another clone of me falling out of the air and slamming down on top of him, temporarily pinning him to the ground. I also jump on Ida''s back, trying to pull one arm back, while my clone does the other- I can taste victory!


    Ida''s retro rockets on his right leg engage, and he spins around, knocking my clone and me onto our backs.


    In moments Ida has used his superior strength to pull both me and my clone under him and force both of us into handcuffs.


    He pulls me away from my clone and breathes a sigh of relief- big mistake.


    I mind swap with it once I''m far enough away from my clone. I then snap my fingers, and the version of me in Ida''s hands disappears, along with the handcuffs on my current body.


    Sure, this means the controls the cuffs again, but both sides are engaged now, meaning they''re locked and useless without a key.


    I''m about to swing my right arm to try more maneuvers on Ida when he suddenly tackles me to the ground and pins me with his weight. Then I feel my right shoe liberated from its foot- and then my wrists are tied behind me in the laces of said shoe.


    I''m left squirming on the floor as Ida gets off me and drops to his rear end. "Ya know... gotta say Henry-Kun... not bad. I had to brute strength through your attacks and hope for the best."


    "Still- one of you is tied up, and one isn''t," Aizawa yells from his training with Tori.


    Ida unties me, and back at it we go.


    The rest of the hour goes this way. I feel mixed emotions about the training''s results. I ended up on the ground tied or in cuffs seven times, but I wasn''t able to get Ida restrained even once. I just can''t figure out how to overcome the power difference. That doesn''t mean I didn''t get close tactically twelve times.


    As Aizawa calls us to stop, Ida bows to me and says, "Honestly, I think you did pretty well for someone your age, Henry." A smile starts to creep onto my face.


    "That''s a meaningless compliment if I''ve ever heard one," Aizawa says as Tori joins me. "If your spirits are lifted when you hear someone tell you you''re great "for your age"- he''s telling you that you lived up to low expectations,"


    I look down and bite my lip, no longer feeling complimented.


    Aizawa is the only one of our group of four¡ªme, Tori, Ida, and himself¡ªwho isn''t sweating right now. Aizawa folds his arms. "Tori can barely react to the world around her at a decent pace, and you, Henry, have no means of finishing a fight. You two will never beat Bakugo the way you are."


    "Right, well, what are we missing?" I ask, trying to push forward.


    "At least several months of training," the professor says. "The point of a week''s preparation is consolidation, not the acquisition of entirely new skills." He starts to leave the gym. "You two shouldn''t go to this school; it''s set up to be a challenge for high schoolers, let alone you. If you were just refugees like my daughter, maybe you could go here, but as some kind of proto students, I don''t think there''s a place for you. The entrance exam is going to prove that." And he''s gone.


    I look up at Ida, who looks nervous. "I um..." he starts. Well, he''s a professor for a reason. He often says people should give up¡ªhe just wants you to put in the effort to prove him wrong."


    "But... is he wrong?"


    "Well- a week''s preparation is a consolidation period, he''s not wrong. It''s not wrong to learn new skills, but if you''re relying entirely on new skills to pass the entrance exam... you''ll be disappointed. That much is true."


    Tori opens her mouth, but words don''t come out.


    Ida looks at us as if he wants to say something else to reassure us. Eventually, he does not know what to say and leaves the gym.


    "But..." Tori also tries to speak up but eventually sighs and goes silent again.


    From the gym wall near the door that Aizawa just left through, I hear a "Tah," like someone dismissing something that had been said or dismissing someone in the room as foolish. "What the heck is the professor talking about?"


    We look and see- Bakugo himself has been watching our training. "What do you mean?" I ask the blonde teenager as he walks over to us.


    "A week is a consolidation period, sure," Bakugo starts, "But that doesn''t mean you can''t hone skills you already have, learn minor skills, or plan strategies around what you''ve got. That''s why they would bother giving you a week, as neither of you had the chance to prepare for this opportunity." The teen glares down at me and grits his teeth. "You executed complex multi-stage maneuvers on the fly like it was nothing. If Ida didn''t have brute strength on you, he wouldn''t have stood a chance against you. I don''t know what the professor''s problem is."


    "But I couldn''t win or-" I start, but Bakugo cuts me off.


    "Shut up!" he almost yells. "Course you couldn''t win- this is the first time you''ve tried something like this, right?" I nod. "Well, you got a feel for the event; now you just need to figure out a solution. And if you have skills like the ones I''ve been watching, you should have the brains to go with them." The teenager gets down on my level and looks me in the eyes. "I need this battle. I need it to prove to everyone I''m not just a brute."


    "Well- maybe you''ll be competing against someone else-" I start, but Bakugo grabs my head and shoves his face into mine, cutting me off.


    "I need the fight to be with you, a REAL thief. If I could beat someone like you- how you executed those maneuvers... fighting you will be like fighting multiple opponents at once," he glares at me. "I''m getting excited just talking about it."


    "You don''t LOOK excited..."


    The boy grins.


    "I think I liked it better when you looked angry..." I say, backing away.


    "Your sister is slow, but she obeys orders; you have no problem getting someone to the ground, and with three of you, that means you could have one person per arm to get my hands behind my back to finish the fight... did I really need to the point that out?" Bakugo rises out of my face. "Of course, you can do this. Of course, you can beat me. You CAN. I''m gonna be training to ensure you won''t- but don''t let anyone tell you you can''t." He gets down in my face one more time, and one more time, I can feel his breath on my face as my heart rate starts to go up, fear spiking in my chest. "Don''t you DARE give up and take this away from me. Bring your A-game, or I will find you and make you regret not giving me the fight I want- the fight I know you have in you."


    Bakugo grabs my head and shoves me away from him, Tori catching me before I fall over. Bakugo then storms out of the gym.


    Tori and I are alone now. "Was... was that supposed to be encouraging?" Tori asks. She looks around. "Shouldn''t someone be watching us?"


    I get up. "I think not always being supervised is one of the perks of being here and not in prison." I shiver a little. "And technically... that was encouraging. TERRIFYING... but encouraging."


    "Not so much for me..." Tori goes and sits on the bleachers. "I can read between the lines. You were ducking and dodging a top student and almost winning the fight alone- and I was playing fetch like a poodle."


    "Tori..."


    "Say it. If you had anyone else, you''d be a shoo-in to win against Bakugo- but you have me- dead weight," she covers her face with her hands. "What have I ever done besides drag you down? I was just a tool against you. I-"


    "Shut up," I say, sitting next to her and roughly wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her over to me, "Just shut up. You''re not dead weight, you got it?"


    "What do I even contribute here?"


    "Knock it off, will ya?" I demanded, squeezing her tighter. Hey, I don''t remember much before I was six years old, but I can piece together what happened. I remember story time would roll around, and I would be excited to listen, but the caretakers tried to just tell me to go to bed."


    "They gave up on you when you couldn''t talk at five years old..." Tori fills in.


    "Yeah, well, you didn''t. Whenever the stories came out, and I wasn''t sitting with you, you would scream and cry until they brought me back out."


    "So I''m the best crybaby-"


    I cut her off again, "You were five, that was all you could do. The point is that you cared. The point is you did whatever you could, and you got the job done. You basically saved my life. Imagine if they really did push me aside- that would be another few years of no education, another few years of... honestly, who knows if I ever would have caught up. I needed to hear those stories, to hear those words repeatedly so my broken memory could finally retain them. You cared about me... Tori, you care now. You''re sitting here beating yourself up ''cause you''re not enough for me." I shake my head. "Dead weight? Dead weight? Don''t be ridiculous. You just need to acquire the skills, you''ve got the heart. I know if I were ever a patient who needed a doctor- really any doctor I ever have- I want them to be like you." I get up, pulling her with me as she fights tears. "Now- let''s get to the other gym, huh? I''m not sure if learning to punch helps us, but Mirko is less of a jerk than Aizawa anyway, and if nothing else- she''ll refine your coordination and ability to take orders, right?"


    "Yeah, I guess..."


    "C''mon- we''re getting into this school, you hear me? Both of us. If I have to drag you across the finish line, I don''t care- but we''re both getting in."

 Entrance Exam- FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

    Henry:


    So yeah, the day has come. A part of me expected that an after-event of the summer festival, the little bonus match my sister and I were participating in, wouldn''t get a big crowd or good ratings.


    Hmm... did you know that the UA summer festival is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world? Even if a bonus match has less clout, it will still be crowded.


    Tori and I leave the locker rooms and meet in a small room under the stadium. We''re not even in the arena yet, but the room shakes with the crowd''s noise. We turn to look at a TV on the wall and see that someone is showing a cartoon of Bakugo beating up a kid in a purple costume. Wonderful. This is supposed to be a comparably tame match; I hope everyone knows. I shake a little, and my sister puts a hand on my shoulder.


    "We practiced pinning and restraining Ida how many times now?" she asks.


    "Yeah, and we''ve pulled it off two out of twenty times- who are we kidding?"


    "We''ve never brought equipment into matches with him..." Tori points out, waving a hand at a table full of... tricks... it''s enough to bring a smile to anyone''s face. Hatsume hooked us up!


    Tori and I both throw on oversized black leather jackets and load ourselves up with smoke bombs, a few loud whistles, low-yield electric land mines, rope, and strobe lights- if this knucklehead comes at us with just his quirk, he''s gonna catch hell. I smile while looking at the table and then back up at the TV. The jumbo tron over the arena shows a boy in a purple ninja outfit zipping around Bakugo while a girl cheers him on from behind.


    "They don''t have a clue what to do with me in those hype reels, do they?" Tori asks with lowered eyebrows.


    "They''ll know after today," I say, fixing the last strobe light into my jacket.


    "Half this stuff will get broken with one shot, you know..." Tori says.


    "I''ll draw his fire, just like we planned. My clones copy equipment and can disappear damaged stuff- I''ll keep you supplied with party tricks, and you keep Bakugo off balance- stick to the plan, okay?" I clap several times to shock Tori out of the slump she''s threatening to go into. "I need you out there, is- don''t let anyone tell you you''re just an extra; you matter, okay?"


    Tori blinks a few times and then nods, "Okay... okay... ya know, being needed... kind of makes me feel better..."


    "See? There ya go," I say, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her towards the door.


    She looks up and sees the door approaching, and, "It doesn''t feel good anymore..."


    We exit our little preparation area and look to the stone arena in the middle of the vast open-air stadium. The people in the stands are going crazy, and those stupid hype cartoons keep playing. My confidence takes a nose dive every time I see the "Bakugo wins" cartoon, and I can only recover a little when the "Bandit wins" cartoon plays.


    "Ya know... um... the practical test earlier had me sweating nails, but um..." my mouth is going dry. But when I look at Tori''s overwhelmed face, I can''t bear to share how scared I am. "I''m um... I''m pumped. How about you, sis?"


    "HAHAHAHA!" A loud voice comes before my sister can talk. A huge shadow falls over us both, blocking out the bright lights of the crowd. Tori and I stand in stunned silence. It''s... it''s... HIM!


    "All Might?" My sister squeaks out.


    Yep¡ªthe number one hero in Japan is standing in front of us in a full blue costume with a red and white stripe, red abs, and yellow bracers. He takes a heroic pose, and we both step back in awe. He kneels down to our level and tousles the hair on our heads, making us both feel a little dizzy to have the greatest icon of our civilization paying attention to us.


    "So, you are the two underdogs of the match," he pulls back his hands and puts them on his knees. I came down to ensure you had a few things straight and offer encouragement. First, you are still aware that this match has safeties in place, right?"


    I force myself to speak. "Right, um... no lethal strikes, no deliberate attempts to cause major injuries... it''s a relative safety."


    "We also have staff on standby if anyone does suffer serious injuries, and you''ll be examined after the fight¡ªwe''re being responsible here."


    I nod, still swallowing fear, knowing that all these protocols are necessary in the first place. Bakugo could tear us both apart without trying otherwise.


    "You''re here to encourage us? That means you''re rooting for us?" I ask as I squeeze Tori''s hand, and my sister gives me a counter squeeze.


    "HAHAHAHA! I''m rooting for both parties. I welcome promising new students to my alma mater, and I sincerely hope Bakugo can salvage his reputation today- if you saw the end of the Summer Festival, that was ugly..." he says that last part out the side of his mouth, which makes both Tori and I giggle.


    "But hold on- we can''t both win..." I say.


    "Hmm... well- I might take the word "can''t" out of your vocabulary if you plan on attending UA Academy. Of course, win or lose, you''re about to fight in the most watched arena in the world- I wager you''ve worked hard to get this far and gone through very much."


    Overhead, we hear ourselves announced by our adopted father: "On the west side of the arena, weighing a combined two hundred and fifteen pounds¡ªless than a number of you pudgy citizens alone, I suspect; we have the infamous Purple Bandit and his beautiful little sister Tori, who... is also here¡ªlet''s give them a round of applause."


    Tori sighs. "Is also here... story of my life," but she continues to smile.


    "That''s our dad..." I say, pausing. A part of me wants to resent him for the somewhat embarrassing introduction, but... dang it, I can''t hold it against him.


    "Well, get out there!" yells the number one crime fighter in Japan to us, basically random kids.


    We run past him as he stands up and claps for us. We were both terrified, but now there''s a feeling of natural high and near euphoria. The crowds that fill the massive stands surrounding the arena scream and shout my name and my sister''s- but mostly, I hear a cheer of "BANDIT! BANDIT! BANDIT!" Yeah, I notice people tend to leave off "Purple," but I''m okay with it.


    Tori and I step into the large concrete ring, which... concrete... welp, here goes nothing, right?


    The circle''s bounds are pretty broad, so here''s hoping we don''t get blown out of it too quickly.


    "From the East- Explosive Hero: Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight... yes, that is the name he has chosen... get out here bang bang boy!"


    I look to the opposite side of the ring, expecting to see Bakugo walk up to the ring and enjoy the applause like Tori and I did. What I see puts those butterflies back in my stomach, making them just as terrified.


    Bakugo steps out of the opening on the west side of the arena, then puts his hands behind his back and- fires off a set of powerful explosions, firing through the air and then purposefully slamming down on the stage at as close to terminal velocity as you can manage when only falling fifteen feet. I swear I can see mini cracks in the pavement as my breath catches in my throat. It occurs to me that... I may not have a way to actually hurt this guy...


    My sister and I are just dressed in street clothes and our oversized dark jackets, but Bakugo is dressed to kill. He wears heavy steel-toe boots with metal knee pads, baggy pants, a black sweater with a giant red X, and a black and red bandana mask, all combined to make him look like some kind of black bloc protestor from hell. The teenage boy lets out a battle cry that resembles an inhumane roar, then looks at me with a huge grin.


    I swallow... okay... Henry, he''s just a guy... he''s just here for a friendly match. He''s just- are those grenades on his belt?! I hope those are decorations! Why would you DECORATE with grenades? What kind of psycho... it''s just intimidation tactics... it''s working.


    Tori hangs back while I walk forward as the crowd continues to cheer. When I get to the middle of the ring, I stick out my hand to shake. "Let''s um... let''s have a good fight, hey Bakugo?" I say, trying to show sportsmanship and get him to ease up, acknowledge my humanity- and show his own. He walks to the center of the ring and stares down at me, his eyes cold as he looks down his nose. I step back, realizing I might have expected a bit much...


    I back up, but then I hear from the jumbo tron, "Hey, hey, c''mon Bang Bang, boy¡ªshow some sportsmanship!" Thus, in the middle of my third step back, I''m suddenly yanked back to the middle of the ring, and Bakugo roughly shakes my hand.


    "Well... you did tell him to shake hands..." I hear Aizawa''s voice come from the Jumbotron.


    To that, I hear my pops growl in frustration. "Oh- he wants to be a wise guy, huh?... Screw the countdown- Henry, Bakugo- the fight starts- now."


    Bakugo looks up at the jumbo tron in surprise, but I smirk as I realize my pops did the closest thing he could to rig this fight in my favor. Doppelganger is weak at range, and had Bakugo and I had to return to our corners, Bakugo would have had a strong advantage.


    The opening attack is me doing a hook punch to Bakugo in the crotch, which- that one works as expected. He buckles over.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Tori runs behind me and starts up one of her strobe lights, which doesn''t affect me since I''m facing away from her. Bakugo staggers back, his arm covering his eyes, as I swing my right arm. A replica of me appears, lying at the back of his ankles. Bakugo starts to trip as my clone grabs his legs, and I shove him from the front.


    Bakugo hits the ground on his back, and the crowd starts to cheer and stomp as I grin. This is going better than I expected!


    I''m about to try to jump on Bakugo before I get my head back in the game and realize that jumping on his front is unlikely to end in my favor. This is a symbolic victory at best. I spin to the right quickly as Bakugo raises his right hand to point in the direction I was in ¡ªand Tori is in. I try to snap away my previous clone in time to put a new one in front of Tori, but before I can even snap, a concussive blast knocks Tori out of the ring.


    Bakugo aims his hand at me now, but I transfer my consciousness to the clone at his feet. The blast hits my old body, and it flies out of the ring, but I snap my fingers, and it vanishes before it can hit the ground.


    Meanwhile, outside the ring, Tori has to let a ref put a handcuff on her left wrist. It''s a harmless concession for now, and she''s barely scuffed from the attack or fall. She runs back into the ring.


    Bakugo unleashes another concussive blast at me while I''m on the ground. I''m not standing on the edge of the ring, so I don''t get knocked out of the ring this time, but I am tossed back, and WOW does that one sting!


    Bakugo could technically just play wack-a-mole with us, knocking us out of the ring until he wins by knocking Tori and me out of bounds enough times enough time for us to be fully restrained by just the penalties. But I know from watching his fight with Todoroki that Bakugo HATES ring-out-style victories. He''s going to try to do things the hard way- which may work heavily in the favor of me and my sister.


    When he rolls over, I jut my right arm, and a clone of me falls onto his back, standing right between his shoulder blades, forcing him to go splat onto his chest.


    I can''t believe it''s going this well! Tori and I quickly jump onto his back, both trying to grab an arm. Now, we remember that where Ida''s powers centered on his legs, Bakugo''s center on his hands. Two violent blasts go off, one under each of Bakugo''s hands as we pull them out, nailing both of us in the chest and making us fly back.


    Great! How do we get past that? Okay... there''s a way... I look over at Tori as she''s holding her chest. I can quickly recover, but she can''t¡ªshe needs to stay back. I swing my right arm, signaling Tori to move back but also creating a duplicate. This time, I don''t use the attack to force Bakugo down again. I want him up as part of a calculated risk to achieve victory. I also signaled with three fingers up to let my sister know what plan we were about to go with.


    As Tori moves back, she tosses down two smoke canisters, and I decide to do likewise. These smoke bombs are special because they''re not really smoke bombs. They''re C02 canisters used to rapidly disperse fog for stage performances.


    Our plan is now in play as the arena fills with blue fog. Tori and I toss mini-led flares while moving quickly around the arena.


    Bakugo fires off an explosion, scattering several mini flares but not hitting me or Tori. However, this activates stage two of the battle plan as I run straight in through the thick fog behind him, pulling out a set of handcuffs tied to a long cord as I move.


    I jump directly onto Bakugo''s back, snapping the cuffs onto his right wrist as he grabs my right arm and swings me to the ground in a judo throw- OOOFFF!


    Okay, maybe our next plan should focus more on how much damage I''ll take in just one attack.


    Still, that cuff is designed to lock with one side engaged. I''m in a lot of pain right now, but I''m keeping up the pace with the plan.


    While watching Bakugo''s fight with Todoroki, I noticed that his explosive attacks only appear spontaneous. He does have to focus, if only for a second or two, but he does. A second isn''t a big window of opportunity, but it''s not nothing. Bakugo points his hand at me on the ground, but I grab the cord coming off his cord (which is tied off to my wrist) to get him off target. The blast slams into my left arm but leaves the rest of me unscathed.


    Wow, is this hurting!


    Before Bakugo can start just unleashing on my left arm, Tori comes in close with her strobe light and disorients Bakugo. She barks before doing this, so I know to close my eyes. We both figured Bakugo wouldn''t put together what a bark meant in time to protect his eyes.


    I jut my right arm, knowing my clone has landed on Bakugo''s back.


    Tori barks again. Bakugo likely knows the signal now, but it doesn''t matter, as he likely already has phosphenes screwing up his vision. I see my clone and transfer to it. Then I move quickly to cuff his other hand.


    Bakugo fires off blast after another, but I''m up on his arms and using the cords tied to the cuffs to keep him from getting a good sight picture on me. I still take several glancing blows, and I''m in a lot of pain, but the plan is coming together. My clone and I drop to the ground and put our weight into forcing Bakugo''s hands to point down at us. My clone and I are just able to keep the brunt of his attacks from obliterating us- and I''m so glad for the rule that says he can''t unleash on me at full power because I''d be REALLY tempting fate right now if he could.


    As it stands, I''m getting minor bruises and burns to let my sister run in, and- yep, she drives in a powerful right hook to his stomach as he can''t move back. Even with all his toughness, this knocks the wind out of him, and he bends over.


    He staggers as my clone, and I move as quickly as our injuries will allow.


    I didn''t realize how bad my body would complain after the punishment Bakugo unloaded on me. Sure, I''m not crippled, Bakugo sticks to the rules, but my clone and I both have to settle for just rolling past each other. We then loop our cords around each other as Bakugo recovers. Now, we''ll be able to pull his arms together.


    Funny- ya know, I would have figured he would recover at least in relative speed to me- why are his hands already together-


    BOOM!


    Tori, myself, and my clone all drop as a brilliant explosion of sound and light shoots out from Bakugo.


    Bakugo then moves his hands to his front and sets off two more blasts like the first. Oh god... it''s like the world is spinning around me. My ears are wringing, and my eyes can''t see anything but white for a few seconds. I feel my arms pulled behind my back and cuffed. I want to react before I''m fully restrained, but my body isn''t responding. I''m nauseous, and the world just keeps spinning. I hear Tori heaving, and I can only assume Bakugo moves on to restrain her.


    I can only feel it as I''m roughly dropped near Tori, and the crowd suddenly goes wild.


    Finally, I threw up and heard Tori do the same for the second time.


    My body can''t retract like it needs to after hurling since I''m restrained, so I have to just suffer.


    After what feels like an eternity of suffering, the cuffs are released, and I curl into a ball on the ground, still shaking.


    I can see someone standing over me. "Sheesh, Katsuki- what do you call that?" asks the ref.


    "Stun Grenade," Bakugo says, but then he pauses. I guess it was a little overkill for middle schoolers¡ªthey''re okay, right?"


    "They''ll recover, but help me get them onto the stretchers, okay?"


    "I mean..." I look up at Bakugo, seeing that he looks ready to walk away. But he pauses. "I mean..." He looks over at Tori. "She... looks a lot like someone... someone I... yeah... yeah, I''ll help." I watch as Bakugo actually leans down and picks up Tori, gently putting her on a stretcher. The ref picks me up, even as the world slowly starts to calm down for me. He puts me on a stretcher, too, but I try to get up as he shoves me back down. "Stay down and let the staff look you over, kid- then you can return for the festivities."


    "We lost?" I ask.


    The man just shrugs. "I''d say definitely¡ªbut hey, there will be some games and eager fans later on, so don''t let it eat you up, okay? Get your once-over and come back out and enjoy yourselves." Before I can respond, I''m rushed away to be examined by the medical staff.


    After just a few minutes of checkups, Tori and I are practically dropped back onto the grass just outside the arena. We''re alright, if a little sore, but it is unceremonious. My sister and I collect ourselves and turn around¡ªthen freeze. We''re surrounded.


    Cameras flash from several angles. It''s nothing like the stun attacks from Bakugo, but it''s still a little disorienting. I see young people crowding in from every side, several with notebooks and pens out. Wait, are they... they''re asking for our autographs? Don''t they know we lost?


    I''m pulled into the crowd in one direction and Tori in another. Girls and women seem to be primarily interested in Tori, while so many boys my age and younger start crowding me. So many want autographs, and so many pepper me with questions about my apparently impressive moves.


    I get worried until I see a big stupid yellow hairstyle I would know anywhere. Pops comes and stands by Tori, making sure everyone gives her space. Not far behind him is Yuka, who makes everyone back off from me as she says, "Alright, form lines and Bandit decides who he talks to and for how long,"


    "Mom... I lost..." I say, but she pats me on the head as she gets down on my level.


    "You were amazing, kiddo, I''m so proud of you," she says.


    "I... I... really?" I say, staring up at her in disbelief.


    Proud? Of me? I didn''t even win. What does that mean? Proud of what? I lost- who''s ever proud of a loser?


    But she''s not the only one. A line really does form with young boys eager to talk to me.


    I can''t do this- I can''t process this.


    "I need space... I really need space- I have to be alone... please... mom please- I can''t... please I need Tori... just me and Tori," She looks a little disappointed at first, but then looks over as Hizashi and in a few moments Tori and I are escorted to a small picnic area, and our new parents make everyone give us space.


    We both sit at a table. Tears stream down my face, and Tori doesn''t look much better. "What- what''s going on? Are all these people confused?" I ask.


    "I don''t know, big bro- we''re failures, but girls are telling me how pretty I am, and they want to know how I''m so brave... I don''t understand. We didn''t stand a chance out there."


    "We got close once or twice- maybe there was a dispute?"


    "Bro- we lost,"


    "I know- we''re gonna go back to jail..."


    "We''re going to let down all these people..." we both say, holding hands across the table.


    I overhear someone talking to my father- as if I have to think to guess who it is.


    "What the hell are those idiots crying about?" Bakugo shouts. "Get out of my way, old man- what are you gonna do- fight me?"


    "Do I need to?" I hear my pops say. I turn to look and see Bakugo and Hizashi staring each other down, my pops having a good half-foot on Bakugo, at least so¡ªeven Bakugo would be wise to back down here.


    Bakugo looks at the ground. "No sir, you don''t. I have no intention of hurting them- but let me say my peace to them?"


    Hizashi huffs, "Fine- but I''m watching you."


    Bakugo marches over to us. "What the heck are you crying about?!" he demands.


    "We let everyone down- and it''s like no one knows," Tori explains. "We''re gonna have to explain-"


    "You think these people are idiots or something? That was a good fight. The people know one when they see it."


    "But we lost, so why is everyone talking to us instead of you?"


    "Plenty of people have been talking to me," Bakugo says, folding his arms. "But you''re more approachable and, ya know- the same age," he cocks his head to the crowds of young boys I can see who are still waiting in the crowd to talk to me in particular. "You did well out there."


    "We''re not getting in... UA won''t let us in..." Tori says, and we look down on that note.


    "Will you get off that?" Bakugo demands. He marches closer and slams his hands on the table, making us both jump. "Look, UA would be idiots to think that was a bad display. Did they specifically tell you that if you lost, you''re out?"


    "I... well no..." I say, suddenly realizing that I was never actually told that.


    "You''ll get in, understand?" He then gets down in my face, "And you had better remember- two years- come find me. Mono-e-mono, we''re fighting for real, got it?"


    My eyes widen. "What?"


    "You''re a rival-"


    "I''m not good enough-"


    "Shut up. Don''t contradict me, you''re my rival." He stands back up. "And even if things go south, I know you won''t give up on your dream of being a hero- you won''t, right? Will you give up that easily, Bandit?"


    "Well, I mean-"


    "Don''t you dare. I''ll keep my eye on you. Things go south, and you have to get your hero license late- then just come find me when you do. You and your sister. I''m gonna be the number one. I''ll probably have an agency a few years after graduating and need sidekicks. I figure you''ll be in sabotage, and your sister will be a healer. I''ll be number 1, so I''ll need an eye for talent; you have it, and your sister, well- with what I hear about her quirk, she damn well better get some."


    Tori looks up at him in confusion, but he slowly glares at her, and she just nods shakily.


    "I mean... Bakugo, I don''t know if-" I start- but as if I''m getting a word in edgewise here.


    "Are you about to turn me down?" He lowers down, almost getting in my face again. "You''re gonna take an offer from someone OVER the number one hero? Are you crazy? That supposed to say something about me?"


    "I''m good enough?"


    "I said so- so you are- you gonna fight me about it?"


    "Um... no..." I say. I''m unsure if I should smile or cower right now... both?


    "Smart." He folds his arms. "Now stop moping, get up, and go have fun- NOW!"


    Tori and I get up. If anything, we don''t want to piss off this wacko again.

 Welcome to School- Welcome to Jail!

    Nezu:


    I sigh as I look at the 21st floor. I smell all the cleaning products and feel the new carpet touch my feet. We had started dusting, sweeping, and replacing the furnishings. I walk down the hall, looking through the windows of each potential classroom. Will I have to let go of this part of my dream again? Is that going to be the price of thoughtlessness?


    To allow a child, even one like Henry, into a deal where I can force him into a combat role, what was I thinking?


    Still, it would be unfortunate if these classrooms remained closed. I walk into one of the rooms and see chairs and desks all sitting around the hole in the floor where we would put... it. A projection device was going to be the envy of the medical community. It was going to project the parts of the human body with interactive holograms. It would show students everything we know about the body in a revolutionary fashion barely dreamed possible before the advent of quirks.


    I look at the hole in the floor¡ªit may never be filled. I stoop down, press my paw into the dust, and sigh. Such a promise¡ªto be able to give students the training to get into and out of emergencies with the medicines and treatments people will need in their darkest hours... why don''t our stupid investors see the value in that?


    I punch the dust in frustration. We need a medical quirk, my eye! That''s ridiculous. Needle, thread, and bandages work, always have, and always will; the point of this class would have been to give someone the education they needed to get those life-saving tools to people in dangerous situations. Tori''s brother would likely have been just as effective as her- just as effective as anyone else with the courage, determination, and excellence to take on the challenge.


    I slowly get up and turn around, feeling his eyes on my back.


    "You know, if you''re going to try so hard to impersonate their character, you should try to make a deal with DC Comics to officially connect yourself with Batman," I say, turning around to talk with Aizawa.


    I smirked as he put his hands in his pockets and bowed to me, me bowing back. He then looks around the room. "I suppose all this will get packed up again then?" he asks.


    "Well, we should wait," I say, looking at the hole in the floor again. "There''s a chance Tori will say "yes" to being groomed for all of this, and if she does, that''s all we need. Our reputation will attract enough students with normal quirks to easily get a class off the ground; I just hate the uncertainty... and our inane investors. The young Ms. Yamada is only needed for the investors, and Henry, well, I have to admit, I only gave him a chance because he caught my interest."


    "He offered to be an informant, sir,"


    "Oh yes, I remember that offer," I nod as I walk over to a projection board in the front of the room. "Tell me, what do you think of it? Weekly briefings from a twelve-year-old on the essentials of how a syndicate like Miles works- could be extremely valuable. That could give our teachers and students an incredible edge."


    "I thought I was cruel to those two," Aizawa says. "If you''re not careful, I''ll fight you."


    I look back at him with an almost tired expression on my face. "You realize your quirk doesn''t even work on me, right? I''m not even human- I''m not even sure if my intelligence is a quirk or just a result of all the experiments done on me in the hybridization process. I have human DNA in me- but also fox, rat, bear, dog... I''m not sure what else, really."


    I turn around and start looking over the desks and pull a large anatomy book out of one about 1/4th the size of the one I gave to Tori. I opened it and looked at the information. "If you''re wondering why your threat fell on deaf ears, remember it might have been more effective if your Batman act wasn''t such a poor imitation. I heard your steps when you entered the hall and smelled your terrible aftershave the second you entered the building this morning. And yes, my body has few advantages over yours, but I''m a student of the same school of thought as young Henry- work with what you''ve got." I look up at him, my eyes still sleepy. "You wouldn''t last more than a few seconds against me- trust me."


    Aizawa sighs and takes a small step back.


    "That''s what I thought," I say as I close the book. "I know you would fight me if you really had to, but it''s not something you would be wise to prefer. Besides, I''m not trying to hurt young Henry if you''re accusing me of that."


    Aizawa bites his lip. "Charles is a crime lord. If Henry gives us information like he''s proposing, he''ll make himself an even bigger target to nefarious agents," he says.


    "And I considered that, but I also considered why Henry made the offer."


    "Really? And why do you think he made it?"


    I jump down from the chair meant for someone less than half my age- I''m the only person in the school who has to look UP to young Tori. But I might be the most dangerous in the entire building. "He sort of mentioned it in passing in our meeting, but someone as smart as that boy had to realize the implications. I know normal twelve-year-olds who could have figured out the inherent danger. He''s moving to destroy the legacy of Miles- scorched earth. Yes, that''s what he wants, to completely destroy his abuser and his legacy."


    "You''re encouraging a young boy to pursue revenge?" Aizawa asks, sounding uneasy.


    "Hm... I see you''re well-versed in platitudes. Some forms of revenge can actually be healthy." I blink, again showing disinterest, "Why did you come here, professor?"


    "Frankly, I recently thought through your actions so far and- accepting Henry and Tori into the school, accepting the offer to get briefings targeted at undermining Miles specifically, and televising Henry''s entrance exam- you''re poking Miles in the eye. You''re practically begging for a fight." He looks at me with concern. "Sir, parents trust us with their children. If we bait someone like Charles, even when he''s in jail..."


    I chuckle and walk away from him, back towards the front of the classroom. "Of course they trust us, and they should." I pause. "And I''m working on showing everyone why." I look off to the side and growl. "That boy was brutalized, neglected, manipulated, and thrown to the wolves- but he still fought for every inch to protect himself and someone he loves. If I can''t work with someone like that, what kind of a teacher am I? I look into his eyes and see a boy whose dreams are dying, and even if he won''t say it out loud, he''s desperate to save them. He''ll think our structured classes are a vacation, and I imagine he''ll take the pressure like a fish to water." I let my fur back down and turn back to my professor with determination in my eyes this time. "But I can only help him and his sister if I''m willing to help fight their demons. My actions are mostly for the benefit of those two; the televised test was to give Henry a head start at improving his image."


    "But sir, Charles had to see that."


    "I''m aware. There are inherent dangers in working with those kids." I hop over to the teacher''s desk and jump on it, taking a seat. "Listen and learn, young professor. My plans are built to work on multiple levels. I helped Bakugo and Henry with their reputations... well I gave Bakugo a chance anyway. But I''m also provoking Charles so he''ll hurry and make a mistake. If we take in Henry and Tori in secret, we cannot know when or how he''ll catch on and thus when he''ll attack." I smirk. "I televised that UA, and thus I, am claiming those children and molding them into MY image. I poked Mr. Miles in the eye, slapped him in the face, and spat on his family name. When he finds out what I''m letting Henry do with the briefings, he''ll have no choice but to act, and soon, or else his reputation will be obliterated along with his ability to even operate in this country."


    I continue after a beat, "With Henry, we''ve assessed his combat abilities through the practical and overall. I''m opening the family room to consider Henry''s feelings and as a measure against Charles attacking Yuka and Yukari and using them against us. I''m going to have Henry and Tori monitored and trained in combat BEFORE their true classes begin in two years, making them the hardest to attack children in the country if possible. I''m going to force their father to attack now when he''s still adjusting to his empire falling around him due to his recent arrest and Henry informing the authorities. When Charles comes, he''ll find his children trained, he''ll find nothing but hardened targets, and he''ll find us waiting for him. Parents should trust us. I will show them that if I have to address the problems their children face myself, then I''ll do it. Charles is going to try to threaten two of my students? Let him try." I walk out of the room.


    Aizawa drops his Batman act and starts following me like a nervous student. "Nezu, there are serious legal considerations here." Correction, nevous lawyer. "Do the authorities know of your plan?"


    "You''re an authority, I''m telling you, I''m an authority, and Hawks and several police officers are in on my planning, so that''s not an issue," I say as I keep walking, keeping my eyes straight ahead. I suppose Aizawa feels the need to question me for student welfare, so I''ll allow it.


    "Is Hizashi in on this? Yuka and Yukari?"


    "I beg your pardon, but Yukari is eight; she''s still fantasizing about unicorns in her off time, so she''ll know nothing. However, Yuka and Hizashi will be brought up to speed quickly. Henry and Tori passed the test, so things are moving fast now. I doubt Mr. Yamada won''t appreciate a move to secure his family."


    "Suppose I''m on board. Does this mean Herny and Tori are immune to expulsion?"


    "Baring them presenting a direct threat to the staff or students, I would appreciate trying not to expel them. At least for the first two years. After all, how high of standards can we hold them to right away, considering the circumstances?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Good point- alright. You know I don''t like Henry, right? I''m fine with Tori, but our conversations tend to revolve around the little troublemaker, not her."


    "I''ll note he has yet to cause trouble, here anyway, so you have no justification in calling him that. We still need to see what he does when Charles isn''t pulling his strings."


    Eventually, we arrive outside the old radio and broadcasting classroom¡ªthe associated skills have depreciated over time, making it a perfect room for my purposes. I see Yuka, Henry, and Tori on a bench outside the room, just as I asked of them.


    As I approach, Herny and Tori jump up when they see me and nervously look at each other. They both give hesitant quasi-bows, but Yuka stops them gently, holding their chests up as I shake my head to reinforce her to them. Eventually I reach five feet from them both and stop. They both do a full European bow, making me chuckle as I return a proper 5-degree bow.


    Aizawa rolls his eyes in exasperation and simply walks away after bowing to Yuka.


    I shrug, watching as he goes saying, "That one requires students to earn him bowing to them. Don''t read into it, Ms. Yamada; he does it with every student," I say, noticing as all three newcomers seem startled by the professor''s lack of tact, watching him as he goes.


    I clear my throat to get their attention back. "In any case, I have good news, Herny and Tori: You have been formally admitted into UA Academy."


    "Whoo!" Tori yells.


    "Yeah!" Henry says with a kind of growl yell that is a signature of excited young men


    Both children''s eyes light up, hugging each other and giving small cheers. I smile, watching them in their jubilation and relief. They even try bowing to me again, though Yuka stops them. "I see lessons in etiquette will not be remiss," I say, then look down. "And now it''s time for me to eat crow, as the English say."


    "What do you mean?" Henry asks as the two hug each other tightly with huge smiles. I looked at them and realized it would be easy to withhold the new plan from them. Wouldn''t humanity benefit from my plan? Ultimately, wouldn''t the children?


    I continue. "I want you both to consider going with our original plan. The EMT program needs Tori''s gift to get off the ground." And here we go... "However, it would be unethical to require that under the circumstances." The children stop celebrating, still hugging each other, but both look at me in confusion. "You are free to accept preliminary education in any UA course. You passed my test and met your legal end of the deal. What''s illegal is me forcing you into an armed service, with the only alternative being jail."


    I put my paws together and bow 45 degrees, looking at the floor. "Please forgive my thoughtlessness. I almost took serious advantage of you both for my own gain. That is something an adult like me should never do with vulnerable children like yourselves."


    "I... look, maybe I should apologize for even making the offer-" Henry says as the two release each other from their embrace, but I rise and put up a paw, even putting it on his head to stop him from trying to return my gesture.


    "I forbid it," I say. "I am the adult. I have the power here. You simply did what you felt you had to to secure your future." I take his hands into my paws and look into his eyes. "Henry, I really do want to help you. Your story speaks to me. But I must treat you with the respect you deserve as a fellow person." I push up his chin. "So take my apology, and try to remember this moment. This school and my professors really are trying to do right by you and all our students."


    Henry backs up, then just stands there, not moving for almost a minute. "Apologizing to me? I don''t... how... apologies are supposed to be pleas for, like, mercy..."


    I sigh. "No, they''re not. I trust your family will correct that notion in time."


    I decide to move on. "Follow me." I walk into the old classroom.


    Yuka and her new children follow, but I sense their footsteps slow as the room behind me. Around them, they see a nice soft green carpet. The sliding door has been replaced with a wood version, and the desks have been replaced with couches and a small color television. The room has two privacy partitions and a series of four beds, one extra large.


    "What... what is all this?" Yuka asks, looking around at the cozy environment.


    "It''s a family room¡ªfor your family, naturally. Seeing as Henry and Tori will not be allowed to go to you, we have facilitated you coming to them as often as you like." I watch the startled children walk further into the room, looking at the beds meant for them and their youngest sibling, who I have no doubt is currently at her own school.


    "This... sir, this is so... I don''t know what to say..." Yuka says, looking around.


    "It''s a necessity, not just a gesture." I insist though I must chuckle again as Herny and Tori lay on their beds and bounce on them a little, acting to all the world like the normal children they are at heart. "Henry and Tori will effectively be prisoners in this school, but I refuse to have my school turned into a literal jail... aside from that, they have a troubled past, so I want you to know you have a refuge here if that past ever tries to come for you or your youngest."


    Yuka swallows at the bitter possibility that I just evoked. "How likely do you think that is?"


    I don''t want to tell her, but I have to. "Very. So be prepared."


    "Will Yukari be a refugee student?" she asks, holding her hands together tightly as she looks around again.


    "She''s your daughter, so that''s up to you and your husband. But if you wish, we can arrange it."


    She sighs in what I think is relief. "Not for now," she says, "I want to try keeping my home and her life intact- but we will come here- daily when possible."


    "I''m glad to hear it. Henry and Tori will be allowed one week to tour our school to find a subject they''re more interested in. If they don''t, we will revert to the original plan."


    I tap my foot on the ground to get attention, "Now, for the rest of the bad news," I turn and call the children to me, "Herny, Tori, come here, now," I let some authority into my voice, as now is not the time for childish exploration and play, unfortunately. They quickly come over and bow again, which I decide is best not to correct them on for now.


    I begin. "Both of you, I hate doing this, but... welcome to your new prison." I wave around to evoke the entire school, not merely the room. "You need to know how your lives here will go. You are restricted to UA school grounds for the remainder of your sentences." I give them both three-page pamphlets full of restrictions and clarifications. "Considering your ages, you will have a grace period for unintentional mistakes this week. You will find that having these pamphlets on your persons at all times and taking care of them is one of your restrictions, so figure out how to make that happen." I give a third copy of the restrictions to Yuka and all three of them start reading.


    "That''s um... a lot. If... if we disobey these restrictions?" Henry asks with a stutter.


    "Don''t. I''m on thin ice with the government having you here as it is. If you push me, I can''t help you. Minor infractions will be met harshly, and severe ones may end up with your removal. You''ll have enough problems keeping up with normal class and student rules."


    Herny, in particular, seems nervous, which isn''t a surprise. He''s the one who has adjusted to freedom of movement. Tori was a prisoner in her former life as well.


    Yuka speaks up behind me. "Nezu, don''t you think these kinds of restrictions are bit much for two preteen children?"


    "Try going to jail Ms. Yamada," I say with a raised eyebrow. "I think you''ll find this is just a much more comfortable version of that- where they''re at least able to interact with their loved ones and move about a large campus at will for much of the day."


    "Sir, our previous... associates could come for us at any time," Henry says.


    "The teachers will monitor you, many of whom are professional heroes. Tori''s quirk could be used for defense in a pinch..." I reach into a shirt pocket, "Do not spread the word of being allowed this. However, I feel it is unavoidable that I give you this." I give him a small utility knife and watch him finger it cautiously, knowing I''m taking a serious chance. "This is not a society that cares about weapons as much as we once did- even so, I''m not interested in you running around absconding with random objects for the purposes of self-defense." I instantly grab his hand as he''s about to put the knife in his pocket. "Do not test me. I know how deadly you could be with that. It''s a last resort for criminal attackers only. Are. We. Clear?"


    I stare the boy down, my grip strong and unyielding. Herny eventually nervously licks his lips, breaking eye contact, and nods with a swallow. I let his hand go, and he pockets the weapon.


    Yuka speaks up behind me, and there is a stutter in her voice. "Henry... Henry has a pretty good quirk of his own; it just doesn''t have its own means of attack." She swallows. "Dop... dop- doppelganger is a better quirk than mine or Yukari''s by a good margin. Are you saying he''s in so much danger he HAS to have that?"


    I look at her with concern in my heart but conviction in my eyes. The look she gives back tells me she is starting to understand the danger her family could be in.


    (***)


    Mr. Bar:


    I''m surrounded by the wonderful aroma of booze... and those stupid Japanese snacks. I finish off my tequila and slam the bottle down, the sound echoing through the small B¨¡.


    I''m a large man of an intimidating build, especially in this land of... tiny people. My blonde hair and large square features stand out, and many other customers at the bar are eyeing me. Screw ''em''. They can look at me as an outsider, but they better remember the name I serve under.


    I look around and see several occupied bar stools with those stupid serving plates under people''s drinks. Behind me, I can feel the eyes of the customers in small booths. These stupid b¨¡s are always so tiny compared to the proper sports bars like at home. And it''s hard to find the kinds of drink a real man likes¡ªthis is one of the only places so far that even sells Taquilla. Barbarians.


    "Mister," a man says when he finally has the gumption to speak. "Um, Mister,"


    "I speak Nihongo, spit it out, old man," I say in perfect Japanese, as a man in decent shape but with graying hair stands up.


    The man smirks. "You seem to not be able to read it. The sign out front says, "No foreigners."


    I guzzle again from my bottle, sigh in a relaxed manner, and look at the alcohol, swirling it as I speak: "Your people should learn to think ahead more. If you want foreigners to understand you, maybe you should write your signs in English, not your native chicken scratch." Several more men stand on that note. "I''m just making an observation; there''s no need for a scene," I say.


    "That''s the last drink you''ll be allowed here, Mr. Bar," a man behind the counter says, his face like that of an overgrown frilled lizard- literally.


    "Ah, don''t be like that. Should I put you down for a small discount on protection for your continued loyalty to Miles, Mr. Sazshi?"


    Mr. Sazshi chuckles as he cleans a glass behind the bar. "Considering your constant patronage of my establishment, I''m being nice, Mr. Bar. But the name of Miles is worthless. Charles is rotting in jail, your networks are crumbling, and even little Henry has been claimed by the Voice Hero: Present Mic." He laughs louder, "UA televised an event where they accepted both of your employer''s children- and what is Miles doing- nothing." The man puts up his hands with a shrug. "What is Miles? Now? Now it''s nothing." He turns his back on me. "Finish your drink, I''m not letting you flout my rules anymore."


    I smirk at his back saying, "You know I''m getting those kids back myself, right?"


    Several chuckles and full laughs can be heard around me. "You''re going to steal two students from one of the most well-guarded schools in Japan?" the old man from earlier asks, starting to buckle over.


    "Are you forgetting my reputation?" I ask.


    "I wonder if that were real, considering your pathetic employer."


    "Is that how you all feel? Miles is a joke?" No one denies it. No one else even speaks. I shake my bottle at the gray-haired man and use my left hand to scratch a small circle in the wood of the bar where I sit. "I respect the courage to say it yourself so-" I slam my left hand on the circle, and thin cylinders suddenly fire up from the ground and seats all around the B¨¡, punching through the patrons.


    The smell of booze is slowly replaced with the smell of iron as I rise from my stool, swishing my Taquilla at the fallen Mr. Sazshi, his bloodied corpse on the floor. "Sorry I can''t return after today; I''ll miss your Tequilaa." I then walk to the door, stopping at the entrance and looking back at the gray-haired man who had spoken up to me, himself the only one left uninjured among the mass of human carnage. "I respect courage- you can live. Let people know- Miles is down, but not out. Got me?"


    The man nods as his body trembles, and I proceed outside into the night.

 Strange Equals- They Finally Meet!

    Hotaru:


    "They''re here! They''re here!" I shout as I jump up and down. I look out the common room window and see them coming to the building with their suitcases. "Bakugo they''re here!" I shout again as my mentor reads his math book instead of looking up.


    I look back into the common room area at my fellow 1-A alumni- like that word, alumni? I just learned it!


    Anyway, I look around at the TVs, the couches, the... everyone sitting around doing homework in the middle of a weekend day. I typically wait until five because I have REAL stuff to do. Things like working out, playing sports and video games with Bakugo and his crew, or playing games with Ochaco. The rest of the students are so dull. They seem to do the same things, but they don''t want to do much with me, so for me, it''s boring.


    But as I see THEM walking up the sidewalk, I know it won''t be the same. Even Bakugo and his friends only want to work with me for so long. For instance, they''re so much stronger than me, so they don''t like competing with me in anything- cause we all know they''re not really competing; I''m just being humored or coached. But finally, I see someone against whom it will matter how hard I try when I play a sport or compete in trivia. Fellow middle schoolers!


    From a distance, I see them as Bakugo stands over me with his arms folded.


    Henry, as I can see, has brown hair and a slightly reddish tan. He''s lean, which is easy to tell in his purple tank top and black jeans. I don''t know his eye color just yet¡ªwait... hazel. It''s hard to tell at first because he keeps his black cap pulled over his face, which has to limit his vision a bit, but to each his own.


    Then there''s Tori, with reddish brown hair, pale skin, chubby, and a little smaller. She''s wearing a pink cardigan over a white shirt and blue jeans. I like her casual style, like my red sweater and blue jeans.


    I''m shaking with anticipation at meeting them, and I look up at Bakugo with a grin. He raises an eyebrow but shrugs, saying. "Well, you''ve certainly made progress in the social department. You need me to come with you?"


    "Nope! I got this!" I then open the door, run down a few steps, and down a brick path.


    Wow, even though I was on the first floor of the dorms, these two looked a lot smaller from there. Um... maybe it''s better to back down before-


    "Hey, do I know you?" Henry asks.


    I bite my lip. Maybe I should have asked Bakugo to come with me? "Um... probably not too well," I say.


    "Oh hey!" Tori perks up. "It''s that nice, quiet girl!"


    "Yeah, you''re um... um... I was, um... told who you are, right?" Henry asks.


    "Hotaru," Tori says, then pats her brother on the shoulder. "You''ll get it." He looks down and away on that note.


    "Rrrright..." I say, not sure what that interaction meant. "Anyway, c''mon, you''re both carrying big black suitcases; I guess you''re moving in like they say." I peek over their shoulders, "Though I wonder where the rest of your stuff is." Indeed, they both have backpacks and decent-sized suitcases, but that''s it- and school will be in session for at least another six months! "Well, the dorms are this way, so follow me!" I say, putting on my best friendly smile, a toothy grin I''m told no one can mistake.


    I start walking towards the 1-A dorms, and Henry immediately follows as I head back to my school home. However, I notice quickly that I''m soon alone. I look back to see Tori holding her brother''s arm. "That''s 1-A. Henry and I are assigned to the top floor of 1-B, opposite sides of the top floor."


    "I- oh..." I look over at the brick, reddish brown, two-tower building to my left that looks the same as the one I just came from- only it belongs to them. 1-A and 1-B are rival classes. Most of my classmates consider them sworn enemies, no joke! The only ones who seem to be friends across the lines are Tetsutetsu and Kirishima, and I imagine that''s fraught with tension. "Does this mean we have to hate each other?" I ask, disappointed. "We have rival classes." My shoulders slump as my eyes widen a little.


    "Well, if that''s all it takes to make you hate someone," Henry says with a raised eyebrow. He looks between the two dorms. "But it''s up to you." He walks over to me and leans towards me a little. "Hey, ya know what?" He gives a knowing side smile. "Screw the rivalry. Come with us."


    "I don''t know..." I say.


    "Awww... C''mon, live a little. Everyone is an aspiring hero here; the three of us are kids anyway, so it''s not like anyone will feel good attacking us; what''s the worst that could happen? Anyone attacks us, their reputation is in the toilet."


    "You think?" I ask, giving a nervous grin.


    "I know," Henry replies. "Besides, my sister and I are convicts, so if you need an excuse to break a few rules- here we are!"


    "I don''t know..." But as I repeat that little mantra, Henry grabs my hand and pulls me along as Tori leads us to the 1-B dorms.


    Outside, I see them, the leaders of class 1-B.


    I rarely see 1-B''s students, only at competitive rallies. Their quirks are amazing, and boy, are they aggressive on the field! My classmates came back from skirmishes, bruises, and bleeding. I''m only allowed to watch intense quirk matches from the sidelines, and seeing 1-B in action, I''m happy with that. I''ve even seen Bakugo have trouble with these teens¡ªhe always overcomes them, but it takes a lot to even challenge him.


    First, there''s the orange-haired Kendo with blue eyes and orange hair, a strong figure, a responsible hairstyle, including a very well-kept long ponytail, and finally, a modest dress and jacket; really, everything about this girl screamed professionalism. She was the class rep, and in many ways, she seemed more professional than our president, Ida Tenya. She''s outside helping one of her classmates, Kaibara, a black-haired boy who I can only guess is struggling with math.


    Next, there''s her vice president, Shoda, a rather short young man, who gets up and stands before the door as we approach. He has an unfortunate egg-like figure and minimal blue hair, but don''t let all that fool you. He''s brilliant and very well disciplined, as you can tell by how he bows to us as we come up to his class dorms, always looking to make a good impression.


    Those two are their own intimidating brand since you always feel beneath them without them saying anything. Maybe it''s comforting if they''re on your side, but when you''re on the outside... I wonder how Tenya is seen by people he doesn''t support. Course... didn''t I use to be afraid of my class president myself?


    The third, and to me, most intimidating member of class 1-B now rears his face. Skinny, tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, and often wearing out that hero costume of his, a double-breasted tux with two long tails of some kind, a white shirt with an upturned collar, and a blue spotted tie. I would think it looked cool if the guy himself weren''t so in-your-face.


    "Well, hello!" Monoma yells as he bows with his arms open. "Well, I see my two new class tag-a-longs are being charitable and deigning to entertain the tag-along of our inferiors in 1-A! Hotaru, the little girl who always hides behind everyone else''s skirts¡ªthere she goes again!" I move behind Henry, unsure I want to interact with this guy.


    "Back off, she''s with us," Henry says.


    Monoma pauses and folds his arms. "Oh? Well, look at the stones on this one, Kendo," he says, looking at his class leader. Kendo gets up and looks down at us, Henry in particular. "Definitely an improvement over his counterpart, isn''t he? A dark aura, a little more style, and he speaks when spoken to or about." The teenager fixes me with a smirk as if daring me to respond. I stay behind Henry, looking down at my simple outfit.


    "Get out of our way. We need to move in before our curfew," Henry says, staring into Monoma''s eyes.


    Monoma stands to the side, giving a nearly complete European-style bow. "But of course, this is where you belong. Vlad himself seems eager to meet you tomorrow." He returns to standing but keeps out an inviting hand. "He says you and your darling sister will be checking us out as if there''s a chance you''ll want to go somewhere else once you''ve been with the best class."


    Kendo rolls her eyes but then gives a nod. "We''re a colorful bunch here, but you won''t find better friends. C''mon inside, I''ll show you your dorms."


    "She means you two, not this one. " Monoma grabs my arm and starts to pull me back, but then he falls to the ground, doing a near summersault. He comes up spitting, and we both notice Henry''s clone that suddenly appeared in his path and tripped him up.


    "I said, she''s with us. You hard of hearing?" Henry says. I wish I had his courage as he stares down Monoma despite their obvious difference in height and age.


    Monoma shrugs. "Very well, I see no reason to fight. And no outcome from a fight that will benefit my standing, so I''ll just come along and make sure she doesn''t mess anything up."


    Henry turns his back and continues after Kendo, saying, "Yeah, you do that." In a tone that dares Monoma to go further in defying him, maybe Henry is that good, but I suspect he''s just arrogant¡ªhe has no idea what Monoma is capable of.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    We head through a common room resembling 1-A''a own, with couches, games, and a few entertainment systems. I would explore out of curiosity, but the group just moves through. I don''t want to be left behind with the strange students here, so I keep with my brave champion, Henry. Well, he''s on my side for now, right?


    We come to the stairs as Kendo starts narrating. "Honestly, the dorms are pretty nice here. We have games, TV, the company of our classmates- just don''t let it all distract you from your studies, okay?" she says, as we all come into the stairs area. "We have an elevator, but that''s only for visitors and medical purposes. Have fun going up and down stairs every hour around here!" she laughs at the end of that statement. It''s true enough, stairs are becoming the bane of my existence.


    I remember these two saying they lived at the top, so I look up the five flights of stairs and sigh dejectedly. However, Henry separates from the group with a big grin on his face, walks to the middle of the first staircase, and reaches up to touch it.


    What is he do-


    A double of him appears on the stairs above him. The double snaps his fingers, and Henry disappears. Wait... what? The duplicate replicates Henry''s action and then disappears as a new version continues the process until there is only one version of Henry¡ªfive stories up from us, grinning down. "C''mon, slow pokes!" He yells down.


    "Body swapping," Tori says, rolling her eyes. "My brother''s most confusing and most abused ability." She starts hiking up the stairs as Monoma looks up at Henry. He feels along the stairs to where Henry began his assent.


    "Interesting. Some kind of psychic network ability. It''s not simple replicas- it''s the next best thing to teleportation," Monoma says. "Well- let''s give it a whirl!" A replica of Monoma appears on the stairs above him- and then Monoma disappears in favor of his own clone. He repeats the process Herny just went through and appears next to Henry. "I have a feeling I''m gonna like you," Monoma says with a grin, Henry cringing. That''s Monoma''s quirk, copy; he can replicate up to four quirks at once and store them for minutes at a time.


    Kendo runs up the steps and grabs Tori from behind in one hand. "What the!?" Tori yelps, but she doesn''t have much time to resist before Kendo grabs the railing, spins around, and jumps, enlarging her other hand and grabbing the next set of stairs and yanking herself up, basically bypassing two flights of stairs in one maneuver. Tori screams the whole time until she''s finally set down. "Warn me next time!" she yells at Kendo.


    Kendo just chuckles at her as I start hiking up the stairs myself. "Sorry," Kendo says, stepping back, but not losing her big smile. "You can walk the rest of the way if you want..."


    "As long as I''m not panicking, that was actually kind of fun..." Tori says. Then she is grabbed and slung up the stairs, two staircases at a time, this time screaming and laughing as she goes.


    It''s all enough to make a girl forget she''s only one and a half staircases up... almost. "Um, someone gonna help me?" I ask. "Kendo? That looked like fun... guys?" But Monoma opens the door to the fifth floor, and he and Henry file in without saying another word.


    Kendo looks down with a smile but then shrugs. "You can be in here and all, but you''re not one of us, kiddo. Have fun hiking up the next three flights. I''m going to help my new classmates get settled. See ya!"


    As she leaves, my heart starts thudding away as I grip the railing, knuckles almost white with all the pressure I''m using. I''m alone. Every sound amplifies, every scent heightens, and I can even taste the air. "Guys? Guys?" I start running. "Please don''t leave me!" Tears start streaming down my cheeks. I hate that I do this, I know somewhere in my head that I''m fine, but I can''t help it. I know how dangerous the world is. I know what''s in the dark. My vision starts to blur as I pass the flights and- run into someone.


    I''m then hugged and gently guided to my knees as I try to fight the urge to cry. "There there..." I hear. Wait... Tori never went inside. "Hey, aren''t you a big, strong hero alumni? Just being left alone on a staircase gets to you?" She asks me, but somehow, it doesn''t sound judgmental.


    I sniffle. "I''m a disappointment, aren''t I?"


    Tori slowly lets me go, steps back, then gives me a gentle smile. "Nah. My big brother is kinda my security blanket. Long as I know he''s within screaming distance and can get to me, I''m fine, but otherwise, well... to tell the truth, all this is freaking me out." She looks up the remaining stairs case. "Even for me, it''s a lot all at once, ya know?"


    "Yeah," I say, getting up. "That''s just how this school is."


    "C''mon, let''s catch up to my bro and the weirdos, eh?" She starts hiking up the stairs with me in toe. "I had to leave my suitcase on the landing up there when I saw you freaking out."


    I just follow her with a grin. What is this feeling? It''s not as warm as with my dad, and it''s not like Ochaco watching over me... but Tori feels special to me. She didn''t need to stay behind. In fact, from what I understand of our quirks, mine is a MUCH better weapon than hers, but she still went out of her way for me. She''s not really "taking care" of me. She''s just sort of helping.


    There''s a security and a power in this feeling. I could do the same for her sometime. I don''t feel overwhelmed, like a child with her mother. No... I feel more like... I don''t know. Is this what it feels like to have a friend?


    Tori and I navigate to her big brother''s room in just a few minutes. We go in and... "What is this?" I ask


    "What?" Henry asks. He shrugs, lugs his suitcase onto a twin-size bed, and starts unpacking.


    "What?" I ask back. "I thought my room was primitive." Well, the room isn''t primitive, so much as, rigid. The five-drawer dresser is brown, the floor is brown, and the bed, pillow, and sheets- are all brown. There''s a smell of cleaning products like this was just set up. There''s a mirror in the corner, but again it''s just brown. The bed posts come up to the fifth drawer of the dresser, and the nightstand is precisely half a foot taller than the bed.


    I look at the outside of the door and notice a deadbolt. "They can lock you in?" I ask.


    Henry just looks over his shoulder at a small window. "As if it would make a difference," he says. He looks over at his sister, whose face suddenly shows worry.


    "It would trap me..." Tori says.


    "Don''t worry. The lock is programmed to disengage in emergencies like fires or whatever. It just engages about curfew time, so it''s no biggie. There''s a reason we have our own bathrooms," Henry says, sticking a thumb in the general direction of a small bathroom area.


    "Most of us have a balcony..." I walk over to the window and look out, seeing that, indeed, there''s a balcony on the other side¡ª just walled off, and this small window is the only way to see out of the room.


    "I guess this is as close to a prison room as UA is gonna get," Henry says, cracking open his case and unloading. "If they''re not gonna shackle my arm, it''s a suggestion more than an imposition. I could get out of this in my sleep."


    "The place isn''t exactly Fort Knox- I wonder why they even bothered," Monoma comments. "Really, this is just sort of- depressing." He slumps his shoulders a little.


    "It''s probably just for the newspapers. If Henry and Tori have full suites with balconies like the rest of us, it''ll look to all the world like UA isn''t taking their convict status seriously," Kendo says. "Still... not sure I would want to live here..."


    "It''s fine," Henry says, putting his clothes away. Once she gets a feel for which drawers he''s using, Kendo joins him in doing this task.


    "Yeah, I mean, put up some decorations, and you won''t know the difference, save for the balcony," I comment.


    "We have to get those approved, actually," Henry says.


    "Hey, where''s your laptop?" Monoma asks.


    "Not allowed," Henry says flippantly.


    "I guess that makes sense..." Monoma says under his breath.


    "Where are your toys?" I ask as I start pulling out Henry''s clothes. "Or maybe DVDs or games or kid books or- anything? This is just clothes and a few basic textbooks."


    Behind me, Tori finally speaks up. "That''s all I got either."


    "Not quite," Henry says. He grins and puts a few toy cars on top of his dresser. "Dad says he''ll figure something out for both of us, but he did give me some cars and dinosaurs, and he gave Tori some stuffed animals for now."


    I look and see all he has¡ªtwo cars, a T-rex, and a small triceratops. None of them even look like they''re matched in size or make; they''re just random toys. I''m not judging Present Mic; I''m not; it''s just... "But what about toys from... before?"


    "Yeah well... Charles burned most of those," Henry says, not looking at me. "And what survived is probably in an evidence locker somewhere."


    "Well¡ªokay, I''ll just write a few letters and get the ones in evidence for you, no problem," Kendo says with a cheerful shrug. I can tell she''s trying to sound friendly and upbeat, but this is depressing her, too.


    "Doesn''t matter," Tori says behind us. "I mean, you accumulate toys over childhood right? You forget you have some you don''t care about, like legos or crayons. That''s what Charles let us keep. Anything that meant anything to us he got rid of." She looks down. "I guess it was to demonstrate how far he would go to hurt us."


    "Are you fishing for sympathy, Tori?" Henry says, slamming one of his drawers, and everyone jumps when he does.


    "It''s what happened..." Tori says.


    "Right, well, they don''t need to know everything that happened. We''re not pathetic victims anymore- if you ask me, we never were," Henry turns around, gritting his teeth. "Okay, so you know, we lived in hell. Charles destroyed our belongings, beat us, scared us, and he was working on re-freaking-programming us. Truth is, he was buying us new toys- well, he stole them for us from his victims. I had a huge trove of toys I never touched, and neither did Tori. He wanted us to accept the lives he was putting us in, and we both knew that was part of his convincing us. The toys in evidence aren''t stray legos; they''re stolen goods that should be returned." Henry walks out of the room, "Whatever. Thanks for helping me unpack everyone. Let''s head for Tori''s room."


    He heads down the hall, and the group follows him. Kendo shuts his door. "What do you mean, you never were victims?" Monoma asks. "Hawks saved you two. I can imagine how horrible you both looked when he-"


    "When he what?!" Henry snaps. He glares at Monoma, giving a look that almost locks us all in place. "When he almost screwed up my escape plan? When he nearly got Tori killed ''cause he didn''t kill the guard?" Henry throws up in his hands. "What did the papers report? He didn''t pull us out of a burning building; he practically arrested us. We got out despite Hawks."


    "Well- it''s not quite like that..." Tori says.


    "Point remains, we saved ourselves," Henry says, pushing forward, shouldering past Monoma, almost like he''s daring the older boy to fight. "So no, we''re not victims." We start to follow him as he heads down the hall. "Tori and I got out, and we became witnesses and informants against one of Japan''s most powerful and dangerous gangs. So don''t look down on us. Look at us and remember Tori and I got ourselves out of hell- so don''t mess with us..." He grabs a door knob with a sense of purpose.


    "Um... that''s the door to the stairwell..." Kendo says, giving Henry a half smile.


    Henry looks down, clearly embarrassed that he seems to have forgotten which way he was going, especially after his big speech, but he just hides his face.


    Tori''s room wasn''t much different. I found myself respecting both of them for what they had survived, but nothing about them spoke of the invincible empire crushes Henry wanted to be seen as. Henry was formidable for sure, tougher than me anyway. But I kept noticing little things, like how he kept forgetting little things or building up himself and his sister- who barely spoke for herself. I had to imagine most of what happened with their escape was on him, and if that was the case- even more respect... but still... it felt like I needed to do... something.


    When I come back out of the dorms, I see Bakugo and Ochaco waiting for me. Bakugo is reading a book and practicing his blasts at the same time... somehow.


    I race over to hug Ochaco, and Bakugo gives his normal "Tah" like he doesn''t care.


    "You good, Hotes?" Ochaco. She stands up, holding my hand. "I''m surprised you went in there with just two strangers as company. Very brave."


    "I think I have friends now," I say. "Well- at least one."


    "Right, well- you''re fine; I''m going back," Bakugo says, walking away without another word.


    We both watch him go, Ochaco giving a subtle hiss. "Never will understand that jerk."


    "He''s not a jerk- he cares. He came, didn''t he?"


    "You are a freaking angel sometimes, kid," Ochaco says, messing up my hair.


    "Um... Ochaco, can we and the girls do something?"


    "Getting everyone together isn''t always easy, but I''ll see what I can do," she says, leaning down on my level. "What''s up? You need something?"


    "I mostly want to hit a toy store, and it''s not about what I need..."

 Lost and Found! I know Im Special.

    Tori:


    I bang on my brother''s dorm room door. "Henry-Henry-Henry!"


    Eventually, the door cracks and my sleepy big brother looks down at me. "The crap is-"


    "LOOK!" I hold up a stuffed doggie toy. It''s a husky puppy that''s so soft and cute and- I hug it to my chest and spin around, "Toys! It''s been so long since I had more than a few. A whole freaking bag was left outside my room! Mostly stuffed animals for me- but look at this- look look look!" he opens the door a little more, and Henry peaks down. "See, a big brown sack with dinosaurs, cars, pretend weapons- all kinds of boy stuff."


    He looks at the bag curiously. "Does it say who it''s from?"


    "Just get it yourself, lazy!" I say as I step back from the door.


    "I''m not dressed. I don''t wanna run out there like YOU."


    "What do you mean? I got my shirt, my jacket, nice shoes-"


    "And your pajama bottoms..." Henry comments.


    "Well, I''m still decent..." I say, looking down at my pink spotted pj pants.


    A boy with black hair walks past me, himself in a full gray school uniform, saying. "Cute..." And keeps moving as my face turns pink.


    I fidget with my ankle monitor; the subtly blinking electric shackle is annoying. "Well- how am I supposed to get around this thing?" I ask my brother. "A lady came by my room last night and said they couldn''t hold off the restrictions any longer and made me put it on. It''s huge!"


    Henry looks down at his ankle, which I can''t see because he won''t open the door any further, but I can guess he has the same arrangement.


    A big shadow falls over the two of us, and the bag of toys by Henry''s room is picked up and- handed to him. He takes it.


    A deeper voice speaks up. "Ya know, you could have just asked what to do about the ankle monitor." Henry takes the toys as I look up.


    A big man in a red costume with gray bracers and a substantial yellow visor looks down at me. I give him the best cute, innocent wave I can manage. "Hi..." I say. "Um- when? Our doors lock from the outside, and we''re not allowed personal phones."


    "Oh good lord, and I thought I was risque," says a woman approaching our small group. She''s dressed in white with a black corset that pushes up her breasts and disconnected handcuffs on each wrist. Her outfit is skin tight, just like the man''s, but where his spandex costume emphasizes his muscles, she emphasizes a more natural figure... for some reason, not sure why. It looks weird. "You know you didn''t have to bust out of your room the second the lock disengaged; I was coming to get you," she says.


    The man rolls his eyes. "Honestly, we allow you to wear THAT. I don''t see why the kid can''t go to every class in her PJs¡ªor a bikini," he says. Still, he pushes me to the strange woman. "I guess you have her key. Help her out, will ya?" He knocks on my brother''s door. "I hope you''re not the kind to sleep in your underwear or something because I gotta come in and look around. It''s the rules¡ªfor you anyway."


    After getting dressed and meeting Vlad in the common room, my brother and I headed out for our first day of trying things out around campus. Technically, I had violated school policies by being underdressed, but Vlad let me off the hook because he believed Midnight was a horrible example. Even though my decision clearly had nothing to do with her, he wasn''t taking any arguing on that point. I guess it was just a faculty spat, but take what you can get!


    On our way, we were met by Hotaru- from behind as she jumped on my back and hugged me tightly, screaming "Besty!" as I almost fell on my face. How am I simultaneously the youngest and possibly the most mature person in the room half the time?


    "Hey, you''re going the wrong way, Jammies!" she bounces off me and starts dancing like she needs to use the restroom. "C''mon, c''mon, come with me, come with me," she says, grabbing Henry''s hand and pulling him towards the 1-A dorms. Okay, we''re touring classes, not dorms, so I run ahead of her and stop her as Henry puts up no resistance whatsoever. (It''s a thing with him, take his hand, and he''ll follow whomever as long as he doesn''t think you''re hostile.)


    "We''re trying to look at classes... wait- Jammies?"


    "Yep! You got your school nickname- you do something dumb, and you get it- yours is Jammies!"


    "Oh yeah... what''s yours?" I ask. Hotaru stops jumping and then looks away, whistling to herself. "C''mon, out with it," I say, folding my arms.


    "Um... Ducky Girl..." she says, poking her own fingers. "I accidentally brought a stuffed animal to class once..."


    Henry stifles a laugh. "We''re still waiting to make yours..." Hotaru says, giving Henry a sinister smile."


    I smile as Henry looks nervously away from us both. "Anyway, as soon as we decide, we start classes the next day¡ªthe heck does that have to do with going to your dorms?" I ask, physically stopping Hotaru by putting hands on her shoulders.


    "Nothing whatsoever- I made a big breakfast for the 1-A family, and you count because you guys are my friends!" Hotaru practically shouts.


    "I-"


    "Wait... you just sorta made breakfast?" Henry asks. "No prompting? Enough for your whole class and us?"


    "I do it a bunch these days; it helps clear my head and makes me feel useful," she says, shrugging her shoulders. "Sides, it''s just pancakes, eggs, bacon... sausage if you like."


    "I do like sausage..." Henry says, looking over at the 1-A dorms.


    "Well then, follow me!" Hotaru says.


    "Henry, we have work to do... Vlad?" I sort of wine. I look up at the professor with us, who just shrugs.


    "Look, come with me, and I''ll show you around a bit. Go with her, and you''re on your own; I got classes to teach, and I''m not your chauffeur," says the teacher, handing me a map. "Honestly, it''s not like the school map is that hard to read, and there are signs everywhere- I say have fun." He then gives me a side smile as I''m yanked along by an over-enthused peer and my oh-so-tough brother, who just goes along without a second thought.


    It doesn''t take long to get sat down with my plate of meat, eggs, and a separate plate of pancakes. Oh, delicious middle-class food in absurd portions, how much I''ve missed you! With Charles, it was rich foods, but the portions were tiny because things like snails or caviar might be delicious, but they''re always served in tiny amounts cause they look better that way. In prison, you get what you get and barely have time to finish. Cafeteria food at school was pretty good, but there''s a feeling of staleness to something made almost on a factory line, even if it is technically delicious.


    But nothing beats the smell, the richness, and the taste of food made by hand just for you! In addition to the chattering of friendly voices and people gathering to eat and talk with you, I missed this from foster care. I''ll readily admit that Orphan Care doesn''t have much to recommend, but you never have a shortage of friends to eat with daily.


    The big blonde Bakugo sits across from me and Henry, along with a redhead and-


    "DENKI!" Henry shouts as his mentor from prison joins us, sitting next to him.


    "Hey, hey!" the older teen boy says as he sits and messes up Henry''s hair, which my brother doesn''t seem to mind as he grins at the kid. "You''re looking better. Looks like it worked to have someone look in on you. You even kicked Katsuki''s butt, ain''t that right tough guy?" he asks the other blonde boy, who just growls in response. "Okay, okay, ALMOST kicked his butt."


    "I don''t need you to sugarcoat in Kaminari," Bakugo says. He then fixes my brother in his gaze, "And I wasn''t joking when we spoke earlier; you and I are fighting again someday- heck, Hotaru needs a sparing partner her age, and so will you. I expect you to show up... seven good?"


    "Seven is our dorm curfew," Henry says, sighing as if disappointed.


    "Really? We''ll see about that; I have a feeling your days will be crowded," Bakugo says. "I saw Mirko asking about you last night, and I don''t think she''s gonna take an early bedtime for an answer." He says while stuffing his mouth with eggs.


    "It''s not bedtime... technically. That''s nine." Henry cringes and looks down. "Oh yeah- that''s a thing, isn''t it?" he asks. "How many arrangements did we make while getting into this place, Tori? Just pretend I forgot ALL of them..."


    I hold my head in my hands and smile. It''s nice to be needed for something- even if I am a human sticky note. "I got your back, bro," I say.


    "That''s actually not how it''s going to work," says an all too familiar voice.


    Henry and I both look up suddenly to see Aizawa standing over me. He looks down at the bench near me, and I move quickly. He actually scares me a bit. I don''t want to sit beside him, but I want to fight him even less! He sets down a few plates of his own food and starts eating. "You''re not in my class; what are you doing here?" he asks.


    "Um... your daughter invited us?" I say, pushing up my shoulders as if to hide my head.


    He looks straight at me tiredly while chewing his food; I feel so tiny next to him. "Hm... why not? Fine." He finally looks away, to my relief. "I guess it''s good for Hotaru to have friends she invites over instead of just being artificially attached to them- you''re being nice to her, right." He doesn''t look at me on that last line, but somehow I realize I better answer right.


    Bakugo looks at me, too, and I get a sense from him that I better answer right. "I um... well..."


    "She''s the one who left the toys for us, right?" Henry asks. He gets a nod from Aizawa and a raised eyebrow from Bakugo. "No one is gonna hurt her ever again- if I have anything to say about it. People take care of me; I care for them."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Ya know, continuing to talk like a gangster doesn''t help your case around here, you realize that, right?" Aizawa asks.


    "You''re on the list because you helped Tori and me," my brother replies without cracking his confident facade. How does he do that? Isn''t he sacred of Aizawa, too?


    "I''ll keep that in mind," Aizawa says, instead of a thank you. "Remember, we''ve determined that you and your sister must be separated during classes." Henry pauses while I keep eating. Aizawa smirks. "Don''t get alarmed. This isn''t like with Charles. You''re too protective of each other; you need time apart. You can hang out all you want for lunch, breaks, even after school, or on days off; this isn''t about manipulation or hostage-taking but your development. You''ll both be perfectly safe and provided for, but you''ll have to develop and figure out who you are without each other."


    "But... I..." Henry squeezes my hand.


    "You have my personal assurance that nothing will happen to your sister," Aizawa says. He then gets up as his daughter enthusiastically sits next to me.


    "Besty!" She yells as she wraps an arm around me.


    For some reason, Henry goes quiet for the rest of the meal.


    Henry:


    I''m... I''m fine. I''m totally fine. No one is holding my hand. I don''t need someone to hold my hand. I''ll be just fine. I, Henry Kikku, brought down a criminal empire and outmaneuvered some of the top heroes in the country. I don''t need someone to hold my hand.


    It''s not like I perpetrated crimes in random parts of the city without really caring where I was. A sense of direction is not irrelevant to dodging pro heroes. Courthouses, police stations, and jails are not widely known for being small...


    I stare down the first hall on the first floor of the UA building. Every few feet, there''s another door. The walls are white with random decorations that I don''t know the significance of. The doors have labels like "English 1-H" or "Math 1-G" but no room numbers. I feel lost the second I set foot in the building. I''m holding the map in my hands and feel this way. I envy the teenagers walking to and fro around me, barely even seeming to look where they''re going- in fact, many of the teens are so confident, they''re having conversations as they go... crap!


    Where¡ªwhere¡ªwhere¡ªwhere am I supposed to go first? I nearly run to the stairs and must breathe hard to calm myself down once I''m in the stairwell. I pull a schedule out of my pocket... the nurse''s office to talk about the basics of EMT training¡ªright, because they''re holding out that I''ll like the idea.


    I look up from my schedule and map. You''ve got to be kidding! The floors are labeled by what''s on them, not by numbers- WHY?!!! I try to get ahold of myself and count the floors on my map- 40. Okay, so then- wait- FORTY FLOORS?!!! Luckily, there''s no ban on using my quirk to bypass the stairs. No wonder the school has seven-hour days!


    I repeatedly use my quirk to bypass stairs, and eventually, I have to take a pen and fill in floor numbers myself on my map¡ªwhich is great since the numbers only exist on my map, not on labels on the stairs'' doors.


    I go and go, trying to find just one room¡ªthe nurse''s office¡ªwhere she is?!?$# I feel like my brain is being scrambled, and I am just trying to figure out where I am. The sounds around me blur into a cacophony, and I hear random words in English and Nihongo. I want to reach out to someone, but I''m too embarrassed.


    I finally find myself on a floor... I think I''m on the fourteenth floor. I''m now reduced to looking left and right, back and forth over and over, so lost and-


    Someone bumps into me. I look into the eyes of a woman dressed in white with purple vizors over her eyes. She leans on a cane shaped like a medical syringe and smiles at me piteously.


    "Goodness- you''re wide-eyed and sweating just navigating a confusing building layout? Either you''re having first-day jitters, your condition is worse than I expected... or maybe a combination."


    "I''m fine, I''m fine... I''m-I''m,"


    "Oh... here." She holds out a hand to me, and after a few seconds, I finally take it and let her guide me wherever she''s going. At least I''ll know where I am¡ªwith the nice old lady. "I would tell you to just download a building layout for your phone, but that''s not allowed in your case, is it? I mean the phone."


    "I''m the nurse," she says, looking back at me with lowered eyebrows. I look down in shame. "You''re lucky I''m being nice; you''re thirty minutes late. But then I expected as much." She smiles back at me this time. It''s the first time an adult has looked at me with kindness outside the Yamadas in a long time. I get that discipline is a big thing here, but to have someone look at me with patience is nice for a change of pace. "You were severely miss-diagnosed in orphan care, and I doubt Charles improved conditions in that department. I''ll withhold punishment for lateness today, but don''t make it a habit, understand?" I nod, continuing to walk with her silently. "Now, let me see your map."


    I hand her my school layout, and she takes a pen and starts writing. She continues to talk, "Use this system to label the rooms; I developed it myself some thirty years ago when Nezu and I founded this school. I wanted him to use it officially, but he said a confusing layout will test student resourcefulness- really, I think it just causes headaches, but I never wanted to be in administration, so..." She waves her cane around at the seemingly random room arrangements. She then hands me back my map. "The system is annotated in the corner there. Apply it yourself to the map. I''m taking mercy on you because I know you have a condition, and you''re probably feeling overwhelmed, but that doesn''t mean I''m going to do everything for you."


    Okay, so she''s a little strict, but I can''t imagine Aizawa guiding his daughter like this through the halls, let alone me. Also, she has a nice smile.


    Finally, we arrived at her office. "Now," she begins anew, "I highly recommend you don''t use your condition as a crutch. If you prove impossible to train, we will release you from programs until you leave school. That being said, let''s see what we''re working with, shall we?"


    I sit across from her as she sits at a desk. All around me, I see medical equipment, supplies, and several operating tables to my right. The walls are white with the occasionally gray square, and the floor is freshly mopped. All around, I can smell cleaning products, and all medicines I can make out are locked up with labels over the locks that I assume are to say which key they use. I do notice a lack of antiseptic smell- but maybe that''s because this isn''t a full hospital, just a nursing room.


    "If you''re looking for my patients, it''s quite early, so no one has an appointment right now, and gym classes are mostly at the end of the day, so students aren''t exhausted for classes, hence no fresh injuries for now," she says as I sit down in a chair opposite her own, looking at her over her large desk, which is covered with papers and folders. "This is a school, not a hospital. They sleep at home. If someone needs professional care, they usually go to a hospital."


    "Now, I am Recovery Girl, the school nurse. My name is Chiyo Shuzenji. Please repeat that title to me..." she says, tapping a pen on a paper.


    "I um... um, you''re um, Recovery Girl, the school nurse, and your real name is Chiyo Shuz... Shuz..." I slump my shoulders, realizing I can''t remember the last name.


    "No pressure, just tell me what you can remember." She folds her hands and smiles warmly at me. "Your academic scores show me you''re a hard worker, but held back by well, I''m not sure what by, but it''s evident that there is something. Now... here," she gives me a red candy. "Your father says you told him cinnamon is your favorite. Enjoy- relax- I''m not trying to kick you out of the school. I''m just trying to get a diagnosis so the school can adapt its programs for you accordingly."


    "Don''t baby me..." I say, almost grumbling as I look down at the candy. I still pop it in cause- who can resist a cinnamon jawbreaker? Not me!


    She chuckles. "I''m not- really, this is just my personality. I hand out candy all the time. You''ll find that ensuring a patient is relaxed is a big part of work in the medical field."


    "I thought this was just you showing me EMT work."


    "Oh yes- that''s what I put down, isn''t it?" she asks, holding a hand. I show her my schedule. "Tomorrow, you and Tori are meeting with me about EMT courses. Ah, yes, I see; I put that down twice as if I needed to meet with you personally twice on the same issue. Well, I didn''t want to announce to anyone who read this that you have a disorder; I figured you would appreciate discretion, yes?" She cocks her head.


    Hearing that, I actually do start to relax. I had been worried about that. I don''t want people to look down on me. I give her a smile of my own.


    "There we go," she says with another friendly chuckle. "Now, try again, my hero name, title, and full name."


    "Um... You''re the nurse, your Recovery Girl, and your name is Chiro Shi... Shi..."


    "I see..." She starts writing. "I''ve already determined that your condition is real from your grades, and needing me to lead you here by the hand only reinforced that notion. It seems you CAN remember things, and once something moves into long-term memory, it stays there like with other people, but getting it there is the hard part, isn''t it?" She looks up from her notes.


    "I mean... yeah, that''s kinda how it feels."


    She then taps her pen on the paper again as if to help herself think. "You seem to have an amazing sense of spatial awareness. The speed at which you can execute complex multidirectional attacks- it''s exceptional."


    I smirk, "Yep- that''s me."


    "I don''t think it''s part of your quirk."


    I sit back and pretend to look at my nails in a kind of mock pride in myself.


    "I think it''s a part of your condition." When she says this, I pause. "Challenges with episodic memory, coupled with enhanced spatial awareness, and the ability to process maneuvers at a blinding speed- these are all part of a condition known as developmental dysmnesia. It''s a less severe form of developmental amnesia, but not without severe drawbacks, as your grades and your episode of freezing up in the hallway make clear."


    "It... it''s not part of my quirk?" I ask, my mouth starting to go dry.


    "No, DD has been known to help some children excel in sports while they''re terrible at many academics." She shakes her head, refraining from rolling her eyes. "Instant restoration, its own psychic network, near teleportation... I think Doppelganger has enough facets. All of them are quite limited on the surface," she gives me a conspiratorial look. "But, for instance, I suppose you could leave that little prison dorm any time you like, day or night, about right?" My eyes go wide looking at her. "I don''t need to know the details; just know that if you decide to defy us one day, you better have a good reason."


    I give her a small smile but look down. "Still, that means everyone was just going easy on me. If all those maneuvers I pull off are just the result of a mental handicap, they can''t be that good," I fold my arms and sit back, looking away from her.


    She cocks her head at me. "Is that how it is? I might point out that developmental amnesia isn''t a formal disability. As much as the brain often compensates, it''s more of an abnormality. But even so, if you''re given a gift, why cast dispersion on its origin?"


    I sigh and look back at her, leaning forward and dejectedly putting my head in my hands. "I don''t know; it''s just putting it all in perspective. I thought I had something special- it turns out my brain is just compensating cause it''s broken. I can''t remember crap, so I think super fast instead."


    "It makes you unpredictable. You don''t operate inside the norm." She starts writing again. "I''m going to make a few recommendations. First, if you do enter the EMT program, I suggest you enter class 1-B Heroics formally and study combat maneuvers along with them. Because of your age, you won''t be allowed to fight quirk to quirk against the more powerful students, and some of the more dangerous training will be off the table, but you can develop attacks and refine your abilities. I think it will be good for you to learn to appreciate the abilities that you really do have. Besides, you''ve been robbed of it for too long- I think it''s time you were allowed to pursue your own interests for once. I am right in assuming that combat and maneuvers interest you, yes?"


    I nod. "But am I really any good? Now that I think back on it all: I ran over rooftops like nothing, without knowing where I was going. I outmaneuvered pros while forgetting most of their names. I excelled at the practical exam while doing terribly on the written, correct?" She just nods. "I beat Charles and his goons, but that''s not because I''m a genius; I just think outside the box is all. Heck, because of that, my victory might not even hold... I talk like I did it all myself, but my goal all along was to use law enforcement as my weapon. I guess that means guys like Hawks and the police really did most of the work. All I did was run to them."


    "So?" She sighs and writes something else down. "What? Did you fancy yourself something above a normal person?"


    "I was hoping I was special in some way."


    "Afraid not THAT special," she says. "In fact, as long as I''m tearing down your ridiculous ego, whoever your homeroom teacher is to be, I will have to recommend he give you a grace period."


    I roll my eyes, "I keep getting those."


    "I''ve noticed." She keeps writing, "This one will be period to not just throw you out while you figure out how to get a handle on kanji and history- at which you suck."


    I blink at her a few times as she just keeps writing. "You... you''re this nice old lady, and you can just say things like that... wow, that stung..." I chuckle. "I kind of like you¡ªrespect."


    She grins. "I am what I am¡ªthe same as you. We will be trying some experiments, you, the principal, and me, trying to match your schooling to your brain. You''ll be a special project for Nezu; he enjoys those."


    I smile again, "I guess that means I really am special if I''m going to be working with the principal."


    "Indeed... you poor, poor thing, you''re going to be an educational lab rat."


    "I... what?"


    She doesn''t look at me as she starts to talk in a way that sounds... not so comforting. "What? Did you think we were going to go easy on you? Nezu will still want his high standards met. If you get his special attention, you''ll be working harder than basically anyone in the school¡ªgood luck."


    My eyes go wide, and I swallow.


    "You''re kind of cute when you''re scared," she chuckles.

 Decision Made- I Want to Make a Difference

    Henry:


    At this point, I really am considering being a regular hero. Medicine will require a ton of memorization from how much I keep seeing Tori with her anatomy book every day. She''s not even in a medical class yet, and she''s practically married to that thing. Of course, I feel I''ll have to do the same thing with a kanji book at some point just to keep up.


    Hizashi picks us up from the school after a day of following around a general studies class so the family can have a special approved trip to the mall.


    I wear my regular purple outfit with a black cap, and Tori wears a pink shirt and pants. When I meet my new family out front of the school, I''m so happy to get out of the building! I snatch up Yukari, tossing the little bundle of smiles on my shoulders so I can run around the group, making her laugh and scream excitedly. On the other hand, Tori talks a little, but always out of the side of her mouth as she keeps her nose pointed down and that book open to keep reading and reading.


    I have to grab her shoulder to keep her from walking into the street, and she bumps into three cars on the way to the Yamada family car. Yuka sees us coming at a distance and runs to us from the car and just picks me up right away- with Yukari still on my shoulders- which makes everyone laugh- except Tori, of course, because she misses the whole thing, face still in that book. Yuka finally has to pull the book up; Tori''s face lights up, and she quickly hugs our adoptive mother.


    I shrug, watching them- whatever, at least Tori''s happy. They separate, and she''s right back in that book.


    We pile into the car and go to the mall. Yes, some people might ask why we''re being allowed off school grounds, but technically, we''re with a professional officer of the law¡ªmy dad.


    In the car, I finally have to ask, "Okay, Tori, what the heck is up with that book? First, you barely look up from it to navigate, and second, it''s always that book in particular. It''s always anatomy¡ªsheesh!"


    "Don''t you remember what happened last time I tried to use my power on someone?" she asks.


    Hizashi raises his eyebrows from the driver''s seat. "What exactly did she do?"


    "Tried to heal my foot and ended up only sealing the skin. I wound up nearly dying from internal bleeding." I say with wide eyes, laughing at Tori when she hangs her head in shame.


    "Next time, things will be different. The next person will be helped, not nearly killed." Tori says, holding up her hand as if to swear.


    "Ya know... truth is, you didn''t know what you were doing, but that doesn''t mean you didn''t help," Yuka opted, holding up a finger.


    "What?" Tori asks, sounding shocked, and finally looks up from her book.


    "You sealed the skin, which means you basically band-aided his foot. You stopped any chance of infection, and depending on how deep the cut was, you actually slowed the bleeding."


    "But... but Henry nearly died before we called the hospital. I can''t heal people like that," Tori says, but Yuka takes her book away and pulls it into the front passenger side seat with her.


    "You need to stop thinking you''re alone, kiddos," she says as she looks over the book. "Tori, I''m glad you''re devoting so much time and study to making your power work right. There''s no telling how much your dedication will benefit you and others¡ªbut how deep was your brother''s cut?"


    "I mean..." Tori thinks. "Probably around three inches."


    "If you told someone what happened, they likely could have helped afterward, and you might have actually bought them time to do so."


    Hizashi flips the back view mirror so he can look at Tori. "If you take the position of EMT, your job will be to keep someone alive until they can get to an operating room, not to heal them yourself."


    Yuka flips through to the front of the book. "Honey, if you''re going to obsess so much, at least have a focus. "She gives Tori back the book. "Like this section on first aid."


    "But all I can do with that is-"


    "What you need to do, help."


    The engine dies as Hizashi says, "Well, we''ve arrived." He reaches back and closes Tori''s book. "I admire your dedication, kiddo, but maybe before you keep obsessing about whatever part you''ll be playing, you should let your instructors tell you what it will be ¡ªand maybe you should pick a course first."


    "I think I might want to be a surgeon," Tori confesses, her voice betraying her fear that this will upset everyone.


    "Well, the school won''t like that," Hizashi says. "And you won''t be able to become that after high school; you''ll also need college. All the same, I''ll be proud no matter what you choose, kiddo. If that''s what you want, UA can provide you with a great general studies program until you get to college." He reaches back and pats her knee. If he''s upset, he''s pretty good at not looking like it.


    Tori puts away her book, and into the mall we go.


    We shop for random stuff. Yuka tries to interest me in decorating my dorm room, but I don''t care.


    I''m thinking, ''What do I want to be?'' I don''t think anyone has ever seriously asked me that.


    In fact, as I look at myself in a passing display glass... who is Henry? Who am I if I have a choice? How long has it been since I had a choice? As a little kid, I wanted to be a hero who used clever tricks to fight crime, being there whenever needed. I want to be like Crimson Riot when he saved my sister. Does that mean a front-line or rescue hero? Doesn''t a hero like that stop the problem himself?


    But Hizashi just said I''ll only be part of things...


    I hear a ringing... yelling... screaming...


    "Honey, what''s going on?" Yuka says as she presses Yukari behind herself. I look up from the glass of the display case.


    Hizashi looks up at the mall''s floors and sees dark smoke on the fifth floor while we are on the second.


    Hizashi pushes me to Yuka. "Watch the kids, hun. Duty calls." He bursts off running.


    I look up at a small enclosed clothing shop on the fifth floor. The flames coming out of it are enormous and bright orange. I can almost feel the heat from here.


    What if Tori or I were trapped there? Hizashi can amplify his voice to smash through walls or to disorient even the most powerful of foes- but that does nothing to amplify his speed. Someone could be in that fire burning alive right now!


    I know what it''s like to wait and wonder if someone is coming. I know hopelessness... I won''t let someone else go through that!


    My eyes widen as Yuka pulls on my left hand. I am on the mall''s second floor, and whoever is in that fire is on the fifth.


    If I take the stairs, well-meaning people like Yuka will try to stop me¡ªI can''t let them.


    A golden artificial tree goes up through the nine floors of the mall. It''s made like a giant fir, so there''s no way it''s made to hold a person¡ªfor very long, anyway. Its branches are within three feet of the base second-floor railing and recede gradually inward as it goes up. The railing is a gold cylinder that travels around the tree and sits on top of glass panels, held up by gold poles separated by ten feet each in a giant circle.


    I remember the first day Charles revealed his true colors to me and Tori. In my mind, I can see him force Tori''s hands behind her back and bind them there. I remember not being able to help as two henchmen held me back.


    I look at the mall''s floors and hear screaming as people run from the fire. I can even hear screams that sound like Tori''s that day.


    I have to go- I have to get to them! There could be people trapped in there! I''m not helpless, not this time.


    I feel Yuka yank on my left hand and hear her yell at me to get back with my sister, but I''m already in motion.


    My right arm moves before I can think. A double of me appears, and I transfer into it, snapping my fingers as I sprint to the gold railing. Yuka screams for me to stop behind me, but I''m not listening. I can hear the fear in her voice, but I''m not stopping- what if there''s another girl up there, trapped like my sister? If they''re up there, I have to move. I have to get to them- I have to get to them now!


    I hit the glass of the rail and swing my right hand, a double of me appearing on the tree and grabbing hold. I transfer to him. I snap my fingers as I feel the branches of the plastic fir tree yield immediately under my weight, but they slow my descent like I knew they would. I swing my right hand again, a double of me appearing, and holding on three feet up- transfer- snap- swing- transfer- snap- swing- transfer... I have to rely entirely on my quirk to climb the three, but even so, in seconds, I''ve outpaced Hizashi, even as I can hear him screaming at me, "Henry, what are you doing?!!"


    In moments, I''m holding onto the branches near the sixth floor. I couldn''t just make a duplicate from the fifth floor because I wasn''t close enough to make it on the actual landing of the fifth floor. I''ll have to make one in the air high enough I have time to copy and transfer a second time onto that landing. Here goes- all I have to do is swing my arm and make a copy of myself three feet from me in the air, snap, and then swing again as I fall, making a copy on the fifth floor and transferring to it as my other body falls pointlessly...


    I''m the Purple Bandit; I can do this. No one will have to wait to be saved like I had to. No one is beneath my concern. I... I''m just a kid with a broken brain¡ªwho am I kidding?!!


    I hold tightly to the tree. I''ve jumped buildings three times this height dozens of times- but what if this is the one time I don''t make it? I need to stop- I need to...


    I hear screaming from the area of the fire this time. I need to move!


    Swing- transfer- snap- swing- transfer- I look over the railing as my previous self falls to the ground and slams into the railing on the way down, its back cracking and contorting as it falls- Yuka screams and grabs it, wailing over a body that is now just a husk- I... I... I watch as Tori points up to me- I''ll let her explain as I snap, and the copy of me that Yuka is crying over disappears- I have to get to the person in that fire; I have to!


    I sprint along the railing and move straight toward the fire. Hizashi is still a full flight of stairs down from me, screaming for me to stop, but I don''t really listen. I''m not listening to my... my dad...


    I''m a kid with a broken brain. What am I doing? I burst into the flames and felt the searing heat, throwing my right arm to duplicate and transfer three feet further into the inferno but out of the heavy flames themselves. I snap, not wanting to smell the charing of my own flesh behind me as I run.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    As I run past burning clothing displays and over the burnt carpet and glass shattered all over the floor, I widen my eyes and tune my ears. Is anyone in here? Where are they? I''ve got to get to them... THERE!


    I hear someone screaming. I hear pounding. It sounds like a girl. Where is she?


    I scan the burning clothing store again. Ashes rise, smoke surrounds me- I haven''t got much time before I burn or suffocate myself; over time, the sustained exposure will get to me regardless of my quirk- c''mon, where are you, girl?


    I hear the screaming and pounding again- it''s getting quieter. She''s succumbing- c''mon, girl, don''t give up! My eyes scan for the source of the pounding, and I see the front counter. I run towards it, ignoring it as my skin gets singed several times and flames lick at my clothes.


    I finally yell, "Where are you?!!"


    "The closet- help! They locked me in here- please... I can''t breathe..." She sounds young but older than me. I guess she''s in her late teens, maybe early twenties?


    I spin around and see a closet down a small corridor. It has a chair placed in front of it and tilted back just perfectly to hold the door knob. It looks like it could have been cleared or pushed out of the way easily- if not for the extra debris on and around the chair. However, that extra debris is there.


    I run to the chair and swing my arm- a clone of me appears in the air two feet above the chair, dropping with his feet landing directly on the debris weighing down the back of the chair. The wooden back snaps, and I snap away my clone. I grab the knob, screaming as the hot brass burns my hands, but I push through the pain- I have to get to her- I HAVE TO!


    The door opens until it hits the debris that had been anchoring the legs of the chair. It''s only a small pile of stones, but it''s enough that I don''t want to fight it on top of everything else. "C''mon out¡ªc''mon," I coax as the girl emerges. I grab her arm, pull her along, and drag her back to the store entrance.


    The girl has blonde-dyed hair, freckles, and a gray store uniform. She leans over me as we pull away from the counter and move back toward the store entrance. I look ahead and see¡ªoh good lord, a pile of debris has gathered since I plowed through. Now what?


    I-


    I hear someone on the other side yell, "Get clear of the left side!" Then I hear a loud clap from my right, the left of someone facing me. I head away from that side as I hear a loud scream. The sheer volume is so great that I have to grab my ears as my stomach starts to turn and roil.


    The debris and fire to my right suddenly blast inward, and the fire completely disappears. I grab the girl''s hand, and we run to the exit.


    The poor girl coughs and coughs as she comes out. I do, as well. Big, strong hands grab both of us as I realize¡ªit''s Hizashi... my father. He takes our hands and half drags both of us to safety.


    I duplicate and transfer, falling against a nearby wall, my lungs still coughing up smoke regardless of using my power.


    I start recovering, but the girl''s legs buckle beside me. Oh crap, I''m gonna lose her! I can see burn marks on her skin as she drops to the ground. I reach for her as Hizashi grabs me and pulls me away.


    What is he doing? I thought he was on my side, saving us both. No, let me go to her! I have to help her to...


    But as I watch, someone in a mask runs to her and slowly helps her lay down. The man is dressed in white, and he and a small team hook her up to an oxygen tank. Are they... they''re helping her. Hizashi was just keeping me out of the way. Her body starts to relax, her cough subsiding as she slips into sleep right there.


    They move efficiently and as a team. My eyes lock on them as they push the girl onto a stretcher and race her away from the scene, yelling for people to move out of the way.


    What they do doesn''t look like chaos. It doesn''t look unplanned. It looks rehearsed, smooth, calm... I wish I was like them.


    Soon, my coughing returns, and more men in white surround me. My thoughts are slowing down and unraveling. I hate how weak and inconsequential I feel. All I risked, all my effort, and all I really did was move an obstacle or two.


    I start to get more and more dizzy as I hear a very young girlish voice start to scream. "My big brother- big brother!"


    The room is moving as I''m guided to the ground. A mask is forced over my face as...


    My eyes slowly open. I look around and see I''m on a bed with machines all around me. Some cable leads from my hand to a bag of clear fluid. I hear beeping and see smudges... no... no... they''re people. Tori, Hizashi, Yuka, and little Yukari.


    Yukari is dressed in a little pink dress. She grabs the arm that isn''t hooked to a machine, holding me tight and nuzzling me a little. "Big brother..." she says, sighing in relief. I was scared when you ran into the fire..."


    She''s crying and holding me so tightly. Tori gently pulls the eight-year-old off my arm as I look over at Hizashi, who gives me a cringing smile as Yuka comes over and puts a hand on Tori''s shoulder.


    As I awake more and more, I can smell antiseptic and feel the warmth of the blankets that cover me. Yuka slowly escorts the girls out of the hospital room as tears start to form in my eyes. This is it. I''ve seen it before. I can see the tears in Tori''s eyes, so I know she knows what''s coming, too. Orphans aren''t supposed to stand out if they want to be kept. The Yamadas have an excuse to get rid of us now...


    Still, I guess I helped someone, right?


    Hizashi sits in the room near a large counter when the girls are gone. He pats a seat next to himself and relaxes in place, saying, "Use your powers to restore yourself when you''re ready. I guess this answers if you can use doppleganger to avoid the effects of smoke or gases¡ªno."


    I jut my right arm, make a duplicate, transfer to it, and snap my fingers.


    I stand wrapping the blankets around me, keeping them because a hospital gown doesn''t offer much privacy. The machines alert the staff that something is up, but when the nurses rush in and see me standing unharmed, they don''t act surprised. They just turned off the equipment and handed me my clothes. I''m a little surprised, but then I notice one of them is part goose and realize my powers are far from the strangest.


    They then leave me with my... father? I get dressed as we talk.


    "So... I guess this is the end, huh?" I sigh as I put on my T-shirt.


    "If you mean "it" as your freedoms for a few weeks, then yes, I can certainly say it is."


    "For a few years, you mean," I say, sighing and turning around. "Can you look away while I put on my undies and pants?"


    "Already doing so," he says. I continue. "What do you mean years?"


    "I stood out... I gave you an excuse..." I say as I finally finish buckling my belt. I fold my arms and say, "It''s fine, I''m decent now."


    He looks back at me, but I look away. "You think I''m going to give you up or something?"


    "I''ve been tossed back for far less than that," I say. "I made your wife and daughter cry. I''m sorry, but- well, it''s too late now, isn''t it?"


    "What the heck are you talking about, you dumb kid- get over here," he pats the chair next to him again, and I sit. He puts an arm around me as I still can''t bear to look him in the eyes. "Hey- hey, c''mon. I''m not giving up on you the first time things get tough, okay? Besides, you helped save a life back there. Not sure how you could have been MORE sloppy about it, but it''s not like you''ve been trained for this kind of thing." He pulls me closer and... I don''t fight it. He pulls my chin so I look him in the eyes. "Truth is... I''m kinda proud. Though I''m unsure how much of a right I have to be, it''s not like you get your heart from me. Through Charles, foster care- a world that''s been openly cruel to you, and you still have the heart of a hero."


    He puts his fist on my chest, and I hold his hand, fighting not to sob. "You''re keeping me? Even after I hurt the people you care about?"


    "You scared them because we all care about you, Henry. Your approach was all over the place- you could have gotten yourself killed or severely hurt."


    "Oh c''mon, doppelganger could have saved me from anything TOO bad," I say with a chuckle.


    "No... no, you''re not shaking it off like that," Hizashi forces me to stay seated as he gets up, standing to his full height and folding his arms at me. He''s... he''s actually pretty big. "You and I both know your quirk has limits- otherwise, you wouldn''t be here." He waves at the hospital room. "What if you hadn''t made a copy fast enough, or in the right position? What if your calculations were just a little off? Do you have any idea how dangerous those maneuvers you pulled were?"


    I look down, but he forces my chin up again.


    "Listen to me," He says. "I refuse to give up on you; that''s not at stake here. But your future is. One time, messing up with moves like that- you break your arm, and your power ceases to work, even if, by some miracle, you don''t die. And let''s be clear, there are all kinds of ways that can happen. You acted like you didn''t care if you got hurt- did you?"


    "I... I mean... I''m..." I start to tremble. "Stop making me look at you." He lets go of my chin, and I look down. "I don''t... I don''t think like that, okay? I just do things. I figure out a mission, and I just do it. Fear, self-preservation- I don''t care. I do what I have to so I can make things happen."


    "And why is that?"


    "Do you think I could afford to hesitate before? I had to save my sister... well, today the girl wasn''t my sister, but someone was at stake, and when that happens, I go with my... my... programming."


    I look up and see him raise an eyebrow. "Like a machine?"


    "Feels like that sometimes." I fold my hands in my lap and force myself to stop shaking. "Sometimes it feels like... in the heat of a moment... it''s like all I know is my objective. I move through obstacles and people like they''re not even there. It''s cool sometimes- sometimes it''s thrilling... that doesn''t mean I know how to control it."


    "Well... you''re definitely built for a life of action," Hizashi says. "You need to stop acting like no one cares if you yourself are hurt, cause that''s no longer the case- really, it never was the case. You always had Tori, didn''t you?"


    "Well... okay, people like me now- that doesn''t mean I feel like I deserve it."


    He kneels down to look me in the eyes as I slowly meet his again. "What would make you feel like you do deserve it?"


    "It feels like all I did today was... kinda help, just kinda."


    "You realize that''s all heroes do, right? We''re all part of a team. I stop a criminal, another person books the crook, and another fixes up the victims- we all have our roles. No one can do it all from start to finish, ya know?"


    "I guess I know that," I admit. "It feels like what I did- anyone could have done. Like I didn''t really make a difference."


    "Well... I mean... not anyone..." Hizashi cringes.


    "Not the way I did it- but now that the adrenaline is gone- did I do what I needed to or..."


    "Well, that''s one thing we need to talk about. What you did wasn''t exactly safe or smart. I mean, it was brainy for sure, but not smart. You could have used your bypass combo- that''s what I''m gonna start calling that rapid replicate-transfer-replicate thing you do- on the stairs and gotten to your goal just as fast."


    "People might have gotten in the way..." I give a weak laugh. "Yeah... saying that doesn''t make me look good, does it?"


    He shakes his head. "You''re gonna be punished; don''t worry about getting out of it."


    My shoulders slump. "Well, in any case, I feel like all I did was kick some debris around. I was just jumping from one task to the next with no plan, and then if you hadn''t blasted away the debris with your voice attack, well..."


    "Yeah, that''s how it goes when you just jump in."


    I think back to the men in white, and I look thoughtful. "Those men who hooked up the girl to the oxygen tank were EMTs, right? I don''t have the kind of firepower you do, but could they have gotten in if you weren''t there?"


    "It would have been a real challenge, which is why Nezu wants to get his hero EMT program underway. He''s been wanting to split emergency and law enforcement heroes for a while to ensure trained quirk users in all emergencies, but without an EMT branch, well... rescue and crime fighting is important, don''t get me wrong..."


    "Well..." I get up. "Can I take a walk?"


    "Long as I can walk with you. You definitely can''t be unsupervised after that episode."


    We walk and talk for a few minutes. Eventually, I ask, "I screwed up... what''s gonna happen?"


    "I''m not sure. It''s hard to ground you any more than you already are, but the school is creative. Probably some remedial training. Thank your lucky stars you''re a preteen because otherwise, you might be exercising till you puke," Hizashi chuckles. "Hey, no matter how creepy they talk, keep in mind that there are limits to what they can do. Just follow commands, and you''ll be fine¡ªand then no more vigilante acts, yes?"


    "But if I didn''t do what I did... would you have gotten to that girl in time?"


    Hizashi just shrugs. "I hope I would have. I''d have done it more effectively because I''m trained, but you did get there a full minute faster than me; that''s not unimportant. You have an advantage."


    "Yeah, too bad I''m too stupid to use it right," I grumble, looking down. "I just go with my adrenaline rush."


    "If you can do THAT on an adrenaline rush, you''ll be special when you''re trained. Don''t look down on yourself."


    "Does it matter that it was all because I''m handca..." but just as I''m about to bring up my condition, I almost run into something. A little boy holding up... a stuffed boy in a purple costume.


    "Bandit?" he asks. The boy looks about four and is dressed in a purple T-shirt, black jeans, and a black cap. He looks up at me, holding up his toy, then looks between me and the toy¡ªthen hugs the toy to his chest. "Thank you for saving my sister, Bandit." He then shifts his doll under one arm and takes my hand.


    I''m fighting tears again, but not of shame this time. The boy then walks to an older woman and man. Hizashi walks quietly with me as the two emerge. I''m about to bow when the man holds up his hand. "No, no, I honor you," the man says, bowing to me and Hizashi. "You saved my daughter." The man steps forward and puts his hands on my shoulders. "You especially risked much; I saw it. You didn''t know anything about her, did you? But you went through all that for her." he takes a stack of cards out of a plastic bag, removes one from the top, and shows it to me. It''s one of those dumb Purple Bandit cards for the trading card game. However, when I look at it... the Villain label is scribbled out, and I see "Hero" hand-written next to the scribble.


    The man turns over the card and hands it to me, saying, "Ever since I was a little boy, I searched for all the heroes for my deck. I never cared for a villain card- after today, I had to get one of yours. But of course, silly game makers- they labeled you wrong. I''ll have to, um... I''ll have to find you again when they fix the misprint. But this misprint will be valuable someday when it''s one of a kind- if you agree to sign it."


    I slowly take the card and the pen offered. I think back on my doubts and worries about my condition... I put pen to card and look in the eyes of people who... after all this time... see Bandit differently. They see my stupid childhood persona, not for what Charles made him or what UA is trying to make. They see Bandit as a hero now.


    I sign as I feel hope start to fill my heart.


    I swallow and hand the card back. "Dad..." I say to Hizashi... to my dad... it''s still kind of hard to call him my father... "I um... I can''t let these people down, can I? I have to train Bandit, right? The world needs EMTs..."


    My dad... Hizashi... he pats me on the back. "The world needs Bandit, kiddo."


    The older man bows to me again as he returns my card, smiling at my autograph, "The world does need Bandit."


    The little boy hugs his Bandit toy again, and... maybe I''m something special after all.

 Not Accepting Good for Nothing

    Tori:


    So... Henry made up his mind, huh? Honestly, maybe I should hurry up and decide, too. If he''s going EMT, I should probably follow so we can stay together¡ªoh, right. They said they''d be separating us during classes no matter what...


    I walk down the halls of UA alone, looking for Recovery Girl''s office for my appointment with her. I heard my brother''s appointment was more of a look into his condition¡ªwhich is great. He needs all the help he can get despite appearances on the battlefield.


    Me... I have my own concerns. First, I''m not tough; Henry is the muscle, and people figure that out quickly. Second, well... well, we will be getting into that today.


    I find the office pretty quickly- not that I''m not worn out from all the stairs getting to the twentieth freaking floor- IN UNIFORM! I hate all these teenagers running around me with powers that bypass the stairs or fly. If someone is actually with their class, they have to walk like normal, but going between, they can use minor tricks as long as they don''t cause chaos. This is great; I can walk when everyone else is walking, and when everyone else is doing tricks, I can walk. That''s it- I can walk. Flesh fuze is supposed to be one of the most revolutionary quirks on earth, and I have to hoof it everywhere I go.


    Welp- in I go! Wish me luck.


    The nurse''s office is a simple affair¡ªmost people would probably just look at the beds and the desk, but my eyes explore the medical charts all around me. On my left on the cabinets are charts of all the muscle groups and their members. They''re broken down intricately, and I wander over to examine them. They''re¡ª actually kind of cool. Maybe a little gross to other people, but cool to me.


    I carefully review the different images, noting the composition and any differences between this chart and the ones in my giant anatomy book- which is currently in my backpack.


    An old lady''s voice comes up behind me, startling me. "We provide lockers; you don''t have to carry that book bag everywhere."


    I jump and turn around, not realizing someone else was in the room.


    "Oh goodness, you really aren''t combat-ready," says an old lady as she walks over to me, her cane clicking on the floor. "I assume they told you where your locker was?"


    "Not really, I..." Wait... old lady... purple visor, pink ear protection, giant syringe cane... I gasp. "Recovery Girl!"


    "We meet at last," she says with a warm smile. "Well, I did see you at your entrance exam, but I was a spectator then." She straightens my collar and then steps back. I smile back at her. "Oh my goodness... you''re actually kind of adorable," she says as I look away, blushing a bit. She chuckles. "Well, I guess today is the day I try to sell you on being an EMT like we planned. I was told your brother has already made up his mind- though if you don''t make the same choice, I''ll note his choice won''t matter." She hobbles over to her desk and takes a seat behind it.


    I pull a notebook from my bag and hold it to the nurse. "Autograph? Please?"


    "I... my autograph?"


    "Please? I remember your cartoons on health from grade school, and if I recall, you were a big-time hero of your own before All Might showed up."


    She beams at me and takes the notebook. "To Tori... Yamada,"


    "Thankyou... I mean for calling me Yamada and not Miles."


    "It''s your name now. You should not accept people calling you by the moniker of that monster... now- "from Recovery Girl, Nurse Chiyo Shuzenji, thanks for making an old lady''s day." She hands the book back to me. "And perhaps you''ll convince me to tell you a few stories about the old days before All Might became our symbol of peace and drove the villains underground- those were dark days indeed, but there were heroes even then."


    "Whenever you can..." She folds her hands and looks at me for a minute. "What- oh right, I should probably get on with it." I straighten my hair a little, nervous to be in the presence of someone I admire. "I''ve studied EMT work in my book," I say as I sit opposite her. "It looks important, and I think I could make a big difference- but really, anyone could with the right training. Surgery is probably where I would be most useful, don''t you think?" I put my elbows on the desk and give her an eager smile. "I''m sure you''ll be teaching me either way, right?"


    "Why?" she asks cocking her head to the side.


    "Well... I mean..." I blink a few times. "I mean, I''m the next generation of healers- your logical successor, right?"


    "That doesn''t mean I need to teach you. I wanted to be your professor to help launch the EMT program, not because I like you or want to guide you in particular."


    "But... I..."


    "Oh honey," she reaches over and pats my hands gently. "I''m sure you''re a delightful child, but it''s not like I know you or anything. If you''re not a critical part of something launching, I have no reason to focus on you. If that''s what you want, you can focus on general education and then go to college to be a surgeon like anyone else."


    "But... I... you''re my hero..."


    She smiles again but looks less affected this time. "Yes¡ªand that''s the first in many years, but it''s also irrelevant. Of course, I am curious as to why me?"


    "I''m kind of a health dork..." I look away, kind of ashamed of my strange interests.


    "Why in particular?"


    "I mean- I have a quirk that''s meant for it- it''s like a calling. I''ve been told ever since I was four how important my quirk could be. They found me on the playground, knitting together a dead squirrel with my powers. I was fascinated, though I had no idea what I was doing then. However, when the adults looked at the corpse and saw it coming back together, they freaked. Everyone was excited- they said I was super special- and when they said why, well, I guess the rest was history, as they say."


    "Of course," the old lady says with a sigh. "They basically told you that you were destined for medicine. Which, I suppose, wasn''t a bad guess."


    "It means I can give people more time with their loved ones, right? It means I can be important- critical."


    She nods. "I won''t deny that." She picks up a pamphlet from her desk and shows it to me¡ª it''s the pamphlet for the EMT course. "I also won''t deny that I have an ulterior motive here. This course is one of my dreams. There was a time when I was out in the field like all the other heroes. As you can see, that time has come and gone," she holds out her hands and points at her body.


    She holds up the pamphlet, "This," she says, "This is what I did. I kept people alive with my medical knowledge until emergency services arrived. I patched up heroes and victims and sped up healing in the field- it was fast and sloppy, but it gave the professionals in the hospital a better chance. See- my power acts only on injuries made before I kiss a patient, not after, meaning it doesn''t interfere with surgery. I speed up their natural healing process. This made wounds seal and clot quickly in the field. Now it''s used to patch up students who do dumb things or break their bones during training." She sighs. "I''m not upset about it; I like interacting with young people, but I hate to think my contribution to the world will fade and that my legacy will end with me." She looks at her desk, tapping the wood, looking a little forlorn. "But, if the right student doesn''t come along well..."


    I look down for a bit, then sigh, "And Henry is counting on me choosing EMT too, isn''t he?"


    "It''s your choice, dear. Surgery is a career you won''t regret, and you''ll make a tremendous difference if you do. I wouldn''t dream of telling you-"


    "EMT," I interrupt her. "I''ve decided."


    "I-"


    "No, really. I''ll do it."


    "Just like that? I had this whole presentation..."


    "Well, I have no problem with surgery or EMT, but I must decide, right? If people are counting on me choosing EMT- really, I guess an entire industry is counting on me, or it won''t even be created- So screw it- I choose EMT." I smile and nod.


    "Well, I guess that means I should get to preparing, um..." she starts to get up awkwardly. "I..." she looks at me again, as if to be sure, but I just smile. "Well, no need to look a gift horse in the mouth then."


    "Um... there is um... um... one problem," I say.


    She pauses.


    "Um... what can you tell me about atrophy? Can um... can quirks get atrophy?"


    "Well, I wasn''t counting on this..." she settles back into her chair. "They certainly can. Tell me the story; why is that a concern?"


    "Well... it''s not like I go around town healing the sick or something..."


    "Your power is non-specific, and you''re a kid; you don''t need to be healing humans specifically anyway, and I would be horrified to hear that you''re practicing on living people at your age. But what stops you from cutting and uncutting sandwich meat or something else? That not a possibility?"


    I sigh. "I was hoping you wouldn''t ask about that- my power is effortless to practice using. I used to do it on slices of ham or chicken- just cut them with a plastic knife and then force the pieces back together. Things never looked perfect, but my caretakers wanted me to exercise my quirk daily since they learned about it. But..."


    "But..." she waves for me to go on.


    "But when we realized who and what Charles was, Henry was determined to keep what I had from him. He thought for sure Charles would sell me or force me to train to be a doctor for the underground, helping to torture, exchange organs- all kinds of horrible things. So he used his math and computer skills to destroy the records of my abilities over the internet."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "I see... well, given the reputation of your former father, your brother probably had a right to be concerned- though I''m not sure hacking on that scale was the best solution."


    "You''ll find he''s... thorough. He also insisted I stop practicing so no one would have a clue. I only learned about atrophy last week by reading my anatomy book, and I doubt he knew about it either..."


    The old lady leans back in her chair with an exasperated sigh. "You''ll be lucky if he didn''t destroy everything... we need to reign in your brother''s overzealous and foolish attempts to protect you. He doesn''t know what he''s doing- he may already have done more harm than good!"


    She gets up and wanders over to a fridge. "Honestly, under normal circumstances, what he did to you could have been a serious crime, though perhaps I should forgive him for being desperate and young, but if he continues-


    But I can''t stand there listening to her. "Well, what was he supposed to do!?" I get up, arms spread halfway and hands in fists. "What were either of us supposed to do? We had nothing- we were living as freaking prisoners. We wanted to run away, but that wasn''t an option. We wanted to fight, but we didn''t know how- and the so-called heroes weren''t around... so... so what would you prefer? That I had been sold off and never made it here?"


    Recovery Girl turns around and points a finger at me. "I didn''t say that, child, please-"


    "For all you people put my brother down, he was working on his own to save himself and me, and you''ll notice we''re both alive.... WHICH IS MORE THAN..." I start to almost scream until I stop myself. "That''s more than I can say for where we would have been if we waited for you heroes to save us!"


    Finally, my mind catches up to my mouth, and I cover it, eyes wide... oh, now I''ve done it!


    The old lady just stands there like she''s frozen in time. "I... I..." She finally looks down. "No... no, I guess you have a point." I blink, realizing she isn''t going to fire back on that. She turns back to the fridge and starts looking through it. "I remember reading about Charles adopting. I knew he was a horrible man even back then, yet it''s not like I pressed someone to investigate. The law would have made it difficult, but still..." She takes out a Tupperware container and takes it over to her desk. "I''m sorry. I should have done better myself." she opens the container and slides it over to me. "That being said, your brother needs help, as do you. There are things your brother could have done better, but... I''ll let it go for now."


    "I still look up to you... you''re still my hero."


    "Don''t you dare..." she grinds her teeth. "I''m going to have enough of a time beating myself up tonight for failing to act when I could have for your sake, without you going right back to fawning over me." She waves at the container. "It''s some lunch meat. If this works out, I''ll regularly buy some expressly for you to work on. Tear a piece and try to fuse it back together, if you will. Let''s see what happens."


    "Sorry if I made this awkward-"


    "You certainly didn''t get your brother''s devil-may-care attitude," she says, waving off my apology. "You had a point and dropped it immediately." She taps her desk to get my attention. "We''ll have to work on that lack of assertiveness before you become a human doormat. Anyway, go on."


    I walk over to the counter with all the muscle charts. I look up at them. "What if this doesn''t work?" I ask, staring.


    "I don''t know," the old lady says, hobbling over to me with her cane. I suppose the program will be back on suspension, and you should just practice to be a regular doctor. It''s not the end of the world."


    "But for the record, people are counting on me here, huh?" I ask.


    "Kiddo... just get on with it. Don''t focus on failure, or it''s all you''ll see- focus on success, and eventually, you''ll have it." She gives me a warm smile. "Ask your brother. All that hopelessness around you two, and he got you out. He screwed up in places, but I''ll bet you anything he focused on success. Now- learn from him. Take out the meat, and focus on succeeding in fusing it."


    I take out the meat, a regular slice of white-packaged turkey, and tear it almost down the middle. Then, I hold my left hand over the slice. Usually, doing this gives me an image in my mind of what I''m working on, almost in three dimensions, so I can focus. I close my eyes.


    Then, from my side, I hear, "Oh my- is that..."


    I open my eyes to look at Recovery Girl and pause.


    Projected over the turkey meat is a green image. It''s static-covered and not quite square like it seems it should be. Still, I focus my eyes on the image, and it... zooms in. The image is still of the turkey slice, but now it''s of the tiny fibers that make it. I focus my eyes again and... am I looking at molecules? I hold up my right hand and push my fingers between my hand and the turkey- nothing. My image of the turkey meat stays on that screen, with no interference, even when something passes in the way. I chuckle. "Wow..."


    "Wow, that''s right. Say goodbye to sonograms or x-rays with you. I wonder how specific you can get," the old nurse says, coming over and staring hard at my projection. "You couldn''t do this before?"


    "Nothing like atrophy to give you new powers... I used to be lucky to make projections like this in my head- not on the molecular level, though."


    "That''s not how atrophy works, child. You''re eleven, which means your body is developing and maturing naturally, and, apparently, so is your quirk."


    I put my right finger over the beginning of the tear, and a yellow beam shot from my finger to the meat. On the projection, the molecules started moving quickly and jamming into each other. Beneath the projection, the meat was slowly pulling together.


    In seconds, the meat is half-mended. It''s like there were no consequences to my lack of action at "all¡ª ssshhh¡ªaHHHHHAAA!!!"


    I shriek and pull both hands back as pain fires through my hands and up to my back, feeling like I just touched a flame- or maybe a blow torch.


    I stumble back and look at my hands. The projections and energy are gone, but the pain is still there, dulling to soreness instead of burning as my hands turn red. I grit my teeth and try not to cry. "No..."


    "Oh, stop it," the old lady says. "This is good news."


    "What do you mean? I used to be able to use my power for over an hour without feeling any pain at all. I don''t even remember ever feeling pain from just using it. I don''t remember pain at all..."


    "That''s because you''ve never truly exerted the ability before, I imagine." She says, examining the slice of meat. "Yes... hmmm... this may not be much of a crisis, despite your brother''s terrible judgment." I grind my teeth a little at that. "I have my opinion, and it won''t change easily," she says when she looks at my face. "My point is that he jumps to conclusions, and it''s good that we have you away from him to develop on your own."


    "I''m not going to stop loving him..."


    She snorts in laughter, and I tighten my fist. "Hold on, deary, I never said you shouldn''t love your family, the most enduring member of it least of all." She takes my balled-up fist and puts it over my chest. "Continue to hold young Henry here, in your heart; he needs you, and I know you need him... much as it frustrates me in some ways. You''re incredibly impressionable, and he''s domineering. It''s a dangerous combination, but it''s what we need to work with. You are family and need someone to go to at the end of the day. I''m just a teacher, Henry is your brother, and I''m not taking that away." She sighs. "I am passing a little judgment, though."


    "If... if you had it your way- would you separate us?"


    The old lady pauses on that note. "I... my position is more complicated than that. I think your brother needs help... please dear, move on. I''m not going to try to sabotage your family."


    "So... you just barely tolerate-"


    "I care about him- not as much as you do, granted, but I do, please..." she sighs again. "Look, maybe this is a good thing for you to see. Your brother was placed in a terrible situation where decisions had to be made- and he made them. Now, no matter what, his judgments will be supported or called into question for the rest of his life. He''ll be granted mercy because of his age, and so will you for your lack of notable actions- I might point out." On that note, I''m the one going silent. I indeed did little to help one way or the other under Charles. I was mostly just a victim... and I guess that''s one of the reasons I hate hearing people criticize Henry.


    Recovery Girl continues, "I''m sorry, young lady, I really am. But you must understand that the profession you want to enter, Heroic EMT, will place you in the driver''s seat. Everything you do from now on, even down to choosing this career, will be scrutinized. You must keep moving forward despite that, just to make a difference. You will save the lives of villains, prioritize one life over another, take one call over another... I hate to tell you this, but someone needs to. If you choose this life, the life of a hero, you stand to help many people- but you will be hated for it quite often. The anger you hear will make my criticisms of your brother seem tepid."


    I look down and bite my lip, almost stepping back.


    She continues, "At risk of losing what I''ve gained in having you choose the program I want you to choose- you tell me, right now- do you still want to be an EMT? It''s a position subject to criticism, and I cannot guarantee some equal amount of fame or glory, so..."


    "But..." I think. "But I really can help people have more time? I really can save lives? No matter what people think of me, just like my brother saved me in the end, I can save others?"


    "I''d rather you not hold up your brother that way, but¡ªwell, it''s true."


    "If I can make a difference- that''s what I want to do," I nod.


    She smiles and fist pumps the air, which- I guess is cute in its own right. I giggle at her. "Alright, then we''re going to make a program to rebuild your quirk, and the two of us are going to work on you asserting yourself." she twists her lips in thought. "From now on, you are my assistant, not my student- by appearances, I mean. Naturally, I will, in fact, be teaching you, but to others, I will not seem to be as far above you as I am above other students- you will look special."


    "I mean- is that a good idea?"


    "I say it is, and I''m not backing down- learn to do the same." She gives me a firm look. "Normally, I would not allow this, but you must assert yourself rather desperately. Do not bow to me, and please refer to me as Recovery Girl, Doctor, or Chiyo, not as Professor or Ms. Shuzenji. You will always speak clearly to me, loudly, and with a sense of purpose. You will be marked down for every five minutes you spend unoccupied in my office or classrooms. Half points down if I have to tell you what to do when you should have thought of things independently. As a tip- if there''s time to lean, there''s time to clean."


    My eyes widen. "You... you can''t be serious... It''s up to me to figure out what to do with my time?"


    "Not entirely, but I''m tempted to take down points for that comment- you should not be intimidated by simple time management practice. I will write down a plan to rehabilitate your quirk by working on cutting and re-fusing sandwich meat and eventually frogs'' bodies," At that point, I make a disgusted face, at which she chuckles, "Welcome to medicine. You have a healing quirk, but all it does is re-fuze molecules indiscriminately. If you don''t learn to discriminate what you''re working on, you can''t proceed to working on living creatures. This is what all surgeons and EMTs do- you didn''t expect your first patients to be alive, did you?"


    "But frogs... really?" I ask, cringing at the very thought.


    "Yes, frogs, cheap, dead, and similar enough to people that I can use them as analogs."


    She then hobbles over to my backpack and pulls out my anatomy textbook. "Goodness¡ªthis thing brings back memories of my own school days," she says, looking through it. "You will be going through it one chapter a week¡ªif not faster when I feel like it. Class time, for now, will be reviewing each chapter, and I will expect two¡ªto three-page chapter summaries every Friday. I''m not an experienced teacher, but that seems acceptable."


    "Sounds like a bit much even to me..." I comment as she walks back to her desk.


    "Welp, again, welcome to medicine... in fact," She holds up the book and eyes my bookmark- two-thirds of the way through the book. "You got that far in two weeks, did you? Obviously, reading isn''t a weak point for you. If that''s the case, congrats, you''ve been promoted from simple student to gopher. You will be my full-on nurse''s assistant for the remainder of the year- perhaps for the next three years until you are ready to start formal EMT classes- this will be done in addition to your normal studies." My eyes widen. "I hope you''re not expecting to become a social butterfly because this is the wrong profession. You chose EMT, so consider yourself lucky. If it had been a surgeon like you were thinking of, that would have made EMT look like a joke!"


    "Wait... just to clarify, when do I start?"


    "Well, I don''t have any lesson plans yet, and the week is half over, so no reading assignment this week, but..." she looks at a stack of papers on her desk. "This is a big school, you''ve no doubt noticed, so any given day, you have five or six bedridden students who will need refills on their medications. Normally, I would have their classmates do that, but you''re here, so," she hands me a stack of papers and a small fanny pack, "I hope you like stairs because you''re going to be running all over campus for me for the rest of the week..."


    I stare at her wide-eyed.


    "Well- go on. I understand you don''t have the same memory problems as your brother, so I suspect you already understand the school dorm layout; off you go. Remember, if I ever find proof of you stealing medicine, the results will be immediate suspension, and if you are confirmed to be dealing in drugs of any kind, you will be expelled." I gulp. It''s not that I intend to be a dealer; I just hope one doesn''t have a low threshold for proof.


    Still, I''m not only finally back in school, but I kind of have a job... this is kind of cool. I turn to leave as she speaks up again, "Wait! One more thing." I turn back. She grabs my hands gently. "Young lady, you have chosen a hard and very worthwhile career, and if I never remember to say so again¡ªthank you. You have no idea what it means to this old lady for you to rescue her dreams."


    She looks at me like I''m somehow adorable, eyes half-pitying me, and I return the look. Old people can be cute in their own way.


    I bow¡ªget a glare because we just went over that about ten seconds ago¡ªand rush off. I get out the door, skipping with excitement, and then see the stairs down the hall.


    Oh... right... crap...

 Wanted in a Good Way!- Day 1!

    The next day.


    Henry:


    First day of school- it''s finally here! Good because I got- punishments... Yay...


    So, I meet my professor, Sekijiro Kan, or Vlad King, first thing in the morning. I mean, that''s just amazing! So let''s see, how many times did I outmaneuver this guy in the last two years... six times, maybe? That''s six public humiliations- and he gets to be my disciplinarian. This is gonna go well; I have high hopes for this going amazing... crap...


    We do the whole thing: He unlocks my ankle monitor so I can change and shower, and I go out of school in nothing but a T-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes¡ªapparently, this is the official UA gym uniform. It doesn''t do much in the cold.


    I might as well note that the UA campus is beautiful in the early morning as I walk behind the red-costumed hero professor. We head for a large track and field area, and I can take in the sights for a bit. There are many buildings, most with red brickwork, and the soft green grass squishes under my tennis shoes as we walk.


    I grin¡ªlike a forced smile¡ªshivering in the cold. Why do I have to be wearing so little? Oh, right. This guy probably hates me.


    I look at the track as we approach. It''s surrounded by grass, about four hundred meters around, and covered in black rubber.


    He speaks up and points at the track. "Get over here! Move! The white line, there- now!" Sensing anger, I move quickly and stand on the line. A part of me feels like running, but I''m here in this school with a mission. I want to make Purple Bandit into something better- and it''ll take a lot before I give up.


    He folds his arms and looks down at me. Crap, he''s big...


    "Got anything to say?"


    I shake my head. I''m pretty sure silence is the best policy right now. Hizashi said trying to avoid punishment is pointless in this school.


    "Good. Then try listening," he says. He turns and starts marching back and forth in front of me. "It occurs to me that a lot of things are wrong with you, and now, for the next few weeks, it''s up to me to beat into you how to look, act, and think more like a real hero." I gulp.


    He eyes me.


    "Let''s get something clear." He returns to pacing. "I doubt anything I do will compare to Charles in severity. I''m not trying to make you afraid of me out here; I''m trying to correct your behavior and communicate with you what is unacceptable. My goal is not to hurt or intimidate you but to correct you."


    "When I say I will beat you, understand, boy, this is a metaphor. I am a real man, which your life has been sorely missing. If I ever lay hands on you, I take that as a sign that I have lost control of the situation, and let''s get something clear- I do not lose control easily." And- now I''m confused.


    "So... so violence means you''ve LOST control?"


    "Absolutely," he says, turning, folding his arms, and looking down at me.


    "But don''t you always fight people on the streets?"


    "Does it not occur to you that me being willing to engage in violence to solve a problem could be the exception that proves the rule? When a fire breaks out, like with your episode in the mall, you acted irrationally, and I''m sure that felt natural to do- you acted as if all control was unraveling, and you had to act desperately to contain it. At UA, we teach how to regain control in desperate situations using controlled violence. But you cannot progress until you understand this truth- violence represents a loss of control by its very nature. Your goal isn''t to revel in it; it''s to finish it so you can restore order."


    "So... you''re here to punish me..."


    "Without violence," he holds his hands behind his back. "You will punish yourself- this is the essence of self-discipline. Self-denial and inflicting pain in a manner to create self-improvement." He points at an obstacle course composed of a ten-foot high wall, a three-foot tall balance beam, seven two-foot hurdles, monkey bars seven feet above the ground, and finally, a zip line from a high pole to a forest finish line. There are mud pits all over the course- for safety, I guess... that and humiliation. Of course, if it is for that, no one except Vlad and me is out here.


    He starts up again. "Normally, I would ban you from using your quirk, but doppelganger strikes me as... allowable- you will be allowed to engage it three times per run. Every time you fail an obstacle, you do ten pushups and restart. If you fail to finish in under seven minutes, that''s also a failure." He chuckles. "And of course, given the size of that wall- I don''t know if there even is a way to overcome it without a quirk at your size, so that puts you down to two uses of doppelganger. I''ll be nice and say you have a seven-minute time limit."


    My eyes go wide when I look at the crouse. "You''ve got to be kidding..." I say.


    "What? You used to run rooftops and evade pro heroes in the wild concrete jungle; why is this scary?"


    "It... it''s just... only two uses of doppelganger?"


    He laughs as he walks past me, nodding his head. "You rely on that quirk too much. Your attacks and dodges rely entirely on your quirk before things collapse. Your mother, Yuka, told me she''s terrified that someday you won''t engage it fast enough to evade a serious injury or death, and while that''s a concern, you''ve been doing what you do for years, so I imagine it barely registers for you." He then turns back to look at me. "It doesn''t register for thief you anyway. But what about hero you? Hero, you have to run TOWARD danger, not away from it. You can''t choose the safest path from here out; you can''t even count on your power- because those you are trying to preserve won''t have it. You''ll have to think of how you use it, not just spam it until something works."


    He chuckles and shrugs, walking over to the rafters. "I''ll be watching from a distance to ensure you''re safe," he says. "But this is up to you. You will get up every morning at five until you can do this course in under five minutes- if that takes a day, fine. If it takes a month- I don''t mind. That''s your punishment. Its duration is up to you. You can even train in your off time. Have fun."


    "If... if I say I refuse to do this..." I bite my lip after saying that because he stops mid-step.


    He turns to look at me. "I hope you never do that." He looks down and to the side. "I actually regret that heroes like me weren''t there when you and your sister needed us. I''m sorry about that... I want to give you a chance, kid. A chance most kids that make it into this school don''t get. I''m committed to going the whole way here if you are. For the next three years, until you are old enough to attend UA as a full trainee, I''m prepared to overlook poor grades and a ton of misbehavior as long as I see a drive to succeed. If you keep working with us to improve yourself no matter what, I won''t let go. But if you decide to give up, well... I guess that will mean you want to go back to jail." He sighs and turns around, heading for the bleachers again. "You decide, kid. I''m not Charles. I refuse to be Charles. You''ll only be something greater if that''s what you really want. I won''t force you."


    "I become a hero if I want to... it''s up to me, huh?"


    "Yep," he says as he sits down. "So... your choice?"


    I look over at the obstacles. This is my chance. The Purple Bandit can be something extraordinary. I''m being trained for training. How many kids get this kind of chance? How hard did I have to fight to get it? Ever since I was seven years old, I dreamed of making myself into someone extraordinary. This is my chance... no going back.


    Still, I sigh as I realize... this is gonna suck.


    I sprint to the first obstacle, thinking as I run. Only two uses of doppelganger are a massive hit to my usual strategy. I could bypass the whole course if I could spam it... three uses¡ªbut Vlad is right¡ªthere''s no way to overcome that wall without my quirk.


    I can''t use it on the zipline; if I fall there, I fall. Even if I could spam my ability, slipping off the handle would be a mistake even a doppelganger can''t really undo. Hopping over two-foot obstacles should be easy enough with no powers¡ªthat leaves that twenty-foot balancing beam on which I can only correct myself two times to keep from falling. I assume falling or tripping is a failure. Well, here goes!


    As I''m three feet away, I jump three feet into the air and swing my right arm. A clone of me appears, and I quickly transfer to him. My calculations pay off narrowly as I grab the wall''s edge and vault onto it. I look down into the mud and shrug¡ªI''m just jumping down.


    Okay, so... did you know you''re not actually supposed to do that? It turns out a little mud won''t save you from being injured by a drop like that!


    I yelp in pain as one of my ankles rolls on impact and loudly cracks on the ground under the mud. I swing my arm, duplicate myself, transferring to the new body, only to hear Vlad yell, "Sloppy. The mud can only slow your fall, not negate it."


    I sigh, snapping away my injured body. "Well- I guess that''s ten pushups, huh?" I ask with a chuckle.


    Vlad starts to shake. "That man... Charles... you don''t even try to preserve your own life... I have to break you of this before you''re killed." He closes his eyes, then lets his shoulders sag. The man tightens his fists. "I... ya know what? No. Seventy. Pushups. Go."


    "I... what..." I let my arms sag at my sides. That... that''s a bit much.


    "You deliberately did something you knew could hurt yourself- you could have been killed! What if you landed on your head or arm and couldn''t transfer to a new body? What if you went into shock?" He stomps over to me and puts a finger in my face, "I refuse to be part of such disgraceful behavior. I''ll accept lapses in judgment, but that was deliberate." He glares at me. "That behavior has to change. This course is about retraining your mind to not always rely on your quirk so you don''t become over-reliant and kill yourself. But I first have to break you of this lack of concern about your own life- every time I see you deliberately put yourself in danger, there will be consequences. Seventy-five pushes up, one hundred sits up, and fifteen laps around the entire track- MOVE!"


    Something is happening. I look into Vlad''s eyes as I go down to start doing pushups and... I don''t see sadism. He''s making me do something that will hurt, but he''s not enjoying it. He looks like he''s almost crying himself.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Again... I don''t get it. It''s like I hurt him, but... how?


    After I''m done, I fall on the ground, barely able to move, pain radiating through my muscles. Vald sits down next to me and starts to talk. "Rest. Remember to drink water when you can move again. I''ll allow a fifteen-minute nap after this because you''re so young¡ªbut for the moment, listen."


    I swallow and just lay there. I feel the pain, but I also feel something else... I think I feel guilty. Like... like I actually care that I disappointed this man. He seems to care about me, for whatever reason- and I kind of let him down.


    "Henry, you matter- believe that, please. You''re just a kid- you''re too young to think it doesn''t matter what happens to you."


    "When I needed people, no one came," I reply. "Why should I believe that-"


    "Well, we''re here now, kid. We''re here now. I wasn''t there to save you from being damaged like this- but I''m here now." I look at him while he talks, but he looks away. "I should have done better. Heroes like me should have been there for you. But I''m not leaving it there."


    My eyes wander, and I''m unsure how to respond to him. I''m in pain, but it''s more soreness than anything crippling. I roll over and push myself up, biting back the protests from my muscles. "I don''t understand- why do you care?"


    "Henry, I became a hero to protect the futures of kids like you... it kills me to see how much everyone''s inaction did to you."


    "It... it''s not your fault..."


    "Not entirely, kid, but I have my responsibilities here and failed them. I knew two kids were in that house, under that man- and I did nothing. But- but this time, I''m doing something. I''m setting things right."


    "There are kids out there who have it worse than me- it''s-"


    "The difference is, I didn''t know- with you, I kinda did. I''m sorry." He looks back at me. "This will be hard; it will hurt, but if you work with me, we can improve you. We can make you care about yourself- you already care about others, I can see it. You deserve to value yourself, too. I''ve seen young men kill themselves, Herny... it''s not something I want to see you do..."


    "I... suicide? I would never... I..."


    "You''re on the path to it, kid."


    "I..."


    "We have professionals at the school who you can talk to, and I promise to never tolerate you not caring about yourself. Will you work with me?"


    "You too? I just... Hizashi acts like this, too. He helps me, and I don''t see what he gets from it... but if it means that much to you," I pick up a trembling hand and put it in his. "Whatever you say, big guy."


    I want to be something great, which means I need to live, but there''s always been a disconnect. No one outside of Tori seemed to care what happened to me, and I had to risk myself all the time just to protect her¡ªI guess somewhere that made me feel like my life was cheap.


    Looking in Vlad''s eyes is like looking in Hizashi''s or Tori''s¡ªthey value me for me. If they value me, maybe that''s enough.


    He helped me to my feet. "C''mon then¡ªI said I would let you rest. Let''s let you do that before classes start. By the way, this remedial training will continue. Don''t you EVER let me see you disregard yourself like that again, or I''ll bring the pain again¡ªgot it?"


    I nod.


    I stagger to class thirty minutes later, my body racked in pain, and I''m so tired. After Vlad led me to my new class, I sit in the back of a large classroom. I look up at him as the other students visit each other before class. I try to smile at him, and he gives me a weak smile.


    I start putting the new textbooks Vlad gave me on my desk and find a note to keep most of them in my locker. Oh... fair enough. I guess there are actually different classes here, unlike in grade school. I wonder how that works. I''ll have to follow everyone just to find out and... I look at the other students, most bigger and obviously stronger than me, likely with better quirks. I hope they won''t hate me.


    Which books should I put in my locker, though? The note doesn''t say. I start to try to figure out the mystery on my own.


    "Hello, little tag along. I see you chose something to do with my class; I mean our class," says someone standing over me. I look up and see a blonde-haired boy folding his arms and looking down at me with a big grin. "Well then..." he spreads his arms, "I guess you''re one of us then! Welcome to 1B! Welcome to the best class, with the best teacher, students, and training- you hit the jackpot little tag along! You''re OUR tag along!" The boy pulls me up and pulls my arm, which hurts after this morning. I want to yell at him because of the pain, but I don''t like looking weak, so I say nothing.


    "Attention everyone!" The boy says as he drags me over to a group of other students in the room. "This is our new classmate, Henry... um... what''s your last name?"


    "Um- Yamada," I say.


    "No- your REAL last name?" he asks.


    "I refuse to go by Miles, dude- I don''t claim him, I never did and never wi-"


    "Pssssh," The boy says. "Like I''d be talking about that psychopath!" He moves over and sits on the desk of a shorter teenage boy. The other boy is egg-shaped with blue hair and big eyes... I think I remember that boy is supposed to be the class vice president... Nnn... N...N... nope, his first name is gone, but I think his second was Soda or something. "I''m Neito Monoma if I didn''t formally introduce myself," The blonde says. "In any case, what''s that surname for you? I mean your REAL surname."


    "Um... what do you mean?"


    "Hey- back off, man. That''s kinda personal, don''t you think?" the blue-haired kid asks. "Don''t make me pull rank on you."


    "Like you would," Monoma says, patting the smaller boy on the head. "But c''mon, birth surname?"


    "I really don''t know..."


    "Oh? Well, if you want to, this school has all kinds of resources," Monoma says, jumping off the desk. "I''ll even help you out! What do you know? Just the names of yourself and your sister, and that''s all? Oh, what a tragic story! Two parents lose their little ones on vacation to our noble nation-" He holds his hand over his chest... this guy is getting on my nerves. My life is screwed up, sure, but that doesn''t make me his project. "but we can make it better!" He declares, thrusting his fist in the air.


    "I mean¡ªif that''s what happened..." a girl sitting at another nearby desk adds, "If that is what happened, maybe we should be helping you. I''m Pony Tsunotori," she says, like there''s any chance I''m going to remember all these new names. I''ll call her Pony¡ªshe has weird horse-like legs that I can see under her desk. "So, what do you know about your birth parents?"


    "Nothing," I say with a shrug. "Just leave it alone, guys,"


    "But what if they''re out there looking for you?" says a boy with white hair and an enormous jaw with no lips... I''m gonna just pass over that. I''ve definitely seen stranger. "It''s up to you, but it would be kinda sad. I mean, they went through the trouble of naming you and-"


    But I''ve already had it with this conversation and snap at him, "Shut it!" I clench my teeth as everyone looks at me. "No one named me. I''m Henry K¨­ji- I was just found. Same with my sister. We were found together, and they gave us the whitest names they could come up with."


    "So... that means... wait..." Monoma starts. "Do you even know if Tori really is your sister?" he chuckles. "Well, I could help you there if-"


    That tears it. No one questions if Tori belongs to me- or if I belong to her. "She''s mine, I say she''s mine, and she''s mine- BACK OFF!" I shout, punching a desk next to me so hard that it bounces when my fist leaves it.


    "That''s enough, everyone. Ten minutes to class start. You all keep antagonizing the newbie, and you''re gonna spend them in silence," Vlad says over them, looking up from the papers he grading.


    "We weren''t trying to antagonize-" Monoma says, but Vlad interrupts.


    "Adoption is a personal matter; you don''t get to say where Henry belongs; that''s not your place- and besides, if you don''t want to antagonize, you clearly have, so back off."


    Monoma folds his arms and huffs. "Fine... well¡ªcan we talk about your exploits as the Bandit?"


    "I mean... sure, that''s fine."


    "COOL!" Says another boy behind me. I turn and see- what the... He has green skin, green hair that sticks up and flows forward over his eyes, and a bird-like snout. Hooked blades come out either of his cheeks and seem fixed in place... I guess he doesn''t get a lot of kisses. "There was a time I wanted to tear you to pieces for embarrassing some of my favorite pros, but now that you''re here, I''d love to know how you did it! Besides, you took on that Bakugo guy without a ranged quirk- I want all your secrets so I can rip him apart!" And mid-conversation, at some point, his face ended up inches from mine.


    "I um... I''ll see about um..."


    "Don''t worry, little man, I''ll make sure he never messes with you for it either- that jerk is MINE!" He sticks his hand in my face. "By the way, I''m Togaru Kamakiri, and in this class, we stick together."


    "I... I''m so happy..." I say with a cringe as I back away, unsure I want to shake right now.


    "On the name thing, what should we call-" I turn and glare at another boy; this guy is... well, my glare falters because he''s about seven feet tall with brown fur all over his body like a living Big Foot from the Americas. I have to stop myself from laughing at his thick-rimmed glasses and wetting myself because he looks like he could snap me like a twig. "Ease up, young man; I won''t push the issue. I just want to know what name you prefer. Kendo and Shoda will need to know for your papers, and the rest of us will need to know... apparently, so we don''t piss you off."


    I blink, realizing he has a point. "Oh... oh well... I mean, it''s not like that. I just don''t like talking about my birth folks- they just aren''t around, okay? Whatever happened to them, it was probably more than a decade ago and-"


    He raises a big, furry hand. "Hey, enough said. There''s no need to restate your case. I can respect boundaries. We still need a name, though."


    "Right, um- Henry Yamada."


    "So you DO claim our dorky English teacher, huh?" Asks a small girl behind me. I spin around, about to chew her out for talking down about my new father, until I see she''s smaller than me and how she immediately backs up. She has brown hair and bangs that cover her eyes. She''s just shorter than me and actually kinda skinny. "I''m sorry- I didn''t mean anything by it. I just... I like him, is all. He''s kind of funny and nicer than most teachers here. I think it''s cool that you''re his kid, and he''s kinda cool and... well..." As she talks, I twist my lips a little, then put a hand on her shoulder.


    "You think my dad is cool, huh? Well, I like you already." I say, pulling her beside me and putting her arm over her shoulders. In a particular context, being that they''ve done nothing wrong, I don''t like people being afraid of me. It makes me feel like I''m legitimately a villain, not just someone who was coerced. Also, she was nice to my dad, which means a lot to me these days. "No one messes with- what''s your name?"


    "Wow, you''re confident¡ªfor a few minutes there, I thought... Well, then again, I guess you were ready to throw down. Um... I''m Kinoko Komori."


    "No one messes with Kinoko!" I say, then grin at the others as if to dare them to gainsay me, my eyes particularly shifting to Monoma, who I already suspect I won''t like.


    A hand suddenly extends over my head and messes up my hair, pushing me down. "That''s not how we work in this class anyway," says a girl on the other end of that hand. She has orange hair and a messy ponytail. "Everyone has everyone else''s back- long as your 1-B. If you''re in a different class, all bets are off." I look at her. I think I remember that she''s the class president- Ka... ka... what''s that Korean martial art? Oh, right, Kumdo!


    "Tori is gonna be in a different class... I think she''s gonna be under Recovery Girl... you all better not-" I note, but I get cut off again.


    "Is she the cute little girl who dropped off my meds for my knee injury this morning? The nurse''s assistant?" asks a boy to my left. I turn and see a muscular boy with silver hair. This sure is a colorful class, if nothing else. "She looks even younger than you."


    "She''s eleven and-"


    "Then don''t worry about it. Anyone who screws with her is gonna have ME to answer to." He grins. "Imagine messing with a nice girl like her- and eleven years old? No, I''ll smash anyone who acts so pathetic!"


    "Ya know... I''m getting a vibe that I''m actually gonna like a lot of you," I say.


    I hear a girl chuckle. I turn and see- a freaking knock-out girl! She has dark hair, a perfect hourglass figure, and a smirk that says I should look elsewhere. "Hey, don''t worry, pumpkin. You''re cute; we''ll take care of you."


    "Well, I mean... if you could take care of me a little closer to me..."


    She laughs, "Smooth... honey- you are WAY too young for me."


    "Like two years..."


    "Three- it''s a big deal here," she holds up three fingers. "Sides- the way you have your arm around Kinoko like that, I think she''s starting to like you..."


    Kinoko and I suddenly move away from each other. Kinoko looks away, seeming to blush. I try to backtrack. "Yeah well... If you''re too old, then she''s... um..."


    "I mean- she''s fourteen, so- I don''t know, that''s better, right?" the super hot girl says. "I''m Setsuna Tokage by the way. And this isn''t a romance class. I''d recommend you keep things innocent... even if I think that''s boring."


    Another girl suddenly moves between me and Setsuna. "Okay!" She says with a cringe. She''s tall and has long green hair that reaches down to the small of her back. "I''m Ibara Shiozaki, and pay no attention to my sin sick friend- she knows not what she does." She holds her hands over her chest as Setuna rolls her eyes. "I just want to express my heartfelt adoration for your journey! The trials of a boy forced into crime- love for his sister ever before him as he pushes forward, and now he comes here to recover and better himself- ohhh- it''s enough to bring a girl to tears! You are welcome here. We will be your foundation for a better life, I promise. Come to me whenever you need support or a friend, in trouble or good times, I promise to be your aid!"


    Okay... I give her a thumbs up. Weirdo alert... but I guess she''s on my side.


    The students keep chatting at me and with me, and despite all that''s happening- I suddenly forget to feel bad. I smile and sit down as Togaru pulls out a chair to ask me how I outran their teacher in my villain days. Even Vlad gets involved at that point.


    I... I can make it- yeah... yeah, I can do this.


    I even find a note in my shirt pocket and read it. It''s my new mother, Yuka, reminding me to meet her in the family room later.


    Please don''t wake me up... I like this dream... I know my old father''s gang didn''t evaporate.


    ...


    I know they''re on their way.


    ...


    ...


    I''m going to fight for this life.